Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/286859997?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Annette Gross: LGBT Kids, You Do Have a Purpose!
On Feb. 10, Indiana media reported that LGBT students in Sullivan, Ind., a small town near the Illinois/Indiana border, asked the school administration if they could attend their high school prom. The school clearly supported the students in attending. Yet the focus of the media story was on the fact that some teachers, parents and students did not want LGBT couples to attend the prom. They held a meeting at a local church to discuss holding a "traditional prom" outside the school that would ban the LGBT students. Local media covering the meeting broadcast an on-camera interview with Diana Medley, a special-ed teacher at North Central Jr./Sr. High School. When asked if she believed that gay people have a purpose in life, she said, "No, I honestly don't."
This statement sent an emotional shockwave across the country. LGBT organizations and allies around the state sent emails and discussed what action to take. Among these were the three of us: Rev. Marie Siroky, President of ICON (Interfaith Coalition on Nondiscrimination); Annette Gross, State Coordinator of Indiana PFLAG; and Jean Capler, President of FairTalk, an organization working for full relationship equality in Indiana.
Marie considered writing a press release:
I was thinking about how the kids felt hearing that from a teacher, and my actions were aimed at the statement that was made. Then my friend Michelle, a parent and teacher, asked what ICON was doing and said that she wanted to be a part of it. Something switched inside me. I realized that I had lost my focus and had wanted action toward something, when, as a minister, I needed to have action with someone, in this case the LGBT youth. I used a play on words and tweeted "GLBT You Have A Purpose." I thought that a video would make a stronger statement.
So we began to brainstorm: How do we best reach the kids?
Jean knew it was best to strike while the iron is hot: "My work as a psychotherapist with LGBT youth and adults allows me to see firsthand the pain caused by hurtful words. I was determined to do something to support the young people affected." As president of FairTalk, her focus is on fostering respectful and honest conversations between people to promote equality for all. It was crucial that the youth affected by these words be supported with a positive message. This emphasis on positive messages would be a fundamental part of the emerging project.
Annette is the only one among us who has a gay child, and her fierceness and protectiveness makes her the queen of PR. Annette explained:
People were asking me what I, as Indiana PFLAG State Coordinator, was going to do. My focus was not on the teacher or what happens to her but on the LGBT kids. When a parent hears someone say that their child and others like him don't have any value, that triggers some very intense feelings. The message is that your child doesn't count in this world, that he or she shouldn't even be here. These are very hurtful and damaging words. So I was very happy to work with Marie and Jean to get the message out that we care about these kids and that they do indeed have a purpose!
By the following Friday, the Facebook page "You Have a Purpose Project" went up with two videos. Then the "likes" started, and messages and videos followed. Watching them is emotional. You can see the pain that these kids experienced when they came out, but what shines through is their strength and passion. And the statements of support were inspiring!
The focus of the "You Have a Purpose Project" is to let LGBT kids know that they do have a purpose and that we care. We ideally want more video messages and fewer comments. There is something visceral about seeing someone's expression and hearing another person's voice when they tell you that you matter. It is affirming to hear from LGBT people and their allies in the UK, Portugal or southern Indiana as they share their happiness when they tell us their personal stories and thank us for caring about them.
So please go to our page and "like" it and share it with your friends. Watch the videos that are posted, and consider making one yourself. Let's show our LGBT kids that they do matter and that they do have a purpose!
?
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Wednesday, February 20, 2013
UN: Afghan civilian death toll down 12 percent
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? The U.N. mission in Afghanistan says airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition killed 126 civilians last year, a nearly 50 percent drop from the year before.
Tuesday's report comes a day after President Hamid Karzai banned Afghan forces from asking for air support amid anger over the killing of five children, four women and a man in a strike last week.
The report says the overall civilian death toll in 2012 dropped 12 percent to 2,754. But it expressed concern about a spike in targeted killings and human rights abuses, a worrisome trend as the U.S. and allies prepare to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2014.
The report also says the Taliban and other insurgents increasingly targeted civilians and were responsible for 81 percent of civilian casualties last year.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-afghan-civilian-death-toll-down-12-percent-060659769.html
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Integration of Push Marketing Campaigns into Social Media | Social ...
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Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/freelancewriter/1247226/squeezing-pull-marketing-campaigns-social-media
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013
13.02.19 08:00 Spaghetti Dinner Boy Scount Troop 151 - Tuesday February 19, 2013 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am @ Asbury Church
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Source: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popup.php?op=view&id=57521369&crd=wmdt
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Chavez makes surprise return to Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a surprise return from Cuba on Monday more than two months after surgery for cancer that has jeopardized his 14-year rule of the South American OPEC member.
The 58-year-old socialist leader's homecoming will fuel supporters' hopes he could return to active rule but there was no new information on his medical state and Chavez might be simply hoping to smooth a transition.
After a six-hour operation in Cuba on December 11, Chavez had not been seen or heard in public until photos were published of him on Friday.
"We have arrived back in the Venezuelan fatherland. Thanks, my God! Thanks, my beloved people! Here we will continue the treatment," Chavez said via Twitter after flying in.
There had been speculation Chavez was not well enough to travel despite wanting to return for continued treatment for the disease he was first diagnosed with in mid-2011.
But Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Chavez flew in at about 2:30 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) from Havana and was in a military hospital in Caracas, where a crowd was gathering.
"I remain attached to Christ and trusting in my nurses and doctors," Chavez also tweeted. "Onwards to victory forever! We will live and we will conquer!"
He added his thanks to Cuban leaders Raul and Fidel Castro for his treatment there.
FIREWORKS MARK RETURN
Chavez's arrival thrilled supporters in the nation of 29 million people, where his common touch and welfare policies have made him an idol to the poor.
"It's fabulous news, the best thing possible," Chavez's cousin, Guillermo Frias, told Reuters from the president's rural birthplace in Barinas state. "Venezuela was waiting for him, everyone wants to see him. Welcome home! Thank God he's back!"
Fireworks could be heard going off in some Caracas neighborhoods as news spread and celebrations began among "Chavistas."
Government ministers were jubilant with one singing "He's back, he's back!" live on state TV. They asked Chavez's euphoric supporters to respect the peace of patients at the military hospital.
Chavez's arrival implied some improvement in his condition, at least enough to handle a flight of several hours.
But aides have emphasized in recent days his state remains delicate. "It's a complex, difficult situation, but Chavez is battling and fighting for his life," Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said during the weekend as he described a recent visit to Chavez.
The December operation in Havana was his fourth for the cancer first detected in his pelvic area in June 2011.
USING TUBE
On Friday, the government published photos showing Chavez lying in a hospital. Officials said he was breathing through a tracheal tube and struggling to speak.
Chavez's pre-dawn return was a typical surprise move for the former soldier whose rule has combined constant political theatrics with thundering anti-U.S. rhetoric, tough treatment of opponents and lavish spending of oil revenues on the poor.
Opponents have been decrying government secrecy over Chavez's condition, and some have called for a formal declaration that he is unfit to rule. That would trigger a new presidential election within 30 days, probably between Maduro and opposition leader Henrique Capriles.
Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver, is Chavez's preferred successor and would be favorite to win a close vote in such a scenario.
"Uncertainty over a possible presidential election remains intact, despite the president's return," Venezuelan political analyst Luis Vicente Leon said.
After winning re-election in October last year, and wrongly declaring himself cured, Chavez was unable to attend his own swearing-in ceremony in January. To the fury of his foes, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that he remained president and could be sworn in later.
That could now happen at the military hospital.
"Now the president is back, there can be no doubt about the democratic institutions working in Venezuela," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said.
"There were some who dream of unseating Chavez and the revolution, but here we always said Chavez is the president elected and re-elected by will of the Venezuelan people."
Chavez's return will eclipse national debate over a recent devaluation of the local currency. It has proved highly popular among Venezuelans but opposition parties see it as evidence of economic incompetence by the government.
Unlike previous returns to Venezuela after treatment, state media showed no images of Chavez this time.
His lengthy absence in Cuba had fuelled a long-held opposition accusation that Venezuela's government was being manipulated and directed from Havana. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is a political mentor and father figure to Chavez and Castro visited him regularly in the hospital.
Some 20 Venezuelan students have spent the past four days chained up close to the Cuban Embassy in Caracas in protest of what they see as interference from Havana in internal affairs.
Capriles welcomed Chavez back but pointedly said he hoped it would mean a return to order in government and attention to Venezuelans' daily problems.
(Additional reporting by Mario Naranjo; Editing by Angus MacSwan, James Dalgleish and Bill Trott)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuelas-chavez-makes-surprise-return-home-cuba-ministers-094812839.html
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Speidi get excited on Twitter ahead of documentary 'Scandal, Secrets and Surgery'
| ABOVE: Speidi reveal all about their marriage in the documentary |
| ABOVE: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt talk their new found fame in the UK |
IT'S going to be a jaw-dropping show.
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt make their Channel 5 debut tonight in their new real-life documentary, 'Speidi: Scandal, Secrets and Surgery'. With an OK! Magazine?Twitter timeline full of posts about their upcoming UK show, it's obvious these two are VERY excited about it.Not only has Heidi been posting a daily countdown, she's also been revelling in her fans' excitement.
She retweeted: "SO looking Forward To Watching The Speidi Scandal On Monday Channel 5 @heidimontag @spencerpratt #CantGetEnough Tons Of Love For #Speidi x
We can't wait either.
Spencer also tweeted: "So excited for our special on Channel 5 UK on Monday! What Speidi secrets do you guys hope will be revealed?"
What DON'T we want to be revealed?
The show takes a look back at the couple's rise to fame, their time on Celebrity Big Brother and their new-found career in the UK, as The Hills stars promise we'll get to see the 'real' them.
So, will you be watching this dynamic duo on Channel 5 at 10pm tonight? Join us on @OK_Magazine as we hope to be even more stunned by Speidi.
We've got a feeling you won't want to miss out...
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Zombie apocalypse... In Victorian London
Oh, and the undead have taken over the East End...
So, this is a very embryonic RP idea (as in, I thought of it about five minutes ago) but the general premise is that zombies have overtaken Victorian London and have begun to spread throughout the rest of the country, with the British army, already overstretched by colonial exploits overseas, struggling to control the outbreak. The story would follow a group of people, from a mixture of social classes and occupations, as they are unexpectedly thrown together in a quest for survival and to uncover exactly what caused the undead to emerge and how they can be stopped.
I envisaged this RP to be action-packed with a smidgeon of historical social commentary, a hefty dollop of gore and more than a dash of the tongue-in-cheek. The technology would be contemporary with the mid-1880s but perhaps with a little added steampunk. Other than that, I am completely open to suggestion, so do feel free to brainstorm or suggest characters and subplots here!
As far as joining the RP goes- I tend to screen people by looking at their past posts etc. just to get a feel for their style and level of writing. Please don't be offended if I don't take you up on your offer to join- I get bored easily and it won't do either of us any favours to start an RP that quickly dries up.
Anyone up for a winning combination of sexual repression, social inequality and reanimated corpses?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/1qOLS9W09H8/viewtopic.php
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Monday, February 18, 2013
Hugh Grant has second child with Chinese girlfriend Hong Tinglan
Last updated at 1:46 pm
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Evaluating phone expenses/options : Personal Finance
Hiya! Seeking opinions here as I try to cut where I can on our budget but remain realistic. Currently I am evaluating our phone situation which seems excessive as a whole but I don't know what changes to make.
Verizon: $125 2 his/hers cell phones with shared data plan. We use barely any data but are already paying for the lowest data plan possible. He is required to have such a phone for work , and gets a discount, 20% I think on the overall bill. I would be happy with a basic phone ($30 per month) but for only $10 more per month, I do use the data phone to organize my life (YNAB, COZI, GMAIL etc.) and it is working well for that so I think worth the bit extra, that is IF I really need a cell phone at all.
Tmobile: $65 My two college boys each need their own basic phone, which they only use for basic communication, not big talkers and less than 30 texts per month so I pay those individually because it is less than paying for unlimited texting.
Centurylink: $35 I signed up for centurylink to have a local calls only phone when I leave kids home and take the cell with me so we can communicate or, of course in case of emergency. I thought it would be only around $20 but forgot why we dropped landlines at our last home because the taxes and fees added increased that almost 40%. I am concerned that it is safer to have a landline phone, but honestly, maybe things have changed nowadays.
Thanks for any input!
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Accelerated Sales with Hypnosis & NLP Insight Studio Canada
To be in business is to be in Sales, but many small business people struggle with an internal blockage when it comes to getting out there and selling their products. The reality is that ?Salesperson? is by far the best paying and most important job in any company. But people who sell professionally sometimes find that they plateau or ?peter-out?. They become discouraged; lose motivation and eventually burn out. Many sales people move from company to company because of the inherent challenges that come along with the job.
But really successful Salespeople will tell you that Sales is a ?mental game? and when it comes to the mind, there are no faster, safer or more effective methods for changing your mindset than Hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).
You might be interested to know that sales and Hypnosis have a lot in common!
In Hypnosis we help a person change their perception.
In Sales you help a person change their perception!
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In Hypnosis we accomplish this goal by using the correct words.
In Sales we accomplish this goal by using the correct words!
In this workshop you will learn how to use self-hypnosis to improve your own selling ability. YOU WILL NOT LEARN TO HYPNOTISE PEOPLE INTO BUYING THINGS!? But you will learn some very powerful NLP techniques that will help make you ?extra-persuasive? to your customers!
Participants will also receive a special code so they can download their choice of 4 Self-Hypnosis recording sessions for free:
NLP ? Neuro-Linguistic Programming
NLP is a broad field that covers a variety of areas from psychotherapy to sales and management. It is the study of how we receive and store information and the meaning we attach to it. How do you think your sales ability would improve if you were able to deliver your sales message in such a way that your customer RECEIVES the MEANING (benefits) in a more effective way? With NLP you can do just that!
NLP is sometimes referred to as waking Hypnosis, or the language of persuasion. It is comprised of a number of techniques which are invaluable to anybody involved in sales.
You will learn:
- The Agreement Set
- The Most Powerful Word in the English Language
- The Yes Set
- Modifying Thoughts with Simple Statements
- The Pattern Interrupt
- Analogue Marking
- Maximizing Rapport
- Leading & Pacing
Where: McMartin House, 125 Gore Street, Perth Ontario
When: Monday, March 25th, 9am-1pm
Cost: 149+HST
Free on-street parking is available, but be careful of the signs! Perth is VERY EFFICIENT at delivering parking tickets. Refreshments will not be provided but there is a Tim Horton?s and other restaurants within walking distance.
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Source: http://www.insightstudiocanada.com/blog/2013/02/16/accelerated-sales-with-hypnosis-nlp/
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New MSU defensive line coach Ron Burton puts recruiting on front burner
East Lansing - When Michigan State decided to make a move on its staff and bring in a new defensive line coach, more production in recruiting was one of the biggest reasons.
And just hours into his new job, Ron Burton was busy working potential recruits at Michigan State's basketball game against Michigan on Tuesday. The cut-ups and analysis of the current defensive linemen would have to wait, Burton was busy working on the future.
In the days since then, Burton has been doing his own version of cramming while trying to settle in as the replacement for Ted Gill, whose contract was not renewed.
"I can't complain," Burton said. "I've been going 100 miles per hour. But we're fine with that, it's just part of it. It's just the start."
Burton comes to Michigan State after 10 years as the defensive line coach at Air Force. He has also coached at Indiana, Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley State after playing four seasons in the NFL.
While he had no previous relationship with any of the coaches on Michigan State's staff, it was a trip to East Lansing a year ago by the Air Force staff that first established a relationship.
"We had the opportunity to meet last year when we did some professional development," Burton said. "We got a chance to visit with the staff and just talked a lot of football."
It's something that happens often these days as defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi has built one of the top defenses in the country.
It was a big reason the Air Force coaches wanted to check things out, and a huge reason Burton was so excited at the opportunity to come to Michigan State.
"Coach Narduzzi's defense has done very well and that is why a lot of coaches come here to visit," Burton said. "It has shown over time since he's been here and they have steadily improved with that defense. It's a good place to be because of what he's asking these guys to do and their execution of it. We've seen that from afar and now I'm getting it up close."
In his first week on the job, Burton has not only been diving into the defense, he's been working hard to become familiar with the players he'll have along the defensive line. He's met with them a couple of times and has been encouraged by their openness to a new coach coming into the mix.
"Over time I'll earn their trust and they'll earn mine," he said, "but that doesn't happen overnight."
Burton must also deal with shifting his family from the Colorado Springs area. His two eldest sons, Ronald and Ryan, are set to graduate from college, while his daughter, Roya, is about to graduate from high school. His youngest son, Reid, is finishing up his ninth-grade year.
"They're gonna come up and visit here on their spring break," Burton said. "Visit some schools, things like that. But they're fired up for dad. We've always been strong as a group and do what's best for the family and thought this was definitely a good place to be."
Michigan State hopes it made the right move, as well, and Burton is eager to prove the Spartans made the right call.
"They have a good system here and I'm glad to be a part of it," he said. "They've had some great defenses here and some great teams. We just want to improve on that. I'm very anxious, that's for sure."
mcharboneau@detroitnews.com
twitter.com/mattcharboneau
Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130217/SPORTS0202/302170346/1132/rss18
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Sunday, February 17, 2013
Red Brick Bench Press Championship X Raises Weights, Funds for Military Families
Dennis Brochey is a well-known mechanic, a Kiwanis Club member and a Village of Lewiston trustee.
He can also bench press more than most of the WGRZ audience.
On Saturday, Feb. 16, Brochey will host the 10th annual USPA Red Brick Bench Press Championship. The event, the largest one-day bench press-only meet in the U.S., is a fundraiser for the Friends and Families of Western New York Military organization. It begins at 10 a.m. at the New York State Armory, 184 Connecticut St., Buffalo.
The Red Brick Bench Press Championship X is open to youth, men and women. It features more than 22 divisions. Competitors are separated into groups based on age and weight. Each lifter has three attempts to raise the bar one time. Sort of like a game of pool, each person calls their shot - the amount of weight to be lifted - and then has to follow through with that attempt. Each lift has to surpass the previous one in terms of weight on the bar.
Participants can compete in either USPA-sanctioned or non-sanctioned categories. The greatest lift (i.e. the most weight pressed) in each one wins, and the lifter takes home a trophy.
In the championship's first nine years, Brochey has raised more than $80,000. He said he hopes to get to the $100,000 mark this year. In the event's early years, funds went to bolster the weight room inside the Red Brick Municipal Building gym in Lewiston. With that project in hand, subsequent funds have gone to support local military families.
"It was during the summertime, I read an Ann Landers article about troops needing phone cards and stuff from home, and how the families have to pay for it," Brochey said. "I decided, 'Well, why don't we (see what) we can raise for the military.' "
When lifters got wind of Brochey's plan, they started to attend en masse.
"At our first competition, we had 23 members. As soon as people heard it was for the military, it went up to I think 43, and actually almost doubled the first year," Brochey said. "And then word got around, got around, and last year we had 148 competitors."
Brochey anticipates around 150 lifters will participate this year - including Jim Phraner, who is expected to try and bench 800 pounds.
If Brochey nets the same number of participants as in 2012, he may compete (benching around 300 pounds), because, "I always have to break last year's (mark)!"
For those tagging along with the weightlifters, and for those coming to watch, the Red Brick Bench Press Championship X offers a plentiful basket auction, T-shirts and refreshments for sale. There is a $4 general admission fee.
Almost two-dozen Gold Star parents will be recognized. They are individuals who have lost a child in service to the armed forces. Plaques will be presented in honor of the departed heroes.
"I just came up with the idea, a couple years ago, 'How can we make the Red Brick better?' " Brochey said. "One night I just said, 'We should honor the fallen troops from Western New York.' "
He explained, "I spend hours trying to locate the families; each one," to make them aware of the Red Brick Bench Press Championship, and to provide them the opportunity to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones.
Brochey recalled watching as Vietnam veterans were mistreated when they returned from war. He said he didn't think that was right, and believes we should "stand by the troops, whether (the war) is right or wrong. They should've stood behind the troops in Vietnam, because they did what was expected of them."
The deadline to enter the Red Brick Bench Press Championship was Feb. 9. While that time period has passed, Brochey will accept donations for the basket raffle up until Saturday. For more information, call 716-200-3533.
The Red Brick Bench Press Championship X is sponsored, in part, by the Lewiston Lions Club, the VFW and the Lewiston Kiwanis Club.
"I think what causes us to support this effort is it helps us to be more aware of the tremendous sacrifice that our soldiers and their families make in order that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do in our country," said Kiwanis Club President Jeff Sanderson. "Often times, the families are in need of various support in dealing with the grief that they experience in losing a son or daughter as a consequence of war. Of all the causes that we do support, this one is one that really evokes a lot of emotion, I think, for our club because of the gravity of what is at hand."
"It's a time in our country where we've just been through many, many years of war, and have seen many, many people from our communities go to Iraq and Afghanistan and other places in the world and, unfortunately, sometimes a person is killed in the line of duty," he added. "It's a small thing that we can do. And I think, mainly, because of ... Dennis and his efforts to identify the families of fallen soldiers and to seek them out, offer them support, honor their loved ones and bring them to the attention of their communities so that we can appreciate and respect what they've done, this is a very worthy cause. That's why we choose to support it."
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Pacific Union San Rafael, CA Real Estate Update (February 2013 ...
February 15, 2013 by admin?
Pacific Union International (San Rafael, CA Real Estate Update) | February 2013. San Rafael, CA?s January 2013 home sales maintained very strong momentum with 24 sales (this is very strong considering these sales were, for the most part, initiated in December ? the slowest month of the year for homes sale in Marin County, CA). Just like the rest of Marin County, the inventory level of homes for sale in San Rafael remains extremely low. I have little doubt that sales figures would be significantly higher if there were more homes available for purchase. At this point, San Rafael?s absorption rate remains near the lowest point in memory with just over 1-month?s worth of homes ? e.g., the number of homes on the market is enough to satisfy just over month?s worth of sales. For now, it appears most sellers are holding out for higher prices in 2013. By the time the primary selling season rolls around in April and May, I anticipate much higher levels of inventory. It will be interesting to see what impact, if any, higher supply will have on pricing and buyer perception.
Averages relating to San Rafael home sales in January 2013 are as follows:
- days on market ? 102
- sales price ? $765K
- home size was 1,991 square feet
- $390 per sq. ft.
Properties in Los Ranchitos, Lucas Valley Estates, Peacock Gap, The Dominican, and Loch Lomond ?generated the most calls and showings this past month. If you would like me to run the exact numbers for your San Rafael, CA neighborhood or if you have any questions about our many delightful communities, schools, shopping options, etc., just give me a call at (415) 350-9440. My name is Kyle Frazier. I am a Top 1% in Marin, a J.D., Broker, Realtor, Member of the Top Agent Network & Marin Platinum Group, a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), and a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), with Christie?s International Real Estate | Pacific Union International. It is always my pleasure to be of service.
Filed Under San Rafael Real Estate Update
Tagged: broker, ca, crs, february 2013, homes, january 2013, listings, Market, pacific union, real estate, realtors, report, san rafael, top agent
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Opening practice at Daytona includes 5-car wreck
Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Busch (18) lead a group of cars through the front stretch during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Denny Hamlin (11) and Kyle Busch (18) lead a group of cars through the front stretch during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Matt Kenseth looks over the damage to his car in his garage after he was involved in a crash during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Kurt Busch drives back to the garage area after he was involved in a crash with other cars during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks under the hood as crew members makes adjustments to his car after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Driver Carl Edwards watches the replay on a TV monitor of a wreck that he was involved in during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Shootout auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? It took about 10 minutes to wreck several cars at Daytona International Speedway on Friday.
Matt Kenseth triggered a five-car accident in the opening practice for the Sprint Unlimited, the non-points race that kicks off the season.
Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya also were involved in the crash.
Busch's No. 78 Chevrolet sustained the most damage, forcing the team to switch to a backup car for Saturday night's exhibition event. Edwards and Martin also went to backups.
"It's tough," Busch said. "A lot of hard work goes into these cars, and six weeks of preparation can be trashed in six laps."
Kenseth took blame for the melee, saying he didn't see Busch gaining ground inside his No. 20 Toyota on the 2 1/2-mile superspeedway.
"That was 100 percent driver error, my driver error," Kenseth said. "I had no idea anybody was there and he had a run at the same time and I came down in front of him and he couldn't get slowed up from staying out of me. It was a hundred percent my fault."
The accident came less than 10 laps into the first practice of Speedweeks. It was supposed to be a learning session for NASCAR's redesigned race car, the one dubbed "Generation 6," and a preview of next weekend's Daytona 500.
Instead, it turned out much like a test at Daytona last month. Dale Earnhardt Jr. caused that big one when he turned Marcos Ambrose, causing a 12-car wreck that essentially ended the three-day session.
Teams returned to the track this week in hopes of learning more about the new cars, which have been tweaked to more closely resemble those that are in manufacturer showrooms. They also have different driving characteristics.
The biggest issue, especially for those teams with damaged cars, could be a lack of inventory. NASCAR's development process took time, and outside vendors struggled early on to keep up with demand.
That left several teams, including some of the big-budget ones, trying to play it safe at a track where side-by-side, bumper-to-bumper racing at 200 mph usually leads to massive collisions.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne predicted at Media Day on Thursday that practice would be conservative.
"There is definitely a shortage of cars right now," Kahne said. "There may not even be an Unlimited practice because nobody ... we can't lose a car. We lost that one at the test, which you don't expect, so we need to make it through."
It didn't happen ? at least not for the five teams involved.
The wreck caused several teams to sit out the second practice session Friday night.
"As soon as we saw one wreck, I think everybody was going to play chicken and not go out much after that," defending event winner Kyle Busch said.
The season-opening event used to be called the Budweiser Shootout. NASCAR changed the name this year along with the entry rules.
The sanctioning body went back to race's roots, inviting pole winners from the previous season and former event winners who raced at least once during the previous season to enter.
The result was a made-for-TV event that included five former Cup champions and nine former Shootout winners in the 19-car field.
Five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and three-time champion Tony Stewart are in the field. So are two-time race winner Kevin Harvick and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, though, didn't earn a spot in retooled race.
"I think any driver that's not in a race is disappointed to not be in it," Keselowski said. "I think it limits some of your ability to win the 500, not all of it, but some of it. But at the end of the day, this is not tee ball. Not everybody plays. We didn't earn our spot; we don't play. Pretty simple.
"We spent our time and energy working on what we could to do to win a championship, not winning a pole. Quite frankly, if I had to choose between being in the Shootout or winning the championship, I would take the damn championship a hundred out of a hundred days."
The 75-lap race will be divided into three segments, and fans were given unprecedented say in determining aspects of the format.
NASCAR is holding open voting to determine what kind of pit stop, if any, teams will be allowed to make after the first, 35-lap segment. Fans also can decide whether two, four, six or no cars are eliminated after the second, 30-lap segment.
But none of that should affect the bottom line, which is getting better prepared for the Daytona 500.
"I think it is going to show how the cars are going to draft and how they are going to run," Montoya said. "I'm glad I'm in it."
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Long-time Fort Worth paramedic loses battle with cancer
WFAA
Posted on February 15, 2013 at 10:09 PM
Updated yesterday at 10:48 PM
FORT WORTH -- He was an original in so many ways; from his personality to his loyalty.
Ronnie Ferguson's first day on the job at Fort Worth-based MedStar was April 1, 1986, which was MedStar's first day in business.
"If you looked up paramedic in the dictionary, you're gonna see him," said Richard Ponikiewski of MedStar.
Ponikiewski rode with Ferguson for 17-straight years.
"He showed up at a scene or at your house, and he made sure everyone knew he was in charge," Ponikiewski said. "He was gonna take care of you. You had no more worries."
Ferguson had been a paramedic even before MedStar began. But almost three decades of dedication to his Fort Worth community ended last week.
Ferguson passed away Feb. 9, after a long battle with colon cancer.
"He fought, and fought, and fought till he couldn't fight no more," Ponikiewski said.
Before colon cancer took him, it gave him perspective. In a 2010 interview with News 8, as he was battling hard, Ferguson said, "You try not to get attached to people - get emotionally involved - but it's kinda hard to do when you can relate to what they got and you've got."
He lost 150 pounds, yet kept working even as chemo weakened his body. Fellow paramedics offered up their vacation and sick time to help him when he needed it. He had always been there for them, and they wanted to do the same for him.
"When fire, police, and everybody saw us walk in there, [they said] 'Okay, Ronnie's here. Leave 'em alone. He's got it. We've got it.' And that's the way it was," Ponikiewski said.
Ferguson's funeral is at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at McKinney Memorial Bible Church, 4805 Arborlawn in Fort Worth. Local first responders will line a processional route from the church to the burial at Cedar Hill Memorial Park.
Ferguson's body will be transported in his MedStar ambulance, unit 44. Black ribbons will adorn the vehicle and cover badges of fellow MedStar employees.
Ponikiewski believes it will be a fitting farewell to a loyal friend.
"This guy loved his job, every day," he said. "17 years together, and you really see it. This guy loved what he did."
E-mail twoodard@wfaa.com
Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Longtime-Fort-Worth-paramedic-loses-battle-with-cancer-191498861.html
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Google may go retail by end of the year
Published: 17 February, 2013, 02:07
image from flickr by Scott Beale
On a wave of fresh rumors about Apple?s future products, the news has emerged about Google?s plans to enter the retail business. By next holiday season Google is rumored to open a chain of stores to showcase its growing collection of products.
Google will likely borrow heavily from Apple?s successful in-store retail model, the highest grossing US retailer.
Apple opened its first retail store on May 15, 2011 outside of Washington D.C. Bright, minimalistic, and simple, the store offered a space for customers to test-drive products.
One of the big elements of Apple?s retail success is its Genius Bar. This idea was not revolutionary by any standard?? Circuit City, Best Buy, Radioshack, and dozens of others electronic outfitters offered in-store customer care when Apple opened its doors.?
The Apple Genius bar is straight forward. The customer brings in the faulty product, and the ?Genius? fixes it on site, or places an order for a replacement from the depot. But so much of the Google brand is digital so where will Google draw the line on its customer care? Will Gmail customers be able to set up a Genius appointment to find out how to activate an out-of-office reply or how to recover lost files on their cloud?
Even if the Google store chain does not reach sales of Apple proportion, it will at the very least function as a showcase that creates customer awareness around the product.
?Google does not have as many products as Apple, but it has enough to justify a physical retail presence,? said Greg Sterling, a senior analyst with Opus Research.
Until recently, the Google Brand has been digital- engines, ads and clouds. Two thirds of search engine requests are keyed in on Google, and in December 2012 it served as the platform for 114.7 billion searches, according to the latest comScore engine rankings for January 2013. And 'going retail' is of course a risky maneuver, even for an industry giant like Google.
"); $(".tail_text").show(500); return false; }?Rumors lit the tech blogs and forums ablaze Friday when an ?extremely reliable source? revealed Google?s plans to have retail stores by the end of this year to 9to5Google?s Seth Weintraub.
?I wouldn't put it past Google to do this,? said Ben Bajarin, principal analyst with Silicon Valley-based Creative Strategies.
The stores will likely feature Google?s latest phone, the Nexus 4, Chromebooks, Google powered Samsung and Android smartphones, and other Google gadgets that are currently sold from retailers, and not directly from Google itself.
Currently, many wireless carriers do not carry Google?s Nexus 4. And since it is priced at $500, it is a large enough sum of money that customers may want to ?test drive? the device before the purchase.
Google already has ?pop-up? kiosks in BestBuy stores, where Google employees can sell the Nexus phone and answer product questions.
The stores will also be a showcase for Sergey Brin?s latest, Google Glass, motion-censored reality glasses, which are set to hit the market sometime in 2014, starting at $1,500. Customers will certainly want to play with these before laying down the dough.
Google will likely borrow heavily from Apple?s successful in-store retail model, the highest grossing US retailer.
Apple opened its first retail store on May 15, 2011 outside of Washington D.C. Bright, minimalistic, and simple, the store offered a space for customers to test-drive products.
One of the big elements of Apple?s retail success is its Genius Bar. This idea was not revolutionary by any standard?? Circuit City, Best Buy, Radioshack, and dozens of others electronic outfitters offered in-store customer care when Apple opened its doors.?
The Apple Genius bar is straight forward. The customer brings in the faulty product, and the ?Genius? fixes it on site, or places an order for a replacement from the depot. But so much of the Google brand is digital so where will Google draw the line on its customer care? Will Gmail customers be able to set up a Genius appointment to find out how to activate an out-of-office reply or how to recover lost files on their cloud?
Even if the Google store chain does not reach sales of Apple proportion, it will at the very least function as a showcase that creates customer awareness around the product.
?Google does not have as many products as Apple, but it has enough to justify a physical retail presence,? said Greg Sterling, a senior analyst with Opus Research.
Until recently, the Google Brand has been digital- engines, ads and clouds. Two thirds of search engine requests are keyed in on Google, and in December 2012 it served as the platform for 114.7 billion searches, according to the latest comScore engine rankings for January 2013. And 'going retail' is of course a risky maneuver, even for an industry giant like Google.
Source: http://rt.com/news/google-open-retail-stores-397/
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Cruise passengers tell of hoarding, filth, fright
Illness may hit cruise ship passengersWeary and miserable, sickened by the stench of sewage, the last of more than 3,000 passengers walked off a hobbled cruise ship Friday after tugboats lugged it to the Alabama shore and finally brought an end to a five-day floating nightmare.
As they filed off the Carnival Triumph, people kissed loved ones and the ground beneath them. They gobbled down fresh food, took hot showers and gave thanks for the simple pleasures of power and functional plumbing.
The last passenger disembarked just before 2 a.m.
Safely ashore, the passengers told horror stories of a ship with corridors reeking of sewage, long lines for meals and people sleeping on deck to get out of the sweltering interior of the vessel. One person said it smelled like a zoo. Clark Jones of Dallas recalled seeing people hoard food and protect their turf on the ship.
?It?s really primitive stuff,? he said.
It took only hours for the first lawsuit to be filed, by a Texas woman who claimed in federal court that she suffered physical and emotional harm because Carnival failed to provide a seaworthy vessel and sanitary conditions, Reuters reported. Other lawsuits were expected.
Julie Billings told NBC News that the experience ?was like post-natural disaster, but stuck on a boat with 3,200 other people, and those poor workers trying to clean up after everyone and deal with everyone freaking out.?
The ship, three football fields long, lost power Sunday after a fire in the engine room and had to be towed to land. It was tugged first toward Mexico, then toward Mobile, Ala., after strong wind in the Gulf of Mexico carried it north.
'Tempers started flying'
On the last day of the rescue, the agony was prolonged by a snapped cable connecting the Triumph to one of four tugboats, to say nothing of the logistical challenge of easing the 100,000-ton behemoth safely into port when it had no power to steer itself.
Carnival had workers in place to provide passengers with warm food, blankets, phones and refreshments. Adding yet another complication, a bus carrying passengers from the Triumph to New Orleans, where they were to board charter flights home, broke down on Friday, and passengers had to wait for another bus to pick them up.
Other buses from Mobile began arriving Friday morning in Galveston, Texas, the ship?s point of departure.
Passengers generally had praise for the crew. Janie Baker told MSNBC that they were ?fantastic,? but that by the final night ?people?s tempers started flying.? She described one incident in which a passenger tried to disrupt a movie and was taken away by the crew.
?Going to the bathroom in plastic bags and then handing it to another human being to throw it away ? that is just the most embarrassing thing,? another passenger, Jayme Lamm, told MSNBC.
As they neared home, some people aboard chanted, ?Let me off, let me off!? They used bedsheets to make giant signs, visible from news helicopters hovering around the boat, that said, ?SOS!? or ?Sweet Home Alabama!?
?The ship?s afloat, so is the sewage,? another said.
Slideshow: Passengers share photos of life on crippled Carnival Triumph
The government is investigating the engine-room fire. Carnival, which has suspended the Triumph through mid-April, will give $500 to each passenger from the Triumph, plus reimbursement for the cruise and a free future cruise. Carnival also said Friday that passengers will be reimbursed for what they bought on the ship, not counting artwork and purchases in the casino and gift shop.
It was not clear how many would take the company up on the free cruise.
?Not with Carnival,? Billings said, asked on TODAY whether she would take a cruise again. ?Not yet.?
Carnival CEO: 'We failed'
As the ship docked, Carnival Cruise Lines CEO Gerry Cahill spoke to the media ? with some passengers cheering in the background ? and apologized for the ordeal.
?I appreciate the patience of our guests and their ability to cope with the situation,? he said. ?And I?d like to reiterate the apology I made earlier. I know the conditions on board were very poor,? he said.
?We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience, and clearly we failed in this particular case,? he added.
As for the crew, Terry Thornton, the company?s senior vice president, said that they would have the option of staying on the ship or moving to a hotel.
After the power went out and toilets stopped working, cruise staff instructed people to urinate into the showers and put fecal matter into plastic bags, which were collected by stewards and put into giant trash bags, passenger Shannon Caceres told NBC News.
Caceres, who lives in Flower Mound, Texas, described reports of people looting rooms and taking laptops, phones and cameras.
Two nights into the cruise, Caceres said that the crew decided to serve alcohol, which led to ?people screaming obscenities in the hallways, wasted.? The crew then stopped serving alcohol again.
Carnival had disputed passenger accounts before the ship reached land, but the photos, not to mention the relief on passengers? faces, seemed to confirm their accounts. The company had confirmed that fewer than two dozen public toilets were working.
The Triumph had 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew on board. With all the passengers off, the ship was being moved out of its dock Friday and to a nearby shipyard.
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Video: Coach Lorenzo Romar on OSU
Seattle Times staff reporter Percy Allen provides a running commentary on the Huskies.
February 15, 2013 at 3:00 PM
Video: Coach Lorenzo Romar on OSU
Here?s video (above) of Washington coach Lorenzo Romar talking about Oregon State.
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Saturday, February 16, 2013
No guns at home, so Japanese shoot 'em up in Guam
TAMUNING, Guam ? Their well-equipped arsenals offer everything from tiny revolvers (for ladies) to Berettas, Glocks, semi-automatic pistols and M16 military assault rifles. If kids can see over the counter, they are welcome too.
Forget the white sandy beaches, coral reefs and laid-back island culture. For many tourists from Japan, the biggest thrill is the chance to shoot a gun at one of Guam's ubiquitous ranges, dozens of which are tucked between upscale shopping centers.
The U.S. territory of Guam ? a tropical island often described as a cheaper version of Hawaii ? has long been the perfect place to put guns in the hands of tourists, especially from Japan, where gun ownership is tightly restricted and handguns are banned.
Despite a shared sense of shock over the recent rampage by a gunman at America's Sandy Hook Elementary School, the gun tourism business here is as brisk as ever.
"It was such a feeling of power," Keigo Takizawa, a 30-year-old Japanese actor, said after blasting holes in a paper target with a shotgun, a .44 magnum and a Smith & Wesson revolver at the Western Frontier Village gun club, a cowboy-themed indoor shooting range and gift shop on Guam's main shopping street.
"But," he said, "I still don't think anyone should be allowed to have one of their own."
Many Japanese see America's gun culture as both frightening and fascinating. Back home, the only people with handguns are in the military, the police or the mob.
Because guns are so hard to find, gun-related crime is extremely rare. They were used in only seven murders in Japan ? a nation of about 130 million people ? in 2011, the most recent year for official statistics. In the U.S., with 315 million people, there are more than 11,000 gun-related killings annually.
The Japanese are proud of their low crime rate and generally support tough gun-control policies.
But this Pacific island halfway between Tokyo and Honolulu is America. Guam's gun ranges are to the Japanese what Amsterdam's cannabis cafes are to backpackers from the world over.
"I think it's human nature to be curious about something that is forbidden," said Tetsuo Yamamoto, a Japanese native who emigrated to the United States 30 years ago and runs the Western Frontier Village range. "Most of our customers are from Japan and have never had the opportunity to shoot a gun. It's very exotic for them, and it's very exhilarating."
So exhilarating that he sometimes asks his guests to stay around for a while to calm down after they've finished shooting.
Many other tourists ? from South Korea, Taiwan and increasingly Russia ? are less impressed. All South Korean men, for example, learn how to shoot during mandatory military service.
"To them, learning how to use a gun was a chore," said Patrick Chon, general-manager of the Hafa Adai indoor shooting range. "It brings back bad memories. They hardly ever come here."
Visitors to his range are greeted by movie posters for "The Terminator" and "Die Hard," with their iconic, gun-toting action heroes. The Hollywood shoot-'em-up image is a common motif at many ranges, playing into an image of America that many Asians share.
"When most Japanese people think of American culture, one of the first things they think of is guns," said Natsue Matsumoto, a 38-year-old Osaka woman who said she enjoyed shooting so much she was back at a range for the second time in three days. "American movies and video games are full of guns and that's appealing, in a frightening sort of way.
"But I think Japan has it right," she added. "If you don't have a gun, you can't kill someone with it."
? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/no-guns-home-so-japanese-shoot-em-guam-1C8392068
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Cullman tornado damage demo to effect traffic
CULLMAN, Ala. (WIAT) - Reminders of 2011's tornado devastation through Cullman are quickly coming down.
Demolition crews will begin this week bringing down some of the last tornado damaged buildings still left standing near Convent Road and Fourth Avenue.
The demolition is needed now that the state has bought the property to widen parts of Highway 278 from two lanes, to four.
Many neighbors we spoke with say it's about time.
The demolition project is expected to take about thirty days. Traffic will be slow due to debris clean-up.tcu dr. oz heart attack grill las vegas the heart attack grill joe kennedy iii joseph kennedy iii ghost hunters
Tunisia tourism nostalgic for Ben Ali era stability | Morocco World ...
SIDI BOU SAID, Tunisia, Feb 15, 2013 (AFP)
As Tunisia slips deeper into crisis two years after the revolution, workers in the once-thriving tourism sector say they miss the stability they knew under the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
?Before, we lived better. Nothing happened under Ben Ali. We were at peace. Security was better,? said Mahmud Ben Rabeh who runs a crafts stall in the blue and white hilltop village of Sidi Bou Said overlooking the Mediterranean.
?It is good that he left but before it was much better,? he said of the veteran leader who was ousted two years ago in a popular uprising that set off the Arab Spring in other regional countries fed up with autocratic rule.
The hilltop village is a prime Tunisian destination, named after a Sufi figure whose mausoleum was destroyed in a fire in January, but now the streets are empty and merchants like Ben Rabah say they can barely survive.
?I?ve been selling crafts for 25 years but I never was short of cash like now. I sold all my wife?s jewellery, even our wedding rings. I?ve got nothing left,? he said.
The authorities have been unable to determine whether the blaze was an accident or a deliberate attack by hardline Salafists, who have been blamed for looting and torching other shrines dedicated to Muslim saints in recent months.
A group of Salafists ? whose radical version of Sunni Islam does not tolerate shrines or the veneration of saints ? was arrested in early December after a similar blaze at the Sufi shrine of Saida Manoubia in Tunis.
Salafists in Tunisia, thought to number between 3,000 and 10,000, have grown in influence since the revolution that brought to power the moderate Islamist party Ennahda.
The Muslim extremists are accused of a wave of violence, and suspected of masterminding an attack last September on the US embassy in Tunis.
A once proud secular nation under Ben Ali, Tunisia has also been rocked by political and social unrest, with many accusing the ruling Ennahda party of ?hijacking? the revolution.
Fear of reprisal
The February 6 killing of leftist politician and vocal government critic Chokri Belaid triggered street clashes between the police and angry opposition protesters, and has enflamed tensions between liberals and Islamists.
A hotel manager is Sidi Bou Said said the revolution had blighted tourism, but he refused to be named ?because I am afraid I will be gunned down? like Belaid.
?Tourism has been devastated since the revolution. Reservations are unpredictable, we cannot plan ahead. It is worse than during Ben Ali?s days, when Tunisia was stable and it was good for business,? he said.
A vital sector of the economy and key source of foreign currency, tourism represents 6.5 percent of gross domestic product in Tunisia.
But it has taken a beating since the revolution, leaving the hotel manager and others working in the sector fearful.
?We can barely pay our electricity bills and the salaries of the staff and there is nothing to reassure us on the horizon. Nothing expect violence,? he said.
Moncef, a waiter at the famous open air Cafe de Delices that overlooks the bay, agrees with those who say ?we lived better under Ben Ali and earned a good living.?
But as soon as he expresses his views, the manager, sporting a long Salafist-style beard and wearing an Afghan tunic typically worn by jihadists, reprimands him.
?Who authorised you to give your opinion?? demands the man, before ordering journalists to evacuate the premises.
Ben Ali ruled with an iron-fist, repressing radical Islam and even oppressing devout Muslims who simply wanted to pray in mosques. Under his reign hardline Islamists were never seen in tourist districts.
In post-revolution Tunisia the opposition and civil society groups blame the Ennahda Islamist party for showing complacency towards the Salafists.
Tunisia analyst Slah Jourchi warned against disenchantment, however, saying it could be exploited by ex-regime diehards.
Jourchi, who sits on a so-called ?council of wise men? set up by Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali to try to resolve the crisis, said all politicians were responsible and should work together to find a solution.
Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2013/02/78491/tunisia-tourism-nostalgic-for-ben-ali-era-stability/
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