Buy the Right Chariot for Your Growing Tribe: Tips for Finding a ...

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Guest Contributor Summer Healy

Here?s my confession: I have always enjoyed used compact cars. From my ?79 Volkswagon bug to the ?99 Hyundai Elantra four door I had held on to for 10 years. While other moms were using freight lifts to load and unload their monster SUVs, I was throwing caution to the wind, buckling in my 6-month-old into the backseat of my ?85 mini cooper. A strong advocate of eco-friendly consumerism, every vehicle I?ve purchased has always been used. Not too long ago, Scientific American published an article that explained why the act of purchasing used, instead of new cars, has helped in cutting down the levels of the atmosphere?s CO2 levels significantly.

When my husband announced that his mother was coming to stay with us for an undetermined amount of time, and I was expecting another little one in the same month, my family insisted, or rather demanded we get a larger vehicle. Outnumbered by my husband and two sons, it was decided; we were getting a family vehicle and it wasn?t going to be a cute compact hatchback or even a four-door sedan. My sons wanted a tank. My husband wanted something that would be fuel efficient. I, for one, had already caved, so my only caveat was that it had to be a used vehicle; I didn?t care if it was as big as a bus, it had to have miles on it and a previous owner. I wasn?t about to give up on the environment and we were in no position, financially, to be leasing a new car. I was already doing my research and looking for a fast bad credit car loan I could fill out online, since we were still catching up in paying back our student loans. While I was doing the financial research online through Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com, my husband went to a few used car lots and took pictures and notes on which family vehicles stood out from all of the rest. Here were a few we both liked:

2007 Ford Mondeo Hatchback

I know what you?re thinking, yes, a family hatchback. This Ford four-door is not an SUV, but it does seat up to 6 comfortably and it has seven standard airbags, which is taking safety to extreme levels and I like extreme safety. Performance-wise, it handles like a dream and it?s super comfy and spacious. These engines tend to be a little noisy, as is the case with most Fords, so consider that a forewarning.

2010 Chevrolet Suburban

Seating nine, sporting a V8 engine and carrying side/curtain airbags, the 2010 Chevrolet Suburban is big enough to carry all of us, while still not seeming to be too much like a monster SUV, which I like a lot. My husband of course likes that it has a V8, but be aware that this engine can drag when you?re hauling a full load and the third row seat does not fold into the floor, so that makes the installation and storage of the seats a little awkward and bulky.

2009 Hyundai Entourage

Stepping away, for a moment, from the domestic manufacturers, we decided to see what Hyundai could offer us with it?s 2009 Entourage. Seating seven, while still maintaining a sense of style and sleek design, the Entourage minivan can carry as much as an SUV, being in the shape of a tank (which I love). According to ConsumerSearch.com, the Entourage is a bit pricier than the Kia Sedona, but also finished with extremely high safety standards, which is a high priority. Still under factory warranty, we absolutely fell in love with this ?almost mini SUV.?

Of course, in the end you can?t buy a car solely based on what reviewers tell you, and that?s why you will need to test drive vehicles to see which one is the dream car for your family. Whether it?s a cute compact four-door, a hatchback or a monster, boat-sized tank safety is the main feature that will matter the most in the long run.

Summer loves to write about the latest tech and auto trends. She may be a woman, but she knows her cars and SUVs, and as a part-time used car salesperson, she knows how to sell you the car you want for the price she wants you to pay.

Source: http://momsgetreal.com/2012/12/buy-the-right-chariot-for-your-growing-tribe-tips-for-finding-a-used-family-vehicle/

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Under Health Law, Employers Must Insure Workers' Dependents (WSJ)

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Trains carrying more oil across US amid boom

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) ? Energy companies behind the oil boom on the Northern Plains are increasingly turning to an industrial-age workhorse ? the locomotive ? to move their crude to refineries across the U.S., as plans for new pipelines stall and existing lines can't keep up with demand.

Delivering oil thousands of miles by rail from the heartland to refineries on the East, West and Gulf coasts costs more, but it can mean increased profits ? up to $10 or more a barrel ? because of higher oil prices on the coasts. That works out to about $700,000 per train.

The parade of mile-long trains carrying hazardous material out of North Dakota and Montana and across the country has experts and federal regulators concerned. Rail transport is less safe than pipelines, they say, and the proliferation of oil trains raises the risk of a major derailment and spill.

Since 2009, the number of train cars carrying crude hauled by major railroads has jumped from about 10,000 a year to a projected 200,000 in 2012. Much of that has been in the Northern Plains' Bakken crude patch, but companies say oil trains are rolling or will be soon from Texas, Colorado and western Canada.

"This is all occurring very rapidly, and history teaches that when those things happen, unfortunately, the next thing that is going to occur would be some sort of disaster," said Jim Hall, a transportation consultant and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Rail companies said the industry places a priority on safety and has invested heavily in track upgrades, provided emergency training and taken other measures to guard against accidents. There have been no major oil train derailments from the Bakken, according to federal regulators.

Union Pacific Railroad CEO Jack Koraleski said hauling oil out of places like North Dakota will be a long-term business for railroads because trains are faster than pipelines, reliable and offer a variety of destinations.

"The railroads are looking at this as a unique opportunity, a game-changing opportunity for their business," said Jeffery Elliot, a rail expert with the New York-based consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

BNSF Railway Co., the prime player in the Bakken, has bolstered its oil train capacity to a million barrels a day and expects that figure to increase further. To accommodate the growth, in part, the railroad is sinking $197 million into track upgrades and other improvements in Montana and North Dakota.

BNSF is also increasing train sizes, from 100 oil cars per train to as many as 118.

Larger trains are harder to control, and that increases the chances of something going wrong, safety experts said. State and local emergency officials worry about a derailment in a population center or an environmentally sensitive area such as a river crossing.

Rail accidents occur 34 times more frequently than pipeline ones for every ton of crude or other hazardous material shipped comparable distances, according to a recent study by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. The Association of American Railroads contends the study was flawed but acknowledges the likelihood of a rail accident is double or triple the chance of a pipeline problem.

The environmental fears carry an ironic twist: Oil trains are gaining popularity in part because of a shortage of pipeline capacity ? a problem that has been worsened by environmental opposition to such projects as TransCanada's stalled Keystone XL pipeline. That project would carry Bakken and Canadian crude to the Gulf of Mexico.

Wayde Schafer, a North Dakota spokesman for the Sierra Club, described rail as "the greater of two evils" because trains pass through cities, over waterways and through wetlands that pipelines can be built to avoid.

"It's an accident waiting to happen. It's going to be a mess and we don't know where that mess is going to be," Schafer said.

For oil companies, the embrace of rail is a matter of expediency. Oil-loading rail terminals can be built in a matter of months, versus three to five years for pipelines to clear regulatory hurdles and be put into service, said Justin Kringstad of the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. Although more pipelines are in the works, Kringstad said moving oil by rail will continue.

The surge comes at the right time for railroads: Coal shipments ? a mainstay of the rail industry ? have suffered because of competition from cheap natural gas.

In the eastern U.S., CSX and Norfolk Southern railroads haven't seen as much growth because oil from the Marcellus Shale area of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York is close enough to refineries that trucks haul the crude.

Yet BNSF is beginning to haul Bakken crude east to Chicago, where it hands off the tank cars to CSX or Norfolk Southern for delivery to Eastern refineries. It has also sent oil to the West Coast, a trend that could increase if Alaska crude production falters, as some industry observers are predicting.

The growth will require significant upgrades to already congested rail lines, industry analysts said.

Overall, crude oil shipments still represent less than 1 percent of all carloads. And there are far more dangerous materials aboard the nation's trains, including explosives, poisonous gases and other industrial chemicals.

But emergency officials are increasingly wary of major accidents involving oil trains, which carry far more cargo than some other hazardous-material trains.

While oil is not as volatile as some other products, a rupture of just one car can spill 20,000 to 30,000 gallons, said Sheldon Lustig, a rail expert who consults with local governments on accidents and hazardous materials.

Recognizing the risks, Houston-based Musket Corp., an operator of oil train terminals in North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Oklahoma, has donated spill equipment and provided training to fire officials.

"You want to be a good steward in that community," said Musket managing director JP Fjeld-Hansen.

Federal Railroad Administration officials said they have coordinated hazardous-material training seminars and sought more law enforcement patrols for rail crossings to increase safety.

Federal law requires railroads to select hazardous-material routes after analyzing the potential for accidents in heavily populated areas and environmentally sensitive spots. Those analyses are confidential for security reasons.

Lustig said the railroads have considerable sway over the process.

"Under federal guidelines, the railroad makes the analysis, the railroad decides what they want to do, and the railroad does it," he said. "There is no public accountability."

__

Funk reported from Omaha, Neb. Associated Press writer James MacPherson in Bismarck, N.D., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-28-Oil%20Trains/id-e0ff4fdc23354873afe074c245f0dc94

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Did Shakira give birth to a baby boy?

Scott Heavey / Getty Images

Shakira and Gerard Pique.

Based on his recent Twitter feed, FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique has become a dad -- which means his girlfriend, singer and "Voice" mentor Shakira has become a mom.?

But not so fast. Eagle-eyed fans will note that he made his announcement on Dec. 27 -- and Dec. 28 is a day reserved in some countries (such as Spain and Latin America) for jokes and pranks, like April Fool's Day.

Check out the two posts Pique made:

?

Initially the first tweet caused waves of interest from news outlets, but when Shakira herself failed to also tweet the good news -- and Pique went silent for the next 11 hours with no follow up -- it appeared that the news might be a bit premature. His most recent post, actually noting the "prank" day, seems to confirm that he was just joking.

Still, a baby is definitely on the way; the couple, who met while?Shakira was filming a video for the South Africa World Cup, announced via Facebook in September that they were expecting a child.

"Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby," said the 35-year-old singer and new mentor on "The Voice." "At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days."

Looks like they'll have to extend those postponements a little longer.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/28/16210945-did-shakira-give-birth-to-her-baby-or-did-daddy-gerard-pique-just-prank-fans?lite

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Former President George H.W. Bush remains in intensive care ...

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush remained in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital on Thursday, but his longtime chief of staff issued a reassuring message, urging the media and the public to "put the harps back in the closet."

Bush, 88, a Republican who during his one term in office led a coalition of nations that ejected Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991, was admitted to Methodist Hospital November 23 for bronchitis.

He was transferred to intensive care on Sunday after setbacks including a persistent fever, family spokesman Jim McGrath has said.

"I don't have any guidance so far today except to say no news is good news," McGrath said on Thursday. Hospital spokesman George Kovacik added that the former president remained in intensive care on Thursday.

But in a statement addressed to the "national media" on Bush's condition on Thursday, chief of staff Jean Becker sought to strike an upbeat tone.

"Yes, President Bush is in ICU where he is getting the best medical care in the world," she wrote. "Is he sick? Yes. Does he plan on going anywhere soon? No. He has every intention of staying put.

"He would ask me to tell you to please 'put the harps back in the closet,'" she said.

On a more serious note, Becker said her boss was expected to remain in the hospital for "a while," adding, "He is 88 years old, he had a terrible case of bronchitis which then triggered a series of complications." She did not elaborate.

McGrath on Wednesday described Bush as alert and talking to medical staff.

On Thursday evening, McGrath released a statement from Bush mourning the death of retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the U.S. and allied forces that routed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein's military from Kuwait during a six-week war in 1991.

He said the four-star general, who died at age 78, "epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises."

Bush has lower-body parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance, and has used wheelchairs for more than a year.

The 41st U.S. president and father of former President George W. Bush, he served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, CIA director and vice president for two terms under Ronald Reagan during a political career spanning four decades.

(Reporting by Corrie MacLaggan; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Thomasch, Phil Berlowitz and Paul Simao)

Source: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/former-president-george-h-w-bush-remains-in-intensive-care

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Survey finds increase in e-reading, drop in paper

10 hrs.

The Associated Press

The tastes of the reading public are turning digital.

A Pew Internet Research Center survey released Thursday found that the percentage of Americans aged 16 and older who read an e-book grew from 16 percent in 2011 to 23 percent this year. Readers of traditional books dropped from 72 percent to 67 percent. Overall, those reading books of any kind dropped from 78 percent to 75 percent, a shift Pew called statistically insignificant.

Those owning an e-book device or tablet jumped from 18 percent to 33 percent, with much of that increase coming from last year's holiday season, when millions received Kindles, Nooks and other e-readers as gifts.

Awareness that libraries offer digital texts grew from 24 percent to 31 percent.

The telephone survey of 2,252 people aged 16 and older was conducted from Oct. 15 to Nov. 10. It has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/survey-finds-increase-e-reading-drop-paper-1C7661434

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imranijins: Vocational Education

December 26, 2012 Education

Economies of the world will turn into knowledge economies. With the basics of the world are changing with the evolution of technologies, it is important for a person to specialize in a particular area to find gainful employment.

This type of specialization is taught by vocational schools. In the fields of health, technology, art and business of professional training is offered in general. The classification of these subjects will still be conducted in other courses.

Vocational education has gained increased revival of enthusiasm in the world of today?s demand for skilled workers for the company. Vocational training in the details is extremely diverse theme and title of the analysis of a wide range of references and sources includes several specific questions about education, vocational training and career. You will find many online sources that can help you with detailed information about the training in education. Due to the desperate need that rises on a large scale among corporate houses of skilled workers in the world today believe that the people business schools, rebuild its stable foundation.

Faculty of vocational schools is very experienced. They provide practical knowledge to their students. As a result, students are able to have a real life experience and industry practice. Students are also provided with training.

There are several professional development projects around the world. In fact, every state has vocational schools, where villagers can earn degrees and become part of a dedicated workforce. The majority of these training institutions. Work according to the rules and regulations of the State Department of Education The Ministry of Education of the State or Central Government granted recognition training institute.

AVLC is a center of learning, different types of training, such as vocational training, job training, training, English IELTS and so provides.

Source: http://nationalmilitarychildeducationcenter.net/education/vocational-education.html

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Source: http://imranijins.blogspot.com/2012/12/vocational-education.html

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