Managing the Board and Employees During Strategic Change :

American management guru Gary Hamel coined the notion of strategic decay: every strategy, no matter how brilliant, loses its value with time. Change is inevitable and essential in any organization. A business that does not embrace change is stagnating. This is a principle which applies as much to a hospitality business as any other market sector.

As companies struggle to survive in a challenging financial environment, many hotel and resort operators find it difficult to focus on and implement key policy changes, however much they are needed. This article examines how these businesses can successfully drive and manage strategic change, at both board and employee level.

Strategic change managers require many skills and qualities. But foremost they need insight; an objective, global view of a business?s current performance, the strength of the competition and the market potential.

They also need the foresight to distinguish the desirable from the achievable.

What does the hotel or resort really need? Is it a quick win or can the business wait to see a return on its investment? For many of the parties involved, the quick win may look more attractive, but a good change manager knows expediency does not always go hand-in-hand with sustainability. Any proposal should aim to build the brand as well as the business.

So already we?ve established that a strategic change manager needs astute financial and operational judgment and the ability to create viable, visionary business solutions. But this is only half the battle.

To translate vision into action, they should also be a ?change champion?. Strategic change may challenge the business?s current plans and conventions. I know from my own experiences of leading change programs that a change champion will need finely tuned interpersonal skills to persuade board members, employees and shareholders to sign up and support it.

The strategic change manager should be decisive, honest and clear. It?s important to communicate at each level ? board, employees and shareholders ? conveying the plain facts using language the people involved are familiar with, avoiding jargon or spin. Faced with potentially career-changing developments, they will want a clear explanation of how they can benefit from helping the project succeed, what would happen if it fails, and any input required from them. To bring everyone on board, the change manager needs to be passionate and articulate and capable of maintaining this level of communication throughout the change period.

A strategic change manager is naturally a leader, instigating original and even radical ideas that create and exploit opportunities. Like all good leaders, they should inspire by example ? passing on their knowledge, and encouraging others to contribute. Employees can be incentivized by offering training that will support their career progression as well as facilitating the project, and if appropriate, using bonus schemes that reward them as the project reaches each landmark stage.

If the business?s present structure hinders change, the change manager will need the confidence to take difficult decisions such as overcoming resistance, resolving internal conflicts and if necessary, thinning out overstaffed departments or removing those unable or unwilling to accommodate the new policies. They?ll also be adept at identifying and recruiting talent, from within and outside the business, bringing in the finest quality candidates to help achieve the strategy?s aims. They should also demonstrate a commitment to the future of the hotel or resort, by setting up a succession policy that secures business stability.

The change programs I have been involved with have highlighted the importance of managing expectations. It?s important to explain that the benefits of strategic change may not be seen straight away; the Board, employees and shareholders often expect change managers to deliver rapid results. Their expectations can be unrealistic, but the wise change manager appreciates that the project can only be deemed a success when all parties are satisfied.

Any hotel business with an executive manager possessing all these qualities, plus the time to take on a strategic change role, is very fortunate indeed. Of course this person will know the business and competitors well and can ?hit the ground running?.

However, it?s highly likelysuch a talented person will already be fully utilized within the organization and won?t have the additional capacity required for this demanding task. Diverting them from their existing duties could be disruptive and possibly counter-productive. And co-workers may find it difficult to accept them in the new role, especially if they are personally affected by the change manager?s decisions.

Alternatively the business can call on external resources. This could mean recruiting a new manager, or bringing in an expert to coach a suitable existing employee, who will become the strategic change manager. This second route is time-consuming, but has the advantage that the employee will benefit from a thorough understanding of the business. And even after the change process, he/she will be a real asset to the organization.

Another option, which offers several benefits, is to hire a consultant or interim manager to implement the strategic change. As an independent expert, they can make wholly objective decisions, divorced from company politics. Their recommendations will be focused on the business?s priorities, not clouded by career considerations. And they will be able to bring the specialized skills and devote the long hours necessary to see the project through.

Pierre Wack, who pioneered the use of scenario planning, maintained that planning for change was not determined by formal analysis and statistics, but by insight, complexity and subtlety. There are many uncertainties about strategic change. The only sure fact, is that sooner or later, your hospitality business will need to deal with it.

Source: www.hospitalitynet.org

Arseny

Source: http://www.ehospitalitytimes.com/?p=55518

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Float driver won't face charges in train crash

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) ? A grand jury on Wednesday declined to indict the driver of a float involved in a train collision that killed four U.S. military veterans in a West Texas parade.

Dale Andrew Hayden, the driver of the truck pulling the float, will not face charges stemming from the Nov. 15 accident that killed four veterans who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sixteen other people were injured.

The 12-person grand jury "has not concluded its review of the incident," according to a news release issued by Midland County District Attorney Teresa Clingman. It wasn't clear what that could mean, but the grand jury did not indict Hayden and Midland police already have said they don't plant to pursue criminal charges against him. Clingman declined to comment further.

The veterans were riding on a flatbed truck that was hit by a Union Pacific train traveling at 62 mph. The truck was the second float in a parade organized to honor wounded veterans and their wives.

The accident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Hayden was placed under a physician's care and got counseling in the days after the crash, his attorney, Hal Brockett has said.

Hayden, who has a military career spanning more than three decades, works as a truck driver for Smith Industries, an oilfield services company. The company placed Hayden on medical leave after the accident. Brockett said Hayden is back at work.

"I'm almost embarrassed to say I'm relieved," Brockett said Wednesday after the grand jury's decision. "I didn't think it was a grand jury matter, but I don't want to minimize the effect on Dale and the people who died and were injured out there."

According to the NTSB, the railroad crossing warning system was activated 20 seconds before the accident, and the guardrail began to come down seven seconds after that. Investigators say the float began crossing the train tracks even though warning bells were sounding and the crossing lights were flashing.

Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific Corp. announced in December that it was adjusting the timing of the crossing signal where the collision occurred.

Two injured vets and their wives have sued Union Pacific, alleging the train company didn't provide enough warning signals or do enough to fix what their lawsuit called hazardous conditions. Relatives of some of the victims declined to comment Wednesday or did not return messages.

The veterans had been invited to Midland, a transportation and commerce hub in the West Texas oilfields, for a three-day weekend of hunting and shopping in appreciation of their service. A local charity, Show of Support, organized the trip, parade and other festivities.

Show of Support officials did not get a parade permit from the city.

Killed were Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gary Stouffer, 37; Army Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin, 47; Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 34; and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/float-driver-wont-face-charges-train-crash-215939600.html

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Annual Holiday Story Contest Winners Announced by Consolidated ...

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

By April Lewis-Parks

Three winners told Consolidated Credit about their personal journeys of ?Divorce with Children to Financial Independence,? ?Being Maxed Out: Learning that Credit Cards Should Not Be a Way of Life,? and ?From Scammed by Crooks to Getting on the Road to Credit Card Debt Freedom.?

Consolidated Credit, a national credit counseling agency and a financial literacy provider, asked clients to write about how the organization and its programs impacted their money management skills, helped them to live within a budget, or assisted them in achieving a specific goal.

Linda Diaz of Houston, Texas won first place for her submission where she writes, ?Desperate to hold on to my house while at the same time raising two teenage daughters alone, I maxed out my credit cards. To make matters worse, I turned to payday loans, and the nightmare grew more intense. I didn?t know where to turn. My only option was to file for bankruptcy ? or so I thought. I heard about Consolidated Credit and decided to reach out to them for help. I was able to begin the process of digging my way out. It felt like the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders. What a welcome relief.?

?I am so thankful to all the Consolidated Credit customer representatives for being so kind to us,? writes the second place winner, Marla and Rob Tebbenkamp of Alma, MO. ?They were able to negotiate with our creditors and get us lower interest rates. They were able to get us a budget for groceries and gas. No longer, do we feel that our life is spinning out of our control? I have used many of the financial tools available online. I have used www.powerwallet.com. We are beginning to start thinking about saving for our retirement and our children?s college education. Now we have a better handle on our financial future. I hope that I can teach my children how to have financial freedom.?

Stories from real people about their situations are great to share with others who may be facing a similar situation who are unaware that there is help available.

?In light of the continuing economic down turn many people need help and we want to be there for them. Consolidated Credit?s budgeting application and online financial literature, which anyone can use for free, we provide in the hopes that it will be easier for people to deal with money matters and stay out of debt in the future,? said Howard Dvorkin, CPA and founder of Consolidated Credit.

Alan Hogan of Rowlett, TX told us his story of surviving a layoff and being scammed by an unscrupulous debt relief company to finding Consolidated Credit and finally having a solid plan and organization to help him pay off his debts. He writes ?Fast forwarding a few years now, the crooks are in court, trial set for next spring, but who knows what the outcome will be. I decided to do my homework and check out Consolidated Credit. You can only imagine how distrusting I would be after being scammed before. I took the plunge and had Consolidated Credit to take over my accounts? From the beginning, they made me feel at ease, explained the program and offered solutions. I cut up all my credit cards, only pay cash and I?m about to finish school. It?s hard, but I feel more at ease. My life is getting back to normal. Thanks Consolidated Credit, I?m a believer.?

The first prize winner receives $300, the second prize is $200 and the third place wins $100. The stories will be spotlighted on Consolidated Credit?s web site and personal finance blog, MissMoneyBee.com. For more information about Consolidated Credit and to find debt help, fill out an online debt analysis form or call 1.800.728.3632 to receive a free debt analysis from a certified credit counselor today!

Source: http://missmoneybee.com/2013/01/16th-annual-holiday-story-contest-winners-announced-by-consolidated-credit-2/

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How flight attendants deal with unruly passengers

16 hrs.

A. Pawlowski , NBC News contributor

It?s a picture that launched thousands of Facebook shares, tweets and online comments: An air traveler who was allegedly so out of control that he had to be taped to his seat is also sparking curiosity about how flight crews deal with unruly passengers.

Icelandair will file charges with Icelandic police against a man who was hitting, screaming and spitting at other fliers while yelling profanities on a flight from Reykjavik to New York on Thursday, airline spokesman Michael Raucheisen told NBC News.

The man was restrained and after the plane landed at JFK International, a photo of a male passenger with tape around his chest and mouth quickly went viral when it appeared on a blog run by New Yorker Andy Ellwood, who said he received the picture from an acquaintance who witnessed the incident.

The startling image prompted many questions from air travelers who wondered whether such creative use of tape would ever be sanctioned on a U.S. airline.

First, you should know flight attendants on U.S. carriers do have the ability and the tools to tie up an unruly passenger when necessary, but they would not attach the troublemaker to the seat, said Veda Shook, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants.

?If we have to physically restrain someone, sure, we?re trained to do that, but not in this manner,? Shook told NBC News, adding that she?s seen prisoners being transported in handcuffs but never cuffed to any part of the plane for their safety.

?If there were an emergency, how would he get out of there??

It is standard to find to find flex cuffs -- or plastic ties ? on board flights in case a passenger needs to be retrained, Shook said.

It?s also not uncommon to find tape on a plane, although it?s meant for more routine uses, like hanging up passengers? drink orders or fixing a broken suitcase handle, said veteran flight attendant Heather Poole, author of ?Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet.?

No tape? No problem. There are many other alternatives on board if an impromptu restraint were to be needed.

?Flight attendants are pretty clever. ?If we don't have tape, we'll find something else to use: men's ties, shoe laces, seat belts,? Poole said.

All of the flight attendants who spoke with NBC News noted that unruly passengers are rare and that they?ve never come close to having to restrain a flier. Still, the government deals with dozens of out-of-control air travelers each year.

There were 131 cases of unruly passengers on U.S. airlines in 2011, the last full year for which statistics are available, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. That?s down from a peak of 330 cases in 2004.

FAA regulations do not require that airlines carry items such as plastic ties. "Flight attendant security? training is conducted according to FAA and TSA standards, which we do not discuss," the agency said in a statement.?

While federal air marshals fly under cover on some routes to protect passengers from terrorists, airlines have their own protocols on how to deal with travelers who may have had too much to drink or are behaving badly. Dealing with unruly passengers is not a function of the Transportation Security Administration, said agency spokesman David Castelveter.

For all of their training, flight crews can?t always anticipate how passengers will act, so they often have to rely on their best judgment, said veteran flight attendant Rene Foss, author of ?Around the World in a Bad Mood!?

?When you?re flying at 39,000 feet, you can?t just call 911, so you have to figure it out,? Foss said.

Part of the strategy is knowing who you can enlist to help. Foss and Shook said they routinely size up passengers during boarding to mentally note who might be able to assist in an emergency.

?If you know that the Green Bay Packers are traveling in the main cabin and there?s some trouble up in front, you might want to get one of those big boys to come up and help you,? Foss said. ?It?s just situational awareness.?

Flight attendants also try to de-escalate and diffuse tense situations to avoid getting anywhere near the point where someone has to be restrained, Shook noted.

When passengers do act out, alcohol is often the culprit, she added. The unruly Icelandair passenger ?drank all of his duty free liquor on the flight,? Ellwood wrote in the blog post accompanying the infamous photo.

Poole recalled a traveler who was on his fourth beer less than an hour into a flight and who told her he could drink many more. The flier backed off when she balked at his request for more booze, but others aren?t so calm when they don't get what they want, Poole noted.

?That's when we might accidentally on purpose forget to serve them a drink, or tell them we've run out, or we might even start mixing way more Coke and a lot less (alcohol) until we're only serving a tiny drop of liquor in the glass,? she said.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/how-flight-attendants-deal-unruly-passengers-1B7885636

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Iraqis held at Abu Ghraib, other sites receive $5M

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A defense contractor whose subsidiary was accused in a lawsuit of conspiring to torture detainees at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison has paid $5.28 million to former prisoners held there and at other U.S.-run detention sites in Iraq during the war.

The settlement on behalf of 71 former inmates marks the first successful effort by lawyers for former inmates at Abu Ghraib and other detention centers to collect money from a U.S. defense contractor in lawsuits alleging torture. Another contractor, CACI, is expected to go to trial over similar allegations this summer.

Defense contractor Engility Holdings Inc. of Chantilly, Va., disclosed the payment in a document it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission two months ago.

The defendant in the lawsuit, L-3 Services Inc., now an Engility subsidiary, provided translators to the U.S. military in Iraq. In 2006, L-3 Services had more than 6,000 translators in Iraq under a $450 million-a-year contract, an L-3 executive told an investors conference at the time.

On Tuesday, Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the ex-detainees, said that each of the Iraqis received a portion of the settlement. Azmy declined to say how the money was distributed among them. He said there was an agreement to keep details of the settlement confidential.

"Private military contractors played a serious but often underreported role in the worst abuses at Abu Ghraib," said Azmy, legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights. "We are pleased that this settlement provides some accountability for one of those contractors and offers some measure of justice for the victims."

Jennifer Barton, a spokeswoman for L-3 Communications, the former parent company of L-3 Services, said the company does not comment on legal matters.

Eric Ruff, Engility's director of corporate communications, said the company does not comment on matters involving litigation.

The ex-detainees filed the lawsuit in federal court in Greenbelt, Md., in 2008. It covers torture allegations from 2003 to 2007.

L-3 Services "permitted scores of its employees to participate in torturing and abusing prisoners over an extended period of time throughout Iraq," the lawsuit stated. The company "willfully failed to report L-3 employees' repeated assaults and other criminal conduct by its employees to the United States or Iraq authorities."

One inmate alleged he was subjected to mock executions by having a gun aimed at his head and the trigger pulled. Another inmate said he was slammed into a wall until he became unconscious. A third was allegedly stripped naked and threatened with rape while his hands and legs were chained and a hood placed on his head. Another said he was forced to consume so much water that he began to vomit blood. Several of the inmates said they were raped and many of the inmates said they were beaten and kept naked for extended periods of time.

Four years ago in its defense against the lawsuit, L-3 Services said lawyers for the Iraqis alleged no facts to support the conspiracy accusation. Sixty-eight of the Iraqis "do not even attempt to allege the identity of their alleged abuser," and two others provide only "vague assertions," the company said at the time.

A military investigation in 2004 identified 44 alleged incidents of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib. No employee from L-3 Services was charged with a crime in investigations by the U.S. Justice Department. Nor did the U.S. military stop the company from working for the government.

Fifty-two of the 71 Iraqis alleged that they were imprisoned at Abu Ghraib and at other detention facilities. The other 19 Iraqis allege they were detained at detention facilities other than Abu Ghraib.

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal erupted during President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign when graphic photographs taken by soldiers at the scene were leaked to the news media. They showed naked inmates piled on top of each other in a prison cell block, inmates handcuffed to their cell bars and hooded and wired for electric shock, among other disturbing scenes.

In the ensuing international uproar, Bush said the practices that had taken place at Abu Ghraib in late 2003 were "abhorrent." Some Democrats demanded that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld resign. Eventually, 11 U.S. soldiers were convicted of crimes including aggravated assault and taking pictures of naked Iraqi prisoners being humiliated.

Rumsfeld told Congress in 2004 that he had found a way to compensate Iraqi detainees who suffered "grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the United States armed forces." But the U.S. Army subsequently has been unable to document a single U.S. government payment for prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib.

This week, the U.S. Army Claims Service said it has 36 claims from former detainees in Iraq, none of them related to alleged physical abuse. From the budget years 2003 to 2006, the Defense Department paid $30.9 million to Iraqi and Afghan civilians who were killed, injured or incurred property damage due to U.S. or coalition forces' actions during combat.

In the aftermath of Abu Ghraib, lawyers for the Iraqis filed a number of lawsuits against L-3 Services and another company, CACI International Inc. of Arlington, Va., but the cases were quickly hung up on an underlying question: whether defense contractors working side by side with the U.S. military can be sued for claims arising in a war zone. The U.S. government is immune from suits stemming from combatant activities of the military in time of war.

Courts are still sorting out whether contractors in a war zone should be accorded legal immunity from being sued, just as the government is immune.

But a turning point in the cases involving L-3 and CACI came last May. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., ruled 11-3 that more facts must be developed before the appeals court could consider the defense contractor's request to dismiss the lawsuit.

In the case against CACI, four Iraqis who say they were tortured are seeking compensation from the company, which provided interrogators to the U.S. military during the war. CACI has chosen to continue its fight against the lawsuit. Azmy said a trial is expected this summer.

In its defense four years ago against the lawsuit, L-3 said the fact that the claims in the case "cannot be brought against the government means that they also cannot be brought against L-3."

"No court in the United States has allowed aliens ? detained on the battlefield or in the course of postwar occupation and military operations by the U.S. military ? to seek damages for their detention," the company told the federal court. "Yet these plaintiffs bring claims seeking money damages for their detention and treatment while in the custody of the U.S. military in the midst of a belligerent occupation in Iraq."

Allowing the case to proceed "would require a wholly unprecedented injection of the judiciary into wartime military operations and occupation conduct against the local population, in particular the conditions of confinement and interrogation for intelligence gathering," L-3 added.

___

Associated Press investigative researcher Randy Herschaft contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqis-held-abu-ghraib-other-sites-receive-5m-080247943.html

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Clipboard, The Evernote-Meets-Pinterest Clipping Service With 1.7 Clips To Date, Targets Education Sector With Strategic Investment From Scientia

Clipboard?--?the web clipping service that is a little like a cross between Evernote and Pinterest, racking up?1.7 million clips since opening for private beta in October 2011 --?has taken a strategic investment from ed-tech company Scientia -- backing that will result in joint product development between the two to target the education market with online collaboration tools.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/QWv6DRfe63Y/

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New Dish box sends TV shows 'hopping' to iPad

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Dish Network Corp. revealed a set-top box called "Hopper" last year, named for its ability to send the TV signal "hopping" from room to room, covering all the TVs in the house. This year, it's upgrading the Hopper so that it follows you wherever you go ? even outside the house.

The new all-in-one digital video recorder and set-top box, revealed Monday at a press conference ahead of the International CES trade show in Las Vegas, is adorned with the same kangaroo logo and can transfer recorded TV shows or movies to an iPad for viewing any time.

Dish is the first cable or satellite company to offer such a feature. It may raise eyebrows in Hollywood and among the TV networks that supply the satellite broadcaster with programming because it could dig into the extra revenue they get from sales of content for offline viewing through iTunes. Dish is already fighting suits from Fox and NBC over the automatic ad-skipping feature it introduced with the first Hopper.

Legally speaking, "to say you're in novel territory is probably an understatement," said Scott Flick, an intellectual-property lawyer at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in Washington.

However, legal challenges to the transfer feature could be stymied by the fact that the stored movies and shows are under the control of the viewer the whole time, Flick said. In other words, the system is not much different from a VCR that lets a consumer tape a show and then bring the tape along for viewing elsewhere.

"We always stand with the consumer. That means sometimes we'll have lawsuits," Dish CEO Joe Clayton said in an interview ahead of the show.

The transfer of stored content only works in the home, with an iPad connected via Wi-Fi to the same Internet router as the Hopper. Dish is planning to bring the feature to other devices as well.

The new Hopper can also transmit live TV programming to iPads, iPhones, Android phones and computers, even outside the home. That's because the new box integrates, for the first time, technology from Sling Media, a company Dish's sister company Echostar Corp. bought in 2007. The Slingbox, a separate device, hooks up to a satellite or cable set-top box and "slings" the live signal out over the Internet, to the owner's PCs and mobile devices.

Competing cable companies are also rushing to extend their services to smartphones and tablets, to stay relevant as consumers spend more time on small screens. In parallel, networks like HBO are creating their own apps for online viewing.

Dish, which is based in Englewood, Colo., said the new Hopper will be available later this year. As usual, the box will be free to Dish subscribers who sign a two-year contract.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-07-Gadget%20Show-Dish-TV%20Anywhere/id-865ce540105648ae8970af51a3623939

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Will Any Photo-Sharing Startup Stick Around? Just A Few Months In, Social Photo Scrapbook Irrive Hits The Deadpool

Sometimes startups shut down fast, and in the case of new online scrapbooking maker Irrive, which only launched this past September, the company had barely even gotten started before closing up shop. According to CEO Steven Cohn, who sold his last startup to LivingSocial, he made the decision to quickly pivot (his word, not mine, by the way), because even though Irrive's metrics were good, the viral event of sharing a scrapbook was too infrequent an action.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/PRcUufrfLik/

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PST: Donovan left off US roster

We will have a lot to say about the U.S. national team camp roster announced early this afternoon, about the opportunities ahead for some of the players who will be at the Home Depot Center beginning tomorrow, trying to work their way up manager Jurgen Klinsmann?s depth chart.

But? the discussion needs to begin with the big name not on the camp roster: Landon Donovan.

His absence has big implications, because Donovan is clearly still struggling to figure out his feelings for professional soccer, still undetermined about whether the requisite fire and desire burns for the game.

It?s also important because this means Donovan will probably not be part of the team that begins final round World Cup qualifying in a month.

Klinsmann, speaking by phone on the Fox Soccer Channel show Goals on Sunday, indicated that the decision here wasn?t a tough one.

What he said:

Well, Landon has not been invited, because, obviously, he is taking his break. He is thinking about his future ? and he is not at a point yet where he knows what he wants to do. So it is as simple as that. That is why we didn?t invite Landon. We are as curious as everybody else about what his decision will be in the future time, but right now he is not part of this camp.

When we last heard from Donovan, following the L.A. Galaxy?s MLS Cup win over Houston five weeks ago, he seemed to be leaning toward taking a break from the game or even retiring.

(MORE: Yet another retirement hint following MLS Cup win)

Sunday?s news moves Donovan a little further in that direction. Because anyone thinking that the U.S. national team?s all-time leading scorer just needed a couple of weeks to clear his head, that he would then be set and ready to go, well, we see now that?s just not the case.

(MORE: Klinsmann discusses Donovan?s career crisis)

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/06/landon-donovan-not-on-u-s-national-team-camp-roster/related/

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Tax deal leaves Republican party as divided and angry as ever

The Republican Party seems as divided and angry as ever.

Infighting has penetrated the highest levels of the House GOP leadership. Long-standing geographic tensions have increased, pitting endangered Northeastern Republicans against their colleagues from other parts of the country. Enraged tea party leaders are threatening to knock off dozens of Republicans who supported a measure that raised taxes on the nation's highest earners.

"People are mad as hell. I'm right there with them," Amy Kremer, chairman of the Tea Party Express, said late last week, declaring that she has "no confidence" in the party her members typically support. Her remarks came after GOP lawmakers agreed to higher taxes but no broad spending cuts as part of a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff."

"Anybody that voted 'yes' in the House should be concerned" about primary challenges in 2014, she said.

At the same time, one of the GOP's most popular voices, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, blasted his party's "toxic internal politics" after House Republicans initially declined to approve disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy. He said it was "disgusting to watch" their actions and he faulted the GOP's most powerful elected official, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The GOP's internal struggles to figure out what it wants to be were painfully exposed after Mitt Romney's loss to President Barack Obama on Nov. 6, but they have exploded in recent days. The fallout could extend well beyond the party's ability to win policy battles on Capitol Hill. It could hamper Republicans as they examine how to regroup and attract new voters after a disheartening election season.

To a greater degree than the Democrats, the Republican Party has struggled with internal divisions for the past few years. But these latest clashes have seemed especially public and vicious.

"It's disappointing to see infighting in the party," said Ryan Williams, a Republican operative and former Romney aide. "It doesn't make us look like we're in a position to challenge the president and hold him accountable to the promises he made."

What's largely causing the dissension? A lack of a clear GOP leader with a single vision for the party.

Republicans haven't had a consistent standard-bearer since President George W. Bush left office in 2008 with the nation on the edge of a financial collapse. His departure, along with widespread economic concerns, gave rise to a tea party movement that infused the GOP's conservative base with energy. The tea party is credited with broad Republican gains in the 2010 congressional elections, but it's also blamed for the rising tension between the pragmatic and ideological wings of the party ? discord that festers still.

It was much the same for Democrats in the late 1980s before Bill Clinton emerged to win the White House and shift his party to the political center.

2012 presidential nominee Romney never fully captured the hearts of his party's most passionate voters. But his tenure atop the party was short-lived; since Election Day, he's disappeared from the political world.

Those Republican leaders who remain engaged ? Christie, Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus ? are showing little sign of coming together.

Those on the GOP's deep bench of potential 2016 presidential contenders, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, have begun staking out their own, sometimes conflicting ideas for the party.

Over the short term at least, the party's divisions probably will continue to be exposed.

Obama has outlined a second-term agenda focused on immigration and gun control; those are issues that would test Republican solidarity even in good times. Deep splits already exist between Republican pragmatists and the conservative base, who oppose any restrictions on guns or allowances for illegal immigrants.

It's unclear whether Obama can exploit the GOP fissures or whether the Republican dysfunction will hamper him. With Boehner unable to control his fractured caucus, the White House is left wondering how to deal with the House on any divisive issue.

Fiscal issues aren't going away, with lawmakers were agree on a broad deficit-reduction package. The federal government reached its borrowing limit last week, so Congress has about two months or three months to raise the debt ceiling or risk a default on federal debt. Massive defense and domestic spending cuts are set to take effect in late February. By late March, the current spending plan will end, raising the possibility of a government shutdown.

Frustrated conservative activists and GOP insiders hope that the continued focus on fiscal matters will help unite the factions as the party pushes for deep spending cuts. That fight also may highlight Democratic divisions because the party's liberal wing vehemently opposes any changes to Social Security or Medicare

"Whenever you lose the White House, the party's going to have ups and downs," said Republican strategist Ron Kaufman. "My guess is when the spending issues come up again, the Democrats' warts will start to show as well."

The GOP's fissures go beyond positions on issues. They also are geographical.

Once a strong voice in the party, moderate Republicans across the Northeast are nearly extinct. Many of those who remain were frustrated in recent days when Boehner temporarily blocked a vote on a disaster relief bill.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said campaign donors in the Northeast who give the GOP after the slight "should have their head examined."

Boehner, who just won a second term as speaker, quickly scheduled a vote on a narrower measure for Friday after the new Congress convened, and it rushed out a $9.7 billion measure to help pay flood insurance claims.

Weary Republican strategists are trying to be hopeful about the GOP's path ahead, and liken the current situation to party's struggles after Obama's 2008 election. At the time, some pundits questioned the viability of the Republican Party. But it came roaring back two years later, thanks largely to the tea party.

"If we have learned anything from the fiscal cliff fiasco, conservatives discovered we need to stand firm, and stand together, on our principles from beginning to end," said Republican strategist Alice Stewart. "It's frustrating to see the GOP drop the ball and turn a position of true compromise into total surrender. The Democrats succeeded in their strategy of divide and conquer."

???

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republican-party-seems-divided-angry-ever-092359022.html

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Stock Investing Basics: Dividend Stocks ? Top 5 Reasons to Own ...

Sign up for the tutorial series ?The FAST Approach? at: stockinvestingsimplified.com High dividend-paying stocks with solid fundamentals are one of the safest and fastest ways to generate a solid return in the stock market. Here are the top five reasons to own dividend stocks 1. Dividends cushion the stock price Yield support of the dividend which is the stock?s annual dividend divided by its share price creates a cushion against selling pressure as the stock price trends lower. A lower stock price causes a higher yield thereby encouraging value-oriented investors to step in and offset the selling. During a general downturn of the economy or a major stock market correction, those companies offering safe dividends find themselves better protected relative to the whole market. 2. Dividends protect you from short sellers Short selling is the selling of a stock that the seller has borrowed from a broker in anticipation that the stock price will go lower. If the price drops, the short seller can buy back the stock at the lower price and make a profit on the difference. A high dividend protects you from short-sellers, who are more reluctant to borrow money from a broker knowing that they are responsible for paying the dividend to the investor actually owning the stock. This scenario cuts into their potential profits. 3. Dividends generate quarterly income The income you can receive from a decent yield can be significant, especially for retirees. A big advantage is that the ?

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Stock Investing Basics: Dividend Stocks ? Top 5 Reasons to Own

Source: http://www.bizways.net/2013/01/stock-investing-basics-dividend-stocks-top-5-reasons-to-own/

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Iranian parliament calls for inquiry over blogger's death

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's parliament called on Sunday for a special inquiry to investigate the death in detention of a blogger whose posts criticized the country's leadership.

In a case that provoked international outrage, Sattar Beheshti was arrested in his home on October 30 after receiving death threats, and died some days later, having complained of being tortured.

"It is necessary that the responsible agencies ... exercise more supervision and seriousness with regard to these bitter events and carry out a special inquiry of the case of the death of Sattar Beheshti," parliament said in a report read out on Sunday.

The report also recommended training for all staff in detention units, the installation in detention centers of CCTV equipment and the regular inspection of facilities.

It is unclear what a special inquiry would involve and whether the government will follow up on the recommendations. But the report demonstrates the extent of concern within parliament over the case and the assembly's emphasis on human rights before presidential elections in June.

Authorities have arrested seven people suspected of involvement in Beheshti's death, three of whom are still in custody.

His death also led to the dismissal of the head of Tehran's cyber police unit for "failures and weaknesses in adequately supervising personnel under his supervision".

The Tehran prosecutor's office said the blogger may have lost his life as a result of a form of shock, but that the medical committee investigating it said the exact cause was impossible to determine.

Fellow prisoners in Evin prison in Tehran said Beheshti was hung from the ceiling of a cell and beaten, opposition website Kaleme reported after his death.

Iran has rejected criticism of its human rights record in the past as being political and motivated by Western opposition to the Islamic state. But its leadership has taken action on other allegations of mistreatment of prisoners.

In 2009, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the closure of the notorious Kahrizak detention centre following the death in custody of three detainees after they took part in anti-government protests in 2009.

Media is tightly controlled in Iran and blogging has become one of the few outlets for criticizing the state.

(Reporting By Marcus George; Editing by Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iranian-parliament-calls-inquiry-over-bloggers-death-103814399.html

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Debt-limit fight takes shape: Won't Republicans ever be happy?

Remember the "fiscal cliff" ? that Armageddon of spending cuts and tax hikes that threatened the send the US economy back to the age of stone tools and woolly mammoth pelts? Well, if Washington is to be believed, that was just a warmup act.

The latest word from inside the Beltway is that Republicans are girding themselves for a fight on what might be called the Fiery Chasm of Fiscal Doom:

• America will bump up against the debt ceiling, which allows the federal government to borrow more money, next month.
• The "sequester" spending cuts to defense and domestic spending outlined in the 2011 debt-ceiling deal ? and postponed by the fiscal cliff deal ? come due on Feb. 28.
• The stopgap bill that allows the federal government to function despite still not having a 2013 budget expires March 27.

Recommended: How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.

Republicans say they will not raise the debt limit unless the increase is offset by spending cuts. President Obama says he won't allow Republicans to hold the debt limit hostage and won't play ball. Behind the scenes, there are rumors of a "grand bargain" that could tie up all the outstanding issues in a nice bow.

Stop us when this sounds familiar.

So why does Congress lurch from crisis to crisis, seemingly propelled by the Republicans' demand to take a pound (or more) of spending flesh at every turn?

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Actually, the answer is quite simple ? and, at its core, it is not a matter of political posturing or point-winning, however often it devolves into that. The cause is Congress's continued unwillingness to deal with Medicare, Social Security, and the Pentagon.

The fact is, despite all the hubbub of the past two years, the federal government has still not made any meaningful spending cuts. And that is mostly because meaningful spending cuts are virtually impossible without addressing entitlements or the Department of Defense.

Congress and the president tried to do just that in the 2011 debt-ceiling deal, yet the fiscal cliff deal shows that Washington, when faced with such cuts, apparently doesn't have the stomach to let them take effect.

So Republicans sent to Washington specifically to rein in government spending have next to nothing to show for it. And the mounting fear is that they might never have anything to show for it ? that the classic Washington inertia to do nothing is slowly consuming the energy of the 2010 tea party revolution.

As a result, some Republicans are growing increasingly desperate. They believe that Congress will never get serious about bringing its spending into line unless it is in crisis. So better to manufacture one now, and solve the problem, they say, then to let things linger and eventually become Greece.

At the same time, Washington knows that responsible, long-term fiscal planning cannot move forward until spending is brought under control ? it's just that the prospect of entitlement reform or Pentagon cuts are so politically unsavory that the day of reckoning is postponed again and again.

But signs are that it is coming. Credit-rating agency Moody?s has said ?the US's credit rating could be affected ?negatively? if Washington fails to take further steps to rein in the deficit.? All parties know the US cannot risk further downgrades to its credit rating.

Moreover, a recent Politico poll found that 75 percent of Americans wanted to rein in deficits by cutting government spending "across the board" (though other polls have shown Americans unsupportive of changes to Medicare and Social Security).

Of course, the Republicans' kamikaze approach to entitlement cuts (with little scrutiny of the Pentagon budget) is not the only option. Reportedly, fiscal cliff talks brought Mr. Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio close to a grand bargain that would have included $900 billion in spending cuts ? including $600 billion in entitlement reform. But Obama wanted a significant amount of tax revenue in addition to these cuts ? more than Mr. Boehner could countenance.

And that appears to be the issue going forward. Obama wants more tax revenue to accompany any entitlement reform, probably in the form of limiting tax breaks. Boehner and Republicans say they gave Obama tax revenue in the fiscal cliff deal but got no spending cuts, meaning now is the time for cuts alone.

But the deeper point is that, with health-care expenses rising and America's baby boomer population putting stresses on Medicare and Social Security, entitlement reform appears inevitable. Congress's current cycle of crisis, then, appears merely to be the way that Washington comes a difficult decision in an age of red state bloggers, blue state pundits, and disgruntled Americans in the middle.

Recommended: How much do you know about US entitlement programs? Take our quiz.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/debt-limit-fight-takes-shape-wont-republicans-ever-130410965.html

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Withings goes after Fitbit with its pulse-reading Smart Activity Tracker

Withings' assault on our paunchy bellies doesn't look like it's going to stop, now that the company has launched a portable sleep and activity tracker that's clearly designed to go after the Fitbit Ultra. The Smart Activity Tracker makes some impressive claims, offering pulse monitoring if you push your finger onto the back of the device, calculating calorie consumption and monitoring the quality of your sleep. The 43.3 millimeter device has an OLED touchscreen display and will instantly upload your data to the Withings Health Mate app over Bluetooth smart, and promises to go a full fortnight without needing a recharge. The company hasn't made any statement as to when it plans to release the unit, or how much it'll cost you, but we're looking forward to putting it through its paces.

Continue reading Withings goes after Fitbit with its pulse-reading Smart Activity Tracker

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/06/withings-activity-tracker/

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Spaceport wants protections from tourist lawsuits

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Spaceport America officials are urging legislators to limit potential lawsuits from wealthy outer space tourists who take off from New Mexico, saying such a bill is crucial to the future of the project.

Legal experts, however, say there is no way to know whether the so-called informed consent laws will offer any protection to spacecraft operators and suppliers in the event something goes wrong.

"Since this has never happened yet, we have no precedent," said Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz, director of the space law program at the University of Mississippi.

Such measures are being pushed by states trying to compete in the fledgling commercial space travel arena, and Spaceport America officials say that New Mexico risks losing out on a project that was intended to boost the economy in the mostly rural state.

They say New Mexico needs to pass a bill to retain anchor tenant Virgin Galactic and to recruit new space business to the state.

At issue is liability for passengers who pay to take spaceflights ? like those planned by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic for $200,000 a head ? from the spaceport near the city of Truth or Consequences.

New Mexico lawmakers several years ago passed a bill that exempts Virgin Galactic from being sued by passengers in the event of an accident provided they have been informed of the risks. Officials have refused, however, to follow a handful of other states in expanding that exemption to suppliers.

Spaceport America Executive Director Christine Anderson has blamed New Mexico's refusal during the last two legislative sessions to expand the law as the reason the spaceport has been passed over by companies in favor of states such as Texas and Florida.

Virgin Galactic, meanwhile, has hinted it will leave New Mexico if an expansion isn't passed this year.

"I understand the impetus to try to match other states, but right now there is no guarantee it's enforceable," said Guigi Carminati with the Weil Law Firm in Houston. "That really is the bottom line."

She and Gabrynowicz said the only comparable laws cover adventure sports or amusement parks ? and their effectiveness varies.

If someone gets hurt on a roller coaster, for example, Gabrynowicz said, the operator generally is not exempt from liability just because a posted sign says passengers at their own risk.

Those "don't hold up" in court, she said.

She added that while there is "lot of case law regarding those kinds of activities. There is none yet for state law for space launches."

The effectiveness of laws protecting extreme and adventure sports operators is harder to know, said Carminati.

"Nobody has sat down and actually looked at the nitty gritty of what does immunizing legislation that works look like," she said.

There are also many questions, Gabrynowicz said, about whether federal law pre-empts state law in this area, whether state law would still apply if the accident happened over another state or country and whether it would cover passengers from countries that don't allow such exemptions.

Federal law exempts spacecraft operators from liability, requiring them to warn passengers in writing of associated risks.

Gabrynowicz said that states are now trying to create an even more advantageous position for operators "so they can promote the industry."

In New Mexico, the strong trial lawyer lobby has been successful in persuading the Democrat-controlled legislature against expanding the exemption.

Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez says he is hopeful an agreement can be reached this year, but he emphasizes "you always have to be careful about precluding someone from being able to file an action."

Despite the uncertainty, aerospace consultant Patti Grace Smith, a former FAA official responsible for regulating the U.S. commercial space transportation industry, says that since other states have extended the liability exemption to suppliers, New Mexico must do the same to remain competitive.

"The whole sector is an evolving sector," she said, noting the legal frameworks are needed "enable the industry to go forward in a positive way."

___

Follow Jeri Clausing on Twitter at http://twitter.com/(hash)!/jericlausing

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spaceport-wants-protections-tourist-lawsuits-213926570.html

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"General Hospi-Tale": Sung by The Afternoon Delights (1981) - From ...

For those of you who weren?t around in the early 1980s when daytime soaps were at their indisputable peak, The Afternoon Delights are ready to catch you up with their 1981 novelty song re-capping the happenings on the King of All Soaps, General Hospital.

My introduction to this show involved a pre-Robin Mattson Heather Webber dropping LSD into Diana Taylor?s iced tea as part of her plan to drive Diana to the mental ward and ?claim for her own Diana?s baby, who was actually Heather?s biological child sold months earlier on the black market. ?What Heather didn?t know was that the lazy susan the identical iced teas were sitting on was accidentally turned on when she wasn?t looking, and poor Heather ended up dosing herself. ?My mind exploded at the idea that this is what grown-ups got to do with their time. ?It explains a lot about my own personal life choices as an adult, but that?s a topic for another post.

The song chronicles the story lines happening in Port Charles post ?Luke Rapes Laura at the Campus Disco? and pre ?Remote Island Housing Evil Machine That Will Freeze the World? (as indicated by the line,?How it ends up nobody knows!?)

My favorite lyric in the song has to be??Alan was the father? of course. ?And he won?t give Monica? a divorce!? ?That?s followed closely by, ?Amy Vining likes to blab? Richard Simmons helps fight flab!?

The bad rap and the slutty horn section just add to the fun.

Click through to hear the song for yourself

general-hospi-tale.mp3

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Tags: Dr Noah Drake Rick Springfield, Freezing machine storyline General Hosptial, General Hospi-tale Afternoon Delights, General Hospital Afternoon Delights, General Hospital Novelty Song, General Hospital song 1981, Liz Taylor on General Hospital, Luke Spencer Tony Geary Genie Francis Laura Spencer, The Ice Princess storyline General Hospital

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Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2013/01/general-hospi-tale-afternoon-delights-1981/

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Top 10 Wellness and Spa Trends | 2013 | Neroli Spa

Recently, SpaFinder Wellness revealed a preview of its 10th?annual Trends Report, which forecasts top trends that will impact the spa and wellness industry and shape consumer experiences around the globe. As a leader in the beauty and wellness industry in Milwaukee, Neroli Salon & Spa encourages you to check out these top trends and learn how you can improve your health and well-being in 2013.

Healthy Hotels

In 2013 we?ll see an explosion of new hotel chains that promote healthy living. Hotels are changing to provide guests with everything they need to exercise, eat, work, and rest like they would at home. InterContinental Hotel Group recently launched EVEN (pictured here), a new brand of affordable hotels that allow travelers to maintain their healthy lifestyles.? In-room amenities include modern and natural d?cor, a luggage rack that doubles as a workout bench, a yoga mat and free weights, a circuit training guide, hypo-allergenic linens, and spa-inspired walk-in showers. Look for the first EVEN hotels opening in 2013.

The Mindfulness Massage

The ?mindfulness massage? uses breath work and techniques such as body scanning (where attention is brought to every part of the body) to help guests relax more deeply and quickly. Neroli Salon & Spa offers the Chakra Balancing Massage, which focuses on the chakra energy centers in the body. This treatment promotes mindfulness as the therapist helps connect the mind and body through deep tissue, reflexology, and energy balancing techniques. We also recommend arriving at our spa 15-20 minutes early in order to fully prepare your body and mind for relaxation.

Authentic Ayurvedic

The Sanskrit term?Ayurveda means ?knowledge of life.? Ayurveda is an ancient science which aims at preventing and healing disease or imbalances within the body. The journey toward living in harmony is the journey we all take and the Ayurvedic Practitioner is the guide along the way.?Ayurveda stresses the balance of three elemental energies, called ?doshas.? Doshas are important because when they exist in equal quantities, the body will be healthy. Ayurvedic Practitioners are trained to find where these imbalances exist and recommend treatments to bring balance back to the doshas. Neroli Salon & Spa?will soon be introducing Ayurvedic spa treatments as a form of holistic healing and relaxation for our guests.

Earthing

Earthing is a fast-growing movement based upon the major discovery that connecting to the Earth?s natural energy is foundational for vibrant health. Studies have produced fascinating evidence demonstrating that a direct connection to the Earth?s ground energy generates a powerful and positive shift in the electrical state of the body and restores natural self-healing mechanisms. Even though practicing Earthing isn?t as easy in Wisconsin winter weather, take opportunities to connect with the earth when you can (on warm vacations, hikes, etc). Go barefoot outside for a half-hour and see what a difference it makes on your pain or stress level. Sit, stand, or walk on grass, sand, dirt, or concrete; these are all conductive surfaces from which your body can draw the Earth?s energy. In warmer weather, take advantage of the wonderful beaches and parks in Milwaukee County. People who practice Earthing on a regular basis say they sleep better, feel better, and have more energy during the day.

Spa-Genomics

Humans have 30,000 genes and a 3 billion-letter DNA code. The power of genomic testing lies in the potential to pinpoint which diseases/issues could be forestalled by specific lifestyle changes. Telomeres are the only malleable part of DNA, which some studies are showing can be repaired by stress-reduction, exercise, sleep, healthy food, and meditation. Neroli Salon & Spa offers a wide variety of spa services that can help you reduce stress and live healthier.

Color Self-Expression

Look for ?painted on? self expression in 2013. This quick and inexpensive way to transform your look includes bold hair color and makeup choices, such as reverse ombre and neon eyelashes. Expect to see body art as a form of self expression and the popularity of haute ?Tattoo Spa?s? to rise. Look for nail art to transform into less bling, and more 3D textures and intricate designs. See a Neroli Aveda hair color specialist to learn about the different special effect possibilities for your new ?do.

Inclusive Wellness

The spa is becoming a place for wellness and recovering and less about luxe pampering. Expect to see more ?real bodies? at the spa. The industry will shift focus to delivering wellness to persons of all age and ability levels. More people will look to spas to heal and keep bodies functional, whether through pain-relieving and mobility enhancing therapies, nutrition advice, or the right forms of ?functional fitness? for those with physical limitations or special needs.

Label Conscious Fitness

The idea of health and wellness has become a luxury, and like any other luxury, has a fashion market to go along with it. Millions chase the ?insider elite,? giving the fitness world a distinct fashion world vibe where consumers shop for the latest fitness craze just as they search for the newest designer purse. Check out stores such as lululemon in the Third Ward, One Tooth at Bayshore Mall, or Sports Authority in Brookfield for all your fitness fashion needs.

Men:? From Barbers to ?Brotox?

The beauty industry is no longer for women only. In 2013, look for spas to include customized for-men ?beauty? menus ? from male waxing and threading services to man-geared cosmetic procedures. More men are having more serious ?work? done at medspas and plastic surgery offices, and have different needs than women, desiring subtle, not overdone results. We Love Men at Neroli and offer customized services and packages for all the men in your life.

Where the Jobs Are

Join an industry where hands-on skill can never be replaced. In a world of ?high-tech? replacements, the beauty industry continues to thrive as more people are willing to commit to a lifestyle of wellness and pampering. With the $2 trillion-plus wellness market continuing to grow, spas simply cannot find enough people (with the right skills) to fill spa management/director or therapist jobs with the need promising to increase year after year. Interested in starting a career in the beauty and wellness industry? Milwaukee offers a variety of local schools, including the Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness who will be introducing an Ayurvedic Practitioner Program in April 2013.

Tags: 2013, 2013 wellness trends, Brookfield, Brookfield Spa, Fashion News, Milwaukee Spa, Neroli Salon & Spa, Neroli Spa, Spa Trends, SpaFinder, whitefish bay spa

This entry was posted on Friday, January 4th, 2013 at 7:36 pm and is filed under Community, Fashion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.nerolispa.com/top-10-wellness-and-spa-trends-2013/

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Taliban shooting victim Malala leaves hospital

Three months after being shot in the head by the Taliban, Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai is still on the road to recovery and as committed as ever to education advocacy. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.

By F. Brinley Bruton, NBC News

LONDON ? Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education, has been discharged from a hospital in the U.K. after doctors said she was well enough to spend some time recovering with her family.

The 15-year-old was shot at point-blank range in October?after becoming a symbol of resistance to the insurgents' efforts to deny women education and other rights. The attack on Malala, which also?wounded two of her classmates,?prompted revulsion and condemnation, and helped galvanize supporters of women's education worldwide.

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In a statement, the hospital treating her said she had been discharged on Thursday because she was healthy enough to be treated as an outpatient.

'Malala Day' marked in Pakistan, amid security fears

"Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery," Dave Rosser, medical director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where Malala was treated, said in a statement. "Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers."?

U.K. National Health Service

Malala Yousufzai was discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, on Thursday.

Malala will be readmitted in late January or early February to undergo cranial reconstructive surgery as part of her long-term recovery, the hospital said. In the meantime, she will visit the hospital regularly to attend clinical appointments, the statement added.?

More on this story from NBC's UK partner ITV News

Doctors said that although the bullet hit her left brow, it did not penetrate her skull but instead traveled underneath the skin along the side of her head and into her neck.?The decision to send Malala to Britain was taken in consultation with her family; Pakistan is paying for her treatment.

Citing patient confidentiality, hospital authorities declined to say what her plans were to continue her education, though they acknowledge she is able to read in both English and Urdu.

The Pakistani teenager shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting girls' education has been released from hospital. Yousufzai will be treated as an outpatient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. ITN's Rupert Evelyn reports.

Malala was flown to the U.K. on Oct. 15, six days after the?school bus shooting.?She was treated by doctors specializing in neurosurgery, trauma and other disciplines in a department of the hospital which has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

'Spy of the West': Al-Qaida, Taliban struggle to justify attack on Pakistani teen

The wave of?condemnation?that followed the attack prompted the Taliban to release statements justifying their action. Malala quickly became an international cause celebre and became a contender to become Time's Person of the Year 2012.?

More than 250,000 people have also signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.

Yousufzai's father said in October he was sure she would "rise again" to pursue her dreams after medical treatment.

This month Pakistan appointed Malala's father, Ziauddin, as its education attache in Birmingham. The position, with an initial three-year commitment, virtually guarantees that Malala will remain in Britain for now.

In Paris, the courageous Pakistani ten Malala Yousafzai was honored at an event marking the U.N.'s Human Rights Day. NBC's Amna Nawaz reports.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/04/16343480-strong-young-woman-taliban-shooting-victim-malala-yousufzai-leaves-uk-hospital?lite

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Excavators head to Myanmar to find WWII Spitfires

LONDON (AP) ? An airplane-obsessed farmer, a freelance archaeologist, and a team of excavators are heading from Britain to the Myanmar city of Yangon on Saturday to find a nearly forgotten stash of British fighter planes thought to be carefully buried beneath the former capital's airfield.

The venture, backed with a million-dollar guarantee from a Belarusian videogame company, could uncover dozens of Spitfire aircraft locked underground by American engineers at the end of World War II.

"We could easily double the number of Spitfires that are still known to exist," said 63-year-old David Cundall, the farmer and private pilot who has spent nearly two decades pursuing the theory that 36 of the famous fighter planes were buried, still in excellent condition, in wooden crates in a riverbed at the end of an airport runway.

"In the Spitfire world it will be similar to finding Tutankhamen's tomb," he told reporters at a media conference held in a London airport hotel Friday.

Not everyone is as convinced. Even at the conference, freelance archaeologist Andy Brockman acknowledged that it was "entirely possible" that all the team would find was a mass of corroded metal ? if it found anything at all.

But Cundall said eyewitness testimony ? from British and American veterans as well as elderly local residents of Myanmar ? coupled with survey data, aerial pictures, and ground radar soundings left him in no doubt that the planes were down there.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/excavators-head-myanmar-wwii-spitfires-152507234.html

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Video: School official accused of ramming teen resigns

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Better margins a bonus for Next as Christmas sales rise

LONDON (Reuters) - Next, Britain's No.2 clothing retailer, nudged its full-year profit forecast higher after an increase in sales over the Christmas period was supplemented by improved margins due to a renewed attack on costs.

Shares in Next, which has a long-standing policy of never going on sale before December 26, rose 2.3 percent on Thursday, topping the FTSE 100 leader board, after it forecast profit growth in both the 2012/13 and 2013/14 years even though it expects the consumer environment to stay subdued.

With Britain facing a possible triple-dip recession, many retailers have been finding the going tough as consumers fret over job security and a squeeze on incomes.

"I think it is getting slowly better in that the difference between inflation and wages is narrowing and I think will probably continue to narrow," chief executive Simon Wolfson told Reuters.

"But certainly for the rest of 2013 I still think real incomes will drop, albeit at probably a lower rate than they fell last year," said Wolfson, a supporter of Britain's ruling Conservative Party, who sits in the upper house of Parliament.

Next has generally defied the economic gloom, helped by its strong online offer, a constant stream of new store openings and diversification into homewares and overseas markets.

On Wednesday, John Lewis, Britain's largest department store group, posted record Christmas sales, driven by stellar online trade. That performance was mirrored on Thursday by upmarket grocer Waitrose, which is also part of the John Lewis stable.

Kicking off the post-Christmas retail reporting season for listed companies, Next said total sales, excluding VAT sales tax, rose 3.9 percent in the November 1 to December 24 period.

That compared with an increase of 2.7 percent in its third quarter, giving a year to date rise of 3.9 percent - in line with guidance of 3.0-4.5 percent.

Sales at Next's over 500 stores in Britain and Ireland rose 0.8 percent in the November, December period while sales at the Directory home shopping, internet and catalogue business increased 11.2 percent.

Although sales were in line with internal expectations, cost control measures, markdowns and gross margins were all slightly better than expected, the firm said, adding that its post-Christmas Sale had started well.

Wolfson said a host of costs, such as in warehousing, distribution and store operations, had come in below budget. Further cost savings have been identified for the 2013/14 year.

Next now expects a year to end-January 2013 pretax profit of 611-625 million pounds ($995 million-$1.02 billion), up from previous guidance of 590-620 million pounds.

It forecast earnings per share growth for 2012-13 of 14-17 percent, partly reflecting a 241 million pounds share buyback.

Shares in Next, up 38 percent over the last year, were up 84 pence at 3,856 pence at 1122 GMT, valuing the business at 6.2 billion pounds.

"Next remains our top pick of the FTSE 100 Retailers, a core sector holding underpinned by a flexible store base and the benefits of Directory," said Peel Hunt analyst John Stevenson, who raised his 12-month target price to 4,000 pence.

For the 2013-14 year the firm guided to sales growth of 1.5-4.0 percent, with profit up in line with sales and a further 250 million pounds of share buy backs.

"International and online will continue to grow and we will continue to open profitable new space," said Wolfson, flagging 250,000 square feet for 2013-14, with new space skewed to the home area.

He said Next was not seeing any rise in the cost of its spring/summer stock, a lot of which has already been purchased.

"So we can say that with some certainty there will be zero inflation in the price of spring/summer stock in like-for-like product."

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Kate Holton and Hans-Juergen Peters)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/next-ups-profit-forecast-sales-rise-074216920--finance.html

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