From the Dark Side: A Florida Fan Breaks Down the Sugar Bowl and the Gators Odds Against the Spread

Before I begin my rant about how bad THE Florida Gators will beat the Louisville Cardinals in the 2013 AllState Sugar Bowl, I want to thank DudeYouCrazy for yet another opportunity to express my deep, unshakable delight for my beloved Gator Nation. A mere two months ago, I attempted to prove that Florida?s kicking/punting game would help the Gators edge the Dawgs in the game that ended Florida?s chances for a SEC Championship and a possible National ?ship shot. Needless to say, I was disappointed, crushed, and pretty much deflated. However, the Gators chomped their way back with victories over Mizzwho, LA-Lafayidk, Jacksonville St?, the cons from Florida Stink, and are now on their way to New Orleans for the 2013 AllState Sugar Bowl.

So, THE Dude asked me to give my professional Florida Gator analysis as to who will win this game. Easy?Florida. Only thing is, he wanted me to preview this game from the perspective of the Point Spread?not so easy, seeing as how the point spread is 15, favoring the Gators. I?ll give it my best shot.

Let me commence my rant by stating the obvious: THE Florida Gators are a much better team than the Louisville Cardinals. In my opinion (and the Dude?s) and hopefully in most CFB fans? opinions, the Gators have the best r?sum? in the nation. What ranked opponent did Louisville beat this year? Exactly. The Gators had a tendency to struggle offensively throughout the year on multiple occasions. The Cardinals? head coach is?yeah, Charlie Strong, Florida?s defensive strong-man (no pun intended) for seven straight years.

Everyone knows Florida is the better team and that Louisville should be/is the ?small fry? come January 2^nd at 8:30 pm, but should the Gators be a far-fetched 15 point favorite? Did Santa really eat the cookies and drink the milk you left on the fire place mantle Christmas Eve? Guess it?s all in what you believe.

From the perspective of a life-long Florida fan, I honestly can?t see the Gators covering this surprisingly copious point spread, simply based on their offensive performance or lack thereof. On the other side, Louisville is coming into this game ranking 18^th in pass defense and 51^st in rush defense. If Muschomp (see what I did there) and Pease know what they?re doing, they will use the same philosophy of the ?ground and pound? game that helped them prevail in critical games this year against teams like USC, LSU, TAMU, and FSU. The Gators will not and I repeat, will not win this game or even come close to covering the spread through the air.

So, as I?m writing this I have noticed that not once have I mentioned anything pertaining to the Cardinal?s offense and I have good reason. Florida will enter the Sugar Bowl ranked 3^rd in the nation (at 12.9) in points against. Meaning on average, Florida only allowed 12.9 points per contest. On the other hand, Louisville is listed as 48^th in points for with an average of 31 points per contest. What does this mean??? It means you need to consult the numbers guy, DudeYouCrazy, because I hate using stats and would much rather offer my outlook as to how the Gators will cover this fat point spread.

In conclusion, the Louisville Cardinals are far overmatched in size and speed, but I wouldn?t be surprised to see Mr. Strong pull a few ?special? items from his bag o? tricks. He?s a defensive-minded coach and he spent many years at Florida even though much has changed in the program since he left.

Will Florida win? Yes. If I were a betting man, would I take the spread? Absolutely not. This year?s Florida Gators are unpredictable: 44-11 against #7 USC, 27-20 against LA- Lafayette. I hope none of this meaningless information helps you decide who to bet against, because I?m in it for one thing and one thing only, a GATOR ?W?. I do urge you to bet responsibly though.

AllState Sugar Bowl Final Florida ? 38, Louisville ? 17

Florida covers.

That?s all I got,

Brett

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Source: http://dudeyoucrazy.net/2012/12/30/from-the-dark-side-a-florida-fan-breaks-down-the-sugar-bowl-and-the-gators-odds-against-the-spread/

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Central African Republic president says ready to share power with rebels

BANGUI (Reuters) - Central African Republic's embattled President Francois Bozize said on Sunday he was ready to share power with the leaders of a rebellion that has swept aside government defenses to within striking distance of the capital.

The three-week old onslaught by the rebel alliance Seleka has highlighted the instability of the landlocked former French colony, which remains one of the least developed nations on the planet despite its rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds.

"I am ready to form a government of national unity with Seleka to run the country together, because I am a democrat," Bozize told a news conference following a meeting with African Union Chairman Thomas Yayi Boni in the capital Bangui.

He added that he was ready to attend peace talks that are being organized by regional leaders in Libreville, Gabon, "without condition and without delay".

It was unclear if the offer would defuse a crisis that has posed the biggest threat to Bozize's nearly 10 years in charge of the country, nestled in the midst of a turbulent region known for wars and haunted by armed groups.

A spokesman for the rebels said the group would consider Bozize's offer, but added its aim was not to join the existing government.

"I take note of his proposals. We need to meet to study them," Seleka spokesman Eric Massi told France 24 television. He said the rebels also wanted to see what guarantees would be made to them.

"Know that Seleka's aim today is not to enter into a government but to allow the people of Central African Republic to be able to drive the country towards development and self-fulfillment," he said.

Seleka, an alliance of three armed groups, accuses Bozize of failing to honor a 2007 deal under which members who laid down their guns were meant to be paid. It claims to have a force of more than 3,000 men and to have positions within 75 kilometers (45 miles) of Bangui.

The last time rebels reached Bangui was in 2003 during the insurgency that swept Bozize to power.

FEARING THE WORST

Residents in the ramshackle riverside capital have either fled or stockpiled food and water in their homes in preparation for a rebel attack.

The streets of the city were largely deserted on Sunday save for military patrols and a trickle of churchgoers. Youths carrying machetes had set up makeshift barricades along main roads during a driving ban imposed overnight.

"There is a great deal of fear here now, and people are hiding their belongings and seeking safety," said Genael Dongonbo, a student at Bangui University from the northern town of Bambari. "I'd also like to leave, but I have no money and the rebels have already seized my town."

With a government that holds little sway outside the capital, some parts of the country have long endured the consequences of conflicts spilling over from troubled neighbors Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Central African Republic is one of a number of countries in the region where U.S. Special Forces are helping local forces try to track down the Lord's Resistance Army, a rebel group which has killed thousands of civilians across four nations.

Regional neighbors agreed on Friday to send more troops to shore up CAR's army after a string of defeats this month, and after French President Francois Hollande rejected a plea for Western military help made by Bozize last week.

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)already has more than 500 peacekeepers in CAR. Officials did not say how many more would be added or when they would arrive.

About 1,200 French nationals live in CAR, mostly working for mining firms and aid groups in the capital. The French defense ministry sources said Paris had in recent days boosted its force in CAR to nearly 600 from an existing 250-strong deployment safeguarding French citizens.

French nuclear energy group Areva mines the Bakouma uranium deposit in CAR's south - France's biggest commercial interest in its former colony.

The United States said on Thursday it had closed its embassy in Bangui and evacuated its staff.

(Additional reporting by Richard Valdmanis in Dakar, Paul-Marin Ngoupana in Bangui, Madjiasra Nako in N'Djamena, and Catherine Bremer in Paris; Editing by Rosalind Russell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/central-african-republic-rebels-threaten-enter-capital-114755686.html

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Car bombing targeting Shiites in Pakistan kills 19

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) ? A car bomb targeting a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims killed 19 people in southwest Pakistan, officials and eyewitnesses said.

Earlier Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan's troubled northwest tribal region, government officials said.

Reports conflicted about whether the car bombing was a suicide attack or the device was detonated remotely.

Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the last year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shiites, whom they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred.

In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan's Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast destroyed the bus and damaged a nearby bus also carrying Shiites.

Ahmed and a person who was riding in the second bus, Mohammed Ayan Danish, said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

The bomber "rammed a small car into the first bus, which contained 43 pilgrims," said Danish.

But Akbar Durrani, the home secretary in Baluchistan, said the explosion was caused by a car packed with explosives that was parked beside the road and detonated by remote control.

The pilgrims who were targeted were headed to Iran, a majority Shiite country that is a popular religious tourism destination, Ahmed said.

Shiites make up around 15 percent of Pakistan's 190 million people. Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, identifiable from their facial resemblance to Central Asians.

An escalation in recent years of Sunni extremists' attacks against Shiites in Pakistan has been fueled mainly by the group Laskar-e-Jangvhi, aligned to Pakistani Taliban militants in the tribal region. More than 300 Shiites have been killed in Pakistan this year, according to Human Rights Watch.

The violence has pushed Baluchistan deeper into chaos. The province was already facing an armed insurgency by ethnic Baluch separatists who frequently attack security forces and government facilities. Now the secessionist violence has been overtaken by increasingly bold attacks against Shiites.

The sectarian bloodshed adds another layer to the turmoil in Pakistan, where the government is fighting an insurgency by the Pakistani Taliban and where many fear Sunni hard-liners are gaining strength. Shiites and rights group say the government does little to protect Shiites and that militants are emboldened by their perceived links to Pakistan's intelligence agencies.

The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, Khan said.

The 23 policemen went missing before dawn Thursday when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in Frontier Region Peshawar. Two policemen were killed in the attacks.

Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Also Sunday, two Pakistani army soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the escalating violence, especially the continuing targeting of religions minorities, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

"These cruel acts of violence cannot be justified by any cause or grievance," Ban's spokesman said. "Their perpetrators should be brought to justice."

The secretary-general stressed the U.N.'s solidarity and support for the government and people of Pakistan and "their efforts to defend their country's institutions and freedoms in the face of the scourge of terrorism," Nesirky said.

___

Associated Press writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-bombing-targeting-shiites-pakistan-kills-19-005101092.html

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UFC 155?s Derek Brunson was a cheerleader before he started fighting

Long before he put together a 9-2 record and earned a spot against Chris Leben at UFC 155, Derek Brunson was a cheerleader. As he shows in his audition video for "The Ultimate Fighter," Brunson was an accomplished tumbler and stunter. Skip to the 2:10 mark to see him toss his partner up into one-handed stunts and throw a double-twisting flip.

He talked about his cheerleading past with MMA Fighting, and pointed out how difficult cheerleading can be.

"I can do flips, and I was like tossing girls in the air. That's where I got my strength from, just controlling girls in the air. You get core strength, your chest gets all big. It makes you really strong, like you look on steroids, but you don't have to take steroids because of cheerleading."

Though Brunson wrestled in college, he said he did have scholarship offers for cheerleading. Wrestling and eventually MMA won out. Brunson admitted that MMA is more dangerous than cheerleading, but it's still tough.

"Cheerleading is definitely hard on your body. That's why I decided to wrestle in college, not cheerlead."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-155-derek-brunson-cheerleader-started-fighting-145151565--mma.html

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NASA's Ion Thruster Sets Continuous Operation Record

Umm, no. Maximum energy gain for a gravitational assist is a slingshot maneuver where you narrowly miss a head on collision with the planet, you will then be whipped around on a parabolic path and depart in the opposite direction with twice the planet's velocity added to your own. The "gravitational tugboat" maneuver you describe is great for minor boosts and course corrections, but is unlikely to be used for speed unless a slingshot maneuver is incompatible with reaching the desired destination.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist [wikipedia.org]

As for a solar slingshot, yeah it's pretty pointless for in-system travel - it's hard to get close (not to mention survive the passing), and since it's basically the "stationary point" for the solar system you can't steal much speed from it, so once you reach your starting distance you'll have roughly* the same velocity as when you started with. Unless you just want to briefly go really fast for some reason, or are on an interstellar vessel seeking a gravity assist on your way to somewhere else in the galaxy, the sun is pretty useless for gravity boosts.

* You won't leave a solar slingshot with exactly the same velocity because the sun itself is orbiting the solar-system's barycenter, typically between about 1/2 and 1 solar-diameter from the sun's center and constantly moving as the orbiting of the outer planets shift the system's center of mass. So there will be some velocity transfer, just not enough to be actually useful.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/3qm-or1DGhU/story01.htm

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Pros of Cheap Travel Insurance ? Steps on Air

Travel insurance is typically a short term?insurance that is meant to cover medical expenses, financial loss, and other?emergencies of travellers. This insurance will cover trips in one?s own country?and abroad. Travel insurance can be purchased for one specific trip or on an?annual basis. The insurance is designed to cover the traveller or the traveller?s?family, depending upon the policy. If purchasing an annual policy, cancellation?insurance is not covered.

What does Travel Insurance Cover?

There are three types of insurance coverage. Cancellation insurance is designed?to reimburse the traveller if the they are unable to go on the trip because?they got sick or if there is a family emergency. It can also be used in cases?where the travel company or vessel (example: cruise ship) has gone out of?business. Personal effects insurance is designed to cover personal items that?get lost, are stolen, or damaged because of weather. And the final one is?emergency medical insurance. This insurance is designed to provide adequate?medical attention and care if there should be an accident or an illness while?away. Additional optional coverage may cover car rental, dental procedures?during travel, and death during travel.

How much does Travel Insurance Cost?

Depending upon the type of insurance purchased, it can range from 5 to 7 precent?additional cost. So it can add a few hundred dollars onto the base of the?amount paid for the trip originally. Policies and company prices vary, so it is?wise to shop around for the best rate.

Should a Person Purchase Travel?Insurance?

If a person finds themselves traveling often, it is a good idea to purchase?cheap travel insurance. Having insurance offers peace of mind in the event of?something unexpected happening. There?s no reason not to consider having?insurance, especially at a low rate. Some policies that people currently have?will cover various issues. For example, a credit card that is used to book a?trip, may offer partial or total cancellation coverage. A person?s homeowner or?renter?s insurance may cover theft, even if it doesn?t happen at home. Standard?procedure is that an airline will cover a person?s baggage for $1500. If?traveling with an increased amount of valuables, it is wise to purchase travel?insurance. And medical travel insurance is beneficial especially if travel is?outside of one?s country.

Where can a Person Buy Travel Insurance?

A person can purchase cheap travel insurance in the country that they live in.?Travel insurance can be bought from a travel agent when booking the trip, from?a regular insurer, or a specialist in travel insurance. Travel insurance does?not have to be purchased at the time of booking and can be purchased right up?until before the trip itself or during travel. If a person suffers from a pre-existing?condition, they may be required to purchase travel insurance, which should be?done a few weeks in advance.

Author Bio

Melisa Youngren is a advocate of?cheap holiday insurance for backpackers. She believes all travel?insurance companies should offer a product for all types of customers.

Source: http://www.stepsonair.info/pros-of-cheap-travel-insurance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pros-of-cheap-travel-insurance

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VP reads message from ailing Chavez to military

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? In a message read by his No. 2, President Hugo Chavez saluted Venezuela's military and acknowledged he was facing "complicated and difficult" times as he recovers from cancer surgery in Cuba.

The message read by Vice President Nicolas Maduro during a military event in eastern Venezuela offered no details on Chavez's condition and it was unclear when the president composed it. Chavez, 58, has not been seen or heard from since undergoing his fourth cancer-related surgery in Havana on Dec. 11.

"I have had to battle again for my health," the president said in the message. He expressed "complete faith in the commitment and loyalty that the revolutionary armed forces are showing me in this very complicated and difficult moment."

There have been no new updates on Chavez's condition since Maduro announced Monday night that he had received a phone call from the president who was up and walking.

Maduro and other government officials have tried to drill optimism into their supporters at raucous events nearly every day since. But uncertainty about Venezuela's political future has grown with no guarantee that Chavez will be back in time for his scheduled Jan. 10 inauguration for a new six-year term.

A group of opposition candidates demanded Friday that Maduro provide an official medical report on Chavez's health. Lawmaker Dinorah Figuera said the country needs "a medical report from those who are responsible for the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of the president."

"The Venezuelan people deserve official and institutional information," Figuera told Venezuelan media.

Before leaving for Cuba, Chavez acknowledged the precariousness of his situation and designated Maduro his successor, telling supporters they should vote for the vice president if new elections are necessary.

But a legal fight is brewing over what should happen if Chavez, who was re-elected in October, cannot return in time for the inauguration before the National Assembly.

National Assembly Diosdado Cabello insisted Monday that the Venezuelan Constitution allows the president to take the oath before the Supreme Court at any time if he cannot do it before the legislature on Jan. 10.

Opposition leaders argue the constitution requires that new elections be held within 30 days if Chavez cannot take office Jan. 10. They have criticized the confusion over the inauguration as the latest example of the Chavez government's disdain for democratic rule of law and have demanded clarity on whether the president is fit to govern.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vp-reads-message-ailing-chavez-military-194124530.html

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Reaction to death of Norman Schwarzkopf

Reaction to the death Thursday of retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf:

___

"Barbara and I mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. A distinguished member of that 'Long Gray Line' hailing from West Point, Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises. More than that, he was a good and decent man ? and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife, Brenda, and his wonderful family." ? former President George H.W. Bush.

___

"With the passing of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, America lost a great patriot and a great soldier. Norm served his country with courage and distinction for over 35 years. The highlight of his career was the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm. 'Stormin' Norman' led the coalition forces to victory, ejecting the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and restoring the rightful government. His leadership not only inspired his troops, but also inspired the nation. He was a good friend of mine, a close buddy. I will miss him. My wife, Alma, joins me in extending our deepest condolences to his wife, Brenda, and to her family." ? former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-27-Obit-Schwarzkopf-Reaction/id-f6a15cd9424e490f98492f051208da11

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8 Essential iPad Apps for Bloggers | Tools - Web Design Ledger

Before I begin, let me just say what this list is, and what it isn?t. It?s not just a random set of iPad apps that can, but on the other hand, don?t have to turn out to be that useful to you. I also didn?t want to give you countless alternatives for a specific single aspect of blogging.

Instead, I?ve tried to take a broad look at blogging as a profession and point out a set of apps that will simply allow you to do your work smoothly and with better effectiveness.

(By the way, I actually use these apps myself.)

Also, I will try to keep this as low budget as possible, but not everything is free. Even though the digital world of today allows us to get quite a lot of quality for no cost at all, sometimes investments need to be made if we want to make our work easier.

1. Blogsy

Let?s start with the main app for bloggers. You might be surprised that it?s not WordPress, but there?s actually something a lot better than the official app. Blogsy isn?t free, but it?s just a minor investment ($4.99).

The app allows you to write posts using a clear an usable interface, and then send them out to a number of publishing platforms including: WordPress, Blogger, Posterous, Typepad, Joomla, and more (image below). However, the biggest strength of this app is the possibility to create new posts offline and to do it in a clear and easy to grasp manner.

Of course, all standard text formatting features are available, and you can also include videos, pictures, links, and content from other platforms on the Internet. In the end, this is the most important app on this list. Without it your blogging would be a lot more difficult.

By the way, I?m using it right now to create this very post.

2. WordPress

Okay, time for the official app. Even though Blogsy is better for doing the actual blogging, the official app can still come handy. Besides, it?s free.

The main value of this app lies in its possibility to edit whatever has already been published on your blog. This includes posts, pages, and comments. There?s really no better way of moderating comments than through this app.

You can also use Blogsy for updating your live posts and pages, but from my experience, it just creates a big mess in your Blogsy files, so I don?t advise it.

3. Aviary

Aviary was one of the most popular online photo editing apps (before it went through a major direction change, so to speak). This is the iPad version of the main app. Both Blogsy and WordPress allow you to include photos in your blog posts, but the photo editing capabilities of these apps are not that great. Aviary does a much better job at it, and it?s free.

Some features Aviary has to offer: auto enhancement, orientation, cropping, brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, sharpness, red-eye removal, and more (image below).

Aviary takes photos from your camera roll or allows you to shoot new ones. Once you?re done editing, the new version of the image is saved back to your camera roll. Then you can upload it through Blogsy or WordPress.

4. MindMeister

Mind mapping is a great way to organize your thoughts, plans, strategies, and post ideas. If you don?t know what mind mapping is then feel free to visit Wikipedia, which does quite a good job at explaining it.

Mind mapping isn?t the most difficult thing to do on a standard PC, but on an iPad it becomes even easier. When you have the multitouch and drag and drop interface at your disposal you can make your work truly effortless. Plus, the tool itself is very easy to use, offers quite a lot of interesting features, and it?s free.

You can create an unlimited number of mind maps, synchronize them through the online interface of MindMeister.com, and even export them to other mind map formats, or standard PDF and PNG files.

5. Teed

It?s time for the first productivity app on this list. In essence, Teed is a to-do list management app. But what?s great about it (other than the fact that it?s free) is that it?s in tune with GTD ? one of the most popular time and work management methodologies.

Even if you?re not using GTD, you can still benefit from this app a lot. It has a clear interface, and all the features you?d need, including: the possibility to work on multiple projects, prioritize, set notifications, tagging, password protection, modify the app badge, and much more.

6. Analytics

It?s probably about time to mention an app for tracking your performance and web stats. There are many paid solutions out there, but one of the best ones is still free ? it?s Google Analytics (no surprise here).

As far as I know, there?s no decent Google Analytics app for the iPhone, but the one for the iPad lets you in on almost the complete set of features your Analytics profile has to offer. You can track multiple profiles (sites) and look at your stats from every possible angle (your audience, traffic sources, popular content, conversions, and so on).

7. Google Drive

Quite simply, this app gives you access to all your Google Docs files. It?s free and (kind of) offers you everything the full online version does. I?m saying kind of because, for some reason, you can?t edit the spreadsheets. I guess this is something the next versions will fix.

Other than that, this app is the complete package. You can browse your documents, create new ones, edit them, and share them with other users.

8. Dropbox

I?m sure that your iPad isn?t the only device where you keep your content and do your work, so a service like Dropbox can surely come handy for you. What?s important about this app is that it grants you access to your online Dropbox account.

I?m sure you?re familiar with Dropbox itself ? the online disk space and platform that keeps your files synchronized between every computer you own.

The important thing is that it?s not like a standard Dropbox app (the desktop one). It doesn?t create a folder on your iPad and automatically synchronize everything in it. This app is only a clearer interface to access your online account, through which you can download each file individually.

You can also upload pictures and videos directly from the app itself. Plus, if you install additional apps (like Documents), you can link them to Dropbox and upload other files as well.

When it comes to viewing your files, Dropbox has some basic capabilities to view images and text files, but for other types of files it?s good to install additional apps like FileApp, for example.

This closes my list of 8 essential iPad apps for bloggers. Feel free to let me know what you think and also point out other apps you find useful.

About the Author

Karol K. is a freelance blogger and writer. He's passionate about design, blogging and online business. If you want to get a list of websites that pay to write feel free to visit him at YoungPrePro.

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Source: http://webdesignledger.com/tools/8-essential-ipad-apps-for-bloggers

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Amazon deforestation brings loss of microbial communities

Dec. 24, 2012 ? An international team of microbiologists led by Klaus N?sslein of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has found that a troubling net loss in diversity among the microbial organisms responsible for a functioning ecosystem is accompanying deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

N?sslein, an expert in tropical rain forest microbial soil communities, says, "We found that after rainforest conversion to agricultural pastures, bacterial communities were significantly different from those of forest soils. Not only did the pasture soils show increased species numbers, these species were also less related to one another than in rainforest soil. This is important because the combination of lost forest species and the homogenization of pasture communities together signal that this ecosystem is now a lot less capable of dealing with additional outside stress."

He and colleagues studied a large farm site over the past four years at the frontier where farmers drive agriculture into pristine rainforest in Rondonia, Brazil, to convert rainforest to agricultural use. Findings in part validated previous research showing that bacteria in the soil became more diverse after conversion to pasture. However, in its fourth year, their study overcame limitations of earlier investigations to show that changes in microbial diversity occurred over larger geographic scales. Results appear in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In addition to N?sslein at UMass Amherst, the research group includes first author Jorge Rodrigues at the University of Texas at Arlington with Brendan Bohannan at the University of Oregon, James Tiedje at Michigan State University, and others at the University of Sao Paulo. Lead investigators N?sslein and Rodrigues emphasize that the study is an equal collaboration among the four research groups.

Findings do not support earlier study conclusions, instead they show that the loss of restricted ranges for different bacteria communities results in a biotic homogenization and net loss of diversity overall. Scientists worry that the loss of genetic variation in bacteria across a converted forest could reduce ecosystem resilience. The researchers hope their work will provide valuable data to those making decisions about the future of the Amazon rainforest.

Biologist and first author Jorge Rodrigues of the University of Texas at Arlington adds, "We have known for a long time that conversion of rainforest land in the Amazon for agriculture results in a loss of biodiversity in plants and animals. Now we know that microbial communities which are so important to the ecosystem also suffer significant losses."

As N?sslein and colleagues point out, the Amazon represents half of the world's rainforest and is home to one-third of Earth's species, yet the Amazon has one of the highest rates of deforestation. Agriculture is one of the largest and most dynamic parts of Brazil's economy, so dealing with standing rainforests in the tropics will be tricky, but nevertheless, it is vital that the issue is tackled."

Rodrigues says he and colleagues are currently compiling findings about the potential for recovery of the microbial diversity after pastureland is abandoned and returned to "secondary forest." At the same time, N?sslein and colleagues are leading an effort to investigate how the redundancy of functions provided by soil microbes provides resilience to the effects of agricultural land use change to support a stressed ecosystem to recover stability.

"Whether bacterial diversity will completely recover from ecosystem conversion will depend in part on whether the taxa lost due to conversion are truly locally extinct or whether they are present in the pasture sites but of such low abundance that they are undetectable in our study," the authors write.

This work was supported by grants from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Research Support Foundation of the State of S?o Paulo.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/bNOdEgsL0s4/121226080908.htm

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Video: Year?s best products: Electronics, food, and more

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50296405/

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Monkey Brain Area Keeps Count of Kindnesses

Monkeys can be kind to their neighbors ? and they have a specific brain region which appears to record their good deeds. Image: Flickr/jinterwas

Monkeys might not be known for their generosity, but when they do seem to act selflessly, a specific area in their brains keeps track of these kindnesses.

The discovery of this neuronal tally chart may help scientists to understand the neural mechanisms underlying normal social behavior in primates and humans, and might even provide insight into disorders such as autism, in which social processing is disrupted.

Steve Chang and his colleagues from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, used electrodes to directly record neuronal activity in three areas of the brain prefrontal cortex that are known to be involved in social decision-making, while monkeys performed reward-related tasks.?

When given the option either to drink juice from a tube themselves or to give the juice away to a neighbor, the test monkeys would mostly keep the drink. But when the choice was between giving the juice to the neighbor or neither monkey receiving it, the choosing monkey would frequently opt to give the drink to the other monkey.

The researchers found that in two out of the three brain areas being recorded, neurons fired in the presence or absence of the juice reward only. By contrast, the third area ? known as the anterior cingulate gyrus ? responded only when the monkey allocated the juice to the neighbor and observed it being received. The authors suggest the neurons in the ACG respond to and record the act simultaneously. The study's results are published today in Nature Neuroscience.

?This is the first time that we have had quite such a complete picture of the neuronal activity underlying a key aspect of social cognition. It is definitely a major achievement,? says Matthew Rushworth, a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, UK.

The anterior cingulate gyrus is known to be a region that is specialized for social decision-making in primates, and it is located in the same area of the brain as that associated with the generation of feelings of empathy in humans.

Being nice
?The great complexity of human social interactions and the huge variation in what we find rewarding compared with other primates prompts questions about whether the anterior cingulate gyrus operates similarly in the human brain,? Matthew Apps and Narender Ramnani, who work on neuroimaging and human cognition at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, told Nature in an email.

Through the development of a specific part of the brain that experiences the reward of others, social decisions and empathy-like processes may have been favored during evolution in primates to allow altruistic behavior. ?This may have evolved originally to promote being nice to family, since they share genes, and later friends, for reciprocal benefits,? says Michael Platt, a neuroscientist from Duke University who is a co-author of the paper.

The authors suggest that the intricate balance between the signaling of neurons in these three brain regions may be crucial for normal social behavior in humans, and that disruption may contribute to various psychiatric conditions, including autistic spectrum disorders.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on December 23, 2012.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c71fe1cd0c980a30de76002f51277316

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Polyamorous Relationships: The Rules | California Psychics Blog

?What You Need to Know Before You Try it

Polyamory as a relationship style has long been known in underground cultures and its comparatively recent appearance in our modern mainstream consciousness has been met with scorn by some and curiosity by others. For those who seek diversity in partnerships and sexuality, its ideals of liberal interaction have become the key to releasing themselves from a life of numb, monogamy-based servitude.

In its purest form, polyamory is a romantic relationship that consists of more than the standard two people. In contrast to traditional polygamy, polyamory implies intimate involvement among all the people within a relationship, on all levels?sexually and otherwise. The typical portrayal of polyamorous relationships as being comprised of three people of various gender combinations is cliche. Such clusters can include any number of members, forming mini tribes of love and passion.

Still, on the more prosaic level the elastic definition of polyamory can be expanded to include a lot of avant garde lifestyles such as swinging couples, cuckold practitioners and many others. The most important thing to understand is that these relationships are all about the experience of other people. Thus those with big egos and unchecked insecurities need not apply. Hang ups don?t help in complex human interactions and issues like self-importance, neediness and repression will have to be looked at and understood for what they really are.

We live in an egocentric culture that fosters a desperate need for external validation and gives us precious, little incentive to get over ourselves. This is pure poison to polyamorous relations. So before ever seriously considering entering into such a relationship, one has to be realistic about one?s true level of selfishness and need. A lot of people nowadays just don?t work? or play? well with others. For them this sort of relationship will be downright terrifying as issues of possessiveness and repression take them deep into their most vulnerable areas, challenging them to enter into realms of higher understanding they are not equipped or prepared to handle.

Communication is key to any successful relationship but even more so for the polyamorous one. Our culture saddles us with a myriad of unspoken rules and codes that must be followed in our dealings with other people?things we?re not supposed to feel at all, let alone express. Thus desires remain unknown and sensuality is destroyed, while hidden hurts and resentments are fostered in silence over time. All this is destructive enough in vanilla relationships. In avant garde expressions, it can be downright devastating. Open, honest and constant communication is really the only hard rule the participants in a polyamorous configuration have to follow.

Most people on the outside assume jealousy is the biggest problem in an arrangement where attention and affection must be shared, but the fact is jealousy is not germane to human nature. Base greed, desire and envy are normal but the twisted socio-sexual version of these we call ?jealousy? has more to do with low self-worth and value placement problems than it does with greed or desire. Feelings of jealousy speak solely to neediness and lack of self-fulfillment. And that?s not something anybody else can fix. Nor should they be expected to.

The best counter to jealousy is self-contentment, so most successful polyamorous groups are composed of people with rich inner worlds, consuming occupations and individual passions. People who are least likely to be jealous are those least likely to need to be jealous. So while it may not be a rule, a strong sense of individual self-fulfillment is highly recommended as an important part of a luscious whole for those considering this lifestyle. It?s tall order, but for those who actually manage it this experience of diversity and deliverance is more than worth the work.

Source: http://blog.californiapsychics.com/blog/2012/12/polyamorous-relationships-the-rules.html

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DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT SECURITY (GUEST POST)

By John Anderson?

Getting away for the holidays is both hard work and a rewarding experience.? After finalizing on what you should bring and where you should go, look at the security of the house you?ll leave behind.? Crime against property is at a high of 400,000 from November through December according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.?

You probably have a checklist for what to bring, here?s a practical list of what to do to secure your home.?

1.?????? Visibility:? Leave a? good number of lights on, it?s a double edged advantage.? The burglars will think twice whether you?re at home or not. It would be better if you could have a timer attached to the lightswitch.? It?s best to keep a good visual from the outside looking in making it easy to spot trouble.? So leave a few curtains open.?

2.?????? Social Network Updates after the fact:? You don?t need to announce to the world that you?ll be going to someplace exquisite for the holidays.? For robbers, it just translates to ?Nobody?s home and nobody can get home quickly?.? Show your pictures when you get home.? You?ll enjoy the travel more.?

3.?????? Arrange upkeep:? Have a friend pick up your mail and water the plants from time to time.? An unkempt house is an obvious signal that no one is looking after the house.

?4.?????? Unplug: it?s been proven that appliances do consume electricity even if they?re turned off.? A power surge may also destroy your appliances.?

5.?????? Modern-day Security:? The burglars get smarter too.? They learn from the latest technology and some actively profile their victims on the web.? Equip yourself with a good alarm system and/or have the house insured.?

The steps should be taken to ensure the safety of the home especially when there?s nobody home. Enjoying the holidays will only happen if you know that the home you have left behind temporarily remains safe and secure.?

Author Bio:?

John Anderson has been a freelance writer since 2008. His work is almost exclusively on web content about home improvement, home security, technology, green and simple living, and business. Visit his site at www.infiltrationalert.com or follow him at twitter.com/johnanderson090.

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Tagged as: crime, don't announce travel plans, home security, make plans to leave house secure, theft

Source: http://www.blog4safety.com/2012/12/dont-leave-home-without-security-guest-post/

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Memories and family history - O Say Can You See?

A couple of years ago, my coworkers and I were discussing our most memorable Christmas gifts over lunch. Most of the memories were of beloved or most-wished-for things, but when it came to my turn to share, what came to mind were stories.

I thought about the year that a heavy snow knocked out the power at my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve. My family and I sang carols and told stories of past Christmases by candlelight. I thought about the year that I had come home midway through a year abroad and decided to record my family singing "Let it Snow" together to take back with me, and how grateful I am to have that recording now that we can no longer gather for the holidays. Those times to be together, to use traditions as an entr?e into conversations about family history, were what made Christmas special to me.

As much as museums are about objects, they are just as much about the stories that exist behind those objects. If your family is gathering, it may be a time that you're able to talk, especially with children, about family stories. If you do, our History Explorer website has a few resources that may help you expand on and record the conversation. Our?oral history kit, while focused on documenting stories of immigration and migration, provides some useful guidance in preparing to record your family's history.

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For younger children, our?Design a Family Flag?activity encourages children and their caregivers to work together to think of symbols and colors that represent their family to them. Both of these activities can help children to understand their family history, while the experience of interviewing a relative or creating a family flag together may become the memory they share at some future lunch table conversation.

While my coworkers talked about objects and I talked about an experience when thinking of memorable Christmas gifts, the essence was the same. Their objects were perhaps gone, but the joy preserved in their memories remained. For all of us, those memories were the greatest gifts of all.

Naomi Coquillon is an education specialist at the National Museum of American History. She has shared other museum resources in this blog post.

Source: http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2012/12/memories-and-family-history.html

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