Report: Syrian general, dozens of other soldiers defect

By msnbc.com news services

ANKARA, Turkey -- Dozens of members of Syria's military defected to Turkey overnight with their families, a Turkish official said Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries over Syria's downing of a Turkish military plane.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said 33 soldiers crossed into Turkey overnight and the group ? 224 people in all ? included a general and two colonels.

A government official, however, said the group included three colonels and there was no general among them. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, did not know the overall number of defectors and the two accounts could not immediately be reconciled.

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The defections come three days after Syria shot down a Turkish aircraft it said had violated its airspace, further fraying relations between the two countries that were once allies.

Turkey has summoned a NATO meeting for Tuesday to agree a response to the downing of its military reconnaissance jet in what it says was an attack without warning. NATO's founding treaty allows an ally to request consultations whenever it feels its security is threatened.

Turkey said the plane had unintentionally strayed into Syria's airspace, but was inside international airspace when it was brought down. It has insisted the jet was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities and was not spying on Syria.

Turkey seeks NATO action over Syria military jet downing

Turkey's cabinet was due to meet on Monday to discuss Friday's attack, which lent a more menacing international dimension to the 16-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad. Britain said it could press for more serious action at the United Nations Security Council.

Reports are surfacing that Syria may have shot down a Turkish fighter jet over Syrian waters in the Mediterranean Sea. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Anadolu said the group of defectors was placed in a refugee camp in Hatay, a province bordering Syria but there was no further information. Turkey is hosting some 33,000 Syrians who have crossed into Turkey to find refuge from the 15-months old violence.

Thousands of soldiers have abandoned the Syrian regime, but most are low-level conscripts. The Free Syria Army ? the loosely linked group of rebel forces ? is made up largely of defectors.

Report: Saudis will pay salaries of Syria rebel army

Defectors affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and based in Turkey are known to collect food and other supplies to deliver to comrades on smuggling routes.

The government official said another group of some 60 army defectors had also crossed into Turkey recently. ?

P.J. Crowley, former State Department spokesman, joins Andrea Mitchell Reports to talk about how US and Russia might work together to prevent a civil war in Syria.

The United Nations has said more than 10,000 people have been killed by government forces, while Syria has said at least 2,600 members of the military and security forces have been killed by what it calls foreign-backed "Islamist terrorists."

Fierce fighting continued inside Syria, which has a 550-mile border with Turkey, with rebel fighters killing dozens of soldiers in the last few days as they fought against army attacks on towns and villages in central, north and eastern Syria in the last several days, according to opposition sources.

Reports: West may offer Syria's Assad immunity

Syrian tanks and artillery shelled the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, killing at least 20 people on Sunday in the second day of heavy bombardment in the country's main oil-producing region, opposition activists said.

"Regime forces have dismantled their roadblocks from inside of Deir al-Zor after incurring heavy losses from rebels. They have withdrawn from residential areas and are now shelling the city from the outskirts. The victims are mostly civilians," a source at a hospital in Deir al-Zor told Reuters.

The official state news agency said "terrorists" abducted a state-appointed head of clerics in Deir al-Zor and blew up an oil pipeline passing through the province.

Syria air force colonel flies to Jordan, gets political asylum

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an opposition activists' organization that monitors the crackdown on the 16-month revolt against Assad's rule, said loyalist forces on Sunday killed another 70 people, mostly civilians and soldiers who had tried to defect, elsewhere in the country in shelling, military raids and summary executions in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deraa and suburbs of Damascus.

The intensification of the fighting has raised fears in Turkey of a flood of refugees and a slide into ethnic and religious warfare that could envelop the region. Ankara, like the West, is torn between a wish to remove Assad and the fear that any armed intervention could unleash uncontrollable forces.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

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Modernism+: Rolling Sculpture and Modern Automotive Design

Written on the occasion of the exhibition ?Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design ? at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, showcasing 17 cars designed in Italy over the last 80 years, Mike Daly?s article on postwar Italian sports cars hones in on the achievements in style and performance of the great Italian coachbuilders, or carrozziere, small design firms that grew out of the 19^th-century tradition of individually built horse-drawn coaches. ?More commonly known today for their designs of exotic makes like Ferrari and Maserati,? writes Daly, ?companies such as Pininfarina, Zagato and Touring of Milan were also important innovators whose ideas informed ensuing decades of mass-market automotive styling.?

Mike Daly is a Los Angeles-based automotive writer and historian whose work has appeared in numerous national lifestyle and automotive magazines.? In addition to writing late-model reviews and covering the collector/classic car niche, he regularly researches and writes for the catalogues of some of the hobby?s leading auctioneers.

Here are a few cars with Mike Daly?s commentary to whet your appetite. You can read the full article in Modernism?s Spring 2012 issue. This 1959 Ferrari 400 Superamerica, the first of it kind, wears a one-off body designed and built by coachbuilder Pininfarina.? Displayed at the Ferrari booth at the 1959 Turin Auto Show, the car is an early take on a luxury Ferrari, a concept the company would increasingly explore over ensuing decades." General Motors participated in a few collaborations with Italian coachbuilders, notably with the Cadillac Series 62.? Torinese coachbuilder Ghia, best known for the body design of the prolific Karmann-Ghia Volkswagen, built this uniquely styled coachwork on the chassis of a 1953 Cadillac Series 62.? Already defined as the pinnacle of American postwar automotive elegance, the Cadillac was a perfect subject for a Ghia interpretation. The coachbuilder constructed just two examples of the 1953 Cadillac Ghia, one of which was given to actress Rita Hayworth by her husband Ali Khan, who was likely trying to ease the woes of an imminent divorce. A Petersen Automotive Museum holding, the Rita Hayworth Cadillac exhibits Ghia?s high-waisted, small-canopy treatment, but adds deco-styled chrome spears to the sides, perhaps an intentional reference to the movie theater marquees of the actress?s heyday. Coachbuilder Bertone?s design for the body of the 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero concept car proved to be a forerunner of the wedge shapes that dominated sports car production during the 1970s and ?80s.? The aesthetic became prevalent in brands such as Lotus and Lamborghini, for which Bertone also designed the iconic Countach model.

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Canada police: Notes found in body parts packages

The photograph of Luka Rocco Magnotta,is shown during a news conference in Montreal, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Magnotta told a judge Tuesday he will not fight his extradition from Germany to Canada, Berlin police say. Magnotta is wanted in Canada on several charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the killing and dismemberment of Chinese national Jun Lin. (AP Photo/Montreal Police Service via The Canadian Press)

The photograph of Luka Rocco Magnotta,is shown during a news conference in Montreal, Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Magnotta told a judge Tuesday he will not fight his extradition from Germany to Canada, Berlin police say. Magnotta is wanted in Canada on several charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the killing and dismemberment of Chinese national Jun Lin. (AP Photo/Montreal Police Service via The Canadian Press)

Students walk outside St. George's School after a human foot was delivered to the school earlier in the day in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday June 5, 2012. A human hand was also delivered to another Vancouver school Tuesday. (AP Photo/Darryl Dyck, The Canadian Press)

Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Warren Lemcke leaves a news conference after a human hand was delivered to a school in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday June 5, 2012. A human foot was also delivered to another Vancouver school Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)

Cars stand near the remand prison Moabit where Canadian Luka Magnotta is kept in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Luka Magnotta, 29, a Canadian porn actor suspected of murdering and dismembering a Chinese was arrested on Monday at an Internet cafe. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

MONTREAL (AP) ? Police in Canada say notes were included in mailed packages containing body parts after the videotaped killing and dismemberment of a Chinese student.

Montreal Police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere said Wednesday that one note was in the package opened last week at the ruling Conservative Party headquarters. He did not give details, but suspect Luka Rocco Magnotta faces a charge of threatening Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Police previously denied there were notes. Lafreniere says police don't want copycats and are not releasing details.

Police also said body parts mailed to two Vancouver schools and found Tuesday were sent from Montreal and are thought to be linked to the killing and dismemberment of Jun Lin.

Magnotta was arrested in Berlin on Monday.

______

Gillies reported from Toronto.

Associated Press

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Craig Mackay's Blog: Step-parenting....

16 years ago today I became a Father for the very first time.

It was a day that was to change my life forever. ?My beautiful daughter was born weighing 7lbs 14.5ozs just 5 minutes into the day that she was due on [at this point I could make a cheap joke that it's the only time she's ever been on time for anything-but obviously I wouldn't be tempted to do that :-) ]
16 years later and I now have 5 children in our unique family. ?I love them all to bits, and so does Ellie !!

I'm a dad and I'm a step-dad.
Ellie is a mum and she is a step-mum.

The word "step" comes from the old English word "steop" which literally means "loss". ?There are many people in step-families up and down the country of course - we are not that unusual. ?However in our situation the loss isn't caused by divorce, betrayal or any other personal choice, it's caused by something we had no control over - the death of a loved one.

The most encouraging thing I know is that God's family is a step-family too. ?His family is made up of a jumble of different people from different backgrounds and experiences, uniting around their love for Jesus and for each other. ?God's family also represents the creation of something new out of the brokenness and loss of the past. ?It's a fabulous inspiration for our family!

This past year has been a huge learning experience, and has had many challenges, many tears, some failings and some great triumphs too. ?Sometimes as parents we've felt like we're treading on egg shells and much of the time life has felt overwhelmingly draining emotionally....but slowly and surely we are evolving a unique family identity that is a privilege to both Ellie and I; shepherding the hearts of five delightful and precious children into adulthood.

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Dr. Elaine Schattner: Novel Drug Shows Promise in Her2+ Form of Breast Cancer

This weekend, researchers at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology presented new findings on a novel agent that targets some forms of breast cancer. The new drug, called T-DM1, is designed to deliver a toxic chemotherapy directly to tumor cells.

In a Phase III trial called EMILIA, the drug delayed tumor growth by several months, relative to other treatment in women with Her2+, metastatic breast cancer. What's more, the new medication appears to be relatively safe and well-tolerated, as compared to the other, FDA-approved drugs used in the randomized study of nearly 1,000 women.

The new drug is a hybrid and interesting compound, designed by linking a traditional kind of chemotherapy, DM1 to the Herceptin antibody (trastuzumab). Herceptin is old news in breast cancer: this antibody binds a signaling molecule, Her2, that's expressed at high levels in approximately 1 in 5 breast tumors. The FDA approved Herceptin for use in patients with metastatic, Her2+ breast cancer in 1998 and, for some women with localized, lymph node positive disease, in 2006.

The chemo part of the new agent, DM1, is related to maytansine, an old compound derived from an Ethiopian plant, Maytenus serrata. DM1 is a microtubule inhibitor; this chemotherapy binds to tubulin, a protein that's critical for dividing cells. The antibody works, in principle and apparent effect, by delivering the toxic chemo directly to the malignant cells and destroying those.

Genentech, the drug's manufacturer, sponsored the EMILIA trial. The latest data involve 978 women with confirmed Her2+, metastatic breast cancer. All had disease that had progressed through prior therapy including Herceptin. The randomized trial assigned participants to receive either the experimental agent, T-DM1, every 3 weeks by intravenous infusion or "XL" - a combination of FDA-approved pills, Xeloda (capecitabine) and Tykerb (lapatinib). Median follow-up was just over one year -- not bad for a study of metastatic breast cancer, but not great, either.

Among women who received T-DM1, the time until their disease progressed was a median of 9.6 months; for those who got the non-experimental pills, it was 6.4 months. This difference of just over three months, was statistically significant. Although that doesn't sound like a lot of time -- and I have to admit, it's not -- it is meaningful in the context of comparing drug regimens for people with advanced malignancies. Both regimens delayed progression of the disease for over half a year. The T-DM1 agent did so alone.

Many cancer medications, like drugs for HIV, are most effective in combination; T-DM1 is, clearly, a powerful single agent. We don't yet know what will be the overall survival for those treated with this new compound, and how it might be buttressed by the addition of newer, future therapies.

The main side effects attributed to T-DM1 were low platelets and abnormal liver function. These problems were reversible, according to the investigators. The XL pill regimen caused more toxicity, overall -- including diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome and nausea. Evidently, hair loss isn't an issue for women who get T-DM1. While this detail may seem trivial to some observers, as it might have to me when I was practicing years ago, for women living with metastatic breast cancer it's the kind of quality-of-life issues that can render a drug preferable and tolerable, besides that it may be life-extending.

Speaking of survival -- there is encouraging, but less definitive news: Among the women on study for two years, 65 percent were alive after receiving T-DM1; only 47 percent were alive on the XL pill regimen. The statistical details for this comparison are not available; evidently it was of weak significance. Nonetheless, an overall survival rate of 65 percent at two years is impressive (although, of course, not good enough) for women with progressive disease after other treatments.

One concern I have is that the study, though randomized, is not "blinded," and can't be: It's impossible for the women and their doctors to not know whether they're getting an intravenous drug or a combination of pills. Still, the initial, observed difference in overall survival is striking, especially as the drug appears to have fewer side effects.

I wonder how this new agent, if approved, will fit in with other options available and in the pipeline for patients with Her2+ disease. The key question, as considered in a 2010 Journal of Clinical Oncology paper, is how T-DM1 -- if effective and less toxic -- will fit in to the growing options for women with Her2+ breast cancers. The drug is sure to be expensive (price not yet known); it's a proprietary monoclonal antibody-conjugate that's necessarily given by infusion, which is necessarily inconvenient for patients, besides more costly to administer. Testing this drug against all the other current and up-and-coming alternatives, in varying combinations and doses, will be tricky. The trials alone will cost more money than some -- even big pharmaceutical companies -- might want to spend, besides the costs of potential toxicity and women's lives, which won't necessarily be improved.

In sum, the EMILIA study results are promising. T-DM1 appears to be relatively effective and safe for women with metastatic, Her2+ breast cancer, in itself and as compared to the standard XL regimen. Hopefully we'll soon see similar kinds of good news and treatment options for women with other forms of this disease, including triple negative breast cancer.

For more by Dr. Elaine Schattner, click here.

For more on new research, click here.

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Follow Dr. Elaine Schattner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ElaineSchattner

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How AP calls elections before all the votes are in

Stickers are given to voters Tuesday, June 5, 2012, in Milwaukee. Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is taking on Democratic challenger Tom Barrett in a recall election. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Stickers are given to voters Tuesday, June 5, 2012, in Milwaukee. Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is taking on Democratic challenger Tom Barrett in a recall election. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

The call came at 10:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday, just over an hour after polls closed in Wisconsin: Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived the recall election and defeated Democrat Tom Barrett.

And that's when the questions started coming in: How can an election be called before all the votes are counted? And how can an organization call a race if people are still waiting to vote?

AP makes its calls based on a variety of factors, and never calls a race before poll close, says David Pace, a news editor in Washington who coordinates AP election calls.

If people were still voting when the call was made, they had to have been in line by the time polls closed, he said. No one new is allowed to get in line once polls close.

The AP calls races based on early vote returns provided by state and county elections offices, exit polls that conducted with voters and vote results from a random sample of precincts around the state. It's a complicated process that also compares the voting history of counties to make sure results are in line with past trends.

Our call in the Wisconsin governor's recall election was made with 37 percent of precincts reporting. Tabulations of early returns showed Walker ahead 59 percent to Barrett's 40 percent.

Although less than half of the state's precincts were reporting, only a handful of counties hadn't reported some of their results. So voters all across the state were represented in the calculations.

Also, most of the big counties had reported some of their votes. Milwaukee County, the state's largest and home to Barrett, had reported the fewest votes of the big counties. But the AP could still make the call because of the size of Walker's lead, Pace said.

"We knew Milwaukee was going to come in much more heavily for Barrett, but with such a big lead built-up statewide for Walker, there weren't enough votes for Barrett to overcome it," he said.

Associated Press

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the rigid demand of the real estate is still great ? Where I Can Find A ...

Chongqing real estate tax revenue, mainly for public rental housing, low-rent housing, affordable housing construction.

According to the Chongqing municipal government in the first place, the property tax, the main purpose of conservation of land, to limit the number of luxury housing, and to curb the real estate bubble. At the same time through the collection of property taxes on high-end housing prices and consumption to be the necessary constraints. Levied on property tax revenue for public rental housing construction and maintenance.

reporter interviewed some experts and developers believe that the original intention of the Government's property tax levy is not to suppress the property market,chaussure adidas, but to adjust the structure, inhibition of high-end consumer. Chongqing the Dori Real Estate Co., Ltd., said Li Wei, Chongqing high-grade commercial housing levy of property taxes, the short term,outlet hogan, there will be some role for inhibition of high-end real estate consumer. But in the long term, the economic development of Chongqing in the development of the rise of industrialization and urbanization continues to accelerate, the rigid demand of the real estate is still great, and property taxes on real estate general trend does not cause too much impact.

property tax is levied on housing, housing tax residual value or rental income for the tax basis of property rights levied a property tax.

Chongqing Municipality, was among the first to the State property tax levy pilot cities. Although the specific implementation plan is still evolving, but by the multi inquire reporters slightly aware of the general direction of the Chongqing property taxes: mainly for high-end real estate and the fight against real estate speculation, stock and increment are included. The high-end real estate, including villas, luxury apartment real estate, the villas will be in terms of size and price should be levied on property taxes; high-grade large-size real estate shall be the assessed value of property tax more than a certain price, may be the last year Chongqing city real estate sales price of 2-2.5 times. At the same time to combat real estate speculation, to curb the real estate bubble, Chongqing will be owned by individuals, sets of real estate levy property taxes.

value of the property assessment. The tax basis of property taxes and tax rates to ensure an equitable basis, faced with the problem of how to determine. The view from Chongqing, housing the district bit different, the value of the property there is a big difference. Some housing in the suburbs in the past may now expand as the city is located in the city,casque beats, the value can be improved. How to dynamically assess the value of the house is a huge project. On the other hand, if only roughly partition established real estate base price, easy because it is not fair and unobjectionable.

Deng Tao pointed out the importance of another real estate tax can adjust the Income Gap. In general, can afford to buy a villa, large garden house and other high-end housing groups, the affluent society. These high-end real estate owners possession of land resources, as well as other social and public resources should regulate the distribution of income through the tax gap, especially the polarization of rich and poor due to the appreciation of real estate and other assets.

and taxation body, to cultivate an important and stable source of revenue for local governments.

property taxes whether local government to get rid of dependence on become important sources of income of a local government land transfer income, land transfer payments accounted for a higher proportion of local finance in many places in more than 50% land transfer are thus known as the In order to increase revenue, some local governments eager to engage in land acquisition and resettlement, which led to many social contradictions seriously affected social stability. In addition, as urban sprawl, land resources are less and less, Therefore, changing the over-reliance of local government on land revenue to the general trend.

tax experts said, is the general trend in terms of improving the tax system, or to promote the stable development of the real estate market, real estate tax. But objectively speaking, the real estate tax is a systematic project, is also facing many problems to be solved.

property taxes can become a room

Second is how to determine the tax rate. Assume that the real estate tax rate set at 1%, if the real estate price rises higher than the ratio, the tax rate to curb real estate speculation and no real significance. If the tax rate is too high, but also give the real estate industry to new pressures, is not conducive to the stable development of the real estate industry.

In fact, the real estate tax is no stranger to several years ago newspapers, Internet and other media, there are many arguments about the real estate tax, the argument. Especially since last year, along with the hot real estate market, home prices were soaring, and wave after wave of regulation on the property market can be described over the years, the intensity of the largest resort in the continuity of the longest year, but seems to pull live high prices Raise interest rates, limit and control means, one would expect to turn the tide of property taxes become a panacea to curb housing prices.

difficulty surviving to be a solid and steadily push forward

industry believes that the current, which drives prices continue upward, the main theme is still accelerating process of urbanization, and land supply and monetary policy. Property tax levy or the levy, and in front of two main factors, and its minimal impact.

China's dependence on land finance is very serious. National Land and Resources recently held a work conference revealed that China's transfer payments amounted to 2.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 70.4%. According to data announced by the Ministry of Finance, the annual national fiscal revenue is expected to break the 8 trillion yuan, if the conservative estimate of 8 trillion yuan, 2.7 trillion yuan in the land price revenue will account for 33.75% of the national fiscal revenue,supra, accounting for local more than half of the level of financial income. Similarly, Chongqing City, the Chongqing City in 2009, through bidding, auction land transactions the amount of 37.3 billion yuan, accounting for 32.71% of the total fiscal revenue.

Chongqing Chongqing City are stepping up efforts to improve the relevant program, is expected to be introduced in the first quarter of this year, documents the introduction of a high-end real estate property taxes. The move is significant for improving the housing structure, and improve the housing system, to curb the real estate market investment speculation, highlighting the determination of the government control the property market. But at the same time it should be noted,casque dr dre, property tax reform is a huge systematic project,ray ban, be cautious, and steadily push forward.

Some industry experts said in an interview with reporters, real estate tax helps the local government to get rid of dependence on The implementation of central-local tax system in 1994, the high-quality sources of revenue, was placed under the central, central accounting for the bulk of the division of shared taxes and local powers have not significantly reduced. Combined with local platform imperfect debt, nor the formation of the local tax system with a long-term mechanism, eventually leading to the prevalence of short-term behavior of the Property taxes somewhat flat, one-time land revenue will be reduced during his tenure over land sales behavior, so that local government has a large, stable source of tax revenue, and help crack the land financial hardship Bureau.

Chongqing Municipal Government to the introduction of high-end real estate property taxes is put forward last year At the low end of the Chongqing Municipality since last year implemented a large-scale public rental housing construction, start the construction of a 13 million square meters this year, plan to start the construction of 13.5 million m2. At the end, Chongqing City has increased the supply of ordinary commercial housing, strict market order, the real estate market is stable and healthy development momentum. In the high-end market,louis vuitton, implemented through property tax adjustment. On the whole, this is the Chongqing municipal government to further improve the housing system, to promote an important part of the healthy and stable development of the real estate market.

Chongqing, Chongqing, Chengdu Institute of Urban and Rural Development chairman Zhao Yisheng said in an interview with reporters, Chongqing City, the upcoming property taxes, unlike property taxes imposed by the western market economy countries, mainly for the consumption of high-end properties levied. In this sense, the Chongqing property taxes like the special consumption tax is necessary for the suppression of the high-end consumer, to control and guide the real estate market.

the

being held here in

experts believe that the Chongqing real estate tax does not mean to completely replace the land finance, or at least difficult to achieve in the short term. Although it is impossible to replace the Land finance, real estate tax in future economic development of far-reaching. To strike a balance between property taxes and land revenue, land revenue through property taxes gradually replaced,hogan, until finally rid itself of land dependency syndrome.

real estate tax to highlight government regulation of property market confidence

The first is the collection of objects. From the Chongqing property tax program, the general direction of housing in high value goods tax. So, what kind of housing is ??? the villas have gardens,adidas, villas inside the sub-detached villas and townhouses.

property tax impact on the market was more psychological level, in fact, Chongqing is a large-scale construction of public rental of the property market is bigger than the property tax. He believes that the massive increase in the protection of housing supply that will change the entire housing market,sac louis vuitton, supply structure, and thus long-term impact on house prices.

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as Rashomon reveals, Only the fact that there is no real. To some extent, Changsha real estate market more and more like a can not read Rashomon.

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Did tea party put Scott Walker over the top in Wisconsin recall?

The tea party movement flexed its muscle in Wisconsin, as Gov. Scott Walker handily won a recall vote on Tuesday. Thirty-six percent of voters said they support the movement ? and almost all went for Walker.

By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff writer / June 6, 2012

Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker reacts at his victory party on Tuesday night, in Waukesha, Wis. Walker defeated Democratic challenger Tom Barrett in a special recall election.

Morry Gash/AP

Enlarge

Disappointed progressives blame an avalanche of campaign cash from outside Wisconsin for their failed bid to recall tea party favorite Gov. Scott Walker (R), whose controversial gambit to shrink the influence of the public-sector unions became a national cause c?l?bre for both the right and the left last year.

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In a way, those critics are spot on: Wisconsin was, in fact, flooded with record amounts of donations that helped Mr. Walker defeat Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), with some of that outside cash coming from wealthy industrialists and financiers.

But there?s a second part to how Walker won. Walker?s ground game played a big role in pulling off a win, as he became the first governor in US history to survive a recall election. And like the recent GOP primary victory of Richard Mourdock over veteran US Sen. Dick Lugar in nearby Indiana, that ground game is being pitched by cadres of grass-roots activists who identify to a large extent with the leaderless tea party movement.

?While Occupiers and union protesters got the ink, the tea party dropped the placards and picked up clipboards, phones and got out the vote,? writes former tea party activist Dana Loesch, a conservative talk show host, on Breitbart.com. Adds former US Education Secretary Bill Bennett, writing on CNN.com: ?The untold story of the Wisconsin saga may be the resurgence of the tea party.?

A quiet but potent force

As Mr. Bennett suggests, the tea party didn?t get mentioned much in this election. That was partly due to a self-imposed quietude after the brand was tarnished in the congressional debt battles of 2011. But it was also true that the role of the tea party was overshadowed by the stakes for public-sector unions, for whom the defeat at the polls may become a Waterloo moment ? a stunning abdication of bargaining rights in the state where public-sector unions were born in 1959.

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Few options left for Obama on economy (The Arizona Republic)

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

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Book Marketing Roundup - The Savvy Book Marketer

"My business book recently had the good fortune to land on the best seller lists. You are one of the people I've followed over the previous year to learn about book promotion . . . obviously it works!"

?????? Kevin Kruse, author of We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement

"You have the best, most useful site for authors that I've ever come across! Thank you for all your hard work and for sharing your expertise!"

?????? Christine Bode, Social Media Manager at Scully Love Promo

"You are such a treasure, a wonderful asset to all of us who write . . . thank you again for all you do."

?????? Maureen McDermott Gill, author of January Moon

"Your site is so packed with good information I've been absorbed with it most of the day. Thanks!"

?????? Mystery Author Billie A. Williams

"You are one of the few true, knowledgeable book marketing experts online or probably anywhere else!"

?????? Juli Schatz, Author! Author! Book & Author Marketing Network

"Special thanks to Dana Smith, who is an angel in disguise for new authors, sharing her valuable resources and excellent tips."

??????dedication page from Take a Peep Inside Our Lives by Roberta Blango

"Words can?t express my gratitude toward you! You are the best at marketing and helping authors promote themselves."

??????Bridgette L. Collins, author of Imagine Living Healthier: Mind, Body and Soul

"Like all great teachers, Dana?s step-by-step approach shows how big projects become manageable when broken down into individual tasks."

??????Roger C. Parker, Published and Profitable

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??????Joy DeKok, author coach

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??????Erin A. Kurt, author of Juggling Family Life: A Step-by-Step Guide to Stress-Free Parenting

?During the year before publication, we used Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual as a primary reference book. As much contact as I had with Poynter's book, the information on your website is equally valuable to me!"

??????Pat Garrison, for Dr. Gayle Rozantine, author of At Ease, Soldier!

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?????? Wanda Winters-Gutierrez, author of The Search for Peace

"Dana Lynn Smith is a multi-talented book marketing consultant."

??????Rabbi Ed Weinsberg, author of Conquer Prostate Cancer

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??????MaAnna Stephenson, author of BlogAid and The Sage Age

"My book sales have increased since I put into practice the things I learned . . . You are a great help to newbie authors as well as those who have been marketing books online for a while."

?Yvonne Perry, author of Whose Stuff Is This?

"I highly recommend Dana as a speaker and resource for authors."

?Shelley Hitz, Self-Publishing-Coach.com

"I have one word to sum up my feelings about Boost Your Book Sales with Social Networking teleseminar ? Fantastic!"

?????? Jennifer Aderhold, writer

"If you want to get up to speed with using Facebook as a promotional tool, I highly recommend Facebook Guide for Authors. It's definitely going to be my "bible" where Facebook is concerned from now on."

??????Nick Daws, author of 80 books

"Finding the Savvy Book Marketer website has been a blessing. Dana's clever tips and informative ebooks have been a great way for me to extend my knowledge of how to market myself."

?????? Debi Slinger, author of Poppy Pretzel - Passage into Puberty

"Dana, what a wonderful tool you have created for authors!"

??????Tony Eldridge, Marketing Tips for Authors blog

?You are fast becoming my only go-to place for book marketing guidance!?

??????Frances S. Ponick, author of Only Angels Can Wing It

?I am really loving your newsletter. Keep up the good work.?

?????? Sharon Williams

"This is a great new ebook from Dana Lynn Smith on maximizing your sales on Amazon. Her ebooks are so easy to understand and implement!"

?????? Barbara Techel, author of the Frankie the Walk 'N Roll Dog books

"I always enjoy and learn something new through your newsletter. It is one of my favorites."

??????Carole London, Lifetime Chronicle Press

?I really enjoy the Savvy Book Marketer website and newsletter. The information is upbeat, concise, well written, and practical.?

??????Carol Schultz-Weil, author of In The Trenches: Financial Survival During Times of Hardship

"The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Successful Social Marketing is absolutely amazing."

??????Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Book Promoter and the Sharing With Writers blog

"After you read The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Selling Your Book to Libraries, you'll be able to tap into this valuable market with ease. Highly recommended."

??????Lynne Klippel, Managing Partner, Love Your Life Publishing

"I'm amazed at how awesome your newsletters are and how much I get from them every time."

??????Jenni James, author of Northanger Alibi

"This is one of the most helpful marketing websites out there for debut authors (such as myself). Great advice, timely as well. Keep it up!?

??????Lynn Dove, author of Shoot the Wounded

"I enjoy your newsletters. I must say, they're the only ones from various book marketing 'gurus' that I actually read, because there's usually something very practical I can use."

??????Timothy James Dean, author of TEETH - The Epic Novel With Bite

"Thank you SO MUCH for sharing the Savvy Book Marketing Secrets ebook. I used some of your hints the first day I read the book and they helped so much! I recommend it for every writer BEFORE they publish their first novel!"

??????Carol Morgan, novelist

?I have learned so much from your writing and I feel truly indebted to you for your generosity.?

??????Marcie Lovett, author of The Clutter Book

"I enjoyed reading your article, The 7 Deadly Sins of Online Networking. As always, a great article with specific advice!"

?????? Marsha Toy Engstrom, The Book Club Cheerleader

"Thanks for your work helping budding authors, please keep it up!"

?????? Heather Woods, author of Finding Anna

"You continue to be one of the few marketing bloggers and consultants I consistently read."

?????? Babette Donaldson, author of The Emma Lea Books and Family Tea Time

"Your blogs are a total education. I usually don't gush, but I can't tell you how much help you have given me."

?????? Pat W. Kirk, author of Escape from the Prison System: Finding the Narrow Door

"Thank you for your support and motivation...you are an inspiration and really make it easier to continue on with the writing process."

?????? S. Thomas Bailey, author of The Gauntlet Runner: A Tale from the French and Indian War

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Jaguar reacts to portrayal on "Mad Men"

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Schools turn their noses up at 'pink slime'

FILE - This March 29, 2012, file photo, shows the beef product known as lean finely textured beef, or "pink slime," during a plant tour of Beef Products Inc. in South Sioux City, Neb., where the product is made. The nation?s school districts are turning up their noses at ?pink slime,? the beef product that caused a public uproar earlier this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the vast majority of states participating in its National School Lunch Program have opted to order ground beef that doesn?t contain the product known as lean finely textured beef. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - This March 29, 2012, file photo, shows the beef product known as lean finely textured beef, or "pink slime," during a plant tour of Beef Products Inc. in South Sioux City, Neb., where the product is made. The nation?s school districts are turning up their noses at ?pink slime,? the beef product that caused a public uproar earlier this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the vast majority of states participating in its National School Lunch Program have opted to order ground beef that doesn?t contain the product known as lean finely textured beef. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The nation's school districts are turning up their noses at "pink slime," the beef product that caused a public uproar earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the vast majority of states participating in its National School Lunch Program have opted to order ground beef that doesn't contain the product known as lean finely textured beef.

Only three states ? Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota ? chose to order beef that may contain the filler.

The product has been used for decades and federal regulators say it's safe to eat. It nevertheless became the center of national attention after the nickname "pink slime" was quoted in a New York Times article on the safety of meat processing methods. The filler is made of fatty bits of beef that are heated then treated with a puff of ammonia to kill bacteria.

In response to the public outcry over its use, the USDA said in March said that it would for the first time offer schools the choice to purchase beef without the filler for the coming 2012-2013 school year. The agency has continued to affirm that lean finely textured beef is a safe, affordable and nutritious product that reduces overall fat content.

But as of May 18, the agency says states ordered more than 20 million pounds of ground beef products that don't contain lean finely textured beef. Orders for beef that may contain the filler came to about 1 million pounds.

Because schools were not given a choice last year, all states may have previously received beef with the product mixed in. The USDA estimates that lean finely textured beef accounted for about 6.5 percent of ground beef orders.

The agency is still accepting orders for the upcoming school year.

The USDA does not buy lean finely textured beef directly, but purchases finished products from beef vendors who must meet the agency's specifications for orders; products can consist of no more than 15 percent of the product.

The USDA's National School Lunch Program buys about 20 percent of the products served in schools across the country; the rest is purchased by schools or school districts directly through private vendors.

The percentage of beef that schools get through the USDA tends to be higher, however, because beef is expensive and schools like to take advantage of the favorable prices the government can negotiate.

Schools aren't the only ones rejecting the product. In the wake of the public outcry, fast food chains and supermarkets have also vowed to stop selling beef with the product.

Beef Products Inc., the South Dakota company that makes lean finely textured beef, has been reeling from the controversy. This month, the company announced that it will shutter three of its four plants.

___

Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi

.

Associated Press

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Samsung Galaxy S III Coming To 5 US Carriers In June

Last year's Galaxy S II US launch was . . . complicated. In addition to waiting for months after the International launch, US carriers saw fit to vary their devices drastically. No more, though. Today Samsung announced that the five US carriers that would be carrying the Samsung Galaxy S III this June: Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular. And in a departure from prior Galaxy S launches, all five devices will sport the same screen size, SoC and RAM. And if you were looking forward to a quad-core Exynos, you should put your order in for the International variant.?

The US variants will feature LTE and HSPA+ 42Mbps speeds alongside their dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoCs, most likely the MDM8960 that has suddenly found its way into every major Android launch. The Krait cores will be backed up by 2GB of RAM and paired with the 4.8" Super AMOLED HD displays that grace the International Galaxy S III. Even that massive 2100 mAh battery will be showing its face on all variants, and every indication is that the bodies won't vary far from the International version, if at all. Pricing and retail availability will be announced on a per carrier basis, but Samsung commented that the phones would start as low as $199 and launch this month on all five carriers.?

Ultimately, in the US, users are not Samsung's customers, nor any other OEM's, it is the carriers that order the specifications and features they want to offer their subscribers. It is somewhat unpecedented that an Android device launching on 5 US carriers at once should ?be specced so identically, and makes clear that battery life and features are of more interest to carriers than core counts. If our HTC One X (AT&T) is any indication, these phones shouldn't disappoint.?

UPDATE: And the Coming Soon pages are starting to pop-up. AT&T is first out of the gates, though the rest are soon coming, no doubt. The images seem to confirm that the Galaxy S III variants will share a common design across all carriers.?

?

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How to Keep Up with Your Home DIY Maintenance - TH Services Blog

Home improvement is a very popular pastime these days.? DIY stores make it easy for homeowners to buy the tools and materials they need to take care of many home improvement tasks themselves.? DIY programs have also been popular on the television over the last few years and people are more aware of the benefits of home improvement.

If you enjoy DIY then there are number of great ways you can keep up the maintenance on your home and keep it looking in top condition.

Annual Maintenance

Some jobs will only need to be taken care of once a year.? It is easy to forget these so plan a quick schedule and put it up somewhere prominent like on the home office notice board.? You don?t have to do them all at once so you can just tick them off the schedule once they are completed.? Annual DIY maintenance jobs can include:

• Check over the roof for loose tiles and sort out repairs if necessary.
• Check gutters and downpipes and remove any blockages.
• Clean decking with proper deck cleaner to remove any slippery build-up.
• Pressure wash pathways and driveways to prevent build-up of moss.
• Check wooden window frames (interior and exterior) and carry out any repairs.
• Check sealant in bathrooms/kitchens and replace if looking worn or damaged.
• Get qualified technicians to service heating systems and any gas appliances.
• Check fire alarms and gas detectors and replace batteries if necessary.
• If you have working chimneys then get these checked and cleaned if necessary.
• Look around your property and see if any overhanging branches need trimming back.

Other Tasks

When it comes to other important DIY maintenance tasks you will need to keep motivated.? Every month walk around the house and check for any signs of damage or wear that may need attention.? For example you may see carpet runners that have started to come up and need fixing back down again.

• Ideally you should take care of any potential safety issues first and then general decorative issues when you have time.
• You may be able to take care of some of these jobs yourself using DIY equipment and supplies.
• Some jobs may be more involved and may require professional attention.? Keep a list of recommended tradesmen somewhere handy so that you know who to call when you need work carried out.
• Avoid carrying out any jobs to do with electrics or gas yourself.? This can be dangerous and to make sure the work is carried out properly and safely it is best to call in the experts.
• Keeping motivated with DIY maintenance can be difficult but it is important to stay on top of things.
• If you leave maintenance tasks too long they can build up and create a lot more work for you.
• Problems could get worse and you could end up spending a lot more money fixing issues that could have been easily dealt with months ago.

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