Friday, December 30, 2011

Health Tip: Eat Right During Pregnancy (HealthDay)

(HealthDay News) -- When you're pregnant, eating a balanced, healthy diet is important for you and your baby.

The American Dietetic Association lists these key nutrients for pregnant women:

  • Folic acid, found in fortified breads and cereals, can help prevent spinal cord birth defects.
  • Iron, found in chicken, fish, red meat and green leafy veggies, helps prevent iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
  • Calcium, found in dairy foods and calcium-fortified juices, aids in the development of baby's bones, teeth, nerves, muscles and heart.
  • Whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and low-fat dairy foods are also part of a balanced diet.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111230/hl_hsn/healthtipeatrightduringpregnancy

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kanter: RT @maddiegrant: 15 Amazing Women Bloggers You Should Get to Know ? Janet Fouts - Social Media Coach http://t.co/ylWbGKm2

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

The year in amateur sports

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One local pistol just smoked the junior football world with one of the most awesome performances ever seen on the amateur scene.

Winnipeg Rifles quarterback Ryan Marsch won the Peter Dalla Riva Award as the Canadian Junior Football League?s Offensive Player of the Year, was named All-Canadian quarterback, and was a unanimous choice as the Prairie Football Conference Most Valuable Player.

Marsch, who led the PFC in passing with a CJFL record 3,030 yards and tied a PFC record with 31 touchdown passes, is a strong candidate to win Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year.

Winnipeg?s Michael Schmidt is also a nominee for Manitoba?s top male after he qualified for the fifth time to represent Canada at the Qubica AMF Bowling World Cup.

Our women amateurs were impressive, too. Sarah-Anne Brault, for one, won the women?s Canadian Triathlon Championship in Kelowna, B.C., upsetting Edmonton?s Paula Findlay, ranked No. 3 in the world. Ste. Anne?s Jocelyne Larocque starred on defence for the national women?s hockey team, winning a silver medal in the 4 Nations Cup. Larocque, who plays for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, was a first team All-American and a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the NCAA?s top women?s hockey player.

Former University of Manitoba Bisons midfielder Desiree Scott made her mark on the international soccer pitch. She helped Canada win the Cyprus Women?s Cup and the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Mexico. Chantal Van Landeghem had yet another outstanding season as she won four individual and one relay medal at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.

The Winnipeg Thrashers were one of the most dominating amateur teams in history.

The Thrashers were the first Winnipeg team, and just the second from Manitoba, to win the Telus Cup Canadian Midget Hockey Championship in its 33-year history. The Thrashers also won the Manitoba AAA Midget crown and the Western regional. They are one of five finalists to become Manitoba Team of the Year.

Others who made their marks on the local amateur scene included Brandon Wheat Kings forward Mark Stone, golfers Jesse Skelton and Myles Sullivan, racquetballer Kurtis Cullen and diver Kevin Geyson.

Stone currently leads the WHL in scoring and just cracked the national junior hockey team roster. He also scored 106 points and was an East all-star last season. Skelton was named the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year after winning both the Manitoba Amateur and Match Play titles. Sullivan won Manitoba junior men?s golf championship. Cullen was the Canadian Boys U18 singles and doubles racquetball champ. Geyson got a bronze at the Pan Am Games.

On the women?s side, rowers Meghan Montgomery and Janine Hanson, golfer Winnie Hyun, bowler Lynne Gauthier, lawn bowler Elaine Jones and fastpitch players Ashley Lanz and Krystal Hathaway had great years.

Montgomery won a silver medal in the adapted mixed four at the World Rowing Championship to qualify for the 2012 Paralympics in London, England. Hanson won silver in the women?s eight at the same Worlds to qualify her boat for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Hyun, who won the Manitoba junior women?s title, was a finalist for Manitoba Golfer of the Year. Gauthier qualified for the national 10-pin bowling team for the sixth time. Jones won gold medals in singles and triples at the Canadian senior championships. Lanz helped Canada win a silver medal at the Pan Am Games. Hathaway of Smitty?s was the all-star pitcher at the Canadian Senior Women?s Championship.

As for teams, the Portage Terriers won the MJHL championship and the ANAVET Cup. Marsch?s Rifles qualified for the PFC playoffs, losing to the eventual Canadian junior champion Saskatoon Hilltops.

THE 2011-12 SEASON AT THE HALF

The first half of the Winnipeg High School Hockey League?s 2011-12 season finished trying to recover from a black mark.

Almost an entire team of Sturgeon Heights Huskies were suspended for drinking while away on a tournament.

That spoiled an otherwise wonderful year on ice last winter.

The Oak Park Raiders avenged a loss in the city final by beating the St. Paul?s Crusaders 4-2 in the provincial final. St. Paul?s had shut out the Raiders 5-0 in the city final.

The Crusaders dominated most of the major high school sports. They also overwhelmed Oak Park 32-12 in the Winnipeg High School Football League final.

The Crusaders boys volleyball team also made it to the final, but lost to the Miles Mac Buckeyes. The St. Mary?s Academy Flames won the provincial girls volleyball title for the first time by downing Crocus Plains in the final. Championship MVP Alicia Ogoms also committed to the University of Southern California during the championships.

The Raiders were no slouches, either. They beat Garden City in the boys basketball final and the Oak Park girls lost the hoops final to River East.

?

Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/12/23/the-year-in-amateur-sports

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fighthype: CHAMBERS FACES LIAKHOVICH ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK FIGHT NIGHT INAUGURAL SHOW http://t.co/p6bpZcF4 #fighthype

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Jason_Hickman: RT @chadbabel: Wow ?@JayBilas: Around $1 Million for bands to attend BCS title: http://t.co/mfhBve0B. I'm sure NCAA says it's to enhance ...

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What do you think is the next step union leaders and the government need to take...

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

religiontoday: Indonesian Mayor Refuses to Reinstate Church License http://t.co/nZPjY0ai

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Missing Ind. girl found dead, babysitter arrested

FILE -- This undated file photo provided by the Allen County Sheriff's Department shows Aliahna Lemmon. Lemmon, 9, has been found dead, and the neighbor who was watching her before she disappeared was arrested on a murder charge Monday night, Dec. 26, 2011, authorities said. (AP Photo/Allen County Sheriff's Department/file)

FILE -- This undated file photo provided by the Allen County Sheriff's Department shows Aliahna Lemmon. Lemmon, 9, has been found dead, and the neighbor who was watching her before she disappeared was arrested on a murder charge Monday night, Dec. 26, 2011, authorities said. (AP Photo/Allen County Sheriff's Department/file)

In a Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011 photo, Mike Plumadore sits next to the chair Aliahna Lemmon, 9, was last seen before she went missing on Friday. Authorities said Monday night, Dec. 26, 2011 that Aliahna Lemmon had been found dead and Plumadore, 39, who was watching Aliahna and her two sisters when she went missing Friday, was being held on a murder charge. He and Aliahna's family lived in the same mobile home park in Fort Wayne. He will be formally charged with murder Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/The Journall-Gazette, Cathie Rowand) NEWS-SENTINEL OUT

Megan Lehman, center, stands amongst a crowd of over 50 people who gathered Monday night, Dec. 26, 2011, for a candlelight vigil for missing 9-year-old girl Aliahna Lemmon, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Lemmon was last seen Friday, Dec. 23. (AP Photo/The Journal Gazette, Swikar Patel) NEWS-SENTINEL OUT

A woman raises her hand to volunteer for a search party after a candlelight vigil for missing 9-year-old girl Aliahna Lemmon, Monday night, Dec. 26, 2011 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Lemmon was last seen Friday, Dec. 23. (AP Photo/The Journal Gazette, Swikar Patel) NEWS-SENTINEL OUT

During an interview Sunday, Dec. 25, 2011 Amber Story, left, Tarah's mom, and Tarah Souders talk about Tarah's daughter Aliahna Lemmon, 9, who is missing since Friday in Fort Wayne, Ind. (AP Photo/The Journal Gazette, Cathie Rowand)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) ? The neighbor who was babysitting a 9-year-old Indiana girl when she went missing last week will be formally charged with murder Tuesday, a heartbreaking turn for the girl's relatives who considered him a family friend.

Authorities said Monday night that Aliahna Lemmon had been found dead and Mike Plumadore, who was watching Aliahna and her two sisters when she went missing Friday, was being held on a murder charge. He and Aliahna's family lived in the same mobile home park in Fort Wayne.

"He was a trusted family friend," Aliahna's step-grandfather, David Story, told The Associated Press late Monday, saying he was surprised by the arrest.

Plumadore, 39, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.

Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries said Plumadore told investigators on Monday where the girl's body could be found, ending the hopes of authorities that Aliahna would be found safe.

"It did come to a horrible conclusion," Fries told WANE-TV. "We have somebody in custody now who can pay the price for it."

Investigators said Aliahna's body was found in the northeastern Indiana county, but no details were released.

On Monday, FBI agents descended on the rundown mobile home park where Aliahna lived and was last seen. It's a known haven for registered sex offenders, though Plumadore is not on Indiana's registered sex offenders list. He has a criminal record in Florida and North Carolina that includes convictions for trespassing and assault.

No active search was done Sunday for Aliahna, though more than 100 emergency workers searched for her Saturday around the mobile home park. Allen County sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Jeremy Tinkel said the same size search could not be sustained because of the Christmas holiday.

Aliahna's mother, Tarah Souders, told The Journal Gazette on Sunday that her daughter had vision, hearing and emotional problems and suffered from attention deficit disorder. Aliahna and her sisters were staying with Plumadore because their mother had been sick with the flu and Aliahna's stepfather works at night and sleeps during the day.

Plumadore told the newspaper Sunday that he left the three girls in his mobile home about 6 a.m. Friday and went to a gas station about a mile away to buy a cigar. Authorities have said the store's surveillance video shows him there about that time.

"I had dead-bolted the door," he said. "When I got back, all the girls was here."

He said he smoked his cigar and went back to sleep, then woke up about 10 a.m. when Aliahna's mother called. After that call, he realized the door to the home was unlocked and that Aliahna was gone. He said Aliahna's 6-year-old sisters told him Aliahna had left with her mother.

Plumadore said it wasn't until he talked with Aliahna's mother about 8:30 p.m. that they realized she was missing and police were notified. Souders said the miscommunication caused the delay in determining that Aliahna had vanished.

"She's never wandered off," she said Sunday.

The sheriff said Plumadore was arrested after being interviewed by detectives for several hours Monday ? and was also questioned Friday and Saturday.

"The story just didn't make sense to our investigators or to me when I first heard it," Fries said. "I thought this is the guy we needed to focus on. If we are going to find her, he's going to be the one who has the answers for us."

Elizabeth Watkins, who lives nearby, said residents are cautious and keep to themselves in part because of the number of sex offenders living in the mobile home park. According to a state website, 15 registered sex offenders live in the park that numbers about two dozen homes. Watkins and she didn't know Plumadore and was shocked when told of the girl's death.

"I'm numb, I'm totally numb. I don't know what to think," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-27-Indiana-Girl's%20Death/id-a20dc23315c348ef81ce7a9216c9e16c

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Computerworld: RT @pgralla: Three reasons Microsoft's Bing will gain ground against Google in 2012 http://t.co/gAB9fHLY

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Justin Bieber Surprises Best Friend With Mustang For Christmas

True friendship may be its own gift, but Justin Bieber wanted to give his lifelong best friend Ryan Butler something with a little more horsepower -- a brand-new car for Christmas.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/justin-bieber-surprises-best-friend-mustang-christmas/1-a-413822?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ajustin-bieber-surprises-best-friend-mustang-christmas-413822

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Monday, December 26, 2011

MyDroidWorld: Merry Christmas From My Droir World ! http://t.co/MszPcaft #Android

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Merry Christmas From My Droir World ! tinyurl.com/86mw3na #Android MyDroidWorld

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No. 14 Xavier tops So. Illinois 87-77 in Hawaii

(AP) ? Tu Holloway scored 21 points and No. 14 Xavier ended a three-game losing streak with an 87-77 victory over Southern Illinois on Sunday in the seventh-place game of the Diamond Head Classic.

Before a sparse, morning crowd on Christmas Day, the Musketeers won for the first time since Dec. 10, when they beat Cincinnati in a game cut short in the closing seconds by brawling and mayhem on the court.

This was the first three-game losing streak for Xavier under coach Chris Mack and first since the 2007-08 season.

Mark Lyons scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Musketeers (9-3). Andre Walker and Travis Taylor added 13 apiece for Xavier, which made 35 of 44 free throws. The Salukis (3-8) were led by Dantiel Daniels' 22 points.

Southern Illinois cut it to 68-64 at 8:45 after a 3-point play by Daniels, but an 8-1 run gave the Musketers a 9-point cushion.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-25-BKC-T25-Xavier-S-Illinois/id-35a343fb6a4c4aff86bc11d0a802eea5

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Microsoft Office Enterprise 2010 Corporate (x86/x64) Genuine

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Suicide attacker kills 7 at Baghdad checkpoint (AP)

BAGHDAD ? A suicide bomber set off a car bomb Monday at a checkpoint leading to the Iraqi Interior Ministry, killing seven people and injuring 32 others, officials said.

The attack followed a series of bombings last week that killed up to 70 people in a single day, increasing fears about Iraq's future after U.S. troops withdrew this month.

Two police officers said the bomber struck during morning rush hour, hitting one of many security barriers set up around the ministry's building. Five policemen were among the dead, they said.

Two doctors at nearby hospitals confirmed the causality figures. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information.

No one has claimed responsibility, but suicide attacks are the hallmark of the al-Qaida in Iraq terror group.

U.S. and some Iraqi officials have warned of a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militants and an increase in violence after the full U.S. troop withdrawal.

Adding to Iraq's troubles is an increase in political tension stemming from a showdown between the Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and the top Sunni political leader in the country.

Al-Maliki's government has issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi on charges that he ran hit squads against government officials.

Al-Hashemi has denied the charges and said they are politically motivated.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/un/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

meow meow

Hey there, sapphire1626! What's new? M'name's Sato, and welcome to RolePlayGateway!

Nice to have you joining us here! Dive right in, the water's fine! We're an epic community of writers and storytellers, so I think you'll fit right in.

If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask!

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Set Up and Get to Know Your New Windows PC [Merrychristmahanukwanzaakkah]

Set Up and Get to Know Your New Windows PCAfter years of struggling with your old, sluggish Windows PC, you've finally unwrapped a shiny new computer. Here's how to get started tweaking your settings, installing programs, and beefing up security to keep it running like a dream.

Title image remixed from an original by Air0ne (Shutterstock).

Before you do anything, there are a few things you'll want to set up first:

  • Install Microsoft Security Essentials?Let's not sugarcoat it: Because of its popularity, Windows is one of the more vulnerable operating systems, so before you do anything, you'll want to put a few security measures in place. Microsoft Security Essentials is still the best darn antivirus we've used; it's free, and it's just as effective as anything you'd pay for. Head over to Microsoft's site, download the suite, and set it to auto-scan and auto-update so you can stop fussing with it and get on to the fun stuff.
  • Offload Your Computer's Bloat?Unless you built your computer yourself, it's likely the manufacturer's stuck some unsightly, unnecessary, bloated crapware on your computer that will do nothing but slow your computer down from the start. To get rid of it, download previously mentioned Revo Uninstaller and uninstall the software that shipped with your machine.
  • Change Up Your Theme?Okay, so it's not entirely necessary to do this before anything else, but why stare at that bland Windows wallpaper when you could be watching a slideshow of different Ferraris as you set up the rest of your computer? Microsoft's got some great themes over at its site, and there are quite a few others floating around the net as well. Grab some of our favorite wallpapers from our Wallpaper Wednesday series, and if you want to take it even further, check out our guide to fully customizing your desktop and setting up an attractive, customized desktop HUD with Rainmeter. Once you've got your desktop looking awesome, it's time to get to know Windows 7.

Install Some Killer Programs

Set Up and Get to Know Your New Windows PC

Now that you're computer's secure, speedy, and looking awesome, it's time to install some great software. Here are a few places you can find our favorite Windows programs.

  • Lifehacker Pack for Windows: Our List of the Best Free Windows Downloads?Looking for the best programs to keep you connected, get you organized, and amp up your productivity? Our annual Lifehacker Pack has a one-package installer for all our favorite Windows software.
  • Superior Alternatives to Crappy Windows Software?Before you go downloading Adobe Reader, iTunes, and the other "default" programs that everyone uses, check out our list of alternatives to crappy Windows software. You might be surprised at what other options are out there.
  • Most Popular Free Windows Downloads of 2011?Apart from our list of essential programs, there are also some really neat pieces of software we've featured over the past year. If you want to know the cool programs everyone's talking about, our 2011 list of the most popular free Windows downloads and tweaks is the place to look.
  • 50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For?This Thanksgiving, you guys voted on the best free apps around. They're not all Windows downloads (though many are cross-platform), and it's a list to be reckoned with?so if you've still got a few holes after checking out the Pack and most popular, you're sure to find what you're looking for here.

Adjust Settings and Tweak Your System

Set Up and Get to Know Your New Windows PC

While we've already done a handy list of the top 10 things to do with a new Windows 7 system, here are some of the other things you might want to check out to customize your new PC.

  • Get to Know Windows 7's Built-In Features Inside and Out?We're pretty big fans of Microsoft's newest OS here at Lifehacker, and we've spared no expense at digging into every corner of Windows 7. Check out our complete guide to Windows 7 to get the lowdown, and make sure to master Windows 7's shortcuts and explore its underhyped features as well. We've also looked deeply into Windows 7's jumplist, library, and taskbar, and system restore features, to if you want to be a true Windows ninja, you'll want to read up on those too.
  • Set Up an Automated, Bulletproof File Back Up Solution?If you didn't have a backup before, there's no better time than now to get one set up. Never lose your documents, photos, music, and other files again. Set it up now, and forget it.
  • Five Best Windows Tweaking Applications?If you just want to jump right in and start tweaking the heck out of your system, we've rounded up some of the best programs to help you do just that.
  • De-Crapify Your Printer or Scanner Setup?If you've already installed your printer, chances are it's usurped your machine by installing loads of crapware and bloated apps. Check out our how-to for cleaning it up and freeing those resources.
  • Speed Up Your Computer's Boot Time?Even if you have a brand new machine, it may not be optimized for the fastest boot time. These are some of our favorite tips for speeding it up so you can get up and running in seconds.
  • How to Run Windows, Mac, and Linux Side by Side and Pain-Free with VirtualBox?If you ever need to use software from other OSes (or just want to test other applications), you can run Windows, OS X, and Linux side by side without ever rebooting your computer. Of course, you could also dual-boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu in perfect harmony.
  • How to Break into a Windows PC (And Prevent it from Happening to You)?It's unlikely you'll want to break into your shiny new Windows PC, but while you're tweaking your system, you may want to read up on how potential thieves will try to break in?and tweak your passwords accordingly.
  • Tweak the Heck Out of Your Registry?The Windows Registry is one of the most mysterious, yet coolest features of Windows. With a bit of knowledge and some guts, you can tweak your computer to do nearly anything you want. Our Top 10 list has all the Windows Registry tweaks you could ever want.
  • The Cleverest Geeky Windows Tricks Everyone Should Know?After you've become an expert on Windows' well-known features, delve into our guide about some of the best hidden Windows tricks to make getting around the OS much faster.
  • Windows Maintenance Tips: The Good, Bad, and Useless?Now that you've got your system up and running, the last step is to make sure you keep it up and running (and running fast). We rounded up all the most popular Windows maintenance tips and showed you which ones really help (and hurt) your machine. For more Windows maintenance tips, you can check out our Ask Lifehacker on the subject, too.
  • Dual Boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 Side By Side?We got our first peek at Microsoft's upcoming version of Windows this year, and it looks awesome?not to mention fast. We later took an in-depth look at the OS, from the Metro UI (which isn't great without touch, but it doesn't matter) to the desktop to the new Windows Explorer and the improved task manager. If you really want to dig deep, check out its lesser-known features while you're at it. It isn't quite ready to be your primary operating system, but if you're curious, it's worth checking out. If you don't want to dual boot, you can always install it in a virtual machine, too.

We hope these tips have helped you get your computer up, running, and customized just the way you like it. If you're already a Windows veteran and you've got some tips that we haven't mentioned, be sure to share them with us in the comments.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Qryx5AXHfxE/set-up-and-get-to-know-your-new-windows-pc

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GTA III goes on sale for the holidays, brings violence and cheer to Galaxy Nexus owners

GTA3 on Galaxy Nexus
A classic title like Grand Theft Auto III isn't exactly at hard sell at $5 on your smartphone or tablet -- at $3 you're almost a fool not to snatch it up. Perhaps more importantly though, Rockstar has expanded support for the crime adventure to a trio of Android handsets -- the Droid Bionic, Galaxy S II and, the phone of the moment, the Galaxy Nexus. While the white list only gains three new devices right now, there's potential to add more handsets down the line. The game is finally optimized for use with PowerVR GPUs, which are found in any phone running an OMAP or Exynos processor. So, what are you waiting for? Hit up the market now to get your dose of violence, mayhem and hall of fame gaming.

GTA III goes on sale for the holidays, brings violence and cheer to Galaxy Nexus owners originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/22/gta-iii-goes-on-sale-for-the-holidays-brings-violence-and-cheer/

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Analysis: Mexico 2012 frontrunner stirs reform optimism (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) ? Investors frustrated with years of gridlock on economic reforms in Mexico now believe the best chance for progress lies with the party that has done most to prevent change over the last decade.

Enrique Pena Nieto of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, has a commanding poll ahead of the presidential election in July and, if its support holds, the PRI could win the first ruling party majority in Congress in 15 years.

Pena Nieto, 45, has pledged an ambitious reform agenda that backs some of the very policies his party has blocked since 2000, when a victory by the conservative National Action Party, or PAN, ended seven decades of PRI rule.

The reforms include boosting tax revenues and allowing more private investment in the state-run oil industry. The failure of Mexico's political leaders to reach a deal on those issues is blamed for holding back the economy.

Growth has averaged about 2.2 percent during the past eight years - barely half the rate for Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole.

Investors say failure to liberalize the labor market, improve a paltry tax take and attract more foreign investment could condemn Mexico to years of weak growth and threaten its credit rating.

They hope that PRI leaders who blocked reforms over the past decade will push them through if they win back power.

"The PRI knows good and well that this is going to blow up in their faces," said Alonso Madero, who manages $4 billion in fixed income assets at Actinver in Mexico City.

"Eventually it will be in their interest to approve many things they rejected in the past," he added.

STRONGER PESO EYED

The PRI currently holds just under half the 500 seats in Mexico's lower house. But it only has a quarter of seats in the 128-member Senate due to a poor showing in 2006 elections.

A clear victory for Pena Nieto next year could restore to the PRI the congressional majority it lost in 1997. Ever since then, bickering between Mexico's three major parties has scuttled a host of economic and political reforms.

Legislative inertia sapped confidence in President Felipe Calderon's PAN, which has been battered by a drugs war that has claimed more than 45,000 lives in the last five years. The PAN could still mount a strong campaign in the presidential election but is very unlikely to win a majority in Congress.

Provided it ousts the PAN, the PRI could change its position and back a value-added tax on food as part of a wider overhaul of public finances.

"If they want to hold onto the presidency for a couple of terms, it's clear they need to do something different to move the economy in the right direction," said Will Landers, the head of BlackRock's $8.5 billion Latin American equity fund.

The risk of a fresh economic slump in the United States, where Mexico sends nearly 80 percent of its exports, makes the need for reforms in Mexico even more pressing.

Polls show Pena Nieto with a big lead over his rivals although the gap has narrowed this month as he has stumbled with a series of gaffes.

If Pena Nieto does win, J.P. Morgan economist Gabriel Casillas expects Mexico's peso currency to rocket back by about 18 percent next year to 11.80 per dollar, spurred by a wave of inflows into bonds and stocks due to optimism on reforms.

Behind Pena Nieto's campaign is Luis Videgaray, a protege of former finance minister Pedro Aspe, who helped lead a reform drive in the 1990s. Videgaray is respected by investors who see him as Pena Nieto's likely pick for finance minister.

During Aspe's time, Mexico became a emerging-market darling, negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement and privatized pension funds. But investors have since turned their attention to faster-growing economies like China and Brazil.

WEAK TAX TAKE

Mexico's weak tax revenues have been a major worry, and past administrations have chosen to bleed the state-run oil giant Pemex rather than levying new taxes.

With nearly a third of the economy off the books and ample corporate loopholes, Mexico has one of the lowest tax takes in Latin America. Excluding oil income, the state collects taxes worth around 11 percent of gross domestic product.

Oil revenues fund nearly a third of the federal budget and the country's dependence on finite crude supplies was the main reason credit rating agencies downgraded Mexico in 2009.

Pena Nieto devoted a whole chapter of his new book "Mexico - la gran esperanza (the great hope)" to fiscal reform, pledging to simplify taxes and expand the taxpayer base.

He has yet to offer details of his plans, but argues that a shake-up could bolster Mexico's economic potential and fund an overhaul of its ailing justice system.

"For these transformations to become reality, a bigger public budget is needed," Pena Nieto wrote.

Doubts still linger about whether the 45-year-old will be able to carry out his reform plans, with his calls to open up Pemex to private investment in exploration, production and refining likely to face strong opposition from unions.

Since Mexico nationalized the oil industry in 1938, public support for the policy has helped shield Pemex and its bloated workforce from allegations of corruption and inefficiency.

"Pena Nieto is promising a lot of things he will not be able to deliver when it comes to private investment in Pemex," said Mexico City political analyst Fernando Dworak.

(Additional reporting by Miguel Angel Gutierrez; Editing by Dave Graham and Kieran Murray)

(michael.oboyle@thomsonreuters.com; Tel: +5255-5282-7153; Reuters Messaging: michael.oboyle.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/wl_nm/us_mexico_election_reforms

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Video: iPhone case gift guide, from wonderful to weird

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42218772/vp/45691720#45691720

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Few teens sexting racy photos, new research says

Chart shows sexting rate among 10-17 year-olds

Chart shows sexting rate among 10-17 year-olds

CHICAGO (AP) ? Teen sexting of nude photos online or via cellphone may be far less common than people think, new research suggests.

Only 1 percent of kids aged 10 to 17 have shared images of themselves or others that involve explicit nudity, a nationally representative study found. Roughly the same number said they'd shared suggestive but less graphic photos; while 7 percent said they'd received either type of picture.

The research focused on teens only ? not young adults, an age group included in some earlier studies which showed considerably higher sexting participation. The new study suggests texting of sexual photos among younger kids is rare.

The results are reassuring, showing that teen sexting isn't rampant, usually isn't malicious, and is generally not something parents should panic over, said lead author Kimberly Mitchell, a research assistant psychology professor at the University of New Hampshire.

Previous reports said as many as 1 in 5 young people, or 20 percent, have participated in sexting. But some surveys included older teens and people in their early 20s. And some used definitions of sexting that included racy text messages without photos, or images "no more revealing than what someone might see at a beach," authors of the new study said.

In the new study, researchers focused only on pictures, and asked more detailed questions about the kinds of racy photos kids are sharing.

The researchers did a separate study on how police deal with teen sexting of photos. Contrary to some reports, that research suggests few kids are being prosecuted or forced to register as sex offenders for sexting. It estimates that nearly 4,000 teen sexting cases were reported to police nationwide in 2008 and 2009.

Slightly more than one-third of those cases resulted in arrests. About one-third of all cases involved teens and young adults; the adults were much more likely to be arrested.

The studies were released Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

The research shows that sexting can range from incidents that some teen health experts consider typical adolescent exploring ? the 21st century version of sneaking a look at dad's Playboy magazine, to malicious cases with serious consequences made possible by today's technology.

For example, one case involved a 10-year-old boy who sent a cellphone picture of his genitals to an 11-year-old classmate "to gross her out." The girl's mother called police; the boy cried when questioned by police, who concluded he didn't understand the magnitude of his actions and left the matter to his parents.

Another involved a 16-year-old girl who said she accidentally posted a nude photo of herself on a social networking site. A 16-year-old boy at her school found the photo and distributed it to 100 people when she refused his demand to send him more nude pictures. He was charged with a felony and was put on probation.

The results suggest that police generally aren't overreacting to teen sexting, said Janis Wolak, lead author of the second study. Some cases that aren't clearly criminal are still worrisome and warrant intervention by parents or others, she said.

In the first study, researchers questioned 1,560 kids nationwide by phone, with parents' permission, between in August 2010 and January of this year. The second study is based on mailed questionnaires to nearly 3,000 police departments and follow-up phone interviews with investigating officers about sexting cases handled in 2008 and 2009.

The studies illustrate how sexting may include a wide range of teen behavior, and highlight an issue "about which we as a society have gotten pretty hysterical and probably blew out of proportion," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston.

Exploring sexuality is normal behavior for teens and taking pictures of themselves and others is one way "just to find out what it is like," he said. "We've been doing that since somebody scribbled a picture of a nude woman on the side of a cave and the guys gathered around to check it out."

Sexting is different only because it is happening "in an environment that the adult community doesn't understand as well as kids," Rich said.

Dr. Victor Strasburger, an adolescent medicine expert at the University of New Mexico, said parents, schools and law enforcement authorities "need to understand that teenagers are neurologically programmed to do dumb things." Their brains aren't mature enough to fully realize the consequences of their actions, including sexting, until early adulthood, he said.

Instead of prosecution, he said, there should be more emphasis on teaching teens to be responsible with new technology. Kids need to be told "that when you put things online and even when you send them via cellphone, they're potentially there forever."

___

Online:

American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-05-Teen%20Sexting/id-a98cc9314cbd4e94855c480d89c15e87

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Two biggest black holes ever found

Two huge black holes may be the largest yet measured. Supermassive black holes inhabit most large galaxies. One, in the galaxy Messier 87, has the mass of about 6 billion suns ? but it is no longer the record holder.

There's one in galaxy NGC 3842 with the mass of about 10 billion suns, and NGC 4889's could weigh up to 37 billion suns, say Nicholas McConnell at the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues.

The estimates were made by clocking the motion of stars near these galaxies' cores, since a black hole's mass dictates how fast objects orbit around them.

In 2008, a mass of 18 billion suns was claimed for the black hole inside a distant bright galaxy called OJ287. But that number relies on an assumption ? that periodic flares from OJ287 are created by a second black hole orbiting the first. "Observations cannot rule out alternative ways of creating those outbursts," says McConnell.

The mass of galaxies tends to correlate with that of their central black holes, but both of these holes are heavier than predicted. Collisions with other galaxies could have force-fed the holes with gas, the team speculates. "Another possibility is that the black holes we discovered grew to huge masses early on, and their host galaxies never caught up," says McConnell.

Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature10636

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Ivory Coast's Gbagbo appears before int'l court (AP)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands ? Ivory Coast's ex-president appeared at the International Criminal Court on Monday, the first former head of state to face judges at the world's first permanent war crimes court. Laurent Gbagbo vowed to fight the charges against him.

Gbagbo, 66, was calm and smiled at supporters in the public gallery as the 25-minute hearing opened. He told judges he did not need them to read the charges.

Gbagbo was extradited to the Netherlands last week to face charges that his supporters committed murder and rape as he rejected an election result and tried to cling to power.

Prosecutors say about 3,000 people died in violence by both sides after Gbagbo refused to concede. President Alassane Ouattara took power in April with the help of French and U.N. forces.

The former president, speaking in French, said he wanted to see the evidence against him.

"I will challenge that evidence and then you hand down your judgment," he told the three-judge panel.

Gbagbo also complained about his arrest by opposition forces backed by French troops in April, saying he saw his son beaten and his interior minister killed in the fighting.

"I was the president of the republic and the residence of the president of the republic was shelled," he said.

He also complained about his transfer to The Hague last week from northern Ivory Coast where he was under house arrest.

"We were deceived," he said, adding the official in charge of his transfer "did not have the courage to tell me I was going to The Hague."

Monday's brief hearing was to confirm Gbagbo's identity and ensure that he understood his rights and the charges. According to court papers, Gbagbo is charged as an "indirect perpetrator" in a carefully orchestrated campaign of violence against supporters of Ouattara.

Presiding judge Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi of Argentina scheduled a hearing for June 18 where prosecutors will present a summary of their evidence and judges will decide whether it is strong enough to merit bringing Gbagbo's case to trial.

Before that, judges will schedule interim status conferences to discuss progress in the case. Gbagbo could challenge his detention at such a conference and seek to be released pending further hearings.

Even before Gbagbo was led into the courtroom, his lawyers called his arrest and transfer to the court French "neocolonialism."

"It's a neocolonialist trial," Gbagbo's adviser Toussaint Alain told reporters in The Hague. "The (ICC) has become an instrument of France ... to empower friends and punish the ones who don't follow along."

Gbagbo's lawyer Habiba Toure also challenged the legitimacy of the Gbagbo's detention last week on an ICC warrant while he was under house arrest.

"In principal, an arrest warrant is delivered to a free individual or a person on the run, which was not the case for Mr. Gbagbo because he was already in the hands of Ivory Coast officials," Toure said.

A handful of supporters outside court also condemned France's role in his ouster.

"This is a masquerade by French President Nicolas Sarkozy," said Abel Naki, who traveled from Paris to be at the court. "Sarkozy orchestrated this coup d'etat."

The protesters' anger underscored lingering tensions between Gbagbo and Ouattara supporters in Ivory Coast.

The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, stressed last week that both sides of the political divide in Ivory Coast committed crimes in the postelection chaos and that his investigation was continuing.

Human rights groups say grave abuses also were committed by forces loyal to Ouattara, who enlisted the help of a former rebel group to force Gbagbo from office.

Gbagbo is the sixth suspect taken into custody by the court, which has launched seven investigations, all of them in Africa. A further 12 suspects remain at large and the court has no police force to arrest them.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111205/ap_on_re_eu/eu_international_court_gbagbo

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97% The Muppets

It really is a shame that The Muppets may not attract an audience big enough to be a hit, simply because most kids today have no idea what a muppet is, and because most kids are flocking to the stupid Twilight movie that's stealing everyone's cash and IQ in the theatre down the hall. However, please please please please please go see this movie! It is as funny as any R-rated comedy you will see this year, but this one is safe for the little ones. Jason Segel co-wrote the screenplay with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall collaborator Nicholas Stoller. The two of them know full well the demographic they're appealing to - adults in their late 20s to early 50s - and they go out of their way to entertain that audience. Of course the film will make kids laugh hysterically, much like how kids will laugh at The Simpsons even if they don't fully get the joke. Adults however, will really appreciate everything this movie has to offer.There are song and dance numbers, which you can't do without in a muppet movie. These numbers are simply fantastic and the songs are catchy, funny, and crowd-pleasing, not least because they're composed by none other than Bret Mackenzie from Flight of the Conchords. Cheerfully foregoing CGI, The Muppets bring back the hand puppeteers and voice talents, so this movie feels like a throwback to the original films, but the story is aware of modern day pop-culture and incorporates all of it into the plot and the jokes. Not only that, the film is full of great cameos. Almost anyone you can think makes an appearance: Amy Adams, Dave Grohl, Leslie Feist, Ken Jeong, Rashida Jones, NPH, Zach Galifianakis, and Jim Parsons. The list goes on. I don't want to spoil anymore, but if there's one feel good comedy to see in theatres right now, it's The Muppets! Thank you Jason Segel for bringing them back!

November 25, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/

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Are American Jews unfit to marry Israelis?

Israel has pulled a controversial series of ads that portrayed American Jews as out of touch with their roots. The flap illustrates a growing distance between US Jews and Israelis.

The immigration and retention of Jews is now and always has been a major priority for Israel. But a recent government campaign in the US targeting Israeli expatriates infuriated a broad swath of American Jews.

Skip to next paragraph

By some estimates, 2 million Israelis live in the United States, and the Immigration Ministry apparently decided to do something about it.

Hebrew billboards in at least five US cities warned Israelis to come home before they lose their identity, and a series of slickly produced videos drove the point home.

In one, a clueless American boyfriend of an Israeli woman doesn't understand why she's mourning on the day Israelis mourn fallen soldiers. In another, the child of Israeli Americans answers "Christmas" when asked what holiday her family is celebrating, while her grandparents look on in horror, a Hanukkah Menorah on the mantle behind them. In a third, a father ignores his young son's entreaties of "daddy" until he reverts to the more acceptable "Abba."

The ads were pulled yesterday, after the Jewish Federation of North America said in a letter to supporters that "we share the concerns many of you have expressed that this outrageous and insulting message could harm the Israeli-Diaspora relationship" and the head of the Anti-Defamation League said they were "demeaning."

Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren apologized for the campaign in a statement, writing: "Prime Minister Netanyahu, once made aware of the campaign, ordered the videos immediately be removed from YouTube, and he ordered that the billboards be removed as well. The prime minister deeply values the American Jewish community and is committed to deepening ties between it and the State of Israel."

Minister for Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver oversaw the campaign. Ms. Landver is a member of Yisrael Beiteinu, a right-wing partner in Mr. Netanyahu's coalition government. The party's leader, Avigdor Lieberman, currently Israel's foreign minister, is emerging as a possible future rival to Netanyahu.

The flap illustrates a growing reality ? that there are real and growing differences, of both style and substance, between American Jews and the Israeli state. The rise of the ultra-orthodox right in Israel is having an influence, and younger American Jews don't appear to identify with Israel in the same way that their parents and grandparents did.

The underlying message of the campaign certainly seemed to be you can't really remain Jewish in the US. The Jewish Channel called it a "semi-covert national campaign" carried out in at least five US cities with large Israeli populations to "convince them that their heritage will be lost if they don't soon go back to Israel."

The Jewish Channel said the ads suggest that "marrying American Jews could make Israelis lose their sense of identity" and ended the segment by segueing into growing Israeli complaints that it's hard to live there unless you pursue an "ultra-orthodox lifestyle."

Jeffrey Goldberg, an American Jew and ardent Zionist, wrote:

I don't think I have ever seen a demonstration of Israeli contempt for American Jews as obvious as these ads. ...

These government-sponsored ads suggest that it is impossible for Jews to remain Jewish in America. How else are we supposed to understand the "Christmas" ad? Obviously, assimilation and intermarriage are issues in America in ways they aren't in Israel. Israel has other problems of course, such as the fact that many of its rabbis act like Iranian mullahs. ...

The message is: Dear American Jews, thank you for lobbying for American defense aid (and what a great show you put on at the AIPAC convention every year!) but, please, stay away from our sons and daughters.

Follow Dan Murphy on Twitter.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/5S-pgJ82tR0/Are-American-Jews-unfit-to-marry-Israelis

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Some hot ticket toys already cleaned out online

Developers for LeapFrog explain the lessons they learn when kids get a hold of the company's latest games and devices.

By Marisa Taylor

It happens every year. The special toy that every child wants for Christmas flies off store shelves and parents are left scrambling to find little Susie or Johnny that must-have item, sometimes resorting to eBay (or, more recently, pepper spray).

This year looks to be no different, if Black Friday numbers are any indication. Retail foot-traffic increased by 6.6 percent on the day after Thanksgiving according to the shopping data analysis firm ShopperTrak, a slight edge over the 5.1 percent increase in shopping traffic on Black Friday in 2010.

So what?s a parent to do when the must-have toy is out of stock online? Needham and Company senior analyst Sean McGowan advises parents to keep checking in with local stores about when a new shipment of the item will be arriving, and then show up that morning to buy.

He also suggests networking with other parents and making pacts to buy enough of the item for the entire group if one parent finds it online or in a store.

The Catch-22 with holiday toys, he said, is that ?in order for [the toy] to be really big, there has to be enough in stock for it to sell. But if it?s available in mass quantities, there?s a perception that it?s not hot.?

So what will be this year?s the hot ticket toy? All signs indicate that the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer, a tablet for kids with a built-in camera and video recorder, will be high on the list,?McGowan said. Even at this early stage, ?it?s the one thing you can?t find anywhere,? he said. ?For $100, you wouldn?t think it would be sold out, but it is.?

Indeed, at the time this story was being written, the LeapPad Explorer appeared to be out of stock on the websites of Toys ?R Us, Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble.

The LeapPad Explorer also appeared to be unavailable for Internet purchase on Target and Kmart?s websites, though an in-store search for availability in the New York City area yielded a few store locations that had it in limited stock. Most, however, were sold out.

On Amazon.com, a number of sellers had evidently stocked up on the LeapPad Explorer only to hawk it for more than double the original retail value.

Another in-demand toy is the Lalaloopsy Silly Hair Doll by MGA Entertainment. An earlier model of the little pink doll was on the market last year, but it has been upgraded for 2011 with bendable pink curls that appear to be all the rage. For she, in all her wild-haired glory, is also out of stock online on Toys ?R Us, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target, and is marked up to $67 from around $30 on Amazon.com.?

Toys ?R Us said that the Thanksgiving weekend also yielded big sales of the Trash Pack ?Trashies? Garbage Truck by Moose Toys and the Animal Planet Air Swimmers eXtreme Radio Control Giant Flying Sharkand Clownfish, the latter of which does require the additional purchase of a helium tank. But both are still available online for purchase, as are hot sellers like Monster High dolls and Skylanders Spyro?s Adventure video games.

Company spokesperson Jen Albano said Toys ?R Us will continue to receive daily deliveries of its top selling items throughout the season up until Christmas Eve.

At Kmart, in addition to the LeapPad Explorer and the V-tech Innotab Tablet, the Fijit Friends Interactive Toysare slated to be extremely popular this season, according to spokesperson Sarah Fitzgerald. (Indeed, all three items are currently sold out at Kmart.com.) Regarding the tablets, she says, ?If moms are thinking about them, I would start scouring and securing them now.? Same goes for the Fijit Friends. But what about Lalaloopsy, her crazy-haired compatriot? ?You?re not going to see her in December,? said Fitzgerald.

For boys, Fitzgerald said Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, which uses 3M Command Strips to adhere racing tracks up walls, are already a big seller at Kmart, with the starter setcurrently unavailable for online purchase.

Overall, Fitzgerald said that innovative toys that feature some sort of upgrade from a popular classic are always big holiday sellers, even in the case of a more expensive item like the LeapPad Explorer. ?It doesn?t matter what the price or the year is; innovation carries the day when it comes to toys,? she said.

Some parents have resorted to creative measures to find the most coveted toys of the season for their kids. Judy Greenfield, 36, a stay-at-home mother of three in Sanford, Fla., hits up Facebook to figure out where to buy hard-to-find toys. One of her friends was looking for Squinky toyslast year, for example, and Greenfield was able to advise her that she?d spotted them at CVS; Greenfield will post about what she's looking for so that her friends can return the favor.?

Last year, when Greenfield was searching for the ever-popular ZhuZhu?Pets hamsters for her kids, she struck gold by visiting smaller versions of chain stores like Target and Walmart after finding that the larger stores were out of stock. This year, though, there?s no one item on her 4-year-old daughter?s list that she feels the need to strategize for. ?I think?due to?the economy we are not going to see a cabbage patch/tickle me Elmo type of scenario,? she wrote in an email.

But Jenny Robertson, 39, a sales and account manager for a sign company and single mother based in Columbus, Ohio, was able to turn the holiday toy craze into a major money-making opportunity. Last Christmas, she had a hunch that the ZhuZhu Pets would be popular, and stocked up on 30 of them back in September. She ended up selling about 200 of them on eBay, along with around 75 Crayola Crayon Makers, for a tidy profit that paid for her family?s Christmas presents and a trip to Washington D.C. with her two children.

Her tricks of the trade? Befriend sales people at the big box stores, because they can tell you when the next shipment of toys is coming in. ?They?re not beyond putting something back for you or tucking it behind a more common Fisher-Price toy and giving you the wink and the nod that it?s there,? Robertson said. She also discovered that the customer service counter was a great place to find returned items that parents didn?t know was a must-have, before they're returned to shelves.?

This year, however, she?s not doing any reselling on eBay, particularly since her 10-year-old daughter had to go without a coveted Zhu Zhu pet last year when Robertson ran out of stock. ?My friends thought I was nuts,? she said. ?We still laugh about the hamster Christmas.?

Circa 1956: From train sets to fluffy, stuffed poodles, TODAY's Dave Garroway and Helen O'Connell take a look at some of the popular toys of the decade.

Taryn Mohrman, lifestyle editor for Parents magazine, highlights the best toys of the year for your child, just in time for holiday shopping.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/30/9121394-some-hot-ticket-toys-already-cleaned-out-online

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