Friday, November 30, 2012

Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Funding Restored in ...

In January, May's copayments will return to $20 each, the same copay he was charged in 2011.

After cutting the EPIC budget by about $12 million to help erase a $10 billion state budget shortfall, the legislature earlier this year restored EPIC funding for Jan. 1 to March 31. What will happen when the 2013-14 fiscal year begins April 1 depends on Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the state legislature.

Before the cuts, roughly 190,000 low- and middle-income New Yorkers 65 and older relied on the program to supplement their Medicare Part D and any prescription insurance coverage they had.

Cut was "devastating"

Under the scaled-back program for 2012, EPIC was free but was limited to low-income people and did not contribute toward copays until a Medicare enrollee and his or her insurer had spent $2,930 on prescriptions, the point where the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" begins.

The changes were "absolutely devastating to many seniors, especially those with serious or chronic illnesses," said Cathy Roberts, who works on health care access issues at the Empire Justice Center in Albany.

For instance, Muriel Kenitz, of Galway, stopped taking one of her prescriptions, a hormone medication to help sharpen her memory, relieve severe headaches, prevent osteoporosis and lower cholesterol.

The news of the EPIC restoration is a "major relief," said Kenitz, who turns 74 this month. "But all that money I lost [paying for other medications] I won't recoup."

Kristin Legere, AARP New York communications director, said people reported being shocked when they went to a drugstore to pick up a prescription and found the price had skyrocketed, sometimes by hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Most EPIC enrollees paid about $875 in additional out-of-pocket costs for their medications in 2012, an AARP New York analysis found.

May, a retired rabbi in Rockaway, Queens, said he had heard about the cuts but didn't realize the full significance. After his shock at the pharmacy counter in January, May got angry. Then he got busy.

He participated in an AARP New York tele-town hall meeting in which the EPIC cuts were discussed. He also called his legislators to express dismay over the cuts, spoke at community organization meetings and talked to friends.

Next page: The cuts triggered a rigorous lobbying effort. ?

Source: http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-12-2012/funding-for-epic-returns-briefly-ny.html

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Attorneys say Halle Berry, ex settle dispute

(AP) ? Attorneys for Halle Berry and her ex-boyfriend have settled court issues that arose after a Thanksgiving Day fight at the actress' home.

The fisticuffs involved Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her fiance, actor Olivier Martinez. Aubry was arrested after the fight, which left him with a black eye, a broken rib and other injuries.

Aubry obtained a temporary restraining order against Martinez. The model and Berry have been battling over custody of their 4-year-old daughter for months and have appeared twice in a family law court since the fight.

Blair Berk, an attorney for Berry, and Shawn Holley, who represents Aubry, released a statement after Thursday's hearing that said the two sides had reached an amicable agreement.

No details were released, and the attorneys declined to answer questions.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-29-People-Halle%20Berry/id-2ceb5583e3bf49158ebb33ec20309e86

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Actor who apparently killed landlady not on drugs

FILE - This Sept. 14, 2011 file photo shows actor Johnny Lewis posing for a portrait during the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. An autopsy report released Thursday Nov. 29, 2012 found no traces of drugs in Lewis' body after he apparently killed his landlady and fell to his death in September. (AP Photo/Carlo Allegri, file)

FILE - This Sept. 14, 2011 file photo shows actor Johnny Lewis posing for a portrait during the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. An autopsy report released Thursday Nov. 29, 2012 found no traces of drugs in Lewis' body after he apparently killed his landlady and fell to his death in September. (AP Photo/Carlo Allegri, file)

FILE - This Sept. 14, 2011 file photo shows actor Johnny Lewis posing for a portrait during the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. An autopsy report released Thursday Nov. 29, 2012 found no traces of drugs in Lewis' body after he apparently killed his landlady and fell to his death in September. (AP Photo/Carlo Allegri, file)

(AP) ? A former "Sons of Anarchy" actor who was the lone suspect in the killing of his landlady did not have drugs in his system when he died, according to an autopsy report released Thursday.

Authorities had been interested in whether Johnny Lewis was on drugs or medication when he apparently killed Catherine Davis in her home and then fell to his death in her driveway.

Lewis had recently been released from jail and had a string of drug-related arrests before the killing. His attorney had speculated he might have been in a drug-induced psychosis when he killed Davis.

Toxicology results on Johnny Lewis found no traces of cocaine, alcohol, marijuana or any other types of drugs in the actor's system. Officials checked for anti-psychotic drugs as well as psychedelic drugs.

An autopsy report noted that Lewis had nail marks on both sides of his neck when he died and had suffered partial strangulation. His death was ruled accidental because there was no evidence he attempted to kill himself or had been pushed.

Police believe Lewis fell while trying to flee the home after killing Davis, 81, who operated a retreat for writers and actors out of her home.

Lewis had played Kip "Half-Sack" Epps on the TV drama "Sons of Anarchy" in 2008 and 2009 before his character was killed off.

He had been arrested three times during the past year. Probation officials earlier this year expressed concern about Lewis' mental health and his danger to others.

A probation officer who evaluated Lewis' case after he attempted to break into the home of a woman wrote that he was being "very concerned for the well-being of not only the community but that of the defendant."

The report added Lewis suffered from some form of chemical dependency and mental health issue, and was a transient.

"Given this, (Lewis) will continue to be a threat to any community he may reside," it said

The break-in attempt came about six weeks after the actor hit two men over the head with a bottle during a fight.

Lewis' attorney, Jonathan Mandel, said after his client's death that drugs may have been a factor in the deaths. He said he recommended treatment for Lewis but he declined it.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-29-Actor%20Killed/id-1215c95a90ae448d89b0c9fe1bae0028

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

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The Washington Post on the potential impact of Fiscal Cliff tax hikes on small b...

?The Washington Post on the potential impact of Fiscal Cliff tax hikes on small businesses:

?So much of the discourse on the fiscal cliff has focused on the likely effects of rasing taxes on the middle class and the wealthy, which has overshadowed the bigger issue at hand: how to avoid raising taxes on the one vehicle that can get the economy moving ? small businesses.?

?What policymakers fail to realize is that most small business owners, who also employ most of the country?s workforce, declare their business profits on the owner?s personal income tax return and are taxed at the personal income tax rate. Given that the net income number for many will be over $250,000, the proposed tax hikes could have a dramatic effect on small businesses and the growth and hiring decisions they will make.?

Source: http://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessCommittee/posts/437766076276712

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TEXT-S&P Ratings - Asia Capital Reinsurance Group Pte Ltd.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A young model was either insane, or a calculating, quick-thinking murderer who feigned mental illness when he killed and castrated his lover, a prominent Portuguese journalist, in their New York hotel room last year, a jury heard on Wednesday. No one disputes that Renato Seabra, 22, killed Carlos Castro, 65, in January 2011. Seabra pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to a charge of second degree murder, and his trial reached closing arguments at Manhattan criminal court. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/text-p-ratings-asia-capital-reinsurance-group-pte-093816919--sector.html

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Executive Insight: Video at Work

What?s it like to work at REI, the outdoor gear company and #8 in Fortune?s 2012 list of best companies to work for? Watch the video. Want a job as a systems engineer at a software company? Watch the video (and take a look at your prospective boss, hear him describe the team and talk about what is important for success).? What?s a day in the life of a Cisco employee like? Watch the video. It?s apparently pretty exotic and doubles as an almost endless product promotion platform. Tired of trying to get an employee newsletter off the ground?? Try using video. Philips News Networks educates employees on its business and company news, and uses employee ?Roving Reporters? to capture and generate news stories.

Video is now ubiquitous in society, with ? according to MIT?s Technology Review - smartphones outpacing any other technology in history in terms of mainstream adoption. While teenagers might one day regret those videos they post on Facebook, the ease and immediacy of use and the medium?s ability to garner attention and draw viewers in is nothing short of phenomenal.

Can companies make more use of video technologies in their organizations? Certainly. Can they piggyback on its popular appeal to engage employees more viscerally into the business? We think so.

Here?s the rub. Somewhere between 70%-80% of enterprise value in most companies now considered to be intangible - knowledge, methods, capabilities, relationships, brand. All people derived. Yet, studies abound regarding the lack of engagement that employees feel for their jobs and their companies. Clearly there are many factors that compound to create an under-engaged workforce, but companies that create workplace excitement tend to attract a better crowd and inspire them to over-perform.

Video can be one way to create a sense of excitement and engagement in a workforce, particularly if employees are involved in the design and generation. Showcase model employees. Highlight case studies of business and customer success. Bring customers to life for employees. Use video to explain and reinforce company values. Do walking tours of different company facilities. Humanize top executives by showing them less formal and relaxed modes. Give employees from different functions and locations their voice. Use videos to celebrate milestones or special events ? employment anniversaries, birthdays, engagements. You can always organize a ?spontaneous? flash mob to build camaraderie and get employee adrenalin pumping. Watch the video. Sure beats abseiling down a fake mountainside.

Knowledge-sharing, technique demonstrations, policy or benefit program explanations, even job descriptions can all scale and be more recipient-receptive through the use of video. The options are somewhat limitless once you let your imagination and creativity run and decide to incorporate the visual into your employee communication and engagement toolkit. Mix it up between more formal, stylized productions and user-generated and less scripted media. It can help change the tone of your employee relations.

Edward Ferris is Managing Partner of Charlesmore Partners International, a consulting firm specializing in organizational strategy and employee engagement.

Originally posted on CommPro.biz a destination portal for public relations, marketing, advertising, investor relations, corporate communications and social media professionals by Larry Thomas, editor of the Latergy Social Media Channel.

Source: http://executiveinsight.typepad.com/executive_insight/2012/11/video-at-work.html

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Business Travel News - The Travel and Expense News Source

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Source: http://www.berteloot.com/2012/11/27/btns-2012-airline-survey-an-unprecedented-sweep-business-travel-news/

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First accredited German language centre in Wales ... - Education

Cardiff University?s Centre for Lifelong Learning is the first language provider in Wales to be accredited by the Goethe-Institut to conduct internationally recognised German language examinations.

The Goethe-Institut, with headquarters in Munich, is the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany whose purpose it to promote knowledge of the German language and culture abroad. Their examinations correspond to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are well known throughout the world and accepted as a qualification by employers.

After assessing the Centre and its German language provision, the Goethe-Institut signed a partnership agreement for holding the examinations of the Goethe-Institut at Cardiff University.

Helga Eckart, Senior Lecturer at the Centre said: ?With Germany being a top-employment country for British people it is hoped that many will be encouraged to sit these exams. We are excited that from 2013 onwards we will be an examination centre of the Goethe-Institut and I am thrilled that we are the first and the only institution in Wales to sign such an agreement.?

The range of German language courses that the Centre offers, from beginners to advanced, will provide ample opportunity to practise for these certificates.

Juliana Nau, a German Tutor at the Centre said: ?Taking some of the Goethe-Institut exams will punctuate your progress and attest your level of competence at any given time. The Goethe-Institut exams offer some of the most widely recognized German language qualifications and are offered at six different levels, from basic to near native proficiency.? They are purely skills based rather than predominantly academic.? In other words, spoken communication, listening to news and interviews, reading texts and e-mails feature high on the agenda.? Most of our German classes follow a syllabus that will prepare you for these exams.?

Over the years, strong links with Paris, Madrid and Sienna have been developed for the DELF/DALF qualifications in French, the DELE in Spanish and the CILS in Italian and more recently Public Service Interpreting ? qualifications which many language students have benefitted from. It is hoped that the German examination Centre will be just as successful.

Screen Shot 2012 10 26 at 17.04.52 1024x366 First accredited German language centre in Wales | Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning

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Source: http://www.earic.com/language-education/french-language/first-accredited-german-language-centre-in-wales-cardiff-centre-for-lifelong-learning-5.html

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Workers raise 1st section of new Chernobyl shelter

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

Construction workers assist in the assembly of a gigantic steel-arch to cover the remnants of the exploded reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012. The new safe confinement, a structure that is being built over reactor 4 damaged in 1986 as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident, will cover a hastily built sarcophagus, which was erected shortly after the explosion. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky)

CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER STATION, Ukraine (AP) ? Workers have raised the first section of a colossal arch-shaped structure that eventually will cover the exploded nuclear reactor at the Chernobyl power station.

Project officials on Tuesday hailed the raising as a significant step in a complex effort to clean up the consequences of the 1986 explosion, the world's worst nuclear accident. Upon completion, the shelter will be moved on tracks over the building containing the destroyed reactor, allowing work to begin on dismantling the reactor and disposing of radioactive waste.

Suma Chakrabati, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is leading the project, called Tuesday "a very significant milestone, which is a tribute to the ongoing commitment of the international donor community, and an important step towards overcoming the legacy of the accident."

The shelter, shaped like a gargantuan Quonset hut, will be 257 meters by 150 meters (843 feet by 492 feet) when completed and at its apex will be higher than the Statue of Liberty.

The April 26, 1986, accident in the then-Soviet republic of Ukraine sent a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of Europe and forced the evacuation of about 115,000 people from the plant's vicinity. A 30-kilometer (19-mile) area directly around the plant remains largely off-limits and the town of Pripyat, where the plant's workers once lived, today is a ghostly ruin of deteriorating apartment towers.

At least 28 people have died of acute radiation sickness from close exposure to the shattered reactor and more than 6,000 cases of thyroid cancer have been detected in people who, as children or adolescents, were exposed to high levels of fallout after the blast.

Officials who showed reporters around the construction site Tuesday were clearly delighted at the colossus taking shape before them, but concerned about the challenges ahead. The shelter is to be moved over the reactor building by the end of 2015 ? a deadline that no one wants to miss given that the so-called sarcophagus hastily built over the reactor building after the 1986 explosion has an estimated service life of about 30 years.

The arch now under construction is only one of two segments that will eventually form the shelter, and so far it's only been raised to a height of 22 meters (72 feet). More structural elements have to be added before it reaches its full height of 108 meters (354 feet), and the work so far has taken seven months.

"There's no room for error ... the schedule is very tight," said Vince Novak, director of the EBRD's nuclear safety department, who added that staying within budget is also a concern.

The overall shelter project is budgeted at ?1.54 billion ($2 billion) ? ?1 billion ($1.3 billion) of that for the structure itself ? and much uncertainty lies ahead. One particular concern is dismantling the plant's chimney, which must be taken down before the shelter is put in place. The chimney is lined with radioactive residue that could break up and enter the atmosphere as it is taken apart. Laurin Dodd, managing director of the shelter project management group, said some sort of fixative will have to be applied to the chimney's interior.

"This is one of the most challenging parts, because it's an unknown," he said.

Other possible delays could come if excavations for the shelter's foundation uncover radioactive waste or even buried machinery. Dodd said other excavations unearthed several bulldozers and cranes that had to be decontaminated.

Even when the shelter is in place, the area around the reactor building will remain hazardous. The shelter is aimed only at blocking radioactive material from escaping when the reactor is being dismantled; it won't block radiation itself.

But when the dismantling and cleanup work is complete, the radiation danger will decline. How long that would take is unclear, but officials on Tuesday allowed themselves to envision a happier Chernobyl a century from now, with the plant's director speculating that the huge shelter may even become a tourist attraction.

Plant director Igor Gramotkin drew a parallel between the shelter and the Eiffel Tower.

"Originally, that was intended to be destroyed. But I think this (shelter) will be so impressive that even in 100 years people will come to look at it," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-27-Ukraine-Chernobyl/id-424b1de917794570852aa66b180e1f08

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Property Management Services for the Oita Oasis Tower Hotel ...

Abilitas Hospitality Co., Ltd., an asset and property management company for hotels and Japanese-style inns, today announced that it has been selected to provide property management services for the Oita Oasis Tower Hotel, located in downtown Oita.

The Oita Oasis Tower Hotel opened in September 1998 and operated under the ANA Hotel brand until the end of March 2012. The relationship with Abilitas Hospitality began in June 2010, initially covering consulting services primarily focused on the rebranding effort. The conclusion of a property management agreement allows Abilitas to provide broader-based support for the hotel?s operations. Under the terms of the agreement, Abilitas will work in-depth alongside with the hotel?s general manager and employees to enhance the products and services, as well as strengthening human resource development and working to enhance revenues.

The Oita Oasis Tower Hotel is part of a larger complex including the Oita Prefectural Culture Center and the NHK Oita Broadcasting Station, a widely recognized regional landmark. At 21 stories, with all 157 guest rooms on the 12th floor and higher, it is the tallest building in the prefecture and offers visitors the opportunity to fully enjoy the view. The location is also an ideal base for exploring tourist attractions including the hot spring resort towns of Beppu and Yufuin, or for business and social activities in the region. The hotel has five restaurants, 11 banquet rooms and wedding facilities, and since the rebranding has expanded its range of products and services catering to the local region.

Name:?Oita Oasis Tower Hotel

Location:?2-48, Takasago-machi, Oita-shi, Oita 870-0029, Japan

Tel & Fax:?Tel: +81-97-533-4411 Fax: +81-97-533-6140

URL:?http://www.oasistower.co.jp

Ownership:?FTC Oita Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Oita-shi, Oita; President: Mitsuhiko Nishino)

Operation:?FTC Hotel Development Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Oita-shi, Oita; President: Mitsuhiko Nishino)

Opening:?September 1998

Floors & Area:?21 stories above ground, one below ground / Total floor space 18,747.7 m2

Facilities:?157 guest rooms, 5 restaurants, 11 banquet rooms, wedding facilities, etc.

About Abilitas Hospitality

Abilitas Hospitality is an asset and property management company in the hospitality industry, providing direct and indirect management, operational support and consulting services to hotels and ryokans (Japanese-style inns) in Japan and the Asia Pacific region.

Asset Management Facilities
One Niseko Resort Towers; Hotel Nikko Narita; Kawasaki Nikko Hotel; Hoshino Resort Aomoriya; Hoshino Resort Oirase Keiryu Hotel

Property Management Facilities
ANA Hotel Kushiro; One Niseko Resort Towers; Hotel Nikko Narita; Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay; Kawasaki Nikko Hotel; Namba Oriental Hotel; Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel; Oriental Hotel Hiroshima; Oita Oasis Tower Hotel; Hotel Nikko Alivila

Established: January 23, 2003
Address: Roppongi Annex, 6-7-6 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5775-9200; Fax: +81-3-5775-9201
URL: www.abilitashospitality.com
Representative Director and CEO: Fumihiro Sasaki
License and Registration: Registered as Financial Instruments Firm No. 2520 with the Kanto Finance Bureau (Investment Advisory / Agency Business)

For media inquiries:

+81-3-5775-9207 (Naoko Sadamori, Corporate Communications Manager, Abilitas Hospitality)

naoko.sadamori@abilitashospitality.com

+81-3-5404-0640 (John Short, Kreab Gavin Anderson)

abilitas@kreabgavinanderson.com

Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan

Source: http://www.realestate.co.jp/2012/11/27/property-management-services-for-the-oita-oasis-tower-hotel/

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Dog Pets :Why Dogs Eat Horse Poo | Pet Dog Blog

Dog Pets :Why Dogs Eat Horse Poo

Tags: dog eat manure, dog eats horse manure, dog horse manure, dogs eat horse poo, eat horse poo, Ponderings & Posts

Organic Dog Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter + Boo Boo Butter | The Blissful Dog
Organic Dog Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter + Boo Boo Butter | The Blissful Dog ? Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter & Boo Boo Butter for Your Dog's Dry, Rough, Crusty Nose, Paws

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Article Content:
Organic Dog Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter + Boo Boo Butter | The Blissful Dog
Organic Dog Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter + Boo Boo Butter | The Blissful Dog ? Nose Butter, Paw Butter, Elbow Butter & Boo Boo Butter for Your Dog's Dry, Rough, Crusty Nose, Paws & Elbows
Why Dogs Eat Horse Poo! The question of why dogs eat horse poo aka manure aka horse apples aka cow/horse patties has been pondered by many great minds, as evidenced by some of the deep philosophical discussions I stumbled upon when researching this article. I felt obligated to add my equally profound thoughts on this [...]

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Egypt's Mursi to meet judges over power grab

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi meets senior judges on Monday to try to ease a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of the revolution last year that led to the rise of his Islamist movement.

The justice minister said he believed Mursi would agree with the country's highest judicial authority on its proposal to limit the scope of the new powers.

But the protesters, some camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square, have said only retracting his decree will satisfy them, a sign of the deep rift between Islamists and their opponents that is destabilizing Egypt two years after Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

"There is no use amending the decree," said Tarek Ahmed, 26, a protester who stayed the night in Tahrir, where tents covered the central traffic circle. "It must be scrapped."

One person has been killed and about 370 have been injured in clashes between police and protesters since Mursi issued the decree on Thursday shielding his decisions from judicial review, emboldened by international plaudits for brokering an end to eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas.

The stock market is down more than 7 percent.

Mursi's political opponents have accused him of behaving like a new dictator and the West has voiced its concern, worried by more turbulence in a country that has a peace treaty with Israel and lies at the heart of the Arab Spring.

Mursi's administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms and complete a democratic transformation. Leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed by Mubarak.

Mursi's office said he would meet Egypt's highest judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council, on Monday, and the council hinted at compromise.

Mursi's decree should apply only to "sovereign matters", it said, suggesting it did not reject the declaration outright, and called on judges and prosecutors, some of whom began a strike on Sunday, to return to work.

Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky, speaking about the council statement, said: "I believe President Mohamed Mursi wants that."

LIBERALS ANGRY

The protesters are worried that Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood aims to dominate the post-Mubarak era after winning the first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections this year.

A deal with a judiciary dominated by Mubarak-era judges, which Mursi has pledged to reform, may not placate them.

Banners in Tahrir called for dissolving the assembly drawing up a constitution, an Islamist-dominated body Mursi made immune from legal challenge. Many liberals and others have walked out of the assembly saying their voices were not being heard.

Only once a constitution is written can a new parliamentary election be held. Until then, legislative and executive power remains in Mursi's hands, and Thursday's decree puts his decisions above judicial oversight.

One Muslim Brotherhood member was killed and 60 people were hurt on Sunday in an attack on the main office of the Brotherhood in the Egyptian Nile Delta town of Damanhour, the website of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said.

The party's offices have also been attacked in other cities.

A security source had earlier put the number of wounded at more than 500, but later clarified that this was the number injured since street battles erupted last week with police in and around Tahrir before the decree was announced.

One politician said the scale of the crisis could push opponents towards a deal to avoid a further escalation. Mursi's opponents have called for a big demonstration on Tuesday.

"I am very cautiously optimistic because the consequences are quite, quite serious, the most serious they have been since the revolution," said Mona Makram Ebeid, former member of parliament and prominent figure in Egyptian politics.

"This is the most critical and most dramatic moment since the revolution," she said. "He has succeeded in uniting the opposition camp who for the time being seem to be unison."

Mursi's office repeated assurances that the steps would be temporary, and said he wanted dialogue with political groups to find "common ground" over what should go into the constitution.

Talks with Mursi have been rejected by members of a National Salvation Front, a new opposition coalition that brings together liberal, leftist and other politicians and parties, who until Mursi's decree had been a fractious bunch struggling to unite.

MILITARY STAYING OUT

"There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says 'let us split the difference'," prominent opposition leader and Mohamed ElBaradei said on Saturday. He has said he expected to act as the Front's coordinator.

The military has stayed out of the crisis after leading Egypt through a messy 16-month transition to a presidential election in June. Analysts say Mursi neutralized the army when he sacked top generals in August, appointing a new generation who now owe their advancement to the Islamist president.

Though the military still wields influence through business interests and a security role, it is out of frontline politics.

Images of protesters clashing with police and tear gas wafting through Tahrir Square have been unsettling reminder of the uprising that toppled Mubarak in February 2011 and violence that flared under army rule, scaring investors and tourists.

Egypt had hoped to stop the economic rot by signing an initial deal last week for a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. As well as tumbling share prices, yields at a Sunday treasury bill auction rose, putting even more pressure on the government that faces a crushing budget deficit.

"We are back to square one, politically, socially," said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities, an Egyptian brokerage firm.

Issued just a day after Mursi received glowing tributes from Washington for his work brokering a deal to end eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas, the decree drew warnings from the West to uphold democracy. Washington has leverage because of billions of dollars it sends in annual military aid.

The decree protects the assembly writing the constitution from dissolution before completing its work, and it now has a deadline of February. The constitutional court, which has declared the Islamist-dominated lower house of parliament void, was expected to rule on the validity of the assembly on December 2.

Many of Mursi's political opponents share the view that Egypt's judiciary needs reform, though they disagree with his methods. Mursi's new powers allowed him to sack the prosecutor general who took his job during the Mubarak era and is unpopular among reformists of all stripes.

(Additional reporting by Tom Perry, Patrick Werr and Marwa Awad in Cairo; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-mursi-meet-judges-over-power-grab-111516181--business.html

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How Obesity Became Newest Killer In Africa Your Health Journal ...

From The Alaska Dispatch?..

Obesity rates are skyrocketing in sub-Saharan Africa, as in most parts of the world.

But here the obesity problem has an unusual and particularly worrying shape.

While child hunger has traditionally been the more pressing problem in African countries, researchers say that malnourished, growth-stunted children are turning into overweight adults.

This means that countries still wracked by malnutrition, as well as infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, are facing a battery of chronic health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

What?s more, new research has found that babies born to overweight or obese mothers are far more likely to die ? a devastating problem in sub-Saharan African countries that already have some of the world?s highest infant mortality rates.

Dr. Zandile Mchiza, a senior scientist with the Medical Research Council of South Africa, said that research shows ?undernutrition leads to obesity,? but the connection is not yet fully understood.

Mchiza said in places where malnutrition in children is high, adults are more likely to be overweight or obese. In Africa, adult women are far more likely to be obese than men.

?As you grow up, if you were stunted at birth and then exposed to an abundance of food, you gain weight,? Mchiza said.

Factors such as food choices, genetics and social conditions all come into play, along with cultural beliefs ? for example, that a woman must be chubby to be considered beautiful and healthy.

?People strive to overeat so they?re not labeled as poor,? she explained.

The paucity of data remains a significant problem, and so Mchiza has launched the Africa Taskforce on Obesity Research to link researchers from countries around sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana and Kenya.

In South Africa, the most developed country in sub-Saharan Africa, 61 percent of adults are obese, according to research released last month by GlaxoSmithKline, the pharmaceutical company. The survey found that 78 percent of obese people considered themselves healthy.

While obesity rates in sub-Saharan Africa are for the most part still very low by global standards, they are projected to jump dramatically in the next two decades along with growing urbanization and development.

Medical experts are worried about the rise of obesity-related illnesses, such as heart attacks, strokes, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. In many countries, health care systems are already overburdened and lacking in resources.

A study published in The Lancet, a medical journal, last month concluded that babies born to overweight and obese mothers ?are markedly more likely to die.? Surprisingly, researchers detected no increase of neonatal death for the babies of underweight mothers.

Lead author Jenny Cresswell and colleagues looked at figures from 27 sub-Saharan African countries in what they said was the first known study of its kind for the region.

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=7405

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Tourists visit Southfork to remember Larry Hagman

PARKER, Texas (AP) ? Tourists and locals flocked to Southfork Ranch on Saturday, bringing flowers in memory of Larry Hagman, who played the infamous J.R. Ewing on the TV show "Dallas."

Hagman died in Dallas on Friday at age 81 due to complications from his battle with cancer.

Southfork, a ranch north of Dallas, was known to millions of viewers as the Ewing family home. Exterior shots of the house and pool were shown when the series aired from 1978 to 1991, although the show wasn't filmed there.

The ranch has been open for tours since the mid-1980s, and now sees more than 100,000 visitors each year. Each room of the house has a theme for each character.

On Saturday, J.R. Ewing's room had flowers and a card for tourists to sign.

"Today is about Larry Hagman and his family," said Janna Timm, a Southfork Ranch & Hotel spokeswoman. "He was such a wonderful person, and we will really miss him."

"Dallas" was recently revived on TNT this summer, and all of the scenes were filmed at Southfork or other places in the Dallas area. Hagman had revised his role as the scheming oilman who would even double-cross his own son.

Linda Sproule of Peterborough, Ontario, had been traveling through the U.S. the past couple of weeks and heard about Hagman's death Friday while in Dallas. She said she didn't know where Southfork was but wanted to come because she was a fan of the show in the 1980s.

"I remember on Friday nights we watched it, and J.R. was bigger than life in some ways," she said after taking the Southfork tour Saturday morning. "This ranch is beautiful. Being here is kind of emotional in a way."

Barbara Quinones and her husband were in town for their daughter's soccer tournament and had already planned to visit Southfork when they heard news of Hagman's death.

"We loved him because he was so ruthless," said Quinones, of Albuquerque, N.M. "This is a sad day, but I'm glad we're here."

Some of the show's stars, including Hagman, came to Southfork for the series' 25th anniversary. The Fort Worth-born actor also had visited several times before the show was revived.

"He was definitely a gentleman, a class act," said Jim Gomes, vice president of resorts at Southfork Ranch & Hotel. "He loved the fans as much as they loved him."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tourists-visit-southfork-remember-larry-hagman-225402013.html

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Experience The Glory Of Mother Nature On The Mountains

Skiers are no strangers to the majesty and glory that can be experienced when visiting a natural environment, but those whose experiences have been limited to only the more established and trafficked resorts available might find they have never really experienced nature at all. Pristine ski conditions and the undisturbed environments that are only accessible from a helicopter can offer skiers the opportunity to experience nature like never before. The chance to enjoy the best conditions, far from the disruptions and irritation of others, will provide skiers with a way to experience the slopes, mountain and nature in their purest form.

Even the best skiing conditions can quickly suffer from high traffic and the impact of others who may be out on the slopes with you. Established resorts that remain popular with the masses of skiers and tourists may mean making due with conditions, environments and experiences that are a pale imitation of less visited locations. Superior skiing experiences can be found along with the unspoiled natural environments and beauty only accessible to the best heli-skiing operation and its clients. Environments that can offer the best skiing there is draws travelers from all over the world with the offering of more pristine conditions found within an undisturbed natural environment.

Unlike other sports and activities of interest to extreme athletes, skiing is a chance to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Spending the time and finance needed to take a ski trip or plan an expedition only to find yourself sharing slopes that are crowded with so many others, as well as natural beauty that has to compete with so much noise and the other impacts of civilization, would be a wasted opportunity. The best environments in the world offer skiers the chance to enjoy the sport in a way that is beyond compare.


For seasoned skiers seeking out new challenges and opportunities to hone their skills can be a top concern when it comes to planning an expedition or trip. The limitations found with conventional resorts, highly trafficked areas and the environments that have been visited time and time again may be leaving you without the chance to perfect your skills or expand your experiences. Heli-skiing offers those with an appetite for greater challenge the chance to find it, providing them access to pristine environments that other skiers can only dream of skiing.

Skiers in search of the best conditions, the natural environments that have more to offer or the greater challenges that resorts are simply unable to compete with would do well to avoid the crowds found on the more trafficked slopes. Heli-skiing opportunities present skiers the means to make use of a natural environment free from the limitations, irritations and problems that leave sharing the slopes with others such a limiting option. The true glory of nature can be found when you seek out the best skiing environments on Earth and with heli-skiing opportunities you will ensure your next trip to the slopes will be a truly unforgettable one.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1442230/experience-the-glory-of-mother-nature-on-the-mountains.htm

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Think your office has long meetings? Try China's Party confabs

China's leaders have refined the endless-meeting concept to an exquisite level of pointlessness ? making the country's?progress over the past 30 years even more remarkable.

By Peter Ford,?Staff writer / November 9, 2012

Members of the Xinjiang provincial delegation and representatives from the National People's Congress (NPC) attend a meeting in the Xinjiang Room inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 9. The banner reads: '18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Representative Committee.'

David Gray/Reuters

Enlarge

Endless and pointless meetings are by no means unique to China, as almost anybody who works in a large organization can attest.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

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But the Chinese Communist Party has refined the endless meeting to an exquisite level of pointlessness, and on Friday, when journalists were invited to sit in on ?private? discussions among delegates to the 18th?Party Congress, the phenomenon was on full display.

None of us had expected lively and spontaneous debate about the speech that party leader Hu Jintao had given on Thursday at the opening of the Congress. That is not the way things work here.

But there was no discussion of any description of the speech at any of the three gatherings that I attended in ornately decorated, thickly carpeted, marble pillared meeting rooms in the gigantic Great Hall of the People.

The Shanxi provincial delegation meeting seemed pretty typical. Thirty or so delegates were sat around a U-shaped table, and one by one they made their speeches.

'Yesterday, I heard Hu Jintao's report'

?Yesterday, I listened to Hu Jintao?s report and I found it very profound and very correct,? said Wu Huada, president of a coalmining company, before reading his prepared remarks about improved mine safety in Shanxi.

?I heard Hu Jintao?s report yesterday, and I firmly support this report,? said Niu Guodong, who introduced himself as a worker at the largest stainless steel factory in the world, and then read from a text explaining the energy saving measures the factory has introduced.

?Yesterday, I heard President Hu Jintao?s report and it expressed the will of people across the nation. I shall study it further,? promised Li Fei, a local party secretary, who then read her speech detailing the number of kilometers of road paved recently and the number of rural schools that had been remodeled in the county she rules.

All over the Great Hall of the People, in room after room, delegates were droning on about things their audiences knew already, or if they didn?t know, they evidently did not care about. Some stared into the middle distance; others pored over the speeches they themselves were about to make; some openly read a newspaper, or dozed.

The whole exercise appeared to strike them as a monumental waste of time; everything had been scripted in advance, and everyone had heard it all before.

Nor are these sorts of meeting uncommon in China. This was the cream of the Communist Party, but officials at all levels of the Chinese system spend huge amounts of time engaged in similar meetings.

It struck me that the progress China has made in so many spheres over the past 30 years is even more remarkable when you take into account that its successes have been achieved even though the people running the country waste so much of their time in endless and pointless meetings.

A Chinese colleague, however, had a more cynical take on what we were witnessing. ?It just shows,? she said, ?that the country goes on running perfectly well even without all these guys while they waste their time at meetings.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/mV_sUj5Jffk/Think-your-office-has-long-meetings-Try-China-s-Party-confabs

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SEO and Internet Marketing: The Top 10 Rules In Link Popularity ...


The time period "hyperlink popularity" refers to a web sites online visibility and the variety of hyperlinks the various search engines can find pointing to a website. The introduction of hyperlink popularity metrics helped the various search engines to control spam by shifting their rating algorithm from purely on-web page elements to off-web page elements corresponding to counting inbound links.

By combining the rating scores of on-web page, and off-web page elements, the various search engines can ship extra related search results for the online searchers. Whereas it is still potential to achieve excessive search engine rating for non-aggressive phrases without quite a lot of hyperlink popularity, it is unlikely your website will rank effectively for extremely popular phrases without it.

The benefits of hyperlink popularity

Link popularity building is without doubt one of the most important and demanding features of any effective search engine marketing campaign in the present day and will probably be probably the main rating standards in the foreseeable future on the three major engines like google, Google, Yahoo and MSN. An internet site's hyperlink popularity score, Google's PageRank and "anchor text" in the incoming text hyperlinks performs a significant function in how effectively it'll rank in the search engine end result pages. Nonetheless there are a number of rules that you need to keep in mind to maximise your hyperlink popularity building efforts.

What are the highest 10 rules to realize the most from inbound hyperlinks?

1. Inbound hyperlinks from domains with related topics must be your first and foremost purpose and this requires the event of nice content material and a desire to contribute one thing helpful to the world huge web. If you have one thing helpful to offer, different web sites will hyperlink to you naturally.
2. Inbound hyperlinks from search engine friendly crawlable web pages. This rule is very easy, if the various search engines cannot attain the online pages the place your hyperlinks are located, your web site is not going to acquire any hyperlink popularity. It's not all the time potential to dictate how and the place your hyperlinks are positioned, however usually you may request a hyperlink from a static, indexable web page.
3. Inbound hyperlinks from older domains with excessive search engine rating are classified as authority web sites by the various search engines and obtaining hyperlinks from these web site is an effective way to increase your web site's hyperlink popularity. You can find out how outdated a website is by utilizing the archive.org tool.
4. Inbound hyperlinks kind distinctive domains with their own class C IP tackle have a higher weight than multiple hyperlinks from the same domain. Buying inbound hyperlinks from different C class IP tackle blocks tells the various search engines the domains are hosted on the different web servers.
5. Inbound hyperlinks must be everlasting and static. The various search engines can detect when inbound hyperlinks appear first and by eradicating and including hyperlinks at an excellent charge can ship signals of low high quality to the search engines. The various search engines love static hyperlinks, however they've trouble following hyperlinks redirected through server facet scripts. Also keep in mind, the usage of rel="nofollow" hyperlinks in the code is not going to cross the hyperlink popularity advantages to the target website.
6. Inbound hyperlinks nestled in the content material of a web web page are more practical particularly when surrounded by text related to your web site's topic. When hyperlinks naturally occur in a physique of text, the various search engines assign a higher hyperlink popularity score to those hyperlinks compared to hyperlinks on pages with hundreds of different outbound hyperlinks per page.
7. Inbound hyperlinks from .edu, .gov domains are trusted by the various search engines over .com, .web or different high stage domains. The argument in favor of engines like google giving a higher weight to .edu and .gov area hyperlinks is that the inbound hyperlinks are a lot more durable to achieve and there's supporting evidence in patent paperwork filed by Google pointing to a doc scoring system that takes TLD information into consideration.
8. Inbound hyperlinks from authority sites directories like dmoz.org, dir.yahoo.com have lengthy been regarded as important building blocks of hyperlink popularity for any website. Since each of these directories employ human editors to assessment particular person web sites, the various search engines place a higher belief factor on web sites listed in these directories. A few of the different effectively established human edited directories embody botw.org, goguides.org and joant.com.
9. Inbound hyperlinks with a wide variety of anchor text. Most new web site owners make the mistake of requesting hyperlinks to their web site utilizing the same anchor text, which is very unnatural and sends a transparent sign to the various search engines about somebody attempting to control hyperlink popularity and ultimately the positioning's search engine ranking. Make your web site "hyperlink worthy" and other people will naturally hyperlink to your web site utilizing varying hyperlink text.
10. Inbound hyperlinks from native web sites can help better target keywords particular to a city, area, state or country. Acquiring hyperlinks from native businesses, chamber of commerce website or native charities will help your rating for regionally focused keyword phrases.

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Source: http://la-seo.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-top-10-rules-in-link-popularity.html

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Stocks close higher on strong tech

23 hrs.

Stocks closed broadly higher in a holiday-shortened Friday session, with the major averages all gaining more than 1 percent. Techs led, with big-caps propelling the sector to its first positive week in the last 10.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1 percent higher, led by tech firms Hewlett-Packard , Microsoft and Cisco.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq ?also closed up, with the Nasdaq gaining 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 had its best five-day winning streak since mid-March.

The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, fell to near 15.

Among key S&P sectors, techs and telecoms were the leading gainers, while utilities lagged.

Retailers were the main focus on "Black Friday" ? often the busiest shopping day of the year.

Matthew Shay, National Retail Federation CEO, told CNBC that the holiday shopping season appears to be off to a great start with consumers flocking to the stores. ?We?re predicting 4.1 percent sales growth this year which would be $585 billion,? he said.

Discount retailers Wal-Mart and Target were among the stores that opened their doors on Thanksgiving evening.?

In a press release, Wal-Mart U.S. said it had its "best ever" Black Friday events, selling 1.8 million towels, 1.3 million televisions, 1.3 million dolls and 250,000 bicycles.

Terry Lundgren, Macy's chairman & CEO, told CNBC that the flagship Macy's store in New York City had a record crowd for its midnight opening. "It was a record crowd last year but that crowd was exceeded at this (Herald Square) store certainly this morning," he said.

Apple also kicked of a Black Friday sale, cutting prices on iPads, iPods and MacBooks.

Gap , Nordstrom , Bed Bath & Beyond and Dollar General were all higher.

?Earlier in the week was so surprising,? Matthew Cheslock of Virtu Financial told CNBC. ?You had one of the biggest accounting scandals possibly, we had an insider trading scandal and the markets still went higher. Now we?re focused on retail, which is kind of a nice story. Maybe this gives us a nice little lift."

European stocks had their best week so far this year, boosted on Friday by strong German business confidence data and growing expectations Greece will receive more aid.

Greece said the International Monetary Fund had relaxed its debt-cutting target for the country, suggesting lenders were closer to a deal for a vital aid tranche to be paid. But other sources involved in the talks cautioned the funding gap was far bigger than Greece has suggested, according to Reuters. (Read More: Greece?s Lenders Move Closer to Deal on Funding.)

Turning to stock news, Blackberry maker Research In Motion was the subject of bullish analyst comments about the soon-to-be-released BlackBerry 10.

SAP , the German business software giant, is considering listing its stock in Shanghai.

After the close on Wednesday, General Motors announced that its financing arm will pay about $4.2 billion for the European and Latin American auto lending operations of Ally Financial.

In deal news, the Wall Street Journal reported that Baxter International is in talks to buy Swedish medical-equipment maker Gambro for about $4 billion in a bid to boost its kidney dialysis business.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-close-higher-strong-tech-1C7226146

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Egypt reformist warns of turmoil from Morsi decree

Leading democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei speaks to a handful of journalists including the Associated Press saying dialogue with Egypt's Islamist president is not possible until he rescinds his decrees giving himself near absolute powers, at his home on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace laureate for his past work as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has formed a "National Salvation Front" with other liberal and secular leaders, trying to unify the opposition against Morsi. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)

Leading democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei speaks to a handful of journalists including the Associated Press saying dialogue with Egypt's Islamist president is not possible until he rescinds his decrees giving himself near absolute powers, at his home on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace laureate for his past work as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has formed a "National Salvation Front" with other liberal and secular leaders, trying to unify the opposition against Morsi. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)

Egyptian protesters gather outside the country's high court in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Egypt?s highest body of judges slammed on Saturday a recent decision by the president to grant himself near-absolute power, calling the move an ?unprecedented assault? on the judiciary. The statement from the Supreme Judicial Council came as hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police outside a downtown Cairo courthouse. They were protesting the Thursday declaration by President Mohammed Morsi that courts could not overrule his decrees until a new constitution and parliament is in place, several months if not more in the future. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)

An Egyptian protester drags a security barrier during clashes outside the country's high court in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. Egypt?s highest body of judges slammed on Saturday a recent decision by the president to grant himself near-absolute power, calling the move an ?unprecedented assault? on the judiciary. The statement from the Supreme Judicial Council came as hundreds of demonstrators clashed with police outside a downtown Cairo courthouse. They were protesting the Thursday declaration by President Mohammed Morsi that courts could not overrule his decrees until a new constitution and parliament is in place, several months if not more in the future. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)

In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi speaks to supporters outside the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's official news agency says that the country's highest body of judges has called the president's recent decrees an "unprecedented assault on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings." In a statement carried on MENA Saturday, the Supreme Judicial Council says they regret the declarations President Mohammed Morsi issued Thursday.(AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo released by the Egyptian Presidency, President Mohammed Morsi, center right, waves to supporters outside the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's official news agency says that the country's highest body of judges has called the president's recent decrees an "unprecedented assault on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings." In a statement carried on MEAN Saturday, the Supreme Judicial Council says they regret the declarations President Mohammed Morsi issued Thursday.(AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

CAIRO (AP) ? Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei warned Saturday of increasing turmoil that could potentially lead to the military stepping in unless the Islamist president rescinds his new, near absolute powers, as the country's long fragmented opposition sought to unite and rally new protests.

Egypt's liberal and secular forces ? long divided, weakened and uncertain amid the rise of Islamist parties to power ? are seeking to rally themselves in response to the decrees issued this week by President Mohammed Morsi. The president granted himself sweeping powers to "protect the revolution" and made himself immune to judicial oversight.

The judiciary, which was the main target of Morsi's edicts, pushed back Saturday. The country's highest body of judges, the Supreme Judical Council, called his decrees an "unprecedented assault." Courts in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria announced a work suspension until the decrees are lifted.

Outside the high court building in Cairo, several hundred demonstrators rallied against Morsi, chanting, "Leave! Leave!" echoing the slogan used against former leader Hosni Mubarak in last year's uprising that ousted him. Police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of young men who were shooting flares outside the court.

The edicts issued Wednesday have galvanized anger brewing against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he hails, ever since he took office in June as Egypt's first freely elected president. Critics accuse the Brotherhood ? which has dominated elections the past year ? and other Islamists of monopolizing power and doing little to bring real reform or address Egypt's mounting economic and security woes.

Oppositon groups have called for new nationwide rallies Tuesday ? and the Muslim Brotherhood has called for rallies supporting Morsi the same day, setting the stage for new violence.

Morsi supporters counter that the edicts were necessary to prevent the courts, which already dissolved the elected lower house of parliament, from further holding up moves to stability by disbanding the assembly writing the new constitution, as judges were considering doing. Like parliament was, the assembly is dominated by Islamists. Morsi accuses Mubarak loyalists in the judiciary of seeking to thwart the revolution's goals and barred the judiciary from disbanding the constitutional assembly or parliament's upper house.

In an interview with a handful of journalists, including The Associated Press, Nobel Peace laureate ElBaradei raised alarm over the impact of Morsi's rulings, saying he had become "a new pharaoh."

"There is a good deal of anger, chaos, confusion. Violence is spreading to many places and state authority is starting to erode slowly," he said. "We hope that we can manage to do a smooth transition without plunging the country into a cycle of violence. But I don't see this happening without Mr. Morsi rescinding all of this."

Speaking of Egypt's powerful military, ElBaradei said, "I am sure they are as worried as everyone else. You cannot exclude that the army will intervene to restore law and order" if the situation gets out of hand.

But anti-Morsi factions are chronically divided, with revolutionary youth activists, new liberal political parties that have struggled to build a public base and figures from the Mubarak era, all of whom distrust each other. The judiciary is also an uncomfortable cause for some to back, since it includes many Mubarak appointees who even Morsi opponents criticize as too tied to the old regime.

Opponents say the edicts gave Morsi near dictatorial powers, neutering the judiciary when he already holds both executive and legislative powers. One of his most controversial edicts gave him the right to take any steps to stop "threats to the revolution," vague wording that activists say harkens back to Mubarak-era emergency laws.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in nationwide protests on Friday, sparking clashes between anti-and pro-Morsi crowds in several cities that left more than 200 people wounded.

On Saturday, new clashed broke out in the southern city of Assiut. Morsi opponents and members of the Muslim Brotherhood swung sticks and threw stones at each other outside the offices of the Brotherhood's political party, leaving at least seven injured.

ElBaradei and a six other prominent liberal leaders have announced the formation of a National Salvation Front aimed at rallying all non-Islamist groups together to force Morsi to rescind his edicts.

The National Salvation Front leadership includes several who ran against Morsi in this year's presidential race ? Hamdeen Sabahi, who finished a close third, former foreign minister Amr Moussa and moderate Islamist Abdel-Moneim Aboul-Fotouh. ElBaradei says the group is also pushing for the creation of a new constitutional assembly and a unity government.

ElBaradei said it would be a long process to persuade Morsi that he "cannot get away with murder."

"There is no middle ground, no dialogue before he rescinds this declaration. There is no room for dialogue until then."

The grouping seems to represent a newly assertive political foray by ElBaradei, the former chief of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. ElBaradei returned to Egypt in the year before Mubarak's fall, speaking out against his rule, and was influential with many of the youth groups that launched the anti-Mubarak revolution.

But since Mubarak's fall, he has been criticized by some as too Westernized, elite and Hamlet-ish, reluctant to fully assert himself as an opposition leader.

The Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice political party, once headed by Morsi, said Saturday in a statement that the president's decision protects the revolution against former regime figures who have tried to erode elected institutions and were threatening to dissolve the constitutional assembly.

The Brotherhood warned in another statement that there were forces trying to overthrow the elected president in order to return to power. It said Morsi has a mandate to lead, having defeated one of Mubarak's former prime ministers this summer in a closely contested election.

Morsi's edicts also removed Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud, the prosecutor general first appointed by Mubarak, who many Egyptians accused of not prosecuting former regime figures strongly enough.

Speaking to a gathering of judges cheering support for him at the high court building in Cairo, Mahmoud warned of a "vicious campaign" against state institutions. He also said judicial authorities are looking into the legality of the decision to remove him ? setting up a Catch-22 of legitimacy, since under Morsi's decree, the courts cannot overturn any of his decisions.

"I thank you for your support of judicial independence," he told the judges.

"Morsi will have to reverse his decision to avoid the anger of the people," said Ahmed Badrawy, a labor ministry employee protesting at the courthouse. "We do not want to have an Iranian system here," he added, referring to fears that hardcore Islamists may try to turn Egypt into a theocracy.

Several hundred protesters remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square Saturday, where a number of tents have been erected in a sit-in following nearly a week of clashes with riot police.

____

Brian Rohan contributed to this report from Cairo.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-24-ML-Egypt/id-daf3d821a11a49658b3859ff2671c378

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