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Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Across US, New Year traditions of ham hocks, icy swims

Emmanuel Dunand / AFP - Getty Images

More than a million people convene at Times Square, where a ball is dropped at midnight at the start of a new year. Millions more watch the festivities on television.

By Isolde Raftery, NBC News

As the blinking Waterford crystal ball dropped over Times Square at midnight, ushering in the new year, a?peach dropped?in Atlanta and an 80-pound MoonPie prepared to drop in Mobile, Ala.?Noisemakers sounded, kissers kissed and those who knew the words sang, ?Auld Lang Syne? and Frank Sinatra's version of "New York, New York."

Come morning, a brave few will strip down to their skivvies and run into nearby oceans and lakes for an invigorating polar bear dip. This, they say, in the name of resolution and renewal.

Happy New Year, America. Welcome to 2013.

The new year is also a time of anticipation. In Washington, D.C., this year, thousands lined up at the National Archives to honor the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the order signed by President Abraham Lincoln which declared an end to slavery. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863.

Traditionally, black churches have held Watch Night services, according to TheLeafChronicle.com, a nod to the night when slaves waited to hear the order had gone into effect. That night in churches across the South, Lincoln?s words were read aloud. ?

?We will be calling back to an old tradition,? U.S. Archivist David Ferriero told theleafchronicle.com. ?When you see thousands of people waiting in line in the dark and cold ? we know that they?re not there just for words on paper.?

New Year's Day marks the 150 anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation ? when President Lincoln sign an order that broke the back of the slave trade. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

Tradition is often marked with food, and in the South, a place of tradition in general, black-eyed peas, rice and ham hocks are cooked together to produce a deliciously salty combination. Sometimes, according to a New York Times story from 1987, greens ? representing money -- are added to the mix. The black-eyed peas represent coins.

Champagne is a given, usually accompanied by a pop, suds and a toast. Toasts are a ?verbal souvenir,? npr.org says: "It's something you take home with you as sort of a remembrance of that time."

Some background on the less obvious of these traditions: The Polar Bear Club was founded on Coney Island in 1903, when it was believed that ?a dip in the ocean during the winter can be a boon to one?s stamina, virility and immunity.?

The festivities in Times Square started in 1904 as a huge street party held by the owners of The New York Times who wanted to celebrate the opening of their new building on 42^nd Street, according to the Huffington Post. ?

The Huffington Post also tells us that the Times Square ball drop, now a symbol of its own, was a nod to another tradition ? the Royal Observatory in England would drop a ball every day at 1 p.m. so that ship captains and others in the region could synchronize time.

Happy New Year! New York's Times Square prepares for midnight revelries as more than a million people began to pack the country's biggest block party. NBC's Ron Mott reports.

If you hear people singing ? or mumbling, more likely -- "Auld Lang Syne," know that it was written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1796 who heard it sung by an old man near where he grew up. Here are the words if you want to impress at a party.

Other traditions across the country include the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., which began in 1890 to promote the city as ?the Mediterranean of the West.? It has since been folded into the festivities surrounding the Rose Bowl football game.

Mobile, Ala. continues a now five-year-old tradition with an 80-pound MoonPie that was delivered in a huge box to the Mobile Convention Center, according to local15tv.com. That?s 45,000 calories of Moon Pie.

There are other, less boisterous traditions. Faithful Catholics attend a New Year?s Eve mass in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus. And in Boston, 1,000 artists gather for First Night?Festival of the Arts, a tradition started in 1976. The event, which showcases 200 performances, attracts more than a million revelers from throughout the region.

Damian Shaw / EPA

From Sydney to Siberia, revelers celebrate the arrival of a new year.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/31/16273543-across-america-traditions-of-ham-hocks-watch-nights-and-music?lite

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Good Reads: gun laws, lottery winners, online education, and tech gets sensory

A round-up of this week's long-form good reads include Britain's gun laws, the burden of lottery winners, online courses vs. the college experience, and sensory developments in high-tech.

By Gregory M. Lamb,?Staff writer / December 22, 2012

Arizona Lottery officials stand next to an enlargement of the winning $587.5 Million Powerball ticket last week during a news conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. Phoenix resident Matthew Good claimed the second half of last month's record $587 million Powerball jackpot, pocketing $192 million after taxes.

Matt York/AP/File

Enlarge

The Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut brought a deluge of media attention to gun control. One useful perspective came from the Lexington?s Notebook column in The Economist magazine. Britain?s gun-related homicide rate is drastically lower than that of the United States not only because guns are harder to purchase, but because ammunition is scarce, the writer points out. In one recent incident in a crime-plagued British neighborhood, for example, ?the gang had had to make its own bullets, which did not work well....?

Skip to next paragraph Gregory M. Lamb

Senior editor

Gregory M. Lamb is a senior editor and writer.

Lottery burdens

Are you eager to win the next big lottery? BloombergBusinessWeek writer David Samuels offers the cautionary tale of Jack Whittaker, a contractor in Scott Depot, W.?Va., who 10 years ago found that his $1 Powerball lottery ticket had won him a $93 million payout after taxes.

Mr. Whittaker tried to do good with his bonanza, giving away a good portion to charitable groups, especially churches. But he still descended into alcohol addiction; was divorced by his wife; became tied up (by his own count) in some 460 legal actions; and lost his beloved granddaughter, on whom he had lavished piles of cash, to drug addiction. Before his lottery ?win,? Whittaker?s contracting business had afforded him a comfortable life. ?Nobody knew I had any money,? Whittaker said. ?All they knew was my good works.? His life back then, he notes sadly, ?was a lot easier.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/AKzyBc8881w/Good-Reads-gun-laws-lottery-winners-online-education-and-tech-gets-sensory

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Self Improvement Can Help You In Your Life - Empower Network

It can be tough to start personal development. The self is comprised of so many things, so where can you possibly begin? This article was written to guide you in the ways of doing simple things that will help you develop personal goals. This article is the first step of your journey towards success.

A great self help tip to deal with anxiety is to accompany a friend to the movies. Doing so will force you to venture to a public place, though one in which you will not necessarily have to interact with others. It also helps you feel comfortable around crowds.

TIP! Look for different sources of encouragement, like books. Some people find inspiration in the Bible, and others find it in self-help books.

Consider talking with a counselor or a religious figurehead as it can achieve wonders. These people are experienced and will know what to do in your situation. They?ll listen to you talk and figure out what things you?re struggling with, and how you might be able to solve them. Getting your problems out in the open with a professional should give you a much healthier outlook on your own life.

Don?t solely focus on your outside looks; have a look at the person you are within. In the long run, wearing the best clothes or looking incredible does not matter. Your personality is what will prevail in your life. Try to improve yourself from the inside rather than the outside.

Learn things that people that are successful are doing; use them in your own life. Begin with a few basic habits, and work on them until they are second nature. People say that it takes 21 days for a habit to stick, so have confidence in yourself and keep working on it.

TIP! It helps to see your good points in writing. Write down everything you like about yourself.

Living a healthy lifestyle is a critical part of your personal development. It is vital that you maintain motivation to eat well and exercise regularly. When you are healthy, you feel your best and therefore can be more effective in all the other areas of your life.

Shying away from a major decision could cheat you of an opportunity to become a better person. You need to face these decisions with confidence, even if you aren?t totally sure. Great decisions encourage sharp instincts. Even incorrect decisions improve the learning process, and lead to better development, by providing an outline for what you shouldn?t do. If you make a wrong choice at one point, then you will ensure that your next one will be better.

The health of your body has a direct effect on the health of your mind. Make sure you treat your body properly: follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Like salt and pepper, a mind and body that are cared for and healthy go well together.

TIP! Becoming healthier will help immensely during personal development. Everyone feels much better when they?re in good physical health.

You must feel confident in your strengths in order to promote yourself. Remember that everyone is unique, and do not feel bad if you are not the best at everything. You should not bemoan skills you have yet to acquire and instead focus on the good the skills you already possess can bring.

Listening to someone is just as vital as talking with them. If you are pursuing self improvement goals, this is especially true for you! Many people talk to themselves, and this is something you should be doing as well. In addition, listen to yourself very carefully. Listening to what you tell yourself will help you know what you need and how to best improve yourself.

Pick out what you wish to do in life and go do it. If you do nothing but sit around dreaming of how you want your life, you?ll never get it. Start working on your goals and do your best to make them come to fruition.

TIP! If you feel you are not making progress, try to see specifically what is keeping you from it. Doing this is extremely hard for a lot of people.

Give your energy to the things that are most important in your life. Focus on the more positive things in life because they matter. Do not focus on the negative things because they don?t matter, and you will have a lot better inner peace.

As you can see, self improvement is simpler than it looks. By breaking your self improvement process into small, manageable goals, you?ll find yourself closer to your goals by the end of every day. You?ll be able to practice what you?re seeking to adopt as habit, and you?ll increase your own morale to continue. These tips are only a springboard, it?s up to you to build a better life.

To get some additional important information, take a look at this complete article network marketing advertising because what you will certainly discover will certainly help to increase your personal business and give you new insights into Personal Development.
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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/getfreedom/blog/self-improvement-can-help-you-in-your-life/

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Kind of an idea? (advanced only)

I really wanna write more...and I want to revisit an old character of mine, a thief-shapeshifter. Anyone interested in creating a plot and thread with me? You gotta be advanced and litate but you don't need to post every day. Keep romance to a minimum, and I don't care what gender you choose to play.

Takers?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/iqpvpYdILiI/viewtopic.php

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auto insurance-Conshohocken | My WordPress Website

auto insurance Conshohocken PA Each year, more cars travel the highways. As this number increases, the chances of a car accident will also go up. If you get in a car wreck, the car insurance you own can make a large difference in how much you have to pay. How can you decide what insurance you need and how to purchase it? Car crashes can result in many different expenses, which your insurance might be able to pay for based on the insurance policy you have purchased. Without insurance, you risk having to pay the total cost of any harm or injury you cause others. Liability: This type of insurance coverage can pay for the damage that you have caused. These damages may include personal injury, and property damage. Damages from bodily injury include medical fees, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Property damage includes car repair costs or loss of use of property. It can also cover your legal fees if you are sued. Local laws typically mandate standard amounts of liability insurance, but higher amounts are available and extremely helpful. Personal Injury Protection: This is mandated in some states and is optional in others. Sometimes referred to as no-fault coverage, this pays the medical treatment for you or your passengers regardless of who was at fault. The minimum amount of this insurance is usually set by the state. Medical Payments: Medical payment coverage is available in states that are not considered no-fault; it pays regardless of who may be responsible. It pays for an insured person?s reasonable and necessary medical and funeral expenses resulting from a crash. Collision: Pays for damages to your car caused by a collision. Comprehensive: Cover your car from all non-collision damages when you buy this type of insurance. This can include protection from robbery, vandalism, and weather damage. Uninsured Motorist: Too many drivers are ignoring the law by driving without purchasing the right amount of insurance. This insurance will cover you if one of these irresponsible drivers hit you. Under-Insured Motorist: Just like uninsured motorist protection, this type of insurance protects you against people driving without enough insurance coverage. Other policies, such as emergency road service, are also available. What you pay for auto insurance varies based on the company and will depend on several factors, including: * Which policies you choose * The make and model of the car you drive * Your driving record * Your age, sex and marital status * Where you live Many people think of auto insurance as a necessary evil, but it can rescue your finances. Review your needs, do your research , and with the guidance of your insurance agency, choose the option that fits you best.

This entry was posted in Commercial Auto Insurance. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://ercillesuniverse.com/auto-insurance-conshohocken/

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2013 Screenwriting Challenge | Write Your Screenplay

Begin Your New Year WRITE!

With My 5th Annual

2013 SCREENWRITING CHALLENGE

Why The Challenge?

Let?s face it, the holidays are a brutal time for writers.

We all do our best writing when we get into a rhythm. But during the holiday season that rhythm can be impossible to maintain. Schedules get jammed with Christmas parties, gifts to buy, family visits and a little too much vacation time and the next thing you know you haven?t written for a month.

But that?s not the real problem. The real problem is starting up again.

Ideally, writing would be part of your daily routine. As natural as brushing your teeth, getting dressed for work, or drinking your morning coffee.

But for most writers this is rarely the case. Many of us write in fits and starts, waiting desperately for moments of inspiration, and spending most of our time beating ourselves up when that inspiration doesn?t come. And then, just when we get started on a rhythm, something happens to interrupt it.

I?m always amused when I participate in writing panels. Invariably, an eager young student asks a question about building a life as a writer. ?What real writers do is write? insists one panel member after another, striving to out do each other as they speak of their unceasing dedication to their craft.

Having worked with writers for most of my professional life, I know the truth. It doesn?t matter if you?re an Academy Award Winner or a first time writer. Most of what writers do is NOT writing.

What writers really do is PROCRASTINATE.

Writers are brilliant at finding ?important? tasks to interfere with their writing. Set aside a couple hours to write, and suddenly those dirty dishes start to call to you. The next thing you know you?ve cleaned your whole kitchen, scrubbed your shower tiles to a sparkling shine, reorganized your closet, updated your facebook photos, and still not written a single word.

You?re furious at yourself. But at the same time, a part of you feels like you didn?t have a choice. Time just got away from you. ?I?ll write for twice as long tomorrow,? you reassure yourself. But tomorrow comes and four hours seems like an impossible amount of time. Even if you do manage to bang out a few pages, it?s impossible to derive any joy from them. And the next thing you know, you?ve gone a whole week, month, or even year without writing.

Under these circumstances it?s easy to doubt if you?re really a writer at all. You may even be tempted to give up on writing entirely. You feel so blocked that you don?t see any way out. But at the same time you know that giving up on writing would be giving up on the best part of yourself. So what are you supposed to do?

The difference between successful and unsuccessful writers is not that one group never gets blocked. The difference is that successful writers know how to maintain their creative rhythm even when inspiration is not flowing.

Start the New Year right by getting back into the rhythm of writing with this simple challenge.

Jacob Krueger?s
2013 SCREENWRITING CHALLENGE

On January 1st, go out and buy yourself a nice journal. Find something that speaks to your personality, and makes you feel like a writer. It?s okay to spend too much. Think of it as an investment in something you?re going to use every day.

On January 2nd, set your clock to wake you up 15 minutes early, and as soon as you open your eyes, grab your journal and start writing. You have 15 minutes to write as much or as little as comes out.? Don?t worry about editing, planning or even thinking.? Just go ahead and write whatever comes out as quickly as you possibly can. It may be a scene or parts of a scene. It may be a line of dialogue, or a monologue, or just thoughts about your character. It may flow together, or it may not flow together at all. Don?t even try to make it good. Just allow your first instincts to find their way onto the page. And don?t worry about finishing? you only have 15 minutes? so whatever you leave unfinished can become the starting point for the next day?s writing.

You?re going to repeat this process every day until January 30th, writing 15 minutes every morning until writing is such a natural part of your daily routine that it occurs without even thinking about it.? You may find yourself continuing one storyline, or writing a new one every morning. If you get stuck, rewrite the scene from the day before from memory. It?s not important what you write. It?s important THAT you write.

It?s this rhythm that is going to make you a writer. So, if you sleep through one day, find 15 minutes to catch up later. Take your journal with you on the subway. Lock yourself in the bathroom at work. Stay up 15 minutes later that night.? And notice how that 15 minutes in the morning sets you to thinking about your writing all through the day?

On January 31st, you?ll complete the challenge, and read back through your work over the past month. You?ll be amazed at the growth in your writing you?ll see!

Finally, on Thursday, Feb 7th, as part of our monthly Cold Cuts Reading Series we?ll have a party to celebrate the work of everyone who is participating in the challenge, to share our experiences, and to make some new friends. (There will also be a raffle for some super screenwriting prizes!)

You can officially join the challenge by liking our new FACEBOOK PAGE and RSVPing for the Screenwriting Challenge Event, where you can also share your ongoing experiences with your fellow writers!

Happy New Year! And Happy Writing!

Jacob Krueger

Post Tagged with Blog 7 act structure, Conquering Writer's Block, film structure, film writing, films, how to write a screenplay, how to write a script, Jacob Krueger, learn to write a screenplay, movie writing, movies, New York, New York City, plot, procrastination, screen play, screen play structure, screen writing, screen writing workshops, screenplay structure, screenplay writing classes, screenplay writing courses, Screenwriter's Mind, Screenwriting Challenge, screenwriting courses, screenwriting workshops, Script Analysis, script classes, script courses, script structure, seven act structure, three act structure, Write Your Screenplay, writing structure

Source: http://www.writeyourscreenplay.com/2012/12/31/2013-screenwriting-challenge/

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Stock index futures up as 'cliff' talks go on

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures signaled a slightly higher open on Wall Street on Monday, with stocks set to snap a five-session losing streak as talks continued in Washington over resolving the "fiscal cliff".

Futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.43 percent, Dow Jones futures up 0.23 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.09 percent at 0825 GMT.

European markets were slightly down on Monday morning, although trading was muted as markets in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were closed while UK, French, Dutch and Spanish markets were only open for half a session. <.eu/>

Negotiations were set to continue on Monday between lawmakers and the White House on how to deal with the $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that kick in at the start of January and could drag the economy in recession.

The Senate reconvenes on Monday after the open of equity trading with only hours to find some sort of stop-gap deal that would also have to be passed by the House of Representatives.

Despite the slight gains indicated by futures, stocks still could end up falling on Monday when the cash markets open if there is no sign lawmakers are making progress.

While hope has largely evaporated for any sort of broad deal, the lack of panic on markets shows that investors still expect officials to find a solution to the budget problems early in the New Year. The measures that kick in on January 1 will also only have a gradual impact.

"There is always a chance for a massive stalemate, and we could see a lot more volatility if we get to a point where there's no more hope. Right now there's still hope," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of Sarhan Capital in New York.

Midnight on Monday marks the deadline for a deal, though the government can pass legislation in 2013 that retroactively prevents going over the cliff, an option that is viewed as politically easier.

"At some point, someone will have to blink, or Congress will just come in early in 2013 and vote for a tax cut," Sarhan said. "Something will be done to resolve this."

Stocks dropped on Friday, with significant losses in the last minutes of trading, as prospects for a deal worsened at the beginning of the weekend.

The rise in the futures market on Monday does not necessarily suggest a rally in the making. The cash market and futures markets closed with a wide gulf on Friday, by virtue of the extra 15 minutes of trading in futures.

The S&P 500 closed at 1,402.43 at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, down 1.1 percent, but futures continued to fall before closing 15 minutes later with a loss of 1.9 percent. S&P futures and the S&P cash index don't match point-by-point, but that kind of disparity points to a weak opening in stocks on Monday.

One hour before they had hoped to present a plan on Sunday, Democratic and Republican Senate leaders said they were still unable to reach a compromise.

Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama, appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," said investors could begin to show greater concerns in the new year.

"If people start seeing that on January 1st this problem still hasn't been solved ... then obviously that's going to have an adverse reaction in the markets," he said.

Investors have remained relatively sanguine about the process, believing that it will eventually be solved. In the past two months markets have not shown the kind of volatility that was present during the fight to raise the debt ceiling in 2011.

The Dow industrials and the S&P 500 each lost 1.9 percent last week, after stocks fell for five straight sessions, which marked the S&P 500's longest losing streak in three months. Equities have largely performed well in the last two months despite constant chatter about the fiscal cliff, but the last few days shows a bit of increased worry.

The CBOE Volatility Index <.vix> rose to its highest level since June on Friday, closing at 22.72.

(Additional reporting by David Gaffen; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-futures-edge-higher-cliff-talks-continue-004506710--sector.html

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