Car finance solutions | Car Finance, Loans & Leasing Blog - Roche ...

New cars are coming down in price due to dealerships wanting to turnover their stock to make way for new models. As such, this also reduces the price of used cars. Whether you buy a new or used car, chances are you will require finance for your vehicle. As you are buying at this time of year it is likely that you have secured yourself a good price for your vehicle. Evidently you would also like to secure yourself a great deal on car finance too.

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To find the best car finance available you will need to utilise the services of an online car finance specialist. An online car finance specialist will have access to a number of banks and financial institutions, thus providing you with all your car financing solutions in one place. Your car finance specialist will be able to guide you as to the best car finance product suitable and the most viable term to take your finance over.

Source: http://h3sean.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/car-finance-solutions-car-finance-loans-leasing-blog-roche-finance.html

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Why The Correct Web Design and SEO Are Essential

By:?Liz Leaski, December 14, 2012

There are not many businesses, no matter how large or small, who will not derive a great amount of good, and boost their profits, by having an Internet presence.

The first aspect of appearing online is, of course, having a website designed by a professional web designer. A professional can advise the would-be site owner of the sort of design that would be most suitable for the services or goods that he provides, the budget he envisages, how long it will take to design the site, when it is likely to appear online, etc. etc.

Some people become so enthused when they make the decision to take their business online, they rush headlong into it without considering the best design, the color scheme, the content, the keywords, whether to have images, music, etc.

Another matter that must be taken into account when designing a website is if the company wishes to be seen locally, nationally or internationally ? the geographical reference is very important. To have a website designed for a particular local region can be less expensive than if the website needs to be seen on an international level.

The tone must also be correct for the sector the firm belongs to.

If the website is for an undertaker, for instance, the general tone should be serious and somber, but if it is a site designed for a holiday company, a garden center, hotels, etc., the tone should be relaxing, colorful and cheery.

The choice of colors, which in a way is part of tone, must also be absolutely right for the sort of business it relates to. The web design for a formal kind of company such as an accountant, a doctor, a debt help company, a dentist, a cosmetic surgeon , etc. would suit colors such as olive green, cream, chocolate brown, navy blue or similar hues If the web design is for a company specializing in children?s parties, flower shops, magicians, singers, discos, etc. bright, exotic schemes such as bright orange, scarlet, purple and yellow are the order of the day.

After deciding on the tone and color scheme, the correct content is crucial. Content includes all words displayed on the website. When the content is relevant, interesting and describes in a clear and meaningful fashion what goods or services are being provided, more visitors to the site will translate into customers and the profits of the company will grow.

It is incredible how many businesses appear online with content so bad it is impossible to work out exactly what the site is trying to sell.

The essential words on any site are known as keywords and a search engine optimization specialist can optimize these keywords by use of article writing, blogs, press releases, etc. so that they place much higher in the search engines.

This post originally appeared on seo-news.com


Source: http://naperville-webdesign.net/2012/12/14/why-the-correct-web-design-and-seo-are-essential/

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Calling on Congress: Time to Fix Copyright | Electronic Frontier ...

It shouldn't be controversial to demand evidence-based policies in the copyright space. But over and over, Congress has failed to engage in an informed discussion over which copyright policies advance the public interest, and which ones cause harm. That's why we're supporting our friends at Fight for the Future in their launch of?a campaign to urge Congress to engage in a reality-based debate about our copyright policy.

Last month, when Derek Khanna?a staffer for an influential policy group called the Republican Study Committee (RSC)?put forward a report busting some persistent myths about copyright, he wasn't met with a real debate or with fact-checking. Within a day his employer, reportedly under pressure from legislators supported by major copyright industries, retracted the report. Within two weeks, Khanna was told he would no longer have a job with the RSC.

That's right: instead of engaging in a fact-based discussion over how copyright policy should be decided, representatives of the content lobby (or the legislators they support) thought it would be a better idea just to silence the debate.

Perhaps that's because the facts aren't in their favor: Khanna's document called attention to some of the principal problems with today's copyright policy. The term of copyright is much too long, which chills innovations, weakens the public domain, and creates an enormous "orphan works" problem. The statutory damages are far too high, leading to insane awards of up to $150,000 per infringement in some cases. And over and over the public has seen its traditional rights eroded at the hands of a constantly expanding realm of copyright coverage, whether it's undermining the first sale doctrine, limiting personal uses of legally-purchased content, or jeopardizing property that happens to be stored in the cloud.

A year ago, these facts may have been the exclusive domain of legal specialists and? law professors, but that's no longer the case. If there's one lesson that legislators should have gotten from the blackout protests against SOPA this January, it's that the public recognizes that copyright issues are free speech issues. We're not willing to let one industry steamroll online civil liberties in the name of preserving its profits.?

Because we know where bad policy leads. It leads to innocent websites being censored, pulled offline for over a year because of unfounded accusations from the recording industry. It leads to hundreds of thousands of dollars of fines over a handful of downloaded tracks?a situation in which even the judge is pleading to Congress for badly needed reform. It leads to Supreme Court battles that could decide whether you are allowed to sell your legally purchased goods that were manufactured overseas.

It doesn't have to be that way. Congress could act to bring copyright policy into line with reality, even at the risk of upsetting a content lobby long-used to getting their way when it comes to copyright. This is a lobby that has convinced Congress to pass 15 laws against "piracy" in the last 30 years. It will take serious pressure from the public to let Congress know that it?s time for real copyright reform that benefits everyone?not just a few entrenched interests.

So join us in calling on Congress: when the legislative session resumes in January, let's have a reality-based debate, and let's fix copyright.

Source: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/12/calling-congress-time-fix-copyright

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Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office east bank crime report, Dec. 12 ...

This information reflects initial calls for service reported by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for the east bank of Jefferson Parish. Locations are approximate due to automated location methods and address inconsistencies, the Sheriff's Office says. Burglar alarm calls are excluded.
3600 block of 47th Street - Dec. 12, 11:04 p.m., residence burglary.
2700 block of Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 4:44 p.m., theft.
3900 block of Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 11:18 a.m., criminal damage.
6200 block of Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 3:59 p.m., theft.
7900 block of Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 8:30 a.m., theft.
Airline Drive and North Howard Avenue - Dec. 12, 11:34 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Airline Drive and North Little Farms Avenue - Dec. 12, 6:03 p.m., vehicle wreck.
900 block of Andrews Avenue - Dec. 12, 12:22 p.m., suspicious person.
300 block of Arlington Drive - Dec. 12, 5:20 p.m., theft.
Arnold Avenue and Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 2:50 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Arnold Avenue and Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 3:08 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Arnoult Road and Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 2:44 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Avenue East and Friedrichs Avenue - Dec. 12, 7:51 p.m., suspicious person.
2700 block of Blk Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 3:58 a.m., suspicious person.
3600 block of Blk Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 8:23 a.m., vehicle wreck.
100 block of Blk Hollygrove Street - Dec. 12, 6:51 a.m., criminal damage.
6400 block of Blk West Napoleon Avenue - Dec. 12, 6:41 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Bonnabel Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 12:34 p.m., vehicle wreck.
8800 block of Bruin Drive - Dec. 12, 1:02 p.m., drug law violation.
6700 block of Carmen Street - Dec. 12, 5:12 p.m., vehicle wreck.
North Causeway Boulevard and 19th Street - Dec. 12, 7:59 a.m., vehicle wreck.
600 block of Central Avenue - Dec. 12, 1:34 p.m., suspicious person.
Central Avenue and Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 9:02 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Central Avenue and Karen Avenue - Dec. 12, 1:15 p.m., robbery.
4700 block of Chateau Drive - Dec. 12, 6:33 p.m., vehicle burglary.
1200 block of South Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 5:49 p.m., theft.
1400 block of South Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 3:55 p.m., theft.
700 block of Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 10:01 a.m., suspicious person.
700 block of Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 4:21 p.m., theft.
800 block of South Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 3:37 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Clearview Parkway and Utica Street - Dec. 12, 12:54 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Clearview Parkway and Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 5:18 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Clearview Parkway and Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 5:27 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Clearview Parkway and Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 6:02 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2200 block of Cleary Avenue - Dec. 12, 11:27 p.m., suspicious person.
Cleary Avenue and North Interstate 10 Service Road West - Dec. 12, 10:51 a.m., vehicle wreck.
2300 block of North Cumberland Street - Dec. 12, 1:55 p.m., theft.
3100 block of David Drive - Dec. 12, 10:12 a.m., vehicle wreck.
David Drive and West Napoleon Avenue - Dec. 12, 2:45 p.m., vehicle wreck.
3900 block of Derbigny Street - Dec. 12, 8:26 p.m., suspicious person.
Dickory Avenue and Earhart Exp - Dec. 12, 1:33 p.m., vehicle wreck.
2400 block of Division Street - Dec. 12, 12:35 a.m., theft.
Division Street and West Napoleon Avenue - Dec. 12, 7:37 p.m., suspicious person.
Elizabeth Avenue and Sanford Street - Dec. 12, 8:24 p.m., illegal discharge of weapon.
500 block of Elmwood Park Boulevard - Dec. 12, 2:59 p.m., theft.
West Esplanade Avenue and Lake Villa Drive - Dec. 12, 3:54 p.m., vehicle wreck.
1000 block of Focis Street - Dec. 12, 8:52 p.m., suspicious person.
200 block of Friedrichs Avenue - Dec. 12, 9:36 p.m., theft.
1400 block of Gardenia Drive - Dec. 12, 6:33 p.m., suspicious person.
Humane Way - Dec. 12, 1:30 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Interstate 10 and Clearview Parkway - Dec. 12, 11:33 a.m., vehicle wreck.
4000 block of Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 3:53 p.m., suspicious person.
5100 block of Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 10:55 a.m., theft.
5100 block of Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 1:01 p.m., theft.
8800 block of Jefferson Highway - Dec. 12, 1:09 p.m., theft.
3600 block of Johnson Street - Dec. 12, 10:13 p.m., disturbing the peace.
500 block of Julius Avenue - Dec. 12, 7:24 p.m., drug law violation.
1800 block of L and A Road - Dec. 12, 5:48 a.m., theft.
100 block of Labarre Drive - Dec. 12, 11:25 a.m., suspicious person.
2900 block of North Labarre Road - Dec. 12, 11:01 a.m., vehicle wreck.
1400 block of Laurel Street - Dec. 12, 4:10 p.m., disturbing the peace.
800 block of Live Oak Street - Dec. 12, 6:22 p.m., suspicious person.
4800 block of West Metairie Avenue - Dec. 12, 7:03 a.m., disturbing the peace.
West Metairie Avenue and Elise Avenue - Dec. 12, 4:11 p.m., vehicle wreck.
400 block of Metairie Road - Dec. 12, 4:34 p.m., vehicle wreck.
700 block of Metairie Road - Dec. 12, 1:07 p.m., theft.
Metairie Road and Focis Street - Dec. 12, 9:11 p.m., suspicious person.
Mitchell Avenue and Oriole Street - Dec. 12, 6:05 a.m., suspicious person.
4300 block of West Napoleon Avenue - Dec. 12, 9:18 p.m., residence burglary.
West Napoleon Avenue and David Drive - Dec. 12, 5:12 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Park Manor Drive and Downs Boulevard - Dec. 12, 7:48 p.m., disturbing the peace.
Pasadena Avenue and Civic Street - Dec. 12, 10:28 p.m., suspicious person.
5400 block of Pepsi Street - Dec. 12, 1:30 p.m., theft.
6300 block of Riverside Drive - Dec. 12, 1:15 a.m., suspicious person.
6300 block of Riverside Drive - Dec. 12, 2:18 a.m., suspicious person.
5700 block of Salmen Avenue - Dec. 12, 7:12 p.m., vehicle wreck.
3500 block of Severn Avenue - Dec. 12, 3:41 a.m., robbery.
Severn Avenue and Bauvais Street - Dec. 12, 4:10 p.m., vehicle wreck.
1700 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 11:46 a.m., theft.
3300 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 10:01 a.m., theft.
3800 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 11:39 a.m., theft.
4000 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 3:16 p.m., vehicle wreck.
4500 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 10:17 a.m., vehicle wreck.
4500 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 12:50 p.m., theft.
4500 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 7:15 p.m., theft.
4900 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 11:54 a.m., suspicious person.
700 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 12:04 p.m., disturbing the peace.
7100 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 8:42 a.m., vehicle wreck.
8900 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 12:32 p.m., theft.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Bonnabel Boulevard - Dec. 12, 11:12 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Houma Boulevard - Dec. 12, 10:56 a.m., suspicious person.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Neyrey Drive - Dec. 12, 11:52 a.m., vehicle wreck.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and North Turnbull Drive - Dec. 12, 12:09 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Orion Avenue - Dec. 12, 9:30 a.m., suspicious person.
Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Ridgeway Drive - Dec. 12, 6:06 p.m., vehicle wreck.
North Woodlawn Avenue and Veterans Memorial Boulevard - Dec. 12, 6:02 p.m., vehicle wreck.
Zinnia Avenue and Airline Drive - Dec. 12, 6:04 p.m., vehicle wreck.

Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/12/jefferson_parish_sheriffs_offi_1203.html

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VP: 'Complex and hard' for Chavez after surgery

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuela's vice president said Wednesday that President Hugo Chavez will face a "complex and hard" process after undergoing his fourth cancer-related operation in Cuba.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro made the announcement a day after Chavez's surgery, appearing on television with a sad expression, alongside other top allies of the president.

"It was a complex, difficult, delicate operation," Maduro said, adding that indicates "the post-operative process is also going to be a complex and hard process."

The vice president, whom Chavez named over the weekend as his chosen political heir, was flanked by National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez, who had accompanied the president in Havana during the surgery.

Maduro said Cabello and Ramirez had returned to Caracas about 3 a.m. and that they had talked about the situation until daybreak. Maduro's voice was hoarse and cracked at times.

Without giving details, he called for Venezuelans to calmly face potentially difficult days ahead.

"We're more united than ever," Maduro said, while Cabello and Ramirez stood solemnly. "We're united in loyalty to Chavez."

Maduro had said on Tuesday night that the operation concluded successfully after more than six hours and that Chavez next was to begin "special treatments," which he didn't specify. Chavez's children and grandchildren accompanied him in Havana during the surgery, the vice president said.

The morning after Chavez's operation, Venezuelan state television showed a Mass where the president's supporters prayed for him.

Chavez announced over the weekend that he needed to have surgery again after tests showed "some malignant cells" had reappeared in the same area of his pelvic region where tumors were previously removed.

Chavez said beforehand that the surgery would present risks. He said on Saturday for the first time that if illness cuts short his presidency, Maduro should take his place and be elected president to continue on with his socialist movement.

The 58-year-old president won re-election in October and is due to be sworn in for a new six-year term on Jan. 10. If Chavez were to die, the constitution says that new elections should be called and held within 30 days.

Chavez first announced he had been diagnosed with cancer in June 2011. He underwent a surgery for a pelvic abscess, and then had a baseball-sized tumor removed. In February, he underwent another surgery when a tumor reappeared in the same area.

He has also undergone months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Throughout his treatments in Cuba, Chavez has kept secret some details of his illness, including the exact location and type of the tumors.

___

Associated Press writer Fabiola Sanchez, in Caracas, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vp-complex-hard-chavez-surgery-182155423.html

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Rock legends put on 6-hour Sandy benefit show

By Anna Chan, TODAY

Updated at 1:25 a.m. ET: On Wednesday night, rock legends ranging from Roger Waters (formerly of Pink Floyd) to The Rolling Stones to Paul McCartney to Eddie Vedder and many more joined together to put on a massive six-hour concert to raise money for the Robin Hood Relief Fund benefiting victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band kicked off the concert with "Land of Hope and Dreams," and followed it up with "Wrecking Ball."?

"Tonight, this is a prayer for all of our struggling brothers and sisters," Springsteen said. After performing a third song, the rocker brought out Jon Bon Jovi, and the pair sang "Born to Run" together.

"I can't believe that Bruce Springsteen is my opening act," Billy Crystal joked after the set. "You can feel the electricity in the building, which means Long Island Power isn't involved." He also reminded viewers about the devastation the storm left behind. "More than 100 people died ... entire neighborhoods wiped out. ... Tonight with your help, we are going to emerge stronger than before."

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, who recently toured with his show "Roger Waters The Wall Live," performed "In the Flesh" and "Another Brick in the Wall" from the band's classic album. He then launched into "Money" and "Us and Them" from "Dark Side of the Moon."?

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder then joined the group for "Comfortably Numb," taking turns on the lyrics with Waters.?

Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images

Roger Waters performed songs from "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon."

Adam Sandler then took the stage with Paul Shaffer on piano for a little fun, with the comedian tweaking the lyrics to "Hallelujah" to suit the evening. "Hallelujah, Sandy screw ya! We'll get through you, 'cause we're New Yorkers!"?the duo sang.

During the show, celebrities -- including Susan Sarandon,?Ben Stiller and?Jake Gyllenhaal?-- manned the phone bank to handle call-in donations. There were so many stars there to help, "You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a celebrity," Brian Williams joked during the concert.

"Twilight" star Kristen Stewart also made an appearance to urge viewers to donate. She reminded the audience of the massive amount of damage that the storm left behind. "Now is your chance to be Jersey Strong with us," she said before introducing Bon Jovi's performance.?The Jersey native kicked off his set with "It's My Life."?

"When this storm hit, we all knew that the healing process would be beginning, but that it was going to take a long time," the rocker said. "(The performers) knew the people we were doing it for wouldn't be able to hear us, to see us. ... This recovery is not going to be quick. ... But we are strong. We are New York. We are New Jersey."

Larry Busacca / Getty Images

Jon Bon Jovi performed "Livin' on a Prayer" and other hits during his set.

Eric Clapton also delivered an energetic set of his own that included "Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out" and "Crossroad Blues."

He was followed by The Rolling Stones, who were introduced by Jimmy Fallon. Frontman Mick Jagger encouraged the crowd to dance and cheer as the band launched into "You Got Me Rocking" and the singer showed off his own slinky moves.

"This has got to be the largest collection of old English musicians ever assembled in Madison Square Garden," Jagger later joked of the night's lineup.

Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images

Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones perform.

Comedian Stephen Colbert also added to the humor. He said that when Sir Paul McCartney asked him for advice on being cool, he told the musician to lose the hair cut and the accent. Colbert then pointed out that helping is also cool. So cool, in fact, that it's like "doing a line of uncut goodwill" and that donating "is the new skinny jeans."

New Yorker Alicia Keys later delivered an emotion-packed performance, first with new tune "Brand New Me" then "No One." After the two-song set, she said, "My city, New York City, is the most resilient city."

After the slower set, The Who kicked things back into high gear with an energetic performance of "Who Are You?" during which singer Roger Daltrey seemingly dropped an F-bomb. While performing "Bell Boy," the band showed video of drummer Keith Moon, who died in 1978. Images and videos switched to those of the storm's destruction during "See Me, Feel Me." They ended their long set with "Tea and Theater" and a loud expletive for beer instead.?

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/12/15871197-rock-legends-roger-waters-bruce-springsteen-and-more-perform-at-the-sandy-benefit-show?lite

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Lois Elizabeth (LaPointe) Barnett - Ludington Daily News - News

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Lois Elizabeth (LaPointe) Barnett, 79, went home to her Savior and Lord on Dec. 8, at Nottingham Place of Midland. Lois was born July 19, 1933, to Katherine and Leo LaPointe, in Ludington, and grew up on the LaPointe family farm in Carr Settlement, area of Branch. All who remember Lois as a child, remember her love of animals and her numerous pets, especially horses. She attended Elm elementary school, and graduated from St. Simon high school in 1952. She went on to attend Mercy School of Practical Nursing, and graduated the following year, in 1953. She married the boy from the farm down the road, Robert George ?Bob? Barnett on Sept. 4, 1954. As a young couple they moved around, complements of the US Navy, eventually landing in Lafayette, Louisiana, where they raised their 5 children. Lois worked as a stay-at-home mom, most of her life, but did work part time as an LPN at a dermatology clinic in Lafayette. After moving back to Michigan in 1977, she and Bob experienced new found joy through ownership and management of a campground on Hamlin Lake. She maintained her nursing license and worked part time at the hospital, in Ludington, and later at a clinic in Baldwin, where she did traveling blood pressure clinics and provided respite in-home care. She was honored for her services there. Lois had a heart of gold. She was known for taking in stray animals and wayward teens. She loved all, and was loved by everyone who knew her. She had a passion for music, gardening, playing cards, camping, sandy beaches, volunteering, dancing, and celebrating the holidays with her family. She knew how to live life to the fullest, and she taught others to live, love, and delight in all the Lord has given. Until she became ill, Lois remained actively involved in her church and community service. Even then, she tried to take care of others, as attested to by her caregivers. It gave her great joy to be able to take care of grandkids after school. She is remembered for her canned foods and for spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with home-made cookies, and underground muffins.

Lois will be greatly missed by her five children: William (Jessie Pal-ing) Barnett of Youngsville, Louisiana, Kathleen Barnett of Broussard, Louisiana, Cynthia (Larry) Woiderski of Midland, Deborah (Mark) Buteau, and James (Jeana) Barnett all of Youngsville, Louisiana; fourteen grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; her sisters-in-law, Glenna LaPointe of Branch, Patsy LaPointe of Purdon, Texas, and Sally Owen of Westland; her brother-in-law, Sam Barnett of Branch; and numerous nieces; and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents; her husband, Robert Barnett, in August 1987; her brothers, Edward and Maurice LaPointe, in 2011; and by baby Jennifer Lynn, in 1959.

The Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated for Lois on Friday, Dec. 14 at 11 a.m., at Blessed Sacrament Church, 3109 Swede Avenue, Midland, with The Rev. Pete Gaspeny, and The Rev. Joe Fix, as con-celebrants. The family will receive relatives and friends at the church starting at 10a.m. A lunch will be available immediately following the mass, and burial will take place at 4 p.m., at St. Mary?s Cemetery in Custer. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider The Alzheimer?s Association, The American Cancer Society, or St. Jude?s Children Hospital, in lieu of flowers. Arrangements for Lois are entrusted to the care of Wyman Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Scottville. Please visit Lois? personal memory page at www.stephensfuneralhome.net to sign her guestbook, or to leave a memory of Lois for her family.

--

Source: http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/68411-lois-elizabeth-lapointe-barnett

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Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar dies at 92

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, Indian musician Ravi Shankar laughs as he speaks during a concert in Bangalore, India. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, has died. He was 92. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, Indian musician Ravi Shankar laughs as he speaks during a concert in Bangalore, India. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, has died. He was 92. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2002 file photo, Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, left, and his daughter Anoushka Shankar laugh during the shooting of a film endorsing the strengthening of Indian laws against animal cruelty in New Delhi. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. He was 92. (AP photo/Gurinder Osan, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 1967 file photo, George Harrison, of the Beatles, left, sits cross-legged with his musical mentor, Ravi Shankar of India, in Los Angeles, as Harrison explains to newsmen that Shankar is teaching him to play the sitar. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. He was 92. (AP File Photo)

FILE - In this 1967 file photo, Ravi Shankar plays his sitar in Los Angeles. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. He was 92. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, Indian musician and sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, 92, performs during a concert in Bangalore, India. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, died Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. He was 92. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

(AP) ? With an instrument perplexing to most Westerners, Ravi Shankar helped connect the world through music. The sitar virtuoso hobnobbed with the Beatles, became a hippie musical icon and spearheaded the first rock benefit concert as he introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over nearly a century.

From George Harrison to John Coltrane, from Yehudi Menuhin to David Crosby, his connections reflected music's universality, though a gap persisted between Shankar and many Western fans. Sometimes they mistook tuning for tunes, while he stood aghast at displays like Jimi Hendrix's burning guitar.

Shankar died Tuesday at age 92. A statement on his website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home with his wife and a daughter by his side. The musician's foundation issued a statement saying that he had suffered upper respiratory and heart problems and had undergone heart-valve replacement surgery last week.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also confirmed Shankar's death and called him a "national treasure."

Labeled "the godfather of world music" by Harrison, Shankar helped millions of classical, jazz and rock lovers discover the centuries-old traditions of Indian music.

"He was legend of legends," Shivkumar Sharma, a noted santoor player who performed with Shankar, told Indian media. "Indian classical was not at all known in the Western world. He was the musician who had that training ... the ability to communicate with the Western audience."

He also pioneered the concept of the rock benefit with the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh. To later generations, he was known as the estranged father of popular American singer Norah Jones.

His last musical performance was with his other daughter, sitarist Anoushka Shankar Wright, on Nov. 4 in Long Beach, California; his foundation said it was to celebrate his 10th decade of creating music. The multiple Grammy winner learned that he had again been nominated for the award the night before his surgery.

"It's one of the biggest losses for the music world," said Kartic Seshadri, a Shankar protege, sitar virtuoso and music professor at the University of California, San Diego. "There's nothing more to be said."

As early as the 1950s, Shankar began collaborating with and teaching some of the greats of Western music, including violinist Menuhin and jazz saxophonist Coltrane. He played well-received shows in concert halls in Europe and the United States, but faced a constant struggle to bridge the musical gap between the West and the East.

Describing an early Shankar tour in 1957, Time magazine said. "U.S. audiences were receptive but occasionally puzzled."

His close relationship with Harrison, the Beatles lead guitarist, shot Shankar to global stardom in the 1960s.

Harrison had grown fascinated with the sitar, a long-necked string instrument that uses a bulbous gourd for its resonating chamber and resembles a giant lute. He played the instrument, with a Western tuning, on the song "Norwegian Wood," but soon sought out Shankar, already a musical icon in India, to teach him to play it properly.

The pair spent weeks together, starting the lessons at Harrison's house in England and then moving to a houseboat in Kashmir and later to California.

Gaining confidence with the complex instrument, Harrison recorded the Indian-inspired song "Love You To" on the Beatles' "Revolver," helping spark the raga-rock phase of 60s music and drawing increasing attention to Shankar and his work.

Shankar's popularity exploded, and he soon found himself playing on bills with some of the top rock musicians of the era. He played a four-hour set at the Monterey Pop Festival and the opening day of Woodstock.

Though the audience for his music had hugely expanded, Shankar, a serious, disciplined traditionalist who had played Carnegie Hall, chafed against the drug use and rebelliousness of the hippie culture.

"I was shocked to see people dressing so flamboyantly. They were all stoned. To me, it was a new world," Shankar told Rolling Stone of the Monterey festival.

While he enjoyed Otis Redding and the Mamas and the Papas at the festival, he was horrified when Hendrix lit his guitar on fire.

"That was too much for me. In our culture, we have such respect for musical instruments, they are like part of God," he said.

In 1971, moved by the plight of millions of refugees fleeing into India to escape the war in Bangladesh, Shankar reached out to Harrison to see what they could do to help.

In what Shankar later described as "one of the most moving and intense musical experiences of the century," the pair organized two benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden that included Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr.

The concert, which spawned an album and a film, raised millions of dollars for UNICEF and inspired other rock benefits, including the 1985 Live Aid concert to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia and the 2010 Hope For Haiti Now telethon.

Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury was born April 7, 1920, in the Indian city of Varanasi.

At the age of 10, he moved to Paris to join the world famous dance troupe of his brother Uday. Over the next eight years, Shankar traveled with the troupe across Europe, America and Asia, and later credited his early immersion in foreign cultures with making him such an effective ambassador for Indian music.

During one tour, renowned musician Baba Allaudin Khan joined the troupe, took Shankar under his wing and eventually became his teacher through 7 1/2 years of isolated, rigorous study of the sitar.

"Khan told me you have to leave everything else and do one thing properly," Shankar told The Associated Press.

In the 1950s, Shankar began gaining fame throughout India. He held the influential position of music director for All India Radio in New Delhi and wrote the scores for several popular films. He began writing compositions for orchestras, blending clarinets and other foreign instruments into traditional Indian music.

And he became a de facto tutor for Westerners fascinated by India's musical traditions.

He gave lessons to Coltrane, who named his son Ravi in Shankar's honor, and became close friends with Menuhin, recording the acclaimed "West Meets East" album with him. He also collaborated with flutist Jean Pierre Rampal, composer Philip Glass and conductors Andre Previn and Zubin Mehta.

"Any player on any instrument with any ears would be deeply moved by Ravi Shankar. If you love music, it would be impossible not to be," singer Crosby, whose band The Byrds was inspired by Shankar's music, said in the book "The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi."

Shankar's personal life, however, was more complex.

His 1941 marriage to Baba Allaudin Khan's daughter, Annapurna Devi, ended in divorce. Though he had a decades-long relationship with dancer Kamala Shastri that ended in 1981, he had relationships with several other women in the 1970s.

In 1979, he fathered Norah Jones with New York concert promoter Sue Jones, and in 1981, Sukanya Rajan, who played the tanpura at his concerts, gave birth to his daughter Anoushka.

He grew estranged from Sue Jones in the 80s and didn't see Norah for a decade, though they later re-established contact.

He married Rajan in 1989 and trained young Anoushka as his heir on the sitar. In recent years, father and daughter toured the world together.

The statement she and her mother released said, "Although it is a time for sorrow and sadness, it is also a time for all of us to give thanks and to be grateful that we were able to have him as part of our lives."

When Jones shot to stardom and won five Grammy awards in 2003, Anoushka Shankar was nominated for a Grammy of her own.

Shankar himself won three Grammy awards and was nominated for an Oscar for his musical score for the movie "Gandhi." His album "The Living Room Sessions, Part 1" earned him his latest Grammy nomination, for best world music album.

Despite his fame, numerous albums and decades of world tours, Shankar's music remained a riddle to many Western ears.

Shankar was amused after he and colleague Ustad Ali Akbar Khan were greeted with admiring applause when they opened the Concert for Bangladesh by twanging their sitar and sarod for a minute and a half.

"If you like our tuning so much, I hope you will enjoy the playing more," he told the confused crowd, and then launched into his set.

___

Nessman reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Julie Watson in San Diego contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-12-India-Obit-Shankar/id-7c4a63d59b9349cf99d697722b98d4d4

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Boehner: 'Serious differences' remain in talks

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who spoke with President Barack Obama yesterday, arrives for a closed-door meeting with the GOP caucus, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Boehner and the other House Republican leaders are calling for Obama to come up with plan they can accept for spending cuts and tax revenue to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and budget reductions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, who spoke with President Barack Obama yesterday, arrives for a closed-door meeting with the GOP caucus, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Boehner and the other House Republican leaders are calling for Obama to come up with plan they can accept for spending cuts and tax revenue to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and budget reductions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FILE - This Nov. 16, 2012 file photo shows President Barack Obama, accompanied by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, speaking to reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Even if Congress and the White House fail to strike a budget deal by New Year's Day, reality may be a lot less bleak then the scenario that's been spooking employers and investors and slowing the U.S. Economy. The tax increases and spending cuts could be retroactively repealed after Jan. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

(AP) ? House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that "serious differences" remain between him and President Barack Obama in negotiations on averting automatic spending cuts and tax increases that economists fear could send the U.S. economy over a "fiscal cliff."

Boehner's comments came as top Democrats pushed back on GOP demands for tough steps like raising the Medicare eligibility age and curbing the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security.

Boehner and Obama spoke on the phone twice Tuesday, a day after the president offered to reduce his initial demand for $1.6 trillion in higher tax revenue over a decade to $1.4 trillion. But Obama continued to insist that much of the revenue come from raising top tax rates on the wealthy.

Boehner countered later Tuesday with another offer that aides to the Ohio Republican said stuck close to a document delivered to the White House a week ago. A top White House aide, Rob Nabors, came to the Capitol to respond.

Boehner on Wednesday offered a sour assessment less than three weeks before the cliff would strike the economy with $500 billion worth of spending cuts and higher tax rates if left in place through September.

"There were some offers that were exchanged back and forth yesterday and the president and I had pretty frank conversations about just how far apart we are," the Ohio Republican said after a closed-door meeting with fellow GOP lawmakers in which he advised them not to make plans for the week after Christmas.

Leading lawmakers expressed pessimism that a deal was close, despite increasing angst about a Dec. 31 deadline to stop the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts and separate across-the-board spending cuts that are the result of Washington's failure to complete a deficit-reduction deal last year.

"I think it's getting worse, not better," House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said.

The Boehner camp again said it's up to the White House to proffer additional spending cuts to programs like Medicare. The White House countered that Republicans still need to cave on raising tax rates for the rich.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, warned Republicans against insisting on raising the Medicare eligibility age as part of any deal.

"One of the things that we object to is raising the Medicare age," Pelosi said on "CBS This Morning." ''Don't go there."

Pelosi said raising the retirement age wouldn't contribute much savings toward an agreement, adding "Is it just a trophy that the Republicans want to take home?"

Raising the Medicare age from 65 to 67 could cut Medicare costs by $162 billion over a decade, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate last year. But by 2035, it would cut Medicare's projected budget by 7 percent.

Democrats also pushed back against a GOP plan to reduce Social Security COLAs. That's a step back from talks between Obama and Boehner 18 month ago in which Obama considered the lower COLA.

"Quite frankly, Social Security is off the table," said Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y.

But in an ABC interview Tuesday, Obama did not reject a Republican call to raise the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67, a proposal many Democrats strongly oppose.

The proposal is "something that's been floated," Obama said, not mentioning that he had tacitly agreed to it in deficit-reduction talks with Boehner more than a year ago that ended in failure.

"When you look at the evidence, it's not clear that it actually saves a lot of money," Obama said. "But what I've said is, let's look at every avenue, because what is true is we need to strengthen Social Security, we need to strengthen Medicare for future generations, the current path is not sustainable because we've got an aging population and health care costs are shooting up so quickly."

The White House, for its part, detailed numerous proposals Obama has made to cut spending, including recommendations to cull $340 billion from Medicare over a decade and an additional $250 billion from other government benefit programs.

Obama remains determined that tax rates rise on family income exceeding $250,000, a move Republicans say would strike many small businesses that are engines of new jobs and file as individuals when paying their taxes.

Two weeks before the year-end holidays, time to find agreement was short, but not prohibitively so.

"I think it's going to be extremely difficult to get it done before Christmas, but it could be done," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

Democrats have watched with satisfaction in recent days as Republicans struggle with Obama's demands to raise taxes, but Reid privately has told his rank and file they could soon be feeling the same distress if discussions grow serious on cuts to benefit programs.

Obama's plan would raise $1.6 trillion in revenue in part by raising tax rates on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. He has recommended $400 billion in spending cuts over a decade.

He also is seeking extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut due to expire Jan. 1, a continuation in long-term unemployment benefits and steps to help hard-pressed homeowners and doctors who treat Medicare patients.

The White House summary noted that Obama last year signed legislation to cut more than $1 trillion from government programs over a decade, and was proposing $600 billion in additional savings from benefit programs.

Boehner's plan, in addition to calling for $800 billion in new revenue, envisions $600 billion in savings over a decade from Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs, as well as $300 billion from other benefit programs and another $300 billion from other domestic programs.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-12-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-da62c05b50a04e16bc1f62c25c098016

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Is Susan Rice the next Robert Bork?

By Chris Wilson

For someone who hasn?t been nominated for anything recently, United Nations ambassador Susan Rice seems to be running into an awful lot of confirmation trouble.

Rice has been widely discussed as a potential successor to Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, a prospect that has come under assault from multiple flanks.

Prominent Senate Republicans launched a preemptive strike on the idea of a Rice nomination in November, saying she had misled the public by casting the assault on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi as a mob response to an inflammatory anti-Islam video rather than a terrorist attack, as it was later proven to be. Nearly 100 House Republicans helpfully added their support to that cause, even though the House of Representatives has nothing to do with confirming presidential nominations.

In Monday?s New York Times, Rice enjoyed the distinction of unflattering coverage from both ends of the A section. In the news pages, a story dissected Rice?s support for Rwandan president Paul Kagame, whom many blame for escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the opinion pages, an Eritrean-American journalist called on President Barack Obama to nominate someone else based on Rice?s support for the late Ethiopian autocrat Meles Zenawi.

Nominating candidates to high-profile government posts is one of the most politically exposed responsibilities of the presidency, and bringing down a nominee is an easy way for a political rival to ding a new or newly reelected president. Should Obama nominate Rice to replace Clinton, she could join Robert Bork and Harriet Miers in the pantheon of two-term presidents? botched nominations.

I built a database of all civilian presidential nominations in the Library of Congress?s legislative depot, which has searchable info on nominations going back to the 100th Congress, the last of President Ronald Reagan?s tenure.

Presidents are responsible for nominating a huge number of positions, from the chief justice of the Supreme Court to members of the National Museum and Library Services Board. That means the Senate receives between about 700 and 1,400 nominations each session to approve. I limited my investigation to a president?s most prominent nominations: Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, federal appeals judges, and United States attorneys.

In the following interactive, you can see how those nominations fared in each session of the Senate. The nominations are divided by type on the left and by result on the right.

The Senate rarely rejects nominations. Instead, they typically die one of two ways: The president could decide the nomination is a lost cause and withdraw it, as President George W. Bush did with Miers, who was cast as too inexperienced by some senators and insufficiently conservative by many Republicans.

The Senate can also refuse to put the president?s nomination to a vote. In this case, Senate rules hold that the nomination is dead in the water and must be resubmitted in the next session.

But some nominees have faced outright rejection by the Senate.

They include Robert Bork, a conservative federal appeals court judge Reagan nominated to the Supreme Court in 1987, who was voted down by the Democratic-controlled Senate by margin of 58-42.

John Tower, the former Republican senator from Texas whom President George H. W. Bush tapped for secretary of defense in 1989, was rejected by a margin of 53-47 amid allegations of Tower?s alcohol abuse and womanizing.? It was the first time the Senate had rejected a newly elected president?s Cabinet nominee. ?

But Tower at least survived without having his name turned into a verb for political rejection.

How nominations fare has a lot to do with whether the president?s party controls the Senate.

President Bill Clinton, who had a Democratic House and Senate during his first two years in office in 1993-94, had only five major nominations returned without a verdict during that period. Clinton also withdrew his nomination of Zoe Baird to be attorney general amid evidence she had hired illegal immigrants to work as household help.

Democrats lost both chambers of Congress in the 1994 midterm elections, and the Republican Senate that followed confirmed only about half of Clinton?s major nominations.

Obama may be the first president since Franklin Roosevelt to serve two full terms with a Senate controlled by his own party, given that Republicans presently face an uphill battle to retake the upper chamber in 2014. Even with that buffer, the potential for a Rice confirmation may already be in jeopardy, if for no other reason than that the opposition senses the opportunity for a political victory.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/presidential-nominations-interactive-susan-rice-next-robert-bork-210309988.html

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