Military ombudsman says DND must rethink relocation policies for ...

By KATHRYN MAY, Ottawa Citizen January 29, 2013 9:03 PM

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Military+ombudsman+says+must+rethink+relocation+policies+thousands+military+personnel/7890233/story.html#ixzz2JQWzLDG6

OTTAWA ? Canada?s military ombudsman is calling for the Department of National Defence to re-examine its long-standing practice of sending thousands of military personnel to new postings every year, including the relocation policies to manage those moves.

Pierre Daigle said the military should rethink how often it needs to transfer soldiers and uproot their families as part of its ?operational requirements.? He said moving 20 per cent of the forces every year is expensive for taxpayers and can impose major personal and financial hardships on military families.

?Why do we move people so much and how many times do we have to move?? said Daigle in an interview. ?Yes, they need operational capacity and people have to be moved, but when they are moved for operational requirements, it is not their choice where they have to go so to they shouldn?t be paying for it and that?s where we see the unfairness that needs to be addressed.?

Daigle?s call comes at a time when his office and the department are facing a rising number of complaints are about the cost of transfers on families. He has been visiting bases across the country and said the financial burden of moving is a big complaint.

Some families are losing money because of the cooling of the housing market or they are selling into a depressed local market. Some say the problems are caused by unclear policies and the government becoming more rigid and inflexible in the interpretation of policies when it comes to reimbursing expenses and other costs of transfers.

These issues will be the centrepiece of Daigle?s major study into the family life of Canada?s military. Transfers are one of the biggest stresses on families which can face moves half a dozen times or more over the course of a military career. The study will include a review of some of the policies under the Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program (IRP).

The landmark study into the ?Quality of Life? in the military was done by the Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs (SCONDVA) in 1999. That report had 88 sweeping recommendations, many aimed at improving pay and benefits, which set the standard for years.

That report also led to the creation of the Integrated Relocation Program (IRP) in 1999 to ensure military and other public servants are moved with minimal disruption to their lives. The program has been tweaked over the years but the overall approach has remained unchanged.

Relocating federal employees costs the government an estimated $500 million a year ? on top of what it pays moving companies to move furniture and household possessions. The government relocates about 18,000 federal employees a year and military moves account for about 85 per cent of those moves. The cost of the average move ranges between $20,000 for a tenant and $35,000 for a homeowner.

The IRP contract has been dogged by controversy since the 2002 contract went off the rails. The 2004 contract is now at the centre of a $62-million lawsuit.

DND has a backlog of about 1,500 complaints about benefits and another 212 complaints in the queue for the military?s grievance process. Most of the grievances are over moving.

Daigle said the biggest complaints are over the IRP?s Door-to-Door and Home Equity Assistance policies. But he said military personnel are also feeling the economic pinch of rising rents for at private military quarters.

Some of the expenses that used to be allowed for military personnel separated from their families when on ?imposed restriction? are being cut back. Most recently, the department announced that it will no longer be picking up the cost of mortgage insurance, or penalties to break a mortgage for homeowners being transferred. This is partly to encourage the use of portable mortgages.

Daigle appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff Tom Lawson to ask Treasury Board to review the controversial home equity assistance policy, which has left military families swallowing big losses on the sale of their homes when being transferred. The Canadian Forces Grievance Board recently made the same recommendation.

The program, aimed at protecting military from losing money on their homes when relocating, will cover 80 per cent of all losses to a maximum of $15,000. It will, however, cover 100 per cent of losses if the home is located in a ?depressed? market. The problem is Treasury Board determines what is a depressed market, and military personnel have to argue their case.

The dispute is over the definitions of ?depressed? and ?community.? The policy says a community where the housing market dropped more than 20 per cent is depressed. Treasury Board documents show 146 families have applied for the full compensation and all were denied. Treasury Board doesn?t consider any market in Canada ?depressed.?

Yet Daigle said people have faced equity losses on their home up to $80,000. A big concern is that Treasury Board is using Statistics Canada?s ?census metropolitan areas? to define a community, rather than markets in smaller towns and villages, when determining a depressed market.

The Chief of Defence Staff has supported the grievances of some soldiers who have been affected by this tug of war with Treasury Board over the definition of depressed market.

A big flaw in the grievance process, however, is that the Chief of Defence Staff has no financial authority to settle financial claims even for exceptional cases. The CDS?s lack of financial authority has been flagged as an issue since a 2003 report on military justice by Antonio Lamer, former chief justice of the Supreme Court and later by a Senate committee. The issue is currently being assessed.

In an email, DND officials say financial losses and gains are risks military personnel face when they move to bases in diverse markets and the home equity program is aimed at helping to offset losses.

?Ultimately CAF members make a personal decision on where they will reside within the area they are posted to and whether they will rent or invest in the real estate market,? the department said in an email.

Daigle?s family report, expected in summer, will examine all aspects of uprooting families, including education, health care, employment opportunities and obstacles for military spouses.

? Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Source: http://www.canadianveteransadvocacy.com/blog/?p=680

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Heavy smog halts most travel in China

Published: Jan. 30, 2013 at 7:27 PM

BEIJING, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Heavy smog blanketing eastern and northern China Wednesday obscured roadways, grounded airplanes and raised health concerns, officials say.

The blinding pollution arrived as the country's population prepared to travel to their hometowns for a New Year's celebration, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Sections of more than 20 freeways were closed in four central and eastern provinces, the Transport Ministry said. The roads were reopened by noon.

Visibility at Beijing Capital International Airport dropped to less than 650 feet, causing the cancellation of 49 flights on Tuesday. Most flights had resumed Wednesday as the fog lightened.

The fog did not affect the country's rail system. Another 526 trains were added to cope with travelers stymied for other means of transportation.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/01/30/Heavy-smog-halts-most-travel-in-China/UPI-37151359592072/

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PhotoSocial Is a Pretty, Gesture-Based Photo Gallery for the iPhone

iOS: The iPhone's default Photos app is okay, but if you want something a little prettier and smoother, PhotoSocial is a good alternative.

Photos is still our favorite photo management app, but only because Apple's restrictions make it hard for anything to work as well. That said, PhotoSocial is a pretty cool way to view and share the photos on your iPhone. It automatically splits your photos up into events (kind of like iPhoto does), and lets you manage them with gesture swipes. you can swipe to the left to remove it from the PhotoSocial gallery (but not from your phone), or swipe from the right to share it with other PhotoSocial users. You can share photos via SMS and email by tapping the "Share" button at the top, but we wish you had this option with the swipe gesture. PhotoSocial relies a bit too much on your friends having PhotoSocial too, which makes it much less enticing and useful if your friends don't have it (why not integrate with an existing service like Dropbox or Flickr instead?).

Overall, if you're looking for an alternative photo app with a few extra social features, PhotoSocial is a great new choice. Check out the video above to see it in action.

PhotoSocial ($1.99) | iTunes App Store

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Ac3OGnrBy88/photosocial-is-a-pretty-gesture+based-photo-gallery-for-the-iphone

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Wheel-less cars? It's gotta be something French

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/artist-envisions-a-future-of-floating-cars-slideshow/

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The Art of Gaming in the Context of Contemporary Art

An installation view of Game Room, with a view to Wilshire Blvd. (All photos courtesy the Hammer Museum)

LOS ANGELES ? Games are everywhere these days. We keep them in our phones, our computers, our television sets. Where once we could content ourselves with a small selection of board games and a pack of cards, we now have a myriad of games at our fingertips, ready to download or purchase at a moment?s notice.

But what makes for a good game? Why do we gravitate toward some games and quickly tire of others? Game design as a field has evolved a highly detailed understanding of gaming, and gaming as a whole is starting to shift away from the stereotype of the pimply male nerd in his parent?s basement.

Game Room, a special exhibition at the Hammer Museum, asks us to revisit games in a less electronic format and start to look at game design in the context of contemporary art. In Sarah Brin?s accompanying essay, ?The Aesthetics of Play,? she notes that the show wants to emphasize ?the values of process, interpersonal dynamics, and participation.?

A close-up of Eddo Stern?s Moneymakingworskhop.

?Let?s say I have my phone in here right now,? said Allison Agsten, curator of Public Engagement, in an interview with Hyperallergic, ?and let?s say, six years ago, I said, ?How many games are in this room??, perhaps you?d say six, because that?s how many we have in here.? The ubiquity of games has changed dramatically, she noted, pointing at 2007 as the introduction of the iPhone and the transformation of the field as ubiquitous gaming meant that gamers were no longer glued to Game Boys and Palm Pilots.

The show features works by artists like Noa P. Kaplan, Sarah Bay Williams, Alexis Smith, and Eddo Stern. For those familiar with the recent works of Stern, a prolific video game designer and artist, this particular installation stands out for its lack of electronics or projections.? His ?Moneymakingworkshop? consists of a complex series of rules and repetitions around making making money by pounding them out of gold foil. Remnants of previous games lay scattered beneath the table.

?There?s no clear win state,? Agsten noted of most of the games. Sitting next to us during the interview was a pack of Alexis Smith?s ?Playing Cards, Made in USA.??It?s striking to see a pack of playing cards, which I?ve not played for years, and note that it?s handheld nature makes it about the size and weight of a mobile phone. The cards themselves feature quotes from Walt Whitman?s ?Leaves of Grass? and is skinned to represent moments from American history, in contrast to the monarchy images of traditional cards. Ironically, Agsten pointed out that the cards were handled less than Stern?s installation, perhaps a sign that visitors felt hesitant to open the pack and lose a card.

My attention turned to Samara Smith?s ?Chain Reaction (Westwood),? with Situationist instructions for walking around the Westwood neighborhood that surrounds the Hammer. ?When I played this game, I saw the neighborhood in a way I hadn?t seen it in a while,? Agsten explained. It was originally designed for Brooklyn, but I felt it had greater resonance in a city like Los Angeles, where the idea of strolling can seem foreign.

What would a Situationist derive look like in Los Angeles? Samara Smith provides cards for exploration.

?She adapted it for Westwood, and originally what she calls the release object, one of them was graffiti. So when I was walking around play testing it, I said, oh my god, we don?t have any graffiti here.? It was a notable change from Westwood?s earlier years and perhaps indicative of the city?s general tendency to forget rather than enshrine its history (captured so well in Norman Klein?s History of Forgetting).

One of Sarah Bay Williams?s papier mach? pi?atas.

Smith?s Westwood-specific release objects now include a ?handmade object,? an independent business, and a ?for lease sign,? all of which have resonance in a neighborhood in regular flux as it commercializes swiftly. When a visitor sees a release object, they?re allowed to wander the neighborhood freely until they encounter a ?lead object,? which include a Starbucks cup, a Target bag, and a Subway bag.

Game Room?as a whole is higly participatory and tactile. Situated in a museum like the Hammer, it may not seem approachable, but Agsten noted that visitors, especially children, felt comfortable with picking up and playing with the objects. As Sarah Brin noted in her essay on the works:

Of all the activities that are enacted in a museum, looking might be cited as the most important ? or at least the most common. There is a tendency to regard artworks as static objects and to believe that the museumgoer?s role is to visually examine them. After an item is viewed, some observers will arrive at an evaluative conclusion based on context as well as their personal preferences and associations.

Artists who design games, on the other hand, can create something more tactile and personal, and, as Brin notes, ?bridge the gap between creators and their publics.?

The most tempting piece, Sarah Bay Williams?s ?Pi?atas: Recreational Items from Unfortunate Events,? hangs tantalizingly above the room, with references to classic games like badminton and kick the can. A bat hangs nearby but is secured tightly to the wall. On the last day of the installation, February 17, the museum will host a pi?ata smashing. What?s inside? With an artist designing the objects, you can bet it won?t be the usual assortment of candies.

Game Room?runs at the Hammer Museum (10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Westwood Village, Los Angeles)?until February 17.

Tagged as: Alexis Smith, Allison Agsten, Eddo Stern, gaming, Hammer Museum, Noa P. Kaplan, Samara Smith, Sarah Bay Williams, Sarah Brin

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Source: http://hyperallergic.com/64084/the-art-of-gaming-in-the-context-of-contemporary-art/

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Mindy McCready denies shooting boyfriend

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

The past few years haven't been easy for Mindy McCready; the country singer has dealt with drug addiction and jail, plus a protracted custody battle over her son with Billy McKnight. But Jan. 13, the day her boyfriend David Wilson died of a gunshot wound, was likely her lowest point in recent memory, as she told NBC's Andrea Canning on TODAY Tuesday.

"I have never gone through anything this painful," she said in an interview at her home in Little Rock, Ark. "He didn't just touch my heart, he touched my soul. He was my soulmate."

Wilson, a 34-year-old record producer, was initially rushed to the hospital earlier in January after suffering reportedly self-inflicted gunshot wound that did not immediately kill him. McCready was with him after the shooting. "I just started screaming, calling 911," she said. "I lay down next to him and just just pleaded with him not to die."

"He was responding," she added, saying he was only making "sounds," not words.

The investigation as to the cause of death remains open, and there are no suspects in the case (including McCready), Cleburne County Sheriff's Department said. Tests that will determine whether it was suicide or murder are due back in a few weeks.

But there remain lingering questions. McCready denied that Wilson, the father of her other son Zane, was having an affair, and explained that the bullet wasn't found until the next day because "it was in the dog's mouth."?

And when asked directly whether she shot Wilson, she was adamant: "Oh, my God, no. He was my life. We were each others' life."

Related content:

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/01/29/16752127-mindy-mccready-denies-shooting-boyfriend-he-was-my-soulmate?lite

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TV ads may be driving children to drink ? The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

The halls of every middle school in America are filled with teenagers looking to find themselves, express themselves and fit in with the crowd. But it?s what happens at home, at night, that can lead to some of the problems those teens may put on display.

Seventh-graders who are exposed to alcohol ads on television ?- and who say they like the ads - may experience more severe problems related to drinking alcohol later in their adolescence, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal Pediatrics.

The study

Researchers at the School of Community and Global Health at Claremont Graduate University in California hypothesized that ?adolescents who like alcohol advertisements will be more likely to elaborate on the content of the ads (e.g., imagine themselves in the scene), and as a result, they will be more likely to be persuaded to try the product.?

As consenting adult consumers,?the more appealing an advertised product is, the more likely?it will be?purchased. Secondly ?? drinking is oftentimes thought of as cool, rebellious ? sometimes even an ?adult? thing to do. These two notions, taken together, can be a recipe for problems when it comes to children and alcohol.

Participants were recruited from 23 randomly-selected public middle schools in Los Angeles County. The seventh-grade students were preliminarily surveyed as to how often they watched 20 popular TV shows. Data on alcohol advertising during these programs was subsequently obtained from Nielsen Media Research.

The study?s authors then conducted follow-up surveys, which included still pictures from the television advertisements, none of which contained any brand names or logos. An open-ended item asked participants to write down what product was being advertised; independent judges decided whether responses were indeed related to the advertisement or not.

The survey also included three items to assess how much participants liked the alcohol ads they viewed on TV. The teens were asked if they thought the alcohol ads were funny or sexy, and whether they liked the alcohol ads better than other ads. ?These items,? explain the authors, ?measure an affective or emotional reaction to alcohol ads that has been useful in both the study of alcohol advertising and by the advertising industry in general to estimate the potential effectiveness of advertising copy.?

Results

?Exposure to advertising was found to have a significant correlation with alcohol use, particularly among girls,? the study concludes. ?Liking the ads was connected with alcohol-related problems (defined as not being able to do homework, getting into fights, neglecting responsibilities, or causing someone shame or embarrassment), particularly in boys. For both boys and girls, the more they were exposed to the ads and liked them, the more their alcohol use grew from seventh to 10th grade.? That, of course, leads to a greater potential for alcohol-related problems later on.

The researchers were also careful to consider additional factors, such as the total amount of time spent watching television, observing friends drinking, observing well-known adults drinking, age, gender, ethnicity, language, parents? occupation and education, as well as enrollment?in extracurricular sporting activities.

Recommendations

The study's authors recommend teaching children about "the design of persuasive messages in the media?to help the avoid undue influence by the media on their behaviors. Second, it is?important to have a comprehensive policy to limit the exposure of children to alcohol ads on television and on other media."

The urgency of finding a solution to the epidemic of underage drinking was underscored further by another study released Monday in Pediatrics. Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that in 2010, 36% of 10th graders drank, 28% binged, and 23% were drunk in the past month. Although 82% of the high school sophomores reported seeing a doctor in the past year, only 54% were asked about drinking, and just 17% were advised to reduce or stop drinking.

?Efforts are warranted to increase the proportion of physicians who follow professional guidelines to screen and counsel adolescents about unhealthy alcohol use and behaviors that pose health risks,? conclude the second study?s authors.

Source: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/29/tv-ads-may-be-driving-children-to-drink/

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Senators reach deal on immigration changes

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to rewrite the nation's immigration laws.

The deal, which was to be announced at a news conference Monday afternoon, covers border security, guest workers and employer verification, as well as a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

Although thorny details remain to be negotiated and success is far from certain, the development heralds the start of what could be the most significant effort in years toward overhauling the nation's inefficient patchwork of immigration laws.

President Barack Obama also is committed to enacting comprehensive immigration legislation and will travel to Nevada on Tuesday to lay out his vision, which is expected to overlap in important ways with the Senate effort.

The eight senators expected to endorse the new principles Monday are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.

Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn't get enough GOP support.

Now, with some Republicans chastened by the November elections which demonstrated the importance of Latino voters and their increasing commitment to Democrats, some in the GOP say this time will be different.

"What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new, I think, appreciation on both sides of the aisle ? including maybe more importantly on the Republican side of the aisle ? that we have to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill," McCain said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"I think the time is right," McCain said.

The group claims a notable newcomer in Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate whose conservative bona fides may help smooth the way for support among conservatives wary of anything that smacks of amnesty. In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rubio wrote that the existing system amounts to "de facto amnesty," and he called for "commonsense reform."

According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the senators will call for accomplishing four goals:

?Creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here, contingent upon securing the border and better tracking of people here on visas.

?Reforming the legal immigration system, including awarding green cards to immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in science, math, technology or engineering from an American university.

?Creating an effective employment verification system to ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants.

?Allowing more low-skill workers into the country and allowing employers to hire immigrants if they can demonstrate they couldn't recruit a U.S. citizen; and establishing an agricultural worker program.

The principles being released Monday are outlined on just over four pages, leaving plenty of details left to fill in. What the senators do call for is similar to Obama's goals and some past efforts by Democrats and Republicans, since there's wide agreement in identifying problems with the current immigration system. The most difficult disagreement is likely to arise over how to accomplish the path to citizenship.

In order to satisfy the concerns of Rubio and other Republicans, the senators are calling for the completion of steps on border security and oversight of those here on visas before taking major steps forward on the path to citizenship.

Even then, those here illegally would have to qualify for a "probationary legal status" that would allow them to live and work here ? but not qualify for federal benefits ? before being able to apply for permanent residency. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already in line for a green card within the current immigration system.

That could be a highly cumbersome process, but how to make it more workable is being left to future negotiations. The senators envision a more streamlined process toward citizenship for immigrants brought here as children by their parents, and for agricultural workers.

The debate will play out at the start of Obama's second term, as he aims to spend the political capital afforded him by his re-election victory on an issue that has eluded past presidents and stymied him during his first term despite his promises to the Latino community to act.

"As the president has made clear for some time, immigration reform is an important priority and he is pleased that progress is being made with bipartisan support," a White House spokesman, Clark Stevens, said in a statement. "At the same time, he will not be satisfied until there is meaningful reform and he will continue to urge Congress to act until that is achieved."

For Republicans, the November elections were a stark schooling on the importance of Latino voters, who voted for Obama over Republican Mitt Romney 71 percent to 27 percent, helping ensure Obama's victory. That led some Republican leaders to conclude that supporting immigration reform with a path to citizenship has become a political imperative.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-28-Immigration/id-5eeacbb7069c46dba7460c092bb690e5

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Improve Your Website SEO With Social Media - Web.Search.Social ...

The modern face of SEO is no longer about manipulating search engine spiders, stuffing content with as many keywords as possible or threading the web with as many spammed links to your website as you can.

Instead, the optimization environment has changed and things have become much more human focused than they have ever been before; especially in the wake of major Google updates such as Penguin or Panda, both of which focus much more intensely on filtering out low quality content that does not engage human readers.

In this new landscape of SEO, you as a website owner or SEO services provider absolutely need to focus your or your clients? optimization efforts on creating a strong presence with real human fans, and using this to build your ranking in the search engines.

In this same modern landscape, one of the best ways to pull that aim off is by taking full advantage of social networks!

Currently, nearly half of all web traffic is being generated through the lenses of various social networks that have sprung up in just the last several years.

Over one billion people?more than half of all internet users?regularly find their online content through the organic word-of-mouth sharing networks that exist on the world?s top social network systems.

The Real Impact Of Social Networks On SEO

Platforms such as Facebook?which is the largest of all social systems with over 1 billion members, followed by Twitter (more than 250 million users), LinkedIn (170+million users) and numerous other global social networking systems are slowly becoming some of the digital world?s top means of spreading news, promoting things and advertising in a classical sense.

Obviously, with these trends emerging at a dramatic pace all over the world, you need to learn how to take full advantage of them if you really want to fully optimize your website ranking.

The bottom line, as far as social media?s impact on SEO is concerned, is that these immense, powerful and largely organic platforms for content and information distribution have come to have an enormous influence over where web users shift their attention on the net.

Since social networks don?t base the popularity of a given link on algorithmic decision-making systems, the nature of SEO itself has become far more human interest-based instead of depending on software bots.

In its effort to keep up with this trend (and compete with social network-powered content distribution), Google itself, the most dominant of the search engines, has begun to integrate the same organic value metrics into their machine-based ranking scripts, further reinforcing the value of natural popularity and value-building strategies over rules of optimization.

Whether social signals affect your website rank in search results is still debated. There?s a correlation that may or may not be causation, but the end result is clear: Google is moving more and more toward serving up results based on the perceived quality of content. And quality is determined primarily by the way content is linked to and shared across the internet.

Some Social Media Tips For Your Own Site Optimization

Given all the uncontrollable trends, you absolutely need to adapt to the shifting politics of online search rank if you want your own domain to stay out of the dust at the side of the highway.

This means discarding more than a few old practices that revolved around manipulating code and learning how to engage real human readers on a practical, continuous level. Here are some key basic guidelines.

Forget About Search Algorithms, Focus On Value

Focusing too much on algorithms is exactly what got so many site owners in trouble with their web rank in the last couple of years; instead of concentrating on creating lasting content that people want to pay attention to and share, they put too much of their SEO effort into designing link profiles and websites whose main quality was their attractiveness to a bunch of soon-to-evolve search algorithms.

Don?t continue this mistake.

Instead, do what many should have done from the start and create a well-organized website that?s had good research effort put into it so that it can identify genuine human interest niches and deliver the goods for the people searching in those niches.

This should be your most basic and fundamental step; it?s what will make your social media-based efforts much easier to develop successfully because you?ll have something to actually offer in this new content environment.

Join The Social Network Landscape

Having created the kind of content you at least hope is going to make an impact and get people?s attention, you now need to build your own branded space in the social network landscape.

This includes opening accounts in all the major networks and at the very least networks where the majority of your niche fan-base candidates are found. Open your accounts under the brand by which your online domain presence goes and start integrating them with your actual website.

The more visible and widely shared your content, the more natural links you will build without the ?gaming? factor that Google has made extended efforts to penalize.

Thoroughly Integrate Your Site Pages With Social Media

Your site may deliver the goods to real human viewers, but you?ve got to fully embed it with a social sharing infrastructure; you obviously don?t want to have a situation in which people love your work but can?t easily spread the word about it.

Integration of easily visible, fully operational sharing buttons needs to be done for every page of your site and at the very least for every major content page that is share-worthy.

Also, these sharing features should be both up-to-date and as hassle free as possible?viewers and potential fans are quick to note a convenient feature on a site, and likewise to become impatient with one that isn?t.

Keep Promoting And Creating

If there?s one thing that social media and search engines really love and largely depend on, it?s freshness. Take as full advantage of this as you can by constantly growing your social fan base and frequently post interesting new links, tools, apps and any other valuables you think your fans will love or get something useful out of.

Self-promotion to a human audience is absolutely crucial in the new, less black-hat-friendly?digital landscape, so it?s a skill you?ll have to master as much as possible if you want to create a decent list of social followers that will also raise your general SEO rank.

Have you made an effort to integrate social sharing into your website? Have you noticed any effect on traffic and rankings? Let me know your thoughts.

Source: http://www.websearchsocial.com/improve-seo-with-social-media?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=improve-seo-with-social-media

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Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat from Iowa, will not seek reelection

Tom Harkin, considered one of the most liberal Democratic senators, announced Saturday, he will not seek reelection in 2014. Harkin's departure could leave Democrats vulnerable in Iowa. ?

By Reuters / January 26, 2013

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. talks about the fiscal cliff with reporters, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 28. On Saturday, Harkin announced he will not run for reelection in 2014.

Susan Walsh/AP

Enlarge

Democratic U.S. Senator Tom?Harkin?of?Iowa?said on Saturday he will not seek re-election in 2014, saying he felt that after 40 years in?Congress, it will be "somebody else's turn."

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Harkin, 73, is one of the most liberal senators and has focused much of his long congressional career on farm policy and legislation aiding people with disabilities.

Iowa, site of the early presidential caucuses, is considered a political swing state, putting Democrats' long-held?Senate?seat at risk. Republican?Charles Grassley?is?Iowa's other U.S. senator.

"I don't by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this?Congress,"?Harkin?said in a statement. "But I am going to make way for someone new in this?Senate?seat. I think that is right not just for me, but for?Iowa, as well."

In his remaining two years in office,?Harkin?said he will focus on implementing President?Barack Obama's healthcare reforms, expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities and expanding access to education.

Harkin?was first elected to the?House of Representatives?in 1974 and the?Senate?in 1984.

"When the current?Congress?is over, I will have served in the?United States?House of Representatives?and the U.S.Senate?for a total of 40 years. After 40 years, I just feel it's somebody else's turn," he said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/RRFF-aW3hXc/Senator-Tom-Harkin-Democrat-from-Iowa-will-not-seek-reelection

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Mobile Nations at CES 2013 Podcast: Day Zero

Once again Mobile Nations has assembled at CES, and we've come together with the Cell Phone Junkie to talk NVIDIA's Project Shield, 4K (2160p) televisions, giant phones, low-end phones, and all the rest of the news -- and the show hasn't even officially started yet!

• Our podcast feed: Audio
• Download directly: Audio
• Subscribe in iTunes: Audio | Video
• Subscribe in Zune

Panel

• Mickey Papillon (@mickeypapillon) of The Cell Phone Junkie
• Phil Nickinson (@philnickinson) of Android Central
• Kevin Michaluk (@crackberrykevin) of CrackBerry.com
• Daniel Rubino (@Daniel_Rubino) of WPCentral
• Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) of iMore.com
• Alex Dobie (@alexdobie) of androidcentral.com
• Simon Sage (@SimonSage) of mobilenations.com
• Andrew Dobie (@alexdobie) of androidcentral.com
• Anndrew Vacca @anndrew of androidcentral.com
• Andrew Martonik @andrewmartonik of androidcentral.com

Feedback

Got something to say? Agree or disagree with something we said? Have something you want us to discuss on a future show? Don't just sit there yelling at the screen, dammit, let us know!

• Email: podcast@mobilenations.com
• Twitter: @mobilenations
• Web: www.mobilenations.com

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ycUwca0l0dI/story01.htm

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Boxee Wants To Be Inside Your TV

Up'n'coming streaming box company Boxee isn't content sitting next to your TV. Instead, it's firing up an initiative to get inside your TV by offering an embeddable option to manufacturers. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/2yg9jmRH_so/boxee-wants-to-be-inside-your-tv

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More for college athletes: not if, but how

MIAMI (AP) ? Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly supports an NCAA proposal to give college athletes a $2,000 stipend to cover the cost of expenses not currently taken into account by a scholarship.

And he says he believes it's just a matter of time before stipends are implemented.

The top-ranked Fighting Irish play No. 2 Alabama on Monday for the national championship. Notre Dame will make $6.2 million for playing in BCS title game, to go along with the $15 million a year the school is paid by NBC to televise its home football games.

The current Bowl Championship Series system pumps about $180 million a year into the schools in the school that play major college football. The new playoff system that starts in 2014, will up that figure to about $470 million.

The question is no longer whether to cut athletes a check, it is how best to do that, and NCAA President Mark Emmert is pushing its members to figure it out.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/more-college-athletes-not-183001208--spt.html

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A Great Message from a Great Master Bruce Lee | Business PR News

A couple of days ago, someone on Facebook shared this awesome picture and message from our old idol, Bruce Lee.? I shared it on my Facebook Wall and wrote the following message to go with it.? I thought of sharing it here because I realized, the message I wrote below applies to not only to master in one area, but to many masters in many places.? So, here you go.

Aimee's message below:

Oh where did you find this... It's so truth... many masters are too busy with their own egos ( a trap)... they lose focus on their students... their disciples... their apprentices... their masterpiece. It is so much better to have many pieces of you out there every where than to have just only one you, like a dust in the space... lost and forgotten someday... Oh Bruce Lee! My idol... His teacher was awesome.

To the picture below that was posted on my Facebook:

?

?

Source: http://businessprnews.com/great-message-from-a-great-master-bruce-lee

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Best SEO tips: Travel and Leisure Back packs for Ladies ? telola& ...

Posted by maronal on January 5, 2013 in insistent with No Comments

There are various sorts of travel backpacks for ladies designed for those who desire to choose backpacking for holiday. Traveling alone isn?t just for guys, women these days travel on their own just about everywhere. Nevertheless the majority of individual or the what is known as solo vacation relating to backpacking is usually tailored for men Ladies really are exclusive since we really need to combat unneeded attention particularly when we vacation alone and it may be rather demanding for many people.

Women from time to time opt to vacation alone due to numerous aspects. A few factors which I could picture will probably be somebody who just turned single again, desires to break free on her own for a short period, gain strength and possibly to provide evidence she can get it done on their own, probably looking for religious experience or simply really wants to do things in a different way. Recommended for you would be to go backpacking and find a special constr ucted vacation backpacks for ladies. Schedule your holiday perfectly and exercise lodging safety and always arrange to reach a location during day time. Remember to keep your traveling document secure and also be sure you dress adequately to prevent yourself from undesired notice. Actually do communicate with family members and good friends as you vacation and also a smart and efficient way would be to post your travel and leisure blogs.
A well specially designed holiday backpacks for women should be capable of support the actual shoulder blades pad as women are generally lighter weight compare with males and this will be more ergonomics to manage it. It shall be wiser to decide on light-weight backpacking due to the fact is really a safer choice compare to traditional holiday backpack simply because it helps to reduce chance of injuries for example sprained shoulder joint, back discomfort and knee complications.

A lighter in weight travel backpacks for girls also allow women vacationer to be far more reactive with regards to urgent situation. It?s quicker to duck and also run away if you have a less heavy load on your back especially if you encounter natural disaster like mudslide or even crashing branches. Apart from that you can enjoy your vacation and traveling far more distance as well as take pleasure in the mobility and also independence when you vacation light. Single vacationers espe cially ladies require the simplicity and luxury as opposed to struggling with aching muscles and also lower back pain as a result of a sub standard travel and leisure backpack. Therefore, prior to start the journey it?s a good idea to search and also look around online backpacks for additional information prior to selecting one.

Single female vacationers face far more danger and also it?s imperative to apply essential traveling safeguards. Take a compass and guide of course, if you can invest a Gps navigation that is loaded with the latest map which is extra reliable. Try and stay with a familiar path that?s incredibly well visited to make sure that when you are confronted by misfortune aid is available out quicker. Once you have all your travel backpacks for ladies all securely filled you are prepared to enjoy the vacation!

Cloudysky has been travelling around for vacations and is giving tips on how to choose travel backpacks for women. For more infor mation abouttravels backpacks for women please read this review.

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Source: http://amyplund517.blogspot.com/2012/12/travel-and-leisure-back-packs-for-ladies.html

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1. How Ecommerce Solutions UK Service can help Online business

   Category: IT Industry TodayPublished Thu, Jan 3rd 2013 Back to Articles Every organization which wants to carry out its business in the online world and want to offer customer's its services and products must avail services of Ecommerce solutions UK organization.Posted via Industry Today. Are you into it?...

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   The user review has been around online shopping practically since online shopping?s been around, but it doesn?t appear to have affected the quality of products that are produced. Why not?Amazon currently offers prospective toaster buyers a choice of several thousand different models. They range from adequate choices that cost $20 or less, to what must...

4. The Founders' Finance, and Ours | Online Library of Law and Liberty

   Jan 3, 2013 by Michael S. Greve / 1 Comment Filed Under: Gallatin, Hamilton, Thomas McCraw My recent blogging hiatus was caused by a splendid family vacation in Key West, rendered yet...

5. Biogen says Lou Gehrig?s disease drug fails in trial

   (Reuters) - An experimental drug to combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease in the United States, failed to work in an important trial and Biogen Idec said it would stop development of the treatment. The drug, dexpramipexole, had...

6. Hannah Storm Hosts Rose Parade Show: ESPN Anchor Returns, Talks Propane Gas Grill Accident (VIDEO)

   With a wave of her bandaged left hand, and boosted by well wishes from Dr. Phil, Chris Evert and even a young woman she once babysat, Hannah Storm returned to a most comfortable setting ? talking in front of a TV camera. The ESPN anchor hosted the Rose Parade telecast Tuesday in her first...

7. Stick With Plan A. Writing Goals For 2013. | The Creative Penn

   Happy New Year! I love this time of year. The energy of new beginnings and people getting ready to start again, to re-commit to their goals. I use this time to assess where I went off track last year and to get back to basics. I revisit my life goals and how this year will...

8. Sponsored By:

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9. Residential Electricians ? Dade, Broward, Palm Beach ? Home ?

   Electricity has become an essential part of contemporary life, powering lights, appliances, heat, air conditioning, televisions, telephones, computers and many other modern conveniences. Our residential electricians at Total Power Electric provide quick and efficient electrical service with professionalism, courtesy and efficiency. You, the customer are our top priority. Total Power Electric services all your...

10. H5N1: Pakistan: Seven more aid workers killed (updated)

    Via Mike Coston's Avian Flu Diary:?7 More Aid Workers Killed In Pakistan. Excerpt: Today, news that a doctor and six aid workers were ambushed and killed by unknown gunmen after leaving a children?s community center.? Although no one has claimed credit for today?s act, aid workers have been repeatedly targeted by religious and political groups in...

Source: http://budgetvacationideasforwomen.insydetarynblog.com/182/best-seo-tips-travel-and-leisure-back-packs-for-ladies-telolas/

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AT&T, Microsoft among donors to Obama's second inauguration (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Indian Summer 2012 Real Estate Sales: 14 Olympia Golf Course ...

Indian Summer, the world-class golf course located in Southeast Olympia, and its surrounding neighborhood had a significant number of home sales in 2012. ?The gated community enjoys a quiet atmosphere and a well-manicured grounds, and home buyers are taking notice of the value of Indian Summer homes after the price corrections of the past few years.

Fourteen homes were sold in Indian Summer in 2012, with a median price point of $330,000. ?Real estate in Indian summer ranges from smaller, attached townhouse-style homes to moderately-sized new construction on the links, to large, luxurious custom homes on some of the best positions on the golf course. ?The top sale for the year was a $537,500 home on Turnberry Lane. ? Over the past few years, there have been some custom homes that have sold as high as $1 million, and other homes as low as $220,000, with a wide variety of styles in between.

Indian Summer?s higher than average real estate prices for Olympia have followed the trends of much of the luxury real estate market. ?Higher-end neighborhoods are usually slightly slower to make their way into recovery mode than inexpensive markets, but Indian Summer seems to be headed that direction now. ?As home sales continue to bolster the market, stabilized and even rising prices are likely to follow.

Indian Summer Homes Sold, Olympia, WA 2012

Address	City	Price	Beds	Baths	Sq Ft
6024 Merlot Lane SE	Olympia	$125,000	3	2.5	1,690
3729 Kinsale Lane SE	Olympia	$238,500	2	1.75	1,550
3719 Kinsale Lane SE	Olympia	$246,000	2	1.75	1,477
7038 Ashdown Lane SE	Olympia	$285,000	4	2.5	2,340
6849 Fairway Lane SE	Olympia	$295,000	3	1.75	1,696
3700 Kinsale Lane SE	Olympia	$297,250	4	2.5	2,530
5844 Ashbourne Lane SE	Olympia	$325,000	3	2.5	3,218
3841 Prestwick Lane SE	Olympia	$330,000	3	2	2,160
5810 Ashbourne Lane SE	Olympia	$350,000	4	2.5	2,953
3924 Birkdale Lane SE	Olympia	$350,000	4	2.75	2,412
4117 Stonehaven Lane SE	Olympia	$355,000	3	2	2,382
6500 Portstewart Lane SE	Olympia	$450,000	4	3	2,850
6516 Troon Lane SE	Olympia	$457,000	3	2.5	3,459
6526 Turnberry Lane SE	Olympia	$500,000	3	2.5	3,432
6506 Turnberry Lane SE	Olympia	$537,500	3	3.25	3,120

Current Indian Summer homes for sale in Olympia

??Seattle Homes, LLC: ? Sam DeBord, Managing Broker, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Seattle: Coldwell Banker Danforth & Associates
Twitter |?Facebook |?LinkedIn | Google + | Sam (at) SeattleHome.com

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlewaterfronthomes/2013/01/04/indian-summer-2012-real-estate-sales-14-olympia-golf-course-homes-sold/

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India rape victim's friend recounts ordeal

In this image taken from video obtained from Network 1 News and Information Syndicate (NNIS), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh Brahma, center, a leader of India's ruling Congress party, is slapped by a woman in the village of Santipur, India, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Police said Brahma was visiting the village of Santipur on the Bhutan border when he entered a woman's house and raped her at 2 a.m. In a sign that attitudes might be changing since the rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, who died of severe internal injuries over the weekend, police have arrested Brahma. (AP Photo/NNIS)

In this image taken from video obtained from Network 1 News and Information Syndicate (NNIS), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh Brahma, center, a leader of India's ruling Congress party, is slapped by a woman in the village of Santipur, India, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Police said Brahma was visiting the village of Santipur on the Bhutan border when he entered a woman's house and raped her at 2 a.m. In a sign that attitudes might be changing since the rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, who died of severe internal injuries over the weekend, police have arrested Brahma. (AP Photo/NNIS)

In this image taken from video obtained from Network 1 News and Information Syndicate (NNIS), which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh Brahma, center, a leader of India's ruling Congress party, is slapped by a woman in the village of Santipur, India, on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Police said Brahma was visiting the village of Santipur on the Bhutan border when he entered a woman's house and raped her at 2 a.m. In a sign that attitudes might be changing since the rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, who died of severe internal injuries over the weekend, police have arrested Brahma. (AP Photo/NNIS)

Students shout slogans during a protest against a leader of the ruling Congress party, who was arrested on accusations he raped a woman in a village in the early hours of the morning, in Gauhati, India, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Footage on Indian television showed the extraordinary scene of local women surrounding Bikram Singh Brahma, ripping off his shirt and repeatedly slapping him across the face. A Dec. 16 gang rape on a woman, who later died of her injuries, has caused outrage across India, sparking protests and demands for tough new rape laws, better police protection for women and a sustained campaign to change society's views about women. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Indians stand in a queue to enter the District Court complex where a new fast-track court was inaugurated Wednesday to deal specifically with crimes against women, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Indian police were preparing Thursday to file rape and murder charges against a group of men accused of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old university student for hours on a moving bus in New Delhi. The Dec. 16 attack on the woman, who later died of her injuries, has caused outrage across India, sparking protests and demands for tough new rape laws, better police protection for women and a sustained campaign to change society's views about women. (AP Photo/ Manish Swarup)

A young Indian girl lights a candle in memory of a gang-rape victim in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Indian police were preparing Thursday to file rape and murder charges against a group of men accused of sexually assaulting the 23-year-old university student for hours on a moving bus in New Delhi. The Dec. 16 attack on the woman, who later died of her injuries, has caused outrage across India, sparking protests and demands for tough new rape laws, better police protection for women and a sustained campaign to change society's views about women. Placard left reads "Why aren't you able to protect the womb that gave birth to you?" (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

NEW DELHI (AP) ? The companion of a woman who was gang-raped aboard a bus in New Delhi recounted in a television interview for the first time Friday how the pair was attacked for 2 1/2 hours before being thrown on the side of the road, where passersby ignored them and police debated jurisdiction issues before helping them.

The Dec. 16 attack has outraged Indians and led to calls for tougher rape laws and reforms of a police culture that often blames rape victims and refuses to file charges against accused attackers. The nation's top law enforcement official said the country needs to crack down on crimes against women with "an iron hand."

The 23-year-old woman died over the weekend from massive internal injuries suffered during the attack. Authorities charged five men with her murder and rape and were holding a sixth suspect believed to be a juvenile. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday.

The woman and her male friend had just finished watching the movie "Life of Pi" at an upscale mall and were looking for a ride home. An autorickshaw driver declined to take them so they boarded the private bus with the six assailants inside, the companion told the Indian TV network Zee TV.

Authorities have not named the man because of the sensitivity of the case. The TV station also declined to give his name, although it did show his face during the interview. The man has a broken leg and was sitting in a wheelchair during the interview.

After a while, the men on the bus starting harassing and attacking the pair, he said.

"I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod," he said. The woman tried to call the police using her mobile phone, but the men took it away from her, he said. They then took her to the rear seats of the bus and raped her.

"The attack was so brutal I can't even tell you ... even animals don't behave like that," he said.

Afterward, he overheard some of the attackers saying she was dead, he said.

The men then dumped their bleeding and naked bodies under an overpass. He waved to passers-by on bikes, in autorickshaws and in cars for help.

"They slowed down, looked at our naked bodies and left," he said. After about 20 minutes, three police vans arrived and the officers began arguing over who had jurisdiction over the crime as the man pleaded for clothes and an ambulance, he said.

The man said he was given no medical care. Instead, he spent four days at the police station helping them investigate the crime. He said he visited his friend in the hospital, told her the attackers were arrested and promised to fight for her.

"She has awakened us all by her courage," he said. "People should move ahead in the struggle to prevent a similar crime happening again as a tribute to her."

On Friday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said crimes against women and marginalized sections of society are increasing, and it is the government's responsibility to stop them.

"This needs to be curbed by an iron hand," he told a conference of state officials from across India that was called to discuss how to protect women.

He called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India's overburdened and sluggish court system for years.

"We need a reappraisal of the entire system," he said.

In the wake of the rape, several petitioners appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women's safety.

On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it doesn't have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India. The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials' criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.

However, the court did agree to look into the widespread creation of more fast-track courts for accused rapists across the country.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-04-India-Gang%20Rape/id-30cc8505b07645d69d84e8839372169b

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Wicked Divas ? So Bad? and So Good! | Triangle Arts and ...

RALEIGH, N.C. ?Showstoppers from Broadway, opera and popular music will fill Meymandi Concert Hall in two performances at Meymandi Concert Hall in downtown Raleigh, Friday, Jan. 18, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m.? Led by North Carolina Symphony Resident Conductor William Henry Curry and performed by vocalists Katie Rose Clarke and Nicole Parker, the performances will feature favorites from Tony Award-winning musicals like ?Wicked,? ?Gypsy,? ?Spamalot,? and ?Titanic,? and the beloved opera ?Carmen? in a night of wickedly good vocal fireworks.

Katie Rose Clarke

Katie Rose Clarke was most recently seen in the Broadway production of ?Wicked? as Glinda the Good.? She also played the role for nearly two years in the first national touring company.? Clarke made her Broadway debut as Clara Johnson in Lincoln Center Theatre?s production of ?The Light in the Piazza,? under the direction of Bartlett Sher.? In that role, Clarke appeared in the national broadcast ?Live from Lincoln Center.?? Clarke appeared in the East Coast debut of Craig Lucas? play ?Prayer for My Enemy,? as Marianne Noone at the Long Wharf Theatre Company in Connecticut.

Nicole Parker

Best known for playing the role of Elphaba in the hit Broadway production of ?Wicked,? Nicole Parker has also been seen on Broadway in ?Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me,? and originating the role of Red in ?The People in the Picture.?? Currently, she is starring as Elphaba in the national tour of ?Wicked.?? Parker has also appeared as Rosemary in ?How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,? with Reprise! in Los Angeles, and Juliet in ?The Second City?s Romeo and Juliet Musical? at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.? For six years, Parker was a cast member and contributing writer on Fox?s MADtv.? Her films include ?Funny People,? directed by Judd Apatow.

Tickets to ?Wicked Divas? on Friday, Jan. 18, and Saturday, Jan. 19, range from $18 to $66.? Student tickets are $15. To purchase tickets, visit the North Carolina Symphony website at www.ncsymphony.org or call the Symphony Box Office at 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724.

Pops Series Sponsors include CEI: The Digital Office, Highwoods Properties, Triangle Business Journal, and North State Strategies.? Statewide partnership and support provided by Progress Energy.

Meymandi Concert Hall is located in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., in Raleigh.

About the North Carolina Symphony

Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony performs over 175 concerts annually to adults and school children in more than 50 North Carolina counties. An entity of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the orchestra employs 65 professional musicians, under the artistic leadership of Music Director and Conductor Grant Llewellyn, and Resident Conductor William Henry Curry.

Based in downtown Raleigh?s spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts and an outdoor summer venue at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, N.C., the Symphony performs about 60 concerts annually in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary metropolitan area. It holds regular concert series in Fayetteville, New Bern, Southern Pines and Wilmington?as well as individual concerts in many other North Carolina communities throughout the year?and conducts one of the most extensive education programs of any U.S. orchestra.

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Wicked Divas ? So Bad? and So Good!, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/event/wicked-divas-so-bad-and-so-good/

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