10 Game Changing Tech Trends in 2013; Young Entrepreneurs ...

Zach Davis December 30, 2012

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world?s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

This week Tech Cocktail asked the YEC the following, ?What game-changing tech trend should startup founders be on the lookout for in 2013, and why?? ?Their responses are below.

1. Growth Hacking

Every entrepreneur and business has two challenges: they have to build their product, and then they have to get people to use it. Growing traffic, sales and brand awareness is becoming more and more of a challenge. Growth hacking is the latest tech trend that will revolutionize how technology businesses grow. Growth hacking is leveraging metrics, testing and engineering to drive growth of sales and traffic in a lean, creative way. Growth hackers are swarming the industry, turning start-ups upside down by breaking apart and redesigning everything from customer funnels to email subscriber forms to banner ads. I think we will be seeing most major start-ups, consultants and online businesses playing in the growth hacking world in 2013.

- Vanessa Van Edwards, Author and Techpreneur at Science of People

2. APIs Everywhere

APIs use to be only for the big guys, but now you?re seeing MVPs include APIs and almost every tech startup that doesn?t have an API yet has one on the road map. Even the government is catching onto the the API wave.

- Wade Foster, Co-founder at Zapier

3. Globalization

With improved technologies hitting the marketplace, it is becoming easier and more important every year to build a presence across the ?World Wide Web.? If you offer something that can appeal to many different cultures, why limit your sales to just one country? While the biggest companies in the world have already translated their websites and penetrated new markets, I foresee more small businesses taking this leap through less expensive and effortless solutions in order to increase their online sales.

- Logan Lenz, Founder / President at Endagon

4. Mobile-Friendly Websites

I predict a big Google rankings shakedown in the next couple years due to the increase in mobile internet usage. In India, more people surf the web on mobile devices vs. desktops and the US is not too far behind that trend. As more people use mobile devices, businesses must create mobile-friendly websites or else visitors will not be able to easily navigate to find what they want. Early adopters will have an opportunity to move up in Google and displace businesses that ignore this game-changing trend.

- Phil Frost, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Main Street ROI

5. Facial Recognition

I?m all about platforms that enable a new wave of technology. 5 years ago the iPhone came out and the app industry was born. 10 years ago Google became the dominant method to search online and the reputation management industry was born. Google Glasses is set to launch sometime in 2013, which will enable a whole new industry of augmented reality and facial recognition technologies. I?m very excited about the ability to view strangers at a conference and quickly view their LinkedIn profiles so that I know who I want to spend time with building a relationship.

- Jun Loayza, Founder at Passport Peru

6. User Reviews?of Anything and Everything

User generated reviews will be taken to another level in 2013. Sure, Amazon is ?old? in the tech world, but did you know that you can find detailed reviews of toilet paper on there? No longer will we just have restaurants getting ranked by foodies and hotels getting ranked by jetsetters, but we will have employees ranking firms and moms ranking baby food. This trend will only continue as Yelp, Tripadvisor and other user generated sites fight for prominence in their respective worlds.

- Patrick Curtis, Chief Monkey and Founder at WallStreetOasis.com

7. Taking Online to Offline

If you look at the evolution of the Internet/Web, I like to frame it in a simple three-part evolution: Web 1.0: Simple Websites; Web 2.0: Social Web; Web 3.0: Mobile. And the reality of mobile is that it turns your phone into a remote control for real life ? with apps and technologies that turn your phone into a tool to hail a cab, shop on the go, order food, find a date, hire a house cleaner or book a room for the night. Literally you can now control the offline world from your mobile smart phone. In 2013, look for that trend to continue as online to offline companies leverage mobile to go mainstream ? watch for companies from Uber, Airbnb, Fab, Foursquare, Etsy, Zaarly, Hotel Tonight and dozens more to make your phone a remote control for the real world.

- Eric Koester, Founder at Zaarly?

8. Data-Driven Personalization

Personalization technology is one of the most exciting frontiers of the Web. Personalization technologies empower consumers to weed out products and content that don?t apply to their unique needs, allow brands and retailers to better target offers to consumers that want them, and enable publishers to get the right content to the right people. Personalization, in a truly data-driven approach, is going to unlock immense potential and drive out inefficiencies in advertising and content delivery in 2013. Not only does it promise better ROI on ad spends, but it also ensures that consumers will get more unique experiences as they?re shopping or surfing the web. It is an incredibly exciting concept just coming to fruition that each individual can and will have a unique experience online.

-?Doreen Bloch, CEO / Founder at Poshly Inc.

9. NFC

Near Field Communication (NFC) allows people to identify themselves wirelessly via their cellular devices. The technology is starting to become more mainstream, and widespread consumer adoption will help bridge the gap between the offline and online worlds. This will lead to major opportunities in the areas of commerce, advertising, and social networking.

- Robert J. Moore, Co-Founder and CEO at RJMetrics

10. Marketing Alliances Going Mainstream

Marketing Alliances are a long-held secret of many popular bloggers and content marketers. How do you consistent generate backlinks and get lots of traffic for each new piece of content you create? You form a mutually beneficial base of relationships with other bloggers, social media users, and peers who agree to help you promote your content regularly to their audiences in exchange for you helping them to promote their content to your audience. The end result is that all marketing alliance members see an burst in traffic, search rankings, get more subscribers to their email or social channels. This less talked about social media marketing tactic will be going mainstream in 2013 with various web tools and sites incorporating this into their features sets.

-?Matthew Ackerson, Founder at Saber Blast

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About the Author Zach Davis

When Zach Davis isn't getting lost in the mountains, he is hustling from Boulder, CO as Tech Cocktail's Director of Marketing. He is the author of Appalachian Trials, a book chronicling the mindset necessary for thru-hiking all 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail, a feat he accomplished in 2011. Zach is a green tea enthusiast, die-hard Chicago sports fan, and avid concert-goer. Follow Zach on Twitter: @zrdavis.

Source: http://tech.co/10-game-changing-tech-trends-in-2013-young-entrepreneurs-weigh-in-2012-12

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Deal reached for stopping spike in milk prices

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, walks to a closed-door GOP caucus as Congress meets to negotiate a legislative path to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts that could kick in Jan. 1., at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The top leaders in both parties on the House and Senate Agriculture committees have agreed to a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in October, a move that could head off a possible doubling of milk prices next month.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., indicated the House could vote on the bill soon, though House leaders have not yet agreed to put the bill on the floor. In addition to the one-year extension that has the backing of the committees, the House GOP is also considering two other extension bills: a one-month extension and an even smaller bill that would merely extend dairy policy that expires Jan. 1.

Expiration of those dairy programs could mean higher prices at the grocery store within a few weeks. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Americans face the prospect of paying $7 for a gallon of milk if the current dairy program lapsed and the government returned to a 1948 formula for calculating milk price supports.

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday that Republican leaders had not decided how they would proceed on the farm extension, though a vote could come as soon as Monday. Boehner has pushed back on passage of a new five-year farm bill for months, saying there were not enough votes to bring it to the House floor after the House Agriculture Committee approved it in July. The Senate passed its version of a farm bill in June.

The prospect of higher milk prices has motivated some action. The bipartisan extension also includes disaster assistance to farmers affected by a lingering drought this year, along with extensions to other farm programs that expired in October.

Instead of just extending current dairy policy, the extension bill includes an overhaul of dairy programs that was included in both the Senate and House committee bills. The new dairy programs include a new, voluntary insurance program for dairy producers. Those who choose that new program also would have to participate in a market stabilization program that could dictate production cuts when oversupply drives down prices ? an idea that hasn't gone over well with Boehner.

In July, he called the current dairy program "Soviet-style" and said the new program would make it even worse. Large food companies that process and use dairy products have backed Boehner, saying the program could limit milk supplies and increase their costs.

Stabenow blamed Boehner for getting to the point where an extension is the only option. "The lack of action by the House Republican leadership has put us in a situation where we risk serious damage to our economy unless we pass a temporary extension," she said.

One of the reasons Boehner has balked at bringing up a farm bill is disagreement within his caucus over how much money should be cut from food stamps, which make up roughly 80 percent of the half-trillion-dollar bill's cost over five years. House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has unsuccessfully pushed his leadership for months to move on the legislation despite the disagreement over food aid.

On Sunday, Lucas said he hoped the extension would pass both chambers quickly as GOP leadership mulled their options.

"It is not perfect ? no compromise ever is ? but it is my sincere hope that it will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the president by Jan. 1," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-30-Fiscal%20Cliff-Farm%20Bill/id-a5cb0adafdce405fa516657d8d3b45e8

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From the pages of Velo: In the Eye of the Tornado

• By Neal Rogers
• Published Dec. 29, 2012
• Updated 14 hours ago

Velo June 2012. Photo by Tim de Waele

Table of Contents

Editor?s note: As we ring out 2012, we look at 12 of our favorite stories of the year. Neal Rogers? profile of Tom Boonen?s rise, fall and triumphant return first appeared in the June 2012 issue of Velo magazine.

In the Eye of the Tornado

When Tom Boonen crossed the finish line, alone, inside the hallowed velodrome of Paris-Roubaix, he?d done much more than just win the sport?s most demanding classic.

By winning Roubaix one week after he?d won the Tour of Flanders ? and two weeks after winning both E3 Harelbeke and Ghent-Wevelgem ? the Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider had silenced his critics, once and for all, proving to the world, and to himself, that he is the best cobblestones racer of his era, and perhaps of all time.

Unlike his sprint wins at Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem and Harelbeke, Boonen won Roubaix in dramatic style, attacking with 55km remaining and holding off all of the sport?s toughest racers save for one ? Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan), Boonen?s long-running classics rival ? who was watching the race at home in Switzerland while nursing a surgically repaired collarbone.

With his victory, Boonen had tied Roger De Vlaeminck?s record of four Paris-Roubaix wins; he?d also become the only rider to accomplish the extraordinary Flanders-Roubaix double more than once.

But more important than any record, Boonen had come full circle. He?d closed the door on the endless question marks, implications and innuendo that suggested he?d fallen permanently from grace. He?d proven that he had not, in fact, squandered his talent, and he had not sold short the limitless career that lay before him after his breakthrough 2005 season ? a career that has been hindered by obstacles, both external and self-imposed.

Next ?

FILED UNDER: Analysis TAGS: From the pages of Velo / Paris-Roubaix / Tom Boonen

Source: http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/analysis/from-the-pages-of-velo-in-the-eye-of-the-tornado_268980

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Five Bangladeshi sentenced to death for Saudi diplomat killing

DHAKA (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi court sentenced five members of a gang to death on Sunday for killing a Saudi Arabian diplomat in the capital Dhaka last March, court officials said.

Khalaf Ali, 45, a second secretary at his embassy, was shot at night near the embassy in Dhaka's diplomatic zone, raising an alarm over the first slaying of a diplomat in the country.

Judge Mohammad Motahar Hossain of the quick-trial court issued the verdict for the five men who police said shot Ali while trying to rob him. One of the accused remains on the run from police.

Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh have close ties, with a large number of Bangladeshis employed in the oil-rich kingdom. In recent years, the embassy has tightened visa rules to stop an influx of people with forged documents.

Relations between the two countries were strained in October 2011, when Saudi authorities executed eight Bangladeshi workers in public for their alleged involvement in an armed robbery in which an Egyptian security guard was killed.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Anis Ahmed and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-bangladeshi-sentenced-death-saudi-diplomat-killing-080727199.html

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How Internet Faxing Can Improve Your Business | TechSling Weblog

If you?re wondering what one of the steps is to create a successful business, it is communication ?which is why you should consider sending a fax online instead of with your old office fax machine. It may not make sense now if your business is still in the startup stages, but upgrading to a professional phone system will provide your company with more opportunities than your regular landline or fax machine is an investment that will pay off in increased company productivity as well as the chance to gain added revenue. In this day and age, information is readily available to us via the dynamic developments in communication technology, and by being able to send a fax via online means, you are equipping your company to take on bigger challenges.

What Are Some Benefits of Internet Faxing?

Internet fax is a feature that can come with your company?s business phone service. Since sending a fax online lets you do it from your personal email address and fax number, you instantly eliminate the difficulties that might arise from using a traditional fax machine, such as running out of ink or paper, the chance of paper jamming, etc. This also makes sending faxes online more secure than traditional faxing, because you?re sure that the information transmitted goes straight to your inbox.

Internet fax messaging is also a cost-effective solution to your business, since the cost of sending a fax is included in your monthly payment for your ISP. With traditional faxing, you have to contend with pricey long-distance calls, spending for the cost of toner cartridges, paper, etc. Having your own special Internet fax number serves as your ID when sending and receiving a fax online, and provides you with greater mobility, so you can access your important files while on the go.

Sending and receiving a fax online can also increase company productivity because the process can be done within a matter of seconds. Unlike traditional faxing where the person has to pick up the phone and allow it to be printed out, you can send and receive fax messages with just one click of the mouse.

For environmentalists, Internet fax messaging is a great way to go ?green,? and lessen the unnecessary use of resources such as paper, ink and toner. When you transmit a fax online, you can choose to print only what is necessary and continue to send and receive messages electronically.

Reliability is an important factor in communication, and by sending online faxes, you?ll be assured that your coworkers and customers can receive the files without the inconvenience of dealing with a busy phone line and other things like that. Make sure that your online fax provider is reliable and stable?try to get a top-tier name like RingCentral.

Invest in a phone system that allows you to send and receive a fax online in order to equip you with ways to address all the needs of your growing business.

Sign-up To Our Newsletter And Get A FREE eBook worth $14.99

Source: http://www.techsling.com/2012/12/how-internet-faxing-can-improve-your-business/

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Apple withdraws patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini

Apple's patent claim against Samsung's Galaxy S III mini is no more, with Cupertino citing the phone's lacking availability in the US for the amendment to its original November filing. In the ongoing litigation between the two electronics giants, Samsung argued that it's Galaxy S III mini didn't warrant inclusion in the latest volley of Samsung devices Apple wants added to its patent lawsuit; Apple apparently agreed, and is thusly withdrawing its claim against that particular device. The argument also highlights the sad news that the S III mini won't join Samsung's Galaxy lineup in the US.

An agreement filing spotted by Reuters from a San Jose, CA. US District Court revealed today's news, coming just days after Judge Lucy Koh dismissed a request to permanently ban sales on several Samsung devices. It's unclear if the other Samsung devices Apple asked to be added to the ongoing case are approved yet by the court, but we can certainly count the S III mini out for the time being.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Acer

Comments

Source: Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/QgtBxT3VVjc/

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Reading Tea Leaves of Political Appointments Not Yet Made (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273632310?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Stocks bounce back as House to reconvene

9 hrs.

JeeYeon Park , CNBC

Stocks staged a sharp recovery in the final hour of trading Thursday following news that the House of Representatives will reconvene on Sunday evening to resume talks, with less than a week left until the "fiscal cliff" deadline.

The House of Representatives will meet on Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m., according to GOP aides.?

"Moves are always exacerbated during low-volume days and we'll continue to react to every headline from Washington," said Keith Bliss, senior vice president at Cutton & Co. "But I still think the overall market is in a bullish sentiment by the way that the technical are lining up. It might be prudent to keep some powder dry and buy on these dips."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 18.28 points, or 0.14 percent, to end at 13,096.31, dragged by Cisco and Alcoa. The blue-chip index was down nearly 150 points at its session low.

The S&P 500 dipped 1.73 points, or 0.12 percent, to finish at 1,418.10. The Nasdaq erased 4.25 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,985.91. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, turned lower after rising above 20 earlier for the first time in nearly five months.

Among key S&P sectors, materials and financials held small losses, while consumer staples turned higher.

Earlier, stocks tumbled more than 1 percent following Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comment that a "fiscal cliff" deal may not be reached by the end of the year.

"It looks like that's where we're headed," Reid said of the looming fiscal cliff and pointed fingers at House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by "not allowing the vast majority of the House of Representatives to get what they want."

Obama cut short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii to deal with the deadlocked talks between Democrats and Republicans on what to do with $600 billion in tax increases and automatic spending cuts, due to kick in on Jan. 1. With less than a week remaining this year, time is now running out and the pressure on politicians to find a solution is building, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling on Monday, Dec. 31.

The two sides could work towards a "mini-deal" to postpone the effects of the fiscal cliff by extending tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes below $250,000, postponing the automatic spending cuts, and extending unemployment benefits.?

Meanwhile on the economic front, the consumer confidence index tumbled to 65.1 in December from a downwardly revised 71.5 in November, hitting a four-month low, according to the Conference Board.

Earlier, jobless claims fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000 last week. Meanwhile, the four-week moving average tumbled to its lowest since March 2008.?

And new home sales rose 4.4 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted 377,000-unit annual rate, the fasts pace in 2-1/2 years, according to the Commerce Department.

Marvell Technology declined after a federal grand jury ruled the chipmaker infringed two patents held by Carnegie Mellon University and ordered the company to pay $1.17 billion in damages. In addition, at least two brokerages lowered their rating on the company.

Toyota Motor said it plans to settle a U.S. class-action lawsuit for $1.1 billion.

Domino's Pizza climbed after Oppenheimer raised its price target on the pizza chain to $50 from $44.

Hartford Financial Services edged higher after Stifel added the financial services company to its "select" list and raised its target price to $28 from $25.

BCD Semiconductor skyrocketed more than 90 percent after the chipmaker agreed to be bought by Diodes in a deal worth $151 million.?

In Europe, stocks rose in cautious trading after being closed for Christmas and Boxing Day. Meanwhile, in Asia, Japanese stocks hit a 21-month high as a weaker yen boosted export stocks. Sentiment in Asia was boosted as profits at China's factories jumped in November, helped by the recovery in the economy.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-bounce-back-house-reconvene-1C7753027

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?MS At Home? Launches Our Third Video - Multiple Sclerosis Blog

December 28, 2012

?MS At Home? Launches Our Third Video

As many of you have seen the first in our the video series we named ?MS At Home? ? and the response has been quite popular ? I wanted to make sure you were all aware of the continuing series.

The third video in the multiple sclerosis series of 6 short segments posted yesterday and is already stirring conversations. (if you missed the second MS video in the series that will play right after the current offering.

In this interview with Sharon Dodge and Bobbie Severson, we talk about the family connection with MS. Mrs. Dodge was diagnosed with MS just 8 years after her father lost his battle with a particularly aggressive form of the disease. Now, she fights the good fight for herself and her three children; hoping they never hear the words ?You have MS.?

As we head into the New Year?s weekend, I thought that her words of hope and inspiration were a proper way to end 2012 and look forward to 1212.

Nurse Practitioner, Bobbie Severson from the Swedish MS Center gives some very interesting figures as to the propensity of MS in families if one member has MS (we?re talking a jump from 1:750 to 1:40~!

Have a look, leave a comment on our video or, you can comment here as you always do.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers

Trevis

You can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and in our group on MS Connection.org. Also, check out our bi-monthly MS blog for the United Kingdom, look for our very special new monthly blog for the National MS Society, and don?t forget to check out TrevisLGleason.com.

Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/trevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms/ms-at-home-launches-our-third-video/

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Foam Roller Therapy: Why It's Awesome | The Art of Fitness

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge advocate of foam roller therapy, and for a good reason: it works. In my personal and professional life I have found that foam roller therapy is an incredibly valuable practice. It is an absolutely vital component of a well designed holistic fitness and health routine.

What is Foam Roller Therapy?

Foam roller therapy is simply one of the best methods available to treat and prevent injury. If you don?t own or spend any time using a?foam roller (the main tool used in foam roller therapy), then get one. Start. ?A foam roller is, in my opinion, one the best investments of time and money you can make when it comes to your long term health and fitness.

Click here to read more?

Source: http://tao-fit.com/foam-roller-therapy-why-its-awesome

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Motorola RAZR MAXX lands on Alltel

Alltel has started selling the Motorola RAZR MAXX today for $129.99 on contract or $499.99 off-contract. Don't confuse this with the RAZR MAXX HD, though it sounds like the last generation had great battery life too. Here's what's under the hood. 

• 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 1 GB of RAM
• 4.3-inch 960 x 540 display
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• 8 megapixel camera
• MHL video-out support
• 3300 mAh battery with 21.5 hours talk time

Any RAZR MAXX owners out there? Alltel customers, anyone tempted to pick this one up, or would you sooner switch carriers for access to the MAXX HD?  

Anyone interested, can order a Motorola RAZR MAXX from Alltel Online over here. 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/NmgNCeiX7-4/story01.htm

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Massachusetts: 18th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana | NORML ...

by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications Director November 6, 2012

With a current vote total of 63% in favor and 37% opposed (with 40% of the vote tallied), NORML projects that Massachuetts is set to become the eighteenth state to allow for the physician supervised use of marijuana. Massachusetts now joins its fellow Northeastern states of Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maine in recognizing and allowing for the medical use of cannabis.

When implemented, this law would eliminate state criminal and civil penalties for the medical use of marijuana by qualifying patients. To qualify, a patient must have been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition, such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV-positive status or AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn?s disease, Parkinson?s disease, ALS, or multiple sclerosis.

It will also allow patients to possess up to a 60-day supply of marijuana for their personal medical use, the amount of which will be determined by the Department of Public Health. A patient could designate a personal caregiver, at least 21 years old, who could assist with the patient?s medical use of marijuana but would be prohibited from consuming that marijuana. Patients and caregivers would have to register with DPH by submitting the physician?s certification. It will also allow for the approval of up to 35 non-profit medical marijuana treatment centers to grow, process and provide marijuana to patients or their caregivers.

NORML will have more information as this issue progresses. Stay tuned to norml.org for the latest and keep watching our live election coverage to see if our reform measures pass in other states.

Tags : 18th, 2012, 3, cannabis, election, ma, marijuana, Massachusetts, Medical, medicinal, pass, q3, question 3, vote, voting
Posted in : ACTIVISM, GOVERNMENT, LEGISLATION, SCIENCE, SOCIETY

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Source: http://blog.norml.org/2012/11/06/massachusetts-becomes-18th-state-to-legalize-medical-marijuana/

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Hudson Valley Wine Goddess: Notes From the Captain Lawrence ...

At a time when people?s homes lacked light, when the temperature was creeping toward uncomfortably cold, and food and drink were held hostage inside fridges losing their cool faster than folks in a post-Sandy gas station line, there were worse places?far worse places?to be than Captain Lawrence Brewing in the wake of the storm. The brewery lost power for a day, but by Wednesday was fully functional again. Alas, a tree had fallen smack through the middle of the bocce court, a crushing blow for the beer-and-bocce crowd in Westchester. But the taps, including recently hatched brews such as the Dr. Brownski and classics such as the Captain?s Reserve Imperial IPA and Pumpkin Ale, were flowing freely--and a lively game of cornhole broke out next to the stricken bocce arena. Conversation around the tasting room featured more discussions about who has power than several days at Davos. People compared distressing restoration dates from Con Ed, and commiserated about the frustration of flipping on a useless light switch again, and again, and again. Yet they were relieved to get out of their gloomy homes, and tip a few brews with friends while reflecting on how lucky they were to escape Sandy with their health and their home?especially as the tragic stories from North Salem, Breezy Point and elsewhere around the region surfaced. Justin Ryder of Brewster said the unplugged version of his life was refreshing?at first. ?It was fun for the first 12 hours,? he says. ?Then it started to suck.??Justin avoided his dark home by staying late at work and spending long hours at The Cliffs at Valhalla climbing gym?until staff begged him to leave. When he was home, he sparked up the wood-burning stove, whipped up chili?and lamented his lack of beer. Lessons learned from Sandy? ?It?d be nice to have a generator,? he says. ?And buy beer beforehand.? His table mate, Chance Smith of North White Plains, likened the conditions to a little suburban camping. ?Life goes on,? he says. ?It?s just power.? Across the tasting room, Eric and Janessa Wilson of Millwood, easily the fittest couple in the room (he played defensive tackle at U. Michigan, where she was a gymnast), moved in with friends in Ossining so that daughter Kayliana, 2 ?, would have a warm place to sleep. They?re enjoying some of the experimental brews that will vie for Best in Show honors during Captain Lawrence?s Pilot Batch Election Nov. 6, such as the Autumn Ambush (?Awesome,? says Eric) and the Basil Haze Wit (?The aroma on that one is tremendous,? he says). Happy with their temporary crash pad, Eric, Janessa and Kayliana went down to Village Dog in Tarrytown for some nosh, then decided the remainder of the afternoon was best spent unwinding at the brewery. Growing up, Eric learned three golden rules for hurricane prep: Have enough to drink, a supply of propane, and at least a half tank of gas, to ensure you can get more propane (and, presumably, more to drink). Having lived in Florida, he says, ?I never thought the most expensive hurricane in history would happen in the Northeast.?? Elsewhere in the tasting room, Frank Forman of Hastings used the day off to reconnect with childhood friend Peter Neidell of Sleepy Hollow. He didn?t have enough gas to get to work on Long Island, so he instead aimed the car toward the brewery. Frank is enjoying the classics: Freshchester Pale Ale and the Liquid Gold. Peter is buddying up to the El Scorcho, brewed with mesquite-smoked hot peppers. ?It?s not that hot,? he says. ?I can taste the spiciness, but it?s really mild.? The prospect of gas station scrums, continued darkness and storm cleanup may be daunting, but Peter and Frank share the same perspective as most in the tasting room: Things could have been much, much worse, and warm thoughts to those who continue to suffer. ?We?re fine,? says Frank. ?The generator is on order?It?s something to look forward to.? ?Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford, is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours on the hour, starting at 1. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in Freshchester Pale Ale, for ?Notes From the Tasting Room.?

Source: http://hvwinegoddess.blogspot.com/2012/11/notes-from-captain-lawrence-tasting.html

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Self Improvement - WesLive: Wesleyan's Community Blog ...

Reblogged from: Voices - Wesleyan Student Blogs. (Go to the original post?)

Despite my improvements to my study habits, I?m still not where I want to be academically. I failed my chemistry test. It was a seven-question test, and I only had time to answer four, showing that I didn?t have a true mastery of the material like I believed I did. As a small (very, very small) silver lining, the percentage I received means that I was almost entirely correct on the questions I was able to answer.

In response to the test, I have devised a new schedule with the intention of keeping class material fresh in my mind. My basic goals are to study each class every day and finish all assignments/review sheets three days before they are required to cut down on stress and so I have time to study the way I need to. Whether this will work or not is still up for judgment. I have two more tests tomorrow: one in Global Changes and Infectious Disease, and one in Foundations of Contemporary Psychology. I?m not worried about these tests, but I wasn?t worried about chemistry either, so I need to stay on my toes and keep studying.

Rehearsal for the play is going very well. I feel like I?m getting to know my characters. One character I have envisioned as Radar O?Reilly from M*A*S*H, which I love. My character John Surratt?s accent is based off of Val Kilmer in Tombstone (very strong southern accent) yet I see him as a more comical character.

On another positive note, my friend Kayla has been in basic training for the past couple of months, and has just this weekend been able to text me again. I have missed her very much, and it makes me happy to hear from her again. She?s the kind of person that you can talk to no matter what, and she is, without a doubt, the best person I know. It?s really awesome that I can talk to her again, and I?m happy for her as well. Basic was the first time she had really been on her own as she has yet to go to school (she plans on going to culinary school). She enjoyed being on her own and plans on moving in with her girlfriend when she gets back to Kentucky in December.

I?ve often heard that when you?re in college you can choose two of three things to possess. You have to choose between good grades, a social life, and sleep. Somehow I?m not doing something right. The social life thing? doesn?t really bother me. People annoy me and, excluding the five or so people on campus I really enjoy being around, I couldn?t care less about socializing. So I should be able to sleep right? Wrong! I?m not sure why, but I?ve always had trouble sleeping. I?ve been taking doxylamine (generic Unisom) to help me, but the dosage always seems to be off. A full pill makes me draggy all day and half of a pill doesn?t seem to do anything. I am going to attempt to take a half pill tonight. If it doesn?t help, then I?m going to give up on the meds and possibly get an appointment at Davison to see if they can help me. My friend keeps telling me not to take medication and instead start exercising more. That?s very sensible advice, and I would take it if I could. However with studying and rehearsal, the most exercise I have time for is walking to class. Perhaps if my grades improve after my next round of tests, I?ll find a way to work in some exercise. Until then I?m just going to have to sleep when I can, as my focus absolutely has to be on my academics. Wesleyan and QuestBridge have given me a great opportunity here. While I may be having trouble making the most of it, there?s no way in hell I?m going to stop trying.

Tags: reblogged, Uncategorized, voices blog

Source: http://community.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2012/11/05/self-improvement/

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iPhone Applications Adds An additional Feather To iPhones Cap

iphone applications are software developed to be entirely used with iphone. These are web sites and applications internet developers have made for the iphone. It is remembered that Apple once announced that the iphone applications can be created by 3rd celebration developers. In effect, there has in no way b?

The iphone hype has taken the planet by storm. From iphone accessories to iphone applications, many men and women around the planet are now taking benefit of Apples initial mobile phone product.

iphone applications are software developed to be entirely utilised with iphone. These are websites and applications internet developers have created for the iphone. It is remembered that Apple when announced that the iphone applications can be created by 3rd celebration developers. In effect, there has in no way been a gadget like iphone that brought several developers to generate applications for a single device quickly. Only two months immediately after the iphones release, hundreds of iphone applications have currently been designed and are now being employed by the hundreds of thousands iphone owners.

Apples announcement is seemingly a wonderful resolution for permitting developers to share wisdom in making software program. Therefore, phone computer software developers around the world are given freedom to operate around with the iphone thatd be essentially helpful for iphone owners.

What Makes Iphone Applications

iphone applications are mainly web sites that can be finest viewed and only accessed on the iphone. Categories of applications are so many that owners are confident to get precisely what they require and want. There are apps for communication, games, media controllers, organization, travel, company, economic, magazines, movies, news, religion, buying, sports, tools, video, and a lot more.

Developers who generate iphone applications must make their computer software run under Safari considering that Apple is making use of Safari as the major net browser. The developers should also consider hosting the iphone applications or web site on their own servers. Furthermore, the application need to preserve the platforms look and feel, as effectively as, make it customizable as reported. Steve Jobs even stated in a statement, that only a working expertise of the net requirements and application creations will be necessary to make fascinating iphone applications.

Days right after the iphone was launched, web applications for iphone have currently been released. Landing on the Top rated 25 list according a blog profiling new Web two. startups are the following applications: iphoneChar, Google Reader,iphoneDigg, One particular Trip Buying List, iPhlickr, Hahlo, iZoho,Gas.app, MyMetar, Apple Reader,iPhoeTravel, iActu,DiggMobile, iBoomark, 101 Cookbooks,YouTube,goMovies,Listingly,iPlinh,iChess, NYTimes River, CheapMF, iTOuch, Avalanche, and ExpenseView.

Even though the iphone has become a popular gadget and is the considerably anticipated cellphone this 2007, not all customers and developers are content that there are now a lot of iphone applications obtainable. Even so, it is undeniable that numerous applications have impressed a lot of developers and owners. Just like any new gadget out there, iphone is 1 wonderful technology. Consequently, what make iphones much more outstanding are the hundreds of selections of iphone applications it delivers.

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Source: http://urbanboater.com/iphone-applications-adds-an-additional-feather-to-iphones-cap-2/

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Consumer giant buys into sustainability | Eco News

[unable to retrieve full-text content]?Business cannot survive in a society that fails, so it is stupid to think that a business can just be standing on the sidelines of a system that gives them life in the first place. ?So this is not idealistic at all. All of the actions that we ...

Source: http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/consumer-giant-buys-into-sustainability/

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Did you remember to set your clocks back?

Graphic to be used as a reminder to turn back the clocks

Graphic to be used as a reminder to turn back the clocks

FILE - Custodian Ray Keen checks the time on a clock face after changing the time on the 97-year-old clock atop the Clay County Courthouse, in this Nov. 6, 2010 file photo taken in Clay Center, Kan. Most Americans will be able to get an extra hour of sleep Sunday Nov. 4, 2012 thanks to the annual shift back to standard time. Officially, the change occurs at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most people will set their clocks back before hitting the sack Saturday night. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Most Americans got an extra hour of sleep this weekend thanks to the annual shift back to standard time. Officially, the change occured at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most people set their clocks back before hitting the sack Saturday night.

Remember, the time fell back an hour. Otherwise, you will be an hour early on Sunday for church, golf, brunch or whatever.

Residents of Hawaii, most of Arizona and some U.S. territories don't have to change since they do not observe daylight-saving time.

Public safety officials say this is also a good time to put a new battery in the smoke alarm, no matter where you live.

Daylight saving time returns at 2 a.m. local time the second Sunday in March.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-04-US-Fall%20Back/id-4b6311b96c4f4c32b0729b27e0dcd24f

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Germany's Merck halts supply of cancer drug to Greek hospitals

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German pharmaceuticals firm Merck KGaA is no longer delivering cancer drug Erbitux to Greek hospitals, a spokesman said on Saturday, the latest sign of how an economic and budget crisis is hurting frontline public services.

Drugmakers raised concerns with EU leaders earlier this year over supplies to the euro zone's crisis-hit southern half and Germany's Biotest in June was the first to stop shipments to Greece because of unpaid bills.

Publicly-owned hospitals in some countries worst hit by the euro zone debt crisis had been struggling to pay their bills, Merck's chief financial officer, Matthias Zachert, was quoted as saying by German paper Boersen-Zeitung in an interview on Saturday.

He said however that the only country where Merck had stopped deliveries was Greece.

"It only affects Greece, where we have been faced with many problems. It's just the one product," he told the paper.

A spokesman for the company told Reuters that the drug concerned was Erbitux and that ordinary Greeks can still purchase it from pharmacies.

Some countries have taken action to pay bills, such as in Spain, where the government has said it will help hospitals to pay off debts.

"That has improved things, even though the situation should still be regarded as critical for the coming years," Zachert said.

Erbitux is Merck's second best-selling prescription drug, bringing in sales of 855 million euros ($1.1 billion) in 2011 from treating bowel cancer and head and neck cancer. ($1 = 0.7785 euros)

(Reporting by Frank Siebelt and Victoria Bryan; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/germanys-merck-halts-supply-cancer-drug-greek-hospitals-121035696--finance.html

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Romney, Obama converge on Iowa in late scramble for votes

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential race, which has hinged for months on a handful of states, converged on one city in Iowa on Saturday as President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney each made a last-minute appeal for support before Tuesday's election.

With the race in a dead heat nationally, both candidates touched down briefly in Dubuque, a Mississippi River city of 58,000 people, as they sprinted across the country in a bid to secure any possible advantage before Election Day.

In an airport rally early in the afternoon, Romney urged supporters to try to sway friends and neighbors who back Obama. He said he would reach out to Democrats as well if elected - a stance that could appeal to independent voters who have little stomach for partisan gridlock.

"I want you to reach across the street to the neighbor, who has that other sign in his front yard. And I'm going to reach across the aisle in Washington, D.C., to the politicians who are working for the other candidate," Romney told about 2,000 people.

Six hours later, Obama reminded about 5,000 people in a park in downtown Dubuque that he had started his first presidential bid in Iowa in 2007, and highlighted successes of his time in office, such as ending the war in Iraq and expanding access to healthcare.

"After two years of campaigning and after four years as president, you know me by now. You may not agree with every decision I made, you may have sometimes been frustrated with the pace of change. But you know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say," Obama said.

Earlier in the day in Ohio, Obama hammered Romney for opposing his bailout of the auto industry and said his challenger tried to scare workers by saying inaccurately that Chrysler planned to shift jobs to China.

About one in eight Ohio jobs is tied to auto manufacturing, and the bailout has helped Obama win over some of the white-working class voters who are heavily backing Romney in rest of the country.

"I've been a Republican for 35 years and I've never voted for a Democrat on the federal level - until now," retiree Patrick Dorsey said as he waited for Obama to speak. "Economically, Romney's just going to make the rich richer."

TIGHT RACE IN POLLS

Romney will have a hard time winning the White House if he does not carry Ohio, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Saturday showed him trailing Obama by a statistically meaningless margin of 1 percentage point in the state. Other polls show him trailing by a larger margin in Ohio.

The race for the White House remains effectively tied at a national level, with 47 percent backing Obama and 46 percent supporting Romney, according to a Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Saturday.

Still, analysts say Obama holds an edge in many of the eight or nine competitive states that will determine who controls the White House. Reuters/Ipsos polls released on Saturday showed Obama leading by 3 percentage points in Virginia but trailing by 2 points in Colorado. The two were dead even in Florida. All the results were within the credibility interval, a measurement of the accuracy of online polls.

Other surveys generally show Obama leading by narrow margins in Wisconsin, Nevada, New Hampshire and Iowa. Romney is considered to have the edge in North Carolina.

Romney has tried to expand the battlefield over the past week to states that had been considered beyond his reach.

"We win Pennsylvania, we save America in three days," Romney's vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, said at an airport rally in the state capital, Harrisburg.

Ryan is due to visit Minnesota on Sunday, another state that has been considered solidly Democratic. Romney himself is due to speak in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

Obama officials say the Romney campaign is visiting those states out of desperation because he has been unable to establish a clear lead in other battleground states.

Nevertheless, the Obama campaign is dispatching Vice President Joe Biden's wife, Jill Biden, to Pennsylvania and former President Bill Clinton to Minnesota.

On Saturday, Obama held a rally in Wisconsin, a state considered safely in his column earlier this year.

"You don't take anything for granted, you go as hard as you can to the end, and that's exactly what we're going to do in all our battleground states," campaign manager Jim Messina said on a conference call.

Obama started the day at the federal government's disaster-relief headquarters in Washington, where he received an update on the efforts to help Northeastern coastal states recover from devastating storm Sandy.

The storm has afforded the Democrat an opportunity to rise above the fray of campaigning. But it has also raised the stakes for him to show his administration can respond quickly and effectively in a crisis, as residents of New York and New Jersey vent frustration at power outages and gasoline shortages.

(Additional reporting by Samuel P. Jacobs, Matt Spetalnick, Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Alistair Bell and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-romney-aim-key-midwestern-swing-states-012138378.html

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Markets Weekahead: Blue chip earnings key for Indian stocks

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South Korea loosens laws to boost investment in - Online Gambling ...

Steven Stradbrooke
October 31, 2012
No Comments

In order to snare a bigger slice of the Asian casino pie, South Korea is embarking on a mammoth leisure and gaming destination project in Incheon city, just west of the capital Seoul. If anyone doubted to whom the project was intended to appeal, the project will operate under the name 8City and will even be shaped like the number 8, which is considered a fortunate number in China. 8City will be built on Yongyu-Muui Island near Incheon International Airport and will eventually cover 80 square kilometers ? more than three times the size of Macau, the region?s number one gambling enclave. In addition to casinos, 8City will offer hotels, retail shops, theme parks, ski slopes, a marina and a Formula 1 racetrack.

Developer EightCity Co. says initial construction is expected to start next year. EightCity?s shareholders, which include hotel operator Kempinski AG, Korean Air Lines and Daewoo Engineering and Construction., hope the project will attract up to $290b (US) in investment by the time it?s fully developed in 2030, along with 134m visitors per year. EightCity vice-chairman Park Seong-Hyun says the project has already secured $2.8b from local investors and a further $1b from Britain?s Sanbar Development Corp.

South Korea has 17 casinos, only one of which (Kangwon Land) permits locals to gamble. South Korea has long desired to ramp up its casino business, but financial regulations made many foreign investors skittish about taking the plunge. Travel Daily News Asia reports that on September 18, the government announced revisions to laws surrounding free economic zones (FEZ) that dramatically lowered the bar for investors. Gone is the requirement to make an upfront outlay of US $300m before one could even apply for a gaming permit, replaced by a $50m upfront investment, with a requirement to spend (at least) a further $450m within four years of receiving a gaming permit. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is promising to process license applications within 60-90 days.

Foreign investors must still hold a credit rating of BBB or higher and have equity capital equal to at least 10% of the project?s total cost. But whereas the previous regulations required investors to have realized a net profit in at least two of three previous years and maintain a debt ratio less than 150% of the industry average, companies will now have to meet only one of those two requirements. We like to think of this as the Caesars Entertainment clause, since the debt-laden and profit-free casino firm has already expressed keen interest in the Incheon project, as has Universal Entertainment honcho Kazuo Okada (who is also building a casino in Manila?s Entertainment City project).

Of course, South Korea is hardly alone in its desire to lure throngs of free-spending Chinese gamblers into its gaming dens. Macau, the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Russia, Laos, Cambodia ? hell, even Las Vegas ? are all competing for the same customers. While Sheldon Adelson is of the opinion that the Asian market won?t be satisfied in our lifetime, history suggests that all booms eventually bust. Thankfully, a Chinese think tank has ridden to the rescue. The China Development Research Foundation says its time China ended its controversial three-decade-old one-child policy and allow Chinese families in certain provinces to have two children by 2015, with the revision applying to the entire country by 2020. At that rate, the first wave of this new generation will be eligible to visit 8City just six years after it?s completed. Ah, synergy?

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Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com

Source: http://calvinayre.com/2012/10/31/casino/south-korea-loosens-laws-to-boost-investment-in-8city-destination-casino-project/

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Who can fix political gridlock? Poll favors Romney

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