Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks: Hanukkah's Inextinguishable Light of Hope

What I find fascinating about Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights we celebrate at this time of the year, is the way its story was transformed by time.

It began as the simple story of a military victory, the stunning success of Judah the Maccabee and his followers as they fought for religious freedom against the repressive rule of the Syrian-Greek emperor Antiochus IV. Antiochus, who modestly called himself Epiphanes, "God made manifest," had resolved forcibly to Hellenise the Jews.

He had a statue of Zeus Olympus erected in the precincts of the temple in Jerusalem, ordered sacrifices to be made to pagan gods, and banned the practice of Jewish rites on pain of death. The Maccabees fought back and within three years had reconquered Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple. That is how the story is told in the first and second books of Maccabees.

However, things did not go smoothly thereafter. The new Jewish monarchy known as the Hasmonean kings themselves became Hellenized. They also incurred the wrath of the people by breaking one of the fundamental principles of Judaism: the separation between religion and political power. They became not just kings but also high priests, something earlier monarchs had never done. That may have been the reason why the books of Maccabees were never incorporated in the Hebrew Bible.

Even militarily, the victory over the Greeks proved to be only a temporary respite. Within a century Pompey invaded Jerusalem and Israel came under Roman rule. Then came the disastrous rebellion against Rome (66-73), as a result of which Israel was defeated and the Temple destroyed. The work of the Maccabees now lay in ruins.

There were rabbis at the time who believed that the festival of Hanukkah should be abolished. Why celebrate a freedom that had been lost? Others disagreed, and their view prevailed. Freedom may have been lost but hope was not yet lost. That was when another story came to the fore, about how the Maccabees, in the course of purifying the Temple, came across a single cruse of oil, its seal still intact, from which they were able to relight the menorah, the great candelabrum that stood in the Temple. Miraculously the light lasted eight days and that became the central narrative of Hanukkah. It became a festival of light within the Jewish home symbolising a faith that could not be extinguished. Its message was captured in a phrase from the prophet Zekhariah: "Not by might nor by power but by My spirit, says the Lord Almighty."

I have often wondered whether that is not the human story, not just the Jewish one. We celebrate military victories. We tell stories about the heroes of the past. We commemorate those who gave their lives in defence of freedom. That is as it should be. Yet the real victories that determine the shape of civilizations and the long-term fate of nations are not so much military as cultural, moral and spiritual.

In Rome there is a famous monument known as the Arch of Titus. It was erected by Titus' brother Domitian to commemorate the victorious Roman siege of Jerusalem in the year 70. It shows Roman soldiers triumphantly carrying away the spoils of war, most famously the seven-branched Menorah itself. Rome won that military conflict. Yet its civilization eventually declined and fell, while Jews and Judaism survived.

They did so not least because of Hanukkah itself. That simple act of families coming together to light the lights, tell the story and sing the songs, proved more powerful than armies and longer-lived than empires. What endured was not the historical narrative as told in the books of Maccabees but the simpler, stronger story that spoke of a single cruse of oil that survived the wreckage and desecration, and the light it shed that kept on burning.

Something in the human spirit survives even the worst of tragedies, allowing us to rebuild shattered lives, broken institutions and injured nations. That to me is the Jewish story. Jews survived all the defeats, expulsions, persecutions and pogroms, the centuries in which they were regarded as a pariah people, even the Holocaust itself, because they never gave up the faith that one day they would be free to live as Jews without fear. Whenever I visit a Jewish school today I see on the smiling faces of the children the ever-renewed power of that faith whose symbol is Hanukkah and its light of inextinguishable hope.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chief-rabbi-lord-sacks/hanukkahs-unending-light-of-hope_b_2251102.html

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Renee Strauss: 5 Essentials for a Romantic Winter Proposal

The holiday season is also the most popular time of the year to propose marriage. If you're one of the many men planning to get down on one knee, you've likely already bought the ring -- now it's time to decide how you'll ask the love of your life to marry you. Not the easiest of tasks!

Here are five ideas for making the big moment extra special. With some attention to detail, you'll be able to look back on the joyous occasion with relief and reminisce about how you planned it all perfectly.

1. Have some delectable goodies on hand.
The romantic pairing of champagne and strawberries may be thought of as clich? to some, but I like to think of this combination as classic instead. After all, champagne is the traditional toasting beverage -- its effervescence is the epitome of festivity! And few things go better with champagne than strawberries. (I happen to love BobaluBerries, which are dipped in chocolate.) By setting a tone for quality with some festive treats, you'll make the event more memorable.

2. Don't forget sound effects.
Having a bit of background music not only will ease your pre-proposal nerves (nothing is more anxiety-inducing than silence, after all!), but it will also set a romantic tone. Whether you create a playlist of songs that remind you of your soon-to-be fianc?e or just cue up "your song" to play right at the perfect moment, you can't go wrong with some special tunes to create ambiance.

3. Snap some photos.
While some men choose to have a photographer waiting on the outskirts to capture the moment professionally, you don't have go to such length (or expense) if you prefer a more private proposal. Just be sure to have a smartphone or your own camera ready so you can snap some "just engaged!" photos to share with friends and family (trust me, they'll ask for them!). You might even consider making a keepsake book of the shots through sites like SmugMug to give to your fianc?e at a later date.

4. Be sure to stay warm.
It doesn't get more romantic than a fireside proposal (just don't forge to open the flue if you haven't used your hearth in a while!). Not only does the fire create the perfect atmosphere, it will also help keep you warm while you pop the question. If you're going to do an outdoor proposal in winter, remember that nothing kills the mood faster than a freezing fianc?e-to-be! Be sure to tell your girlfriend to bundle up before you head out to your chosen location or have a throw blanket or jacket waiting for her there.

5. Surprise your new fianc?e with wedding fun.
Buy a few bridal magazines before the proposal so you can present them packaged in a pretty box or wrapped with a bow. She'll be excited to start scoping out dresses and ideas -- plus, you'll score extra points for being so thoughtful.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/renee-strauss/5-essentials-for-a-romant_b_2245231.html

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Insight: U.S., China turned EU powers against airline pollution law

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Union's landmark effort to charge foreign airlines for carbon emitted on flights in and out of Europe was already failing by the time French President Francois Hollande shared his deep concerns with the European Commission chief in October.

The U.S. aviation industry had mustered fierce political opposition, China was threatening to withhold aircraft orders from Airbus and the most influential European nations feared retaliation against their national carriers. Chinese and Indian airlines refused to submit emissions data; U.S. lawmakers were readying a law that could make it illegal to pay the tariff.

Ultimately it came down to an economy-versus-environment debate, with issues of national sovereignty and freedom of the skies also playing a decisive role in grounding the effort for now, to the relief of global carriers and airplane makers whose businesses stood to lose out.

Direct pressure from the EU's three most powerful members, and France in particular, forced an abrupt one-year postponement of one of the most contentious efforts to curb global greenhouse gas emissions since the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, according to European sources familiar with the negotiations.

Hollande, nervous about the possible job losses at major French and European employer Airbus, raised the issue with EC President Jose Manuel Barroso at a meeting in Brussels in October, one of dozens of such encounters focused mainly on taming the debt crisis, one of the sources said.

Barroso decided the EC needed to make its move before the United States finalized a law that would formally shield its airlines from complying "so as not to be seen to be pushed," said the source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the disclosures.

Weeks later, on November 12, EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told a hastily convened news conference that she was "stopping the clock" for a year before enforcing the law, a painful about-face on a signature initiative that has become the latest example of how difficult it remains to tackle climate change globally.

"Hedegaard was under extreme pressure," one senior EU official said. Another source said Britain, France and Germany were pushing to abandon the inclusion of aviation altogether. Hedegaard held out for a freeze with automatic reimposition of the law if no progress were made at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations' aviation body.

"(Hedegaard) fought very, very hard for a year-long freeze," said the source. "Barroso backed her."

The delay took both environmental campaigners and industry by surprise, although pressure had been building steadily for months, even as the EC steadfastly defended the law.

A day after Hedegaard's news conference, the U.S. Congress approved the EU Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act, which can be used to shelter U.S. airlines from compliance with the EU law. U.S. President Barack Obama signed the act on November 27.

Less than two weeks later, Chinese carrier China Eastern Airlines announced plans to buy 60 Airbus aircraft, a reversal of its earlier threats to withhold orders from Airbus because of the EU law. Fellow carrier China Southern ordered a further 10 Airbus aircraft last week.

China buys more than one in five Airbus planes currently being produced, according to the European aircraft maker.

MORE TIME TO WORK

Hedegaard gives a different reason for the delay. She says that an ICAO meeting earlier in November had made good progress toward a global framework to address aviation sector emissions, and she wanted to give it more time.

Asked about the lobbying effort, Hedegaard declined to comment but told Reuters she had the support of Britain, France and Germany for the freeze, meaning it would almost certainly be endorsed by member states.

Commission spokesman Isaac Valero-Ladron declined to comment on any lobbying by member states, citing the ICAO progress.

The European Union has long taken the lead on tackling climate change with ambitious carbon-cutting goals. Its Emissions Trading System (ETS) was designed to be the cornerstone of its climate-change policy, and it has led the way in saying it will sign up for a second Kyoto period.

But its efforts have run into the counter-force of economic pressure in difficult times. The European Commission and environmental groups had argued that including the global aviation sector under the EU ETS was justified because airlines do not face any emissions regulation. Adding on an extra one or two euros per passenger per flight seemed entirely reasonable.

To opponents, however, charging all airlines for emissions generated in international airspace just because they were using EU airports was a major breach of national sovereignty.

EU AIRLINES URGE COMPROMISE

Long before Hollande's meeting with Barroso, nervous EU airline chiefs, including from French carrier Air France-KLM and Germany's Lufthansa, and top brass at Airbus wrote to the prime ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Spain, warning of the risk of jobs losses because of canceled orders and other potential retaliation.

"The aim must be to find a compromise solution and to have these punitive trade measures stopped before it is too late," the CEOs wrote in a letter in March.

Airbus, part of aerospace group EADS, said early this year that China had been holding back on deals to buy passenger jets worth at least $12 billion. That forced the company to delay part of a planned production increase that would have generated an extra 1,000 jobs, it said.

Airbus employs about 55,000 workers, most in Europe. Beyond those directly employed are tens of thousands of workers whose employment is indirectly linked to Airbus.

Still, Hedegaard insisted publicly and privately that the only way the EU would back down would be the creation of an alternative global scheme, and that individual nations could be exempt if they introduced their own plans for cutting aviation emissions.

For example, in a letter to Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on March 30, Hedegaard said the commission could meet half-way provided "India itself undertook comparable action" to tackle emissions.

Around the same time, before Hollande's election in May, then French Prime Minister Francois Fillon wrote to Barroso urging a resolution, saying the European Union must "make all the necessary efforts" to find a solution acceptable to countries outside the region.

Only months later would other EU members begin to express their reluctance, according to an EU official close to the debate.

Some countries began to realize that their own agencies, not the EC, would be responsible for collecting fees from and imposing penalties on hostile non-EU airlines that have threatened to retaliate. Under EU law, penalties start at 100 euros ($130) per ton of carbon.

U.S. AIRLINE LOBBY EFFORT

While China pressed from the east, U.S. politicians pressed from the west, with the powerful airline lobby joining forces in the name of protecting the sovereignty of U.S. airspace.

Florida Republican Congressman John Mica, who co-authored the House version of a bill blocking U.S. airlines from the EU ETS with Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota, says U.S. lawmakers made several direct appeals to their European counterparts to back down.

"We knew there was opposition from other countries. We met with the EU and also the folks we considered our allies," Mica told Reuters in an interview.

Airlines for America (A4A), a lobbying group, spent more than two years convincing the Obama administration and Congress to oppose the EU scheme. It has spent over $4.3 million so far this year to influence the blocking bill and other industry issues, according to lobbying tracking website Open Secrets.

The group is now taking advantage of its success to lobby for a national overhaul of U.S. airline regulations and taxes.

"This issue has really united unions, corporations and the industry in a new way, and the airlines absolutely want to build on that as we move into a national airline policy," said Sean Kennedy, senior vice president for global government affairs at A4A.

PRESSURE ON ICAO

The way forward for the law after the one-year moratorium looks uncertain.

The dominant influence of Britain, France and Germany within Europe could make it difficult to restart the clock, although Hedegaard insists it would start automatically if ICAO fails to deliver.

Mica said the U.S. law was necessary because he is skeptical ICAO can deliver. More than a decade of fruitless debate at the ICAO was what led the EU to impose its aviation law in the first place.

More than a year of high international tension has galvanized the slow-moving U.N. body, which requires the approval of all 190 members to seal any deal. Its first meeting of high-level diplomats, which takes place in Montreal this week, is charged with devising a framework and will be closely watched.

"The United States and its coalition of unwilling surrogates blamed Europe and said an ICAO global agreement was the only way," said Bill Hemmings, program manager at campaign group Transport & Environment, an environmental campaign group. "Well now's the time for this coalition to deliver the goods in ICAO."

($1 = 0.7705 euros)

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and Luke Baker in Brussels; Editing by Alden Bentley and Prudence Crowther)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-u-china-turned-eu-powers-against-airline-060152762--finance.html

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Flag riots mar Hillary Clinton's Belfast return

BELFAST (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday condemned a wave of street violence during a trip in Northern Ireland, saying it showed the peace process she has long supported in the British province was not yet complete.

Clinton arrived in Northern Ireland, following Dublin talks on Syria with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a week that has seen three riots and the arrest of four suspected militant nationalists after the discovery of a bomb in a car.

"There can be no place in Northern Ireland for any violence, any of the remnants of the past need to be quickly, unequivocally condemned," Clinton told a news conference she held with pro-British First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy, former Irish Republican Army leader Martin McGuinness.

She said violence was from "a small minority of people who try to stir up passions or emotions. It is unacceptable and must be repudiated by everyone".

Clinton travelled to Northern Ireland several times in the mid-1990s while her husband helped broker the 1998 Good Friday peace accord, his hands-on approach widely recognised as crucial at moments when the agreement looked like crumbling.

At least 3,600 people were killed during the previous three decades as Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland fought British security forces and mainly Protestant Loyalists determined to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The 1998 peace has mostly held, although militant nationalists have stepped up attacks in recent years and community relations remain fragile with riots erupting every few months at flash points in the city.

NIGHT OF VIOLENCE

The latest riot erupted on Thursday night when a policeman was injured after protesters hurled bricks and bottles to vent their anger against nationalist councillors who voted to remove the British flag atop Belfast City Hall after 100 years.

Smaller protests took place across the province on Friday.

Police on Friday said four men were arrested after a home-made armour-piercing rocket, of a type often used in Iraq and Afghanistan, was recovered from a car in a Republican area of Londonderry overnight.

A member of the British parliament for the non-sectarian centrist Alliance party, Naomi Long, fled her house in Belfast overnight after receiving a death threat over her party's support of the removal of the flag from City Hall.

"Peace does need sacrifice, compromise and vigilance day after day. We have seen this week that the work is not yet complete," said Clinton, on one of her last trips as secretary of state.

Last month, militant nationalists shot dead a prison officer in just the fifth fatal attack on a member of the security establishment since 1998. Signs at the airport where Clinton landed on Friday said "Threat Level 'Severe'".

As first lady, Clinton supported pro-peace women's groups in Northern Ireland and visited people wounded in the 1998 Omagh bombing, the deadliest attack in three decades of violence commonly known as the "Troubles".

On Friday she met some women she has remained friends from those groups as well as Sinn Fein Leader Gerry Adams and former Democratic Unionist Leader Ian Paisley, two bitter rivals who symbolised the Troubles for many.

PRESIDENTIAL BOON

The visit was a reminder of the huge popularity of the Clintons among Catholics in Ireland, an appeal one columnist has described as "Kennedy-esque".

Her husband's work in the province helped win over the Irish-American vote during his 1996 re-election campaign and the family name could prove a potential asset in attracting the Irish-American vote if Hillary decided to run for the U.S. presidency in 2016.

"There are no truer friends to this island, to this peace process or even our prosperity," McGuinness said of the Clintons.

Clinton on Thursday told journalists in Dublin she was "too focused on what I'm doing" to think about a run for the presidency in 2016 and declined to comment on U.S. newspaper reports her husband may be appointed as Washington's next ambassador to the Republic of Ireland.

During her visit, she emphasised the need to revitalise the economy in Northern Ireland, where house prices have fallen by over 50 percent since 2007.

The troubles led to decades of under-investment and the province remains heavily dependent on a grant from London. U.S. investment in the province is a tiny fraction of that in the Republic of Ireland.

"Both her and her husband, they have been there for us down the years," said David Adair, 59, who was walking near the province's parliament when Clinton met local leaders.

"But given the state our economy is in right now it would be nice if she could go home and rustle up a few thousand more jobs."

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-returns-belfast-tensions-simmer-084201702.html

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Fan riots are a problem of the society, says Watzke - Goal.com

Borussia Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke has stated that football riots are a problem of society and called upon politicians to act.

According to German police statistics, acts of violence by fans in the country have raised by 120 per cent during the last 12 years, but the CEO disagrees with part of the public who are prompting clubs to solely take responsibility for the incidents.


"The issue is not within football itself," the 53-year-old told Sky Sport News, adding: "It is a society problem. There are more injuries [occurring due to riots] at Oktoberfest."

"Pyrotechnics are an absolute no-go, because they are simply too dangerous. That is a fact. We are constantly in controversial and constructive discussions with our fans. We try to convince our fans."

He then took the time to reflect on Dortmund's development in the league and commented on the Bundesliga title holders' goals for the season.

"We are satisfied with the draw [against Bayern Munich], because we showed that we can keep up with them," he explained.

"However, we should not just talk about Dortmund and Munich. Bayern lost two points of their lead over Bayer Leverkusen. The league is not completely lacking tension."

Source: http://www.goal.com/en/news/15/germany/2012/12/07/3585661/fan-riots-a-problem-of-society-says-watzke

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How To Care For Your Body Skin ? Tips For Body Skin Care

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Body Skin CareSkin is one of the most important parts of the body and something that has the strength to either enhance or degrade the beauty. Along with taking good care of the body and protect it from health illnesses, it is very important to take proper care of the skin and hair as well. A clear and flawless skin will always attract the eyes of others and make you feel more beautiful. However, in our busy lives and tight schedules of work, we tend to avoid caring for them that in turn results in skin breakouts and hair loss and breakage.

Along with this, you need to remember that adhering to beauty parlors and their expensive treatments won?t always solve the problem and can also lead to side effects on the skin and hair.

Talking particularly about skin, it is just not the facial skin that plays an imperial role but also the skin of the body. You need to work some efforts to ensure that your skin is bright and smooth as well as nourished enough to glow.

The best substitute to parlor treatments is to get your hands on some simple and natural home remedies and tips that can help you with the body skin care aspect. Here this beauty and style guide has all the well known and effectual tips that you can follow on a daily basis to make sure you don?t face any problems where body skin is concerned-

Body Skin Care Guide

The Daily Regimen

Just as it is important to follow a daily regimen for your facial skin by cleansing and moisturizing it, the same is valid for body skin without any doubt. It is very significant to deep clean and exfoliate the skin so that all the dirt and impurities can be flushed out as well as the pores can be opened up.

Daily Regimen

Cleansing the skin will ensure that you don?t have any skin diseases by clearing away the bacterial accumulation. Finally, a good moisturizer is what you need at least two times a day that can nourish the skin, prevent it from drying and make it soft and supple. Make sure you use the moisturizer after taking a morning shower and then once at night before going off to sleep. This will keep the skin hydrated.

Make sure that the cleaner, exfoliator and moisturizer are all based on the skin type that you have. For example, a person with oily skin should not be using body cleansers that are cream based since it can block the pores and lead to acne formation on the body skin. Natural products without artificial fragrances are the best option as it does not leave any bacteria on the skin.

Scrubbing and Exfoliating

Again, just as you scrub the facial skin to remove the dead cells and for cell renewal and rejuvenation, so it is for the body skin. Body scrubs are easily available in the market and you can prepare one at home as well using products straight from the kitchen.

But no matter which scrub you adhere to, make sure it suits your skin type and is used only once in a week to prevent flakiness and dryness. A good scrubbing procedure always leaves a glow on the skin.?Oatmeal and sugar are some of the safe products that can be used to prepare a home scrub.

Skin Protection is Important

Another tip which plays a very critical role in maintaining good health of the body skin is protection from the external hazards. For example, keep a sunscreen with good SPF quantity handy so that you can use it whenever you step out in the sun. The UV rays of the sun can prove to be very harmful for the skin and also lead to permanent damage.

A sun block should not only be used when you are out, but every single day so that it acts as a shield to the sun rays. This is also valid for the lips, where a lip balm with SPF content should be used. This will protect it from darkening as well.

Use a Body Mask

A natural body mask prepared at home can be used once in a while on the body skin to not only nourish it well but also enhance its glow. A simple something like sandalwood paste mixed with rose water can be used on the entire body.

Use a Body Mask

Again, you don?t really have to stick to one recipe. There are loads of body masks that can be made at home in an easy and hassle free manner and that gives visible outcomes on the skin by bringing back the lost shine. Try it out at least once every fortnight for best results.

Also Read

Easy Body Skin Care Tips
Body Care Tips For Men
Skin Whitening
Home Remedies for Dry Skin
Body Care

Give the Body a Spa

Home spa treatments are gaining more and more popularity in the market which is not only pure indulgence but also helps in revitalizing the skin to a great extent. Adhering to spa at home will also ensure that you don?t have to spend lavishly on the spa treatments available in the beauty parlors.

Body Steam

Take a body steam whenever possible. This helps in totally opening up the clogged pores of the body and also ensures that all the dirt and impurities have been taken care of. This cane either is done in a steam room or else in an easy way in your bathroom. But this is one of the effective tips to care for the body skin and keep breakouts and skin diseases at bay.

Keep a Healthy Diet

The first and foremost tip here is to make sure that you consume at least 10-12 glasses of water each day to flush out dirt from the skin. You can also include healthy drinks like green tea in your daily regimen. Drinking good amounts of fluids will keep the complexion fair and glowing.

Healthy Diet

Where foods are concerned, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants are very much a requisite for healthy and glowing skin. Try and incur loads of fresh and seasonal fruits, vegetables and fresh fruit juices in the diet. Also, there are a number of foods that trigger good health of the skin. This should also be eaten on a regular basis.

Low fat dairy products are also a good choice to make when it comes to caring for the body skin.?Essential fatty acids should also be added in the diet plan in the form of fish or nuts and seeds to make sure the skin are healthy enough to stay away from skin illnesses like eczema, acne, rosacea and more.

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Tips For Body Skin Care , 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.ayushveda.com/dietfitness/tips-for-body-skin-care/

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Provia Labs Hires Vice President of International Business ...

From: Biotech Blog - 4:37am - December 7, 2012

Copyright ? thinkBiotech Seasoned Global Executive to Lead Overseas Expansion of Provia Lab?s Store-A-Tooth? Dental Stem Cell Banking and Proviasette? Frozen Biospecimen Container Product.(PRWeb December 07, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Pr...Journal of Commercial Biotechnology | BiotechBlog | Books | Publishing opportunities | DrugPatentWatch

Continue reading this article ?

Source: http://ewallstreeter.com/provia-labs-hires-vice-president-of-international-business-development-7207/

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Va Home Loan Refinancing- Free Engaging Resource For Va Loan ...

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How To Weed Out a Good Contractor From the Bad

How To Weed Out a Good Contractor From the BadAs we've gone over before, there are some jobs that you probably should not DIY. Everybody's gotta call a pro sometime. But do your due diligence before you let a contractor get to work. The experts at Stack Exchange tell you how.

Question:

In a world where every guy with a truck full of tools is a "contractor", how do you weed out the good from the bad?

? Originally asked by Tester101

3 Tips

A few ideas:

1. Ask for references. This can work nice, but since the contractor can choose which references to give you, doesn't always give an accurate picture.

2. If they are in a regulated trade (electrician, plumber, builder, etc.) ask your local city code inspector. They know all the contractors and know which ones do good work and which ones do just enough to pass inspection.

3. Check with your local building/plumbing/electrical supply stores. They know the contractors and which ones are good or bad.

? Answered by Eric Petroelje

Research

In the US, check their status with the Better Business Bureau. Also, if you hire contractors frequently, you should probably look into subscribing to Angie's List, which crowdsources customer reviews of contractors and other service providers.

? Answered by spoulson

Compare

Talk to at least 2.

Every contractor does things differently. Each will bring up concerns and ideas that others do not. You will learn a lot from these conversations that will help you make a good decision.

? Answered by Jay Bazuzi

Be Precise

I've learned from dealing with contractors recently that I have to define exactly what I want done so that there is no misunderstanding or room to scale back on the required work.

For example, if I want a tree removed I have to describe whether or not I want the roots removed, stump grounded down, etc. You don't want to have to say, "I just assumed you were going to do X, Y, and Z." Consider all of the details you can think of. This can be difficult if you're not familiar with the various approaches and don't know all of the details involved in a job (it's why we hire professionals in the first place), but the more you can research and document the better.

? Answered by Ryan

Beware

1. If he's the lowest bidder, watch out.

2. If he (or she) promises too much, watch out.

3. I agree with the post above that said "Get it in writing". Get changes in writing too.

4. If you make the deal with the Dad and then he drops his son and son in law off to do the work, you might have a problem, although the phrase "Don't make me call your Daddy" is helpful in this case.

5. Money up front is a no-no.

6. As for cars, if a contractor is driving a shiny new Linconln Navigator (think Radon guys), then I think he's ripping me off. I want to see an honest work vehicle, but no junker either.


Think you know the secret to keeping your home heating running efficiently? Disagree with the asnwers provided above? Bring your expertise to the question at Stack Exchange?a network of Q&A sites on diverse topics from software programming to Apple & Android to bicycles... and plenty in between.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/SUGong_YNr4/how-to-weed-out-a-good-contractor-from-the-bad

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The Walking Dead: Comic Art by Tony Moore - PelFusion

If you know anything about television and entertainment, you are well aware of The Walking Dead TV series that has taken the world by storm. Who doesn?t love a good post apocalyptic zombie movie? Try an awesome post apocalyptic TV series instead. The Walking Dead is the first of its kind with ongoing production of sequel episodes, seasons, a rolling on-the-edge-of-your-seat narrative and all the creepy goodness that could be demanded of it.

Comic Art by Tony Moore

A fact that many people seem to be unaware of however, is that the hit TV series is actually based on and inspired by the legendary comic book series by Robert Kirkman, a fantastic graphic novel series that is in itself a milestone in the world of art and entertainment. The Walking Dead comics are an amazing display of comic art and illustration, all done at the hands of the first artist for The Walking Dead comics, Tony Moore.

Tony Moore is reknown worldwide as the artist that conceived the visual birth of The Walking Dead comics, being the first penciler, inker and colorist to work on the graphic novel series as we (should) know it today. Moore is solely responsible for most of the comic art and the very memorable covers created for this series. Tony Moore has been a comic book fanatic since he was a child and knew he wanted to be a comic book illustrator from the beginning. He has worked on many a different comic art, including his first project with Battle Pope. We have showcased for you below some of Tony?s best comic illustrations, mostly comic art from The Walking Dead but including a few other illustrations as well.

A word from the legend himself: My name is Tony Moore. I?m a small-town guy from Kentucky, raised by a pack of wild televisions. I?ve been a fan of comics since before I could read, and have seldom in my life dreamed of becoming anything other than a comicbook illustrator. I?ve been in the business since 1999, when I started work on my maiden voyage, Battle Pope. Since then, I?ve lent my hand to books such as Masters of the Universe, Brit, the Eisner Award-nominated series The Walking Dead, and my new creator-owned books Fear Agent and The Exterminators?my hobbies include watching horror movies, getting fat, sleeping, and ?maintaining? this crappy website?.

Go ahead. Be blown away.

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Comic Art by Tony Moore

Source: http://pelfusion.com/comic-art/

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