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ISBN: 0316132942

Category: Novel

Tag: History and Military

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Posted on 2012-12-30. By anonymous.

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Annie Jacobsen, "Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base"
2011 | ISBN: 0316132942 | EPUB, MOBI, PDF | 544 pages | 36 MB
Area 51

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn't exist. Located a mere seventy-five miles outside of Las Vegas in Nevada's desert, the base has never been acknowledged by the U.S. government-but Area 51 has captivated imaginations for decades.

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems, and nuclear facilities. Others believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. The prevalence of these rumors stems from the fact that no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. Until now.

Annie Jacobsen had exclusive access to nineteen men who served the base proudly and secretly for decades and are now aged 75-92, and unprecedented access to fifty-five additional military and intelligence personnel, scientists, pilots, and engineers linked to the secret base, thirty-two of whom lived and worked there for extended periods. In Area 51, Jacobsen shows us what has really gone on in the Nevada desert, from testing nuclear weapons to building super-secret, supersonic jets to pursuing the War on Terror.

This is the first book based on interviews with eye witnesses to Area 51 history, which makes it the seminal work on the subject. Filled with formerly classified information that has never been accurately decoded for the public, Area 51 weaves the mysterious activities of the top-secret base into a gripping narrative, showing that facts are often more fantastic than fiction, especially when the distinction is almost impossible to make.

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(Reuters) - Media giant Tribune Co, owner of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, emerged from bankruptcy on Monday, ending four years of Chapter 11 reorganization.

Chicago-based Tribune said on Sunday that its portfolio would include eight major daily newspapers and 23 TV stations.

Tribune's controlling owners, which include hedge funds Oaktree Capital and Angelo, Gordon & Co, and JPMorgan Chase & Co intend to sell most, if not all, of its newspapers and already have expressions of interest for The Los Angeles Times, The Orlando Sentinel and others, Reuters has reported.

Oaktree is the biggest Tribune shareholder, owning about 23 percent of the company while Angelo Gordon and JP Morgan each hold a 9 percent stake.

"Tribune will emerge as a dynamic multi-media company with a great mix of profitable assets, powerful brands in major markets, sufficient liquidity for operations and investments and significantly less debt," Chief Executive Eddy Hartenstein said in a statement.

As part of the Chapter 11 exit, the company closed on a new $1.1 billion senior secured term loan and a new $300 million asset-based revolving credit facility.

The term loan will be used to fund certain payments under the plan of reorganization and the revolving credit facility will be used to fund ongoing operations, the company said.

Upon exiting bankruptcy, Tribune will have issued to former creditors a mix of about 100 million shares of new class A common stock and new class B common stock, and new warrants to purchase shares of new class A or class B common stock.

Hartenstein will remain CEO until the new Tribune board names a new management team. Peter Liguori, a former Discovery Communications chief operating officer, is expected to be named CEO.

The company announced a seven-person board that includes Hartenstein, Liguori, former Yahoo CEO Ross Levinsohn and Peter Murphy, Walt Disney's former top strategic planning executive.

Tribune is expected to focus on building its TV operations. In its portfolio, it owns WGN America, a national feed of Tribune's Chicago TV stations that it distributes through cable and satellite to more than 76 million U.S. homes.

Tribune's TV operations are estimated to account for $2.85 billion of the company's $7 billion valuation, while its publishing assets are estimated to represent $623 million, according to report by its financial advisor, Lazard. The rest of its value resides in other assets including its 30 percent stake in the Food Network and its cash balance.

In November, Tribune received regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission to transfer its broadcast licenses to the owners who would take it over after emerging from bankruptcy.

The company's reorganization plan was confirmed by the Delaware bankruptcy court in July.

The case is In re: Tribune Co et al, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 08-13141.

(Reporting by Liana B. Baker in New York and Ashutosh Pandey in Bangalore; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/publisher-tribune-emerge-bankruptcy-december-31-043011786--finance.html

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A Russian plane carrying only crew slid off the runway and crashed yesterday, the latest in a steady stream of such incidents that has given Russia one of the world's worst air traffic safety records.

By Alissa de Carbonnel,?Reuters / December 30, 2012

Rescuers work at the site of careered off the runway plane at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people.

Ivan Sekretarev/AP

Enlarge

A Russian airliner flying without passengers broke into pieces after it slid off the runway and crashed onto a highway outside?Moscow?upon landing on Saturday, killing four of the eight crew on board and leaving smoking chunks of fuselage on the icy road.

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The crash during peak holiday travel ahead of Russia's?New Year's vacation, which runs from Sunday through Jan. 9, cast a spotlight on the country's poor air safety record despite President?Vladimir Putin's calls to improve controls.

Television footage showed the?Tupolev Tu-204?jet with smoke billowing from the tail end and the cockpit broken clean off the front.

Some witnesses told state channel Rossiya-24 they saw a man thrown from the plane as it rammed into the barrier of the highway outside?Vnukovo airport, just southwest of the capital, and another described pulling other people from the wreckage.

"The plane split into three pieces,"?Yelena Krylova, chief spokeswoman for the airport, said in televised comments.

Police spokesman?Gennady Bogachyov?said: "The plane went off the runway, broke through the barrier, and caught fire."

The pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and a flight attendant were killed and the other four crew members aboard ? all flight attendants ? were in a serious condition in the hospital with head injuries, the?Emergency Situations Ministry?said.

Officials said earlier that there were 12 crew on board.

The mid-range?Tu-204?was operated by Russian airline Red Wings and was traveling from the?Czech Republic, Krylova said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UJrPByb_VuY/Plane-crash-puts-Russia-s-airline-industry-in-spotlight-again

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ensleysuanne85

Just in time for Christmas, 300 North Texas heritage horses find a new home - 2012-Dec-30

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The Olympian Ranch in North Texas has been sold to a new owner ? which wouldn't be uncommon or news at all, except for one fact: The property has been ...

Source: http://www.facebook.com/culturemap/posts/577804818901581

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ensleysuanne85

No amount of Pepto-Bismol could calm the fire in one Chinese man's stomach after eating a notoriously spicy soup.

The mala soup, a traditional Chinese dish that means "numbing hot," burned a hole right through the stomach of the 26-year-old man, Asian News International reported.

More from GlobalPost: China: Go visit your elderly parents

The soup gets its name from the numbing sensation produced by its ingredients, which usually include Sichuan pepper, local spices and chili pepper, according to The Huffington Post.

The man ordered the spiciest version of the dish, and was rushed to a local hospital after experiencing sharp pains and vomiting blood.

More from GlobalPost: Englishman wakes from coma speaking Welsh

Doctors found a hole in the wall of his stomach, and declared the soup was to blame, The Daily Mail reported.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/spicy-mala-soup-burns-hole-in-stomach-chinese-man

Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/spicy-mala-soup-burns-hole-in-stomach-chinese-man

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2012 is just about over, and that means a new year, and all sorts of incredible new stuff, is almost here. Join me and Georgia tonight on the iMore show for our official 2013 preview show. We'll be talking Apple watches and Apple televisions, iOS 7, a Retina iPad mini, a skinny iPad 5, the iPhone 5S, and a whole lot more.

6pm PT. 9pm ET. Be here!

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

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Assuming you were a non-naughty-lister who didn't get the proverbial coal lump, it looks like that gift under the tree was more likely a tablet than a phone this Noël, according to Flurry. The analytics outfit said that just over half of December 25th activations were slates, and we can't imagine too many gift-getters letting their new devices simlessly fester in a box over the big day. Overall activations more than doubled from last Christmas, and were up 332 percent on that single day from the first 20 days of December, combined. As might be expected, Apple came up big with iPad sales, but Flurry said that Amazon was also a winner with its 7-inch Kindle Fire HD tab, showing a "several thousand percent" increase over baseline activations. None of this likely comes as a huge shock to our readers, who rather overwhelmingly said that they'd rather have a Nexus 7 tablet than a pricier RAZR M as a gift if they toiled at Google.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Apple, Amazon

Comments

Source: Flurry Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/28/more-tablets-than-smartphones-activated-christmas/

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Camera trap images reveal tiger numbers rebounding across Asia, especially in southwestern India, where young tigers are leaving protected reserves due to population pressure, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The WCS attributes the rise in different tiger groups to better law enforcement and protection of additional habitat. For example, a notorious poaching ring was busted in Thailand last year, and the gang leaders have been given prison sentences of up to five years ? the most severe punishments for wildlife poaching in Thailand's history, the conservation group said in a statement.

Tiger numbers have been rising steadily in Thailand's Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary since 2007, with a record 50-plus tigers counted last year, the WCS said. The sanctuary is part of the country's Western Forest Complex. This core spans 7,000 square miles (18,000 square kilometers) and is home to an estimated 125 to 175 tigers.

In India's mountainous landscape of Nagarahole and Bandipur national parks, tigers have reached saturation levels, with more than 600 individuals caught on camera trap photos in the past decade. Young tigers are leaving the parks along protected corridors and entering a landscape with a population of a million people, the group said. [In Images: Tigers Rebound in Asia]

Conservationists also worked with government officials in Russia to create additional protected areas for tigers. The country declared a new corridor, called the Central Ussuri Wildlife Refuge, on Oct. 18. The refuge links the Sikhote-Alin tiger population in Russia ? the main group of endangered Amur tigers? with tiger habitat in China's Heilongjiang Province in the Wandashan Mountains. The refuge ensures that tigers can move across the border between Russia and China in this region.

An estimated 3,200 tigers are living in the wild, with only 2,500 breeding adult pairs, according to TRAFFIC, a monitoring group funded by the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Tigers have lost 93 percent of their historical range, which once sprawled across Asia from Turkey to Russia and south to Bali, according to the group.

"Tigers are clearly fighting for their very existence, but it's important to know that there is hope. Victories like these give us the resolve to continue to battle for these magnificent big cats," Cristi?n Samper, WCS president, said in a statement.

Reach Becky Oskin at boskin@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @beckyoskin. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and Google+.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tigers-making-comeback-asia-144611814.html

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TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili vetoed on Thursday a bill that would free 3,500 prisoners, some considered political prisoners by the parliament dominated by his opponents, adding to a bitter power struggle in the former Soviet republic.

Georgia's parliament last week passed an amnesty law that would release many prisoners jailed under Saakashvili, whose party was ousted by an opposition coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili in an October 1 election.

Ivanishvili became a prime minister after the vote, forcing a difficult cohabitation between the president and new parliament controlled by his rivals.

Saakashvili said he disagreed with parliament's decision to define 200 inmates as political prisoners and release them under the amnesty law -- along with others whom he described as hardened criminals.

"It means that there are more political prisoners just in Georgia than in the whole world all together," Saakashvili told a meeting with students on Thursday.

"Among prisoners pardoned by the parliament are pedophiles, and let them (parliamentarians) take responsibility for this decision as I'm not going to," he said. "Among them are those who were selling information to our enemies...as well as military officers charged with high treason."

Parliament needs 89 votes to override the president's veto, and the current parliamentary majority will have enough votes to do so.

Saakashvili's move appears to add to a power play between him and the new prime minister.

Since the election a raft of former government officials have been arrested, accused of abuse of power and other crimes.

The West has warned Ivanishvili, a political novice, not to lead a witch-hunt of officials loyal to Saakashvili, who in turn is criticized by opponents for monopolizing power, mistreating critics and trampling on human rights.

Prisoners to be freed under the bill include those convicted for high treason, taking part in military riots, spying for Russia as well as robbery, fraud, theft, drugs and minor crimes, although critics of Saakashvili say many were victims of political persecution.

The law also calls for cutting the prison terms of more than 12,000 other criminals jailed for grave crimes.

Since first rising to power as a leader of the 2003 "rose" revolution, Saakashvili curbed petty corruption and implemented liberal economic reforms.

But he also cracked down on street protests against his rule, drawing accusations from opponents that he was resorting to authoritarian methods such as using police to punish critics.

Critics have voiced concerns over what they call heavy-handed tactics in Georgian jails under Saakashvili. A video showing torture, beating and sexual assault of prisoners was broadcast shortly before the election, triggering street protests that eventually helped Ivanishvili to win the vote.

(Reporting by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Roger Atwood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/georgian-leader-vetoes-amnesty-bill-duel-parliament-211929404.html

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ensleysuanne85 · 27 December 2012

27 December 2012 Last updated at 19:20 ET

The new BBC wildlife series Africa will make it clear when animals have been filmed under controlled conditions.

The move comes a year after an episode of Frozen Planet, featuring a polar bear with her cubs, was criticised.

Some shots in that programme, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, were filmed in a Dutch zoo, but many viewers assumed footage came from the Arctic.

The producers of Africa said they felt it "appropriate to be more explicit" about the origins of such sequences.

"We feel it is important to maintain trust and credibility with the audience," series producer James Honeyborne told the Radio Times.

"What's important to us is to be able to share great moments of animal nature and some controlled filming allows us to do that."

The BBC denied misleading Frozen Planet viewers in an episode broadcast on BBC One in November 2011.

It showed polar bear cubs in a den with their mother, with many people assuming the young animals were born and filmed in the Arctic.

But the cubs were actually in a Dutch animal park, as revealed in behind-the-scenes footage on the show's website.

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Watch a clip of the polar bear cubs from the Frozen Planet series

"After Frozen Planet, research revealed audiences were interested in the variety of filming techniques but did not want to be misled in commentary," a BBC spokesman said.

"This is why the BBC has decided to flag up a number of controlled sequences within the commentary."

Viewers will be able to go to the website after the programme has been on TV to see how scenes were filmed.

Africa, also narrated by Sir David Attenborough, was filmed over four years.

It explores the whole of the continent and features meerkats being outsmarted by birds, as well as battling giraffes.

Africa begins on BBC One on 2 January.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20850131#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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The inside line from Washington is that there will be no Fiscal Cliff deal before the end of the year.

That's not surprising. Unfortunately, it always seemed unlikely that our politicians would agree to any vote that could be framed as them having voted to "raise taxes" ? which any deal before December 31 could have been framed as.

The more likely scenario seemed to be that politicians would wait until taxes increased automatically on January 1 and then heroically vote to cut them ? at least some of them.

And that's still my bet about what will happen in January.

But just because it seemed likely that politicians would be ruled by "politics" instead of pragmatism doesn't mean this is something to be proud of.

And let's be clear about what has happened in the past two months.

What has happened is that the political party that has based its entire existence on never agreeing to a tax hike of any kind has essentially agreed to tax hike for the entire country.

By not accepting the Democrats' offer to extend the Bush tax cuts for ~98% of Americans, the Republicans have agreed to let taxes rise on ALL Americans.

The Republicans have done this, it appears, only (or at least mainly) in a stubborn attempt to preserve lower tax rates on the highest-earning Americans.

And now those tax rates, too, will go up.

And the economy will slow down.

The Republicans have tried to pin the blame for the tax hikes on the Democrats, but most Americans have seen through this. And rightly so. The Republicans agreed to the coming tax hikes when they voted for the legislation in the summer of 2011. And now, by refusing to extend the tax cuts for all Americans but the richest 2%, the Republicans have tacitly once again agreed to raise taxes on all Americans.

This is what happens when a party that used to be known for pragmatism and responsibility allows itself to be hijacked by ideologues.

A deal to mute the impact of the Fiscal Cliff and raise the debt ceiling should be within easy reach of reasonable people on both sides of the aisle.

Unfortunately, our government isn't run by reasonable people anymore. Especially on the Republican side.

NOTE: This is my personal view, not "Business Insider's" So if you want to lecture someone about how the Republicans are absolutely right to agree to raise taxes on the entire country just to avoid voting to increase taxes on the highest-earning Americans, please direct those notes to me.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-agree-to-raise-taxes-for-entire-country-2012-12

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Provided by Business Insider

iPhones are great at doing basic things like making phone calls, sending text messages, and checking emails. But did you know that they can do so much more to automate our lives and make tasks easier?

If you got a new iPhone for the holidays, here are some essential tips and tricks to get you started. By the way, most of these tricks will also work on your new iPad too!

#1 If you have an iPhone 5, know how to turn LTE off to save battery.

This tip will save some battery life when you're in a pinch.

Start by going to settings, next head to general, and finally tap cellular. The second option is a toggle for "Enable LTE." When you need to save some battery and can spare internet speed, switch this option off.

#2 Lock your phone's screen orientation

To lock your screen orientation, double tap the home button and swipe to the right. You'll see a gray circle opposite the rewind button.

Tap that one time and a lock will appear. Now when you turn your phone sideways the orientation will stay put.

#3 Set an alphanumeric passcode

Setting an alpha numeric password can add an extra layer of protection to your phone.

To enable, first head to Settings.

Next, tap general, navigate to the middle of the page, and select passcode lock.

Turn "Simple Passcode" off and you will be prompted to enter your alpha numeric password.

#4 Tweet a photo directly from your Camera Roll

Head to your camera roll and select a photo. In the bottom left hand corner you'll see an arrow icon. Tap that and a menu will come up.

Choose "Twitter" in the middle row and a menu will come up with the photo attached in the top right corner.

Type your tweet, tap Send, and you're done.

#5 Make the iPod app stop playing music after a set amount of time

This tip is handy if you ever fall asleep listening to music.

After you've selected a song in the Music app, head to the the clock app.

Select the timer option in the bottom right hand corner and set a specific time.

Below the time, there is an option that says, "When Timer Ends ..." tap that.

At the very bottom of the list is an option for "Stop Playing." Select this and when the timer is up it will stop the iPod from playing.

#6 Automatically download new apps directly on your iPhone

This is a handy feature if you have a lot of Apple devices. You can make it so that apps and music automatically download on all your devices.

Head to settings and navigate to the middle of the page. After that select the "Store" option.

Once inside under "Automatic Downloads" switch on the options for Music, Apps, or both.

#7 Change the font in your Notes app

If you're tired of the note app's marker font, you can quickly change it.

Start by going to Settings, then navigate to Notes.

In this menu you can easily switch between three fonts.

#8 While in Apple's Mail app you can just pull down from the top to check for new messages.

#9 Speaking of Mail...

If you want to get back to a draft quickly, touch and hold the Compose button to switch to your last saved draft.

#10 Add PDFs from Safari to your iBooks or other apps. From a Mail message or a web page, touch and hold the PDF icon or link, then select ?Open in iBooks.?

#11 Speed up your phone by selecting what Spotlight indexes.

Spotlight is a useful tool for finding stuff on your phone, but if you've set it to search your entire phone for every single item present then it can take some time.

Have it only search items you care about by starting at Settings, then select General, and finally choose Spotlight search.

You can select what your phone indexes and speed up the interface.

#12 Change your phone's name, directly on your device

You couldn't do this in previous versions, but iOS 5 introduced the ability to change your phone's name directly on the device. Before you had to do this through iTunes.

Changing your phone's name can give it personality. (SAI editor Jay Yarow calls his "Tumor Toy." We dare you to do better.)

You have to dig a little to get to this one. Start by going to Settings. Next head to General, and then About.

At the top of the page you'll see your iPhone's name?tap it and you can change it to whatever you like.

#13 View websites in full screen...

This ones easy...while browsing a web site in Safari, turn your iPhone to the side (landscape) and tap the full-screen icon (arrows coming together in the bottom right) and you can view a website without distraction.

#14 Create a custom vibration

Creating a custom vibration can let you know who is calling or texting you without having to look at the phone.

You can make a vibration as long or short as you like.

To do this one, head to Settings, then tap "Sounds" at the bottom of the page. You'll be able to select custom vibration or record your own.

#15 Enable Private Browsing for Safari

Make sure that your browsing stays private by turning this option on.

Start in settings, next head to Safari, and in the middle of the page switch Private Browsing on.

#16 Use the Emoji keyboard to give your email or texts some flair.

To enable Emoji first head to the settings app. Tap general, scroll down and tap keyboard, from there you'll see another option a bit down the page, and you'll see "Keyboards," tap that.

From there you'll want to select, "Add new keyboard," once inside that menu you'll scroll down until you see "Emoji".

Select Emoji. Leave out of settings by pressing the home button and head to a text, note, or new email message.

Start typing and you'll see a globe icon in the bottom left corner tap that once to toggle between the alpha-numeric keyboard and the Emoji keyboard.

#17 Take advantage of iOS 6's 'Do Not Disturb' feature.

Right inside the settings menu is one of Apple's latest iPhone features, "Do Not Disturb." You can switch this on at night or when you do not want to be bothered by your phone.

Right below Do Not Disturb is an option for Notifications.

The Notifications menu will allow you to tweak Do Not Disturb allowing it to turn off at a certain time or who you can receive calls from.

Optional settings for Do Not Disturb:

Scheduled: Automatically enable Do Not Disturb between the hours you specify.
Allow Calls From: Allow calls from everyone, no one, your favorites, or specific contact groups.
Repeated Calls: If someone calls you twice within three minutes, the call will not be silenced.

#18 Take a screenshot of your screen

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, then press the Home button. Your screen flashes and the picture appears in your Camera Roll.

#19 Use Siri discreetly...
In case you don't want to yell out your question to Siri and have her broadcast it back to you try this trick:

Head to settings, next general, then Siri.

The last option in the list will be "Raise to Speak." Switch that on and the next time you raise your phone to your ear Siri will activate.

#20 Use Siri to set location-based reminders
This tip comes straight from Apple:

You probably know Siri can be used to set a reminder, like saying "Siri, remind me to call mom at 4pm today." But did you know you can set location-based reminders on your iPhone 4S? Say "Remind me to call mom when I leave here" or "Remind me to call mom when I get home" and you'll be notified accordingly.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/20-tips-tricks-most-iphone-155034799.html

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ensleysuanne85

Mythbusting Search Engine Optimization SEO In last week?s post about myth-busting social media, I asked what other marketing tactic or channel has attracted as much conjecture, blind advocacy and malarkey. ?Only SEO can compare to social media when it comes to the volume of misperceptions and out-dated information posing as ?best practices? online.

They say that the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes. Also, that search engines will change.

Google runs over?20,000 experiments per year and at any given time, 50-200 different versions of Google?s core algorithm are helping billions of searchers find what they?re looking for. ? Add to that, personalization by location, past search history and the influences of the social graph and you have one of the most complex and fast changing systems ever created.

As the final post in my Mythbusting at NMX series (along with Content Marketing?&?Social Media), I?ll address just 3 of the many, many myths about SEO that are polluting and distracting marketers from fully leveraging natural search as part of their online marketing mix.

Myth 1: ?SEO is Dead

There are many who say that Google has made so many improvements to it?s search quality that SEO no longer has any effect on websites in the search results (SERPs). It?s impossible to create cause and effect relationships between perceived ?ranking factors? and positions in the SERPs because each person?s search experience could potentially be different.

SEO is Dead

More than a few pundits say that personalization, social media integration and improvements in combating webspam or manipulation of algorithmic loopholes have rendered the effectiveness of SEO tactics as useless.

Myth Busted:? Claiming SEO is dead is a near national past time for the attention starved.?Many journalists and bloggers make the statement just to stir up the SEO bee?s nest and create online buzz.

For perspective, let?s consider the data: Over 100 billion people search Google every month and marketers spent?$23 billion?on the search marketing in 2012 to attract, engage and convert those searchers into customers. While most of that amount was spent on paid search, billions were spent on SEO. Anything characterized with the word ?billions? doesn?t sound dead to me.

Search is?inseparable?from the experience of using the internet. Search connects you to reputable and trustworthy information, where and when you need it. As long as people are searching and content can be ranked, there will be a demand to optimize.

The practice of SEO is bigger than keywords and links. Essentially,?SEO is Marketing.?Modern, sustainable optimization isn?t about exploiting algorithmic loopholes, it?s a way of thinking that centers around hypothesis, implementation and continuous refinement of performance based on data. ?I?ve written an entire book about a holistic view of optimization that guides marketers from planning to implementation to scale.

Here?s one of the most common examples of this approach: Through a combination of creative keyword research, social topic tracking and insight from web analytics, our team recommended that a company add new content, optimized for new target phrases. Those new pages and digital assets were promoted to attract links and social shares resulting in a new market of customers easily being able to find the client?s services. Optimizing keywords used to discover the content along with testing of offers to provide the most attractive call to action resulted in continued increases in traffic and conversions. Along with the creative and content aspects of SEO, technical optimization best practices are applied at the same time, ranging from increasing page load speed to connecting optimized content with social channels like Google+.

Make no mistake, search engines are far from perfect and they benefit from great SEO work. Modern SEO is art and science, building upon creative and technical skills that make it easy for search engines to find, copy and sort your content in the search results. Modern SEO is also about creating an experience that helps search engines provide people what they?re looking for at the time they need it. Modern SEO consultants provide companies with insight to optimize the performance of their customers? search experience whether the intent is to buy a product or find answers to questions about a product already purchased, so that in the end, everybody wins.

Myth 2: ?SEO Can Only Be Done by SEOs

SEO has it?s roots in the IT and web development field because before there were easy to use content management systems, it took a web developer to make any SEO edits to the company website. There?s a bit of a protectionist culture within IT that has carried on to the SEO community and for good reason. ?Numerous websites have suffered self inflicted disasters from half-informed marketers deciding to make changes to a website without any consideration of the impact with search engines.

A common example is a new web design with less text, fewer pages and a different content management system using say, php instead of asp. For good measure, maybe a new domain name and webhost too. ?Another example is when content is updated on a website and the careful on-page optimization is overwritten by inspired wordsmiths having their way with brand messaging and a healthy dose of metaphors, irony, puns and all around snark. Or what about the decision to copy a competitors tactic of hosting multiple versions of a website on different keyword-hyphenated domains and buying links from other sites to boost PageRank? The competition is doing it, so why can?t we?

Myth Busted:? SEO involves a range of audits including keyword research, technical SEO, content and copywriting, linking and social media. Consulting an experienced SEO practitioner before making major changes to a website is smart. But of the 5 types of audits I mentioned above, many include tasks that can and should be implemented by others in an organization.

This is particularly true with content creation and social community work. With the right training of staff plus ongoing feedback via KPIs and marketing performance, companies can scale optimized content and social media efforts?significantly?with staff that are not trained SEOs.

The practice of SEO has been around over 15 years and while it?s been perceived as a ?dark art? in the past, this is not the case for many SEO best practices. There are abundant sources of smart information about the various disciplines within SEO available on blogs like this one?or on Search Engine Watch, Search Engine Land,?at industry conferences like SES, SMX, and?Pubcon as well as at related events like NMX, Content Marketing World and the new Social Media Marketing World. There?s also the search engines themselves, including Google Webmaster Tools and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Definitely bring a smart SEO in for strategy, for technical issues and for oversight of implementation at regular intervals. Train content creation staff on keyword research, copywriting and content promotion. Arm social media teams with keyword glossaries and knowledge about link building. Help Public Relations staff understand the value of keyword use, social media optimization and links from 3rd party media sources. A team effort is what wins in SEO, not siloed, mystical black box over-promises made by a few individuals.

Myth 3: ?If You Don?t Optimize Your Website, You?ll Never Succeed Online

Billions of people search the web every month looking for exactly what your company offers. Ignoring SEO is akin to making it easier for your customers to do business with the competition. Companies that ignore the sheer volume of interest expressed by prospective customers that are actively looking (through search engines) are doomed to fail.

Myth Busted:? ?About 5 years ago I gave a presentation called, ?How to UnGoogle Your Online Marketing? based on this post in 2006 because so much SEO advice was conflicting and or loopholes inevitably to be closed by Google?s webspam team. The idea was, by implementing tactics as if search engines didn?t exist, marketers could create additional marketing channels and realize the added benefit of better search visibility at the same time.

New companies often consider SEO as a leading strategy, thinking that if they apply SEO best practices they will be able to launch their new company website from scratch and appear at the top of search results. The truth is, new websites should probably focus on advertising and publicity to attract attention since those are methods that can be implemented within a short timeframe and deliver immediate results.?It takes time to develop content that can compete in search and attract both links from other websites and the social interactions that will help the content become ?the best answer? for a competitive query.

A retailer I talked to about the pros and cons of social networking and SEO said something profound: ?I value a new network connection more than a high ranking. Relationships are more important to me than clicks on search results.? ?On one hand, she has a point, but the relationship isn?t worth as much to her business unless they become a customer.

A really simple example of how not explicitly optimizing actually reaps optimized results is the website for my book, Optimize. ?Topics and content were created with the audience in mind with only basic SEO. The site uses the word ?Optimize? in logical places because that?s the name of the book. Promotion of the site was focused on publicity and social channels resulting in mentions on sites like Forbes and?Entrepreneur?Magazine but also showing up in the top 5 for the word ?optimize? out of 122,000,000 search results.?The moral of this story is that there is a time and a place for SEO and that it?s possible earn prominent search visibility without going overboard on SEO tactics

Is it possible to attract, engage and convert customers successfully without employing a SEO program? ?Yes. ?Is it easier? No. ?Would it be better to implement SEO best practices from day one and leverage other ?UnGoogle? channels to attract traffic? Absolutely.

This series is a preview to my presentation at the NMX?conference (BlogWorld) on January 8th (Tuesday) at the Rio in Las Vegas.?Here?s the official session description:

War of Words:?Myth-Busting?Social, SEO & Content

This just in: ?SEO is Dead?, ?There is no ROI in Social Media? and many other proclamations are made in industry press and on blogs just about every week. And yet investment in social, search and content are all on the rise. Why the disconnect? From pageview journalism to egomaniacal SEO superstar wannabe?s, sweeping generalizations and out of context observations have created a number of myths about these highly effective online marketing channels.

This presentation will identify and bust the most common myths about SEO, Social Media and Content Marketing plus provide attendees with examples of how an integrated approach will win the battle and the war for more customers, better engagement and online marketing success.

Takeaways:

Distinguish fact from fiction about social, SEO and Content Marketing
Discover a model for integration that gets results
See examples of modern social, SEO & content in action

A free copy of?Optimize?will be given to the top 2 people who livetweet the presentation. ?I hope to see you there! (Registration info)

What are some of the biggest ?myths? you?ve heard about social media marketing? Any suggestions for myth-busting about content marketing or SEO?

Source: http://www.toprankblog.com/2012/12/myth-busting-search-engine-optimization/

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By Reuters

President Barack Obama is due back in Washington early Thursday for a final effort to negotiate a deal with Congress to avert or at least postpone the fiscal cliff of tax increases and government spending cuts set to begin next week.

No specific bill dealing with the cliff was on the schedule of either the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, which are expected to return on Thursday after the holiday break. Investors are closely watching the talks, concerned that going over the cliff could throw the economy into recession.

President Obama and Congress are set to return to Washington to hopefully reach a deal on averting the fiscal cliff before the New Year. Luke Russert and NBC News' Kristen Welker and Mark Murray discuss.

Aides and members of Congress have said that a modest, last-minute measure to avoid the spending cuts and most of the tax hikes could pass the Democratic-controlled Senate if Republicans agree not to use a procedural roadblock known as a filibuster, a commitment that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has so far not made.

But to win approval in the Republican-controlled House of any bill that raises taxes on anyone, a rare bipartisan vote would be required. All 191 Democrats would have to team with up with at least 26 Republicans to get a majority if the bill included tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans, as Obama is demanding.

Some of those votes could conceivably come from among the 34 Republican members who are either retiring or were defeated in the November elections and no longer have to worry about the political fallout.

Recommended:?GOP willing to bend on issues after election

In the alternative, Congress could let income taxes go up on everyone as now scheduled and then during the first week of January, scramble and get a quick deal to cut them back except for the highest brackets, along with a measure putting off the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts that most lawmakers want to avoid.

Once the clock ticks past midnight on December 31, no member of Congress would have to vote for a tax increase on anyone - taxes would have risen automatically - and the only votes would be to decrease tax rates for most Americans back to their 2012 levels.

President Obama is cutting his Hawaiian vacation short and heading back to Washington just a day after Christmas. Meanwhile, Congress returns tomorrow with just days left to reach a deal before the looming January 1 fiscal cliff. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.

Obama and congressional lawmakers left Washington on Friday for the Christmas holiday with talks to avert the fiscal cliff in limbo.

The president will cut short his vacation in Hawaii and leave for Washington later on Wednesday, arriving in the capital on early Thursday.

Obama is expected to turn to a trusted Democratic ally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to help craft a quick deal.

White House aides began discussing details of the year-end budget measure with Senate Democratic counterparts early this week, a senior administration official said on Monday.

Source: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16165743-obama-congress-set-for-one-last-effort-on-fiscal-cliff?lite

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?Tis the season. Fa la la. You know: all that merry good stuff. In all honesty, the holidays are serious business. Between the shopping and cooking and picking out the perfect gift, who has time to worry about family drama? Hopefully you?re one of the lucky gals who does not have to worry about what her family will say about bringing home a significant other for the holidays?

couple-in-car-with-gifts

OK, before I go any further, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you?re all at home with your loved ones enjoying the time together with some rad new gifts (and insanely good food). Maybe your guy has joined you in the festivities this year. If so, tell me the truth: how do your parents really feel about it?

J and I have been splitting the holidays between Long Island and New Jersey for the past few years now so it?s nothing new for us or our families, but it definitely took a little getting used to back in the early days. J?s parents were always pretty fine about having J and me stay over for Christmas; they had been dealing with the split-holidays thing for nearly a decade with J?s older brother and his wife. They totally understood that I was an important part of J?s life and that we wanted to spend the holidays together, just as much as we wanted to spend ?em with our families.

My parents, on the other hand, took a little more time to get used to the fact that I wouldn?t be there on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and some of the days following. I am the oldest child of two, after all. J and I alternate which family gets us the 24th and which family gets us the 25th to be fair, and my parents and sister are learning to appreciate the time they do have with us. But J and I are lucky?both of our families were always great about welcoming us BOTH. We never felt uncomfortable or like we were unwanted; that?s why J?s family feels like my family and my family feels like his.

But I know of a girl who said her parents would KILL her if she brought her BF home for the holidays. Her family does live a few hours away from where she (and her BF) lives, so since they don't see her all the time they want that time JUST with her. No ifs, ands, or butts about it: she doesn?t think twice about not inviting him home for the holidays because it would just create too much friction. Plus, she really wants that one-on-one time with her parents, too.

How is it with your family? Do they welcome your partner? Did it take some time for them to warm up? And what's the point you bring your guy home no matter what they think and they just have to deal with it? Does it have to be super-serious with him? Happy Holidays again, you guys! xo

Photo: Thinkstock

Source: http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/blogs/smitten/2012/12/home-for-the-holidays-how-do-y.html

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Monday to restart negotiations on a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms, a pact the powerful U.S. National Rifle Association has been lobbying hard against.

U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because U.S. President Barack Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney before the November 6 election if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge U.S. officials have denied.

The NRA, which has come under intense criticism for its reaction to the December 15 shooting massacre of 20 children and six educators at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, opposes the idea of an arms trade treaty and has pressured Obama to reject it.

But after Obama's re-election last month, his administration joined other members of a U.N. committee in supporting the resumption of negotiations on the treaty.

That move was set in stone on Monday when the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly voted to hold a final round of negotiations on March 18-28 in New York.

The foreign ministers of Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan, Kenya and the United Kingdom - the countries that drafted the resolution - issued a joint statement welcoming the decision to resume negotiations on the pact.

"This was a clear sign that the vast majority of U.N. member states support a strong, balanced and effective treaty, which would set the highest possible common global standards for the international transfer of conventional arms," they said.

There were 133 votes in favor, none against and 17 abstentions. A number of countries did not attend, which U.N. diplomats said was due to the Christmas Eve holiday.

The exact voting record was not immediately available, though diplomats said the United States voted 'yes,' as it did in the U.N. disarmament committee last month. Countries that abstained from last month's vote included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, Belarus, Cuba and Iran.

Among the top six arms-exporting nations, Russia cast the only abstention in last month's vote. Britain, France and Germany joined China and the United States in the disarmament committee in support of the same resolution approved by the General Assembly on Monday.

NRA THREATENS "GREATEST FORCE OF OPPOSITION"

The main reason the arms trade talks are taking place at all is that the United States - the world's biggest arms trader, which accounts for more than 40 percent of global transfers in conventional arms - reversed U.S. policy on the issue after Obama was first elected and decided in 2009 to support a treaty.

Obama administration officials have tried to explain to U.S. opponents of the arms trade pact that the treaty under discussion would have no effect on gun sales and ownership inside the United States because it would apply only to exports.

But NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre told U.N. delegations in July that his group opposed the pact and there are no indications that

it has changed that position.

"Any treaty that includes civilian firearms ownership in its scope will be met with the NRA's greatest force of opposition," LaPierre said, according to the website of the NRA's lobbying wing, the Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA).

LaPierre's speech to the U.N. delegations in July was later supported by letters from a majority of U.S. senators and 130 congressional representatives, who told Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that they opposed the treaty, according to the NRA-ILA.

It is not clear whether the NRA would have the same level of support from U.S. legislators after the Newtown massacre.

U.S. officials say they want a treaty that contributes to international security by fighting illicit arms trafficking and proliferation but protects the sovereign right of states to conduct legitimate arms trade.

"We will not accept any treaty that infringes on the constitutional rights of our citizens to bear arms," a U.S. official told Reuters last month.

The United States, like all other U.N. member states, can effectively veto the treaty since the negotiations will be conducted on the basis of consensus. That means the treaty must receive unanimous support in order to be approved in March.

Arms control activists say it is far from clear that the Obama administration truly wants a strong treaty. Any treaty agreed in March would also need to be ratified by the parliaments of individual signatory nations before it could come into force.

(Reporting By Louis Charbonneau; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-approves-debate-arms-treaty-opposed-u-021316775.html

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Click here to read The Apps You Should Download For Your New Android Hotness

Santa brought you an Android phone or tablet. Congratulations and Merry Christmas you filthy animal. Now you need some apps. Here's what you need to cop from the Google Play Store. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GmYd5au-02g/the-apps-you-should-download-for-your-new-android-hotness

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Indra has deployed in Uruguay, with the collaboration of DINACIA (Direcci?n Nacional De Aviaci?n Civil e Infraestructura Aeron?utica de Uruguay), the first controller-pilot communications network completely based on IP technology, which provides full coverage to the nation?s air traffic.

Through the commissioning of this network, Uruguay becomes the first country in the world to adopt such an advanced land-air communications system

On November 12, commercial flight TAM8023 established communications with the air traffic control centre of Carrasco in Montevideo, Uruguay, with the use of this digital system. This was the test flight during which the IP communications network was officially validated to start its operations.

Its deployment followed the requirements and regulations established by EUROCAE (ED-137), the entity responsible for the standardisation of civil aeronautical equipment, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Indra has been a member of the EUROCAE (WG-67) work group, which established the IP communications standards since its creation.

The implementation of this system is a milestone in the history of air navigation. This is the first time that land-air communications in a country between the pilot and controller will not be based on analogue systems any more. Likewise, the new architecture will guarantee the future interoperability of the systems adopted in other countries, facilitating the coordination of air operations.

To this end, DINACIA has become the first air navigation service provider that has started using the new generation of systems based on IP technology, the technology that will replace today?s existing systems. Indra has become the first technological provider to implement this communications network.

Indra?s solution can be used to establish high quality voice communications, with the absence of noise and interference, while improving their availability and reliability. In addition, it replaces the connections used by an IP connection until now, making the system more cost-effective and efficient. La DINACIA

The network deployed by Indra includes the transmission systems designed by Park Air Systems UK at the stations of Carrasco, Colonia, Cardona, Salto, Tacuarembo, Melo, Santa Clara and San Antonio. All of these sites are managed by Indra?s Digital Communications System, which is fully integrated with the air traffic management automation system. Such integration represents an important advantage to air traffic controllers.

With this IP communication network, DINACIA has reached their goal of having a single primary frequency and another secondary frequency for the entire FIR, thus obtaining aircraft communications at lower levels than before.

Source: http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2012/12/indra-equips-uruguay-with-voip-comms-first/

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Pope Benedict XVI delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the City and to the World) speech from the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI has wished Christmas peace to the world, decrying the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria and urging Israelis and Palestinians to find the courage to negotiate. Delivering the Vatican's traditional Christmas day message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, a weary-looking and hoarse-sounding Benedict on Tuesday also encouraged Arab spring nations, especially Egypt, to build just and respectful societies. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center, holds the Baby Jesus as he and clergy arrive to pray at the Grotto, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, at the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Abed Al Hashlamoun, Pool)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, attends Christmas Midnight Mass at Saint Catherine's Church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Abed Al Hashlamoun, Pool)

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center, holds the Baby Jesus in Saint Catherine's Church at the end of the Christmas Midnight Mass and leads the procession to the Grotto, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, at the nearby Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Abed Al Hashlamoun, Pool)

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal, center back, and clergy pray in the Grotto, traditionally believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, at the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, at the conclusion of the Midnight Mass, early Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Abed Al Hashlamoun, Pool)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI wished Christmas peace to the world Tuesday, decrying the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria, urging Israelis and Palestinians to find the courage to negotiate and encouraging China's new leaders to allow more religious freedom.

Delivering the Vatican's traditional Christmas day message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Benedict also encouraged Arab spring nations, especially Egypt, to build just and respectful societies.

May China's new leadership "esteem the contribution of the religions, in respect for each other" to help build a "fraternal society for the benefit of that noble people," the pope prayed.

It was a clear reference to the Chinese government's often harsh treatment of Catholics loyal to the pontiff instead of to the state-sanctioned church. Earlier this month, the Vatican refused to accept the decision by Chinese authorities to revoke the title of a Shanghai bishop, who had been appointed in a rare show of consensus between the Holy See and China.

As the 85-year-old pontiff, bundled up in an ermine-trimmed red cape, gingerly stepped foot on the balcony, the pilgrims, tourists and Romans below backing St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers.

Less than 12 hours earlier, Benedict had led a two-hour long Christmas Eve ceremony in the basilica. He sounded hoarse and looked weary as he read his Christmas message and then holiday greetings in 65 languages.

In his "Urbi et Orbi" speech, which traditionally reviews world events and global challenges, Benedict prayed that "peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict that does not spare even the defenseless and reaps innocent victims."

He called for easier access to help refugees and for "dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."

Benedict prayed that God "grant Israelis and Palestinians courage to end long years of conflict and division, and to embark resolutely on the path to negotiation."

Israel, backed by the United States, opposed the Palestinian statehood bid, saying it was a ploy to bypass negotiations, something the Palestinians deny. Talks stalled four years ago.

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said that in a meeting with the pope last week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "emphasized our total readiness to resume negotiations." The Palestinians have not dropped their demand that Israel first stop settlement activities before returning to the negotiating table.

Hours earlier, in the ancient Bethlehem church built over the site where tradition holds Jesus was born, candles illuminated the sacred site and the joyous sound of prayer filled its overflowing halls.

Overcast skies and a cold wind in the Holy Land didn't dampen the spirits of worshippers in the biblical West Bank town. Bells pealed and long lines formed inside the fourth-century Church of the Nativity complex as Christian faithful waited to see the grotto that is Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Duncan Hardock, 24, a writer from MacLean, Va., traveled to Bethlehem from the republic of Georgia, where he had been teaching English. After passing through the separation barrier Israel built to ward off West Bank attackers, he walked to Bethlehem's Manger Square where the church stands.

"I feel we got to see both sides of Bethlehem in a really short period of time," Hardock said. "On our walk from the wall, we got to see the lonesome, closed side of Bethlehem ... But the moment we got into town, we're suddenly in the middle of the party."

Bethlehem lies 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Jerusalem. Entry to the city is controlled by Israel, which occupied the West Bank in 1967.

For those who couldn't fit into the cavernous Bethlehem church, a loudspeaker outside broadcast the Christmas day service to hundreds of faithful in the square.

Their Palestinian hosts, who welcome this holiday as the high point of their city's year, were especially joyous this season, proud of the United Nations' recognition of an independent state of Palestine just last month.

"From this holy place, I invite politicians and men of good will to work with determination for peace and reconciliation that encompasses Palestine and Israel in the midst of all the suffering in the Middle East," said the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal in his annual address.

Back at the Vatican, Benedict offered encouragement to countries after the Arab spring of democracy protests. He had a special word for Egypt, "blessed by the childhood of Jesus."

Without citing the tumultuous politics and clashes in the region, he urged the North African region to build societies "founded on justice and respect for the dignity of every person."

Benedict prayed for the return of peace in Mali and harmony in Nigeria, where, he recalled "savage acts of terrorism continue to reap victims, particularly among Christians."

The Vatican for decades has been worried about the well-being of its flock in China, who are loyal to the pope in defiance of the communist's government support of an officially sponsored church, and relations between Beijing and the Holy See are often tense.

Speaking about China's newly installed regime leaders, Benedict expressed hope that "they will esteem the contribution of the religions, in respect for each other, in such a way that they can help to build a fraternal society for the benefit of that noble people and of the whole world."

Acknowledging Latin America's predominant Christian population, he urged government leaders to carry out commitments to development and to fighting organized crime.

In Britain, the royal family was attending Christmas Day church services at St. Mary Magdelene Church on Queen Elizabeth II's sprawling Sandringham estate, though there were a few notable absences. Prince William is spending the holiday with his pregnant wife Kate and his in-laws in the southern England village of Bucklebury, while Prince Harry is serving with British troops in Afghanistan.

Later Tuesday, the queen delivered her traditional, prerecorded Christmas message, which for the first time was broadcast in 3D.

At Canterbury cathedral, Anglican leader Rowan Williams delivered his final Christmas day sermon as archbishop of Canterbury. He acknowledged how the church's General Synod's vote against allowing women to become bishops had cost credibility and said the faithful felt a "real sense of loss" over the decision.

_____

Dalia Nammari in Bethlehem and Cassandra Vinograd in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-25-Christmas/id-7e4c13efc6c6468eb9500ca5316e8c85

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Monday, December 31, 2012