VMFP Endorses Obama for President

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Veterans and Military Families for Progress proudly and confidently has chosen to endorse President Barack Obama for reelection.? VMFP's endorsement is recognition of both President Obama's outstanding achievements as Commander-in-Chief and his support of veteran, active duty, guard, reserve, and military family issues over the past four years.

VMFP is a national, non-partisan, not-for-profit veterans' 21^st Century organization committed to addressing the critical "coming home" issues of our veterans and military families.

As the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts come to a close, the President's commitment to our veterans of all generations has endured. Over the past four years, President Obama has kept faith with, in the words of President Lincoln, those "who have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan." ?President Obama has upheld our sacred trust with America's veterans, wounded warriors and their families.

From the first day he took office, Mr. Obama has made addressing the needs of all veterans and military families a top priority and has committed to ensuring they receive the job security, health care, and education they have earned.

President Obama's Returning Heroes Tax Credit and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit

Proposals are helping put veterans and our wounded warriors back to work today. To ensure that veterans and their families receive high-quality health care, the President signed legislation that ensures that funding for veterans' medical care is allocated a full year in advance so the VA can count on predictable and sufficient resources for treating our veterans.? Also, his administration has hired more than 3,500 mental health professionals since 2009.

As a Senator, Mr. Obama pushed for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and as President, he has ensured its successful implementation.

VMFP's primary mission is to support Veterans and Military Families in dealing with the inevitable crucial physical and mental health, employment, education and "coming home" issues. For the past four years President Obama has stood tall in leading the country to fulfill the nation's moral obligation to those who have served and sacrificed.

Press contact: Ronald Scott, 414-559-8040

SOURCE Veterans and Military Families for Progress

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vmfp-endorses-obama-president-192600675.html

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10 Things to Know for Wednesday

Foundations and pilings are all that remain of brick buildings and a boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, after they were destroyed when a powerful storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast on Monday night. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Foundations and pilings are all that remain of brick buildings and a boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, after they were destroyed when a powerful storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast on Monday night. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

In this Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 photo, a rebel sniper sneaks through a residential building as he looks for a firing position during clashes between rebel fighters and the Syrian army in the Jedida district of Aleppo, Syria. Syrian fighter jets pounded rebel areas across the country on Monday with scores of airstrikes that anti-regime activists called the most widespread bombing in a single day since Syria's troubles started 19 months ago. (AP Photo/Narciso Contreras).

FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2011 file photo, "Darth Vader" accepts the Ultimate Villain award from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas during the 2011 Scream Awards, in Los Angeles. A decade after George Lucas said "Star Wars" was finished on the big screen, a new trilogy is destined for theaters after The Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, that it was buying Lucasfilm Ltd. for $4.05 billion. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about on Tuesday:

1. A DAZED, INUNDATED NEW YORK TRAILS SUPERSTORM

"Nature," says Mayor Bloomberg, assessing the damage to his city, "is an awful lot more powerful than we are."

2. ECONOMICALLY, A WASH IN THE LONG RUN

Slightly slower economy in coming weeks will likely be matched by reconstruction and storm repairs that will contribute to growth over time.

3. BEST-LAID CAMPAIGN PLANS GO AWRY

Obama cancels Ohio trip in favor of a swing through storm-ravaged New Jersey. Romney, striving for right tone, eases up on politicking.

4. SYRIAN REGIME RESUMES AIRSTRIKES, SHELLING

The latest assaults, killing 23, level a Damascus suburb one day after what activists called the heaviest and most widespread bombing of the war.

5. WHY THE FORCE IS WITH DISNEY

The entertainment conglomerate is buying Lucasfilm Ltd., creators of "Star Wars," and it says that it'll keep the sci-fi movie franchise alive.

6. MORE THAN A OUI BIT EMBARRASSING

France's prime minister, after a series of sexist missteps by government officials, has decided that his ministers need sensitivity training.

7. HOW AIRPORTS BREEZED THROUGH THE STORM

After years of bad-weather bungling, U.S. airlines have learned that it's best to cancel flights early ? and keep the public away from flight terminals.

8. GUILTY PLEA IN 'FAST AND FURIOUS' BORDER KILLING

Mexican man's conviction is the biggest so far in a case that shamed the federal government and led to a series of congressional probes.

9. ANOTHER STEVE JOBS' DREAM LAUNCHES

Just over a year after the Apple founder's death, the luxury motor yacht he commissioned and helped make slips out of a Dutch shipyard.

10. AND THE WINNER IS ... LIONEL MESSI

He's the best soccer player in the world, and his Barcelona team is the top-rated club, according to the AP's inaugural weekly world soccer rankings.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-30-10-Things-to-Know-Wednesday/id-de296819d97d493f84ef73a19972d9f6

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Global Soccer 10 List

The Associated Press' inaugural AP Global Soccer 10 for the week ending Oct. 20. Voting is by an 18-member panel of international soccer writers:

Players

1. Lionel Messi, 140 points.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, 111.

3. Radamel Falcao, 79.

4. Robin van Persie, 73.

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 61.

6. Gonzalo Higuain, 50.

7. Juan Mata, 41.

8. Javi Hernandez, 28.

9. Cesc Fabregas, 27.

10. Mario Gotze, 26.

Teams

1. Barcelona, 130 points.

2. Atletico Madrid, 109.

3. Manchester United, 105.

4. Borussia Dortmund, 81.

5. Real Madrid, 64.

6. Schalke, 59.

7. Juventus, 53.

8. Bayer Leverkusen, 49.

9. Shakhtar Donetsk, 37.

10. Ajax, 35.

AP Global Soccer 10 Panelists

Cedric Rouquette, Europsport, France

James Porteous, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

Gregor Derichs, dapd, Germany

Francois Colin, De Standaard, Belgium

Willem Vissers, Volkskraant, Netherlands

Christian Schatze, Der FussballBlogger.de, Germany

Jose Antonio Cortes, Record, Mexico

Will Tidey, Bleacher Report, United States

Federico Giammaria, LaVoz, Argentina

Jerome Touboul, L'Equipe, France

Mike McGrath, Wardles News Agency/The Sun, England

Filip Bondy, Daily News (New York), United States

Julian Bennetts, Hayters News Agency, England

Aurelio Capaldi, Rai, Italy

Orfeo Suarez, El Mundo, Spain

Paulo Vinicius Coelho, Estado de S.Paulo. Brazil

Tom Timmermann, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

John Duerden, kickoffasia.com, South Korea

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-30-Global%20Soccer%2010%20List/id-96443e0711764255a9740ebe988b1bf7

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Quan: Oakland In Strongest Financial Position In A Decade ? CBS ...

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan is interviewed in the KCBS studio. (CBS)

OAKLAND (CBS SF) ? Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said Monday that a new report indicates that her city?s fiscal position is the strongest it?s been in a decade.

Quan told reporters at a briefing in her office that a report on the last quarter of the fiscal year that ended on June 30 shows that the city?s revenues exceeded budget expectations by almost $35 million and left Oakland with a record amount of $83 million in general fund reserves.

Quan, who was accompanied by City Administrator Deanna Santana and top members of the city?s budget staff, said, ?There were times when the city had no reserves, so this is huge.?

The mayor attributed what she said is an improved financial picture to property taxes being up by $13.6 million, sales tax revenues growing by $2.2 million and business license taxes increasing by $7.7 million, which she said reflects the growth in new businesses opening in Oakland and new medical and transportation projects.

Although Oakland?s 13.1 percent unemployment rate is significantly higher than the 10.2 percent rate in California and the 7.8 percent rate nationally, Quan said it?s an improvement from the 16.6 percent unemployment rate in the city when she became mayor in January 2011.

?Oakland is on the rise, as is seen in our budget,? Quan said.

Santana said Oakland has had to make $318 million in budget cuts and eliminate 740 positions in the last six years to balance its budget but the city?s finances are now stable and the city doesn?t plan to lay off any more employees or shut down any more departments at this time.

Two of the most senior members of the Oakland City Council blasted Quan for touting the financial report to the news media before she shared the information with the council.

City Council President Larry Reid said, ?The council has not been briefed on this and we should have been briefed before the press.?

Reid said, ?The council is tired of hearing information like this after the fact, particularly on an important issue such as the city?s finances.?

Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who chairs the council?s finance committee, said, ?We haven?t seen this information and they?ve been keeping it very close to the vest.?

De La Fuente said, ?This is the attitude of this administration, they don?t take the City Council seriously. This is a symptom of this mayor and it makes no sense.?

De La Fuente said he can?t say much about Oakland?s fiscal condition until he sees the report but he said ?I?m a little surprised? by Quan?s comment that the city is in its best condition in a decade because the city still has large liabilities for its employees? retirement benefits and just issued another $210 million in new pension bonds last month.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Source: http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/10/29/quan-oakland-in-strongest-financial-position-in-a-decade/

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automatic script writing from a audio/video? - Super User

This is a collaboratively edited question and answer site for computer enthusiasts and power users. It's 100% free, no registration required.

Got a question about the site itself? meta is the place to talk about things like what questions are appropriate, what tags we should use, etc.

about ????faq ? ? meta ?

Source: http://superuser.com/questions/494346/automatic-script-writing-from-a-audio-video

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55 Proven Ways to Increase Website Traffic - web design company ...

Driving traffic to the website is one of the biggest challenges faced by businesses today. Tough competition, constant changes to search engine algorithms and lack of knowledge of traffic building techniques are some factors that contribute to this.

Discussed below are 55 effective ways you can use to drive traffic to your company?s website. ?You can benefit from these techniques whether you sell products online or use your website to promote your business. A majority of the methods focus on inbound marketing techniques to drive traffic.

Here are 55 effective ways to increase website traffic:

1. Add a Self-hosted WordPress blog to your website and post frequently.

2. Submit guest posts on other influential websites and blogs relevant to your niche. Make sure to include a link in your byline.

3. Use free Backlink analysys tools such as Opensite Explorer to analyse backlinks and explore new linking opportunities. This will improve search engine rank and also result in direct referral traffic.

4. Perform market research or conduct a study on a topic relevant to your niche. Publish the results on your website. Studies can attract tons of backlinks and referral traffic.

5. Make sure all website content is appropriately optimised with the right keywords so your content can be found easily on search engines. This is one the oldest SEO principles that still applies today. Use optimised Meta tags, headings, bold text, image descriptions and other optimisation techniques.

6.? Start a newsletter with the help of services such as FeedBurner, Mail Chimp or Aweber.

7.? Start an Email series on your website with the help of an auto-responder servise like Aweber.com.

8.? Create a free eBook on a topic relevant to your niche and promote it on several sources including your website. Make sure to add a link to your website.

9.? Share links to your website or blog content on your Facebook Page.

10. Tweet your website content regularly and make sure to include a link.

11. Use Tools to Post your content to multiple social networks at once.

12. Use Buffer to schedule your Social media postings at times that drive that most engagement

13. Use tools like HootSuite or Div.lr to autopost content from your website?s RSS feed to your social profiles

14. Record videos and publish on several sites including You Tube and Vimeo. Make sure to include a link to your website in video description or annotations.

15. Start a content series on your website e.g. Tip of the week or Best designs of the week. It is a great way to generate repeat traffic.

16. Start a Facebook page on your blog / business name. Update it daily.

17. Hold contests or give-aways to increase subscribers and website traffic.

18. Comment on blogs relevant to your niche and make sure to include your website link in the comment form. Repeat this process at least once every week.

19. Post on high ranking forums in your niche. Make sure to include a link to your website and blog in your forum signature.

20. Put effort into connecting with influential users on social media. Getting an influential user to share your content can generate tons of traffic to your website.

21. If your advertising budget permits, consider Pay per click advertising using Google Adwords

22. Look into Facebook Ads. It is more cost effective than other Pay per click methods including Google Adwords.

23.? Use sites like LiveJournal to write and publish niche content. Promote your business and website at the end and in your profile.

24.? Convert existing content into podcasts using free services such as Podomatic and promote on several podcast directories.

25. Share website content on popular social bookmarking sites such as Digg.com, Delicious and StumbleUpon.com.

26. Include your website and blog URL in your email signature.

27. Use free tools such as http://www.uptimerobot.com/ to monitor website?s uptime. Hosting downtime can lead to a reduction in traffic and negatively affects your search engine ranking.

28. Publish articles on leading article directories such as Ezine Articles.com and make sure to include your website link the author byline.

29. Use Google Keyword Tool to identify popular search terms and topics and write about them on your website. This will result in content that is in high demand and will attact a lot of traffic.

30. Make sure you have a mobile version of your website. A recent study has found that almost 2/3rd of small businesses have not got around to doing this. This can lead to significant loss in traffic.

31. Create pages on popular content sites such as Squidoo.com and HubPages.com. Include your website link and and syndicate your blog using the RSS module available on these sites.

32. Publish at least one press release every month on several free Press release websites.

33. Create a business listing on Google Places and add a link to your website.

34. Use popular user review sites like Yelp to generate interest in your website. Create a profile and encourage customers to leave reviews.

35. Add your website to several high ranking online business directories including DMOZ.org.

36.? Monitor Google Analytics regularly and refine your strategy continuously. Repeat this process regularly.

37. Take advantage of free classified ad websites like Gumtree and Craigslist to promote your website.

38. Leverage content curation sites like Paper.li or Scoop.it and share content from your website as well as from other sources.

39. Use multiple social networks. Don?t limit yourself to the top 4 networks i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Studies show that sharing content on multiple sites drives 50% more engagement and traffic.

40. Leverage document sharing sites like Scribd and Docstoc.com. Make sure to include a link to your website in your documents.

41. Master the art of repurposing content. ?Reuse content as much as possible on as many sources as feasible. This will increase your reach and provide addition back-linking opportunities.

42. Post images on popular image sharing websites like Flickr. Make sure to? include a link to a relevant page on your website in image descriptions.

43. Start using Pinterest if you don?t already do so. Make sure to link your images to your website.

44. Create Infographics and publish on your website and on several inforgraphic galleries. Make sure to include a link to your website. Although it is time consuming, it is worth the effort

45. Focus on creating link bait resources on your website. This can attract tons of backlinks and referral traffic to your website for many years to come.

46. Take advantage of Question & Answers websites like Yahoo Answers or LinkedIn Answers. Respond to questions and leave a link to a relevant resource on your website where applicable. Only do this if a particular resource on your site is relevant, as these sites have strict editorial control.

47. Try Free Ad networks like bamifyads.com or miloads.com to promote your website and drive traffic.

48. Check your site regularly for broken links using services such as brokenlinkchecker.com or Xenu?s Link Sleuth Broken links can have a negatuve effect on your SEO and are easily avoidable.

49. Display your web site URL on all marketing material including printed ones such as letterheads and business cards.

50. Use coupons and deals to lure customers to your website. There are several coupon websites where you can promote your offers and attract customers.

51. Initiate QR code promotion to attract customers to your website e.g. by connecting it to a special offer.

QR codes are becoming an increasingly popular way for businesses to drive traffic to their website. Shoppers with smart phones can scan the code, which then instantly directs them to the company?s website. You can use free services such as QR.net to create your codes and get started.

52. Take steps to engage with users and build a community around your website. This will keep users coming back for more and encourage repeat visits to your website.

53. Consider launching your own Affiliate programme to help promote your products. This is a great way to boost sales and increase traffic to your website. You will have to pay a commission to affiliate but its only when a sale is made.

54. Take advantage of sponsored reviews or posts where other bloggers and publishers write a review promoting your business or your products on external websites. A small fee may apply but the results easily justify the investment.

55. ?Contact your customers and encourage them to link to your content from their website or share your link with their followers on social media. If your content adds value, it should be easy for them to participate in this initiative.

Conclusion:

Driving traffic to your website requires significant investment in time and resources. You can take advantage of the techniques above to increase traffic to your website. Most of these techniques are used successfully on this website.

What About You?

What methods do you use to drive traffic to your website? We would like to hear from you. Please add your response by leaving a comment below.

If you like this article, please share it!

Source: http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/increase-website-traffic/5464/

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Breast Cancer: Healthy Living in Survivorship - Nutriwell Coaching

This is the last in the series on breast cancer, prevention of recurrence and healthy living in survivorship. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Men also are diagnosed with breast cancer only at much smaller incidence. This means the odds of us knowing someone who has been through treatment for breast cancer is high.? Unfortunately, for some people, recurrence of breast cancer, metastatic disease or another type of cancer diagnosis years later is a reality. There are no guarantees in the prevention of cancer, prevention of recurrence and if you lead an idealistically healthy life, you may still develop cancer or have recurrence or metastatic disease. However, when your body is healthy it will fight the disease better and may even delay diagnosis so that you have more worry free years.?

Prevention and prevention of recurrence follow a very similar recommendations. They are amazingly simple and complex at the same time. The choices we make every day on what and when we eat and whether or not we move our body impact our chances of being diagnosed with cancer and how we will respond during treatment IF we are diagnosed. According to the American Cancer Society, our physical activity and eating habits could reduce cancer mortality in the United States by as much as one-third! That?s dramatic! That statistic means that a big part of the solution is in our control!

One of the strongest links for increased risk of recurrence is overweight and obesity. Interestingly, breast cancer is one of the few cancers where weight gain during treatment is common. There is a link, but not a cause and effect. Many possible causes are theorized for this phenomenon, but nothing conclusive. What is conclusive is aiming to prevent the weight gain and /or losing as little as 10% body weight has a significant impact on chance of recurrence. We are not speaking of many pounds, usually a very doable number!? Some very promising recent findings show that exercise, specific and with intervals of moderate to high intensity in each session, can dramatically impact fitness (which decreases 5% or more during treatment and may be a factor in weight) and exercise capacity has been shown to be a strong predictor of prognosis. In one study the control group, non-aerobic exercisers, had a 3% decline in fitness while the aerobic trained group had a 17% increase! As you can see, exercise needs to be a part of life, during and after treatment.

Nutrition also has an impact.? The strongest impact is consumption of fruits and vegetables. People who consumed the recommended 7 ? 9 servings had significantly reduced incidence of recurrence.? How can you incorporate more color in your day? Lower consumption of animal products comes in a close second. We encourage small amounts of protein with meals and snacks for satiety and blood sugar control, however small amounts equals a total of 6 ounces each day at most.? That?s each day, not each meal. When we consume appropriate protein, there is room left for those servings of fruits and veggies.

In Summary, for prevention, during treatment and in survivorship:

• Is 30 minutes too much time to invest in reducing your cancer risk? (yes or no?) Choose to move each and every day, after all, you have the choice to move when others only wish they could.
• Limit sedentary activity even if you?re active.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Forego the fads which aim to achieve healthy weight, but will not enable you to maintain a healthy weight. You may have to put in a little effort here, and you are worth the effort.
• Limit consumption of processed meats and animal proteins.
• Eat at least 2 1/2 cups, 7 ? 9 servings, of vegetables and fruits daily. Choose a rainbow of colors as the variety of colors provides a variety of rich anti-oxidant rich nutrients.
• Choose whole grains vs. refined grains. Less processing is less exposure to chemicals.
• Choose food instead of pills. Supplements may be organic, natural, or even vegetarian, but they are still pills and except for fish oil, the research on supplements overwhelmingly shows that the pill form of nutrients does not produce the same health benefits as we get from eating the foods rich in nutrients. Although there may be cause to supplement our food choices, refrain from replacing food unless you like flushing your money down the toilet, literally.
• Limit alcoholic beverages, if you drink. Daily consumptions should be limited to 2 drinks for women and 3 for men.? On serving equals one shot of liquor, 4 oz of wine or 12 oz of beer.

What will you choose today to decrease your risk of cancer?? Past blogs discuss ways to move more and add fruits and vegetables into your every day life- suggestions on ?how? to make the work in your every day life.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I highly recommend 101 Things You Should Know About Breast Cancer by Pam Schmid (find at www.pamshmid.com). Pam tells her story of a lifetime of health and fitness, her career of choice even, and her journey with Breast Cancer and now metastatic disease. She provides the facts, not the theories, and the choices we can all make to be healthier at various stages of cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Pam shares a journey of living with cancer and the power of our choices.? It?s actually a good reference for most types of cancer.

Source: http://www.nutriwellcoaching.com/2012/10/breast-cancer-healthy-living-in-survivorship/

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Dear Abby: Wife's tattoo shatters husband's trust | Amarillo Globe ...

Dear Abby: My wife and I have had many discussions regarding tattoos. She would say she wanted one; I?d disagree.

Well, just before her birthday she had her best friend, a tattoo artist, give her a small tattoo. I didn?t know about it for about six weeks, until I walked up behind her and noticed it on her upper shoulder. Our children knew and hadn?t said anything.

I got really mad and left the house for a while. When I returned and began arguing with her, she would say only it was her body, and she would do whatever she wanted.

I have gotten over the tattoo part, but I haven?t forgotten about not knowing and how I finally found out. I am hurt that she didn?t tell me. ? Hurt to the Bone in Kentucky

Dear Hurt to the Bone: Your wife didn?t tell you because she wanted to avoid the argument she knew would follow. Your children didn?t say anything because they were protecting their mother.

It appears you and your wife have significant communication problems. Counseling might help, and I recommend it because secrets can cause marriages to crumble.

Dear Abby: When I was a young woman, I was a single parent. My friends would laugh at how often I?d say, ?I need a wife!? I didn?t mean it in a sexual way; I simply hated housework and cooking.

When I started dating my husband, he said he would do the housework. Stupidly, I believed him.

The economy tanked, I lost my job and I have become a housewife. I tried to convince my husband to move so I could find a job and hire a maid. No luck. He decided that since we didn?t need as much money, he would work less. Now he works part-time, and I want out. ? Living in Hell in New Jersey

Dear Living in Hell: Tell your husband you didn?t sign up for the role he has assigned to you. I?m sure he already knows you?re not happy with the situation. If he is unwilling to resume working full-time, then it will be up to you to find some kind of job that will enable you to save enough money to leave.

Dear Abby: Election Day will soon be here, when we go to the polls and elect a Democrat or Republican to the White House.

Afterward, why not stop at your local animal shelter and elect a Democat or a Repuplican to your house? No matter whom you choose for the White House, you can?t go wrong with a furry friend.

They don?t make promises they don?t keep. They can?t reduce the deficit or improve the economy, but what they can do is give unconditional love. ? Independent Animal Advocate

Dear Independent: I agree that pets give unconditional love ? and without term limits.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.dearabby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Source: http://amarillo.com/lifestyle/advice/2012-10-24/dear-abby-wifes-tattoo-shatters-husbands-trust

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Virginia attorney general to expand Rockingham voter disenfranchisement case statewide (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/257999320?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Slate asks the question "Does the U.S. military still use bayonets?" http://bdto...

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Long term effects of recreational diving....scientific data?

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Amazon Brags About Huge Kindle Sales Without ... - Business Insider

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc said on Monday that its $199 Kindle Fire HD tablet has been the best-selling product on the company's website since the gadget went on sale more than a month ago.

Amazon started selling a range of new Kindle Fires on September 6 and the company said the 7-inch HD model has out-sold all other products on Amazon worldwide since then.

Amazon did not disclose actual sales numbers, but a spokeswoman for the company said the top-seller status was based on unit sales.

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos recently told the BBC that it sells the tablets at cost, hoping to generate profits when customers use the devices to buy products and services from the company.

The announcement came as Apple Inc prepares to launch a smaller, cheaper tablet of its own on Tuesday. The device, dubbed the iPad Mini, may challenge Amazon's success at the lower end of the booming tablet market.

Meanwhile, Amazon has launched larger, more expensive Kindle Fire HD tablets, aimed at Apple's full-sized iPad, which still dominates the sector.

(Reporting by Alistair Barr; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-brags-about-huge-kindle-sales-without-providing-any-real-numbers-2012-10

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New Manner: Hello Kitty iPhone 4S Cases

By admin | Published: October 24, 2012

Hello Kitty mobile telephone addresses and cases can be a good way to indicate off your unique model. Both of those grown ups and youngsters like making their mobile phones customized with showy and gallant handles and cases. Hello Kitty cell mobile phone addresses and cases not merely may make your cellular phone appear quite desirable but in addition can protect your cellphone display screen from hurt.

With all the launch with the iPhone 4, the necessity for brand spanking new and improved cases has grown to be rather evident, and you simply could be shocked to uncover just the quantity of cases are literally offered on modern day market. That remaining explained, let?s discuss somewhat in regards to the various iPhone 4 cases and the way they could enable you out immensely in today?s electronic entire world. You?ll find a lot of forms of case but the following we introduce several styles that may help you obtaining the most effective iPhone 4 case for yourself.

It is possible to rest certain that there are actually figures of Hello kitty addresses and cases for iPhone 4 accessible within the current market considering the fact that Hello Kitty is well-liked around the world. iPhone 4 uses a case which will be taken off effortlessly and changed that has a new. It is possible to substitute your outdated deal with with any new Hello Kitty cases that meet up with your interest.

Moreover the detachable handles and cases, there are actually cases that slip on and snap in excess of the earlier case you can choose from. These variations supplied tricky plastic, vinyl, silicone, and leather-based cases. The most up-to-date design is the silicone pores and skin covers. This type of cases is on the market in a very large selection of colours in addition to a number of Hello Kitty photographs. This sort of canopy can merely slide around your telephone properly. With this way, your cellphone might be quite elegant on the overall look. What is actually additional, it can secure your iPhone concurrently.

With these wonderful and beautiful Hello kitty handles and cases, your iPhone 4 will likely be as appealing when you can visualize! Should you are tempted to those fancy covers, just pick a person for your cellular phone and revel in the pleased daily life.

You?ll find interactive iPhone cases which you can communicate with and acquire joy. Many of these iPhone 4 cases have cartoon photos with which you?ll be able to enjoy with. The nice instance may very well be the Sew iPhone 4 case. Given that the fantastic consultant from the cartoon photographs, the lovable Stitch is as welcome as being the Hello Kitty as well as Winnie. The highlight for this Sew iPhone case is always that it entirely will take the design on the Stitch, the pair of huge and absence eyes, two protruded ears plus the arched head. Seeking at in the back again, the Stitch case seems like a toy. So once your iPhone 4 is coated that has a case like this, it might be an uncomplicated focus on of the minimal young children. They tend to take it to be an excellent toy and transfer the ears on the Stitch.

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Source: http://marvellousoffers.com/77053/new-manner-hello-kitty-iphone-4s-cases/

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L.A. Clothing Designers Sheena Gao and Laura Krusemark ...

Los Angeles, CA, October 23, 2012 ?(PR.com)? International Citizen Design House is the newly-launched must-see fashion label started by industry veterans Sheena Gao and Laura Krusemark. Following fifteen years of guiding the design choices and purchasing planagrams of major retailer employers, and educating/mentoring young designers as teachers in respected west coast design schools, this dynamic duo have shucked the corporate safety net, and blown off the educational arena (remember Ghostbusters?) to brave the entrepreneurial peaks.

Considering the girls history and knowledge that retailers often control fashions between tightly related companies and entities, they have further shunned convention by taking their incredibly light, casually-elegant fashions direct to consumers through an offering on Kickstarter.com.

These independent women seek a direct connection to their clientele. They design in graceful drape, easy to wear, wrinkle-free fabrics. Sheena Gao, co-founder of i.CTZN says, "Our clothing is made from cotton jersey and french terry that is ultra-soft and super-comfortable. It's especially great for the traveler as it doesn't wrinkle, is easy to pack, and is great for layering into a sophisticated appearance and edgy style.

"International Citizen has all designs and specifications completed, and our manufacturing is in place. With a little help from the consumer, we can build a brand that promotes one world, one people, as you directly choose fashions you wish to succeed."

According to Marc Guest, V.P. of Sales and Marketing, "Kickstarter has changed the paradigm by providing direct to consumer access to young companies like ours. This new model has brought in over $3.4 million for a firm with an old-fashioned RPG video game (see Double Fine Productions), and over $10 million for a company with a new 'smart watch' prototype (see Pebble Watch). And it generally does this within 30 days."

Laura Krusemark, i.CTZN co-founder says, "We wondered what a fashion project like ours could do, as we had always envisioned a way we could contact our customers directly, using smart media tools and resources. If a potential customer sees our fashions, on Kickstarter, and find us to be 'in touch', the sky is truly the limit!"

To view i.CTZN's fashions/project video click here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1601457620/ictzn-unique-clothing-with-international-style-and

Laura and Sheena are available for interview.

Contact Information:
International Citizen Design House
Marc Guest
562.292.2882
Contact via Email
www.kickstarter.com/projects/1601457620/ictzn-unique-clothing-with-international-style-and
V.P. Finance/Marketing
Founders Sheena Gao and Laura Krusemark are available for interview.

Click here to read the full story: L.A. Clothing Designers Sheena Gao and Laura Krusemark Jumpstart Their Unique International Citizen Design House Fashions on Kickstarter.com

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Source: http://money.rambergmedia.com/l-a-clothing-designers-sheena-gao-and-laura-krusemark-jumpstart-their-unique-international-citizen-design-house-fashions-on-kickstarter-com/

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F-35 Stealth Fighter Drops Its First Bomb [Video]

Amidst heavy criticism—and in the middle of a Presidential race that will be key to its future—the beleaguered F-35 Lightning II program keeps marching on: Lockheed Martin has completed the fighter's first weapons test, successfully dropping a 2,000-pound bomb from its left internal weapons bay over the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake's test range. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-jqrBtGcLk0/f+35-stealth-fighter-drops-its-first-bomb

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Debate debate on single mothers and crime ? Family Inequality

In response to the presidential debate last night, a debate broke out over the role of single-mother families and crime. Here?s what happened, with a repost from one year ago, when I reviewed this issue.

In response to a question about the availability of assault weapons, Mitt Romney responded in part (from the transcript):

But let me mention another thing, and that is parents. We need moms and dads helping raise kids. Wherever possible, the ? the benefit of having two parents in the home ? and that?s not always possible. A lot of great single moms, single dads. But gosh, to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone ? that?s a great idea because if there?s a two-parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically. The opportunities that the child will ? will be able to achieve increase dramatically.?So we can make changes in the way our culture works to help bring people away from violence and give them opportunity and bring them in the American system.

In response, I tweeted:

and then:

Then?Kay Hymowitz?(the author of?Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys) wrote: ?The vast majority of violent criminals come from fatherless homes. Sorry. Them?s the facts. Doesn?t explain Aurora though.?

And then we had this exchange:

Me: Ok. But violent crime rates have plummeted while single parenthood keeps going up.

Her: Yes, crime has declined for a variety of reasons including, sadly, mass incarceration.

That reminded me that I looked over this research one year ago this week, and wrote the following, which I repost here:

Single parents, crime and incarceration

Sometimes a diagram is helpful to organize your thoughts.

A little while ago I commented that crime rates had fallen through the floor even though single parenthood is still on the rise, apparently contradicting a generation of conservative conventional wisdom that attributed rising crime rates to the decline of the nuclear family. In the graphs I showed a very strong positive relationship between crime and single parenthood from 1960 until 1991, after which the relationship was reversed.

In response, someone countered:

Your graphs on single-mother families and crime rates, and your accompanying commentary, conveniently miss any reference to the massive increase in incarceration since the 1980s ??Were it not for the fact that this country has incarcerated more than a million men behind bars since the late 1980s, it is likely that the upward swing in single-motherhood & nonmarital childbearing would have been paralleled by an upward swing in crime.

I have written before about the family consequences of the drug war, focusing on how incarceration affects families, rather than on how (whether) family structure drives crime; as well as other aspects of the prison boom (such as?giving birth in chains, distorted marriage markets, and how prisons contribute to the spread of HIV).

But I didn?t address the question of how incarceration may have saved us from a worsening crime wave driven by single parenting.

I still don?t have an answer, but I have some thoughts, which I have chosen to express in the form of a conceptual diagram, with references. Each of these links is at least plausible and at most conclusively shown by the research listed below. If I were to dig into this research, this is where I would start: an annotated free-association figure:

Click to enlarge the diagram.

From what I can see so far, it looks like incarceration causes single-parent families more than single-parent families cause crime.?The numbered references are below. (Thanks to Chris Uggen for some leads.)

References (with links that might hit pay walls)

1.? Demuth, S. and S. L. Brown. 2004. ?Family structure, family processes, and adolescent delinquency: The significance of parental absence versus parental gender.? Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 41(1):58-81. Schroeder, Ryan D., Aurea K. Osgood and Michael J. Oghia. 2010. ?Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency.? Sociological Inquiry 80(4):579-604.

2. Charles, Kerwin K. and Ming C. Luoh. 2010. ?Male Incarceration, the Marriage Market, and Female Outcomes.? Review of Economics and Statistics 92(3):614-627.

3. Childs, E. C. 2005. ?Looking behind the stereotypes of the ?angry black woman? an exploration of black women?s responses to interracial relationships.? Gender & Society 19(4):544-561. Robnett, Belinda and Cynthia Feliciano. 2011. ?Patterns of Racial-Ethnic Exclusion by Internet Daters.? Social Forces 89(3):807-828.

4. Dixon, T. L. and D. Linz. 2000. ?Overrepresentation and underrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos as lawbreakers on television news.? Journal of Communication 50(2):131-154.

5. Dixon, T. L. and K. B. Maddox. 2005. ?Skin tone, crime news, and social reality judgments: Priming the stereotype of the dark and dangerous black criminal.? Journal of Applied Social Psychology 35(8):1555-1570. Dixon, Travis L. 2008. ?Network news and racial beliefs: Exploring the connection between national television news exposure and stereotypical perceptions of African Americans.? Journal of Communication 58(2):321-337.

6. Tonry, Michael. 2010. ?The Social, Psychological, and Political Causes of Racial Disparities in the American Criminal Justice System.? Crime and Justice: A Review of Research, Vol 39 39:273-312.

7. Pettit, Becky and Bruce Western. 2004. ?Mass imprisonment and the life course: Race and class inequality in US incarceration.??American Sociological Review 69(2):151-169. Reiman, Jeffrey. 2007. The rich get richer and the poor get prison: ideology, class, and criminal justice. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. Wakefield, Sara and Christopher Uggen. 2010. ?Incarceration and Stratification.? Annual Review of Sociology 36:687-406.

8. I made this argument in a recent blog post here. For a more thorough review of media depictions of single parents, see: Usdansky Margaret L. 2009. ?A Weak Embrace: Popular and Scholarly Depictions of Single-Parent Families, 1900-1998.? Journal of Marriage And Family 71(2):209-225.

9. On conservative foundation support for traditional-family-is-good research, see a few of my posts here, here, here, and here.

10. Nagin Daniel S., Francis T. Cullen and Cheryl Lero Jonson. 2009. ?Imprisonment and Reoffending.??Crime and Justice: A Review of Research 38:115-200.

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Source: http://familyinequality.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/debate-debate-on-single-mothers-and-crime/

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Cute Food For Kids?: 28 Halloween Drink Recipes For Kids

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Here are som kids friendly Halloween drink recipes:

- Fruit smoothies?with meringue eyes from Better Homes and Gardens

- candy corn smoothies from Pillsbury

- Mummy juice box from Parents via 41 Cutest Halloween recipes on Cute Food For Kids

- Jack o'lantern Smoothie also from Pillsbury
- Ghoulish Punch?from Kraft Foods - Gummy worm ice cubes for Halloween from Martha Stewart

- Boo-?Nilla shake also from Martha Stewart?via 41 Cutest Halloween recipes on Cute Food For Kids

- What a fun way to serve drinks on the Halloween party!
From Fete a Fete - Orange Hot Chocolate from Kaboose - Throw a ice hand in your punch.
From Simply Started
- Slime punch from Parents - How about throw some spider ice cubes in your drink? Spooky ~~~~
From Fahrenheit 365 - Hot cocoa with marshmallow eyes from Taste of Home - Pumpkin soda from Jac O' Lyn Murphy - Straw bets from Scrapbooks etc - Frankenstein lime sherbet punch from Be Different Act Normal

- Eyeball Tableware from Martha Stewart - Add Halloween labels on your water bottles from Kara's Party Ideas - Halloween milk shooters for your little ghost from Babble - Get printable soda labels from Centsational Girl

- Gold fish in my drink!
from FamilyFun

- Ghost punch recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

- Buy poison water bottle labels from Etsy

- Fizzy Pumpkin Halloween Drink in Jars from Homes.com

- Bug Juice and other bug theme party ideas from Casa Sonrisa

- Virgin tequila sunshine with licorice rope spider from Apron Strings
- Glow in the dark drink from Our Best Bites

- Medusa Ice Face and Hands from Martha Stewart
Maybe a bit too spooky for kids?

Please give me a "like on Facebook, join me on Pinterest or follow me on Twitter to get instant notifications on new fun food ideas! Thank you.

TweetPin It

Source: http://www.cutefoodforkids.com/2012/10/28-halloween-drink-recipes-for-kids.html

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Love Advice From Taylor Swift ? Fresh 102.7

(Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)

Taylor Swift is Rolling Stone?s current cover girl and the country pop songstress has a lot to say about love. Known for writing about her relationships and falling in and out of love Taylor admits she?s a romantic.

?I love the ending of a movie where two people end up together,? she said. ?Preferably if there?s rain and an airport or running or a confession of love.?

It only makes sense that her favorite movie is Love Actually.

?The way I look at love is you have to follow it and fall hard, if you fall hard. You have to forget about what everyone else thinks. It has to be an us-against-the-world mentality,? she said. ?You have to make it work by prioritizing it, and by falling in love really fast, without thinking too hard. If I think too hard about a relationship I?ll talk myself out of it.?

As far as her past with John Mayer, in the issue Taylor tells the writer not to tell her what he said weeks prior to Rolling Stone. When he eventually reveals that Mayer referred to her track ?Dear John? as ?cheap songwriting? she explains her reasoning on writing about former relationships.

?In every one of my relationships I?ve been good and fair. What happens after they take that for granted is not my problem,? she said. ?Chances are if they?re being written about in a way they don?t like, it?s because they hurt me really badly. Telling a story only works if you have characters in it. I don?t think it?s mean. I think it?s mean to hurt someone in a relationship.?

Red will be released October 22. Of the album Taylor said she wanted to experiment with her sound and fans should expect each song to sound completely different from the others.

-Annie Reuter, CBS Local

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More Taylor Swift News On Fresh1027.com

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Read More On Fresh1027.com:

Source: http://fresh1027.cbslocal.com/2012/10/17/love-advice-from-taylor-swift/

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A-Rod benched again, with Granderson this time

DETROIT (AP) ? Alex Rodriguez was dropped from the Yankees' starting lineup again Wednesday, this time with New York facing elimination and his future with the team still to be resolved.

Trailing 3-0 in the AL championship series against Detroit, the Yankees also benched slumping center fielder Curtis Granderson.

Rodriguez, only 3 for 23 in this postseason, was out of the lineup for the third time in New York's nine playoff games. The star third baseman also has been pulled for a pinch hitter three times.

"We will go forward. Alex will go forward," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

"That doesn't mean that he's done, that he's finished, that he is not capable. He is still a big threat, but for whatever reason right now we are adjusting to what we are seeing," he said.

Whether the Yankees keep him on the bench or put him in another postseason game, "it doesn't mean by doing so we're not going to have to deal with legitimate questions," Cashman said.

"That's all for another day," he said. "All we are concentrating on is the here and now and what is best for us today."

The 37-year-old slugger with 647 career home runs didn't like his seat in the dugout.

"I'm not happy about it. Obviously, you come to the ballpark feeling you can help the team win. When you see your name is not in the lineup, it's obviously disappointing," Rodriguez said before Game 4 on Wednesday night. "You've got to accept being a cheerleader and also make sure that you're ready when you're number's called."

While Rodriguez was surrounded by a pack of reporters on the field Wednesday, some Tigers looked on in bewilderment as Detroit took batting practice.

"I've played this game for a long time and bottom line is, anytime I'm in any lineup, I think that lineup is better. It has a better chance to win," A-Rod said.

"I don't care if it's an All-Star Game. I feel I can bring that type of impact and I'm also at any point ready to break through. I thought my at-bats in some of those games got a little bit better. The last two, I hit two rockets. Anytime I'm in the box the game can change and everyone knows that," he said.

The firestorm may not end any time soon. He has $114 million and five years remaining on his contract ? and a no-trade clause.

"You know, the one thing about this game, as we've all appreciated over time, is that you're going to have some good times and you're going to have some tough times," Cashman said. "But when you're going through the tough times, it doesn't have to be the end-all and be-all. Opportunities will exist to continue to get back off that mat and get back in the ring and battle."

Yankees president Randy Levine and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria joked last spring about sending A-Rod to Miami. The conversation took place when the Yankees played a pair of exhibitions to open the Marlins' new ballpark.

"Alex is Mr. Miami," Loria told him.

"Take him. Tell me what you're willing to do," Levine said before the pair laughed.

Said Levine Wednesday: "It's funny. You can't even joke with somebody anymore."

Cashman flatly denied that the team has had trade discussions concerning Rodriguez.

He said manager Joe Girardi has the final say on the lineup, but a move like benching Rodriguez is discussed higher in the organization as well.

"The relationship I have with the manager is strong, and we always ? that's the way I want it to be," Cashman said. "We always go through what the lineup should be and how it should look we think. He asks my opinion. He asks his coaches' opinion, and that's the way it's been."

Granderson joined A-Rod on the bench after another hitless night Tuesday dropped him to 3 for 29 in the postseason. Granderson hit 43 homers with 106 RBIs this season.

"These are also the guys that got us the best record in the American League and put up the highest run total in our league, or one of the highest run totals in our league, so they're also the reason for a lot of good that's taken place," Cashman said.

"But in the short-term right now it's been bad. Is that a true snapshot of what their contributions are and who they are as players? It's not. But it's certainly something we're dealing with and living with right now, and we're doing everything we possibly can to make the adjustment and get it going," he said.

Nick Swisher, who was benched in Game 3, returned to the lineup in right field. Eric Chavez started at third base in place of Rodriguez. Brett Gardner started in Granderson's normal spot. Shortstop Derek Jeter is out for the season because of a broken ankle.

"It's not that I want to sit Alex Rodriguez," Girardi said. "But the struggles have continued, like for some other players as well, and I've sat some other players as well."

Rodriguez has looked particularly overmatched against right-handers, going 0 for 18 with 12 strikeouts in the postseason. Detroit's entire playoff rotation is right-handed, including Game 4 starter Max Scherzer.

In Game 3, Girardi let Raul Ibanez hit against left-hander Phil Coke in the ninth inning, and Ibanez struck out to end the game. The switch-hitting Swisher ? not Rodriguez ? was in the on-deck circle preparing to pinch-hit.

"I was ready to hit, and I was just waiting for my number to be called," Rodriguez said.

A New York Post report, citing an unidentified witness, said A-Rod flirted with two attractive female fans near the New York dugout after he was pinch-hit for late in Game 1 against Detroit.

"I addressed that yesterday and I said it was laughable," Rodriguez said Wednesday. "I do think that some of the criticism out there is very fair, and I can live with that, but some of the other stuff is unfair."

Donald Trump offered his two cents Wednesday, calling Rodriguez "selfish" on Twitter but saying Girardi should play his normal starters.

"They got you there," Trump tweeted.

Rodriguez said he's still supportive of Girardi, and he didn't want to speculate of what this postseason could mean for his future in New York.

"One thing I never do is I never quit, and I just keep competing until the end," Rodriguez said.

With the Yankees trying to stave off the end of their season, Girardi and Cashman apparently felt they were better off without A-Rod in the starting lineup.

"We're not afraid to make calls. We're hoping we're going to make the right ones," Cashman said. "But, hey, you are in a position to make decisions, and you have to make tough ones. I don't think we are afraid to make tough ones. We'd rather be in a position where you can run it all out there and it is nice and easy and it's going to work at all times, but that's not the nature of the beast of baseball."

___

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rod-benched-again-granderson-time-230536401--mlb.html

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Essential Online Marketing Tips Every Small Business Should Know ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://bloginteract.com/stories/essential-online-marketing-tips-every-small-business-should-know/

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Morton business group visits China

Village officials, business leaders and residents returned over the weekend from what Mayor Norm Durflinger called an "extremely successful" nine-day trip to China.
"We made more business connections, including one company that will be visiting here in about a month, and 32 people returned home more educated about what China is like today," he said.

Durflinger, Village Board member Steve Newhouse and family members were part of the Morton contingent.

The mayor said no village funds were used for the trip, which cost $2,270 per person.

Jennifer Daly and Kim Uhlig from the Morton Economic Development Council also were part of the group, which stopped in Beijing, Shanghai and Tiantai, the village's sister city, for sightseeing, shopping, business recruitment meetings and a visit to a school. Durflingler, Daly and Uhlig spent an entire day in business meetings in Shanghai, including a meeting with three people from an organization that represents 8,000 businesses.

The meetings were arranged by the state of Illinois, which has a trade office in Shanghai.

"We felt we walked out of there with three good prospects for future talks," Durflinger.

Tiantai is the home of Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co., China's leading manufacturer of heat-exchanger products, which opened its North American headquarters last fall in a 50,000-square-foot building on Commerce Drive in Morton.

The sister city arrangement between Morton and Tiantai became official last fall.

"We toured Tiantai's administration building and one of its factories, and reinforced our friendship," Durflinger said.

This was the mayor's second trip to China in about a year. He went on a business recruitment trip last fall with other Illinois government and business leaders organized by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Durflinger got to do something on this visit he didn't do last time. "We rode a bullet train," he said. "It was on the return trip to Shanghai after a business meeting. It took us about two hours to drive there going about 80 miles per hour all the way, and about 40 minutes to get back on the train."

The Morton travelers left Oct. 4 from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and returned to O'Hare late Friday night. They arrived in Morton via a charter bus at about 3 a.m. Saturday.

Steve Stein can be reached at 686-3114 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Read his Stein Time blog at pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpartanSteve.

Source: http://www.pjstar.com/business/x470404919/Morton-business-group-visits-China

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