The Evolution of the Home Office / Family Room : The Backstory

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!? For the past few weeks, we were surprisingly teased with seeing lots of exposed grass, but then got hit with ?Nemo? this past weekend.? Thankfully we were spared with only about 6? (nothing out of the ordinary for us), while others not too far away got hammered.? While shoveling out and spending some time indoors over the weekend, I finally had the chance to put the finishing touches on my combination home office / family room space.? With it not being too sunny or too overcast, it thankfully was the perfect time to photograph.

I haven?t shared much about this space because it?s been in transition ever since we moved in almost 3 years ago.? Much of the room was filled with furniture that was meaningful to us, but just didn?t fit.? It was difficult to part with (more for the Mister than I), because many of the pieces were our first purchases when we got married almost 10 years ago.? The room itself is also awkward with very little wall space, resulting in a space that has taken awhile to fully pull together.

I first shared details about the space (actually 1 year ago yesterday), which I had called The Front Room at the time, back when I made the decision to move a bookcase in front of the window (and guess what, it?s still like that today).

The room had started off like this?when we 1st moved in?

pretty, plain, good (but not great)

And then the bookcase got moved to cover the window?

Strange you may think, but it completely changed the layout of the room.? For the BETTER!

So then last Summer, I still wasn?t satisfied and had to do something.

After changing the window treatments in the dining room and adding accents of navy, I had a need? a real desire, to paint the walls in this space a similar Royal Blue color.

Thus my Royal Blue Revelation.

Then I chose the perfect blue after sharing my favorites?

After the room was finally painted last Summer, the faux-wood bookcases had to go.? Having a difficult time parting with them, I decided to paint them ? Yes, I painted the laminate bookcases.? After they were beautifully styled, the result was wonderful?

Yet, the room still wasn?t right!

After finally convincing the Mister that a few changes were a must, the room transformed and looks so completely different, and so completely amazing!? I?m thrilled with the space and it?s truly me.? It communicates my classic eclectic style and is now a beautiful home office and family room.

This room totally needed it?s own post instead of bogging down the fun and exciting REVEAL post coming tomorrow.? Yup, I said it ? tomorrow you will finally see this spectacular space (well at least I think so).? What an evolution this room has taken, don?t ya think?!

Here?s the inspiration I hope you take away?? Never be done, until you are completely satisfied.? Even if a change / transformation can?t happen in a day, that?s fine.? With a vision, it will happen ? next week, next month, next year ? it?ll happen.

Ok, to have you wanting more, I?ll share a peak of the room, but promise to come back tomorrow to see the entire {reveal}?

Stay Tuned?

Source: http://www.sasinteriors.net/2013/02/the-evolution-of-the-home-office-family-room-the-backstory/

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Electing a pope: conclave, oath, chimney smoke

Pope Benedict XVI's resignation sets in motion a complex sequence of events to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The laws governing the selection after a pope's resignation are the same as those in force after a papal death, aside from skipping a period of mourning.

Here is the procedure:

? The Vatican summons a conclave of cardinals that must begin 15-20 days after Benedict's Feb. 28 resignation.

? Cardinals eligible to vote ? those under age 80 ? are sequestered within Vatican City and take an oath of secrecy.

?There are currently 118 cardinals under age 80 and eligible to vote, 67 of whom were appointed by Benedict. However, four of them will turn 80 before the end of March. Depending on the date of the conclave, they may or may not be allowed to vote.

? Any baptized Roman Catholic male is eligible for election as pope, but only cardinals have been selected since 1378.

? Two ballots are held each morning and two each afternoon in the Sistine Chapel. A two-thirds majority is required. Benedict in 2007 reverted back to this two-thirds majority rule, reversing a 1996 decision by Pope John Paul II, who had decreed that a simple majority could be invoked after about 12 days of inconclusive voting. Benedict did so to prevent cardinals from holding out for 12 days then pushing through a candidate who only had only a slim majority.

? Ballots are burned after each round. Black smoke means no decision; white smoke signals that cardinals have chosen pope and he has accepted. Bells also signal the election of a pope to help avoid possible confusion over color of smoke coming from chimney of the Sistine Chapel.

? The new pope is introduced from the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square with the words "Habemus Papam!" (Latin for "We have a pope!") and he then imparts his first blessing.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/electing-pope-conclave-oath-chimney-smoke-143903555.html

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S&P lifts Ireland's outlook to stable

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rating agency Standard & Poor's on Monday raised Ireland's sovereign outlook to stable from negative, citing expectations for lower debt servicing costs and refinancing risk.

The agency currently rates Ireland BBB-plus.

The move "reflects our expectation that the exchange of promissory notes for longer-term government bonds significantly reduces the Irish government's debt-servicing costs and refinancing risk, and supports medium-term fiscal consolidation," S&P said in a statement.

"By improving the government's debt-maturity profile, the transaction also increases the prospects of Ireland leaving the EU/IMF bailout program as planned at the end of 2013."

Moody's Investors Service rates the country Ba1 with a negative outlook, below investment grade. Fitch rates Ireland BBB-plus with a stable outlook.

(Reporting by Luciana Lopez; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-lifts-irelands-outlook-stable-180216155--finance.html

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NBA trade rumors: Brooklyn Nets in on Josh Smith trade talks?report

Published Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 at 9:22 pm EST Last updated 1 hour and 43 minutes ago

With the NBA trading deadline less than two weeks away, rumors are flying fast and furious.

The Brooklyn Nets are at the center of the action and are going hard after Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, sources told ESPN.com?s Chris Broussard.

The two teams are engaged in talks, but one source told ESPN.com that "nothing is close yet."

The Nets are willing to move forward Kris Humphries and shooting guard MarShon Brooks for Smith, according to the report. But it will take more than that, with one source telling ESPN.com that the Hawks want Brooklyn's first-round pick.

Hawks shooting guard Anthony Morrow has also come up in some Smith-Hawks-Nets trade scenarios, according to the report. Morrow was dealt to the Hawks in last summer's trade that landed the Nets shooting guard Joe Johnson.

The Nets have also been linked to Charlotte Bobcats guard Ben Gordon in trade rumors, with Brooklyn giving up Humphries in a potential deal. Acquiring Smith is a bigger priority for the Nets, however, according to Broussard.

Smith, a pending free agent, has been mentioned in trade rumors for most of the season, but with the Hawks battling for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, there is no telling what they will do.

This season, Smith is averaging 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds.

The trade deadline is Feb. 21.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2013-02-10/nba-trade-rumors-josh-smith-nets-hawks-pending-free-agent

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It's a bacon bonanza at Iowa festival

Thousands attended the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival this weekend, which celebrates all things associated with bacon in Des Moines. Events included lectures, eating contests, and a bacon queen pageant.?

By Barbara Rodriguez,?Associated Press / February 10, 2013

Bonnie, a Berkshire breed pig about 2 1/2 months old, waits for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to pardon her outside the governor's mansion Friday, in Des Moines, Iowa. The pardon is a first for the governor and a celebration of the annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival that begins this weekend at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Barbara Rodriguez/AP

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The smell of bacon was in the air Saturday as thousands converged on Iowa's capital city for an increasingly popular festival celebrating all things connected with the meat.

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Some people wore Viking hats and others walked around with makeshift snouts for the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival. The annual event featured more than 10,000 pounds of bacon served in unusual ways, such as chocolate-dipped bacon and bacon-flavored cupcakes and gelato.

"I love bacon more than I love my job," said Katie Nordquist, who was dressed in a tuxedo T-shirt that looked like bacon Saturday for her first time at the festival.

And there was a lot of bacon to choose from. The smell of unique concoctions like bacon gumbo and chocolate bacon bourbon tarts wafted through one of two buildings at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The other building had an Iceland theme, with a Viking boat and Icelandic dishes with bacon, to honor a group of delegates visiting from the country.

Urbandale resident Mike Vogel showed up for a fourth year wearing a head-to-toe bacon costume. He said a widespread love for bacon is the reason about 8,000 tickets to the event sold out in just over three minutes.

"I think it's the right time of year when everybody's been cooped up," said the 39-year-old videographer. "It's a good time to get out, have some fun, try some new stuff, have a few beers and enjoy yourselves with everybody else."

Other events scheduled included lectures about bacon and an eating competition. The festival was preceded earlier in the week with a bacon queen pageant and a pig pardon by Gov. Terry Branstad.

Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, said bacon used to be just a breakfast food. Now chefs from across the state and country use it in everything from vegetable dishes to desserts.

"It's come a long way and you can find it in almost any kind of food or beverage offering," she said.

Festival co-founder Brooks Reynolds, who officially started the event just a few years ago, said it's become the largest bacon showcase in the world. He called the event a "bacon fellowship."

"They can just bond with their fellow man and just celebrate the meat that everybody enjoys," he said.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/7g3NUkusoHM/It-s-a-bacon-bonanza-at-Iowa-festival

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France upbeat on prospects for Indian fighter jet deal: minister

PARIS (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that talks with India to finalize the purchase of French Rafale war planes were looking up.

India chose Dassault Aviation's Rafale for exclusive negotiations over a year ago to supply 126 aircraft in a deal potentially worth $10 billion.

However, both sides have played down prospects that the deal would be finalized when President Francois Hollande visits India on February 14-15.

"Things seem - I'm very cautious - to be looking very positive. That's at least what the Indians say," Fabius said in an interview on BFMTV.

He added that recent talks with his Indian counterpart and subsequent contacts had gone in the right direction.

Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony pledged on Wednesday not to let defense cuts disrupt efforts to finalize the deal.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-upbeat-prospects-indian-fighter-jet-deal-minister-202648163--finance.html

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Small Talk: Business leader tells women owners to take charge ...

In this Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, photo, Barbara Kasoff, President and CEO of Women Impacting Public Policy or WIPP, poses in her office in San Francisco. Barbara Kasoff believes women need to take charge if they want their businesses to succeed, especially when it comes to government policy.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Barbara Kasoff has a message for women business owners: If you don?t like the way government regulations affect your business, stop whining and get involved.

The founder of Women Impacting Public Policy, a group that lobbies lawmakers on behalf of women-owned small businesses, isn?t shy about telling women they need to take charge if they want their businesses to succeed ? especially when it comes to government policy.

"You, the woman business owner, need to get involved," Kasoff says.

Female business owners are a growing force in the U.S. There were more than 8.3 million women-owned businesses in the country as of 2012, up 54 percent from 1997, according to a study commissioned by American Express. The most recent census figures available on businesses show that there were 7.8 million women-owned businesses in the country in 2007. That was nearly one-third of all non-farm businesses in the U.S.

"We are part of all the discussions," says Kasoff. "No longer are we in a situation of being told what will happen. We?re part of the team."

WIPP has over one million members across the country including those in 68 affiliated advocacy groups. Kasoff is particularly proud of WIPP?s success in government contracting issues. The group lobbied for the Women Owned Small Business program, which took effect in 2011, under which the government targets granting 5 percent of eligible federal contracts, or about $20 billion, to companies owned by women. Its most recent success: In late December, Congress approved a defense spending bill that removed caps on the size of those contracts. Caps that other small business owners didn?t face.

But those achievements haven?t been easy. First, she says, she had to get women owners to realize that government policy does affect them. And that they have to join forces to get the changes they want.

"If we didn?t have all of us working together, we never would have had the WOSB program at all. We would never have won the challenge to have the caps (on contracts to women-owned businesses) removed," Kasoff says.

Kasoff had already been a business owner when she founded WIPP in 2001. She had owned 11 Voice-Tel franchises, which supplied voice messaging services, in Michigan and also owned Voice Response Corp., which provided call center services as well as voice messaging. She sold the businesses by 1999, and continued working for Voice Response until 2002.

Even with her success, Kasoff had questions about what the government could do to help her as a woman business owner. And she didn?t feel that her opinions were being heard in Washington.

story continues below

"I was a business owner and I didn?t see that I had a voice," she says. "I looked around and I didn?t see that anyone could help me."

So she did what she now urges other businesswomen to do ? she got involved.

Kasoff spoke recently with The Associated Press about the issues that women business owners face. Here are excerpts of the interview, edited for clarity and brevity:

Q. What led you to found WIPP?

A. As a business owner, I networked, I did all the things that business owners do ? be grouchy, complain. How am I going to get the answers? How do some people get the government contracts? How come some business owners are always in the front pages of the newspaper? Who?s representing me as a woman business owner? That?s when I jumped in, got a group of people together, said, this is my idea, and they said, we?ll support you. I surprisingly got bought out (of my business), and so I started doing this full-time.

Q. What challenges do you still face in getting more contracts for women-owned businesses?

A. This is a wonderful issue, a challenging issue, but wonderful because there is an enormous opportunity ahead of us. The challenges are to make sure that the congressional goal of 5 percent (of federal contracts being set aside) for women business owners is met. In 2011, only 3.98 percent of our government contracts were awarded to women business owners.

It?s been a primary challenge to build awareness and enthusiasm among women owners for the opportunity that?s out there so we can get them to compete successfully. We?ve got to work together, the public sector, the private sector. It means partnerships with the Small Business Administration, with the SBA district and regional offices and its Women?s Business Centers.

Q. What has stood in the way of women getting more government contracts?

A. Women business owners did not recognize the revenue opportunities. They weren?t educated (about them). They didn?t have the tools and resources from the public and private sector. Nobody was focused on it, nobody said, here?s a gap and we have to meet it. We need to smooth out the legislative kinks and barriers that still exist, make sure we?re working together with the SBA, to give women training, to get women registered on SAM (Systems for Award Management, the federal contract awards database) so that they can take advantage of the opportunity.

Next Page >

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55787385-79/women-business-owners-businesses.html.csp

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Sermanni wins debut as US women's soccer coach

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ? This was quite the debut for Tom Sermanni, and Christen Press.

Sermanni coached the U.S. women's soccer team to a 4-1 win over Scotland on Saturday, making the most of two first-half goals by Press.

It was Sermanni's first game in charge since he was hired by the U.S. Soccer Federation in October. He was born in Scotland and spent the last eight years as Australia's coach, leading the Matildas to the quarterfinals of the last two Women's World Cups.

"It's good to get the team out on the park," Sermanni said. "What impressed me was the number of chances that they got and how they can create chances at all times. At times, some of the combinations impressed me. So just the way they focus and go about doing the job and winning games is very impressive."

Press played in her first game for the national team and had a hand in each of the United States' first three goals in the exhibition at the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars, scoring twice and assisting on the third.

"I was hoping that my first cap would be my first start and my first goal all in the same day," she said. "Sort of was going for the trifecta. My teammates made it really easy for me and I'm really thankful for that."

She got the Americans on the board in the 13th minute, taking advantage of a poor clearing attempt by Scotland. The ball was batted back in the direction of Press, who deftly lifted a kick over the defenders and goalkeeper Gemma Fay.

Press' second score came at the 32-minute mark. She took a pass from Tobin Heath and sent a header from 22 feet out into the left corner of the net.

The U.S. made it 3-0 early in the second half when Shannon Boxx got a pass from Press and lifted a kick over the outstretched arms of Fay.

"On that first goal, the clearance by the defense was a little short and it was my job to be there for anything that came out," the 24-year-old Press said. "At that point, it's just have fun, shoot and see what happens."

Press had trained in Sweden the past year and called that experience "a blessing in my life."

"I learned so much there, just seeing the different styles of soccer," she said. "All the things I've been able to learn as a person and a player has helped me prepare to play at this level."

Scotland avoided a shutout in the 54th minute. Kim Little drilled a hard shot past U.S. goalie Nicole Barnhart, who replaced Jill Loyden at intermission.

Sydney Leroux closed out the scoring for the United States, sending a loose ball into an uncontested net in the 89th minute in front of a crowd of 18,656.

The Americans stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 games (21-0-3) dating to the 2012 season.

It was only the second game between the United States and Scotland. The American women won 8-2 in the first meeting in 2002, powered by Abby Wambach's first career hat trick and the last three-goal performance by Mia Hamm.

The countries will play again Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn., at the home of the Tennessee Titans.

"This was a great start for us," Wambach said. "It's a new experience with a new coach. We tried new formations with new players and this was a great way to get things going for this year.

"Everyone was out there, having fun and this proved to be a great starting point for us for this year. We've only been together with the new coach for a short time, but we're all working hard, having fun and we're enjoying it. It's a great marriage so far."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sermanni-wins-debut-us-womens-soccer-coach-041334015--sow.html

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Moot?s New iPad App, DrawQuest Challenges Users Of All Ages To Create And Share Drawings

4chan founder Christopher Poole (a.k.a. moot) launched Canvas in 2011 as a place to remix images and reduce friction in the image creation process. But he found that unless you were an active member of the remixing community, it wasn't as natural to participate. So he decided to create an application that would serve the population that may not want to remix images, but instead would like to create their own art. DrawQuest, an iPad app and companion website, is launching today as a way for people to express themselves through drawing challenges.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5dZGWx095io/

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A Sign the Housing Recovery Just Might Stick | AOL Real Estate

By Nin-Hai Tseng

Investors armed with cash have largely driven the recovery of the U.S. housing market to date, but a few signs suggest that trend may be easing up. For the past five months, applications for new mortgages have risen, suggesting that regular buyers may be starting to play a bigger role in the housing recovery. A shift would be significant. The worry has been that once home prices rise to a point where it's not as worthwhile for investors to buy, prices could eventually drop off. But if individual buyers dominate home sales, we might see a more sustainable recovery under way.

In January, mortgage applications rose by 1.8% from the previous month -- the highest level in 18 months. And during the last week of January, applications rose to the highest level since mid-2010. To be sure, cash sales by investors haven't let up. Colony Capital, Blackstone, Waypoint Real Estate Group LLC and other firms have scoured the country from Phoenix to Atlanta for bargains. They've snapped up homes on the cheap, with plans to rent them out and eventually flip them for a profit when the market is right.

Roughly 20% of all existing homes are sold with cash, says Stephen Melman with the National Association of Homebuilders. That share has stayed steady for the past year. For there to be a shift in the market where individual buyers drive the recovery, cash transactions would likely have to drop to 10%. As interest rates stay ultra low, there have been many more borrowers refinancing their homes rather than taking out new mortgages. In 2012, it's estimated that refinances made up 71% of all mortgage originations.

However, experts expect home loans to rise as refinances decline: New mortgages are expected to increase from an estimated $503 billion in 2012 to $592 billion in 2013 and $703 billion in 2014, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Individual buyers will likely play a bigger role in the housing recovery, but the pace may feel like it's happening in slow motion. At least it's happening.

See more on CNNMoney:
Million-Dollar Foreclosures
Big Money Betting Big on Housing
America's Best Places to Live

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/02/08/mortgage-applications-housing-recovery/

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The Best Real Estate Investing Strategy for Regular Investors | South ...

by?ERION SHEHAJ?on?FEBRUARY 6, 2013, from BiggerPockets.com

An old proverb proclaims that ?there is more than one way to skin a cat? and nowhere is that more evident than here on?BiggerPockets. Week in and week out, some of the brightest minds in each ?skinning? technique offer advice on how to take action and make things happen with flipping, wholesaling,?landlording, lease optioning etc. All these real estate investing methods, when followed diligently and acted upon with purpose and perseverance, will produce results. But as effective as they might be,?they aren?t universal?and they don?t work for everyone. A hammer is a great tool to nail down a piece of wood but it?s not very effective if you use it as a?saw. There is a crucial distinction between a real estate investing strategy?s?effectiveness?and its?suitability to accomplish a certain goal?and it?s often ignored to grave consequences.

The most common reason why real estate investors get wrong answers is that they ask the wrong questions in the first place. Instead of generally asking whether a real estate investment strategy works, aspiring real estate investors should go deeper and ask whether that same strategy is the best tool to accomplish?their?goals. Let me let you into a little secret: Every investment strategy or every business you could possibly conceive is making money?for somebody right now. The overall effectiveness of the tool is irrelevant ? what matters is whether that tool is the best for the job you need done.

Start with your goals

The basis for success in solving any problem is a clear understanding of that problem. We cannot begin to create an effective real estate investing strategy until we know what we are trying to accomplish. So before you do anything else, let?s start with your investing goals.

A real estate investor whose goal is to double her capital in a short amount of time is very different from another whose goal is to retire in 10 years. And most importantly,?the strategies they should employ to reach those goals must be different as well.

In my experience, I?ve observed that most new investors are so eager to ?start building? that they skip the entire ?blueprint? phase. ?Who has time for all that grandiose talk ? let?s start laying down some bricks!? But as my 8th grade math teacher used to say: Once you figure out what the word problem is asking, the math part is actually quite easy. Before you start to delve into the details, the formulas, the figures ? get clear and specific about your goals.

Two types of investors

The way I see it, there are two major real estate investor categories: On one hand, you have folks who are (or aspire to be)?professional real estate investors. Their goal is to make a living by investing in real estate full time. If given a choice, they would?quit their current job?or career and actively pursue real estate deals day in and day out. They are in it for the lifestyle as much as they are in it for the money. For this group of investors, the principal goal is to make enough money from real estate deals to create an income in the immediate term. The real estate investing strategies of choice to accomplish this goal are short term flipping and wholesaling. A long term investment strategy for this group of investors would be useless.

On the other hand, you have?regular real estate investors. Unlike their professional counterparts, their goal is to create a large enough income stream?in the future?to retire on or subsidize their other income. Some investors in this category might seek to quit their current career once they are financially free. But they want to do so, to pursue other endeavors ? not live the lifestyle of the professional real estate investor. I believe the?overwhelming majority?of real estate investors fall into this category ? and for their goals, there is no better suited strategy than a?well crafted long term investing strategy. Short term strategies?may?sometimes play a minor role in reaching the principal goal of regular real estate investors but in most cases they are inefficient and downright counterproductive.

Using a Blueprint for Your Real Estate Investing Strategy

In my business, I help long term real estate investors accomplish their retirement goals, and in my contribution to BiggerPockets, I intend to give you a detailed view of all the dynamics that make our investing strategy tick. But for purposes of an introduction, I want to give you its rough and basic outline.

Step 1: Dissect your goal?? It?s very important that we pin down exactly what we?re trying to accomplish. If retirement is the goal, what income stream would allow you to retire and how long do we have to get there? Also, what capital are we starting with and what?s our savings capacity per year?

Step 2: Craft a Custom Blueprint?? Now that we know what our destination looks like, we can figure out a route to get there. The custom blueprint will tell you how many assets you need to acquire to produce the desired income, how much capital it will take to acquire them and how long it will take to have a free and clear portfolio.

Step 3: Asset Accumulation?? This is where we move from planning into execution. Now we know how many properties we need to own, so we go about the business of accumulating them.

Step 4: Capital Growth?? Once we?ve acquired the right number of good quality properties, it?s time to grow our capital base. Since the goal is to reach a certain level of income at retirement, we can use the current income produced by our portfolio to aggressively pay down the mortgage debt on our portfolio with focus.

Step 5: Maximum Income?? Time for you to get rewarded for your discipline and ninja execution. Your entire portfolio is free and clear and it produces income at its maximum capacity right when you need it ? at retirement.

As I said, rough outline.

About Bob Phillips

Serving South Orange County, in Southern California, since 1976 - over 35 years! I am now affiliated with Realty ONE Group, in Mission Viejo. I am experienced and highly trained, in today's distressed property situations, including loan modifications, and short sales - holding both the CDPE and the SFR designations. If you're looking to buy, sell, or lease a property in South Orange County, California, I am thoroughly prepared to help you succeed in your goals. My California DRE license # is 00581357

Source: http://southoc.info/2013/02/the-best-real-estate-investing-strategy-for-regular-investors.html

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New way to identify which El Ni?o events will have biggest impact on U.S. winter weather

Feb. 8, 2013 ? Weather forecasters have long known that El Ni?o events can throw seasonal climate patterns off kilter, particularly during winter months. Now, new research from NOAA and the University of Washington suggests that a different way to detect El Ni?o could help forecasters predict the unusual weather it causes.

A network of buoys that spans the Pacific, the TAO-Triton array, observes conditions in the upper ocean and is essential for forecasting El Ni?o months in advance, and for monitoring it as it grows and decays. A new study, just published in the February issue of the Journal of Climate, describes an atmospheric El Ni?o signal that is very strongly associated with U.S. winter weather impacts. Ed Harrison, Ph.D. of the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle and Andrew Chiodi, Ph.D., of the NOAA Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington, co-authored the paper.

"When it comes to El Ni?o's weather impacts, we are always looking for ways to improve our forecasting skill," said Harrison. "Our goal is to extract the most useful information to predict El Ni?o seasonal weather anomalies."

Harrison and Chiodi looked at all El Ni?o events that were identified by sea surface temperature measurements since 1979. They then examined satellite imagery for these events and found that a subset of the events showed a sharp dip in heat radiating from the tops of deep convective clouds, an indicator known as outgoing long-wave radiation or OLR. When comparing the El Ni?o events to historical weather records, the scientists found that the El Ni?o events with drops in OLR were the ones most likely to play havoc with winter weather.

They also found that El Ni?o events with no corresponding drop in OLR did not produce statistically significant anomalies in weather patterns. The dip in heat from deep convective clouds usually occurred before winter, so the timing of the signal could help forecasters improve winter seasonal outlooks, the scientists said.

"By sorting El Ni?o events into two categories, one with OLR changes and one without, forecasters may be able to produce winter seasonal outlooks with more confidence than previously thought possible," Harrison said.

El Ni?o refers to a warming of waters along the equator in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Through its influence on the atmosphere, El Ni?o shifts tropical rainfall patterns which causes further shifts in weather around the globe, including milder winters in western Canada and parts of the northern United States and wetter winters in the some southern states.

Industry sectors from energy and construction to transportation and tourism are keenly interested in how El Ni?o will affect their costs. El Ni?o-influenced weather can affect fuel oil demand, travel delays, and retail sales. Better accuracy in El Ni?o predictions could help industry to prepare for its impacts more efficiently.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NOAA.

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Journal Reference:

1. Andrew M. Chiodi, Don E. Harrison. El Ni?o Impacts on Seasonal U.S. Atmospheric Circulation, Temperature, and Precipitation Anomalies: The OLR-Event Perspective*. Journal of Climate, 2013; 26 (3): 822 DOI: 10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00097.1

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/sWT7E3KNiVU/130208104927.htm

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Southern Diet May Increase Stroke Risk

No matter where you live, eating lots of Southern-style foods may increase your risk of stroke, a new study suggests.

The study, which surveyed people all over the United States about their eating habits , found that people who dined on Southern-style foods about six times a week were 41 percent more likely to have a stroke over a four-year-period than people who ate Southern-style foods just once a month.

Examples of Southern-style foods included fried chicken, fried fish, fried potatoes, bacon, ham, liver and gizzards, and sugar-sweetened beverages such as sweet tea.

By contrast, people in the study who ate a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains were 29 percent less likely to have suffered a stroke during the study period.

Not surprisingly, the preference for Southern-style cuisine was most common in the South: about two-thirds of those who ate the most Southern-style foods lived in the Southeast.

The study only found an association, and not a cause-effect link. But the results agree with previous research findings, which found that people who live in the South are 20 percent more likely to die from a stroke than people who live elsewhere in the country. Because of the high risk of stroke, the region is sometimes referred to as the "stroke-belt." ?It includes mainly Southeastern states such as North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana.

African-Americans are five-times more likely to eat Southern-style foods than whites, and they also have a higher risk of stroke.

The new findings agree with previous research that showed Southerners are more likely to eat fried fish often compared with people living in the rest of the country.

When one considers factors that increase cardiovascular disease risk, the Southern diet poses a triple threat, said study researcher Suzanne Judd, Ph.D., a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Fried foods are high in fat and salt, which can raise cholesterol levels and blood pressure, respectively. And regularly downing sugar-sweetened beverages can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, another risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Judd said.

The study analyzed information from more than 20,000 black and white adults ages 45 and older from 48 states.

All the study participants had a medical examination at the start of the study, and were surveyed by phone every six months after that about whether they had suffered a stroke. They also answered questions about the types of foods they ate.

Health-care providers should make sure they ask their patients about the foods they commonly eat, and educate them about the importance of eating a healthy diet, Judd said.

Pass it on: Eating lots of Southern-style cuisine, including fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, is linked to an increased risk of stroke.

Follow Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner, or MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/southern-diet-may-increase-stroke-risk-170436882.html

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Boy Scouts delay decision on gay membership

The board of the Boy Scouts determined it needed more time to consider its policy banning gay people from participating. The board delayed the policy vote until a national meeting scheduled for May. A coalition of faith-based groups pushed for the delay.?

By Marice Richter,?Reuters / February 6, 2013

This photo shows a close up detail of a Boy Scout uniform worn by Brad Hankins, a campaign director for Scouts for Equality in Irving, Texas on Monday. The Boy Scouts will decide whether to end its ban on gay participants in May.

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

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The?Boy Scouts of America?on Wednesday delayed to May a vote on whether to end a longstanding controversial ban on gay participants, giving a membership deeply divided by the possible change more time to air their concerns.

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Board members for the private youth organization, which turns 103 years old on Friday, had been expected to vote on the matter at a meeting on Wednesday. The Boy Scouts?upheld the ban just last year amid sharp criticism from gay rights groups.

The Boy Scouts?touched off fierce lobbying by groups both for and against changing the policy when it said on Jan. 28 that it was considering removing a national restriction based on sexual orientation and leaving the decision to local chapters.

Even President?Barack Obama, who favors lifting the ban, and?Texas?Governor?Rick Perry, an Eagle Scout who supports the ban, weighed in ahead of the?Boy Scout's national executive board meeting this week near its headquarters in?Irving,?Texas.

"In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public," the Boy Scouts?said in a statement that noted it had considered "extensive dialogue" within the membership and outside comments.

The board has concluded that "due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy," the statement added.

The Boy Scouts?said the roughly 1,400 voting members of its?national council?will take action on a membership standards resolution at its national meeting in May.

A coalition of 33 faith-based councils that represent about one-fifth of all youth members in the Boy Scouts?had asked the board to delay the vote. Reaction to the delay was swift.

"This is no doubt a major victory for moral values, but it is a temporary one," said?Jonathan Saenz, president of?Texas?Values, a group that organized a vigil supporting the ban on Wednesday and the parent of a Scout.

Zach Wahls, an Eagle Scout who has two lesbian mothers and is the founder of Scouts?for Equality, called the delay "an abdication of responsibility."

"By postponing this decision," Wahls said in a statement, "the BSA has caved to those who argue that their anti-gay attitudes trump basic scouting values of kindness, courtesy and bravery."

American voters favor lifting ban: Poll?

More than 22,800 people had registered comments with the Boy Scouts?on the group's Facebook page from its announcement that it was considering lifting the ban until Wednesday's statement.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/EPjJ9rruWYg/Boy-Scouts-delay-decision-on-gay-membership

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Makes me Want to "Holla" - Charles Payne - Townhall Finance ...

In the 15th century a ritual began during the final days of the Majapahit Hindu Empire in Indonesia known as Yadnya Kasada.? According to legend a princess and her husband settled at the foot of Mount Bromo on East Java.? Their paradise was empty as they were unable to have children so the couple prayed to the mountain gods.

Their prayers were answered. They would be blessed with children but had to agree to sacrifice the last child. After 25 children the couple balked at making the ultimate sacrifice. This angered the gods who threatened the destruction of the village unless the couple honored the agreement.

The couple acquiesced and tossed their son, Kesuma, into the mouth of the volcano. These days thousands of pilgrims flock to the volcano each year offering food, live animals and money in return for blessings of prosperity. It is said you can still hear the cries of Kesuma.

Fast forward to May 2012 when famous money manager Leon Black purchased "The Scream" for a record $119.9 million. The Painting was part of a series of very personal Impressionist renderings by Edvard Munch. "The Scream" elicits strong reactions from viewers by unlocking an array of emotions that moves your blood but stops your heart. Many believe the man in the painting is screaming when in fact he's covering his ears to block a primal scream from nature.

Completed in 1893, the source of the imagery has been debated, but its inspiration was clearly described by Munch himself in a diary entry:

One evening I was walking along a path, the city was on one side and the fjord below. I felt tired and ill. I stopped and looked out over the fjord-the sun was setting, and the clouds turning blood red. I sensed a scream passing through nature; it seemed to me that I heard the scream. I painted this picture, painted the clouds as actual blood. The color shrieked. This became The Scream.

Source: http://townhall.com/columnists/charlespayne/2013/02/07/makes-me-want-to-holla-n1506728

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Despite reported dislike, older readers put in less effort when using e-readers

Feb. 6, 2013 ? Reading text on digital devices like tablet computers requires less effort from older adults than reading on paper, according to research published February 6 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Matthias Schlesewsky and colleagues from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, in collaboration with colleagues from Georg August University G?ttingen and the University of Marburg, Germany.

In the past, surveys have shown that people prefer to read paper books rather than on e-readers or tablet computers. Here, the authors evaluated the origins of this preference in terms of the neural effort required to process information read on these three different media. They found that when asked, both young and old adults stated a strong preference for paper books, but when they compared eye movements and brain activity measures, older adults fared better with backlit digital readers like tablet computers.

The authors measured two parameters in the readers: time required for visual fixation, and EEG measures of brain activity with the different reading devices to identify the amount of cognitive processing required for each device.

The researchers found that younger readers between the ages of 21 and 34 showed similar eye movements and EEG measures of brain activity across the three reading devices. Older adults aged 60-77 years spent less time fixating the text and showed lower brain activity when using a tablet computer, as compared to the other media. The study concludes that this effect is likely due to better text discrimination on the backlit displays. None of the participants in the study had trouble comprehending what they had read on any of the devices, but based on the physiological measures assessed, the researchers suggest that older readers may benefit from the enhanced contrast on electronic reading devices.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Franziska Kretzschmar, Dominique Pleimling, Jana Hosemann, Stephan F?ssel, Ina Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Matthias Schlesewsky. Subjective Impressions Do Not Mirror Online Reading Effort: Concurrent EEG-Eyetracking Evidence from the Reading of Books and Digital Media. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056178

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/gRFC_sX7qJc/130206185839.htm

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Video: Gay marriage bill to be voted on in UK

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50706716/

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Aussie court clears Google in deceptive ad case

SYDNEY (AP) ? Australia's highest court on Wednesday threw out a ruling against Google Inc. that had found the Internet giant guilty of breaching trade law by hosting deceptive advertisements.

The High Court's decision overturned a federal court ruling from April that Google had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct with four ads that appeared on its Google Australia website. The advertisers used the names of competitors as keywords to trigger their own ads appearing.

The federal court ruled this was likely to mislead people searching for information about those competitors, and therefore violated Australia's Trade Practices Act, which bars corporations from engaging in deceptive conduct. Google argued that it was not responsible for the content of the ads, and therefore couldn't be found to have violated the act.

The High Court sided with Google, stating in its ruling that the search engine is not unlike newspapers or broadcasters that publish the ads of others.

"Google did not author the sponsored links; it merely published or displayed, without adoption or endorsement, misleading representations made by advertisers," the court wrote in its judgment. It said that ordinary Internet users would have understood that the links were made by advertisers and that Google hadn't endorsed them.

Google said in a statement that it welcomed the decision. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which led the case against Google, said advertisers should still ensure they don't mislead consumers.

"The ACCC took these proceedings to clarify the law relating to advertising practices in the internet age," ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement. "Specifically, we considered that providers of online content should be accountable for misleading or deceptive conduct when they have significant control over what is delivered."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-06-AS-Australia-Google/id-7c16d13eefe2463e8a2ed7277fda6b2a

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Explore the Grand Canyon from your living room using Google Maps

Google cameras are slowly documenting everything there is to see in our world, and their images help with everything from navigating around in strange cities to seeing crazy things like people in the process of falling down or buildings burning in the background. ?They recently turned their cameras to the Grand Canyon, so those of [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/05/explore-the-grand-canyon-from-your-living-room/

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What Will be the Benefits of Mobile Phones - city committee has ...

Mobile phone is probably the easiest ways of communication but nowadays, cell phones are not only employed for communication, but they are much more than that.

Using a good mobile phone is a valuable part of business and an important need of a businessperson. However, it plays a great role in developing communication between staff, friends or family, etc. It is a companion of students and simultaneously it will also help you to organize yourself.

Your mobile phone is like a magic box. A mobile phone, also called cell phone, has all of the modern tools including camera, ebook reader device and browser to surf on the internet. The advance of technologies have changed the way people once communicated through old fashioned phones. Now they seem to have more freedom and more ways to express themselves through sms, mms therefore many other options.

It helps a businessperson to remain connected with his contacts and people around the world. Businessmen can store their contacts? names, numbers and addresses on their own phones. The calendar purpose of a mobile notifies you about due tasks, meetings and upcoming events.

Mobile phone is a must when you are traveling somewhere and also you need to find locations. Smartphone or android-based phones have latest application referred to as GPS (Global Positioning System). GPS can show exact location from the place what your location is heading. It is possible to download free application that may guide you about restaurants, stores, food stores along with other important places within the city. You are able to download apps for your entertainment watching movies or pay attention to your favorite songs on the move. Games apps are offered also for android based cellphones. You can play many popular games including Angry Birds or Runescape in your handset.

Most of the big mobile phone manufacturers have introduced new models for android phones and today hundreds of smartphone brands are available in market. In order to get maximum benefits of latest cell phones, you should pick a qualified smartphone brand. Go to the internet and perform a cell phone search and browse a few smartphone reviews. You can even check smartphone comparison sites and select your cell phone after careful research. There is certainly plethora of online collections of recent mobile phones with accessories. You can buy new or used cell phones through auctions along with other online outlets.

Smartphone gives benefits that are not available in other cellphones. Smartphone has a big touch screen for good visibility plus a large touchscreen display keyboard that provides you comfort while writing sms or adding names in your contact lists. You can have internet access and the touch screen enables you to click anywhere on the web page the same as using a mouse.

The calendar function of a mobile informs you about due tasks, meetings and upcoming events. Click here to get know more about mobiele telefoonnummers zoeken (mobile phone search).

Source: http://medicalmarijuanaforall.com/medical-marijuana-lawyers/what-will-be-the-benefits-of-mobile-phones/

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Kiefer Sutherland named Hasty Pudding Man of the Year

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kiefer Sutherland has gained his share of accolades throughout his acting career, but none quite like this.

The "24" star has been named 2013's Man of the Year by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals student society, succeeding "The Muppets" actor Jason Segel, who received the honors last year.

Sutherland will be feted with a roast on Friday at Harvard's Farkas Hall, where he will receive his ceremonial Pudding Pot. If Hasty Pudding tradition is any indication, Sutherland will also dress at least partially in women's clothes at some point during the event. Which is presumably a rare event for the actor.

"Inception" actress Marion Cotillard, who was named 2013's Woman of the Year by the theatrical society, was honored at a January 13 ceremony, during which she led a parade through the streets of Cambridge, Mass.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kiefer-sutherland-named-hasty-pudding-man-230841154.html

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'Warm Bodies' heats up box office with $20 million

This film image released by Summit Entertainment shows Nicholas Hoult in a scene from "Warm Bodies." (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Jonathan Wenk)

This film image released by Summit Entertainment shows Nicholas Hoult in a scene from "Warm Bodies." (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Jonathan Wenk)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The love-struck zombies of "Warm Bodies" swarmed the box office on Super Bowl weekend with a $20 million opening.

On a weekend that Hollywood largely punts to football, the PG-13 film from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment easily led the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Super Bowl always means a significant slide in movie-going on Sunday ? studios predict a decrease of as much as 70 percent from Saturday to Sunday ? but "Warm Bodies" still lured many teenage fans.

The film is about a zombie whose love for a human redeems him. Lionsgate, which also released the "Twilight" saga, is calling it a "rom-zom-com" for its mix of humor, romance and the supernatural. The film appealed particularly to females, who made up 60 percent of the audience.

"They've definitely cracked the code on how to attract that teen audience with films like 'The Hunger Games,' 'Twilight' and something like 'Warm Bodies,' which definitely plays right into the sweet spot of that demographic," says Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

David Spitz, executive vice president of Lionsgate, said the studio courted female teens with "Warm Bodies" by pairing its trailer with the last "Twilight" film, "Breaking Dawn, Part II."

Younger female audiences have some history of turning out on Super Bowl weekends. The most successful film released the weekend of the big game was in 2008, when "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" opened with $31.1 million.

"There was just nothing in the marketplace like this," said Spitz. "Is it more zombie horror? Is it more romantic comedy? Is it more comedy? It's a mixture and that's the reason why the film found an audience."

Action films continued to fare poorly in 2013, as Sylvester Stallone's "Bullet to the Head" opened with just $4.5 million for Warner Bros. That meant his brawny cohort Arnold Schwarzenegger bested him when his "The Last Stand" opened with $7.2 million in January.

But both openings were poor. Along with the weak performance of Jason Statham's "Parker," which has taken in $12.4 million in two weeks for FilmDistrict, moviegoers aren't turning out for traditional R-rated action movies. That trend should reverse itself when Bruce Willis' "A Good Day to Die Hard" opens Feb. 14, Dergarabedian said.

Last week's top film, Paramount's "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," dropped to second with $9.2 million on the weekend.

The other debut of note was Lionsgate's "Stand Up Guys," which stars Al Pacino and Christopher Walken as veteran gangsters on a last hurrah romp. Though it opened in limited release in 659 theaters, it took in just $1.5 million.

The most Super Bowl-appropriate film in theaters, the Oscar-nominated "Silver Linings Playbook," continued to add to its stretched-out run for the Weinstein Co. The film, which centers on a family of diehard Philadelphia Eagles fans, came in third place, adding $8.1 million for a cumulative total of $80.4 million.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Warm Bodies," $20 million.

2. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $9.2 million, ($15 million international).

3. "Silver Linings Playbook," $8.1 million, ($7.8 million international).

4. "Mama," $6.7 million, ($2.4 million international).

5. "Zero Dark Thirty," $5.3 million, ($3.7 million international).

6. "Bullet to the Head," $4.5 million, ($1.1 million international).

7. "Parker," $3.2 million.

8. "Django Unchained," $3 million, ($30.6 million international).

9. "Les Miserables," $2.4 million, ($12.2 million international).

10. "Lincoln," $2.4 million, ($13 million international).

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Django Unchained," $30.6 million.

2. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $15 million.

3. "Lincoln," $13 million.

4. "The Berlin File," $12.8 million.

5. "Les Miserables," $12.2 million.

6. "Miracle in Cell No. 7," $11 million.

7. "Life of Pi," $10.1 million.

8. "Flight," $9.2 million.

9. "Silver Linings Playbook," $7.8 million.

10. "Skyfall," $6.7 million.

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-03-Box%20Office/id-92edd2eb06f64fc1b4a5f0a589845618

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Video: Daughter of slain Ala. bus driver: ?He was my hero?

>>> new information this morning on that tense standoff in alabama where a man holding a 5-year-old hostage in his underground bunker since tuesday afternoon. nbc's gabe gutierrez is in mid dms land city, alabama , this morning. good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, sav savannah. the intense standoff is now entering its fourth day. police are being very cautious, saying the boy is unharmed. now we're hearing from the family of the murdered bus driver for the first time. up this dirt road , police and s.w.a.t. teams are closely watching an underground bunker . in it, a 5-year-old hostage and a man who police say opened fire on a school bus .

>> the past few days have not been easy on anybody.

>> reporter: the suspect is 65-year-old jimmy lee dike, a loner who distrusts the government. the boy is described only as ethan. the two are holed up underground in a four by six feet bunker, said to be full of supplies, including a television.

>> he may have something to say and he wants people to hear him. not sure what that is, but i don't think he intends to hurt that little boy .

>> reporter: hostage negotiators have been talking to him through a pvc pipe and he has allowed police to send medicine and coloring books for the boy down that pipe.

>> as long as you can measure that, there's no need to move this forward and perhaps get someone hurt.

>> reporter: it all started tuesday when police say that he boarded a school bus , demanding two random children. the driver refused and that's when he allegedly shot and killed poland and made off with ethan. aaron poland and his sister, lidia, are the son and daughter of the bus driver . they want the world to know their father died a hero.

>> every time a child got on my dad's bus, they were no longer their parents, they were his. he considered them his children. and i know that's the reason why my dad took those shots for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister.

>> reporter: they say their father wasn't the type to back down.

>> my daddy was not just a hero on tuesday. my daddy was a hero my whole life. he was my hero.

>> reporter: this standoff has dragged on for more than 60 hours now. several schools in the area remain closed as this town prays for a peaceful resolution. savannah?

>> gabe gutierrez in midland city, alabama . now here's matt.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50663726/

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Chances Are

What will happen when a girl comes between two step-brothers? ...that don't know they're brothers. [female role taken/one boy open]

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