Another Open Letter About Nina Simone (This One Spits Fire ...

By now, we?ve all read at least one angry screed or open letter regarding the casting of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone. But just when you thought the topic had been entirely exhausted, here comes?Aaron Overfield, the website content manager of NinaSimone.com, with a scathing criticism of writer/director Cynthia Mort, an appeal to the public to put discussions of Saldana?s ?blackness? behind them, and a ?talk-to-the-hand? rebuke to anyone who espouses the ?don?t judge/wait and see/shut up about it? stance on the casting issue.

Says Overfield:

The most frustrating people are the ones who imply everyone should just shut up and ?wait and see? or ?leave them alone.? That kind of attitude and oppression is not in the spirit of Nina Simone whatsoever. Quite the opposite. Nina was vocal, defiant, a warrior, an activist. She would not have simply shut up and sat down. She would?ve shown up at the studio with a shotgun to speak with Ms. Mort and slapped the makeup off Zoe. So let?s get that straight first. We?re going to talk about this and those of us with strong, impassioned opinions are going to express them.

He goes on to state that, though the film?s production can?t be stopped, its more problematic notions should continue to be highlighted. Among those is the ?straightfacing? of an out gay male, Clifton Henderson, who has been previously reported to be written as Nina?s love interest in Mort?s script:

It is also the first instance of Cynthia?s script exploiting a marginalized identity by essentially putting ?straightface? on an out gay man. This is rather curious since Mort herself is a lesbian and you?d wonder how she?d feel being rewritten as a heterosexual woman under the guise of someone else?s ?artistic license.? Would Cynthia Mort be pleased with someone rewriting her own history to the point where her sexuality becomes a trivialized inconvenience? I guess someone would have to ask her that. I won?t bother.

Welp.

Above all, Overfield takes umbrage with an issue that plagues many biopics, particularly black ones helmed by non-black writers and directors. The idea of buying the rights to someone?s life story, then altering it until it?s unrecognizable just because you can, is one that we should all find unsettling. Beyond casting Zoe Saldana, Cynthia Mort has show a blatant disregard for veracity, when it comes to being the first person to bring a version of Nina Simone?s life to the big screen. As Overfield reminds us, Mort hasn?t fact-checked, consulted Simone?s family, or shown any level of concern for respectfully rendering an icon?s lived experiences?and he believes one thing alone motivates that level of arrogance ? privilege:

Cynthia Mort is not a black woman. That is a very crucial point here. I am a white man. I know that as a white man I do not have the authority to speak of the black experience because it is not my experience. I cannot and will not ?speak? for black people or assume to know the intricacies of racism, as experienced by black people. The privilege and arrogance it takes to do so is disturbing and downright disgusting.

The entire?open letter?is certainly worth a read. In conversation with some of the other careful and thought-provoking write-ups on the issue, it leaves no stone of offense unturned.

Are you over the Nina biopic issue yet? Does this open letter re-fuel your anger??

Source: http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2012/10/another-open-letter-about-nina-simone-this-one-spits-fire/

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Selena Gomez, Ethan Hawke Get Their Spy On In 'Getaway' Thriller

Action film, also starring Jon Voight, is expected to open August 2013.
By Jocelyn Vena

Selena Gomez and Ethan Hawke
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696295/selena-gomez-ethan-hawke-getaway-movie.jhtml

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Aceh Software Store-Free Download Software

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Microsoft Launches Windows 8, Now Available on 1000 Plus Devices

Microsoft launched its long awaited Windows 8 yesterday. Over the years, the operating system has been a boon for businesses, spurring innovation and increasing productivity. Today there are many other tech tools that can make your business run better and more efficiently. We?ll start with a look at the new Windows 8, then check out other tech you may want to consider investing in soon.

The Big Guns

Have a peek. The new Windows comes in a variety of flavors, including Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows Enterprise for larger organizations, and Windows RT for mobile devices. The new family of Windows products features what Microsoft calls a ?fast and fluid? start screen, giving one-click access to applications and other content. The software will be available beginning today. Microsoft News Center

Come in, we?re open. You can use the new Windows versions on a huge number of devices. Microsoft says more than 1000 PCs are certified to operate with Windows 8. The launch of the new Windows also corresponds with the opening of a new online Windows Store, offering downloads of Microsoft apps and a Windows 8 user interface. Tech Crunch

More Biz Tech

Smarter than the average business. If you?re a smart small business owner, you?ll create a brainier business too. Here are some of the tools you?ll need. Guest blogger Carole Bennett provides us with an incredible list of goodies. Some of these tools may be familiar to you and others may be new, but all will help you do more with less. The Work at Home Woman

Improve your social life. HootSuite, a service mentioned in the previous link, is only one example of the tools available to manage your social media efforts and improve your productivity. Social media can be a time sink, as we all know. Management tools help you plan ahead and schedule social media campaigns, but they also help you monitor feedback on multiple channels. TodayMade

Share and share alike. Cool mobile tools are also giving merchants a whole new way of sharing their products. Qwiqq is one such tool. The app combines mobile capabilities with social sharing, allowing businesses to share their products with a social audience. But that?s not all. Qwiqq also creates a virtual of ?word of mouth? by letting customers share the products they love with friends. WebSuccessTeam

Other Cool Tools

The key to success. Social media tools aren?t the only marketing resources available for promoting your business online. There are tools to help you find the proper keywords to use in your blog posts, as John Paul explains here. Just be careful when doing keyword research that you don?t create content only a search engine could love. Quality posts are for readers too, not just for Google. John Paul Aguiar

Waste not want not. Productive entrepreneurs and small business owners all have one thing in common: They hate to waste time. But sometimes it can be hard to be productive when running errands or waiting in line. Fortunately, technology has come along to help us get things done even during these periods away from the workplace. Timo Kiander has created a video demonstrating one of them. Productive Superdad

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/10/microsoft-launches-windows-8-available-on-1000-devices.html

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Sprint releases push-to-talk app for Android

Sprint has launched an Android app to allow push-to-talk on some phones. The Kyocera Rise budget phone will support it, as will the upcoming LG Optimus Elite, it said.

Push-to-talk is a transmission method that turns your phone into a walkie-talkie, of sorts. The type that only allows communication one-way at a time, so like an air traffic controller, you’ll have to say “over” after each sentence, and of course “over and out” when your conversation is done.

For cell users, push-to-talk cellular is supposed to give people a way to quickly broadcast a message to receiving handsets. If multiple handsets are hooked up, a team leader can speak to all of them without ringing each one up individually.

Some apps already emulate this function, like HeyTell and Zello, but the Sprint app uses the carrier’s Direct Connect push-to-talk service. Sprint says it has a million users on Direct Connect already (most on rugged handsets), and hopes the app will allow it to tap into a new user-base.

Sprint customers can hit the Google Play link above to download the app.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/41jE35AVwyc/story01.htm

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Lady Gaga Plotting 'Telephone' Sequel, But Is Beyonce Onboard?

ARTPOP will feature a sequel to the 2010 smash hit, the Mother Monster confirms.
By Jocelyn Vena

Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696170/lady-gaga-telephone-sequel-artpop-beyonce.jhtml

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Dussehra 2012 Greetings Dussehra sms and Facebook wall messages

posted by savagepriest(151) 4 hours ago (neeshu.com)

Here is a collection of 2012 Dussehra greetings, Dussehra sms and facebook messages. Dussehra is the festival of celebration of good over evil, where lord ram defeated the evil Ravana and good prevailed in the world. Here are some nice sms and pictures for Dussehra

? read more ?

Source: http://www.humsurfer.com/dussehra-2012-greetings-dussehra-sms-and-facebook-wall-messages

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Video: So, about last night?

U.S. sues BofA over alleged mortgage fraud

The United States filed a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit against Bank of America, accusing it of selling thousands of toxic home loans that later defaulted to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, leading to more than $1 billion of losses.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49525944#49525944

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Durga Puja: A Colonial Hindu Festival That Took Over India

The annual Hindu festival Durga Puja ? a potpourri of events celebrated differently in different parts of India in honor of mother goddess ? is popularly regarded as an occasion to commemorate good triumphing over evil.

Mythological significance of the festival is attributed to numerous versions of stories, including those of Goddess Durga killing demon king Mahisha and King Rama killing demon king Ravana.

Interestingly, despite bearing the markings of the ancient Hindu tradition, Durga Puja has fairly modern beginnings and gained mass popularity among the Hindus in their effort to counter a cultural invasion by the Muslims and to subvert the British administrations in 17^th?and 18^th?centuries.

?The Mughals and Muslim nawabs of Bengal imposed a festival tax on Hindus, which was relaxed only in the (British East India) Company?s regime in 1765 and fully abolished by Warren Hastings who became Governor General in 1772, and so mass Hindu festivities could be held only after that,? a book, titled ?Folklore, Public Sphere, and Civil Society? written by M. D. Muthukumaraswamy and Molly Kaushal, says.

After decades of repression under Muslim rulers, whose power was subdued under the British administration, the Hindu upper class of (the eastern state of) Bengal took the opportunity to ?carve itself a special space in the British administrative apparatus? while Durga Puja became ?the site of this construction of the Hindu Bengali public sphere promoting its identity as the ultimate comprador class of British imperialism in India,? the authors say.

This process was proved relatively easy under the colonial invaders because unlike the Muslims, the British ?did not wish to meddle much in the religious affairs of the natives.?

?The real spread and popularity of the festival emerges not from placating the British administration but from hoodwinking them and thus subverting the whole state machinery,? the authors write. ?An annual extravagant event like the Durga Puja became an easy route for (Bengali) zamindars to get major tax reliefs and even manage extra allowances from the British.?

Thus, Durga, a goddess who was virtually non-existent in the pre-eighteenth-century pantheon and a celebration that had few mentions in literary, archeological and even posteriori documents before the 18^th?century, began their glorious journey eventually spreading across India.

Centuries later, the 10-days event ? first nine days called ?Navratri? and the last day called ?Vijayadasami? ? has only grown richer with colorful additions and regional variants.

In Bengal, huge idols of the goddess are worshiped accompanied by devotional songs and dances culminating in a grand procession on the 10^th?day when the idols are immersed in water.

The occasion of Durga Puja attracts thousands of devotees to Kali Temples across India, the most popular among them being the Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata, Bengal. Kali is popularized in the West through the story of ?Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? as the dreaded god of human and animal sacrifices, and the continuing animal sacrifices in worship of the goddess are met with protests from animal rights activists.

In the western state of Gujarat, ?Navratri? is a community event that includes songs and dances known as ?Dandiya Raas? and ?Garba Raas,? which have links to the story of Lord Krishna and performed for agricultural fertility.

In northern state of Kashmir, the minority community of the Hindu Pandits celebrates ?Navratri? in a relatively quieter manner, by fasting and visiting temples.

In other northern states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the 10^th?day known as Dussehra is linked to the story of Rama and his triumph over Ravana.

In Maharashtra, Goddess Durga is worshipped continuously for nine days and on the 10^th?day, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped for blessings in studies.

In southern state of Kerala, Hindus consider the 10^th?day as an occasion to begin formal education of children normally between ages 3 to 5 and worship Goddess Saraswati for blessings.

In southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the festival is marked by ?Bommai Kolu,? a colorful display of a variety of idols of Gods and Goddesses on wooden steps in Hindu homes according to the ascending order of their godly powers.

For the non-resident Indians, Durga Puja is an occasion for community get togethers and for visiting temples. ?For the uninitiated, Durga Puja, is the Bengali-Hindu equivalent of Christmas,? Arnab Ray, an NRI residing in Maryland,?writes?in the New York Times. ?The essence of the festivities lies in coming home and being with all those whom one loves."

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/durga-puja-colonial-hindu-festival-took-over-india-851909

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Japan's New Justice Minister Resigns After Mob Ties Surface

THE MAINICHI SHIMBUN, THE JAPAN TIMES (Japan)

Worldcrunch

TOKYO - Japan's justice minister Keishu Tanaka submitted his resignation Tuesday amid allegations of past links to a Yakuza crime syndicate, reports The Mainichi.

Japan Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told a Cabinet meeting that Tanaka had left his post due to health problems but his resignation comes after a report in the Shukan Shincho weekly magazine alleging close ties to a Yakuza organization.

The magazine said Tanaka had acted as a matchmaker for a senior member of Japan?s third-largest crime syndicate, the Inagawa-kai, nearly 30 years ago. He was also said to have given a speech at a party thrown by a mob boss, reports the Japan Times.

The 74-year-old minister admitted the links but explained that he was not aware of the groom?s Yakuza connections or the nature of the event at the time, saying he had only found out about it later on.

Tanaka also admitted shortly after his appointment that his party branch had accepted a 420,000-yen donation from a company run by a Chinese national. In Japan, accepting funds from foreign nationals is illegal if done so knowingly.

This scandal comes only a month after Noda brought him into the Cabinet in a reshuffle on Oct. 1.

Tanaka is the second minister to resign since Noda assumed office in September 2011.

Source: http://www.worldcrunch.com/rss/world-affairs/japan-039-s-new-justice-minister-resigns-after-mob-ties-surface/japan-tanaka-yakuza-mob-scandal/c1s9932/

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laity markedly: occupy integrity: monteverdi durant: Sports ? Rodeo ...

Sports ? Rodeo

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Source: http://svapc.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/sports-rodeo/

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Read Complete Description - NYFA Interactive - New York ...

Business Director, LCI
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.
(New York NY)

JOB DESCRIPTION:??This is a senior-level position within Lincoln Center Institute (LCI), Lincoln Center?s educational outreach department.??The position focuses on the financial areas of LCI?s operations as well as on economic evaluations of all new and ongoing business development initiatives of education at Lincoln Center. The Business Director must understand and balance the budget, actively seek new financial opportunities, and maintain communication with the development and finance departments of Lincoln Center. Working with the Executive Director, the Business Director will implement change, identify opportunities for growth, and plan and propose alternative tactics for the overall business operations of LCI as needed. Business Director supervises the office manager and manager of consulting services.??LCI offers a collegial environment.

Specific Responsibilities include:

- Take leadership role in budget planning and implementation, working with the Executive Director. Manage LCI?s annual finances, working with business staff, and communicate with the Finance, Strategy, and Development departments of Lincoln Center.

- In conjunction with the Executive Director, establish overall business objectives and financial goals for LCI, and ensure that the objectives are met across all areas of LCI.

- Continually analyze earned-income initiatives such as the consultancies, professional development workshops, and school visit programs, and make recommendations to the Executive Director on possible business improvements.

- Analyze and assess viability of existing earned income initiatives, conduct ongoing research for new business opportunities, and collaborate with relevant Lincoln Center departments on strategic planning for such opportunities.

- Oversee payroll coordination between the Department and the Payroll Department.

- Oversee contracts issuing from LCI?s work with educational partners, Department of Education, schools, teachers, and teaching artists.

- Oversee function of present database and eventual development of a new one. An interest in, and awareness of, technology as regards both business use and digital education is required. Knowledge of TopTix and ArtsVision a plus.

- Work with LCI?s education team to establish partnerships and relationships with education and cultural organizations in order to support and implement new consultancies; maintain existing relationships with consultancy recipients.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- MBA strongly preferred.
- 5-10 years experience in strategic planning and business development.
- Experience with budgeting, financial analysis and market analysis preferred
- Experience in non-profit arts and/or education, and interest in these areas, highly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to implement change.
- Strong quantitative, analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to:??businessdirector@lincolncenter.org

Source: http://www.nyfa.org/opp_detail.asp?type=Job&id=94&fid=1&sid=54&oppid=42990

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Best Travel Insurance for a Retreat | Travel Insurance Review

A retreat, by definition, is an act of withdrawal often from what is difficult, dangerous or disagreeable and often to a place of privacy or safety. These days, people take retreats for all kinds of reasons: to heal, to practice yoga, to meditate, to learn something new.

So, what really can go wrong on a retreat??Well, lots of things.

A retreat is just like any other form of travel and accidents and illnesses happen anywhere and anytime they like. Travel insurance, like any other insurance plan, is insurance against financial losses due to unexpected events.

So before your next retreat, let?s review what can go wrong on a retreat and how your travel insurance plan can protect you, shall we?

You?re in a car accident on your way to a meditation retreat

Most retreat centers are aware that guests occasionally experience situations that simply cannot be predicted. Of course, a guest would prefer to cancel and receive a refund, so that?s why retreats run by experienced organizers are designed with clear cancellation policies.

Note: As a retreat guest, you should always review the cancellation policies to know your risk. Those cancellation policies should be clearly stated in writing and available for your review.

Most retreat hosts want to limit their loss of income due to last-minute cancellations and so they?ll try to fill the cancelled spot with another guest. If it?s too late for that to happen, however, the guest who cancels could lose hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in retreat costs.

A travel insurance plan with good trip cancellation coverage will reimburse a traveler for their pre-paid trip costs if the traveler cancels for a covered reason ? even if they?re in a traffic accident on the way to their retreat.

You break your wrist on a cycling retreat

If your retreat is outside your health insurance network or outside the country, a visit to a local doctor or emergency room could cost you thousands of dollars. Most foreign hospitals require visitors from outside the country to hand over travel medical insurance documents and a credit card before they?ll do much treatment.

If your budget can?t withstand an unexpected trip to a foreign medical facility, travel medical insurance will not only foot the bill, but it will also treat you to a medical evacuation if your condition warrants it and medical treatment can?t be found nearby.

Your passport is stolen before or during your kayak retreat

If your passport is stolen right before an overseas retreat trip, you could lose all your nonrefundable trip costs. If it?s stolen while on your trip, you could face having to navigate a foreign language and try to get it replaced in time for you to meet your return flight home.

Many travel insurance plans cover trip cancellation if your passport is stolen before your trip and you can?t get it replaced in time. Travel insurance plans also come with 24/7 assistance services representatives who can help you replace a stolen passport or credit card so you can return home.

You arrived at your yoga retreat but your bags didn?t

While airports are continually improving their baggage statistics, there?s no shortage of thieves and bandits waiting to score an overstuffed piece of luggage. Your bag can be stolen from the baggage carousel as you navigate a foreign airport, but it can also be stolen from a taxi, slipped away from your side while waiting in line, or sliced open and pilfered on a train.

A travel insurance plan with adequate baggage coverage protects you by reimbursing you up to the plan limit for replacing necessary items, including the luggage itself. If your bag gets on the wrong plane and is delayed a few days, you?ll have some cash to purchase the essentials so you can start your retreat without worry.

You suddenly have to turn around and go home

Just because you got there safe and sound doesn?t mean that disasters can?t happen back home. Kids get sick, parents die, fires burn, so there?s always the risk of a frantic call in the middle of the night.

If you have to abandon your retreat to handle an emergency back home, you will lose not only your pre-paid retreat costs, which are now certain to be non-refundable, but also have to pay extra in airline change fees and other unexpected transportation costs.

A travel insurance plan with trip interruption coverage will reimburse you the unused portion of your pre-paid trip costs and help cover those unexpected airline and transportation costs to get you home in a hurry.

Your babysitter cancels on you

If your child?s babysitter calls and cancels on you, your retreat trip is cancelled by default. No travel insurance covers babysitters canceling, but ?cancel for any reason? coverage is designed for those instances where a trip cancellation isn?t covered under standard cancellation coverage rules.

While ?cancel for any reason? is nearly always an upgrade (and therefore costs a little more), if your life circumstances are not as predictable as you might like or you have extenuating circumstances (like an ill parent) that could affect your ability to take a retreat trip, it just might be the coverage you can?t go without.

Your surf retreat is the path of an oncoming hurricane

The full hurricane season for the Atlantic and Caribbean every year is June 1st to November 30 ? that?s a really long time in which to have the potential of a hurricane wiping out your pre-paid retreat plans.

If your retreat is to be held where hurricanes are common or during peak hurricane months, then you could lose not only your pre-paid retreat costs, but also your non-refundable airfare and other trip costs if you have to cancel your trip to avoid a hurricane.

Even if your retreat isn?t in the path of a hurricane, the travel disruptions that can occur spread widely and you could lose some of your retreat time simply due to delayed travel.

What does Retreat Travel Insurance Cost?

As you might expect, the cost of a travel insurance plan varies based on a number of factors, including:

• Where you?re going
• Your age and health
• How long you?ll be gone
• Your trip activities

It?s important to note that the cost of travel insurance is affected by the coverage you choose, and trip cancellation, certainly ?cancel for any reason? coverage, adds to the cost of a travel insurance plan. Otherwise, a retreat traveler can purchase a simple travel medical insurance plan and pay a lot less.

Here are a couple of trip cost examples:

1. Yoga Retreat, Costa Rica
Trip details:

• 1 traveler, 34 years old
• 1 week trip
• Pre-paid trip costs: $3,250
• Trip cancellation included

Just $152-$169 buys:

• ?Cancel for any reason? with 50-75% trip costs reimbursed
• 100% trip cancellation
• 150% trip interruption
• $25,000-$100,000 emergency medical
• $50,000-$500,000 medical evacuation
• $600-$1,000 travel delay
• $200-$400 baggage delay
• $1,000-$2,000 baggage loss
• and more

2. Surf Camp, Hawaii (no trip cancellation)
Trip details:

• 1 traveler, 45 years old
• 1 week trip
• Pre-paid trip costs: $4,800
• No trip cancellation

Just $19-$27 buys

• $500 trip interruption
• $10,000 emergency medical
• $100,000 medical evacuation
• $100-$200 baggage delay
• $500-$750 baggage loss
• and more

As always, we recommend that you use our travel insurance comparison tool and type in a few trip details to get price quotes from many reputable companies and choose the coverage options that work for you.

Visitors who read this page also read...

1. Victim of Assault Prior to Trip Departure Coverage
2. Does travel insurance cover hurricanes?
3. Travel Insurance 101-What does travel insurance cover?
4. Planning on skiing? Travel insurance provides essential protection
5. Does Travel Insurance Cover Natural Disasters?

Source: http://www.travelinsurancereview.net/2012/10/22/retreat-travel-insurance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=retreat-travel-insurance

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Microsoft Debuts Skype For Windows 8: Offers Modern Design, Live Tiles & Focus On Tight Windows 8 Integration

Days ahead of its official release, Microsoft has announced a new version of Skype built especially for Windows 8. The app is being made available in the Windows Store, and once installed, it will display on the Start screen as a Live Tile showing missed calls and messages.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5SYVkr-_rbo/

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marjorie timidity: NAPA of Central Missouri - Billiards

Billiards has been around for a long time. ?So has competition. ?Billiard leagues combine these to make the sport competitive and fun. ?In the book PRECISION POOL by Gerry Kanov and Shari Stauch, they say "This is a sport, a game, a form of recreation enjoyed by millions of people. ?But it can be a difficult and frustrating ?sport for untold millions-and you- if you're not enjoying it. ?Accept the Challenges, embrace the difficulties, revel in the mastery of each new skill, no matter how trivial at first glance. There's not a professional player in all the pool circuit that will tell you they've mastered the art of cue sports. ?What they have mastered is the love of pool, and the thrill of discovery in a sport that will endlessly challenge them for as long as they weild a cue.We wish the same for each of you!"

I agree. ?If you are not having fun playing pool then you should find something else to do. ?You are always learning. ?You are always watching. ?You are always practicing. ?That is what NAPA is all about. ?You the player, becoming better, becoming more competitive, becoming part of a team, and becoming a leader, a teacher, a mentor. ?If you love something then it is easier to to tolerate frustration, enjoy competition, encourage friendship, and promote the game and the league.

I will be giving tips each week to help every level of player from those just beginning to those who think they have mastered the game. ?I will invite each of you to also give me your comments, suggestions, and remarks to make the blog, and the league, better.?

I look forward in starting this series and continue it as long as there is interest.

Source: http://napa-missouri.blogspot.com/2012/10/billiards-has-been-around-for-long-time.html

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Source: http://marjorie-timidity.blogspot.com/2012/10/napa-of-central-missouri-billiards.html

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Source: http://soigne-aircraftman.blogspot.com/2012/10/marjorie-timidity-napa-of-central.html

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Concession contracts to bring fleet of new retailers to airport | Crain's ...

Concession contracts to bring fleet of new retailers to airport

A new batch of seven-year retail concession contracts approved last week at Detroit Metropolitan Airport is projected to raise $62 million in revenue over that time.That was the projection made by...

Source: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20121021/SUB01/310219964/concession-contracts-to-bring-fleet-of-new-retailers-to-airport

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Cockatiel - 290278 - Medium - Adult - Bird | Camden Wyoming ...

Cockatiel - 290278 - Medium - Adult - Bird

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For additional information, reply to this ad or see: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=24380126

Brought to you by Petfinder.com

Source: http://delaware.ebayclassifieds.com/birds/camden-wyoming/cockatiel-290278-medium-adult-bird/?ad=24082215

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Donated human stool safely and effectively treats C. difficile infections, study suggests

ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2012) ? A novel therapy that uses donated human stool to treat the deadly and contagious C.difficile infection is safe and highly effective, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

Researchers found that 43 of 49 patients recovered swiftly after treatment and had no adverse complications from C.diff three months later. Treatment is performed either through a nasogastric tube or colonscopy on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

Mayur Ramesh, M.D., a Henry Ford Infectious Diseases physician and senior author of the study, says the treatment, while appearing unconventional, has striking results.

"More than 90 percent of the patients in our study were cured of their C.diff infection," says Dr. Ramesh. "This treatment is a viable option for patients who are not responding to conventional treatment and who want to avoid surgery."

The study was presented October 19 at the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting in San Diego.

In their study, researchers evaluated 49 patients who contracted Clostridium difficile, or C.diff, a germ that causes diarrhea and other intestinal problems and is linked to 14,000 deaths annually. Symptoms include water diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain and tenderness. C.diff occurs in patients taking antibiotics, and can spread from person-to-person contact or from touching contaminated equipment and objects like door knobs.

Patients with a C.diff infection are typically treated with the antibiotics metronidazole or vancomycin. However, surgery could be required to remove the infected part of the intestines. In its study, Henry Ford treated patients between May 2010 and June 2012 with a therapy called intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT), using donated stool from a healthy family member.

Dr. Ramesh says the healthy stool, when mixed with warm tap water and administered, helps to re-establish the normal intestinal flora in the patient's gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal flora is healthy bacteria that stimulates the immune system and aids the digestion and absorption of food.

"Patients who receive treatment through a nasogastric tube don't taste or smell the stool mixture as it's administered," Dr. Ramesh says. "Patients often resume their diet within a couple hours and are feeling better within 24 hours."

Of the 49 patients, 43 fully recovered, four died of causes unrelated to C.diff, one had intestinal surgery and one had no improvement.

The study was funded by Henry Ford Hospital.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Henry Ford Health System.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Ep-d7HPIgx8/121020162445.htm

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Kit list: Food and drink | gypsy by trade

Cook system:

Brunton 0.8L anodized aluminum cookpot with lid

aluminum windscreen, made from dryer vent

pot support, from stainless steel spokes and baling wire

alcohol Penny Stove, from Ska Brewing beer cans, with simmer ring

cheap stainless steel spoon

Swiss-Army knife

seasoning: grey sea salt, ground pepper, blend of cumin and savory spices, garlic

Bic lighter

1L plastic drink bottle of alcohol for fuel

16oz. enameled steel mug

0.5L aluminum bottle for olive oil (on Lael?s bike)

Alternatively, the Klean Kanteen or steel mug can be used to heat or sterilize water.

Water:

64 oz. Klean Kanteen, contained in Salsa Anything Cage

26 oz. Specialized Purist water bottle, in standard bottle cage to King Top Cap bottle mount

1L plastic drink bottle for overflow capacity, mounted to fork with Profile Design Kage

70 oz. Platypus bladder in arid climates

MSR Hyperflow water filter, field serviceable

Food storage:

large nylon sack

Ziploc-style bags for compressible dry goods

peanut butter stored in bottle cage when necessary

additional food stored in framebag and Carradice saddlebag

50ft. nylon cord, Coughlin?s brand found at most outdoor stores, for hanging food when bears are present

Creative meals are inevitable.

And local delicacies.

Through the kindness of strangers, even a few home-cooked meals along the way.

Meals are some of the most memorable experiences on the road. ?A moment alone can alter my mood from ragged to revived, and a?contemplative apple on the roadside or an awakening cup of coffee can affect?the pace of the day. Making time to cook and eat is an important step to a fun, sustainable adventure.

For a nearly complete list of DIY stove designs, visit the Zen Backpacking page dedicated to alcohol and multi-fuel stoves. ?I will be presenting the items I carried this summer, categorically, for the remainder of the week. ?Currently, the only place where I have published a packing list is on on the Velo Orange Blog in a post entitled ?Packing the Campeur Bikepacking Style, Part 2?.

Source: http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/kit-list-food-and-drink/

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How Video Marketing Can Help a Real Estate Business Become More

???You are here: DIME Home > Video Marketing > How Video Marketing Can Help a Real Estate Business Become More Prosperous

If a prospective customer is looking for a real estate property, the first medium he has to look for is the Web. If a real estate owner wants to sell a property, the first thing he does is turn to the Internet.

Author: James Taste
Date: Oct 19, 2012 - 3:13:48 AM

Printer?friendly?page

To keep up with the times, video marketing is a sure way to advance your real estate business. Everybody is glued to the Internet.

Customers are always looking for answers in the Web. If a prospective customer is looking for a real estate property, the first medium he has to look for is the Web. If a real estate owner wants to sell a property, the first thing he does is turn to the Internet.

What better way is there to promote your business than through online marketing, specifically video marketing?

Video Marketing Strategy
Effective online marketing strategy entails you to create videos that are able to showcase your merchandise. You need to create a meaningful video that is instilled in the minds of your viewers. In your video, indicate the good qualities of your product. Emphasize the strategic location of the real estate.

Video marketing strategy is the best way to attract customers to purchase real estate from your company. Gone are the days when you need some magazine pages, newspaper classified ads, promotional items, and business cards. Needless to say, these promotional materials can raise your advertising expenses to great heights.

What you need now is a video marketing strategy. As a real estate purchase requires a lot of decision making for the buyers, a good video presentation is the start of a closed deal. This is not to mention the fact that video marketing is virtually free promotional tool.

The same is true with sellers. The moment they see that there is traffic generated through your website, they can easily contact you and sign up for a business deal.

How Video Marketing Helps Your Real Estate Business
The viewers of your video are mostly, if not all, individuals who are interested in purchasing a real estate property. They are mostly new professionals, retirees, and married couples. These persons, who need a house and lot for residence and investment purposes, turn mostly to Google and YouTube for quick answers.

It is not hard to understand, therefore, why you need to create the best video presentation. Video marketing is not a choice. It is a requirement, your essential tool. This is if you want your business to prosper and be as competitive as the other real estate groups.

Customers visit different websites for information. A good and efficient website has a video purposely offered for those customers who do not want to read long web contents. Seeing them animated in their monitor is a lot more convenient.

They tune in to videos to have a good look of what your company has to offer. They become interested in your product and soon enough, they are clicking your Contact Us box. This is the start of a more prosperous real estate business.

This article is written by James Taste aka Triggerman.? James is also a contributing writer for Personalized Videos.

View all articles by James Taste

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Source: http://www.dime-co.com/video-marketing/How-Video-Marketing-Can-Help-a-Real-Estate-Business-Become-More-Prosperous.shtml

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Personal Finance Blogs Are Fluff - Business Insider

I?m a different kind of personal finance blogger because I believe that most of what you read in the?pf blogosphere?is wrong.

My alternative financial viewpoint arises simply because I come from a different background than most pf bloggers. Most bloggers write because they want to make money, or are embarking on a journey to get out of debt, and they are passionate enough about their finances to share their own experiences.

I write because I have already made my money (I made $7 million in just 7 years, starting $30,000 in debt) but found, as I was on my own?financial?journey, that most of the advice in the books and blogs on offer was either wrong or?outright?dangerous.

Wrong, because most personal?finance?advice is designed to make you frugal and debt free ? not wealthy. Dangerous, because you need to amass a much larger fortune than most bloggers and authors will have you believe is necessary, if you want to enjoy life beyond work.

Aim too low and you?ll end up working for 40 years or more, only to live the rest of your life in virtual poverty, relying on government handouts to supplement your meager retirement income.

So, here are some of the more popular myths of personal finance that I resolved to bust:

The Millionaire Myth

Fortunately, the myth that you can retire comfortably on a million dollars is a fairly easy one to discredit with some simple mathematics (stick with me on this). In fact, becoming a millionaire in your lifetime is going to be easy ? too easy:

If you start off earning $25,000 a year and work for 40 years (earning around $80k in your last pre-retirement year), and save just 10% of your annual salary (earning 8% on your money), you will have exactly $1,000,000 when you retire.

Of course, you will be used to living on $72k p.a. ($80k less 10% set aside for savings) by then, but ? assuming a 4% ?safe??withdrawal?rate ? $1 million will only give you half of that to live off.

Now, $36,000 a year without working may sound tempting, until you factor in the effects of inflation which tends to double the cost of living every 20 years. This means that your $36k retirement salary is worth less then $9,000 a year in today?s dollars!

So, you?will?be a millionaire in your lifetime, but that is hardly the point!

The ?Bad Debt? Myth

The most common and costly mistake that personal finance bloggers make is confusing good and bad debt with cheap and expensive debt.

Because so many people have trapped themselves into credit card debt, which they?should?pay off as quickly as possible because it?s just so expensive, they have been lead to believe by so many financial pundits that they should pay off?all?of their debt, including their mortgages.

For most people, this is actually a huge mistake.

Instead, they should first pay off?expensive?debt (such as credit cards, and auto loans) as quickly as possible. But, as soon as their remaining loans (such as student loans and home mortgages) are at a lower after-tax interest rate than, say, the cost of an investment loan (such as you might get to buy an investment property), why pay it off just to take out a bigger, more expensive investment loan later?

The ?Emergency Fund? Myth

It?s become popular for personal finance authors to promote the idea of putting cash aside to deal with life?s little emergencies ? 3 months salary or $10,000 seems to be popular choices amongst bloggers.

But does putting aside $10,000 cash make financial sense? First, let?s assume that this fund is big enough to cover all likely emergencies.

Haven?t you just created your worst case outcome? Haven?t you just depleted your investment fund by $10k? Wouldn?t it be better to instead invest that $10k so that it is always working for you, earning a return, whether there is an emergency (very unlikely) or no emergency (very likely)?

To protect yourself in the unlikely event of an emergency, you could simply create a source of money that you can tap into?only when needed?(e.g. a line of credit against your home; a redraw facility against your 401k; a 0% APR credit card, sitting there ? unused ? just for this purpose).

A 2-Step Plan For Wealth

If these myths ? and, others ? need to be broken, what should you put in their place? Well, it starts with understanding ? if retiring with $1 million isn?t sufficient ? just how much is enough?

That answer will differ for everybody, but I?m guessing that if you are just starting your working life, you will want many times the $9,000 per year in today?s spending power that $1 million in 40 years actually delivers.

And, the only way that you will amass that kind of wealth is to:

1. Increase Your Income
2. Actively?Invest

Saving money is far less important than increasing your income, simply because ? as your income increases ? you will have more to save. For example, you should be able to save 10% of your current income, but saving 50% is almost impossible without making dramatic sacrifices to your lifestyle. Yet, continuing to save 10% (or, whatever your current rate of saving is) and saving 50% of any future increase in income should be far less traumatic, yet your overall savings will increase dramatically.

And, you should also be?actively?working on your investments: my rule of thumb is that?75% of your net worth?should always be working for you, at the best possible after tax interest rate.

For example, why put your money into a CD at 2% (or less) or an Index Fund at 7% (over a long enough timeframe) when $10,000 invested at:

• 15% (direct stocks) grows to $35,000 after just 10 years
• 30% (real-estate) grows to $106,000 after just 10 years
• 50% (business) grows to $384,000 after just 10 years

Now, you will need to learn a lot and work hard to get anywhere close to these kinds of returns, but if you increase?both?the amount that you invest?and?the rate of return, over a 20 to 40 year working life, you can safely expect far more than the typical financial blogger will have you ever believe is possible.

???
Guest Post by Adrian J Cartwood?? A self-made (and, recently retired) multi-millionaire and author of the personal finance blog ?How To Make $7?million In 7 Years? where AJC blogs about his personal journey from $30,000 in debt to $7 million in the bank. AJC?(in?conjunction?with popular blogger and author,?Debbie Dragon)?has just published his first book,??Share Your Number!?

NOW READ: 10 Things Your Parents Forgot To Teach You About Money >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance-blogs-are-fluff-2012-10

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A Value-Creation Checklist: Five Helpful Tips

By following these tips in your next negotiation, you?ll improve the chances of meeting everyone?s interests.

- Before you sit down at the bargaining table, imagine a wide-range of options and packages, including some that may seem far-fetched.

- When talks begin, remember that getting down to business too quickly can stand in the way of building trust.

- Emphasize to your counterpart the importance of separating ?inventing? from ?deciding,? as Fisher, Ury, and Patton suggest in Getting to Yes.

- Don?t worry about adding complexity. Bringing new issues, options, and parties to the negotiation is likely to create value.

- Avoid artificial deadlines, though it can be helpful to decide when it?s time to concentrate on the packages you?ve identified.

.

Source: http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/a-value-creation-checklist-five-helpful-tips/

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32GB Nexus 7 tablets appear at retail with $249 price tag, October 29th street date

Ahead of Google's Android event on the 29th there's additional confirmation of a storage upgrade for the Nexus 7, as 32GB units have now been spotted on shelves at US retailers. Seemingly dead-set on matching the LG E960 "Mako" Nexus G for the title of worst-kept secret, we've received this photo of a tag for the new unit at a Sam's Club (with a placeholder price). Reports on Android Central and The Verge also mention hardware spotted at Staples locations, with one person actually succeeding in buying one. All of that follows a listing on the Staples website and one Japanese buyer apparently receiving one early by accident. According to the tags and receipts, the new units are scheduled to go on sale the same day as the Android event, and at the same $249 price of the current 16GB model. Now that the alleged Sony Nexus phone has been exposed as a fake we don't know if there will be any surprises left, but if you want to buy anything from Google's brand then patience (or at least shopping around) is probably your best strategy.

[Thanks, Adam]

Filed under: Tablets, Google

32GB Nexus 7 tablets appear at retail with $249 price tag, October 29th street date originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/19/32gb-nexus-7-249-oct-29th-leak/

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Time to Consider Wide Moat ETFs - Zacks Investment Research

The first half of 2012 has been very volatile for the world stock markets, given slowing U.S. economic growth and worsening European debt problems. With the announcement of another round of quantitative easing (or QE3) by the Federal Reserve to spur economic growth, the markets have surged to a new high, suggesting more upside potential in the year ahead as the full impact of this program is felt (read: Are the Troubled European ETFs Back on Track?).?

Investors looking to put more in the market could tap the current opportunity by investing in wide moat stocks. These stocks have easily beaten the S&P 500 since the inception of the wide moat concept in exchange-traded product form in late 2002 and have outperformed the S&P 500 by at least 5% over the last three to five years.

Given their robust track record, these stocks have been the biggest gainer from QE1 and QE2, beating the broader market returns. As a result, we expect these stocks to benefit from the QE3 implementation as well (read: Commodity ETFs in Focus as Fed Unleashes QE3).

Concept of Wide Moats

The term was widely used by the famous investor, Warren Buffett, who describes ?wide moats? as sustainable competitive advantages that enable companies to produce outsized returns over time. In other words, a wide moat offers solid returns, ensuring safety of income, as it is harder for the rivals to overcome the companies with these advantages.

Generally, the competitive advantages can be in any form such as brand power, high switching costs, network effects, cost advantages or efficient scale. Any of these factors, or better yet a combo of them, look to make it very difficult for new entrants to steal share and unseat firms

The wide moat companies not only warrant rapid growth but also preserve value via returns on invested capital (ROIC) over the long term. These companies are well positioned compared to rivals, especially if they possess other strengths such as huge liquid cash reserves or strong balance sheet.

Wide Moat ETFs in Focus

Investors could play the wide moats in the ETF form that provides ample flexibility as well as tax and diversification benefits when compared to individual stocks or mutual funds (see more ETFs in the Zacks ETF Center). The funds honing in on the stocks that have wide competitive moats are doing better than the other funds in the space.

Investors have only two options in the wide moat ETF space to choose from, each having different structures, both of which we have briefly highlighted below:

Market Vectors Morningstar Wide Moat Research ETF (MOAT)

Launched by Van Eck, this fund has recently made its debut in the space in April 2012 (read: Van Eck Launches Morningstar Wide Moat Research ETF (MOAT)). It seeks to match the price and yield of the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Index, before fees and expenses. The index has been generating exceptional returns relative to the overall market.

The fund provides exposure to 20 U.S. securities that have sustainable competitive advantages. None of the stocks occupies more than 6% of the share in the basket, suggesting higher diversification benefits.

Some of the top wide moat companies include Lowe?s, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, and Compass Minerals International. Large caps account for a hefty 80% of the assets while mid caps take the remaining portion of the basket (read: Three ETFs with Incredible Diversification).

The product is heavily weighted towards information technology and financial sector that combined make up for roughly 41% share. Other sectors ? materials, industrials, energy, health care, utilities and consumer discretionary ? occupy the next places in the basket.

The fund has attracted about $64.3 million of assets under management thanks to good liquidity. The ETF trades in volumes of more than 48,000 shares per day and charges a relatively higher fee of 0.49% compared to the category average of 0.46%. The fund has delivered impressive returns of about 7.6% since its inception, which is higher than the S&P 500 returns of just over 5%.

Elements Morningstar Wide Moat Focus ETN (WMW)

Launched in October 2007, this is the oldest moat product tracking the Morningstar Wide Moat Focus Total Return Index. The index provides equal-weighted exposure to 20 attractively priced companies that have sustainable competitive advantages.

The fund is similar to its Market Vector counterparts from an individual security perspective with technology as the top sector. Materials, financial, industrial, real estate, energy, health care, consumer cyclical and utilities take the next remaining spots in the basket. The ETN largely focuses on large cap firms (64%) followed by mid caps (21%) and small caps (15%).

The product has failed to catch the investors? interest as AUM is below $8 million despite having been on the market for nearly five years. The fund is quite expensive, charging 75 bps in fees per year from investors.

A great deal of the lack of interest could be due to the ETN structure as it is a debt security instead of a product that actually holds the underlying securities. Additionally, it is less liquid, trading in volumes of only 9,000 shares per day on average that increases the cost of this fund further in the form of a wide bid/ask spread (read: Use Caution When Trading These Three Illiquid ETFs).

Nevertheless, WMW is no weakling in terms of delivering outstanding returns to investors. The fund has delivered exceptional gains of 17.3% so far this year, outpacing the S&P 500 returns in the same time frame.

In addition, the product has gained over 49% since its inception while S&P 500 lost around 5% over the same period, suggesting that even over long time periods, there is something to this wide moat strategy (read: The Five Best ETFs over the Past Five Years).

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/85039/time-to-consider-wide-moat-etfs

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Armstrong stepping down as Livestrong chairman

FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2010, file photo, cyclist Lance Armstrong greets fellow riders prior to the start of his Livestrong Challenge 10K ride for cancer in Blue Bell, Pa. Even after whistleblowers unveiled their scathing report portraying Armstrong as an unrepentant drug cheat, the argument over what to make of his life story rages on. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2010, file photo, cyclist Lance Armstrong greets fellow riders prior to the start of his Livestrong Challenge 10K ride for cancer in Blue Bell, Pa. Even after whistleblowers unveiled their scathing report portraying Armstrong as an unrepentant drug cheat, the argument over what to make of his life story rages on. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower, File)

FILE - In this July 24, 2005 file photo, Lance Armstrong, of Austin, Texas, carries the United States flag and wears a jersey with Nike logos during a victory parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, after winning his seventh straight Tour de France cycling race. Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity and Nike severed ties with him as fallout from the doping scandal swirling around the famed cyclist escalated Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this July 24, 2005 file photo, Lance Armstrong wears a Nike logo on his jersey prior to the start of the 21st and final stage of the Tour de france cycling race, between Corbeil-Essonnes, south of Paris, and the French capital. Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity and Nike severed ties with him as fallout from the doping scandal swirling around the famed cyclist escalated Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - This Aug. 24, 2009 file photo shows Lance Armstrong during the opening session of the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland. Armstrong said Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, he is stepping down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity so the group can focus on its mission instead of its founder's problems. The move came a week after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive report detailing allegations of widespread doping by Armstrong and his teams when he won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)

FILE - In an 80-foot billboard at 34th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, Lance Armstrong and Nike challenge New Yorkers to "Run Like Lance" in an Oct. 2, 2006 file photo. Nike said Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012 that it is severing ties with Armstrong, citing insurmountable evidence that the cyclist participated in doping and misled the company for more than a decade. (PRNewsFoto/NIKE, Inc., File)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Lance Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity and Nike severed ties with him as fallout from the doping scandal swirling around the famed cyclist escalated Wednesday.

Armstrong announced his move at the charity in an early-morning statement. Within minutes, Nike said that it would end its relationship with him "due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade."

Nike said it will continue to support Livestrong.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a massive report last week detailing allegations of widespread doping by Armstrong and his teams when he won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005.

The document's purpose was to show why USADA has banned him from cycling for life and ordered 14 years of his career results erased ? including those Tour titles. It contains sworn statements from 26 witnesses, including 11 former teammates.

Armstrong, who was not paid a salary as chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, will remain on its 15-member board. His duties leading the board will be turned over to vice chairman Jeff Garvey, who was founding chairman in 1997.

"This organization, its mission and its supporters are incredibly dear to my heart," Armstrong said in a statement. "Today therefore, to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career, I will conclude my chairmanship."

Foundation spokeswoman Katherine McLane said the decision turns over the foundation's big-picture strategic planning to Garvey. He will also assume some of the public appearances and meetings that Armstrong used to handle.

Kelley O'Keefe, professor of brand strategy at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the charity already may be permanently damaged and that Armstrong may never be able to fully resume his public role.

"From the brand perspective, Armstrong is done," O'Keefe said.

O'Keefe compared Armstrong to Tiger Woods and Michael Vick, who also were embroiled in controversy but were able to return to the playing fields to help redeem their image.

"Armstrong doesn't have that. He's just a retired athlete with a tarnished image," O'Keefe said.

Armstrong strongly denies doping, but did not fight USADA accusations through arbitration, saying he thinks the process is unfair. Once Armstrong gave up the fight in August and the report came out, crisis management experts predicted the future of the foundation, known mainly by its Livestrong brand name, would be threatened. They said Armstrong should consider stepping down.

Armstrong's inspiring story of not only recovering from testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain but then winning the world's best-known bike race helped his foundation grow from a small operation in Texas into one of the most popular charities in the country.

Armstrong drew legions of fans ? and donations ? and insisted he was drug free at a time when doping was rampant in professional cycling. In 2004, the foundation introduced the yellow "Livestrong" bracelets, selling more than 80 million and creating a global symbol for cancer awareness and survivorship.

"As my cancer treatment was drawing to an end, I created a foundation to serve people affected by cancer. It has been a great privilege to help grow it from a dream into an organization that today has served 2.5 million people and helped spur a cultural shift in how the world views cancer survivors," Armstrong said.

As chairman, Armstrong did not run the foundation's day-to-day operations, which are handled by Livestrong president and chief executive Doug Ulman.

Ulman had said last week that Armstrong's leadership role would not change. Armstrong's statement said he will remain a visible advocate for cancer issues, and he is expected to speak at Friday night's 15th anniversary gala for Livestrong in Austin.

"My family and I have devoted our lives to the work of the foundation and that will not change. We plan to continue our service to the foundation and the cancer community. We will remain active advocates for cancer survivors and engaged supporters of the fight against cancer," Armstrong said.

CharityWatch, which analyzes the work of approximately 600 charities, lists the foundation among its top-rated organizations. That status normally goes to groups which "generally spend 75 percent or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve" and disclose basic financial information and documents.

Livestrong says it had functional expenses totaling nearly $35.8 million last year and 82 percent of every dollar raised went directly to programs, a total of more than $29.3 million.

The foundation reported a spike in contributions in late August in the days immediately after Armstrong announced he would no longer fight doping charges and officials moved to erase his Tour victories.

Daniel Borochoff, founder and president of Chicago-based CharityWatch, said last week it may take some time for donors to digest the allegations against Armstrong.

"Individuals that admire and support an individual who is later found out to be severely tarnished, don't want to admit it, don't want to admit that they've been duped," Borochoff said. "People, though, do need to trust a charity."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-10-17-Armstrong-Livestrong/id-3bf674d3fbd94573bdac3376b5487b80

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