Red Sox rev up with Victorino; Nats, Haren close

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? The Boston Red Sox kept the cash freely flowing, this time revving their lineup with Shane Victorino, while the well-armed Washington Nationals neared a deal with Dan Haren at baseball's winter meetings Tuesday.

In the first two trades of the week, Colorado got effective reliever Wilton Lopez and a player to be named from Houston for young right-handers Alex White and Alex Gillingham, and Miami sent recently acquired shortstop Yunel Escobar to Tampa Bay.

Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets is still the prime trade target, with Boston in the mix for him, too.

Josh Hamilton remains the top free agent amid speculation the slugger will re-sign with Texas. Ace pitcher Zack Greinke also is available, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Rangers very interested.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he's been involved in the pursuit of one free agent. He didn't disclose who it was, but seemed to be enjoying this week's developments.

"It's like a smorgasbord of baseball. It's been good," Mattingly said.

Boston has been the busiest team this offseason, by far. A day after giving All-Star bat Mike Napoli a $39 million, three-year deal, the Red Sox lured Victorino with the exact same contract terms.

"Can't wait to get to Boston!" Victorino tweeted during a day of snorkeling in Hawaii.

The Red Sox are coming off their worst season since 1965 and trying to reshape the roster. The 32-year-old Victorino is a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner who stole a career-high 39 bases for Philadelphia and the Dodgers last season.

Recently, the Red Sox added Jonny Gomes and David Ross.

"I think we're making the progress that we've hoped, at least in the early going, with adding those types of players," new manager John Farrell said before the Victorino deal.

Victorino's arrival could also lead to a trade of center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, coming off a down, injury-interrupted season.

The Nationals and Haren are close to completing a one-year deal for $13 million, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. The person spoke under condition of anonymity because no deal was announced.

Washington had the best record in the majors last season. The NL East champions already have a formidable rotation led by Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg, and want to throw in Haren, an All-Star from 2007-09.

"I've got some young guys that act like veterans, and they pitched like veterans last year for me, and a veteran like Dan Haren is just going to make things even better," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.

Haren was 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA in 30 starts for the Los Angeles Angels. They nearly traded the 32-year-old righty to the Chicago Cubs for reliever Carlos Marmol after the season, but the deal fell apart. Then the Angels declined their $15.5 million option and paid a $3.5 million buyout.

"World Series or bust, that's probably the slogan this year. But I'm comfortable with that," Johnson said.

For the Nationals, Red Sox and several other teams, the dollars didn't appear to matter too much.

"It seems like this is a market flush with money," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

The price tag on Hamilton figured to be high. The 2010 AL MVP came to Nashville this week, presumably to talk to potential new teams, though Texas could be his landing spot.

"I expect we will get together relatively soon," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "I keep reading that we've got a deal done. I keep asking the guys in the room who snuck out and did it?"

"We left it as he was going to test the market and once he had an idea of what was out there, then we would talk," he said. "We haven't had that conversation yet."

The Mets and All-Star third baseman David Wright finalized a $138 million, eight-year contract, the largest deal in team history. The sides reached agreement last week, subject to a physical, and Wright planned to talk about it Wednesday at the meetings.

On Sunday, Dickey was at the Opryland Hotel to see a Mets trainer. The knuckleballer will make $5.25 million next year and would like an extension. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson briefly met this week with Dickey's agent, Bo McKinnis.

A trade remains possible.

"Something could happen on either front that would bring this to a conclusion, presumably," Alderson said. "I don't expect that's going to happen today. It may not happen tomorrow. It may not happen in Nashville."

The World Series champion San Francisco Giants kept NL championship series MVP Marco Scutaro, giving the second baseman a $20 million, three-year contract. Arizona reached a one-year deal with veteran utility man Eric Hinske.

Colorado bolstered its bullpen with Lopez. The 29-year-old righty was 6-3 with 10 saves and a 2.17 ERA in 64 games for the Astros. Known for his sharp control, he struck out 54 and walked just eight in 66 1-3 innings.

The 24-year-old White split last season with the Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was 2-9 with a 5.51 ERA in 23 games for the Rockies, including 20 starts.

The 23-year-old Gillingham was 6-8 with a 3.66 ERA at Class A Asheville in his first full pro season.

Escobar's stay in Miami barely lasted two weeks. The payroll-cutting Marlins sent him and his $5 million salary across the state for minor league infielder Derek Dietrich.

Escobar was acquired on Nov. 19 in a 12-player trade that sent Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to Toronto. Escobar batted .253 last season with nine homers and 51 RBIs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/red-sox-rev-victorino-nats-haren-close-013241792--mlb.html

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Dinner-show combo benefits South Tahoe performing arts group ...

Posted by admin in Lifestyle on December 4th, 2012 | no responses

South Tahoe High School Performing Arts Booster Association?s 2nd annual special fundraising Stars Night Out is Dec. 14 at 5pm.

The fundraiser dinner is $30 per person at the high school. Catering is by the STHS Culinary Arts and entertainment by the STHS music department.

?White Christmas? stage production is at 7pm.

After dinner and at intermission, there will be a silent auction in the Tahoe Arts and Design Academy building with student-designed and themed gift baskets.

For more info or to buy a ticket, contact Madonna Doyle at (530) 545.9734 or [email?protected]

?

Source: http://www.laketahoenews.net/2012/12/dinner-show-combo-benefits-south-tahoe-performing-arts-group/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dinner-show-combo-benefits-south-tahoe-performing-arts-group

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Sweet! New Hamburg Gingerbread Contest winners take home ...

Colourful candies and crunchy gingerbread were transformed into scenes of Christmas last week for New Hamburg?s annual gingerbread contest.

This edible architecture was on display at the New Apostolic Church on Waterloo Street on Nov. 29, as the public came to view the gingerbread creations from local families and businesses. Winners took home over $1,500 in prizes.

Prizes were provided by local sponsors, including Josslin Insurance Brokers and TLC Pet Foods, and others. The New Hamburg Independent provided advertising.

?It was just a feel-good, community event,? said organizer Kathryn Ritz.

Just like last year, a special education class from Sir John A Macdonald high school entered several gingerbread houses. And, just like last year, their prize money was donated to support a charitable cause.

The organizing committee is always looking for new members to help organize next year?s gingerbread contest, Ritz said. The committee will meet next week, to begin work on the 2013 event and choose a new theme. Interested volunteers can contact Ritz at 519-662-2960.

The sweet artwork made by professional bakers and businesses competed in separate categories than home-made family creations. The 2012 contest winners for each category were:

Children:
1. I Want A Hippo for Christmas, by Josilin Timmons and Rachel Kehl
2. We Wish You a Merry Christmas, by the New Dundee Brownies
3. Frosty the Snowman, by cousins Delaney Regehr and Grace Krueger-Kischak

Family:
1. A Porcupine In a Pine Tree, by Erin Autio with Lukas, Bridget, Ailish and Maddie
2. We Wish You a Merry Christmas, by the Bender family
3. O? Christmas Tree, by the Seebach Family

Adult:
1. Silent Night, by Jennifer and Trevor Scheib
2. Deck The Halls, by Ellen Pruim
3. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, by the special education class from Sir John A. Macdonald School in Waterloo

VIP:
1.Twelve Days of Christmas, by Harold Albrecht, MP
2. O? Christmas Tree, by Wilmot Township staff
3. Twelve Days of Christmas, by Theresa Dietrich, Sun Life

Elite winners:
1. It?s Beginning To Look a Lot like Christmas, by Sandy and Dana Preikschaus
2. Silent Night Concert, by Steph and Erika Mueller

The gingerbread houses are on display at various businesses throughout New Hamburg.

Source: http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/community/sweet-new-hamburg-gingerbread-contest-winners-take-home-1500-in-prizes/

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3 things to avoid when buying or selling | Real Estate | South Philly ...

Mood of the Market

Tara-Nicholle Nelson
Inman News?

Advice on what to do and how to do it is everywhere these days. Whether you want to know what to eat, how much money to save or how to learn a new language, it seems that the answers are a mere Google away.

And that has created its own set of problems, chief among them the issue of information overload. Sorting through the overwhelming inundation of information about how to proceed with any major life endeavor -- including real estate matters like buying, selling or refinancing a home -- has become a sort of pre-action step.

Often, the most helpful action-sorting, order-creating, overwhelm-abolishing advice turns out not to be advice about what to do, but advice about what not to do. To that end, here are my top three real estate don'ts:

1. Buy too soon. As I see it, the drive to buy a home before your finances, your family and even your personal development are truly ready (and the complicity of lenders who were all too happy to make loans to borrowers, prematurely) is to blame for much of the real estate mayhem we saw in the recent real estate recession.

If you have no money to put down, no cash cushion, poor spending, saving and debting habits, or uncertainty about how stable you and your household will be in the next five or so years, geographically and otherwise, buying a home is a move that is highly likely to end in a tale of woe.

As strongly as I believe in the power of homeownership, I have seen time and time again that it is better deferred until you are truly ready than rushed into and regretted.

2. Take it personally. Whatever it is. Buyers who get overly attached to a property, emotionally speaking, put themselves behind the eight ball when it comes to negotiations, and are also likely to panic and make bad decisions when it comes to responding to inspection reports and borrowing mortgage money.

Know that there are literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of prospective homes in your area that might fit your needs, so beware of allowing any single one to get you too worked up, before you have it in contract, have your inspection reports in hand, and have made it through appraisal and underwriting phases.

For sellers, the potential to take things personally is exponentially greater, given that your home is both your largest asset and the place that has been good enough for you and your family to live in for, perhaps, years. It's very easy to get offended by everything from the real estate agent's estimation of what your home is worth, staging and property preparation advice (which can feel like your taste and lifestyle are under attack), lowball offers, appraisals -- you name it.

The very best practice is to find and work with professionals you trust, six months or even a year in advance of when you want to make your move, then be open and attentive to their advice, even if it hurts. Do not allow your emotional attachment to your home to get in the way of the financial and personal progress you seek from trying to sell it.

3. Avoid discomfort. As a general rule, many of the best things in life require us to go through some discomfort or small, recurring pain to get them. To get fit, you have to get up and exercise when you might feel like curling up and snoozing. To get ahead in your career, you have to exercise discipline in your work habits, putting in hours and ideas even when the going gets tough.

It is no different with real estate; in fact, the nature of the real estate game is so foreign to what most of us consider our zones of comfort and competence that making a series of informed, smart real estate decisions can actually require a series of uncomfortable commitments, several months or even years of agreement to endure little pains to reach your goal.

Whether your personal discomfort zone is triggered by one or all of the following:

  • staunching your spending hemorrhage.
  • saving money when you'd rather take a trip.
  • working through your financial maths repeatedly.
  • asking hard questions (and continuing to ask them until you are satisfied).
  • thoroughly reading literally hundreds of pages of disclosure, inspection, and homeowners association (HOA) and loan documents.

My last "don't" is this: Don't avoid any of these uncomfortable processes, practices and moments. They are each an essential element of the process of buying or selling or mortgaging a home with wisdom and long-term sustainability.

Tara-Nicholle Nelson is a real estate broker, attorney and the author of two critically acclaimed books on real estate. Tara also speaks and writes on the art and science of life transformation at RETHINK7.com.

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*/ var formWrap = $( 'media_add_comment' ); var commentForm = formWrap.getElement( 'form' ); commentForm.setStyle( 'display', 'none' ); var msgPar = new Element( 'p', { 'html': 'Thank you, your comment has been added.' }); msgPar.inject( formWrap ); if ( comment != '' ) { if ( !flagged ) { if ( name == '' ) name = 'Anonymous'; var commentWrap = $( 'comments_wrap' ); var commentUl = commentWrap.getElement( 'ul' ); var commentLi = new Element( 'li', { 'class': 'clear' }); var numDiv = new Element( 'div', { 'class': 'num', 'html': '?' }); var commentPar = new Element( 'p', { 'html': '

' + comment }); numDiv.inject( commentLi ); commentPar.inject( commentLi ); commentLi.inject( commentUl ); } else { msgPar.set( 'html', 'Comment has been sent for approval' ); } } } function displayNewComment() { var msgP = document.getElementById("msg"); msgP.innerHTML = "Thank you for your submission. Your comment has been added below."; if(comment != "") { if(!flagged) { var commentSection = document.getElementById("ajaxSection"); var commentDiv = document.createElement("div"); var timeStamp = 'Dec 5, 2012 at 12:21AM'; commentDiv.innerHTML = '

'; commentSection.appendChild(commentDiv); } } } function validateCommentForm(form){ var fieldEmail = document.getElementById("field.email"); var fieldName = document.getElementById("field.name"); var nameValue = fieldName.value; var emailValue = fieldEmail.value; var filter = /^([a-zA-Z0-9_\.\-])+\@(([a-zA-Z0-9\-])+\.)+([a-zA-Z0-9]{2,4})+$/; if (filter.test(emailValue)) { var fieldBody = document.getElementById("field.body") var bodyValue = fieldBody.value; bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/&/g,"&"); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/,"/g,">"); bodyValue = bodyValue.replace(/\r\n/g,"

"); fieldBody.value = bodyValue; if(navigator.appName == 'Microsoft Internet Explorer') { if(document.getElementById('submit').disabled) { document.getElementById('submit').disabled=false; } else { document.getElementById('submit').disabled=true; } } return insertComment(form,true,function(){return showEditorialComment(nameValue, bodyValue)}); } else { alert('Please enter a valid Email below.'); form.elements[field.email].focus(); return false; } }

Source: http://www.southphillyreview.com/real-estate/3_things_to_avoid_when_buying_or_selling-182056251.html

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Building Two Under Way at Horseshoe Condos, Copeland House ...

Resort home seekers anxiously await the opening of building two of Copeland House, the premier Horseshoe Condos in Horseshoe Resort & Village.

Barrie, ON (Canada), December 03, 2012 ? Building two of Horseshoe Condos, Copeland House, is now being offered and those wishing to get in on the ground floor should visit http://www.OwnHorseshoe.com/ and register. Horseshoe is the closest resort to the cities of Toronto and Barrie, ON and Copeland House puts owners in the heart of all that Horseshoe Resort has to offer including alpine and Nordic skiing, tubing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, winter tubing, snowmobiling, two golf courses and the fabulous Adventure Park.

Building One of Horseshoe Condos, Copeland House sold out quickly and Building two will probably sell out just as fast. Located in the mountains in the province of Ontario, these condos won?t last long as purchasers buy the home of their dreams that features ski-in and ski-out accessibility across the 18-hole Valley Golf Course.

Buying a condo in Ontario can be a reality. Building two will be just a luxurious and luxury living can be a reality for those seeking resort condos in Ontario. Horseshoe Resort has much to offer to the outdoor enthusiast including alpine and Nordic skiing, tubing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, winter tubing, snowmobiling, two golf courses and the fabulous Adventure Park.

With whole ownership starting at just $199,900 and ranging up to the low $300,000s, one can live at Horseshoe Resort and use it all of the time or they can enjoy it whenever they want and place their condo in Horseshoe?s rental program and receive rental revenue when they are not there.

Purchasers will also receive a SkyLIfe Club membership valued at $25,000, providing them with unlimited skiing, golfing, adventure and perks at Horseshoe, Deerhurst Resort and other Skyline Hotels and Resorts properties. This will take affect after closing. Buyers will not have to wait to receive special privileges at Horseshoe. They will receive a VIP card offering discounts that can be used at the resort immediately so that they can live the resort lifestyle before moving in.

Sales for the second building of Horseshoe Resort Condos are now opened to the public and anyone interested should register now for priority status regarding this historic opportunity. For more information on Horseshoe Condos, visit http://www.horseshoecondos.net/ or one can call 705-812-0147.

About Skyline Investments:
Skyline International Development Inc. (?Skyline?) is a private Canadian investment and management company. From a relatively humble beginning, Skyline has grown rapidly and has become a significant and recognized player in the Toronto, Quebec and central Canada real estate markets.

This press release was submitted by Right Now Marketing Group. LLC

Press & Media Contact:
J.J. Manson
Skyline International Developments
1101 Horseshoe Valley Rd
Barrie, ON L4M 4Y8 ? Canada
705-812-0147
info@horseshoevillage.com

http://www.OwnHorseshoe.com

News from ReleaseWire.

Source: http://www.releasewire.org/12/2012/business/real-estate/building-two-under-way-at-horseshoe-condos-copeland-house/

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Pancho Sullivan and Koa Smith make the Round 3 cut at Vans - Bettor

Pancho Sullivan and Koa Smith make the Round 3 cut at Vans World Cup of Surfing

Hawaii?s Pancho Sullivan and his fellow countryperson Koa Smith secured their place in the third round (Round of 64) at the Vans World Cup of Surfing, second jewel on the 30th anniversary Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, after prevailing in their respective Round 2 (Round of 96) heats that went down at Sunset Beach on Oahu, Hawaii, on Friday, November 30, 2012.

America?s Nathaniel Curran finished just behind Sullivan in second place during the 15th heat to advance alongside the latter into the next round. Hawaii?s Mason Ho and Australia?s Mitchel Coleborn rounded out the bottom-two positions, which resulted in their elimination from the contention for the event title.

The 16th heat saw America?s Nathan Yeomans secure second place to accompany Smith into the next round. Canary Island?s Jonathan Gonzalez finished in third place, while Australia?s Heath Joske had to settle for fourth place. Both the surfers were consequently ejected from the contention for the coveted prize and Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) ranking points that were on offer.

The deadly waves gracing the primary event site on the latest day of the competition were contributing heavily to the excitement as the talented surfers from around the world continued to passionately and somewhat stubbornly tame the wild conditions.

Squaring-off against Curran, Ho and Coleborn in the 15th heat, Sullivan put on an impressive show to finish on top of his rivals.

The Hawaiian surfer was no stranger to the conditions at Sunset Beach and used them effectively to his advantage. Locking his first business-wave, Sullivan posted an impressive 8.70 on the score-board and went on to back it up with a 6.00-point ride, thus registering a decisive heat-total of 14.70 points.

Curran made the Round 3 cut as well after finishing with a heat-total of 11.77 points, which comprised of an 8.17 and 3.60-point ride.

Ho finished third with a heat-total of 6.43 points, while Coleborn finished fourth after registering a heat-total of 5.63 points.

The final heat of Round 2 saw Smith claim the win after registering a heat-total of 12.90 points, which included a 7.23 and 5.67-point ride.

Yeomans made it through into the next round as well after securing second place with a heat-total of 11.87 points, which comprised of a 7.17 and 4.70 points.

Gonzalez and Joske were forced to face premature elimination from the competition after registering a two-wave total of 8.50 and 7.00 points respectively.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Pancho-Sullivan-and-Koa-Smith-make-the-Round-3-cut-at-Vans-World-Cup-of-Surfing-a205731

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GOP issues a new 'fiscal cliff' offer to Obama

WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Republicans put forth a $2.2 trillion "fiscal cliff" counteroffer to President Barack Obama on Monday, calling for raising the eligibility age for Medicare, lowering cost-of-living hikes for Social Security benefits and bringing in $800 billion in higher tax revenue ? but not raising rates for the wealthy.

The White House declared the Republicans still weren't ready to "get serious" and again vowed tax rate increases will be in any measure Obama signs to prevent the government from the cliff's automatic tax hikes and sharp spending cuts. Administration officials also hardened their insistence that Obama is willing to take the nation over the cliff rather than give in to Republicans and extend the tax cuts for upper-income earners.

With the clock ticking toward the year-end deadline, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other Republicans said they were proposing a "reasonable solution" for negotiations that Boehner says have been going nowhere. Monday's proposal came in response to Obama's plan last week to raise taxes by $1.6 trillion over the coming decade but largely exempt Medicare and Social Security from budget cuts.

Though the GOP plan proposes to raise $800 billion in higher tax revenue over the same 10 years, it would keep the Bush-era tax cuts ? including those for wealthier earners targeted by Obama ? in place for now. Dismissing the idea of raising any tax rates, the Republicans said the new revenue would come from closing loopholes and deductions while lowering rates.

Boehner called that a "credible plan" and said he hoped the administration would "respond in a timely and responsible way." The offer came after the administration urged Republicans to detail their proposal to cut popular benefit programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

The White House complained the latest offer was still short on details about what loopholes would be closed or deductions eliminated, and it insisted that any compromise include higher tax rates for upper-income earners.

Asked directly whether the country would go over the cliff unless GOP lawmakers backed down, administration officials said yes. Officials said they remained hopeful that scenario could be avoided, saying the president continues to believe that going over the cliff would be damaging to the economy. And they signaled that Obama wouldn't insist on bringing the top tax rate all the way back to the 39.6 percent rates of the Clinton era. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal White House deliberations.

"Until the Republicans in Congress are willing to get serious about asking the wealthiest to pay slightly higher tax rates, we won't be able to achieve a significant, balanced approach to reduce our deficit our nation needs," White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said in a statement.

Boehner saw the situation as just the reverse.

"After the election I offered to speed this up by putting revenue on the table and unfortunately the White House responded with their la-la land offer that couldn't pass the House, couldn't pass the Senate and it was basically the president's budget from last February," he said Monday.

The GOP proposal itself revives a host of ideas from failed talks with Obama in the summer of 2011. Then, Obama was willing to discuss politically risky ideas such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare, implementing a new inflation adjustment for Social Security cost-of-living adjustments and requiring wealthier Medicare recipients to pay more for their benefits.

Monday's Republican plan contains few specific and anticipates that myriad details will have to be filled in next year in legislation overhauling the tax code and curbing the growth of benefit programs.

Tine is growing shorter before the deadline to avert the fiscal cliff, which is a combination of expiring Bush-era tax cuts and automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that are the result of prior failures of Congress and Obama to make a budget deal.

Many economists say such a one-two punch could send the fragile economy back into recession.

GOP aides said their plan is based on one presented by Erskine Bowles, co-chairman of a deficit commission Obama appointed earlier in his term, in testimony to a special deficit "supercommittee" last year ? in effect a milder version of a 2010 Bowles proposal that caused both GOP and Democratic leaders in Congress to recoil.

Unlike Bowles' official 2010 plan, drafted with former GOP Sen. Alan Simpson, the version released Monday drops the earlier endorsement of Obama's proposal to increase tax rates on family income exceeding $250,000 back to Clinton-era levels, with the top rate jumping from 35 percent to 39.6 percent.

Bowles, in a statement, said he was flattered but the GOP plan does not represent his proposal.

Still, he added, "Every offer put forward brings us closer to a deal, but to reach an agreement, it will be necessary for both sides to move beyond their opening positions."

By GOP math, their plan would produce $2.2 trillion in budget savings over the coming decade: $800 billion in higher taxes, $600 billion in savings from costly health care programs like Medicare, $300 billion from other proposals such as forcing federal workers to contribute more toward their pensions and $300 billion in additional savings from the Pentagon budget and domestic programs funded by Congress each year.

Boehner signaled in discussions with Obama in 2011 that he was willing to accept up to $800 billion in higher tax revenues, but his aides maintained that much of that money would have come from so-called dynamic scoring ? a conservative approach in which economic growth would have accounted for much of the revenue. Now, Boehner is willing to accept the estimates of official scorekeepers like the Congressional Budget Office, whose models reject dynamic scoring.

Under the administration's math, GOP aides said, the plan represents $4.6 trillion in 10-year savings. That estimate accounts for earlier cuts enacted during last year's showdown over lifting the government's borrowing cap and also factors in war savings and lower interest payments on the $16.4 trillion national debt.

Last week, the White House delivered to Capitol Hill its opening proposal: $1.6 trillion in higher taxes over a decade, a possible extension of the temporary Social Security payroll tax cut and heightened presidential power to raise the national debt limit.

In exchange, the president would back $600 billion in spending cuts, including $350 billion from Medicare and other health programs. But he also wants $200 billion in new spending for jobless benefits, public works projects and aid for struggling homeowners. His proposal for raising the ceiling on government borrowing would make it virtually impossible for Congress to block him going forward.

Republicans said they responded in closed-door meetings with laughter and disbelief.

The GOP plan is certain to whip up opposition from Democrats opposed to any action now on Social Security, whose defenders say should not be part of any fiscal cliff deal. And Democrats also are deeply skeptical of raising the Medicare age.

Both ideas were part of negotiations between Boehner and Obama in the summer of last year.

In a letter to the president, Boehner and six other House Republicans insisted that the November election that returned Obama to the White House and the GOP to majority control in the House requires both parties to come together "on a fair middle ground."

"With the fiscal cliff nearing, our priority remains finding a reasonable solution that can pass both the House and Senate, and be signed into law in the next couple of weeks," Republicans wrote.

One of the few things the White House and Capitol Hill Republicans can agree to is a framework that would make a "down payment" on the deficit and extend all or most of the expiring Bush-era tax cuts but leave most of the legislative grunt work until next year.

Signing the letter was Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee and the unsuccessful GOP vice presidential candidate. Rep. Dave Camp, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Fred Upton, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the Republican Conference chair, also signed the letter.

Earlier Monday, Obama answered questions on Twitter for an hour as the White House sought to keep up the pressure on the issue.

In response to a question about his insistence on higher tax rates for the wealthiest earners, Obama said that "high end tax cuts do (the) least for economic growth & cost almost $1T." By contrast, he said, "extending middle class cuts boosts consumer demand & growth."

Obama said he was open to "smart cuts" in spending, "but not in areas like R&D" and education, which "help growth & jobs." He also said he opposes spending cuts that would hurt the disabled or other vulnerable groups.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Julie Pace contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-issues-fiscal-cliff-offer-obama-214738457--finance.html

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Town evacuates as authorities relocate explosives

(AP) ? Authorities have resumed the transfer of an estimated 6 million pounds of improperly stored explosive material at a northwest Louisiana industrial site.

State police say the movement of the explosive "M6" propellant began again at daybreak Monday at Camp Minden in rural Webster Parish after being suspended before nightfall.

Residents of the nearby town of Doyline (doy-LEEN') were advised to leave the area Friday in advance of the transfer, which began Saturday. Authorities estimated that about half the town's 800 people voluntarily evacuated.

The material was stored on property leased by Explo Systems Inc., which became the subject of a criminal investigation following an explosion in October. State police said they found material improperly stored both outdoors and in unauthorized buildings.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-03-Explosives%20Investigation/id-810d855c567641b4b67d827d98e8cf6b

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Automotive Illustrations by Vizualtech Design

Ford flathead V8 with Ardun heads - rendering by Bo Zolland of Vizualtech

Ford flathead V8 with Ardun heads ? rendering by Bo Zolland of Vizualtech

Several years ago, I came across some really fine renderings of a Ford F100 pickup by Bo Zolland of the Swedish design firm Vizualtech. It was a striking design that was destined to make the leap from the computer screen to the street because a client in San Diego decided it looked too good to remain nothing more then a computer visualization. I seem to remember a follow up article somewhere showing the truck in progress, but I don?t know if it was ever completed.

Gurney Eagle racer - rendering by Bo Zolland of Vizualtech

Gurney Eagle racer ? rendering by Bo Zolland of Vizualtech

The thought occurred to me to see what Bo has been up to lately at Vizualtech and it looks like he?s been hard at work. I?m a big fan of renderings of older classic cars because you can show amazing detail, sometimes better than if you had an actual photo. It?s obvious Bo likes American classic muscle cars and racers, too, since he?s done so many and I had a lot to choose from when selecting a few to show you what he does.

Chevy Impala stock car racer in the garage by Vizualtech

Chevy Impala stock car racer in the garage by Vizualtech

Ford flathead engines, old Chevy stock cars, a Gurney Eagle racer, they all look good to me, but he does a lot of other work, too, he?s done quite a few boats, engines of all types, even tractors. It?s the kind of thing that makes you want to learn how to do this sort of thing yourself. If only I had the time ?

Link: Vizualtech

Mercury Cougar racer

Mercury Cougar racer

Source: http://horsepowersports.com/automotive-illustrations-by-vizualtech-design/

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Andrew Luck-led Colts rally to beat Lions 35-33

DETROIT (AP) ? Andrew Luck was down to his last shot and his final option to lead the Indianapolis Colts to victory.

Luck dropped back, then moved up to avoid pressure and buy time for a teammate to get open, tossed a short pass to Donnie Avery, and the receiver did the rest ? racing untouched for a 14-yard touchdown and giving the Colts a 35-33 comeback win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

"You always hesitate throwing the ball not in the end zone, for fear of the clock running out with a guy in bounds," Luck said. "Took the calculated risk that Donnie could get there in the end zone, and he did."

Luck made all the right moves when it mattered most, making his transition from Stanford to the NFL look relatively smooth to help Indy win a game in a way it hasn't since just after his 1st birthday.

The last time the Colts scored a game-winning TD with no time remaining on the clock was Sept. 30, 1990, according to STATS LLC, to beat Philadelphia 24-23.

Luck has won more games (eight) than any rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era. He broke the mark by Sam Bradford, who helped St. Louis win seven games two years ago, and also surpassed Jim Plunkett in New England during the 1971 season.

The Colts (8-4) stayed in control of the AFC wild-card race by winning for the sixth time in seven games. Luck helped them move a step closer toward being in the playoffs for the 10th time in 11 seasons, only this time without Peyton Manning.

"Some teams find ways to win," Indy interim coach Bruce Arian said. "Others don't."

The Lions (4-8) lost for the fourth straight time, including three in a row at home after leading in the final quarter.

They're the first team to lose three straight games when leading with 2 minutes left in regulation since San Diego did it in 2000, according to STATS LLC, and the first since at least 1983 to blow leads that late in three home games in a row.

"This is a tough league for tough people, and we'll find out now who is tough," Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said.

Luck is ? that's for sure.

Ndamukong Suh, who was fined $30,000 for kicking Houston quarterback Matt Schaub last week, sacked Luck on his first snap and he was hit and hurried many more times by a hard-rushing front

On the game-winning play, though, Detroit let Luck run through a slowly collapsing pocket as the final seconds ticked away and he took advantage.

"If the pass rush does their job, he doesn't get free the scramble and he never finds that receiver," Schwartz said. "All game, we focused on taking away his step-up lanes, and then on the last play, we don't do it."

Luck, who was 24 of 54 for 391 yards with four TD passes, made up for matching a season-high three interceptions by doubling his previous season high with his final TD on the winning, fourth-down play that started with 3 seconds left.

He had two interceptions in the first half and threw a third in the fourth quarter. He has thrown 13 of his 16 interceptions on the road.

Fellow rookie T.Y. Hilton had six receptions for 100 yards and Avery had five catches for 91 yards and two scores, the first of which gave the Colts their only lead ? until his second one won the game.

"I had no choice but to score," Avery said. "It was the slowest 11 yards that I ever felt like I ran."

Calvin Johnson had a career-high 13 receptions for 171 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown that gave Detroit a 30-21 lead late in the third quarter. Johnson made a one-handed grab that set up Mikel Leshoure's TD in the second quarter. Johnson had at least 125 yards receiving for the fifth straight game, matching an NFL record set in 1966 by Pat Studstill with the Lions.

"Calvin Johnson is always a bright spot," Schwartz said. "Maybe I should have had him on defense for the last play."

Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick overall in 2009, was 27 of 46 for 313 yards with two TDs and an interception late in the first half that hurt his team's chances of adding to its 24-13 lead.

Stafford also missed Johnson at times late in the game, including on the Lions' last scoring drive when he threw behind him in the end zone and that led to Jason Hanson's fourth field goal that gave them a 33-21 lead with 8:41 left.

Luck threw his third TD pass to LaVon Brazill to make it 33-28 with 2:39 left. Then, Nick Harris' poor punt from the 50 gave Luck the ball at his 25 with 1:07 left and no timeouts and the quarterback pulled off another dramatic finish.

NOTES: Lions WR Ryan Broyles (right knee) left the game, leaving the team thin at the position because it left Titus Young inactive because of his behavior and previously lost Nate Burleson to a season-ending knee injury. ... Colts OL Joe Reitz left in the first quarter and didn't return after undergoing a concussion evaluation. ... Indy rookie TE Coby Fleener, who missed the previous four games with a shoulder injury, made a twisting, 26-yard TD catch in the second quarter. ... Tigers star Miguel Cabrera was wearing a Suh jersey, as one of his guests at the game.

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Larry Lage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/larrylage

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/andrew-luck-led-colts-rally-beat-lions-35-214958328--spt.html

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