JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? They say cats have nine lives. Now a Chinese toad has joined that reputed club of wily survivors.
South Africans are marveling at the endurance of a toad that got trapped in a cargo shipment from China to Cape Town after jumping into a porcelain candlestick. South African officials planned to put down the creature from Asia fearing it would cause harm as an invasive species if it were let go in the wild.
But the toad got a last-minute reprieve. Mango Airlines, a South African airline, transported the toad on Friday to Johannesburg for delivery to an animal sanctuary after officials decided to find a way to let the itinerant toad live.
Airline spokesman Hein Keiser says the toad has become a celebrity.
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) ? Oman says more than 1,400 candidates are competing in the Gulf nation's first municipal elections, a concession following Arab Spring-linked unrest.
Oman has seen sporadic protests demanding more job opportunities and a greater public voice in the tightly run sultanate.
The official Omani News Agency says the candidates, including 46 women, are vying Saturday for 192 seats on local councils that have no direct powers but will serve in an advisory role.
Gulf Arab leaders have managed to ride out the region's upheavals, but have promised some limited reforms and offered financial incentives such as expanding state jobs.
Strategic Oman shares control of the Strait of Hormuz with Iran. The narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf is the route for one-fifth of the world's crude oil.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? Four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA are poised to move forward with their legal fight over New Jersey's plans to allow sports gambling.
That comes after a judge on Friday rejected arguments that the leagues couldn't prove they would be harmed if the state proceeds with the plans.
In denying the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit by the NBA, NHL, NFL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp agreed that they have standing to file the suit because expanding legal sports betting to New Jersey would negatively affect perception of their games.
In his ruling, Shipp cited studies offered by the leagues that showed fans' negative attitudes toward game-fixing and sports gambling.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment on the ruling, telling The Associated Press on Saturday that "the decision speaks for itself."
Stacey Osburn, director of public and media relations for the NCAA, said the association was "pleased with the court's ruling. The NCAA has long maintained that sports wagering threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of college sports."
Phone messages left Saturday for officials with the NBA and NHL were not immediately returned. A voicemail for a MLB spokesman was full and would not accept messages.
New Jersey also has argued in court papers that a 1990s law prohibiting sports gambling in all but four states is unconstitutional, and Shipp ordered that a date for oral argument on that issue will be set after Jan. 20.
The federal law prohibited sports gambling in all states but Nevada, where bettors can gamble on single games, and three other states that were allowed to offer multi-game parlay betting. New Jersey has argued the law usurps the authority of state legislatures and discriminates by "grandfathering" in some states.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who has worked in the House to change the federal law, decried Shipp's decision.
"It is absurd for the professional sports leagues and the NCAA to claim that they will suffer injuries as a result of the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey," Pallone said Saturday.
"That these organizations claim that the sports they represent will somehow have their reputation impacted is na?ve at best and assumes that illegal gambling is not currently occurring in lieu of legal sports betting," he added. "The fact is that the presence of illegal betting and the crime that goes with it has a far greater impact on the legitimacy of sports organization."
The leagues filed suit in August after Gov. Chris Christie vowed to defy a federal ban on sports wagering. The Republican governor signed a sports betting law in January, limiting bets to the Atlantic City casinos and the state's horse racing tracks.
New Jersey has said it plans to license sports betting as soon as January, and in October it published regulations governing licenses. But the state agreed to give the leagues 30 days' notice before it grants any licenses and hasn't done so yet, the state attorney general's office said last week.
The state, represented by former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, had argued before Shipp last Tuesday that the leagues are as popular as they've ever been despite the existence of legal gambling in Nevada and more widespread illegal gambling.
The NCAA has said it will relocate several championship events scheduled to be held in New Jersey next year because of the state's sports gambling push.
President Obama is expected on Friday to name Sen. John Kerry to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He'd come with his own pet issues ? as well as a reputation as a patient negotiator.
By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / December 21, 2012
Senate Foreign Relations chairman John Kerry (D) of Massachusetts leads a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday on the Sept. 11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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As a Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, John Kerry was an ardent advocate of arms control ? a position he would later use to help President Obama win ratification of a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia.
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In Congress, the senior senator from Massachusetts has championed climate-change legislation, ranking the issue in the very top tier of the nation?s international challenges.
On Friday afternoon, Mr. Obama will nominate Mr. Kerry to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of State. If he is confirmed, Kerry might give those two foreign policy priorities a higher profile.
While a secretary of State?s job is to carry out the president?s foreign policy, the holders of the nation?s top diplomatic office find ways to boost the issues that are important to them. And so Kerry is expected to place special emphasis on his own policy priorities if he becomes Obama?s second secretary of State.
Most officials, foreign-policy experts, and friends who have watched Kerry in action say he has demonstrated the diplomatic traits ? the patience, perseverance, artfulness, and stature ? required to further the president?s international priorities and to successfully represent America to the world.
?What you see with John Kerry is what you get: He?s a serious, very articulate man, and he has the stature to really further America?s interests,? says Sanford Katz, a family law professor at Boston College who taught Kerry, a 1976 alumnus of the law school.
That ?stature? would also serve Kerry well in the difficult task of following in the footsteps of Secretary Clinton, who has enjoyed ? and employed ? the rock-star status she?s gained around the world. ??
Many international experts cite Kerry?s productive forays into some of the toughest diplomatic thickets as a quiet Obama envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan in recent years as evidence of his potential effectiveness.
?He combined a presence and stature and a skill at conducting personal relations with difficult people that bodes well for his ability to carry out the duties of secretary of State, should he be so named,? says James Dobbins, a former special US envoy to Afghanistan, speaking in particular of Kerry?s dealings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2009.
Kerry would later be sent by Obama several times to repair crumbling relations with Pakistan, including to negotiate the release of a CIA contractor detained in the killings of two Pakistanis, and in the tense days after the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
In his dealings with Mr. Karzai ? who is famously hard to work with ? Kerry ?exhibited an evenness of temper and a degree of patience? that not all senior US officials have been able to muster when working with the Afghan leader, says Mr. Dobbins, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corp. in Arlington, Va.
Dec. 20, 2012 ? For all their promise, solar cells have frustrated scientists in one crucial regard -- most are rigid. They must be deployed in stiff, often heavy, fixed panels, limiting their applications. So researchers have been trying to get photovoltaics to loosen up. The ideal: flexible, decal-like solar panels that can be peeled off like band-aids and stuck to virtually any surface, from papers to window panes.
Now the ideal is real. Stanford researchers have succeeded in developing the world's first peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells. The breakthrough is described in a paper in the December 20th issue of Scientific Reports.
Unlike standard thin-film solar cells, the peel-and-stick version from Stanford does not require any direct fabrication on the final carrier substrate. This is a far more dramatic development than it may initially seem. All the challenges associated with putting solar cells on unconventional materials are avoided with the new process, vastly expanding the potential applications of solar technology.
Thin-film photovoltaic cells are traditionally fixed on rigid silicon and glass substrates, greatly limiting their uses, says Chi Hwan Lee, lead author of the paper and a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering. And while the development of thin-film solar cells promised to inject some flexibility into the technology, explains Xiaolin Zheng, a Stanford assistant professor of mechanical engineering and senior author of the paper, scientists found that use of alternative substrates was problematic in the extreme.
"Nonconventional or 'universal' substrates are difficult to use for photovoltaics because they typically have irregular surfaces and they don't do well with the thermal and chemical processing necessary to produce today's solar cells," Zheng observes. "We got around these problems by developing this peel-and-stick process, which gives thin-film solar cells flexibility and attachment potential we've never seen before, and also reduces their general cost and weight."
Utilizing the process, Zheng continues, researchers attached their solar cells to paper, plastic and window glass among other materials.
"It's significant that we didn't lose any of the original cell efficiency," Zheng said.
The new process involves a unique silicon, silicon dioxide and metal "sandwich." First, a 300-nanometer film of nickel (Ni) is deposited on a silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) wafer. Thin-film solar cells are then deposited on the nickel layer utilizing standard fabrication techniques, and covered with a layer of protective polymer. A thermal release tape is then attached to the top of the thin-film solar cells to augment their transfer off of the production wafer and onto a new substrate.
The solar cell is now ready to peel from the wafer. To remove it, the wafer is submerged in water at room temperature and the edge of the thermal release tape is peeled back slightly, allowing water to seep into and penetrate between the nickel and silicon dioxide interface. The solar cell is thus freed from the hard substrate but still attached to the thermal release tape. Zheng and team then heat the tape and solar cell to 90?C for several seconds, then the cell can be applied to virtually any surface using double-sided tape or other adhesive. Finally, the thermal release tape is removed, leaving just the solar cell attached to the chosen substrate.
Tests have demonstrated that the peel-and-stick process reliably leaves the thin-film solar cells wholly intact and functional, Zheng said. "There's also no waste. The silicon wafer is typically undamaged and clean after removal of the solar cells, and can be reused."
While others have been successful in fabricating thin-film solar cells on flexible substrates before, those efforts have required modifications of existing processes or materials, noted Lee. "The main contribution of our work is we have done so without modifying any existing processes, facilities or materials, making them viable commercially. And we have demonstrated our process on a more diverse array of substrates than ever before," Lee said.
"Now you can put them on helmets, cell phones, convex windows, portable electronic devices, curved roofs, clothing -- virtually anything," said Zheng.
Moreover, peel-and-stick technology isn't necessarily restricted to thin-film solar cells, Zheng said. The researchers believe the process can also be applied to thin-film electronics, including printed circuits and ultra thin transistors and LCDs.
"Obviously, a lot of new products -- from 'smart' clothing to new aerospace systems -- might be possible by combining both thin-film electronics and thin-film solar cells," observed Zheng. "And for that matter, we may be just at the beginning of this technology. The peel-and-stick qualities we're researching probably aren't restricted to Ni/SiO2. It's likely many other material interfaces demonstrate similar qualities, and they may have certain advantages for specific applications. We have a lot left to investigate."
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? If BoomerCaf? is about baby boomers with active lifestyles, then this piece by Marcia Barhydt is about us! Because she addresses the question: Sex in your Sixties and Beyond?
It seems to me that every time I turn around, I?m seeing an article about having sex when you?re OLD. That?s ?OLD? as often defined by someone in her twenties, certainly not the definition from a Boomer.
Marcia Barhydt
And sometimes the point of the article is to tell us how bad it is! The topic seems a tiny bit less embarrassing, of course, when you realize that your mother and father had sex. Eeeewwww. Old people having sex has been going on for years and years. Surprise! It?s a topic that?s generating all kinds of new interest but part of that interest is a movement against it, as well as a strong advocacy for being cool with it.
Where do you stand on this? Are you committed to one side of the argument? I am a 100% supporter of allowing older adults to have consensual sex any time they want it.
But the question isn?t about what family, children, or caregivers think. The question is about privacy and about choice. Because no matter what side we support, it?s none of our business!
And what does this have to do with Boomers? Well, we?re now becoming those ?old? people who might still be having sex.
I don?t know about you, but I can?t recall the last time I hurt myself having sex.
This whole activity of older people having sex is drastically changed from when Gramma and Grampa were older, just as sex at any age is drastically changed now simply because sex is nowlooked at, considered as, a good thing to have in our lives? and at any age. Do you know who?s been at the center of driving this role change? Why, us Boomers, of course!
If we have plans to confess our sexy desires and actions, then we open ourselves up to a lot of tsk-tsking from a lot of other people, headed perhaps by our younger family members. And if there?s a move to keep a husband and wife apart sexually, isn?t it only a question of time when it?scommon to not even be able to sleep together, although we might have been married and sleeping together every night for 50 or 60 years. I have two cousins who are in their 80s and they still hold hands every night as they go to sleep. No one should stop that beautiful intimacy.
I hope you have amazing sex until you?re in your 90s, and keep it to yourselves if you like, wrap yourselves in its warmth. It?s no one else?s business.
FILE - In this Mon., Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, Ke$ha performs during the second night of KIIS FM's Jingle Ball at Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles. Ke$ha says she understands her hit song "Die Young" "is now inappropriate" following the shootings in Newtown, Conn. The pop singer said in a Twitter post Tuesday night, Dec. 18, 2012 that she's "so so so sorry" for anyone affected by the tragedy. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - In this Mon., Dec. 3, 2012 file photo, Ke$ha performs during the second night of KIIS FM's Jingle Ball at Nokia Theatre LA Live in Los Angeles. Ke$ha says she understands her hit song "Die Young" "is now inappropriate" following the shootings in Newtown, Conn. The pop singer said in a Twitter post Tuesday night, Dec. 18, 2012 that she's "so so so sorry" for anyone affected by the tragedy. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Ke$ha says she understands her hit song "Die Young" ''is now inappropriate" following the shootings in Newtown, Conn.
The pop singer said in a Twitter post Tuesday night that she's "so so so sorry" for anyone affected by the tragedy.
Earlier Tuesday, Ke$ha tweeted that she had her own issues with "Die Young" due to the lyrics, but that she was "FORCED TO" sing them. That tweet was deleted a short time later.
Ke$ha's spokesman said the 25-year-old had no comment Wednesday morning.
"Die Young" is intended as a party anthem and is No. 3 on this week's Billboard Hot 100 chart. But radio stations began to pull it and other songs with potentially upsetting lyrics after 27 people, including 20 children, were killed Friday at an elementary school.
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Carrol Walsh, a retired state judge whose account of liberating Holocaust victims from a Nazi train led to reunions with the survivors 60 years later, has died. He was 91.
Walsh died Monday at his home in Sarasota, Fla., from heart failure, his daughter, Sharon Salluzzo of Pittsford, N.Y., told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Walsh and other American soldiers liberated 2,500 Jewish concentration camp prisoners from a Nazi train at the end of World War II. About a decade ago, his story was posted on a website his friend Matthew Rozell created for the history class he teaches at Hudson Falls High School, 45 miles north of Albany.
That led to a series of reunions involving veterans and train survivors in New York, South Carolina and Tennessee.
"He's the catalyst for everything," Rozell told the AP. "He was blessed to have been able to meet with a lot of these people."
It wasn't until the end of two-hour interview with Rozell in July 2001 in Hudson Falls that Walsh, at his daughter Elizabeth's urging, got around to mentioning the train. Walsh explained how his detachment of the 743rd Tank Battalion of the 30th Infantry Division came upon hundreds of bedraggled people standing around a long line of box cars stopped on a rail line near Magdeburg, Germany, in April 1945.
The soldiers learned that the train was packed with Jewish prisoners, mostly Hungarians, who were being transported from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to another camp. The train's crew and guards had fled when the American tanks approached. Walsh and his comrades provided protection and alerted U.S. military authorities, who sent food and aid to the liberated prisoners, some as young as 5.
Rozell posted Walsh's account and photos another soldier took that day on the website he had created for the World War II project his history class had launched. It took several years before train survivors and their relatives began finding the site on the Internet, but once that occurred, the contacts started rolling in, Rozell said.
So far, some 230 survivors of the Nazi train have come forward, thanks in large part to Walsh's willingness to share his story, Rozell said.
Walsh was reunited with some of the survivors during gatherings held near his upstate home in 2007 and again two years later. Other train survivors met their liberators during 30th Division reunions held in North Charleston, S.C., in 2007 and Nashville, Tenn., in 2010.
Since those first reunions, several of the survivors, now in their 70s and 80s, kept regular contact with Walsh, including a nearby Florida resident who had monthly luncheons with the veteran, according to Tom Walsh, a son.
"All of these people, men, women, children, jam-packed in those boxcars, I couldn't believe my eyes," Walsh said in the 2001 interview. "And there they were. So, now they knew they were free, they were liberated. That was a nice, nice thing."
Walsh's family said he will be cremated in Florida and a memorial service will be held at a later date in Johnstown, his Mohawk Valley hometown.
In addition to Dorothy, his wife of 68 years, Walsh is survived by his two sons and two daughters.
OXFORD, OH (FOX19)- Miami University's marching band will represent Ohio in the 57th Presidential Inaugural Parade Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee selected Miami among the first wave of participants. More than 2,800 organizations applied.?
"We are honored and most proud of our marching band for receiving an invitation, and we gladly accept," said James Lentini, dean of Miami's?School of Creative Arts.?
In the official release from the committee, President Barack Obama said, "The talented groups chosen to participate in the Inaugural Parade reflect the spirit, values, and diversity of our great nation. Vice President Biden and I are honored to have them join us in the parade."?
Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted online applications to the Joint Task Force ? National Capital Region (JTF-NCR).?
The official release from the Presidential Inaugural Committee is?online.
Email is one of the biggest time sinks we all have. It's easy to either ignore a message completely, or to spend hours catching up on every single one. Technology blogger Dbuntinx's solution was to create a smart inbox that behaves in sort of a Schr?dinger state and only shows unread email.
Dbuntinx uses Apple Mail's Smart Inbox feature (most email clients have something similar) so that only unread emails are visible to him and everything else is hidden. This means two rules must be met: the emails must be in the inbox, and unread. So, once you read a message, it disappears from the smart inbox. Dbuntix explains:
Once you start reading a message in this Smart Unread Inbox, it's actually not part of it anymore. It's in this sort of Schr?dinger state, which only exists as long as you keep the e-mail open. So you have to act upon it, otherwise it will disappear forever into the mists that are the cloud.
Setting this up in Apple Mail is pretty simple:
Click the + sign in the bottom left corner and select, "New Smart Mailbox."
For the first rule, select, "Message is in Mailbox" and select your inbox.
Click the plus sign to add another rule.
Select "Message is Unread" for the second rule, and click ok.
When you're done setting up your smart mailbox, hide the sidebar in Mail so you only see what's in the smart inbox. When you read an email, it disappears from that mailbox, so it's up to you to reply to it right away, or let it disappear. This solution is a far cry away from the trusted trio, but it's an interesting solution to the email problem that forces instant responses.
# The Ultimate E-mail Lifehack | Dbuntinx via Minimal Mac
Democratic budget leader Rep. Chris Van Hollen urges that the national debt ceiling be raised as part of the year-end talks to avoid the 'fiscal cliff,' rather than waiting until late winter to address it.
By Dave Cook,?Staff writer / December 18, 2012
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) of Maryland speaks at the Dec. 12 Monitor Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor
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Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee and the House Democratic leadership's liaison to the budget negotiations between Speaker John Boehner and President Obama. Representative Van Hollen was the guest at the Dec. 12 Monitor Breakfast.
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Passing a budget deal without a majority of House Republicans:
"The biggest impediment [to a budget deal] right now is the speaker's ability to get a decent number of Republican votes for an agreement.... One way to get this done ... [would be] if the speaker was willing to bring to the floor of the House a bill that did not necessarily get a majority of Republican votes."
One reason for the slow pace of budget talks:
"I'm getting increasingly concerned that one of the reasons the speaker is deciding to ... string out these discussions is that he wants to wait till Jan. 3, when the election for speaker takes place. And he's concerned that any agreement he reaches [without support of a majority of Republicans] could undermine support for him in his caucus and make it more difficult on Jan. 3."
Why he wants the debt ceiling raised as part of a year-end budget deal:
"Fooling around with the debt ceiling obviously is economically catastrophic."
The legacy of the current Congress:
"The 112th Congress ... as judged by the American people, and also judged by overall work product, has been one of the least productive Congresses certainly in recent history."
Odds for Democrats to regain control of the House in 2014:
"Republicans used the redistricting process to their favor.... I don't think that is going to overcome the fact that the positions they have staked out on issues are so far to the extreme right of where the American people are that Democrats have a big opening with independent voters."
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Connect to the world with the touch of a fingertip. The Kyros MID8048 Tablet is a powerful and flexible Internet and Entertainment solution with a generous 8.0" capacitive touchscreen and intuitive Android 4.0 operating system (Ice Cream Sandwich). Your time, your way with access to thousands of applications from GetJar marketplace with plenty of games, social media and productivity tools to meet the needs of today's users. With sleek and stylish Coby tablet PCs you are able to relax and enjoy your favorite content: music, 1080p HD videos, eBooks and photos.
Coby Kyros MID8048-4 with WiFi 8" Touchscreen Tablet PC:
Technical Specifications:
1GHz processor
1GB DDR2 of system memory and 4GB on-board storage memory
8.0" touchscreen, 800 x 600 resolution
Built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi
Additional Features:
Front 0.3MP webcam
USB 2.0 port, mini-HDMI port, 3.5mm headphone jack, dock connector port
4GB on-board storage memory, additional memory via microSD card slot
1080p HD video playback
Accelerometer
Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
Weighs 1 lbs; 8.3" x 0.4" x 6.5" dimensions
Software and Applications:
Android 4.0 OS (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Email, Calculator, eReader, YouTube, Calendar, Clock, Games
Browser and GetJar Marketplace
eMusic
Media Formats: Popular media formats
What's in the Box: What's a Tablet PC?
Tablet PCs are compact, ultra-portable entertainment devices that let you read email, surf the internet, read eBooks, view photos, play games, listen to music and watch video files. Most tablets are based on a smaller operating system, which allows you to purchase and download additional applications from supported stores. Tablet PCs do not have a CD/DVD drive and will not run Microsoft Windows or its applications. Tablet PCs function as a secondary device for casual entertainment purposes, and are not meant to replace a computer. They are ideal for use around the home and on the go with WiFi or 3-4g mobile broadband connections (pay as you go, contract may be required for service).
Platform:
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Primary Color:
Black
Processor Speed:
1.0 GHz
System Ram:
1 GB
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N/A
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N/A
Screen Type:
Capacitive Touch Display
Battery Type:
Lithium Primary
Network Connection:
802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN
Connector Type:
1 x Dock Connector, 1 x Headphone, 1 x Mini-HDMI, 1 x USB 2.0
Operating System:
Google Android
Accessories Included:
AC Adapter
Operating System Version:
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Model No.:
MID8048-4
Shipping Weight (in pounds):
2.2
Product in Inches (L x W x H):
8.25?x?0.75?x?6.25
Walmart No.:
551040972
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While an early leak might have hopefully suggested that Nokia were ready to offer an OS refresh to its first-generation Lumia owners, the company has now explained to Tweakers that those early glimpses of Windows Phone 7.8 were for pre-production models and, presumably, all part of the software testing process. We've stopped clicking the update button, (reluctantly) unplugged our Lumia 800 and are waiting on that Q1 refresh. However, if you're willing to tinker with your Windows Phone's inner workings for the taste of a new OS, there are ways.
Las Vegas commercial real estate brokerage firm Fortis Commercial Advisors closes six commercial properties in 10 days.
Las Vegas, NV ? December 12, 2012 ? Privately owned Las Vegas commercial real estate brokerage firm Fortis Commercial Advisors celebrated six successful commercial property closings in a 10-day period in November, a timeframe unusual in the industry. The timing and pricing of the transactions demonstrates the firm?s knowledge of the market and the wealth of private buyers working with Fortis to acquire commercial property in Las Vegas.
Several aspects stand out about those six commercial property closings, all of which were cash transactions handled by key company personnel Dean Jalili, Frank Jalili, Dana Souter and Susanne Moore. The sales included 3 Las Vegas area land parcels, a multi-family property, a former restaurant and an owner-user office warehouse located close to McCarran International Airport.
A commercial property at 1050 South Rampart Boulevard in the prestigious Boca Park shopping center near Summerlin was a short sale listing managed by Senior Investment Advisor Dana Souter. The property, a shuttered former restaurant, sold for an impressive $250 per square foot with the buyer closing in fewer than three business days. Souter also handled the listing and sale of 3903 West Martin Avenue, a two-building office warehouse property which sold to an owner user in an all cash transaction for $1,550,000 or over $150 per square foot.
Susanne Moore, CCIM and 30 year industry veteran who joined Fortis as an Investment Advisor in 2011, handled the listing and sale of 3811 Royal Crest Street, a multi-family property near the strip and Las Vegas convention center. The property, purchased post-foreclosure last year, was renovated and sold in an all-cash transaction for above $36,000 per unit. Again, the buyer was willing to close the deal in less than 10 days with limited contingencies.
The remaining properties were a bulk deal handled by Frank Jalili and company broker Dean Jalili whose team oversaw the cash purchase of three separate land parcels totaling over 12 acres in Las Vegas and Pahrump. Dean Jalili who started in commercial real estate in 2002 with national firm Grubb & Ellis and then Sperry Van Ness, says the timing and pricing are unprecedented in the Las Vegas commercial real estate market and demonstrate that buyers are aggressively moving to take advantage of depressed pricing.
According to Dean Jalili who started Fortis Commercial Advisors in 2007 with his Frank Jalili, says smaller firms like his are handling a larger chunk of the sub $20,000,000 investment market, especially to private investors. Jalili says ?Private buyers are willing to move very quickly and beat out others in regards to price in order to get what they want. Many of these buyers feel overlooked when they call on national brokerage firms to find investments and as a result, my phone rings dozens of times a with buyers looking for the latest investment property offerings in Las Vegas. These sales really highlight the fact that if you are an owner trying to sell your Las Vegas commercial property and are getting no action, it?s either not priced right or it?s just not being marketed properly.?
Fortis Commercial Advisors offers ?a level of service and attentiveness along with real-time market knowledge comparable if not better than the large national firms,? says client Robert Kling, CEO and President of LRL Management, LLC which develops and owns commercial property nationwide.? Kling who currently has several properties in escrow to buy through Fortis goes on to add ?That knowledge is invaluable in today?s economic climate in order to truly understand your options as a buyer, seller or property owner.?
?Our value proposition is very simple: We offer the same expertise and marketing exposure as the ?big brokerage houses? but as a boutique firm our client service surpasses those larger outfits,? says Dean Jalili, who founded Fortis with his brother Frank Jalili in 2007. ?Clients can actually reach us by phone when they need to which means a lot in a market as dynamic as the Las Vegas commercial real estate market,? says Dean Jalili. ?Our clients are aware that we know this market like the back of our hands. We have our fingers on the pulse of the commercial real estate community when it comes to knowing real qualified buyers, upcoming opportunities and the story behind the story.?
Fortis Commercial Advisors expects to triple sales and leasing volume over the next 12 months compared to 2011 primarily due to continued expansion of its brokerage team coupled by newly added leasing and management assignments with plans to expand into regional markets within two years.
To learn more about Fortis Commercial Advisors, go to http://www.fortisadvisors.com.To follow company updates, visit our LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/fortis-commercial-advisors or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/FortisAdvisors.
About Fortis Commercial Advisors
Fortis Commercial Advisors is a fully integrated commercial real estate brokerage and property management firm headquartered in Las Vegas, NV owned by the Fortress Group, Inc. With multi-faceted representation capability and market expertise, Fortis provides extensive knowledge and value to its clients throughout every step of the investment cycle.
During the?holiday season?it's more important than ever to try to get as much as you can, out of every gift you buy. This includes the gifts you?get for your own precious pooches, fantastic felines, and?all the others you hold dear, whether they may be feathered, finned, or furry.? If you don't have pets of your own, you most definitely know of someone who holds?at least one close to his or her heart. The following is a guide to?help you?make sure the pet gifts you buy this year will not only be greatly appreciated, but will also be well-worth purchasing.?
"I think that our customers think of their pets as family members and are doing whatever they can to spoil them, just like their human family members (especially the children)!" said Amy Kinne, director of business development for Especially for Pets, which has stores in Acton, Canton, Medway, Newton, Sudbury, Wayland & Westborough.
Kinne said she's got a variety of "go to items" when shoppers ask for ideas for the holidays:
Chilly Dog brand sweaters are attractive, machine-washable and really warm
Patriots or Red Sox collars, harnesses, leads, bandanas
Berber or fleece dog beds or orthopedic beds for the seniors or machine washable pads for puppies (we have all price points and many brands)
Arubacat Cat Furniture-produced locally in Plaistow NH, this top of the line furniture looks great in any home, lasts for years and is safe for cats with no exposed staples or screws;?is erogonimically designed so it will not tip over!Bully sticks or antlers- long lasting
Upscale holiday or winter collars and leads
Squeaky holiday dog toys from MPI Toys- you can?t go wrong with a cute toy for any size dog
Durable dog toys such as Kong, Planet Dog
Kyjen plush dog toys (pictured)
Treats such as Goodness Gracious (made in Marblehead and 51 percent of profits go to animal charities)
Everlasting treat balls and treats-to keep your dog occupied while you enjoy your holiday dinner or during a snow storm! "Originally created as a separation anxiety toy, these toys have evolved and become a top seller all year long."
And here are some more ideas courtesy of follow editors at Patch.
Through a Dog's Ear, Music CD:??Music is a genuine way to bring peace and calmness into your life--now you can share this same joy with your dog(s).? Through a Dog's Ear CD's have a unique compilation of classical music created specifically for canine's under severe stress, as well as others just needing some down time.?
?Jax and Bones, Good Karma Rope Toy?is a?positive new twist on rope toys for dogs. These?animal-shaped?natural dog toys are created to be extra tough.? Another?good thing about purchasing one of these adorable toys is that part of the proceeds is donated to a nonprofit animal rescue organization found at: www.therescuetrain.org.
Pet Clothing?is?great fun for many dog?owners.? But there are some brands that are certainly making a name for themselves?as far as?quality.? "RC?Pet Products?are extremely popular right now, and in high demand", says Judy from Country Pet Boutique.? Their stylish vests will?help ease?winter strolls, by coming with reflective strips and warm soft lining;? both?of which are?so important?for this time of year?when?doggie walks are taken?during dark hours, and in chilly temps.? When possible, this manufacturer?also donates money to animal rescue organizations.?
Pens, Pillows, and Pads:? Cute knick-knacks that resemble different breeds of pets such as decorative pillows,?cute pens, and small?note pads, are just a few useful things, that animal lovers will love and appreciate.
Pet odor neutralizing candles?are a wonderful idea for?pet parents of any?animal species.??They are a?great way to enjoy?candle burning, while taking care of those unique smells, that only?these precious family members can bestow upon?us. The candles at www.catmandoo.biz are one example of?this product that?can be found at?pet shops in our area.
Superpet?is a large manufacturer of items to keep smaller pets happy, safe and busy.? This season try a Grassy Boot.? This?hideout allows?critters sized from dwarf hamsters to bunnies, to climb in and out,?up 'n around, while enabling them to use their natural?instinct?to gnaw and chew.? It can be found at The Feed Bag, along with many other items for most exotic pets of all sizes.
Kong?chewing toys have?become a staple in the lives of many animals.? Their?strength?allows for the release of serious frustration associated with? teething puppies,? as well as bored?or?stressed-out dogs.? They also have them for kitties, and other animals as well. Amy of The Feed Bag , suggests trying the new Wubba made with corduroy for extra durability.
Bully Sticks are the perfect stocking stuffer. They are??a much healthier alternative to raw hide, which is?often used to satisfy dogs natural craving to chew.??
Gift Certificates definitely shouldn't be?overlooked as something that?may not?be appreciated. They can be used?on?something?as?necessary as?grooming.
Email is one of the biggest time sinks we all have. It's easy to either ignore a message completely, or to spend hours catching up on every single one. Technology blogger Dbuntinx's solution was to create a smart inbox that behaves in sort of a Schr?dinger state and only shows unread email. 
Walmart Product Care Plans 
