Friday, November 30, 2012

s Site ? hoyle executrices: Travel And Leisure: Alaska Cruise Or ...

Besides its reputation for being ?cold?, what else do you know about our 49th State? Alaska has an abundance of things to do and see, whether you are a first time vacationer or a returning travelerThere is no other place like Alaska for traveling and exploringAlaska is 586,000 square miles. With an area that big, think about the possibilities.
Here are just a few of the attractions that are available and are sure to whet your appetite for adventure. Wildlife viewing, helicopter tours, and train rides are very popular. You can also relax on a bus tour into Denali State Park, watch a totem pole being carved, or try your luck at catching one of Alaska?s world famous King Salmon.
It would take (2) lifetimes to experience everything Alaska has to offer. With its vast wilderness, Alaska provides opportunities for viewing wildlife either up close or from far away, in its natural habitat. For example, Alaska holds the distinction of having the largest Eagle population in the world. Whether you are a nature lover or not, just seeeing these magnificent birds soar throught the air is enough to take your breath away. With a wilderness area that is 2 1/2 times the size of the state of Texas, you can be guaranteed excellent photo opportunities.
It?s hard to believe that Alaska has the largest temperate rain forest in the United States. Take the time to walk in it and discover this incredible gift. Indescribable adventures await you whereever your journey takes you in Alaska. Every ?ice-blue? glacier and historic waterfront town calls for you to jump in to explore and discover its uniqueness and beauty. Give yourself the freedom to answer this ?call of the wild?. In every city from Anchorage to Fairbanks and beyond, there?s plenty to do and see.
One of the ways to see this beautiful state is to cruise the Inner Passage. Taking one of the cruise ships is a simple way to get your feet wet and explore the state. You have the security of knowing that your basic needs like food, transportation, and your lodging is handled while you have the freedom of choosing any number of activities.
Depending on the town you stop in, you can choose to go whale watching, or take a helicopter trip and walk on a glacier. You can ride the White Pass Railroad or pan for gold. You can even take a Jeep tour on a logging trail and top it off with a salmon bake. Also, every town appears to have their own special and historical events happening on a regular basis and you definitely want to catch these, as well. There are also many fascinating museums and remember to save time to see the stunning Aurora Borealis, especially if you go in the fall.
Alaska seems to have it all. From world famous Parks & Preserves to Volcanos. From Historical & Annual Events and everything in between. With such variety, it?s surprising that anyone would look anywhere but north when vacation time comes. Alaska is a great American Vacation destination that you will want to experience for yourself at least once in your lifetime./>/>/>/>/>/>

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    The French R?sistance has had a great influence on literature, particularly in FranceA famous example is the poem ?Strophes pour se souvenir?, which was written by the communist academic Louis Aragon in 1955 to commemorate the heroism of the Manouchian Group, whose 23 members were shot by the NazisThe R?sistance is also portrayed in Jean Renoir?s wartime This Land is Mine (1943), which was produced in the USAIn the immediate post-war years, French cinema produced a number of films that portrayed a France broadly present in the R?sistance.[188][189] The 1946 La Bataille du rail depicted the courageous efforts of French railway workers to sabotage German reinforcement trains,[190] and in the same year Le P?re tranquille told the story of a quiet insurance agent secretly involved in the bombing of a factory.[190] Collaborators were hatefully presented as a rare minority, as played by Pierre Brewer in J?richo (1946) or Serge Reggiani in Les Portes de la nuit (1946), and movements such as the Milice were rarely evokedIn the 1950s, a less heroic interpretation of the R?sistance to the occupation gradually began to emerge.[190] In Claude Autant-Lara?s La Travers?e de Paris (1956), the portrayal of the city?s black market and general mediocrity revealed the reality of war-profiteering during the occupation.[191] In the same year, Robert Bresson presented A Man Escaped, in which an imprisoned R?sistance activist works with a reformed collaborator inmate to escape.[192] A ?

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    The Holland America Line is a British-American owned cruise lineIt was founded in 1873 as the Netherlands-America Steamship Company (Dutch: Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij), a sh..Holland America Line ? Wiki Article ? wikiplays.org Original @ http All Information Derived from Wikipedia using Creative Commons License: en.wikipedia.org Author: Jan van Beers jr(1852 ? 1927) Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United StatesAuthor: Welkinridge Image URL: en.wikipedia.org Licensed under:This image is ineligible for copyright and therefore is in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship., This work is in the Public Domain., This work is in the public domain in the United States.

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    goo.gl We would like to thank all our fans and The Father for propelling this video to almost 4 million views in only 18 months, making this video the most heavily viewed Independently Produced Religious Music Video in the world! We would also like to publicly thank the following folks who have worked with us to make this a reality: Technical Support: Bradley Myer Photography: Sherry LAldrich CD package Layout and Design: Sherry LAldrich CD Graphics: Sherry LAldrich and Marie Brandt Marketing and Promotions: Marie Brandt Photographers Assistant: Charles Aldrich Secretary and Treasurer: Marie Brandt CPA and Financial Counsel: Tracy Corta at ?Jordan & Company? All the great folks at Disc Makers, particularly, Chad Fondren: Product Specialist Gaye Feightner: Product Specialist?Graphics Christina Tapia: Project Manager-Foundry Angela Seltzer: Product Specialist Additional Printing Supervisor: Kathy Eby at Lithos Printing Website Development and Maintenance: Poop Dog Website Graphics Design: Marie Brandt ?Rule of Man? Music Video Graphics Design: Marie Brandt US Retail Storefronts: Rich Graves at Budget Tapes and Records, Pocatello Idaho Susan Leak at Renagades Music and Bonanza Music Store Posters and Promotional Graphics Design: Marie Brandt and Sherry LAldrich Contract Law and Legal Counsel: William Faler at ?Faler Law? Director of Marketing & Publicity: Marie Brandt at BrandtMorainPR Additional Publicity: Susan Leak, Karen Plant, Kjelene Bertrand, Patricia Mostyn ?

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    Vote for TYT every day at www.podcastawards.com (through 11/30/09) & www.mashable.com (through 12/13/09) For more details visit www.TheYoungTurks.com and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com

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Source: http://howhubs.com/alaska-cruise-or-land-tour-for-a-vacation-that-war-how-hubs

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Source: http://hoyle-executrices.blogspot.com/2012/11/travel-and-leisure-alaska-cruise-or.html

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Source: http://raoulbhaneja.blogspot.com/2012/11/abel-site-hoyle-executrices-travel-and.html

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Source: http://cinajhon61.blogspot.com/2012/11/s-site-hoyle-executrices-travel-and.html

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Microsoft Announces Pricing Details on Surface With Windows 8 Pro

Microsoft Announces Pricing Details on Surface With Windows 8 Pro
Microsoft announced pricing details for the Surface with Windows 8 Pro today, the second tablet in its Surface lineup.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/5d2X1dETYfQ/

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KayCee Stroh: Pregnant!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/kaycee-stroh-pregnant/

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Virginia Lacrosse Names McDermott Volunteer Assistant Coach

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. ? Tim McDermott has joined the Virginia men?s lacrosse program as a volunteer coach, as announced by head coach Dom Starsia. McDermott is the older brother of former UVa faceoff specialist, Brian McDermott.

?I couldn?t be more pleased to announce Tim?s addition to our staff,? said Starsia. ?I have known Tim for some time now and have come to admire him as a person and a student-athlete. He will work closely with our face-off men and goalies and will be involved in all aspects of the program. It will be a joy to continue to have the McDermott family around the program.?

McDermott was a midfielder for three seasons at DIII Geneseo of the SUNY system, where he was a two-time All-American and led the NCAA in face-off win percentage in 2006. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in business administration before transferring to Loyola in Baltimore for his final year of eligibility in 2008, while pursuing an MBA. McDermott?s younger brother Brian was a member of UVa?s 2010 ACC championship squad and the 2011 NCAA title team.

?I?ve had the privilege to become acquainted with the Virginia lacrosse family through my brother?s involvement with the program over the last several years,? said McDermott. ?I?m very grateful for the opportunity to join a program that conducts itself in the highest regard from the top down. I?m eager to contribute in any way the coaches and staff see fit to assist this spring in our goal of making it back to playing on Memorial Day.?

On a volunteer basis, McDermott has also coached various players, including working with athletes from Loyola and the club program at Richmond. During the 2011 and 2012 seasons he was a varsity coach at Deep Run High School in Richmond and in the summer of 2011 was a reserve player for Major League Lacrosse?s Chicago Machine. McDermott?s most recent volunteer job was with Cortland State this fall.

Source: http://www.lacrosseplayground.com/virginia-lacrosse-names-mcdermott-volunteer-assistant-coach/

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

National Secular Society - Muslim radio station fined ?4,000 for ...

A Muslim radio station in Leeds has been fined ?4,000 by the media regulator Ofcom after one of its presenters said that homosexuals should be tortured and beaten up.

Rubina Nasir told listeners to Asian Fever's Sister Ruby Ramadan Special in 2011:

"What should be done if they do it? [practise homosexuality]. If there are two such persons among you, that do this evil, the shameful act, what do you have to do? Torture them; punish them; beat them and give them mental torture. Allah states, 'If they do such a deed [i.e. homosexuality], punish them, both physically and mentally.

"Mental punishment means rebuke them, beat them, humiliate them, admonish and curse them, and beat them up. This command was sent in the beginning because capital punishment had not yet been sent down."

The following day she said:

"What happens when a Muslim man or woman gets married to a Mushrak [a follower of another religion]. Listeners! Marriage of a Muslim man or woman with a Mushrak is the straight path to hellfire. Have my sisters and brothers, who live with people of bad religions or alien religions, ever thought about what would become of the children they have had with them ? and the coming generation?

"Where the filth of shirk (the sin of following another religion) is present, where the dirt of shirk is present, where the heart is impure, how can you remove apparent filth. How many arrangements will you make to remove the apparent filth? We are saying that Mushraks have no concept of cleanliness and uncleanliness."

She was on air while giving her interpretation of a Qur'anic verse and Ofcom got an independent translation from the original Urdu into English.

Ofcom said it regarded the comments as serious breaches of the broadcasting code and therefore a financial penalty should be imposed.

It added: "The content of the programme broadcast on 17 August 2011 included two statements which Ofcom considered were likely to encourage or to incite the commission of crime against homosexuals and were likely to encourage others to copy unacceptable behaviour towards homosexuals."

Despite the severity of the breach, the regulator said that it "would not be appropriate to shorten, suspend or revoke Radio Asian Fever's licence".

Responding to the fine, Jabbar Karim, Managing Director at Asian Fever radio, said: "We at Fever FM would like to sincerely apologise to the gay community and to everyone else who have found this news disturbing. This was a one-off incident which will never be repeated."

Read the Ofcom ruling in full

Source: http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/11/muslim-radio-station-fined-gbp4000-for-saying-homosexuals-should-be-tortured-and-beaten-up

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Ground-based laser zaps rockets in tests

2 hrs.

A portable, ground-based laser has successfully destroyed four rockets and zapped an unmanned aerial system in a series of tests designed to demonstrate the war-fighting technology, Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday.?

The security and aerospace company is building the Area Defense Anti-Munitions system to provide militaries with a defense against short-range threats. It could prove particularly useful as protection for forward operating bases.

ADAM?s tracking system can lock onto a target more than 3.1 miles distant and keep it in sight even in cluttered optical environments. Its 10 kilowatt laser can destroy targets up to 1.2 miles away.?

Earlier this summer, the company released a video showing the portable laser disable an Osprey UAV with an 11-foot wingspan at a range of 0.9 miles. The company today announced it has also ?destroyed four small-caliber rocket targets in simulated flight at a range of approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).?

The development adds to a growing list of high-tech weaponry that?s changing the face of war.?

Some systems, such as the Iron Dome, are already in use by the Israel Defense Forces to ground incoming rockets fired on densely populated cities. Others, such as killer robots, could reshape the battlefield in the future, unless a campaign to stop them prevails.?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/ground-based-laser-zaps-rockets-tests-1C7284867

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Tuna Pasta in Oil and Fresh Basil

Ingredients
6 Tomatoes (cubed)
9 Cloves Garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 can mushroom
5 Cans of Tuna in Vegetable oil (or in Brine)
3-4 handfuls of Basil Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 kilo of Spaghetti

Method
1. Heat the wok for about 7 mins with the olive oil poured in.
2. Saute the garlic and the tomatoes.
3. Add the tuna and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add in the fresh basil leaves and stir.
5. Put the cooked spaghetti into the mixture.

Source: http://www.jamieoliver.com/foodwise/article-view.php?id=6904

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kattyws Site - Motivational, Inspirational, And Self-improvement ...

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Boom Goes The Dynamite! - The Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog

The Massachusetts Real Estate Law Blog Selected To American Bar Association Journal?s Top 100 ?Blawg? List

I?m honored to receive a major accolade in the legal blog publishing world: ?Top 100 Blawg by the American Bar Association Journal?(click the link for the full listing of Top 100 Blogs).?This blog was the only real estate blog chosen out of hundreds of entries. Thank you to my dedicated readers, friends, and especially my wife and Mom, who voted for me numerous times under assorted aliases!

I?m flattered for the recognition and to be part of such a distinguished group of legal writers. The ABA has a nice quote about the Blog from a well-known industry professional:

?An excellent example of how to explain complex real property law and property use law to both interested law professionals and the lay public,? Ruth Dillingham, special counsel at First American Title Insurance Co. in Hyannis, Mass., wrote us. ?Everyone cares about real estate.? Another reader praised the blog for keeping the state?s legal community up to date on the?Eaton v. Federal National Mortgage Association?case.

Now that the editors have made their picks, the ABA Journal is asking readers to weigh?in and vote on their favorites in each of the 6th Annual Blawg 100?s 15 categories. Click here to register and vote. (You need to register with the site in order to vote ? not my idea!). Voting ends at close of?business on Dec. 21, 2012.

Some of my favorite fellow nominees are:

CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Board) Monitor?
The New York Personal Injury Law Blog?
SCOTUS (Supreme Court) Blog
iPhone J.D.
Litigation & Trial by Max Kennerly, Esq.

Related Posts:

Source: http://www.massrealestatelawblog.com/2012/11/26/boom-goes-the-dynamite-aba-journal-names-this-blog-in-top-100-blog-list/

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First 'breathing lung' transplant in United States

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? First there was the "heart in a box," a revolutionary experimental technology that allows donor hearts to be delivered to transplant recipients warm and beating rather than frozen in an ice cooler.

Now that same technology is being used to deliver "breathing lungs."

The lung transplant team at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical successfully performed the nation's first "breathing lung" transplant in mid-November. The patient, a 57-year-old who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis -- a disease in which the air sacs of the lungs are gradually replaced by scar tissue -- received two new lungs and is recuperating from the seven-hour surgery.

The groundbreaking transplant involved an experimental organ-preservation device known as the Organ Care System (OCS), which keeps donor lungs functioning and "breathing" in a near-physiologic state outside the body during transport. The current standard involves transporting donor lungs in a non-functioning, non-breathing state inside an icebox.

With the OCS, the lungs are removed from a donor's body and are placed in a high-tech OCS box, where they are immediately revived to a warm, breathing state and perfused with oxygen and a special solution supplemented with packed red-blood cells. The device also features monitors that display how the lungs are functioning during transport.

"Organs were never meant to be frozen on ice," said Dr. Abbas Ardehali, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the heart and lung transplantation program at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. "Lungs are very sensitive and can easily be damaged during the donation process. The cold storage method does not allow for reconditioning of the lungs before transplantation, but this promising 'breathing lung' technology enables us to potentially improve the function of the donor lungs before they are placed in the recipient."

UCLA is currently leading the U.S. arm of the international, multicenter phase 2 clinical INSPIRE study of the OCS, developed by medical device company TransMedics; Ardehali is the principal investigator for UCLA. The purpose of the trial is to compare donor lungs transported using the OCS technology with the standard icebox method. The INSPIRE trial is also underway at lung transplant centers in Europe, Australia and Canada and will enroll a total of 264 randomized patients.

According to Ardehali, in addition to potentially improving donor-lung function, the technology could help transplant teams better assess donor lungs, since the organs can be tested in the device, over a longer period of time.

In addition, it could help expand the donor pool by allowing donor lungs to be safely transported across longer distances.

"For patients with end-stage lung disease, lung transplantation can dramatically improve the patient's symptoms and offer relief from severe shortness of breath," said Dr. David Ross, professor of medicine and medical director of UCLA's lung and heart-lung transplantation program and UCLA's pulmonary arterial hypertension and thromboendarterectomy program. "The 'breathing lung' technology could potentially make the transplantation process even better and improve the outcomes for patients suffering from lung disease."

The "breathing lung" device follows on the heels of TransMedics' "heart in a box" technology, which delivers donor hearts in a similar manner. The multi-center national study of the heart technology, also led by UCLA, is ongoing.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences. The original article was written by Amy Albin.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Gregor Warnecke, Javier Moradiellos, Igor Tudorache, Christian K?hn, Murat Avsar, Bettina Wiegmann, Wiebke Sommer, Fabio Ius, Claudia Kunze, Jens Gottlieb, Andres Varela, Axel Haverich. Normothermic perfusion of donor lungs for preservation and assessment with the Organ Care System Lung before bilateral transplantation: a pilot study of 12 patients. The Lancet, 2012; 380 (9856): 1851 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61344-0

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/~3/TdvW1mgobUI/121126130928.htm

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Ask HN: How do you write great sentences, paragraphs, or articles ...

Ask HN: How do you write great sentences, paragraphs, or articles?105 points by ekpyrotic 21 hours ago | 75 commentsWriting advice often reiterates the same general rules: active voice, economy of expression, favour the concrete over the abstract.

These broad suggestions come at the expense of advice on micro- and macrostructure. We're missing a trick here. In particular, I believe great non-fiction writing out-punches the good because it manages not only to articulate ideas succinctly and clearly, but to show how they overlap and interconnect.

In business, while a good product is essential, it is almost always not enough. The product has to be presented to the consumer in an intuitive and sensible way. Often a product will have more than one USP, and its success hinges on which USP you chose to emphasise.

The same might be said of ideas. An argument---or point---will be convincing only insofar as it is presented to the reader in a coherent way.

To that end, do people have any tips, book suggestions, or exercises that will help writers improve their articles' unity, coherent, flow, logical structure, etc?

Source: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4828497

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Russia 'borrowed NGOs law from foreign legal practices' ? RT

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev gave an interview to the French media and spoke about economic problems, the Syrian crisis, Russian protest movement and recently adopted controversial laws.

Below is the full text of Medvedev's interview with France Presse and Le Figaro (as translated by government.ru).

Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon.

Q: Good afternoon. Mr Prime Minister, you plan to visit France soon, next week. We know that you had good relations with Nicolas Sarkozy. How would you assess your cooperation with the new President of France, Francois Hollande? Do you expect any changes?

A: I believe that our relations with France have reached a level where they should not depend on who stands at the helm of our countries, although everything is much more complicated in politics. However, I honestly believe that over the past few years our relations have reached a very high level; they can be described as robust, strategic and mutually beneficial. I had a good relationship with the previous President of France, indeed, but I am sure that it is possible to develop equally good relations with the current French President and Government, and I do not doubt that we can do it. My certainty rests not on ideological reasons but on absolutely pragmatic considerations, because maintaining good relations is important for both Russia and France, and on a broader scope, for the whole of the European Union.

Q: Mr Medvedev, the French Government has expressed regret that bilateral economic relations do not correspond to the quality of political relations between France and Russia. Do you share this view? Is France sufficiently open to Russian investors?

A: I would say that there is no clear-cut answer to this question. On the one hand, we can be satisfied with the development of our trade and economic relations over the past few years. Compared to, say, 2005, trade between Russia and France has grown from approximately 10 billion dollars, not even euros, to $30 billion last year. It is true that our trade and economic cooperation has slackened this year, possibly due to price differences or some other reason. I hope that we will discuss these issues during my talks with my French colleague and the French President. But still, our cooperation has grown threefold. This may seem good, but on the other hand, our investment dynamics are not all that impressive, although there are many large projects underway with great potential, and the overall level of direct French investment accumulated in the Russian economy exceeds $10 billion.

By the way, the volume of Russian investment in France is considerably smaller. I believe there is an element of mistrust, or possibly administrative obstacles, hindering Russian investment in the French economy. I would like this to become a thing of the past and for us to invest in each other?s economies, because mutual investment in the strongest bond between countries and peoples. Hence, the situation is not bad, but it can be better still. As I see it, Russian investment in France, for example, would be beneficial, given the current economic situation and economic problems in the European Union and France ? and the situation is far from simple in Russia as well. This is why talks on our economic relations are so multifaceted. We can be satisfied with what we were doing, but this does not mean that we should not strive for more.

Q: If I may?? why is there this mistrust towards Russia?

A: I don?t know, you have to ask our French colleagues. But I think there are several aspects. It?s difficult for me to find arguments on behalf of French officials, but I think that, first, Russia has begun investing abroad relatively recently. Consequently, other countries are still cautious of Russian investors, Russian capital as a whole and Russian business ? they want to see whether the capital is good or murky, and to determine the origin of that money. In general, these are logical questions at the first stage, but I?d say that Russia has progressed from the first level of the development of capitalism. It?s time to relax and understand that the overwhelming majority of Russian businessmen are law-abiding people who have earned their money honestly, and hence that this money can be invested in any assets, including French assets. So I believe that this is a history of growth. Of course, Russian businessmen should probably be more active, because I can count on the fingers of one hand the cases in which Russians have invested substantial sums in the French economy. This is not good.

Q: Your talks will probably focus on the crisis in the eurozone. Do you see it as a danger for Russia, since Russia always depends on the economic situation in the EU?

A: We believe this danger is rather serious. Otherwise, frankly, we would have planned Russia?s budget differently. As it is, we have adopted a very tight budget, given the strong interdependence between our economies. Let me remind you that the European Union accounts for 50% of Russia?s foreign trade, or 300 billion euros. Therefore, Russia?s situation depends to a large extent on that in the EU economies. We have to adjust our development scenario for the possible unfavorable developments in the EU and eurozone economies?? hence our most recent budget rule, although it was not introduced just for this. It is necessary to count and spend our money wisely. But we could have planned a more relaxed budget anyway. Yet, we did what we think is right for the moment so as not to exceed certain limits. Russia has 41% of its international reserves in euros, so I have repeatedly assured my colleagues, the President of France and the Chancellor of Germany, that we strongly count on the euro to continue as a stable reserve currency. We have not taken any decision to withdraw from the euro, but we naturally feel some concern over what is happening in the EU and eurozone economies in general, and in those economies referred to as the ?weak links? in Europe, such as Greece, Spain, in part, and some others. So this is not an idle discussion for us.

Q: Are you satisfied with the steps the European Union is taking to resolve its economic problems?

A: I would say that being ?satisfied? or ?dissatisfied? is not a matter of choice for us. It is the French people who should say, ?We like what they are doing,? or ?we aren?t satisfied.? We are watching this with concern, because at times it seems that our European partners lack energy or political will in their decision-making. Then there?s this protracted debate about what's known as fiscal consolidation versus development (I still remember this discussion at the most recent G8 meeting) ? a focus on the national economy or European solidarity.

This also largely depends on who is in power in specific countries, including France. In this respect, I would say I feel there has been a certain change from the policy pursued by Nikolas Sarkozy to that of President Francois Hollande. It seems to me that our EU partners are finally reaching some framework agreements. I only hope that they won?t be too late.

Allow me to stress that we are absolutely interested in the euro being used as a reserve currency, because it is not a matter of ideology for us, but a matter of pragmatism. We believe that the euro?s potential has not been exhausted. Although I know that there are many Euro-skeptics, we still insist that there should be as many reserve currencies as possible. This would make the global economy far more stable. The dollar, the euro, the Swiss franc, the British pound, and potentially, the yuan and the Russian rouble. The more stable this structure, the better. The rest is up to the EU citizens.

Q: France is debating a plan to raise taxes for the wealthy?

A: We are aware of this debate. I would like to emphasize that this is certainly up to the French Government and the French people. I think that, when it comes to tax policy, one should always stick to reasonable conservatism so as not to weaken the system, especially in times of crises. I could cite an example from the Russian tax system ? we introduced a so-called flat rate a decade ago. Therefore, every Russian citizen, from low-income Russians to the super-rich, pays a tax of 13%. This idea has been much criticized. ?Rich people and oligarchs should pay more,? we were told. This is fair. On the other hand, we do not want capital to flow out of the country or into the shadows. I am referring to the so-called grey wages, which are also quite common in Europe. We know that in Greece, for example, a considerable part of wages and salaries are distributed under the table, ?in envelopes??? that is, they are not accounted for. Russia used to have this problem as well. However, after we changed the tax rate, most of the wages were legalised. Isn?t this a good thing? When reforming the tax system, one should consider such consequences as the outflow of capital. At the same time, one should not think that the Russian tax system is something that will exist forever and will never change, like a dogma. It can certainly be changed if needed. We are also continuously thinking about our tax system and its future. Between these two poles, as between Scylla and Charybdis, is where the truth lies. In any case I think that interfering with the tax system during a crisis is not a good idea. But that?s my personal opinion.

Q: France was the first major world power to recognize the new opposition coalition in Syria as a legitimate representative of the Syrian people and spoke in favor of arms supplies to the coalition. What is your estimate of this position?

A: It?s a very controversial one. This is France's own affair: France is a large, strong sovereign state, a nuclear power, and a member of the UN Security Council. Nevertheless, let me remind you that in keeping with the principles of international law, which the United Nations approved in 1970, not a single country, not a single state, not a single government should undertake any action directed at the forcible replacement of an acting government in any other country. This is a principle of international law. Therefore, when any state sides with a force that is not formally in power, this decision, at a minimum, is directed at tipping the balance of power in another country. I won?t speculate now, who should be blamed and who shouldn?t. In spite of existing perceptions, Russia supports neither the Assad regime, nor the opposition. We are neutral. As is only natural, we had and still have ties with the existing leadership. But, in fact, that?s not the point. The point is how correct it is at some moment in time to decide in favour of supporting another political force, if this political force is in direct opposition to the existing and officially recognised government of another country. From the point of view of international law, this seems to me absolutely unacceptable. What will be the fate of the Assad regime and Mr Assad?s personal fate? It?s up to the Syrian people to decide. Let this be decided, among others, by the opposition forces as well. It?s advisable that they should come to power via a legal procedure, not as a result of being supplied with arms by some other country. Therefore, the desire to influence another county?s government by recognizing some political force as the sole bearer of its sovereignty doesn?t seem to me entirely civilized.

We, at any rate, didn?t and won?t act in this way, even though we condemn what?s being done in connection with, let?s be frank, a very difficult situation in Syria. We also condemn the government?s actions because of the level of violence that has been allowed in the country. But we equally condemn the actions perpetrated by the opposition because they are also engaging in bloody confrontation. As a result, there has begun what, in effect, is a civil war. Therefore, the key to the problem is in talks at the negotiating table, elections, and the coming to power of the popularly supported political forces. And finally, the last thing we want to see is Syria falling apart, something that will lead to yet another source of tension in the Middle East. The religious extremists are certain to take advantage of this, which is not good for any country, be it Syria, France or Russia. ?

Q: But why is Russia, which has repeatedly emphasized its neutrality in this conflict, so actively cooperating with the Syrian government militarily?

A: I will answer this question because, first, I was the Commander-in-Chief not so long ago and all military decisions were my responsibility. But you know what job I have now. The thing is that military cooperation is a long-lasting affair, and this particular military cooperation has always been absolutely legal and open. We have never supplied anything to the current government that doesn?t conform to international conventions. What we have supplied are weapons intended for defense against an outside aggression. Second, we have contracts that must be honored. We don?t know how long a given political regime will exist; it?s up to the country itself and its people to decide. We would cease any supplies only in the event of international sanctions. I remember having to accept a decision in keeping ? let me stress this point ? with a UN Security Council resolution (there is nothing related to Syria in this respect) banning the delivery of certain types of armaments to Iran. This was done entirely under international law. So what now? Iran has sued for damages and now we have to deal with this problem. Yes, we did honour the Security Council resolution, but simultaneously we have fallen into a legal dispute with Iran. We knew what was going to happen, but nevertheless made our choice in favor of the international community. It?s a very fine point. It is for this reason that we still maintain a very limited scope of cooperation with the Syrian government in this area.

Q: I would like to touch on the issue of modernization. We currently see structural economic problems, continued dependence on energy resources, lack of progress towards a rule-of-law state and other problems which were not addressed during your presidential term. Many analysts believe that a kind of moratorium has been introduced ? Hasn?t the policy of modernization, which you proclaimed, come to a halt?

A: I find it hard to argue with you. Indeed, modernization has not yet become a national precept, and we have failed to achieve any real progress. But, most importantly, we have started this work. All of us admit that Russia?s economy is not ideally balanced, that there is a disproportion, and that we rely too much on hydrocarbons, on crude oil and natural gas. We must modernize the economy, we must create an innovation economy, and we must introduce state-of-the-art technologies. Can this be accomplished in two or three years? Of course not; that?s impossible. But we have begun this work, and we continue to do it. The Government prioritizes this issue. Incidentally, the President also focuses on this issue. An ad hoc Presidential Commission, which I established, and which was retained by President Vladimir Putin as the Council for Economic Modernization and Innovative Development, continues to function. However, we are not moving ahead as quickly as we would like. Some organizational projects can be implemented more quickly, and some projects are more difficult. We have established special development institutions, including the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which should accomplish many of these objectives. We are establishing new innovation clusters, including a technology park and a largely new centre at Skolkovo. By the way, I have repeatedly discussed this issue with my French colleagues. I have discussed this with the President and the former Prime Minister during a previous visit. We are interested in the experience of your technology parks, which are also quite modern and interesting. I hope that we will be able to continue our cooperation in this area.

So we are moving ahead, although not as quickly as we would like. Most importantly we should not feel upset. On the contrary, we should continue to move ahead in the directions we?ve charted. We have identified some very important directions for the Russian economy, including the development of the nuclear power industry. And by the way, Russia and France compete with each other in this area. But there is nothing terrible about this; it's normal. Other efforts include bioengineering, the creation of a modern pharmaceutical industry, aerospace technology and many others. We consider these directions to be quite promising, and we have ?positive experience in these areas from the past. We will address all these issues, as well as new technologies. ??

Q: Your Government has actively advocated privatization in Russia and has launched a major program to privatize state assets. Does the purchase of TNK-BP by state-owned Rosneft run counter to this policy?

A: The Government is still advocating privatization. We continue to believe that privatization is an important economic process for Russia. On the other hand, this is not a straightforward process, and we don?t need privatization for the sake of privatization, although this is important symbolically. In what context? I have repeatedly discussed this. Privatization is an economic development tool. We don?t need a state-owned economy, we don?t need the majority of companies to be state-owned. However, the state has the right to maintain its presence in key and important sectors, including the nuclear power industry and the defense sector. This is standard international practice.

The deal you mentioned is something exceptional. In my opinion, it was motivated by trivial reasons. The shareholders should not have quarreled among themselves. One day, TNK-BP, which is an absolutely private company, became engaged in a deadly battle. They probably made a mistake by establishing a company on a fifty-fifty basis. When I was a lawyer, I always told my clients that they should never create anything on a fifty-fifty basis because it inevitably ends in a quarrel, and because they would be unable to agree on a director. Well, they created this successful and large company. But they decided to sell their shares within the context of these developments. And who will buy these assets? This is a good question. To be honest, we are not indifferent as to who will buy one of the largest oil companies in the Russian Federation. We were content when this company belonged to Russian and British business leaders. But we are paying attention to any possible suitors. So when Rosneft showed an interest in this asset, it seemed a better fit than the arrival of some hard-to-understand investor. I won?t name names, but you can guess.

And one more thing. Rosneft is a state-owned company, but this doesn?t mean that this will last forever. A substantial percentage of Rosneft shares are being floated freely. And this trend will continue. Rosneft will continue to sell shares. To be more exact, the Government will continue to sell Rosneft shares. Incidentally, a directive on selling a certain amount of Rosneft shares is sitting on my desk.

Q: When will you sign this document? Will you sign it next week, or next year?

A: Yes, perhaps I will go back and sign the document, after speaking with you.

Q: Does this mean privatisation?

A: Yes, this means privatization. In reality, this is part of the proposed deal. But, anyway, it implies privatization. And this does not mean that this will be the last transaction. Consequently, the Government should decide what is profitable, and to what level its involvement should be reduced. First, this might imply a level that?s more than a controlling interest.? In the future, this could amount to any level, depending on various factors, including the priorities of any specific company and its economic state, as well as the state of the global economy.

Q: The detention of the Bolotnaya riot protesters on May 6 was strongly criticized in the West. Now the detainees are facing long prison terms. Don?t you think this response was too severe?

A: Whether it was severe or not is a matter of opinion. You know I?m not going to give examples of how European officials respond to violations of the law, what sanctions they impose, who is punished and how. It is absolutely useless to say ?but look how you do things? and very unproductive in any relations. But I don?t think officials responded too harshly to this blatant violation of the law. You know, in foreign countries any protester who assaults a police officer would go to prison, no matter what their claims are and which side they are on, the opposition or the ruling party. In any country, if someone hits a police officer, he or she will be regarded as a criminal and will go to prison. I think all protest organisers should be well aware of this fact, regardless of whether they belong to the ruling party or the opposition. It is common practice.

Q: Is it true that after the new Russian president is sworn in, a major clamp down followed? There have been many new laws recently e.g. on foreign agents, protests. How do you see this?

A: I don?t know how you see it. If you feel that we are clamping down on the mass media to restrict its freedom then maybe it is true. But I disagree.

You know, priorities are always a political choice. Of course, everyone is free to analyse what is happening. But you should remember that our political situation is completely different from the political situation in 2008. The current system is different. Now we elect governors by a direct vote. Now we have many parties and 25 parties were represented in the last October?s local elections. We have received tens ? no, hundreds of party registration applications. They will all be registered. The political landscape has changed and it will be followed by changes to the law.

You mentioned some specific acts and I can explain them. With regard to protests, it is the responsibility of the Government to regulate protests. I have to admit our society is not the best developed in this respect. We are only starting to understand the idea of an orderly protest. The purpose of protests is not to end up in a mass fight, but to express one?s view of the ruling power or something else. Therefore, the law must be observed. Changes to the law are totally natural, I think. I think you also mentioned?

Q: Foreign agents?

A: Foreign agents. As far as treason is concerned, I think we are talking only about formalities with regard to the changes to qualifying certain circumstances in a criminal case. This is nothing out of the ordinary. It is a pure formality.

As for foreign agents, our legislators actually borrowed it from foreign legal practices. The most important aspect is not the concept, but how it affects the spirit of the civil society. If I found out that a number of NGOs had to close or faced problems it would be a strong argument for both the legislators and me. But I haven?t heard of such cases so far. So this is a concept that has proved neither wrong nor right yet. The law is a living organism and it will continue to develop.

Q: So you mean freedom is not being restricted?

A: I think not. Although you know, everyone has their own idea of freedom. I remember talking about this in a speech ? maybe in my annual address as a president if I recall it right. Who is a free person? It is not someone that the state defines as free by saying, ?Of course you are free.? No, it is someone who can call themselves a free person whether they live in Russia, in Europe or in Africa. If one has internal freedom, one is a free person. If not, no liberal laws will make one free. It seems to me this is a very important idea for any regime and any rule of law, any democracy, including our young democracy, which still has many flaws and needs to be worked on.

Q: You have called for the release of Pussy Riot but the girls are still sitting in prison. What is preventing their release?

A: I didn?t call for their release, I simply stated my view. I am always precise in my judgments, being a lawyer by training and mentality. Actually what I said was the following: I detest what they have done and I detest their public image. From the moral point of view, it?s a very, very bad thing. But considering the fact that they spent quite a long time in custody during the pre-trial detention, I think they know the taste of prison full well. In this sense, the state has demonstrated to them its punitive capabilities and has explained to them that they should behave properly, from both the criminal-legal and moral points of view. Therefore, I don?t think that they need to serve a prison sentence any longer. But this is my personal view. The position of the court differs.? There is a division of power in Russia: there is the judicial authority, there is the executive branch (including the Government), there is the President and there is Parliament.

Q: And the authorities cannot influence the courts?

A: Can they in France?

Q: In principle, no.

A: Nor can they in my country, in principle. It?s a very good answer. In principle, they can?t. Of course, we have the right to state our views, but, you know, I think the further the authorities (let me stress this ? any authority, be it the executive branch, the legislature or even the President) are from the judiciary, the stronger the judiciary will be.

Q: I?d like to ask you about Mr Khodorkovsky?

A: Do I have to answer?

Q: Yes. Do you think that Khodorkovsky has been in prison for too long?

A: You know, any imprisoned person deserves pity because imprisonment is a very harsh punishment. On the other hand, there is the liability that the court determines. Where the Khodorkovsky and Lebedev case is concerned, the court has administered a lawful punishment. Whether the term is long or short is a very complicated matter because, as is obvious, any day spent in places of confinement is a long and difficult day. On the other hand, there is the court ruling. I, at any rate, while serving as President, said repeatedly that there was the court ruling, which everyone must respect. There is an opportunity to appeal. As far as I know, the second sentence is still in the process of being appealed. Finally, a convict has the right to a pardon. The said convicts have abstained from this right. I am not interested in analysing their reasons for doing so at this moment. The fact is, they didn?t use this right. If they had appealed to the President, the President would have decided whether to pardon them or not. But they didn?t appeal to me.

Q: Do you mean that the ball is still in their court?

A: Absolutely, as in the case of any person convicted by a court. If recognised as guilty, a person can apply for a pardon. People did so time and again when I was President. I rejected some lawsuits and accepted others. I think it?s absolutely normal.

Q: Nearly a year haspassed since the December 4 parliamentary elections and the first big protest rallies in Russia. How did you feel when these rallies began?

A: Well, to be honest, I felt many different emotions, but they were all centred around one thought: Our civil society has changed. It has become more active and the authorities must take this into consideration and react to this change. Everyone must respect the law, including those who do not like the current authorities or the policy of a given government, president, prime minister or party. But the authorities should change too, because a reasonable government that wants to maintain the ability to influence the situation should adjust to the level of development of civil society. I believe that I found the correct answer to that challenge: I proposed changing some very important foundations of our political system, which I have mentioned here, including the election of governors, new election legislation, and some other institutions, and these changes are being implemented now, including simplified rules for creating a party. As I see it, this reassured those who were dissatisfied with the political structure, because they saw that they could influence the political situation. They can create a party. When it is difficult to create a new party, you have to choose between four, five or seven parties, as it happened in the past. Today it is very simple to create a party. You want to start a party and promote it? Go ahead! There are many examples of this kind in history. I don?t think we will have a bipartisan system any time soon. Anyway, our political and party system is much closer to the European system, including the French system, where the number of parties is much larger. There will be political alliances, which is normal, which actually is the authorities? answer to changes in civil society, the answer to public demand and the stance of the people.

Q: As President and as Prime Minister, you have censored Stalin?s actions more than once. But if Stalin is a criminal, why is he still buried by the Kremlin Wall?

A: You know, I am not only a man in the government and a former president, I am also a citizen of the Russian Federation. I have a personal stance on some issues, including Stalin and a number of his colleagues, his comrades. I have a strong negative opinion on this. But by no means does everyone support me on this issue, and there are some people who find [Stalin?s] methods of ruling the country very attractive. We had another discussion on this quite recently and I even had to post on social networks that these ideas can only be advocated by those who are sure that they will not be whisked away in a Black Maria and sentenced to 10 years in prison without the right of correspondence. You know what this phrase means, right?

Q: It means execution.

A: Yes, execution. So it?s easy to advocate tyranny when you live in an open country and know that you will not be arrested at night. However, some people believe that this is an effective method of governance. In general, nostalgia, or even yearning for the deceased dictators, is a widespread aberration. I believe there are people in France who yearn for some past regime or an authoritarian ruler. But this is my personal belief. I?d like to say again that a large number of people, a substantial number of people in Russia think differently. But this is what democracy is all about.

As for Stalin?s grave, this is a very delicate issue. No matter how negative my attitude to Stalin, I cannot close my eyes to what happened in the country during certain periods of its history and to the obvious achievements of the country?s political leadership, for example during the Great Patriotic War. Victory in this war was secured not only by the people, but also by the country?s leadership ? these are inseparable elements. However, this is not the key issue: A huge number of very delicate aspects should be considered before a decision to rebury a major historical figure is taken, and this should be done with due consideration for the law and the basic need for tact and morals. This also concerns the graves of other Russian and Soviet leaders, from Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin to those who are buried along the Kremlin Wall.

Q: Can this issue be resolved quickly?

A: Again, I think that these decisions must be considered thoroughly so as to avoid clashes arising between different groups of people. In general, all aspects must be considered very carefully before disturbing graves. I see this as a major imperative. The rest is the issue of the authorities? competence. We?ll see what eventually comes of it.

Q: You must understand that it is very strange when the leadership, when Mr Medvedev says that Stalin is a criminal, yet his grave is in the most prestigious place in Moscow. And this is alarming?

A: I have just said that, firstly, only a court can declare a person a criminal. But it is absolutely clear to me that the persecution campaigns carried out during Stalin?s rule claimed the lives of a huge number of people, no matter what our political opponents and the supporters of that Communist idea may say or write. This is one moment. Secondly, any grave is protected by law. It so happened that this particular grave is located in the centre of the country. But if we take the decision to rebury Stalin, it could raise questions about other graves. We cannot say that some of the people who were buried were bad and hence should be reburied, while others were apparently nice guys and so should be allowed to lie peacefully in their graves. There is a very difficult ethical question involved: Is it really right to have a cemetery in Red Square at all? On the one hand, all these decisions were taken before our time. But on the other hand, it is a question of symbols. What I definitely don?t want to happen is for political decisions to pit one group of people against another. I?d like to remind you that little over 20 years ago the country was ruled by the Soviet Communist Party, the overwhelming majority of the Soviet elite were Communist card-holders. A considerable part of modern society still believes in the victorious socialist idea of the old model. Any government must take this into consideration, because these are our citizens, these are our people.

Q: And our final questions, Mr Medvedev. Do you feel comfortable working as Prime Minister under President Vladimir Putin?

A: You know, I could hardly imagine myself serving as Prime Minister under any other President. Vladimir Putin is probably the only person with whom I would feel comfortable working after serving as President. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would have never agreed to serve as Prime Minister under any other President. Having been President, it is rather difficult to work as Prime Minister, even though it is a very challenging, ambitious, and interesting job. So, I am quite comfortable in this position.?????

Q: Do you miss the Kremlin?

A: The Kremlin is not an easy place to be. It is the heart of Russia and a very beautiful place, but to be honest with you, I don?t think of it as an architectural monument. It was my workplace for four long years. I believe that I did my job fairly and openly. I have long since decided for myself that you should not get attached to any specific job, since if this is the case you would never be able to work elsewhere. People, who think otherwise often have problems when they need to change jobs. And you should never think that you have been elected to any job indefinitely, whether it is as a village head or a President. Therefore, for me the Kremlin is a beautiful place and the heart of our country, but I also feel quite comfortable working at the Government House or the residence, where we are meeting today.???

Q: A question about your political ambitions. Would you be interested in returning to the Kremlin in the future?

A: I certainly am not ruling out this possibility, provided I am in sufficient health and strength, and that people want to see me in this position in the future. But this will depend on many factors. I have said this before that you should never rule out anything. As the saying goes, never say never ? especially since I have already stepped into this river once, and this is one of those rivers in which you can step twice.?

Q: And in that event, your Prime Minister would be ??

A: This is a good ending. We?ll have a completely different political situation then, because nothing like this is happening yet. Today, we are working in specific political conditions, and we need to repay the trust that the people have given us. I am referring to the mandate that was given to President Putin and, accordingly, the trust and powers that were transferred to me as Prime Minister.?????

Q: Will Russia be different then?

A: Russia is different every day and every year. Everything is changing. Thank you.

Q: Thank you.

Source: http://rt.com/politics/official-word/medvedev-interview-french-media-620/

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Steelers turn ball and game over to Browns

By TOM WITHERS

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:52 p.m. ET Nov. 25, 2012

CLEVELAND (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have more to worry about than starting a 37-year-old, third-string quarterback.

Their playoff lives are in peril.

Chris Rainey's fumble with 2:25 left - Pittsburgh's seventh turnover - was recovered by Cleveland's Phil Taylor and the Browns handed their hated rivals a potentially devastating loss, 20-14 on Sunday.

Charlie Batch, forced to start at quarterback for Pittsburgh because of injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, was picked off three times and the Steelers (6-5) lost five fumbles, the last on a final-play lateral to help the Browns (3-8) beat Pittsburgh for just the second time in 18 games.

Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden sustained a head injury in the final minutes, allowing backup Colt McCoy to come in and finish off a victory that Cleveland fans will savor long after this season ends.

Rookie Trent Richardson rushed for 85 yards, scoring the go-ahead touchdown for the Browns on a 15-yard run in the third.

Batch finished 20 of 34 for 199 yards.

For one of the few times in recent years, the Browns were finally able to win a close game. And this one had to please new owner Jimmy Haslam, who had a minority share of the Steelers before buying the Browns for $1.05 billion in August.

One of his goals was to revive one of the NFL's fiercest rivalries, which has been shaded in yellow and black for most of the past decade. Even with the loss, Pittsburgh is 23-5 against Cleveland since 1999, but in each of the seasons they lost one game to the Browns, the Steelers missed the playoffs.

That could happen again. Pittsburgh came in trailing first-place Baltimore by two games in the AFC North, and will visit the Ravens next week.

Coach Mike Tomlin has a lot to work on before then.

All four Pittsburgh running backs fumbled and while Batch didn't necessarily hurt the Steelers, he didn't make enough big plays either. The Steelers were also called for several holding penalties that slowed drives.

Wide receiver Plaxico Burress, re-signed by the Steelers during the week, did not have a reception but did draw an interference penalty in the end zone.

Weeden finished 17 of 26 for 158 yards, but the 29-year-old was taken to the locker room in the closing minutes. He banged his head on the leg of teammate Joe Thomas as he fell to the ground and got up groggily. The Browns then turned to McCoy, their former starter who sustained a concussion the last time the Browns faced the Steelers on a vicious hit by James Harrison.

Pittsburgh lost linebacker LaMarr Woodley in the first half with a left ankle injury.

Phil Dawson kicked field goals of 28 and 32 yards for the Browns.

Cleveland's fourth takeaway set up Richardson's TD run.

Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown, picked on during the Steelers' late scoring drive in the first half, intercepted Batch at Pittsburgh's 31.

Two completions by Weeden got it to the 10, and after a false-start penalty, Richardson burst up the middle, ran through some arm tackles and scored to make it 20-14.

The Steelers led 14-13 at halftime despite losing three fumbles, converting just one third down and keeping Batch under wraps.

One play after Brown was called for pushing Burress in the end zone, Rainey, on the field only because the three Pittsburgh running backs ahead of him fumbled, scored on a 1-yard TD run after being stopped for no gain.

Rainey was stuffed on a carry over center by several Browns, who knocked him backward. Rainey, though, kept his legs moving and ran untouched into the end zone with 1 second left before halftime.

The Browns capitalized on a fumble by Isaac Redman when Weeden hit tight end Jordan Cameron for a 5-yard TD, giving Cleveland a 10-7 lead in the second quarter.

Redman fumbled at Pittsburgh's 10 and when he came to the sideline, he and Rashard Mendenhall, who coughed the ball up earlier to set up a field goal for the Browns, got an earful from running backs coach Kirby Wilson.

Weeden had been struggling in the red zone of late, but he hooked with Cameron, who scored his first career TD.

Cleveland was winning the battle of field position, pinning Pittsburgh deep and daring Batch to try and throw and beat them. He had little success, and the Browns took a 13-7 lead on Dawson's 32-yarder, making him 21 of 21 this season.

It took the Steelers just 71 seconds to take a 7-0 lead.

On Cleveland's third play, Weeden's pass to Greg Little was tipped at the line by Steelers end Brett Keisel and caught on the fly by Lawrence Timmons, who took it back 53 yards.

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Ownership cost: property taxes, insurance, Mello Roos, and HOAs ...

Today is part 3 in the ongoing series on Ownership Cost:

Ownership cost: income, payments and house prices

Ownership cost: interest rates and down payment requirements

Ownership cost: property taxes, insurance, Mello Roos, and HOAs

Ownership cost: taxes and opportunity costs

Four Major Variables that Determine Market Price

Over the last two days we looked at the four main variables that determine home price:

  1. borrower income,
  2. allowable debt-to-income ratios,
  3. interest rates, and
  4. down payment requirements.

Today we are looking at some of the minor cost inputs that work by influencing the major ones; property taxes and Mello Roos taxes, HOAs, and insurance.

PITI

lenders have an acronym called PITI, which stands for principal, interest, taxes, and insurance.To that we can add HOA dues and other known costs. When people qualify for a loan, the difference between what their income can support and the payment they can make to the lender is a number of related expenses that only homeowners must pay; property taxes, special assessments and Mello Roos, insurance and homeowners associations. These expenses (1) reduce your payment to the lender, (2) reduce the amount you can borrow and bid, and thereby (3) reduce the value of real estate.

Property Taxes

Property taxes have long been a source of local government tax revenues. Real property cannot be moved out of a government?s jurisdiction, and values can be estimated by an appraisal, so it is a convenient item to tax. In most states, local governments add up the cost of running the government and divide by the total property value in the jurisdiction to establish a millage tax rate. California is forced to do things differently by Proposition 13 which effectively limits the appraised value and total tax revenue from real property. Local governments are forced to find revenue from other sources.

Proposition 13 limits the tax rate to 1% of purchase price with a small inflation multiplier allowing yearly increases. In California, the first half of regular secured property tax bills are due November 1st, and delinquent after December 10th; the second half are due February 1st, and delinquent after April 10th each year. If the delinquent date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or government holiday, then the due date is the following business day.

Often the lender will compel the borrower to include extra money in the monthly payment to cover property taxes, homeowners insurance, and private mortgage insurance, and these bills will be paid by the lender when they come due. If these payments are not escrowed by the lender, then the borrower will need to make these payments. I am a fan of impound accounts because the tiny amount of extra interest you may make saving in your own account is not worth the hassle.

Due to Proposition 13, the property tax bill is very easy to calculate; take one percent of the purchase price. Divide it by twelve to get the monthly cost.

Automatic re-assessment for cash-out refinancing

An idea emerged from the aftermath of the housing bubble; limit HELOC abuse by making cash-out refinancing in excess of the original purchase price an event that triggers property tax re-assessment. The effect is to drive up the cost of borrower money and discourage the behavior. It would probably be very effective.

The lenders would cry foul, and in particular there may need to be an exception for reverse mortgages to accommodate seniors (I think reverse mortgages are a bad idea, but forcing retired people to leave their homes is probably worse). Despite the resistance, the legislation if passed would curtail HELOC abuse, but in an economy dependent upon Ponzi Scheme financing, such legislation is unlikely; although, if the budget shortfall gets bad enough, everything will be on the table. Municipalities would love the idea because their revenues would grow as long as there are Ponzis.

Mello Roos Taxes

In our reports, we classify these as other taxes and assessments because Mello Roos fees are paid through your tax bill. To understand how this became a tax you pay, a brief overview of the Community Facilities District Act is in order (What is Mello Roos?.pdf). From Wikipedia:

A Mello-Roos District is an area where a special property tax on real estate, in addition to the normal property tax, is imposed on those real property owners within a Community Facilities District. These districts seek public financing through the sale of bonds for the purpose of financing public improvements and services. These services may include streets, water, sewage and drainage, electricity, infrastructure, schools, parks and police protection to newly developing areas. The tax paid is used to make the payments of principal and interest on the bonds.

Mello-Roos is deductible in some cases but not in others.

That is the textbook version, now I will give you mine. Imagine you are a real estate developer, and you have a parcel of land that would be worth $10,000,000 if it had infrastructure installed; unfortunately, you do not have the money to install this infrastructure and wait for the investment to come back to you in land or home sales.

What if you could take out a 30-year mortgage on your infrastructure improvements and borrow the money? Now you can finance the deal and develop the land, but there is still a problem. How do you get the homeowner to pay off the infrastructure mortgage after they buy the house?

The solution elected officials came up with was to create a special tax district so the repayment of the bonds to fund the infrastructure is bumped up the payment priority list. In short, you can?t avoid paying Mello Roos, or the tax man will be after you, and he has the power of foreclosure, though it is seldom used.

For those of you that are homeowners, the next time you write that check for Mello Roos, realize that you are paying down the loan for the infrastructure around you. You didn?t think the developer absorbed those costs, did you? That would cut into profits.

Realistically, Community Facilities Districts do encourage private development by making marginal projects feasible. It keeps development in the hands of private individuals rather than municipalities developing their own roads, streets and utility systems. To the degree you believe these results are desirable, you should support Mello Roos.

Without the ability to develop marginal projects, supply is always lagging behind. The Community Facilities District Act does encourage development to lead into growing markets and blunt the impact of supply shortages. Despite the additional supply this law puts on the market, it has failed to prevent housing bubbles.

Determining Mello Roos

Property taxes and Mello Roos fees are deducted from a borrower?s available income to service cashflow, and thereby it reduces the amount they can finance. In essence, there is already a 30-year mortgage on the property you must pay off ? your portion of the Mello Roos ? so the purchaser money mortgage must be paid with left-over funds.

Builders and developers both know the impact of Mello Roos, so builders will pay less for lots with high Mello Roos fees because they know they will have to discount the purchase price of the final product in order to qualify any buyers. Developers want the Mello Roos fees to be as high as possible because the higher the fees, the greater the bond revenue developers receive. Builders want the Mello Roos to be as low as possible to give them competitive advantage. The resulting compromise usually puts Mello Roos at between 0.5% and 0.8% of total value.

The good news with Mello Roos is that the fees are fixed. As house prices go up, the Mello Roos fees become less burdensome to later buyers. If the Mello Roos are set at 0.8% of an initial $200,000 sales price, the same figure represents only 0.4% of a $400,000 resale price. Of course, the reverse is also true.

When the Irvine Company first opened Woodbury and Portola Springs, they were priced to the peak and they had maximum Mello Roos. Now that houses are selling for lower price points, the Mello Roos start to become onerous. If the original sale price of a condo was $400,000, and the Mello Roos were 0.8% of value, if the condo resells for $200,000, the Mello Roos now represent 1.6% of the purchase price. That is a stiff property tax bill by California standards.

Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance protects the property owner against loss. It?s nearly always required by lenders because they want to protect the value of their collateral if they should need to foreclose on the property. Even if a lender doesn?t require it, the risk of catastrophic loss makes such insurance a necessity even for those who pay cash. Who would want to lose half a million dollars or more in a fire?

A standard policy insures the structure and documented personal property within. In addition, the package policy covers liability and legal responsibility for property damage caused outside the home itself by the owners, the members of the owner?s family, and even the family pets. Disaster damage is included, but this carries some exceptions, most notable here in California is earthquake damage, but damage due to floods and poor maintenance are also excluded. Seperate policies can be purchased to cover earthquake and flood damage, but these policies can be quite costly.

Homeowner Association Dues and Fees

Many modern planned communities have homeowners associations formed to maintain privately owned facilities held for the exclusive use of community residents. These HOAs bill the owners monthly to provide these services. They have foreclosure powers if the bills are not paid. It is given the authority to enforce the covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) and to manage the common amenities of the development. It allows the developer to legally exit responsibility of the community typically by transferring ownership of the association to the homeowners after selling off a predetermined number of lots. Most homeowners? associations are non-profit corporations, and are subject to state statutes that govern non-profit corporations and homeowners? associations.

California has many problems with condo associations that are poorly managed. These associations often underfund their reserves creating potential for costly assessments. This information can be difficult to find and analyze prior to a purchase. HOAs only provide their financials to potential buyers who are already in escrow, and these documents often appear at the last minute preventing any meaningful analysis. Even in circumstances when the documents are provided in a timely manner, most novices lack the time or sophistication to decipher the reports. Further, since these documents come so late in the process, many buyers who do discover problems end up going through with the transaction anyway because they are emotionally invested in the property.

Rent or Own? The Definitive Guide

To rent or to own: that is the question. Whether ?tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune with real estate ownership, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles and rent instead.

Are you perplexed about what to do? Is owning always the best choice? We have developed a guide to help you answer this question critical to your financial and emotional well being.

Cost of Ownership Analysis

Are you ready to make an offer, but you are worried the cost of ownership is really more than you can afford? Don?t make a mistake that might cost you the family home, your life savings, and your good credit! Get the advice of a seasoned professional. Contact us at info@ochousingnews.com today!

We produce detailed reports showing the cost of ownership based on the most likely transaction price and current financing terms. You will know how much you will spend each month in out-of-pocket expenditures and the true monthly cost of ownership factoring in tax deductions, loan amortization, and opportunity costs on your down payment. In addition, we show you how this cost compares to a rental of equal quality to make sure buying is the right decision for your situation.

An OC Housing News Cost of Ownership Analysis will calm your worries and give you peace-of-mind.

See for yourself right now!

Reports are available for properties in the Southern California MLS coverage area, and are generally delivered within 24-72 hours. If you wish to receive multiple properties, please contact us at info@ochousingnews.com, and we will prepare the reports for you.

Download (PDF, 1.23MB)

Don?t become a foreclosure statistic

Everyone wants to own their dream house, but if you underestimate the true cost of that dream house, it may become a nightmare instead. Imagine telling your daughter she can?t have dance lessons because you spend too much on the mortgage. Or worse yet, imagine telling the whole family you must move out of your dream house because you can?t make the payments and the bank is forcing you to leave. It?s already happened to millions of borrowers, and they all had one thing in common: they bought properties they couldn?t afford, largely because they didn?t know how much it was really going to cost.

Don?t you owe it to your family to accurately determine the cost of ownership to make sure you can keep the house?

Contact us today!


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Source: http://ochousingnews.com/ad/ownership-cost-property-taxes-insurance-mello-roos-and-hoas

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