photofantasm soundgarden: nudedragons to king animal coming soon

PHOTOFANTASM SOUNDGARDEN: NUDEDRAGONS TO KING ANIMAL COMING SOON !

Please sign up here to reserve your limited addition copy of Photofantasm? Soundgarden. NEW details on the book below: http://photofantasm.com/ (Although we will make every effort, reserving your name does not guarantee a copy of the book due to the limited edition first run, however the sooner you sign up, the better the chance. Book distribution and pricing will be determined closer to the completion of the book and announced at that point.)

Photofantasm is a dedication to the band Soundgarden, A HUGE thank you from their fans around the world that love their music, live performances, and look forward to the band?s future. It?s a fan based, compilation photo journal, consisting of photographs, graphic art, first-hand accounts of personal experiences and quotes from fans, graphic artists, musical artists and other notable contributors chronicling Soundgarden?s performances from across the globe. The journey begins with their 2010 Nudedragons show in Seattle performing songs from their exiting catalog up to their intimate live performances in 2012 which showcased songs from their new album King Animal.

The book is a collaboration of multigenerational fans representing 23 countries who in the spirit of this project, and shared passion for Soundgarden, contributed their work to Photofantasm. Despite location, language barriers, age, gender, race, social and political views or varying backgrounds all these fans have one thing in common and that is the love of Soundgarden?s music and appreciation for what they do. The individual impact and experience of their music is personal to each contributor and to the millions of fans that didn?t have an opportunity to participate in this project.

Photofantasm captures this unique chapter in Soundgarden?s history which can be remembered by the band and their fans in years to come. The exceptional moment in time where they performed their existing collection of songs so brilliantly leading up to the epic anticipation of their new album and hearing it live after a 15 year wait. Much like owning a classic quality vinyl record, having a tangible and visual memory of what many of us experienced together is something worth treasuring. Photofantasm is more than a fan based photo book, it?s a heartfelt thank you to Soundgarden from their fans, the Knights of the Soundtable.

Now that public submissions are closed the ETA on the book is Spring 2013. In the interim we?ll continue to update fans on the content of the book starting with the graphic artists. Photofantasm will include ALL official POSTER ART for each Soundgarden concert between 2010 and 2012. Artists who contributed their amazing artwork include Josh Graham, MunkOne, Brad Klausen, Frank Kozik, EMEK, Maxx242, Jeff Soto, Mark 5, Gregg Gordon, Justin Kamerer, Rhys Cooper, Justin Hampton, Jermaine Rogers, Zoltron, Ames Bros, Ken Taylor, Chuck Sperry, and Lars P. Krause.

Other artists and notable contributors will be announced in phases as we get closer to the pre-order of the book. The first run of the book Photofantasm Soundgarden will be a quality, limited addition, 8.5?11, hardcover, with over 300+ gloss pages between 500-750 copies. Pre-Orders will be offered to all the contributors first then to fans who sign up for the Photofantasm reservation list prior to the general public sale. Please see the top of this page to add yourself to the reservation list.

For more information or inquires please email us at info@spoondogentertainment.com and/or join http://www.facebook.com/groups/PhotofantasmSoundgarden/ Please see http://www.facebook.com/SpoondogEntertainment for additional updates.

Disclaimer: Photofantasm? Soundgarden is dedicated to the band Soundgarden and created directly from their fans as an unofficial photo compilation book by Spoondog Entertainment Group, LLC. All content in Photofantasm Soundgarden has been given express authorization and approval from the contributors.

Source: http://grungereport.net/?p=19902

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Mr. Tom's Tips for Emergency Preparedness: Plastic Containers

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There are many items made from plastic these days, several of which are items used for storing food. But not all plastics are good to use for storing food items, and some may actually contain toxic ingredients. So the question has come up as to what the difference is between a ?regular? container, and a ?food grade? container. Well, let?s discuss some things you should know.

What Is Food Grade Plastic?

????????? You should be mindful of two aspects of plastic production when choosing your containers. First: What type of plastic resin was used in the manufacturing? Second: What type of release agent was used? (A release agent is a chemical used to allow the plastic to break freely from the mold without sticking. You can think of it like using PAM? on your cookware.) While some products are technically made from ?food grade? plastic, the release agent used may contain toxic chemicals. True food grade plastic items have been made with a more expensive release agent that contains no toxins.

Food grade plastic films and containers may be made from polycarbonate, polyester, or polyethylene. They do not contain dyes or recycled plastics that have been deemed to be harmful to humans. However, this does not mean that food grade plastic cannot contain dyes or some recycled plastic. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that plastics used in food packaging be of greater purity than plastics used for non-food packaging. The FDA has detailed regulations concerning plastic purity. Plastic requirements.

The characteristics of plastic in terms of density, permeability and strength vary considerably. To limit permeability of moisture and oxygen, films of these plastics are sometimes laminated together, frequently with a metallic layer. Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) packaged in such a metalized polyester-polyethylene wrap have a shelf life Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 of 5+ years if kept cool.

Another aspect of using plastic for food storage is matching the appropriate type of plastic to a particular food product. Foods that are highly acidic (like tomatoes), contain alcohol, or fats, can leach chemicals from the plastic container into the food. Therefore you should only use plastic containers that are FDA approved for the particular type of food with which it will come in contact.

A plastic container that has been used to store non-food items like paint, chemicals, or detergent, can no longer be considered food grade. Because of the tiny pores in plastic, non-food chemicals will contaminate the container which in turn would contaminate any food items. (In other words, don?t re-use your empty detergent buckets for food storage purposes.) You can purchase food grade buckets at various locations on line such as Emergency Essentials; or Be Ready Inc.. You might be able to get used buckets for free or for a very low price from your neighborhood bakery or donut shop.?

????????? There is a caveat that you should consider with plastics and the claims regarding food safety. The plastic used for food items, like frozen dinner trays or water bottles, have been tested ONLY for their ?intended use.? This means that when you re-use those trays, or use them for other purposes, all bets are off. Some plastics are allowed to be in contact with food in the microwave while others are not. Keep in mind that bacteria can grow on virtually any packaging material if stored in conditions suitable for bacterial growth. Therefore, it?s best to clean plastic containers with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly before reuse.

Types of Plastic

In the Plastic industry, the following codes represent the seven categories of plastic resin used in nearly all plastic containers and product packaging:

	PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles. Examples: Water bottles, soft drink bottles, detergent bottles. ?
	HDPE (high density polyethylene) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents. Most five gallon buckets are made from HDPE. Examples: Milk bottles, some shopping bags, toys. ?
	Vinyl (Polyvinyl chloride or PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life. Examples: Plastic food wrap, shrink wrap, garden hoses, vegetable oil bottles. (Saran Wrap? has been reformulated and no longer contains PVC.) ?
	LDPE (low density polyethylene) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons. Examples: Squeeze bottles, dry cleaning bags, some grocery bags. ?
	PP (polypropylene) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold on tightly to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt. Many Cambo?, Tupperware?, and Rubbermaid? food storage containers are made from polypropylene. Examples: Bottle caps, take-out food containers, drinking straws. ?
	PS (polystyrene), in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products. Examples: Plastic foam, disposable utensils, coat hangers.
	Other: Denotes plastics made from other types of resin or from several resins mixed together. These usually cannot be recycled. Examples: Three and five-gallon water bottles, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers. Common plastics polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) do not have recycling numbers.

Polycarbonate is a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and recently in the Rubbermaid Stain Shield? line of products for home use. (Polycarbonate is the same plastic used to make light weight lenses for eye glasses.)

Plastics that have been approved for food storage are:? polyethylene terephthalate, and high density polyethylene (#1 & #2 above). Polycarbonate has also been approved, but I would like to point out the following information regarding this plastic:

BPA:

Bisphenol A (BPA), is a synthetic estrogen used to make plastics hard: It has been the subject of many news reports questioning its safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it?s safe to use BPA in food-contact applications, but that claim is still being hotly debated. Apparently there was an expos? in the December 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, with actual test data from canned foods. (Plastic types #1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are free of BPA.) For information supporting BPA, click here. For more information against BPA, click here.

????????? Major factors to BPA leaching into your water or other food products seems to be time and heat. The longer something is stored in a container made with BPA, the more leaching will take place. Also, as the temperature of the container rises, more of the chemical can be released. For example, boiling water stored in a Nalgene? bottle will leach BPA 55 times faster than cold water.

Heat affects the other plastics as well, so you shouldn?t store water bottles in your car where the temperatures can reach well over 100 degrees on a sunny day. If you want to carry water in your car, it might be a better idea to keep it in the trunk where the temps will remain cooler. I encourage you to do your own research and draw your own conclusions.?

Plastic Bags

????????? If you?re not sure whether your storage bucket is made from food grade plastic, or for added protection, you can line your bucket with a plastic bag. Once again, keep in mind not all plastics are created equal. You should not use plastic bags that were made for a non-food use, such as trash bags or dry cleaning bags!

????????? There are several types of bags you could consider for lining buckets of food, and they include: Ziploc brand bags; turkey roasting bags; and Mylar laminate bags. Keep in mind that the bags should not be considered ?air-tight? unless they are heat sealed. In order for oxygen absorbing packets to be effective with long-term storage, you will need to make sure your liner is heat sealed!

(The Ziploc bags are handy, but they don?t provide an airtight seal.) Some kitchen supply stores sell other plastic bags for food use, but they?re fairly expensive.

Lids

????????? Storing food or other items in plastic buckets is a great way to organize your storage supplies. Some people put an entire meal of pre-packaged items into one bucket and then label the container accordingly. (For example a bucket labeled ?Dinner? could contain: canned chicken; stove top stuffing; canned gravy; canned vegetables; drink mix; and Jell-O or pudding mix.) You might be able to fit an entire days worth of food into one bucket. You could also use buckets for non-food items such as tools; cooking supplies; First Aid supplies; pet food; clothing, etc.

????????? In addition to Gamma Seal Lids, you can purchase a replacement lid for your buckets that is a toilet seat. With these lids, you simply line your bucket with a plastic bag and take care of business. (Of course, you don?t need food grade buckets or bags for this purpose.)

Summary

????????? Not all plastics are suitable for food storage! Be sure to use only food grade plastic to store food items. Non food grade containers may be used for food items if they?re lined with a food grade bag. Never use a container for food items that has been used previously for non-food chemicals or paint. You can buy replacement lids that will allow you easy access to your supplies while providing an airtight and watertight seal. While plastic gives a good seal for your food items, it is still permeable (over time, air and chemicals may still leach through the container). Avoid high temperatures (over 85? F) when using plastics for storage of food or water. ?

Mr. Tom

Source: http://www.mrtomstips.com/2013/01/plastic-containers.html

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Source: http://rorscbykv.posterous.com/mr-tom39s-tips-for-emergency-preparedness-pla

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Toyota Prius Named Best New Car Value ? CBS Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) -?Toyota Prius has been named by Consumer Reports as the best overall value for the automotive dollar in its annual Best New-Car Value analysis.

The Prius has the right combination of performance, reliability and low estimated ownership costs of $.49 cents per mile ? less than half that of the average car, to unseat the perennial pack leader Honda Fit. The Fit as has held the best new-car value title for the past four years.

In creating its annual Best and Worst New-Car-Value list, Consumer Reports mines its performance, reliability, and owner-cost data to calculate a value score for some 200 different vehicles ranging from small cars like the Prius to luxury sedans such as the BMW 750Li.

Toyota and Lexus models placed at the top of six of the 10 categories that Consumer Reports analyzed. The automaker?s hybrid cars, in particular, represent excellent values overall, with great fuel economy and reliability along with low depreciation working in their favor. Toyota hybrid models topped three of the categories and placed second, behind the non-hybrid version of the same model, in an additional category.

?The Prius may not be the most exciting vehicle to drive, nor the cheapest to purchase, but it?s extremely reliable, roomy, rides well, gets great fuel economy, and is inexpensive to operate, ? Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports, said in a release.

The scores were calculated based on the five-year owner cost for each vehicle, along with Consumer Reports road-test score and the organization?s own predicted-reliability. In short, the better a car performs in Consumer Reports road tests and reliability ratings, and the less it costs to own over time, the better its value. The five-year owner cost estimates factor in depreciation, fuel, insurance premiums, interest on financing, maintenance and repairs, and sales tax. Depreciation is by far the largest owner-cost factor.

The 10 vehicle categories Consumer Reports included in the analysis include?small hatchbacks, small sedans, family sedans, upscale sedans, luxury sedans, sporty cars/convertibles, wagons/minivans, small SUVs, midsized SUVs, and large/luxury SUVs.

?Some consumers seem to mistake size for value, buying their cars by the pound. But our data shows that rarely pays off. Price and fuel economy are the most important cost factors, and that?s where small cars have a big advantage,? Paul said.

Consumer Reports analysis shows small cars provide the highest value on average than any other car category, and large and luxury cars and SUVs deliver about 25-percent below-average value. Even the worst small cars tend to deliver about average value, and the best large SUVs and luxury cars rate about average. Usually family sedans deliver value that is 50 percent above the average vehicle. Notably, only one car in this category, the Chrysler 200, rates below average.

Best Value Small Hatchbacks: Toyota Prius Four

Worst Value Small Hatchbacks: Ford Focus SE

Best Value Family Sedan:?Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE

Worst Value Family Sedan: Chrysler 200 Limited (V6)

Almost every category Consumer Reports evaluated contained good values, even if they?re not the cheapest vehicles to own. For example, the Lexus RX 350 is a luxury SUV that costs almost $50,000 to purchase and is relatively expensive to operate, at 93 cents a mile. But it has an excellent reliability history and offers a lot for the money in terms of features and performance, making it stand out against its competitors.

Best Value Large /Luxury SUV: Lexus RX 350

Worst Value Large /Luxury SUV: Nissan Armada Platinum

Consumer Reports analysis shows that for shoppers?seeking space and good value, should consider a wagon, minivan, or small SUV. All three categories offer better-than-average value. The best is the fuel-efficient Toyota Prius V, which offers almost twice the value of an average car, with lots of room, above-average reliability, and very low owner cost, at just 51 cents per mile. And the small Mazda 5 minivan isn?t far behind.

Best Value Minivan/Wagon: Toyota Prius V Three

Worst Value Minivan/Wagon: Chrysler Town & Country Touring-L

Best Value Small SUV: Honda CR-V EX

Worst Value Small SUV: Mini Cooper Countryman S

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/01/01/toyota-prius-named-best-new-car-value/

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Getting more than anticipated from a New Year's Day swim | Health ...

I almost didn?t go for a swim this morning. After all, I?d had a good and joyous run, it?s New Year?s Day, and my arms are a little sore from (finally) using the weight machines at the gym.

But what the heck. I was feeling perky, so off I went. As I was changing into my swimsuit, a woman walked into the dressing room. She was taking tiny steps, as if she were afraid she?d lose her balance if her feet were any farther apart. We said our hellos, exchanged smiles and I wished her a happy new year.

?Happy New Year to you, too!? she said.

As I was pulling open the door that leads to the showers that leads to the pool, she spoke again.

?We?re not usually here at the same time, but when we are, I love watching you swim. You?re so fast,? she said.

I will interject here and say I am not that fast. But when you walk the length of the pool and someone swims by, that person?s pace ? and this sounds obvious even to those of us who know little to nothing about physics ? will seem speedy.

I thanked her, told her how much I love swimming, and eased into the pool. I was taking my usual sweet time getting started ? spitting into my goggles, waving my arms around, splashing my shoulders with water ? and saw her. She waved and, before giving me a thumbs-up, asked if she could use one of the two kickboards I?d put at the end of my lane. Sure, I said, and started swimming.

When I finished, I used my kickboard for an up-and-back to finish up.

?How do you do that?? she asked.

?Using two kickboards really helps,? I said. ?Plus, sometimes it seems easier to just kick from your knees, but if you use your whole leg as much as possible, that?ll get you to the end faster.?

?I used to swim all the time,? she said. ?But once I got this? (I didn?t know what she meant yet) ?I just couldn?t.?

Turns out she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 25, not long after giving birth to her second child. Now, her children are grown ? one daughter was with her in the pool ? and she has grandchildren. I said what an inspiration she must be to them.

?I?m determined to keep going, no matter what,? she said. ?I told my doctor I?m not going to end up in a wheelchair like other people my age. I?m going to keep fighting.?

She took the kickboards from the end of the pool and they floated in front of her. She asked me how I hold them when I kick, and I got back in the water to show her. I told her to give a good push off the end, and she?d be fine.

She thanked me and told me again how much she liked watching me swim. I thanked her, put on my flipflops, took my towel from the hook and went to shower.

When I took off my watch, I checked to see how long my workout took today. It was faster than I?d swum in a long, long time. In retrospect, I guess I shouldn?t have been surprised. Sure, it?s nice to believe in yourself. But sometimes it?s even nicer to have someone ? a total stranger, even ? believing in you.

Source: http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2013/01/getting-more-than-anticipated-from-a-new-years-day-swim.html/

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Chavez's VP says ailing leader still 'delicate'

A woman holds an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as people gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman holds an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as people gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

People, one of them holding an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman holds an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as people gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

People, one of them holding an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman holds up an image of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as people gather to pray for him at a church in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is confronting "new complications" due to a respiratory infection nearly three weeks after undergoing cancer surgery, his Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday evening in Cuba as he visited the ailing leader for the first time since his operation. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuela's vice president is returning home Wednesday from a visit with Hugo Chavez in Cuba and says the ailing president's condition remains "delicate" three weeks after his cancer surgery.

With rumors swirling that Chavez had taken a turn for the worse, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday that he had met with the president twice and had spoken with him.

"He's totally conscious of the complexity of his post-operative state and he expressly asked us ... to keep the nation informed always, always with the truth, as hard as it may be in certain circumstances," Maduro said in the prerecorded interview in Havana, which was broadcast Tuesday night by the Caracas-based television network Telesur.

Both supporters and opponents of Chavez have been on edge in the past week amid shifting signals from the government about the president's health. Chavez has not been seen or heard from since the Dec. 11 operation, and officials have reported a series of ups and downs in his recovery ? the most recent, on Sunday, announcing that he faced new complications from a respiratory infection.

Maduro did not provide any new details about Chavez's complications during Tuesday's interview. But he joined other Chavez allies in urging Venezuelans to ignore gossip, saying rumors were being spread due to "the hatred of the enemies of Venezuela."

He didn't refer to any rumors in particular, though one of them circulating online had described Chavez as being in a coma.

Maduro said Chavez faces "a complex and delicate situation." But Maduro also said that when he talked with the president and looked at his face, he seemed to have "the same strength as always."

"All the time we've been hoping for his positive evolution. Sometimes he has had light improvements, sometimes stationary situations," he said.

Maduro's remarks about the president came at the end of an interview in which he praised Venezuelan government programs at length, recalled the history of the Cuban revolution and touched on what he called the long-term strength of Chavez's socialist Bolivarian Revolution movement.

He mentioned that former Cuban President Fidel Castro had been in the hospital, and praised Cuba's government effusively. "Today we're together on a single path," Maduro said.

Critics in Venezuela sounded off on Twitter while the interview was aired, some saying Maduro sounded like a mouthpiece for the Cuban government. In their messages, many Chavez opponents criticized Maduro for the dearth of information he provided, accusing him of withholding key details about Chavez's condition.

Chavez's political opponents have complained that the government hasn't told the country nearly enough about his health, and have demanded it provide the country with a full medical report.

Even some of his supporters say they wished they knew more.

"We're distressed by El Comandante's health," said Francisca Fuentes, who was walking through a downtown square with her grandchildren Tuesday. "I think they aren't telling us the whole truth. It's time for them to speak clearly. It's like when you have a sick relative and the doctor lies to you every once in a while."

Chavez has been fighting an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer since June 2011. He has declined to reveal the precise location of the tumors that have been surgically removed. The president announced on Dec. 8, two month after winning re-election, that his cancer had come back despite previous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

"There's nothing we can do except wait for the government to deign to say how he is really," said Daniel Jimenez, an opposition supporter who was in a square in an affluent Caracas neighborhood.

Jimenez and many other Venezuelans say it seems increasingly unlikely that Chavez can be sworn in as scheduled Jan. 10 for his new term. If he dies or is unable to continue in office, the Venezuelan Constitution says a new election should be held within 30 days.

Before his operation, Chavez acknowledged he faced risks and designated Maduro as his successor, telling supporters they should vote for the vice president if a new presidential election was necessary.

Maduro didn't discuss the upcoming inauguration plans, saying only that he is hopeful Chavez will improve.

The vice president said that Chavez "has faced an illness with courage and dignity, and he's there fighting, fighting."

"Someone asked me yesterday by text message: How is the president? And I said, 'With giant strength,'" Maduro said. He recalled taking Chavez by the hand: "He squeezed me with gigantic strength as we talked."

___

Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda contributed to this report.

___

Ian James on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ianjamesap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-02-Venezuela-Chavez/id-280b8428c79d47bd81d6fae13e562863

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LG's latest Smart TVs to include NFC and Miracast compatibility

Not content with waiting until next week to unveil CES bound products, LG has pulled the wraps off some of their latest Smart TV's. We already know that LG is taking some new Google TV hardware to Las Vegas, but these TV sets aren't those. But, despite lacking a direct Android connection, they still give us cause for interest. 

The new LG Cinema 3D range includes this rather handsome looking edge-to-edge display, but there's a couple of standout features included. The new TVs will come with NFC compatibility, and Miracast. The sets will come with an NFC sticker that makes it easy to pair with an NFC capable smartphone, allowing for hassle free pairing and streaming of content from your mobile devices.

And that streaming will include the use of Miracast technology. While still in its infancy, it's still great to see LG including the technology in their new TV sets. After all, they did make the Nexus 4.

via Pocket-Lint 

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

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Global shares up on hopes U.S. to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street rallied on Monday and global equities headed for their best year in the last three as U.S. lawmakers closed in on a deal to avoid a budget crisis that many fear could cripple the world economy in 2013.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Congress was close to an agreement that would start chipping away at the deficit without raising middle class taxes.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also said agreement was "very, very close."

U.S. stocks rose, capping off a strong year on a high note and leaving the MSCI all-world index on track to end the year up 13 percent. U.S. government debt prices fell.

The deal is not likely to provide a long-term road map to reduce the U.S. budget deficit, which has been above $1 trillion for four straight years.

But without it, $600 billion of automatic spending cuts and across-the-board tax increases would take effect January 1, a blast of austerity that economists fear would thrust the United States into recession and hurt world growth.

"Traders understand that this is a stop-gap measure, but they'll take it," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark. "Markets can rally with some growth, but not with no growth. For now, they don't mind kicking the can down the road."

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 150.93 points, or 1.17 percent, at 13,089.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 21.80 points, or 1.55 percent, at 1,424.23. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 59.94 points, or 2.02 percent, at 3,020.25.

European shares also gained after a quiet day in Asia, where Japan's Nikkei and other indexes were already closed for 2012.

Despite recent declines on Wall Street and what seemed like a hopeless stalemate in budget talks, the benchmark S&P 500 was up 12.5 percent in 2012 after a nearly flat performance the prior year. The Dow was up 6 percent and the Nasdaq 15 percent.

With the world's major central banks expected to keep pumping stimulus into their economies at any sign of weakness, most economists forecast further gains in equities next year.

Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasuries fell 16/32 on the pending fiscal cliff deal to yield 1.76 percent. Treasury yields finished the year only slightly above where they started it, thanks to heavy safe-haven buying and the Fed's asset purchase programs aimed at keeping long-term rates low.

STILL RISKS AHEAD

Risks still remain for 2013, investors said.

Europe could lurch back into trouble if slow growth puts further pressure on heavily indebted countries such as Spain and Italy, said Alan Wilde, who helps manage $50 billion at Baring Asset Management in London.

"This pressure point may make acceptance of austere policy measures unpalatable and politicians may find they have to find other ways to cut costs," he said.

In the United States, striking the right balance between growth and deficit reduction will also be a challenge, as will addressing long-term fiscal problems.

"It looks to be another lengthy time of instability and volatility on Wall Street as the real work to address the longer term fiscal health of the U.S. government moves into 2013," said Ron Florance, managing director of investment strategy at Wells Fargo Private Bank.

But in 2012, investors worst fears -- a euro zone collapse, a hard landing in China's once-booming economy and another U.S. recession -- never came to pass.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 gained roughly 13 percent this year, largely due to the European Central Bank's vow to tackle the region's debt crisis, and recovered from an early morning dip to end the year at 1,131.64.

Peripheral euro zone bonds also rallied after a roller coaster year. Yields on Spanish and Italian sovereign bonds, a measure of the compensation creditors demand for lending to those governments money, spiked in the summer but have since fallen sharply. Euro zone bond markets were closed on Monday.

The euro was down 0.2 percent at $1.3191 but was up 2 percent for the year. An agreement on the U.S. budget would also be viewed as positive for the euro because it would help boost global growth.

Against the yen, the dollar hit 86.64, its best showing since mid-2010, and was set to end the year 12 percent firmer against Japan's currency, its biggest gain since 2005.

With a new Japanese government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expected to pursue a policy mix of aggressive monetary easing and heavy fiscal spending to beat deflation, analysts see the yen staying under pressure in 2013.

Commodities also found recent support as economic data in key emerging economies such as China have started pointing to a gradual pick-up in the pace of growth in 2013.

Gold was $1,675.60 an ounce, up more than 6 percent for the year and on track for a 12th consecutive year of gains. Rock-bottom interest rates, concerns over the financial stability of the euro zone, and diversification into bullion by central banks have boosted the metal. Copper also rose, ended the year up 6 percent after a late rally on Monday.

U.S. crude rose 96 cents to $91.76 per barrel but ended 2012 down more than 7 percent. (Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/global-shares-hopes-u-avoid-fiscal-cliff-202103667--finance.html

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