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Congressional report highly critical of Benghazi consulate security

Esam Omran al-Fetori / Reuters

The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames, Sept. 11. Armed gunmen attacked the compound, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire.

By Sean Federico-O'Murchu, NBC News

A Congressional report on the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is highly critical of the handling of security at the mission in the Libyan city, where four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed?on Sept. 11?of this year.

NBC News obtained an advance copy of the report entitled ?Flashing Red: ?A Special Report On The Terrorist Attack At Benghazi? by the Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs. The report is due to be released Monday. The chairman of the committee, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, retires from the Senate?on Jan. 2.

The Congressional report follows a separate investigation by the State Department Accountability Review Board (ARB), which blamed State Department officials for ?systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies? that led to protection for the Benghazi facility that was ?grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.? ?In response at the time, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the problems highlighted by the ARB were unacceptable, "problems for which ? as Secretary (Hillary) Clinton has said -- we take responsibility."

---

In a statement ahead of Monday's report, Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican member, said the Congressional investigation found that ?terrorists?essentially?walked right into the Benghazi compound unimpeded and set it ablaze, due to extremely poor security in a threat environment that was ?flashing red? in the words of a high-ranking official.?

Collins said the State Department failed to take adequate steps to reduce the facility's vulnerability to a terrorist attack of this kind. ?

?While the Department and the Intelligence Community lacked specific intelligence about this attack, the State Department should not have waited for - or expected - specific warnings before increasing its security in Benghazi, a city awash with weapons and violent extremists,? her statement said.?

The 31-page report paints a picture of a vulnerable outpost in Libya?s second-largest city, a place about which there was sufficient information available to U.S. officials to cause them to beef up security and where it was clear that the new post-Gadhafi government was unable to provide full protection to diplomatic staff.

?We are precluded in this report from discussing the information in detail, but overall, these intelligence reports ? provide a clear and vivid picture of a rapidly deteriorating threat environment in eastern Libya?one that we believe should have been sufficient to inform policy-makers of the growing danger to U.S. facilities and personnel in that part of the country and the urgency of them doing something about it.?

The report noted that as the security situation deteriorated in eastern Libya in 2012, ?the Department of State did not provide enough security to address the increased threats and did not adequately support field requests for additional security.??

Among the committee's recommendations:

• U.S. intelligence agencies need to ?broaden and deepen their focus in Libya, and beyond, on nascent violent Islamist extremist groups in the region that lack strong operational ties to core al Qaeda or its main affiliate groups.?
• If a host nation can?t provide adequate security for a diplomatic facility, ?the Department of State must provide additional security measures of its own, urgently attempt to upgrade the host nation security forces, or decide to close a U.S. Diplomatic facility and remove U.S. personnel until appropriate steps can be taken to provide adequate security.?
• The State Department needs to establish a ?mandatory process? to determine what security standards are applicable to temporary facilities, such as the Benghazi consulate, to ensure that they are ?adequately protected.?

'Inconsistent' statements from the administration
Meanwhile, as to the controversy about what the administration knew about the attack ? and when ? the report said officials in the State Department and the intelligence community were ?inconsistent? in stating that the deaths in Benghazi were the result of a terrorist attack.

The candidacy of Ambassador Susan Rice to the post of Secretary of State was scuppered after allegations by Republican lawmakers that she misled the public about the attacks during an appearance on NBC?s Meet the Press?on Sept. 16.

The administration said Rice, the current US Ambassador to the United Nations, was repeating talking points provided by the intelligence community when she initially characterized the?Sept. 11?assault as a spur-of-the-moment response to a crude anti-Muslim film.

In her interview, Rice said that ?what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of -- of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video.?

Independent panel: 'Systematic failures' within State Department

In a letter to President Obama on Dec. 13, withdrawing her candidacy for the top diplomatic post, Rice said she wanted to avoid a "very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive" confirmation process.

For its part, the Congressional report said the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had offered to provide the committee with a detailed timeline regarding the development of the intelligence community's talking points on Benghazi. ?At the time of writing this report, despite repeated requests, the committee had yet to receive this timeline," the report notes.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/31/16258960-congressional-report-highly-critical-of-security-at-us-consulate-in-benghazi?lite

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Middleton family introduces royal-themed baby shower products on ...

You are here: Home / Pregancy And You / Middleton family introduces royal-themed baby shower products on party website

The Middleton family party business is now selling royal-themed baby shower and first birthday products. (Party Pieces)

Are Kate Middleton?s parents trying to cash in on their daughter?s pregnancy?

Many Brits think yes, after Carole and Michael Middleton introduced new lines of baby shower and 1st birthday products on their Party Pieces website this week.

?The arrival of a first grandchild is usually a source of great celebration,? the UK?s Daily Mail reported. ?And for Carole and Michael Middleton it would appear to be a good business opportunity too.?

The royal couple announced their pregnancy earlier this month and the national news media closely followed Kate Middleton?s struggle with morning sickness that landed the Duchess of Cambridge in the hospital. Only a few weeks later, the Middleton family?s party supplies website introduced baby products emblazoned with castles and prince and princess crowns.

The ?Little Prince? and ?Little Princess? party sets?which include plates, napkins and cutlery?are described as ?suitable for American-style baby showers, christening parties or first birthday celebrations.?

This isn?t the first time the Middleton family has come under fire for selling royal-themed supplies on their website (which is thought to be profitable since the family recently purchased an estate costing 4.7 million pounds). Many Brits found items themed around the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee and the Royal Wedding tacky and inappropriate.

What do you think? Is the Middleton family crossing the line? Or are they simply running a business?

[Daily Mail]

Source: http://www.nexusstyle.com/pregancy-and-you/middleton-family-introduces-royal-themed-baby-shower-products-on-party-website/

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Socialist Jan Schakowsky: GOP Voted To 'Take Food Out of the Mouths' of Babies

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Source: http://nalert.blogspot.com/2012/12/socialist-jan-schakowsky-gop-voted-to.html

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Beaufort Police seek suspects in church burglary

Authorities are searching for a 33-year-old Beaufort man they say was involved in an Aug. 4 burglary at the Baptist Church of Beaufort in which credit cards and property worth $1,200 were stolen.

Ricky Edward Smith is wanted by the Beaufort Police Department on a felony financial transaction card theft charge, according to the department's Facebook page. If convicted, he faces a $3,000 to $5,000 fine, up to 5 years in prison or both, according to state law.

Two Beaufort women, ages 33 and 34, were arrested in November in connection with the incident at the church, located at 600 Charles Street. The women, who were charged with misdemeanor use of the credit cards, posted $3,000 and $5,000 bonds respectively less than a week after their arrest.

Police also have been searching for a fourth suspect, Joshua Leonard Reed, 31, of Lady's Island, since Aug. 7.

Those with information on the suspects or the incident can call Investigator Dowling at 843-322-7950 or make an anonymous tip by calling 843-322-7938.

Source: http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/12/29/2325820/beaufort-police-seek-suspects.html

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What is a wrist replacement? - Ask Doctor K, Harvard Medical School

DEAR DOCTOR K:

We?ve all heard of hip and knee replacements ? but is it true that you can have your wrist replaced too?

DEAR READER:

We like to think of ourselves as irreplaceable, but the truth is that some of our parts are replaceable. The joint replacements you hear most about are those of the knees and hips, but surgeons also have been replacing hand joints for decades.

Joint replacement (arthroplasty) in the hands is actually more challenging than in larger joints such as the hips or knees. That?s because of the hands? intricate bone structure and smaller joint size. Joint replacement surgery in the hands is a delicate procedure. You wouldn?t use the word ?delicate? to describe a hip or knee replacement, even though the surgery does require considerable precision.

Wrist arthroplasty involves removing damaged bone or joints and replacing them with artificial, or prosthetic, joints. The artificial joints provide patients with a better range of motion and more stability. This makes everyday tasks like writing much easier.

Wrist arthroplasty can be done as an inpatient or outpatient procedure. Sometimes general anesthesia is used; other times, you are awake, but feel no pain because the nerves from your hand are numbed.

In the surgery, the surgeon removes the first row of carpal bones (the bones that lie between the forearm and the hand). Then the surgeon shapes the end of the radius (the main forearm bone) to fit one part of the artificial joint, which is attached to the end of the bone. The other part of the artificial joint fits over carpal bones in the wrist. A plastic spacer fits between the two components.

Now the two artificial joint surfaces move easily against each other, creating a flexible and pain-free wrist. (See illustration.) Individual knuckle and finger joints may also be replaced.

Wrist arthroplasty In a wrist arthroplasty procedure, a surgeon replaces the damaged wrist joint with an artificial joint that includes several metal components.

?

People with rheumatoid arthritis are most likely to benefit from a total wrist replacement, but it can also help people with osteoarthritis or traumatic arthritis.

Wrist replacement is major surgery and recovery takes several weeks. If you?re considering joint replacement, weigh the benefits and risks. Age is an important factor. But the final decision is based on your level of pain and how much your wrist stiffness and pain limit your activities.

Wrist replacement surgery may be a good option if one or more of the following apply to you:

• You cannot complete normal daily tasks without help.
• You have significant pain every day.
• Pain keeps you awake at night despite the use of medications.
• Nonsurgical approaches have not relieved your pain.
• Less-complicated surgical procedures are unlikely to help.
• Pain keeps you from doing daily activities or your job.
• Pain doesn?t subside when you rest.
• You suffer severe side effects from the medications.

Joint replacement surgery is one of the great advances of medicine in the past 40 years. I speak as a grateful recipient of a hip replacement.

Source: http://www.askdoctork.com/what-is-a-wrist-replacement-201212284029

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Leigh Steinberg: Snail's Pace NFL Pacing Results From Replays

The National Football League is America's passion. Dominating the top 10 of Nielsen television ratings, estimates are that 180 million people watched part of a game last week, packed stadia, fantasy fanatics, betters, our collective obsession. This was the marriage made in heaven for contemporary appetites for quick bursts of action in tightly contained segments, made for television and every platform of content supply. But this pacing and immediacy are being severely impacted by endless instant replays and late calls. And the sport is starting to drag.

Scoring plays carry a thrilling ending. There is a buildup and development to a long pass play, a dramatic return, or a brutal struggle by a runner to score. The player dives over a pilon or breaks free into the endzone and the in-stadium crowd and television viewers erupt in exultation or frustration. It is a moment of extreme excitement that separates the sport from others. But, not anymore. Every touchdown is reviewed by a team of supervisors upstairs in the stadium. None of the process is visible on the screen or in person. There is an endless and boring delay. The excitement is replaced by uncertainty. And then comes the announcement: "upon further review," disconnected to the play and anti-climatic. This destroys the immediacy inherent in every scoring play.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.

These delays give defenses a subtle an edge over offenses. They can break the rhythm of a quarterback's play and destroy momentum while giving the defense extra time to rest.

Turnovers are impactful moments in NFL games. A frenetic scramble for a fumbled football is untangled to reveal which player and which team has recovered.

Since turnovers can completely alter momentum and the course of a game, they lead to collective reaction. A key interception is exciting. Not any more. The play is reviewed. Young men turn old, autumn turns to winter, and still there is no decision. Boring. And virtually every pass reception or incompletion seems to engender an interference call. On pass play after pass play either the wide receiver or the defensive back seems unable to conform to the standard of legal conduct and flag after flag after flag ensues. This destroys the immediacy and flow of most pass plays. It is impossible for a fan to display emotion without the referee altering the result. There is no certainty.

Zzzzzzzzzzz.

The action on a NFL field is largely subject to head coach prerogative to challenge a play. Second after second, minute after minute the replay process slugs along and most calls on the field end up being confirmed. Why do we have highly-trained, experienced officials on the field to make calls on the field at all?

If their judgments are going to be reviewed non-stop, what was all the controversy about the ineptitude of replacement referees? If play after play is subject to review we can have fans volunteer as officials, no matter how many times they blow a call it will not matter since boring reviews have replaced real football action and pacing. Who ever guaranteed that football would resemble slide rule or adding machine exactitude. A certain number of questionable calls occur in every team sport. It is desirable to minimize these officiating errors, especially if they alter a game result, but even replays produce debatable decisions. This will always occur as long as fallible humans are evaluating film through imperfect human perception. Every behavioral experiment in observation of identical events shows that honest people have different perceptions of what they see.Fans and players have always complained about but tolerated occasional bad calls as "part of the game". When the urgency and immediacy of fan experience becomes replaced with uncertainty, doubt and enervating delay -- it is time to take a new look at these rules changes.

The games are becoming longer, and the additional time adds nothing to the fan experience. Week 3 in 2011 saw an average game time of 3 hrs and 11 minutes. Week 3 in 2012 had games that averaged 3 hrs and 23 minutes. The longer games are not a one season aberration. Games in 2011 were longer than games in 2010, and 2012 was slower. The NFL adjusted half-time length and time between plays some years ago because it feared the games were running too long. Replays have resulted in slower game times and pacing. Fans accept the commercial breaks and use them as a time to visit the bathroom or kitchen or debate past plays. When thrilling action is replaced by interminable delays and the NFL pacing is replacing by snores, it is time for an instant "review" of the use of instant replay.

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leigh-steinberg/snails-pace-nfl-pacing-re_b_2373312.html

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Home Improvement Projects Are A Snap With These Ideas | Pest ...

Because the amount of information of home improvement available, it can be a pest control greenville daunting task to do these projects. There are some basic tips to follow so stress is lower and the home improvement project goes well.

You should follow the advice of a professional. Since you have put the necessary work into finding a reputable and trustworthy contractor, you can probably count on the fact that his advice is reliable. If he tells you that the change will be bad, it most likely will. If he tells you your plans overreach the budget, that?s probably true! Make sure you pay attention to your contractor.

A thing to consider before stating a home project is the style and character of your neighborhood. A Victorian house on a block that is otherwise full of saltbox cottages will stick out in a bad way. A home that blends into the neighborhood is going to have a better resale value.

Make sure you use all the space in your home wisely when you are trying to sell. For instance, your family room or office should have furniture that matches accordingly. Potential buyers can more easily see themselves using the space. Homes that feature well defined spaces look better and sell faster.

Maintain good records of contracts and agreements with any professionals you hire. Don?t make the assumption that this is the contractor?s responsibility. Hold onto any contracts, invoices, receipts and other paperwork related to your home improvement project. Your paperwork file should help prevent misunderstandings pest control greenville sc with a contractor by providing details about costs, expectations and the time frame for the performance of your home improvements.

When improving your home, take the longevity of the improvements into account. A chimney should last around 100 years. A deck in the backyard, however, may last for 15 years or fewer. It is possible for vinyl floors to last two or three decades, but oak floors can be around for a century. These are things to think about when renovating your house, and deciding if the cost and effort is worth it.

If the front of your home is a bit drab and boring, a pergola can spice it right up. This garden fixture is becoming more and more common because of the rich appearance and the ability of the pergola to lend romance to shaded areas. If a few friends pitch in to help you out, the entire kit can be finished before the weekend is over.

Before you purchase any wood stove for your living space, ensure that it has the EPA?s seal of approval. All new stoves meet this certification; however, older models may not so they should be tested. When using a wood stove it is important to check the stove for leaks which can result in carbon monoxide poisoning.

People who complete their own renovations feel a great sense of accomplishment. The best thing to do is to locate the best information that will make the project easy from start to finish. This will minimize the mistakes that may otherwise arise.

Source: http://pestcontrolexperts.edublogs.org/2012/12/28/home-improvement-projects-are-a-snap-with-these-ideas/

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New home sales hit highest rate since April 2010

4 hrs.

Reuters

New single-family home sales accelerated in November to the fastest pace in 2 1/2 years and median sales price jumped from the same month in 2011, signs that the U.S. housing recovery is gaining some steam.

The Commerce Department said on Thursday sales climbed 4.4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted 377,000-unit annual rate. That was in line with analysts' forecasts of a 378,000-unit annual pace.

Government data for new home sales are subject to substantial revisions. Indeed, the Commerce Department cut its estimate for sales in October by 7,000 to a 361,000-unit rate.

The annual sales pace for November was the quickest since April 2010.

This year, the housing sector has been point of strength in an economy beset by flagging business confidence and cooling demand abroad. The median home price of a new home rose to $246,200, up 14.9 percent from the same month in 2011.

New home building is expected to add to economic growth this year for the first time since 2005. The housing sector, however, remains a shadow of its former self.

The pace of new home sales is roughly a quarter of the all-time high clocked in July 2005 when a housing bubble was still inflating. Shortly thereafter, the bubble began to deflate, helping trigger the 2007-09 recession, which was the deepest downturn since the Great Depression.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/new-home-sales-hit-highest-rate-april-2010-1C7660252

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Benefits of higher oxygen, breathing device persist after infancy

Dec. 26, 2012 ? By the time they reached toddlerhood, very preterm infants originally treated with higher oxygen levels continued to show benefits when compared to a group treated with lower oxygen levels, according to a follow-up study by a research network of the National Institutes of Health that confirms earlier network findings, Moreover, infants treated with a respiratory therapy commonly prescribed for adults with obstructive sleep apnea fared as well as those who received the traditional therapy for infant respiratory difficulties, the new study found.

In the original 2010 study, of infants born between 24 to 27 weeks of gestation, investigators in the Neonatal Research Network found:

• Infants were more likely to survive if they had received higher oxygen levels, although they were at higher risk of an eye condition that can impair vision or lead to blindness.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment typically reserved for adults with obstructive sleep apnea, was as effective as standard therapy with a ventilator and surfactant (a sticky substance that coats the inside of the lungs).

For the current study, the researchers checked on the children's progress, comparing the groups' survival rates and cognitive and motor development 18 to 22 months after they were originally due to be born. The re-evaluation of the original study treatment groups examined:

• Children treated with oxygen saturation levels that were either low (85 percent to 89 percent) or high (91 percent to 95 percent).
• Children treated with CPAP therapy and those treated with a ventilator and surfactant.

The researchers compiled the results of their analysis in terms of a combined primary outcome. This primary outcome took into account two possibilities: whether an infant either died in the first or second year of life or had a neurodevelopmental impairment -- any of a number of conditions affecting the nervous system. These included cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss or low scores on tests of infant mental and motor development. The researchers selected this outcome because infants who died before 18 months of age could not be classified as having a neurodevelopmental impairment.

In terms of the primary outcome, the researchers found no differences between the groups.

When the researchers looked at outcome measures separately, however, they did observe differences. The researchers documented higher survival rates among children who received oxygen with higher saturation rates. The study's original findings showed that survivors in this group also had a greater risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity, an eye condition that can impair vision or cause blindness. Although those receiving higher oxygen levels were more likely to have had corrective eye surgery, by the time the children reached 18 to 22 months corrected age-- their age had they been born at the approximate time they were due. The researchers found that there was no difference in the rate of vision problems between the two groups.

"CPAP for infants has been available since the 1970s. This is the first study to compare surfactant treatment to CPAP in a large group of infants, and these results reassure us that CPAP is as good a choice in the first hour of life as traditional methods for very preterm babies who need help breathing," said senior author Rosemary D. Higgins, M.D., of the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of two NIH institutes supporting the study. "We've also confirmed that higher oxygen targets improve survival and don't appear to threaten survivors' vision in the longer term."

The study also received funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Their findings appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Yvonne E. Vaucher, Myriam Peralta-Carcelen, Neil N. Finer, Waldemar A. Carlo, Marie G. Gantz, Michele C. Walsh, Abbot R. Laptook, Bradley A. Yoder, Roger G. Faix, Abhik Das, Kurt Schibler, Wade Rich, Nancy S. Newman, Betty R. Vohr, Kimberly Yolton, Roy J. Heyne, Deanne E. Wilson-Costello, Patricia W. Evans, Ricki F. Goldstein, Michael J. Acarregui, Ira Adams-Chapman, Athina Pappas, Susan R. Hintz, Brenda Poindexter, Anna M. Dusick, Elisabeth C. McGowan, Richard A. Ehrenkranz, Anna Bodnar, Charles R. Bauer, Janell Fuller, T. Michael O'Shea, Gary J. Myers, Rosemary D. Higgins. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in the Early CPAP and Pulse Oximetry Trial. New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; 367 (26): 2495 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1208506

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/top_news/~3/tbSrFj34dG8/121227110759.htm

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Sofia Vergara Bikini Pic: Happy Holyday!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/sofia-vergara-bikini-pic-happy-holyday/

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Smart TV owners tuning out most apps

19 hrs.

Brad Chacos , Laptop

They may be called smart TVs, but that doesn?t stop the vast majority of us from using them as basic boob tubes. A new NPD Group report claims that most people use their Internet-enabled televisions to stream video services like Netflix or Hulu Plus, and?? actually, not much else.

Streaming music services manage to entertain around 15 percent of smart TV owners, but all of the more ballyhooed interactive aspects of Internet-enabled TVs???think Facebook, Twitter, Web browsers, and all those apps, games, and email widgets that come preloaded in newer HDTVs???are left completely untouched by most people.

The NPD Group?chalks the trend?up to a few different factors, the biggest of which being the simple fact that most people consider televisions sets to be, well, televisions???not computing devices. The proliferation of secondary Internet-enabled devices (like consoles and Blu-ray players) and the rise of local digital streaming options (like AirPlay, DLNA, and Samsung AllShare) may also be both confusing customers and cannibalizing traditional smart TV services, NPD theorizes.

We?ll add another possible factor: The molasses-slow processors in most smart TVs make anything beyond simple content streaming a major usability pain. Trying to browse your Facebook News Feed on a television is often a tremendously laggy exercise in frustration.

Fortunately, consumer disinterest in the Internet-enabled bells and whistles may just make the basic video-streaming functions of smart TVs more pleasant to use going into the future???at least if manufacturers listen to the NPD?s closing advice: ?Focus less on new innovation in this space and more on simplification of the user experience.?

More from Laptop Mag:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/smart-tv-owners-seemingly-tuning-out-most-apps-1C7660224

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Top 4 Small-Cap Stocks In The Agricultural Chemicals Industry With ...

Below are the top small-cap agricultural chemicals stocks on the NYSE and the NASDAQ in terms of earnings per share.

The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP (NYSE: RNF) is $2.65. Rentech Nitrogen's operating margin for the same period is 47.77%.

The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at CVR Partners LP (NYSE: UAN) is $1.88. CVR Partners' ROE for the same period is 28.92%.

The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at China Green Agriculture (NYSE: CGA) is $1.48. China Green Agriculture's revenue for the same period is $203.93 million.

The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at Intrepid Potash (NYSE: IPI) is $1.30. Intrepid Potash's PEG ratio is 1.96.

(c) 2012 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Tags: Agricultural Chemicals Industry, Highest EPS, small-cap

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Source: http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/12/12/3200341/top-4-small-cap-stocks-in-the-agricultural-chemicals-industry-with-the-h

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Customer Service: Crucial to Business Success

Whatever industry you?re in, the key to your survival is to ensure repeat business ? and one of the best ways to do that, in today?s tough climate, is to ensure that your customer service is first class.

So when you?re putting your customer service policy together, what do you need to consider?

Keep your customer services policy clear

Lay out, in plain English, the rights of the customer and the responsibilities of the customer service staff. Have a clear flowchart or protocol that your staff can follow. Revise your policy regularly, once a year at least, and more often if something unexpected happens, like an interruption to your supply chain. Have a named ?sponsor? who writes the policy and is ultimately responsible for its update.

Ask your staff

Get input from your customer service staff. They?re the people who deal with the customers on a daily basis, so they can tell you what works, what doesn?t, and what?s changing.

New technology

Make use of new technology. If your customer has given you a mobile or cell phone number or an email address, use it to keep them updated. Specify how customers can be contacted in your policy ? consider having templates for emails or texts that can be adapted quickly.

Refunds and returns

You must include details on taking returns in your customer service policy and ensure that your staff understands how much they can authorize themselves, and when it?s necessary to refer queries to a supervisor. Make sure you include timescales so customers know what they can expect.

Train your staff

Staff should become familiar with the policy when they arrive at your business, during their induction, and whenever it changes. It doesn?t have to be sophisticated or time-consuming. A quick and simple e-mail or Internet link will be enough. Think about incorporating details of other useful training, like telephone skills, problem-solving and conflict resolution ? and in your customer service policy, include details of how staff access this training. As part of your policy, have regular training sessions and updates for staff about your products or services, and any discounts or special offers available. The better your staff know your products, the more they?ll be able to help.

Make it public

Have your policy freely available for the world to see on your website, or at least a summary.

We live in a world where service is becoming increasingly impersonal, and one where loyalty is rarely rewarded, so taking time to make your customers feel as if they?re special and valued can help to increase repeat business. We also live in a world where many in positions of political leadership and power have shown they can?t be trusted. Buck the trend, and make sure your company delivers.

Some of the world?s best-known business leaders, ranging from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to Walt Disney, have built their success on great customer service. When you have a new client, great customer service and after-care can make a huge difference in your conversion rates from ?one time only? customers to those who keep coming back again and again.

About the Author
Jack Harding is a business customer service consultant. He enjoys sharing his findings and observations on business blogs. Visit Wish.co.uk to see how your business can profit from fun experiences.

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Source: http://www.returncustomer.com/2012/12/26/customer-service-crucial-to-business-success/

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Bethenny Frankel Thanks Fans for Separation Support

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/bethenny-frankel-thanks-fans-for-separation-support/

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Dot Earth Blog: Exploring the Roots of an Emerging Planet-Spanning Mind

I?m grateful to Krista Tippett, the host of the captivating public radio program ?On Being,? for including me in an exploration of the present-day resonance of ?noosphere,? the concept of an?emerging global intelligence?shaped in the early 20th century by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest, philosopher and paleontologist (with others). You can read two of Teilhard?s most influential books touching on this concept ? ?The Phenomenon of Man? and ?The Future of Man? ? online.

On Dot Earth and in lectures of late, I?ve offered a contemporary spelling and framing: Knowosphere.?Tippett first speaks with?Ursula King, a Teilhard scholar and professor emerita of theology and religious studies at the University of Bristol. Then comes?David Sloan Wilson, the?SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University in New York and author of a suite of lauded books on evolution and society.

Teilhard sometimes gets disparaged for melding science and spirituality but I encourage you to read ?The Phenomenon of Humanity,? a short piece by Wilson describing Teilhard?s prescience and importance.

Below you can read an excerpt from Wilson?s essay, followed by a snippet from the transcript of my conversation with Tippett on how my awareness of Teilhard?s ideas emerged in 1992 and again in 2002, as I dug into the ideas of his intellectual contemporary and indirect partner, the Russian earth scientist and chemist Vladimir Vernadsky, who in the 1920s (just as an example) wrote:

Mankind?s power is connected not with its matter but with its brain, its thoughts and its works, guided by its mind. In the geological history of the biosphere, a great future is opened to Man if he realizes it and does not direct his mind and work to self-destruction.

Here?s Wilson on Teilhard?s prescience, and one mistake:

Teilhard wrote that humans are both a biological species and a new evolutionary process. As a biological species, we are little different from our primate cousins, and there was no divine spark in our origin (this did not play well with the Catholic Church!). As a new evolutionary process, however, our origin was almost as momentous as the origin of life. Teilhard called the human-created world the noosphere, which slowly spread like a skin over the planet, like the biological skin (the biosphere) that preceded it. He imagined ?grains of thought? coalescing at ever-larger scales until they became a single global consciousness that he called the Omega Point?.

Only during the last decade have evolutionists begun to realize that we are an ultra-social primate species and that this accounts for virtually all of the differences that set us apart from our primate cousins. Mechanisms evolved in our ancestors that suppressed the ability of individuals to succeed at the expense of members of their own group, causing succeeding as a group to become the primary evolutionary force. We are designed to be team players in ways that penetrate so deeply into our subconscious that we are only beginning to understand the proximate mechanisms, even though we play them out every moment of our lives?.

Becoming an ultra-social species at the planetary scale?another kind of Omega Point?will be much more difficult, although theoretically possible. The first step is for everyone to realize that it will not happen spontaneously. Insofar as Teilhard portrayed the Omega Point as inevitable, that is the biggest thing that he got wrong. Dozens of contemporary theorists speculate about the global brain emerging spontaneously from the Internet, as if complexity and inter-connectivity are the only necessary ingredients. That?s wrong, and the sooner we reach a consensus on this point the better. Multi-level selection states very clearly that adaptation at level X requires a process of selection at that level and tends to be undermined by selection at lower levels. We can?t expect natural selection to operate at the scales required to solve our largest and most recalcitrant problems, so the only alternative is policy selection. Call it social engineering or stewardship, it is up to us to turn the earth into the super-organism that Teilhard had in mind. We will not succeed without a sophisticated knowledge of our species as a product of genetic evolution and a process of evolution in our own right.

I couldn?t agree more that this will only happen through conscious choices and efforts.

I encourage you to listen to the full show, which has a fluidity and tone that I think you?ll like. It?s kind of the radio equivalent of a ?long read.? For those who prefer text, here?s a ?teaser? of sorts from my chat with Tippett:

Tippett:? [I]t?s not inevitable that this technology drives towards this kind of coherence?. [Y]ou talk about language like engagement and intentionality. And you?re talking about our relationship with our technology and all these things that are becoming possible?

Revkin:?Sure. I teach a course at Pace University that I launched last year ?this is the second year ? in blogging. And it?s really not a course just in blogging; it?s a course in how to get the most out of the Internet, how to get the most out of all this connectivity. This is all about intentionality. In fact, it?s not a course ? the course is called Blogging a Better Planet, but I don?t define better planet.

I ask them to take their own passions and find some little ? in other words, there might be a student who?s interested in fashion or another in music, which is the case this year. Another one in travel. And I say find the component of the thing that excites you that also fits in this frame of smoothing our journey.

So if you don?t have intentionality, you could go out there and just sell widgets. The Internet is really good at selling widgets. And as I say, you know, the Internet helped the 9/11 organizers learn where to find their flight schools and stuff. So it can work in terrible ways as well. But I see the upside swamping the downside, especially if young people early on are trained ? not trained, but learn on their own ? how this can work for betterment.

Here?s a link to the full program transcript.

If you seek even more depth, here are links to the unedited audio recordings of the conversations:

Source: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/exploring-the-roots-of-an-emerging-planet-spanning-mind/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Wis. police investigate slaying of on-duty officer

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) ? Wisconsin authorities are looking into the death of a suburban Milwaukee police officer who was killed on duty.

Wauwatosa Lt. Gerald Witkowski says dispatchers unsuccessfully tried to reach 30-year-old Jennifer Lynn Sebena for a call about 3 a.m. Monday. He says officers started looking for her and found her dead with several gunshot wounds about 5 a.m. He didn't know if she inside or outside of her car.

Witkowski says the case is considered a homicide. Officers have no suspects.

Witkowski says Sebena enrolled in the police academy in January 2011 and began working solo in July. He says she was married and described her as a great person and officer.

Police are urging witnesses to come forward.

The state Justice Department's criminal investigation unit is helping in the investigation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wis-police-investigate-slaying-duty-officer-184741717.html

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Putin to focus on economic ties on trip to India

NEW DELHI (AP) ? India and Russia held talks Monday intended to help cement Russia's position in the growing Indian market and reinvigorate political ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kicked off the talks at the end of which Moscow and New Delhi are expected to sign agreements on trade, science, education and law enforcement.

While the volume of Russian-Indian trade has risen sixfold since 2000 and is expected to reach $10 billion this year, the growth has slowed in recent years. And even though India remains the No. 1 customer for Russia's arms industries, Moscow has recently lost several multibillion-dollar contracts to Western weapons makers.

Russia and India have shared close ties since the Cold War, when Moscow was a key ally and the principal arms supplier to New Delhi.

The ties slackened after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but grew stronger again after Putin came to power in 2000, seeking to revive Moscow's global clout and restore ties with old allies.

Russia has maintained its strong positions in the Indian market with $30 billion worth of arms contracts with India signed in 2000-2010 that envisaged supplies of hundreds of fighter jets, missiles, tanks and other weapons, a large part of which were license-produced in India. The countries have cooperated on building an advanced fighter plane and a new transport aircraft and have jointly developed a supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Navy.

But the military cooperation has hit snags in recent years, as New Delhi shops increasingly for Western weapons. The Indians also haven't been always happy with the quality of Russian weapons and their rising prices.

In one notable example, in 2004 Russia signed a $1 billion contract to refurbish a Soviet-built aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. While the deal called for the ship to be commissioned in 2008, it is still in a Russian shipyard and the contract price has reportedly soared to $2.3 billion. The target date for the carrier's completion was moved back again this year after it suffered major engine problems in sea trials. Russian officials now promise to hand it over to India in the end of 2013.

India has also demanded that Russia pay fines for failing to meet terms under a 2006 contract for building three frigates for its navy, the third of which is yet to be commissioned.

Russia recently has suffered major defeats in competition with Western rivals in the Indian arms market.

Last year, Russia lost a tender to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 new fighter jets worth nearly $11 billion to France's Dassault Rafale. And last month, Boeing won India's order for a batch of heavy-lift helicopters worth $1.4 billion.

"Russian arms traders must draw lessons from those failures and polish their skills in information support and marketing," said Igor Korotchenko, a retired colonel and now editor of National Defense magazine. "Competition in the Indian market is intensifying."

Konstantin Makiyenko, the deputy head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, an independent Moscow-based think-tank specializing in weapons trade, said that the Russian failures were partly rooted in India's desire to balance Russian gear with U.S. and other Western weapons. "They welcome the Americans, and it's impossible to prevent the strengthening of India-US ties," he said.

Russia has sought to downplay recent defeats of its arms traders, saying that other weapons deals with India are under preparation.

Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters ahead of the visit, said military cooperation with India will "expand and deepen," adding that concerns about Russia losing its dominance in the Indian arms market were exaggerated.

As part of its cooperation with India, Russia also has built the first reactor at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and is building a second unit there. The project has been delayed by protests by anti-nuclear groups and local residents.

Putin's visit was scheduled for late October, but was delayed as the Russian leader suspended foreign travel for about two months. The Kremlin acknowledged that he was suffering from a muscle pulled during judo training. Putin resumed active travel earlier this month, making several foreign trips.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/putin-focus-economic-ties-trip-india-064327549--finance.html

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Army teams going to Africa as terror threat grows

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A U.S. Army brigade will begin sending small teams into as many as 35 African nations early next year, part of an intensifying Pentagon effort to train countries to battle extremists and give the U.S. a ready and trained force to dispatch to Africa if crises requiring the U.S. military emerge.

The teams will be limited to training and equipping efforts, and will not be permitted to conduct military operations without specific, additional approvals from the secretary of defense.

The sharper focus on Africa by the U.S. comes against a backdrop of widespread insurgent violence across North Africa, and as the African Union and other nations discuss military intervention in northern Mali.

The terror threat from al-Qaida linked groups in Africa has been growing steadily, particularly with the rise of the extremist Islamist sect Boko Haram in Nigeria. Officials also believe that the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, which killed the ambassador and three other Americans, may have been carried out by those who had ties to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

This first-of-its-kind brigade assignment ? involving teams from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division ? will target countries such as Libya, Sudan, Algeria and Niger, where al-Qaida-linked groups have been active. It also will assist nations like Kenya and Uganda that have been battling al-Shabab militants on the front lines in Somalia.

Gen. Carter Ham, the top U.S. commander in Africa, noted that the brigade has a small drone capability that could be useful in Africa. But he also acknowledged that he would need special permission to tap it for that kind of mission.

"If they want them for (military) operations, the brigade is our first sourcing solution because they're prepared," said Gen. David Rodriguez, the head of U.S. Army Forces Command. "But that has to go back to the secretary of defense to get an execute order."

Already the U.S. military has plans for nearly 100 different exercises, training programs and other activities across the widely diverse continent. But the new program faces significant cultural and language challenges, as well as nagging questions about how many of the lower-level enlisted members of the brigade, based in Fort Riley, Kan., will participate, since the teams would largely be made up of more senior enlisted troops and officers. A full brigade numbers about 3,500, but the teams could range from just a few people to a company of about 200. In rare cases for certain exercises, it could be a battalion, which would number about 800.

To bridge the cultural gaps with the African militaries, the Army is reaching out across the services, the embassies and a network of professional organizations to find troops and experts that are from some of the African countries. The experts can be used during training, and the troops can both advise or travel with the teams as they begin the program.

"In a very short time frame we can only teach basic phrases," said Col. Matthew McKenna, commander of the 162nd Infantry Brigade that will begin training the Fort Riley soldiers in March for their African deployment. "We focus on culture and the cultural impact ? how it impacts the African countries' military and their operations."

Thomas Dempsey, a professor with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said the biggest challenge will be the level of cultural, language and historical diversity across the far-flung continent.

"How do you train for that in a way that would be applicable wherever they go?" said Dempsey, a retired Army colonel. He said he's not sure using a combat brigade is the right answer, but added, "I'm not sure what the answer is. The security challenges differ so dramatically that, to be honest, I really don't think it's feasible to have a continental training package."

The Pentagon's effort in Africa, including the creation of U.S. Africa Command in 2007, has been carefully calibrated, largely due to broad misgivings across the continent that it could spawn American bases or create the perception of an undue U.S. military influence there. As a result, the command has been based in Stuttgart, Germany, rather than on the African continent.

At the same time, many African nations are eager for U.S. training or support, as they work to build their militaries, battle pirates along the coast and shut down drug trafficking, kidnapping and other insurgent activities.

McKenna acknowledged the challenge, but said the military has to tap its conventional fighting forces for this task because there aren't enough special operations forces to meet the global training needs. He said there will be as many as a dozen different training segments between February and September, each designed to provide tailored instruction for the particular teams.

The mission for the 2nd Brigade ? known as the "Dagger Brigade" ? will begin in the spring and will pave the way for Army brigades to be assigned next to U.S. Pacific Command and then to U.S. European Command over the next year. The brigade is receiving its regular combat training first, and then will move on to the more specific instruction needed for the deployments, such as language skills, cultural information and other data about the African nations.

Dagger Brigade commander Col. Jeff Broadwater said the language and culture training will be different than what most soldiers have had in recent years, since they have focused on Pashtun and Farsi, languages used mostly in Afghanistan and Iran. He said he expects the soldiers to learn French, Swahili, Arabic or other languages, as well as the local cultures.

"What's really exciting is we get to focus on a different part of the world and maintain our core combat skills," Broadwater said, adding that the soldiers know what to expect. "You see those threats (in Africa) in the news all the time."

The brigade will be carved up into different teams designed to meet the specific needs of each African nation. As the year goes on, the teams will travel from Fort Riley to those nations ? all while trying to avoid any appearance of a large U.S. military footprint.

"The challenge we have is to always understand the system in their country," said Rodriguez, who has been nominated to be the next head of Africa Command. "We're not there to show them our system, we're there to make their system work. Here is what their army looks like, and here is what we need to prepare them to do."

Rodriguez said the nearly 100 assignments so far requested by Ham will be carried out with "a very small footprint to get the high payoff."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/army-teams-going-africa-terror-threat-grows-082214765.html

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Video: Good Samaritans help Sandy victims

Storm prompts wind warnings across South

As a major storm with 70- to 80-mile-per-hour winds threatened to bear down on the Deep South early Wednesday morning, Mississippi officials encouraged residents to bring in their outdoor Christmas decorations for fear they could become dangerous projectiles.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40153870/vp/50291579#50291579

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'Hobbit' extends No. 1 journey with $36.7 million

From left, Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson, James Nesbitt, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage and Ian McKellan at the UK premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" at The Odeon Leicester Square,London on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)

From left, Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson, James Nesbitt, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Richard Armitage and Ian McKellan at the UK premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" at The Odeon Leicester Square,London on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)

FILE - This publicity film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Tom Cruise in a scene from "Jack Reacher." Cruise plays a former military cop investigating a sniper case. Just turned 50, and just out with his latest action flick, ?Jack Reacher,? Cruise remains one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Karen Ballard, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Tiny hobbit Bilbo Baggins is running circles around some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" took in $36.7 million to remain No. 1 at the box office for the second-straight weekend, easily beating a rush of top-name holiday newcomers.

Part one of Jackson's prelude to the "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, the Warner Bros. release raised its domestic total to $149.9 million after 10 days. The film added $91 million overseas to bring its international total to $284 million and its worldwide haul to $434 million.

"The Hobbit" took a steep 57 percent drop from its domestic $84.6 million opening weekend, but business was soft in general as many people skipped movies in favor of last-minute Christmas preparations.

"The real winner this weekend might be holiday shopping," said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Tom Cruise's action thriller "Jack Reacher" debuted in second-place with a modest $15.6 million debut, according to studio estimates Sunday. Based on the Lee Child best-seller "One Shot," the Paramount Pictures release stars Cruise as a lone-wolf ex-military investigator tracking a sniper conspiracy.

Opening at No. 3 with $12 million was Judd Apatow's marital comedy "This Is 40," a Universal Pictures film featuring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles from the director's 2007 hit "Knocked Up."

Paramount's road-trip romp "The Guilt Trip," featuring "Knocked Up" star Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand, debuted weakly at No. 6 with $5.4 million over the weekend and $7.4 million since it opened Wednesday. Playing in narrower release, Paramount's acrobatic fantasy "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away" debuted at No. 11 with $2.1 million.

A 3-D version of Disney's 2001 animated blockbuster "Monsters, Inc." also had a modest start at No. 7 with $5 million over the weekend and $6.5 million since opening Wednesday.

Domestic business was off for the first time in nearly two months. Overall revenues totaled $112 million, down 12.6 percent from the same weekend last year, when Cruise's "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol" debuted with $29.6 million, according to Hollywood.com.

Cruise's "Jack Reacher" opened at barely half the level as "Ghost Protocol," but with a $60 million budget, the new flick cost about $100 million less to make.

Starting on Christmas, Hollywood expects a big week of movie-going with schools out through New Year's Day and many adults taking time off. So Paramount and other studios are counting on strong business for films that started slowly this weekend.

"'Jack Reacher' will end up in a very good place. The movie will be profitable for Paramount," said Don Harris, the studio's head of distribution. "The first time I saw the movie I saw dollar signs. It certainly wasn't intended to be compared to a 'Mission: Impossible,' though."

Likewise, Warner Bros. is looking for steady crowds for "The Hobbit" over the next week, despite the debut of two huge newcomers ? the musical "Les Miserables" and the action movie "Django Unchained" ? on Christmas Day.

"We haven't reached the key holiday play time yet," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner. "It explodes on Tuesday and goes right through the end of the year."

In limited release, Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden manhunt saga "Zero Dark Thirty" played to packed houses with $410,000 in just five theaters, averaging a huge $82,000 a cinema.

That compares to a $4,654 average in 3,352 theaters for "Jack Reacher" and a $4,130 average in 2,913 cinemas for "This Is 40." ''The Guilt Trip" averaged $2,217 in 2,431 locations, and "Monsters, Inc." averaged $1,925 in 2,618 cinemas. Playing just one matinee and one evening show a day at 840 theaters, "Cirque du Soleil" averaged $2,542.

Since opening Wednesday, "Zero Dark Thirty" has taken in $639,000. Distributor Sony plans to expand the acclaimed film to nationwide release Jan. 11, amid film honors and nominations leading up to the Feb. 24 Academy Awards.

Opening in 15 theaters from Lionsgate banner Summit Entertainment, Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor's tsunami-survival drama "The Impossible" took in $138,750 for an average of $9,250.

A fourth new release from Paramount, "The Sopranos" creator David Chase's 1960s rock 'n' roll tale "Not Fade Away," debuted with $19,000 in three theaters, averaging $6,333.

Universal's "Les Miserables" got a head-start on its domestic release with a $4.2 million debut in Japan.

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

1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $36.7 million ($91 million international).

2. "Jack Reacher," $15.6 million ($2.5 million international).

3. "This Is 40," $12 million.

4. "Rise of the Guardians," $5.9 million ($13.7 million international).

5. "Lincoln," $5.6 million.

6. "The Guilt Trip," $5.4 million.

7. "Monsters, Inc." in 3-D, $5 million.

8. "Skyfall," $4.7 million ($9 million international),

9. "Life of Pi," $3.8 million ($23.2 million international).

10. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," $2.6 million ($6.6 million international).

___

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

1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $91 million.

2. "Life of Pi," $23.2 million.

3. "Rise of the Guardians," $13.7 million.

4. "Skyfall," $9 million.

5. "Wreck-It Ralph," $7.3 million.

6. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," $6.6 million.

7. "Pitch Perfect," $6 million.

8. "Les Miserables," $4.2 million.

9. "Love 911," $3.2 million.

10. "De L'autre Cote du Periph," $3.1 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-24-Box%20Office/id-952baaad9017409881a9b02d17072558

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