Leesburg, VA Criminal Defense, Personal Injury & Bankruptcy ...

The Law Office of Caleb A. Kershner is home to Caleb A. Kershner and H. Robert Showers, attorneys with a passion for protecting the interests of clients throughout Northern Virginia. Mr. Kershner and Mr. Showers believe in providing highly personalized legal assistance to clients throughout the entirety of their case and are well-versed in how to argue cases before judges and juries. They have more than 25 years of combined experience practicing criminal, personal injury and bankruptcy law.

Leesburg lawyer Caleb Kershner speaks directly to the camera in this video. He discusses his prior experience as a prosecutor, the knowledge he has gathered over the course of working with law enforcement officials and hundreds of criminal defense lawyers during his career, and how he puts this insight to use for those who come to him for legal representation.

Interested in speaking to Mr. Kershner? Reach out to the firm online or call 1-888-409-8671. Their office is located at 305 Harrison Street S.E., Third Floor in Leesburg, Virginia.

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Why elections in Israel may not bring better ties with US

Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have won a new, if narrow, mandate to lead Israel, and key disagreements remain: over Middle East peace, and how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

By Howard LaFranchi,?Staff writer / January 22, 2013

A girl casts her mother's ballot for the parliamentary election at a polling station in the northern Israeli Arab town of Sakhnin on Tuesday.

Ammar Awad/Reuters

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Elections can sometimes lead to new beginnings and bold initiatives, but few Middle East experts expect a rosy hue to suddenly color US-Israel relations after Tuesday?s national elections in Israel.

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Two key reasons explain why recent tensions in relations are likely to continue, analysts say: differences over the approach required to further Arab-Israeli peace on the one hand, and what some anticipate as a coming clash over Iran and its advancing nuclear program.

A third factor is less clear-cut: what the election results will mean for relations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barak Obama.

Exit polls in Israel indicate that Mr. Netanyahu has won a new if narrow mandate in Tuesday?s voting.?Netanyahu has already had uneasy relations with Mr. Obama, who has just begun a second four-year term. Experts will be looking to the makeup of Netanyahu?s new governing coalition and his choice for foreign minister as indications of how much personal friction will persist.

In the meantime, the Israeli electorate has shifted farther to the right on the question of reaching peace with the Palestinians, Israel experts say.

The result is a formula for what are likely to be more rough days ahead for the relationship.

Surveys taken Tuesday afternoon suggested more Israelis went to the polls than anticipated. Exit polls suggested that Netanyahu, while still heading the largest party in the Knesset, could end up working with a weakened coalition and less solid support than he had anticipated.

The exit polls also indicated parties demanding a fresh approach be taken with the Palestinians were doing better than anticipated. But most analysts believe Netanyahu will be faced with an Israeli electorate that sees little chance for peace with the Palestinians ? and which perceives the tumult in Israel?s neighborhood as a moment to batten down the hatches, not launch new initiatives.

Israelis feel like they?re in a category 5 hurricane, given events in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, says David Makovsky, a senior fellow and director of Middle East peace process studies at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP). And in today?s Israel, ?If you face a passing hurricane, you hunker down,? he says.

That contrasts with the US view, he adds, which is that ?if you face a permanent hurricane, you can?t survive by hunkering down.? In other words, you have to move forward.

Mr. Makovsky, who spoke at a recent Washington event on the Israeli elections, notes that recent polls show a solid two-thirds of Israeli Jews see ?no chance? for progress toward peace with the Palestinians in the foreseeable future.

?There?s been a move to the right? on the Palestinian issue, he says. That shift can be seen in how the left-of-center Labor Party largely dropped peace and other foreign-policy issues from its campaigning, he says, and in the rise of the right-wing Jewish Home party and its leader, Naftali Bennett, who advocates annexing much of the West Bank while opposing creation of a Palestinian state.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/SnKS_4Lidgw/Why-elections-in-Israel-may-not-bring-better-ties-with-US

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Phantom Limb Syndrome Will Haunt 'Grey's Anatomy's' Arizona, Says Jessica Capshaw

On this week's installment of "Grey's Anatomy," phantom limb syndrome takes over Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) and the pediatric surgeon -- who had recently (finally) made some progress since losing her leg in a plane crash at the start of Season 9 -- is going to experience a major setback.

Phantom limb syndrome plagues the majority of amputees, "Grey's" star Capshaw explained to HuffPost TV via phone, and it causes painful sensations that an amputated limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts. "I can only imagine how devastating it would be," Capshaw said. "And it would certainly stop you in your tracks as far as recovery goes. How do you deal with that?"

Below, Capshaw opens up about Arizona's battle this season (which initially "scared [her] off"), being behind this season ("because sometimes it's actually hard to watch"), potential firings at Seattle Grace in the wake of the lawsuit settlement, the debate over just how much gay visibility Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona bring to the TV landscape and much more.

It's been a long season for Arizona. What has it been like for you playing a character who's been in such a dark place?
It's been challenging. It's been really challenging. Shonda [Rhimes, the creator of "Grey's Anatomy"] -- who's like the Oz -- knew way better than I did what the landscape of [Arizona's] journey was going to be. I was scared off by merely the hint of the journey. I just had a baby and I was like, "Wait. Hold on. I'm coming back and I'm going to play this? This is really sad and dark and I want to talk about things that are lovely and light and life-affirming." So I don't know that I was even quite ready for what was about to happen, but, as I tend to do, I said, "Alright. Let's try!" And since we started, it has been dark and it's been challenging and I hope, I pray, authentic.

It's not been pretty. As an actor, I think you get attached to even creating the look of a character and in the beginning, believe you me, I used to look at my makeup artist and say, "Mascara?" [Laughs.] She'd say, "Hmm. I don't know." And I was like, "Yeah, I know. I shouldn't." [Laughs.] It was stripping everything away and you kind of had to lean into it and I did.

Ultimately, it's been a tremendous gift to be given material that is as challenging as this if you feel like you can come out the other end and feel like you did a great job. I'm very proud of the work. But I do have to say, I'm not as current with the episodes as I should be because sometimes it's actually hard to watch for me. And I can't stop talking about the visual effects guys because they're so unbelievable. I mean, they make it look like I have one leg, which also completely flips me out. It's bizarre. And speaking of bizarre, this week's episode really dips into -- Sandra Oh [who plays Cristina] and I were talking about it -- something really cool and totally different and creepy and nightmarish. It's been very interesting to do and ultimately incredibly rewarding.

Yes, in this week's episode, Arizona struggles with phantom limb syndrome. What can you tell viewers about that? Did you do a lot of research?
Yes, I spoke to amputees and we have a wonderful researcher so there was a lot of literature and thankfully, there's a real community. There are places where people who are dealing with this kind of loss can go to to understand the stages, much like grief counselors. If you're lucky enough to be around that kind of resource, you can take advantage of that.

There are many people who go through phantom limb syndrome, which is that you feel excruciating pain where the limb was that is no longer there. So you're on the road to recovery, you're accepting, you're accepting, you're accepting, you're accepting and then all of a sudden, your mind is not communicating correctly with your body and your mind thinks that something's there and it's creating a sensation of pain that your body actually isn't feeling because the limb isn't there. There are a bunch of different therapies and our show represents a couple of them. I can only imagine how devastating it would be. And it would certainly stop you in your tracks as far as recovery goes. How do you deal with that?

That's so upsetting because the last couple episodes, we've seen Arizona really ...
Start to buck up? [Laughs.]

Exactly. Especially in terms of things with Callie. Will the phantom limb be a huge setback for her?
I think the show is definitely not teeing up the story to be one of defeat so I think that ultimately, there's not a closure really, but it's about dealing with this particular syndrome and besting it. She will see an end to it and honestly, it's the road to acceptance and then moving past that because once you can accept that something is gone, you can move on from it. But if you can't accept that it's gone, you're not going anywhere.

At the end of last week's episode, Hunt [Kevin McKidd] learned that the hospital would go bankrupt if they pay the settlement that Arizona, Callie and the other doctors are owed. When will we see the fall out there?
I think it's going to be sooner rather than later. With the arrival of the amazing Constance Zimmer [who's playing Dr. Alana Cahill, a physician?s adviser hired to help Seattle Grace avoid bankruptcy] comes a bottom line. She's kind of the bad news bear. As far as the political climate and the social climate goes right now in our country and probably the world, we're all understanding that there's someone ultimately that comes in and has a bottom line and talks about how there are people who are on teams that aren't efficient and you can get rid of them. So when she comes in, that's her job and it definitely upsets the applecart.

Because of the loss of Arizona's leg, we really haven't seen much else between her and Callie this season that doesn't revolve around that issue. Will there be more interactions with them, maybe as parents and more specifically, as gay parents?
Well, it's hard to work to children. [Laughs.] I mean, I would never want to speak for someone else, but I feel that in playing the character, for sure, you absolutely have to celebrate and understand what your specific life will be and who the character is within the framework of the show. But I feel like I've always approached this character and this couple like we're all just people. I've never felt that we needed to politicize it and I've always leaned away from politicizing it because I think the most important thing is showing relationships and partnerships and love and challenge and making it all about one thing has always been less interesting to me. I think the goal is for us all to be who we are and have that be not only OK, but equal.

I mean, listen, if everything was addressed, the show would be three hours. [Laughs.] We have to trust that the audience will make certain acceptances that [Callie and Arizona] are at home being parents and that will come in and out. But I also think from when I was a fan of the show and it's a show about a hospital and a group of doctors. Of course it's always exciting when their personal lives come into it, but it is a show about doctors. We spend 90 percent of our time telling our stories in scrubs so how can it be about much more?

Does it feel like the fact that Callie and Arizona are not really not viewed as a "gay" couple anymore and are just a couple is a sign of progress?
Yeah. I mean, it's not a big thing. It's interesting. We got into a discussion one time because Derek [Patrick Dempsey] and Meredith [Ellen Pompeo] never kissed inside the hospital because that was when they were at work. And something came up one time when we were blocking a scene and we were thinking we might put in a kiss and then we thought, "Hmm. Does this feel right? We're at work. Do people kiss at work?" And then we were wondering, "Well, is it a straight/gay issue? It doesn't feel like that, but is it?" To be frank, there are people who are fans of the show that do wish there was more of that or less of that. I guess, at the end of the day, we always just end up playing the characters the best we can in the moment.

"Grey's Anatomy" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

• Kurt and Blaine, "Glee"

  Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) and Blaine Anderson ((Darren Criss) were the epitome of high school sweethearts on Fox's "Glee" -- and the fan-favorite couple among most Gleeks. Klaine is kind of like a holy word in the "Glee" Bible. Not only were they each other's first boyfriends, but they lost their virginity to each other during the controversial Season 3 episode, "First Time." Blaine has also helped Kurt through some tough times, including standing up to Kurt's bully, Dave Karofsky, and taking a laced slushy to the eye to protect him. Though Kurt's move to New York led to some major problems for the couple, we still have faith that they'll end up together.

• Michael and Ben, "Queer As Folk"

  For the first two seasons of "Queer As Folk," we thought that Michael Novotny (Hal Sparks) would never get past his obsession with his best friend Brian Kinney (Gale Harold) -- but then he met writer and fellow comic book lover Ben Bruckner (Robert Gant) and his love life took a turn for the better. Together, Michael and Ben had to deal with Ben's steroid use and his HIV, but eventually the two celebrated their marriage in Canada, with Brian by Michael's side, and they eventually had two children. Sure, Ben might think they're "conformist homosexuals," but we're just happy Michael finally got the happy ending that he deserved. They may not have been the show's most popular couple, but they were the cutest. (Sorry, Brian and Justin fans!)

• David and Keith, "Six Feet Under"

  There was just something that felt authentic and real about David (Michael C. Hall) and Keith's (Mathew St. Patrick) relationship on "Six Feet Under." Keith supported David as he came to terms with his sexuality, came out to his family and struggled to recover from a traumatic kidnapping. They had their struggles, but eventually settled down together, adopted two kids and, as the series finale's flashforward showed, lived a nice long life and eventually got legally married in the state of California. (Yep, creator Alan Ball predicted the Prop 8 ruling way back in 2005!)

• Cam & Mitchell, "Modern Family"

  Arguably the most popular gay couple on television at the moment, Cam (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) are the perfect complement to one another. Mitchell's serious and more introverted, and Cam is a jovial clown (occasionally even literally -- we love Fizbo!). Always a blast to watch, the couple's antics are both heartwarming and hilarious. Even if we don't get to see them be affectionate with each other nearly often enough, we love seeing them raise their adopted daughter Lily together. "Modern Family" writers, now it's time to get these two properly (and legally) hitched!

• Jack McPhee & Doug Witter, "Dawson's Creek"

  There were many hearts broken in the "Creek," but it was most difficult to watch Jack (Kerr Smith) struggle with each of his relationships after he came out of the closet. When he finally hooked up with Pacey's brother Doug (Dylan Neal), we couldn't help but cheer, and Doug's hesitation to come out at work made Jack finally step up as a confident and proud gay man. Their story wrapped on a bittersweet note in the series finale, as they agreed to raise dying Jen's (Michelle Williams) daughter Amy together in Capeside.

• Callie and Arizona, "Grey's Anatomy"

  Callie (Sara Ramirez) tried being married to a man (R.I.P. George O'Malley) before realizing she had feelings for women. Her first try at having a girlfriend (Erica Hahn, played by Brooke Smith) didn't end well, but her rebound relationship with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) made her embrace her sexuality, even if her religious father couldn't. Their relationship has survived quite a bit -- including the loss of Arizona's leg (as a result of Callie's decision) -- but the two vowed to stay together since getting married in front of all their friends, with Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) officiating. Even with the madness at Seattle Grace, they're still holding on.

• Willow and Tara, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

  You can just call Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) the Wiccans that stole our hearts. From their budding romance that grew along with their powers to the tragic end, Willow and Tara were the couple we loved to love. If Tara was under Willow's spell (yes, we're referencing Tara's song in "Once More With Feeling" and the fact that Willow really did cast spells on Tara, grrr), then we were under theirs.

• Barca and Pietros, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand"

  Two of this show's most winning qualities are the fact that that it depicts a whole range of sexuality with clear-eyed thoughtfulness and that gay relationships aren't treated any differently than heterosexual ones. Barca (Antonio Te Maioho) was one of the fiercest gladiators in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," and at the end of a long day in the arena, this tough warrior found comfort in the arms of a young man named Pietros (Eka Darville). The couple had their share of ups and downs, but Barca's intimacy with Pietros gave dimension and depth to the character. Terrible things tend to happen to the "Sparatacus" gladiators, who are slaves after all, but at least we got to see the sweet sides of two men who didn't often have occasion to let down their guards.

• Bette and Tina, "The L Word"

  For six seasons, fans of Showtime's groundbreaking lesbian-centric series "The L Word" followed the highs and lows of Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina's (Laurel Holloman) complicated relationship. There was adultery and pregnancy struggles and tons of emotion that all culminated in that very absurd murder in the series finale. Still, we'd like to think that Tibette stayed together ... even in the Jenny Schecter aftermath.

• Kevin and Scotty, "Brothers and Sisters"

  Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) had their rough patches, but Scotty was the only man who could put up with Kevin's neuroses and the Walker family drama. Their commitment ceremony in Season 2 -- the first same-sex TV marriage ever to involve main characters -- didn't make life a total fairytale, but they did weather quite a few more storms (cheating and a failed surrogacy among them) before adopting daughter Olivia.

• Emily and Maya, "Pretty Little Liars"

  It was hardly an easy road for formerly closeted lesbian Emily (Shay Mitchell) on ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars." But when she met Maya (Bianca Lawson), the new girl living in her missing BFF's house (yep, you read that right), she was smitten. Though Emily's mom tried to keep them apart and Maya's parents sent her to boot camp, the two finally found their way back to each other. Maya even made a grand gesture and professed her love to Emily. Sadly, Maya was murdered and Emily, in turn, murdered her killer. Not that we'd condone that but still ... it's sweet as far was "Pretty Little Liars" goes.

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/phantom-limb-greys-anatomy-arizona-jessica-capshaw_n_2546177.html

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Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable Please Step-Aside, the Obamas Have ...

Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable as difficult as it is for me to say this, apparently you have been replaced. For years families, including my own, sat down in front of the television screen and looked to you for entertainment. Your wisdom coupled with wit had us aspiring to be our own versions of the Huxtables. Your family faced ?real? issues but you got through them and for some of us you were the couple we sought to model in our own lives. And then it hit us (or at least some of us), not everything on television is real. Yes, it can be entertaining, relatable, and based on actual events but unless it?s live TV it isn?t real and these days, even live television is questionable.

With all due respect, fortunately, this century brought with it a new couple for us to learn from, a couple that has set an example for us, a couple that shows us that black marriages can last and that a little PDA is a good thing. They are a couple that shows us that our unions are beautiful and strong, and will not accept defeat no matter how much adversity they face. This couple has shown us that family can come first and that you can be a spouse, a parent, and an achiever of your dreams. I?m talking about the Obamas. We?ve been watching them for the past several years and I must say, one of my favorite things about them is that they are real. They aren?t casted characters and there is no script or a director designating their every move. They are simply living and in their everyday lives we, still very much viewers, get to have a glimpse of what their marriage is like.

Recently a study came out stating the Obamas have ?replaced? you. A real life couple replaced a television couple. And I?ve got to tell you, while The Cosby Show had quite a run and gave us some great laughs and things to think about when it comes to our marriages, I believe so many of us aspire to be more. We grow up and realize that dreams and goals don?t stop once the credits to a television show roll. They continue. Life continues beyond a 30-minute television time slot. Life is not scripted.

According to the study, we idolize Mr. and Mrs. Obama. But we know better. We idolize no man. We clearly know who our source is and as much as we love the Obamas it?s not them. Admiration and idolization are not to be confused. One thing they seem to have gotten right; however, is this:

?The Obamas are the strongest and most visible example of black love and happy marriage in the USA.?

You see, when you are The President of the United States everyone is watching. When you are married to the President everyone is watching. So yes, we are all watching. And yes, we do admire the love our President and First Lady have for one another. Yet, don?t be mistaken, there are surely other couples out there that have a beautiful love, an admirable love, and a real love. The only difference is the world isn?t necessarily watching.

The Obamas are on display and they are on display for more than the 30 minute time slot you all were given. Even so Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable, while we may not model our lives after the two of you, you will always have a special place in our hearts. And if we are channel surfing and just so happen to stumble upon your show, chances are we will watch. But there is a big world out there, a world filled with men and women that are showing us that black love is beautiful and genuine.

Despite high divorce rates many of us have not given up on marriage. We are fighting for what we have. While television shows run their course, many of us are determined to make sure our marriages will not. We are working in offices, seated in church pews, authoring blogs, cheering for our children during sports games, and also walking the halls of the White House. We are everywhere.

There are many couples that we can look to and yes, the Obamas are one of them.

BMWK ? Do you agree with the study? Have the Huxtables been replaced?

About the author

Krishann Briscoe is a child welfare professional turned freelancer with a background in child and adolescent development and social work. In addition to authoring her personal blog His Mrs. Her Mr., Krishann is a contributor for Disney?s Babble, The Conversation and The Conscious Perspective. Krishann resides in Southern California with her husband and their two daughters.

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2013/01/mr-and-mrs-huxtable-please-step-aside-the-obamas-have-replaced-you/

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Voxel Farm Is Demoing A Photorealistic Clone Of Minecraft That Looks Absolutely Amazing

Voxel Farm is a game framework for sale to developers who want to create cool, photorealistic environments. But the demo, called Procedural World, is a Minecraft clone that I would pay big bucks for if it were available for sale.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WsYN--a3pgQ/

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New year brings renewed activity in commercial real estate | The ...

Article date: Jan 23 2013

Dale Beede

Quick question: What?s the single denominator that causes real estate sales and leasing to slow? Answer: Indecision.

Thank goodness the election is over, politicians insist we?re not falling off a fiscal cliff and we?ve entered a new year full of promise.? And thank goodness the indecision is over.?

Commercial real estate users and investors have realized that in spite of the games played in Washington, D.C., now is probably a good time to make the move to a new location or improve their properties for themselves or their tenants. The new year is upon us, and it?s a new year indeed.

Grand Junction has swarmed with contractors and developers this past month who are here to bid on the proposed new headquarters for the local office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It seems the current space for the BLM office isn?t sufficient. At least 30 to 40 potential bidders have been in Grand Junction to turn over every improved property and vacant parcel to find just the right location for their proposals. It doesn?t matter the same event occurred a few years ago and no BLM move was made. Hopefully, this time the Grand Valley will be rewarded with the property sales and new construction jobs that come with a planned move of this size.

January also marks the month many New Year?s resolutions are implemented. We see sellers with a renewed focus on making properties more attractive for buyers and tenants. We also see renewed activity in office leasing.?

Companies are still expanding or contracting, so movement is the leasing market continues to occur. While stable, the energy sector is still licking its wounds from a glut of available natural gas and the low prices that continue to slow the market. We don?t expect a lot of movement among players in the natural gas market this year in terms of real estate sales and leases ? except that a greater number of mergers and acquisitions are expected. Time will tell if our local market will see a pickup or not.

What continues to be hot? Retail. Welcome to the new Sprouts in the Rimrock Marketplace, TJ Maxx at Grand Mesa Center and Tractor Supply across from Mesa Mall. That?s not to mention some proposed new casual food outlets expected to expand into the Grand Junction market over the next year. These investments in Grand Junction have helped to build construction and service-sector jobs. And jobs is what our economy is all about.

So, what are we missing? A Denver distribution company visited the Grand Valley twice in recent weeks looking for a 20,000-square-foot, dock-high building for long-term lease. Not a single building was found that met their needs. Chances are, a group of farsighted investors will be found to remedy this situation or we?ll continue to send these companies elsewhere.

Hopefully, 2013 will be the year our economy rebounds significantly and common-sense leadership once again becomes the norm. Here?s to your success this year.

Related Articles:

1. THE STATE OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
2. Commercial real estate and jobs
3. Mesa County real estate activity trending upward
4. Increasing real estate activity brightens market outlook
5. Mesa County real estate activity remains on pace to top 2011
6. Real estate outlook holds steady in an unsteady election year

Source: http://thebusinesstimes.com/new-year-brings-renewed-activity-in-commercial-real-estate/

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Sucessful Online Marketing Campaigns In A Nutshell | Rodt St

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013. Author : Max Cohen. 28 views.

Web marketing is a great way for website owners to branch out and make some extra money. Take the time to learn everything you will need. Gaining this knowledge will help you to be successful, as well as help your affiliates. This article discusses tips that other affiliates have found useful for their businesses.

Lifetime commissions are much harder to find than they once were. That shouldn?t stop you from the pursuit of them, however. Affiliate vendors pay webmasters a commission for products sold to customers the webmasters sent to the vendors. Be aware that commissions are paid out when customers make purchases during a specifically agreed upon time line. They are definitely worth searching for.

Getting involved in marketing networks can help you learn more about your market. Many forums exist in which you can share ideas and find help for any difficulties you may be having.

Affiliate marketers must be aware that enrolling in a pay-per-sale affiliate plan is very risky. However, for people who can make it work, it?s a lucrative method. Figure out if the program is a good match for you and your site before you sign up.

TIP! Learn how a company tracks orders made off-site before you choose a marketing program. If email or phone orders are not linked back to your ID as an affiliate, you could lose substantial amounts of commission.

Research all of the available options before committing to linking to a product. The placement of affiliate links can affect your results, so keep an eye on which designs are successful.

Affiliate links can go way beyond the obvious; consider related items that could be set up as links on your site. For instance, if you sell sports equipment, consider selling nutritional supplements or special clothes and shoes.

It takes time to figure out which affiliate ads appeal the most to your audience?s demographic group. Some of your potential customers may like a basic, no-nonsense advertising approach. Others may like a lot of bells and whistles. Choose your affiliate advertisements according to your target market?s preferences.

Affiliate partners can strengthen a business relationship by using open communication. Regular and predictable communication serves to ensure regular income. You need to care for your biggest affiliates so they can provide you with what you need.

TIP! Knowing what is going on in the moment can be a huge advantage. This information can reveal the amount of traffic to your website and provide details about purchasing habits.

Sometimes in affiliate money, you?ll have to spend some of your money in order to make more. Do invest money back into your affiliate promotion campaigns by advertising with various websites and services. There are three sites that are the best for advertising: Facebook, Yahoo, and Google.

Payment Options

Be sure to inquire about payment options different affiliate companies use. Payment options will vary from affiliate program to affiliate program. Some offer just a monthly check while others may offer direct bank transfers.

You should make sure that you only involve yourself with reputable affiliate companies. Good affiliate programs pay off with commissions of at least 20% on each sale their partners help them make. Your efforts will be rewarded with a higher pay if your company is one that recognizes your work.

TIP! Most individuals will eventually unsubscribe, making it necessary for you to search for new customers. By keeping track of which e-mails were most effective in the past, you will be ready to immediately start sending high quality e-mails to your new customers.

Create your own e-book and post it on websites where documents can be shared freely. By doing this, you can show off your expertise, and you can also attract visitors and prospective purchasers that are looking for information similar to what is available on your site. Make sure that your document contains several links that readers can use to reach your website.

Affiliate marketers should never be satisfied with their current accomplishments, but rather, should always attempt to expand their venture. Always reach for more. Launch more websites, begin a related blog ? anything that will help you make more profits. You just need to keep moving the needle forwards.

Companies that continually create new products are perfect partners for an affiliate marketing program. For repeat business with a reputable company, try to locate one that has several products which will keep your commissions going. Avoid one-trick pony and fad products.

If you are turning a good profit, consider trying to get a better commission. The affiliate marketing program will want to keep you aboard if you generate a lot of sales and would be more inclined to give you a pay raise.

TIP! Not all 100% commission programs are scams. While it may be easy to dismiss this as a scam, it could end up being a great deal.

Internet Marketing

Always tell your visitors when you use web marketing, and find out if they respond in a positive way. Honesty is still a most valued trait by consumers, especially with internet marketing campaigns. Confidence in your internet marketing will instill confidence in your readers.

Though you have big ideas for your affiliate website, the best strategy is to start off small. This gives you a better shot at success, and you will learn as you progress. By doing this, you will become more prepared to compete in tougher niches.

If someone visits a site about sports, they expect to see sports-themed news, ads, and merchandise. If you only have affiliate links for financial service products on your sports site, no one will click on them. An affiliate program that is related to your niche is much more likely to get clicks than something completely off the wall.

TIP! Resist the temptation to saturate your website with excessive banner ads. By doing this, you will not only diminish the quality of your site, but you?ll scare people off by being unprofessional and pushy.

You should reveal your affiliate position to your website visitors right up front. They will appreciate that and will trust you more and help you earn more money.

Front-end and back-end sales both contribute to the success you have with your web marketing efforts. If your customers enjoy products that you referred to them, you should get some of the commission. By becoming involved with businesses that offer commissions on back-end sales, you are ensuring that you receive everything that is coming to you.

If you are looking to boost sales of your own products or services, you should create a special website for your affiliates. Showing your affiliates in a positive way will make more affiliates want to do business with you. If you bother to do the proper search engine optimization on the affiliate site, you will attract affiliates who may not otherwise notice you.

Putting a time limit on purchasing an affiliate product is a great affiliate marketing tool. If customers see that a product only has a little time left to sell, they may impulse buy that product. This method can be highly effective in ringing up sales.

TIP! Get a professional accountant. A CPA is not always necesssary; many fine accounting programs exist.

Show potential customers pictures of customers using the product. You are more likely to have more sales and more business if you provide customers with a lot of information.

A quick way to start your online marketing business is to promote to the same target audience via many affiliate programs. Using multiple affiliates within the same niche gives your clients a wider range of choices.

These tips have hopefully provided you with timely and helpful internet marketing advice. Keep current with the market to succeed. Online marketing can be used to earn more income in conjunction with the income your business already earns. You can easily accomplish two goals with one action. ?

Don?t try to go it alone! Work with affiliate programs that treat you like a partner and help you to sell the product. Most affiliate companies have the knowledge and experience to know what works and what doesn?t. They have invested in research that tells which marketing angles convert customers. Well established companies will share that information with it?s affiliates, so they can use it to improve their campaigns.

TIP! You can get increased responses to your banner ads by making them display a tempting trivia question. Many people will not be able to resist clicking that banner.

This is a Guest Post. Read more about the author here: Click Here

Sucessful Online Marketing Campaigns In A Nutshell

Source: http://rodt-st.com/sucessful-online-marketing-campaigns-in-a-nutshell/

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Fixed Income/Credit HF | Wall Street Oasis

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Source: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/fixed-incomecredit-hf

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Chastain films take top 2 spots at box office

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows, from left, Isabelle N?lisse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier and Jessica Chastain in a scene from "Mama." The film was produced by Guillermo del Toro. (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows, from left, Isabelle N?lisse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier and Jessica Chastain in a scene from "Mama." The film was produced by Guillermo del Toro. (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

This film image released by Universal Pictures shows Jessica Chastain in a scene from "Mama." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Jessica Chastain easily outmuscled Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mark Wahlberg over the weekend, topping the box office with both her supernatural horror film "Mama" and the Oscar-nominated Osama bin Laden hunt thriller "Zero Dark Thirty."

"Mama" opened well above expectations with a box-office topping $28.1 million for Universal Pictures, according to studio estimates Sunday. Chastain also held the second spot with "Zero Dark Thirty," for which she's nominated by the Academy Awards for best actress. In its second week of wide release, "Zero Dark Thirty" took in $17.6 million.

The films' strong performances made an unlikely box-office queen out of a chameleon-like actress that even fans of "Mama" might have trouble picking out of a lineup. Chastain, whose credits range from Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" to "The Help" (for which she was also Oscar nominated), even accomplished the rare feat by besting a couple more traditional box-office stalwarts.

Schwarzenegger's post-governorship comeback got off to a terrible start. His action flick "The Last Stand" opened with just $6.3 million for Lionsgate, one of the worst debuts for the brawny 65-year-old star. The film came in 10th.

Though Schwarzenegger co-starred in "The Expendables 2," which opened with $28.6 million in August, "The Last Stand" is his first proper starring vehicle since exiting the California governor's seat in January 2011.

The Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe-led New York crime film "Broken City" didn't fare much better. The Fox release premiered with $9.1 million.

The Oscar-nominated "Django Unchained," meanwhile, became the director's biggest box-office hit in its fourth week. The Weinstein Co. release surpassed his previous film, "Inglourious Basterds," by adding $8.2 million for a domestic total of $138.4 million. But it did exceptional business internationally, taking in $48.1 million and proving that Tarantino's Spaghetti Western set in the antebellum South had tremendous appeal worldwide.

But domestically, audiences flocked to the PG-13-rated "Mama," which bore the imprimatur of the well-respected fantasy-spinner Guillermo Del Toro, a producer.

"Never underestimate the drawing power of a PG-13 horror film," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.

Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal Pictures, acknowledged the apparently limitless appetite for such a film, if done right: "That's why we did it," she said.

"It's a fun film without a lot of extraordinary violence," said Rocco, who added she would have been "thrilled" with a debut in the mid- to high-teens. "Young people like scary stuff."

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Hollywood will get a virtual four-day weekend at the box office. Universal is predicting "Mama" to finish with $33.2 million by the end of Monday.

Though horror films generally are a hit with male audiences, "Mama" appealed strongly to females, who made up 61 percent of its moviegoers. That was key on a weekend filled with male-driven movies, including "Broken City," ''The Last Stand," ''Django Unchained" and Warner Bros.' "Gangster Squad."

"It's an incredibly competitive marketplace for testosterone-driven films," said Dergarabedian.

The Weinstein Co.'s "Silver Linings Playbook," nominated for eight Academy Awards including best picture, expanded to its largest number of theaters in its 10th week of release. Playing in 2,523 theaters, a jump of 1,713 theaters, the David O. Russell film took in $11.4 million on the weekend ? the same in which its star Jennifer Lawrence hosted "Saturday Night Live" ? for a cumulative $55.3 million.

Other Oscar favorites saw their largest boost internationally. Ang Lee's 3-D fantasy "Life of Pi" continued to attract moviegoers worldwide, adding $20.7 million to its huge $393.9 million international haul. The international take for Tom Hooper's musical, "Les Miserables," also grew to $150.5 million with $19.4 million on the weekend.

___

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

1. "Mama," $28.1 million.

2. "Zero Dark Thirty," $17.6 million. ($770,000 international.)

3. "Silver Linings Playbook," $11.4 million. ($700,000 international.)

4. "Gangster Squad," $9.1 million. ($5.7 million international.)

5. "Broken City," $9 million.

6. "A Haunted House," $8.3 million. ($1.6 million international.)

7. "Django Unchained," $8.2 million. ($48.1 million international.)

8. "Les Miserables," $7.8 million. ($19.4 million international.)

9. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $6.4 million. ($13.2 million international.)

10. "The Last Stand," $6.3 million. ($1.3 million international.)

___

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

1. "Django Unchained," $48.1 million.

2. "Life of Pi," $20.7 million.

3. "Les Miserables," $19.4 million.

4. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $13.2 million.

5. "Jack Reacher," $11.8 million.

6. "Wreck-It Ralph," $8.2 million.

7. "The Impossible," $7.9 million.

8. "Man on the Edge," $7.5 million.

9. "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters," $7.3 million.

10. "Gangster Squad," $5.7 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

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

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-20-Box%20Office/id-69a359cf5fd0498d893152c9e5ba557f

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Malum Prohibitum ? read it | NCRenegade

by William L. Anderson

Recently by William L. Anderson: Aaron Swartz and the Feds: How Progressivism Becomes Tyranny

The outrage over the prosecutor-inducted suicide of Aaron Swartz continues, and well it should. Glenn Greenwald?s recent column barely contains the rage of a principled civil libertarian who despite his deep Progressive-Left outlook still can understand government-induced evil when its ugly face is revealed.

Indeed, Progressives from Massachusetts to California are outraged at what they correctly see as a relatively minor legal transgression by an honorable activist turned into a ?crime? for which punishment would be imposed that would be greater than that experienced by convicted murderers and rapists. Yet ? and I despair of my own inability to make this point so that Progressives can comprehend ? what these people seem incapable of understanding is that their own legal/political theology is the problem.

Yes, a lot of outrage properly is directed at U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz, a Barack Obama-appointed political animal who apparently had her eyes set upon the governorship of that state. Both she and her assistant, Stephen Heymann, who also has a reputation for being politically-ambitious, are now targeted in petitions to the White House to fire both of them, and because the petitions have more than 25,000 signatures apiece, the Obama administration now is legally-obligated to respond to them. (It will be interesting to see if Obama and his equally-culpable U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, whose own hands are washed in blood of innocent people, will throw Ortiz and Heymann overboard or if they will try to ride out what could be a difficult political storm.)

In California, Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren has introduced ?Aaron?s Law? in hopes ?to prevent a repeat of the abuses of power he experienced.? While this might sound dramatic, it truly is futile, just as former U.S. Senator Jim Webb?s attempt to deal with the ugly stain of U.S. incarceration policies and especially those involving the eternal Drug War.

Why, does one ask, are all of these ?reform? efforts exercises in futility? Greenwald, after all, is an eloquent and impassioned voice for justice, perhaps the best on the modern scene. Even conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, are able to agree somewhat with one another that things have gone too far, that too many people are incarcerated, there are too many laws, and too many ?crimes.?

Yet, I doubt that one Progressive, Right or Left, that one outraged lawyer in Massachusetts, the Great Greenwald, or even any member of Aaron Swartz?s grieving family can recognize the real problem: Malum Prohibitum. Yes, Malum Prohibitum is the very core, the very essence of Progressive law, and it is that legal doctrine that has turned U.S. law into the horror story it has become, but because most Americans have come to believe that Malum Prohibitum is the very essence of justice itself, we are doomed well into the future to live its awful results.

Let me give an example that I believe will explain my position. Many of the same people who are outraged that Ortiz and Heymann could drive a brilliant young man to his death by converting what essentially was a small violation based upon Malum Prohibitum into a series of ?crimes? punishable by up to half a century in prison no doubt fully support that Gov. Andrew Cuomo was able to do in the State of New York this past week.

To the lavish praise of the ultra-Progressive New York Times, Cuomo got the state legislature to pass sweeping gun laws that turned legal possessions into illegal contraband. In the future ? with the full support of Progressives everywhere ? SWAT teams will violently invade the homes of many gun owners to confiscate weapons that pose no danger to anyone and whose law-abiding owners either will be killed or arrested and become treated as though they were dangerous murderers. We know these things will happen, and I would even surmise that Greenwald and nearly every mourner at Aaron Swartz?s funeral would agree that New York authorities would be legally and morally correct.

When a man who has owned a gun ? say a World War II vintage M-1 Garand ? for many years but fails to register it with the authorities in New York, even if that gun is locked in a safe and is unloaded and has not been fired in a generation, the police can and will swoop into his house armed to the teeth. If the man or any member of his family is gunned down in the SWAT melee, at very best Progressives will see it as unfortunate ?collateral damage? in the enforcement of a ?good law.? Yet, that man and his family will have posed no greater threat to society than did Aaron Swartz and an army of his ?hacker? friends, but the response of the Progressive ?community? will be poles apart.

I say this not to condemn Greenwald ? certainly one of the greatest living champions of human rights ? or anyone associated with Aaron Swartz, nor do I accuse them of being hypocrites. What we have to understand is that the very essence of Progressivism is the belief that the State and its agents must decide what is right and what is wrong, and that Malum Prohibitum carry the same moral and legal weight as the ancient legal doctrine of Malum in Se. All Progressives ? Right or Left ? believe these things and cannot imagine a world without such doctrines.

The idea of Malum in Se is that some things are unlawful in and of themselves, and that everyone recognizes the wrongness in the acts. Murders, theft, assault, robbery, rape, lying in a legal proceeding, and other such actions have been illegal throughout history in almost every culture. That people have managed to avoid capture and punishment or that people given State privilege are able to do these things and not be sanctioned does not make them ?legal? in the minds of most people, but serves as a cause of outrage.

Unfortunately, Malum Prohibitum has replaced Malum in Se as the guiding legal force in American criminal law. The vast majority of the two-million-plus people in American prisons, both state and federal, and the many millions more in the criminal justice system, are there because they allegedly violated ?laws? based upon Malum Prohibitum, and we have to understand that the laws and punishments that flow from that doctrine are severe and arbitrary and have turned this country?s ?justice? system into a maw of injustice.

Even though at least one ?mainstream? U.S. law professor has said that the draconian punishments that Ortiz and Heymann were seeking involved a ?fair reading of the law,? people naturally are outraged that an original act that in itself was more symbolic that really did not impose harm on others could be legally interpreted as the legal (and moral) equivalent of terrorism with some of the harshest punishments this side of execution being dangled before Swartz. I will go even further: This entire legal episode was based totally upon Malum Prohibitum and that Swartz did not engage in real harm, but simply broke a set of rules that arbitrarily were imposed.

The legal essence of the True American Revolution of Progressivism was the imposition of rules that essentially criminalized actions that before the Progressive Era were legal. Certainly the ?crown jewel? of the Progressive Movement of the early 20^th Century was alcohol prohibition, but despite the utter failure of Prohibition, American politicians ? with full support from the voters who supposedly are the ?essence? of democracy ? have expanded the doctrines of Prohibition not only to include drugs, but firearms, speech, and some forms of pornography.

Criminal law in the USA, both state and federal, has seen explosive growth in recent decades and almost all of it is based upon doctrines of Malum Prohibitum. Government authorities determine what is ?bad,? and then they outlaw it with the idea that a submissive populace eagerly will obey the next set of rules politicians and bureaucrats send down the pike. As the Progressive mainstream media fuels the next ?crisis,? government agents swoop in and ?solve? the problem by imposing a new set of rules that the media and their academic allies then declare to be Holy Writ.

This process has gone on almost unabated for more than a century and most Americans could not imagine their lives without being surrounded by arbitrary rules imposed by their supposed ?democracy.? For that matter, I would say that the near-whole of federal criminal law is based upon Malum Prohibitum, and while state prisons hold many more inmates than do federal prisons, the Drug War that has fueled most of the increase of prisoners primarily has been a federal initiative, and even when states revolt, as many have done with regards to use of marijuana, federal authorities still demand prosecution of people who use the drug, even those who have it prescribed by doctors.

Americans who may be outraged at how federal authorities piled onto Aaron Swartz are perfectly happy with how federal and state governments tell them what they can and cannot eat, what they can and cannot wear, the kind of milk they may drink, how large their soft drink containers might be, whether or not they can own firearms for their own protection, and even what they can believe about the origins of the universe. They are perfectly content that police officers can raid their homes at will, shoot their family pets, pull them over on highways for arbitrary infractions of the rules, and physically assault them and even kill them without having to worry about being punished no matter how outrageous the police conduct. (I cannot count how many times I have been told, ?If you are not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.? Oh, to wish that really were true.)

As I wrote before, the entire federal ?criminal? case against Aaron Swartz was constructed upon the doctrines of Malum Prohibitum. Every second that he would have had to spend in prison came about from penalties prescribed by Congress and the government bureaucracies and every second of those penalties was an arbitrary number. Every ?crime? he allegedly committed came from rules prohibiting actions that not long ago were legal.

Furthermore, the core of the ?criminal? case was fashioned from ?wire fraud? and ?computer fraud? statutes that made the action ?illegal? because he used the Internet and a laptop computer. If this is not arbitrary, then the word does not exist. The original act itself ? downloading papers from the JSTOR site ? was not clearly illegal, yet Ortiz, Heymann, and their staffs were able to create a mountain of criminal charges that essentially would have resulted in a life sentence for this young man, and ultimately drove him to take his own life.

This sorry legal and moral episode was not made possible by ?overzealousness? and I would not dignify the word ?zealous? to describe either Ortiz or Heymann. The problem was not that two members of the law enforcement community had such ?zeal? for right and wrong that they got carried away and pushed the case beyond some legal or even moral boundaries.

The problem was that two politically-ambitious people were able to use the legal doctrines of Malum Prohibitum to pursue an agenda that would have forced taxpayers to fund what essentially was free political publicity for both of them, publicity that they believed would have resulted in personal gains for themselves. Rudy Giuliani did this successfully by engaging in reckless law-breaking in his pursuit of Michael Milken. James Comey did the same when he went after Martha Stewart, and Joel Klein benefitted handsomely from his legal actions against Microsoft.

Ortiz and Heymann were following the same prescription for ?success? laid down by ambitious and immoral people like Giuliani, Comey, Klein, and others. They had no reason to believe that destroying the life of Aaron Swartz would result in nothing but personal rewards that would make them wealthy and powerful. After all, other federal agents had successfully trod the same path and it worked for them.

By slipping a belt around his neck and hanging until his life ebbed away, Aaron Swartz believed he only was ending his own tortured life. He had no idea that his action would (one would hope) destroy the legal and political careers of two evil and ambitious people who should be pursued into oblivion and who deserve a much worse fate than what will befall a publicly-disgraced man like Lance Armstrong.

Unfortunately, there is a much larger story here that needs to be told, and not enough people are going to recognize what that story is, much less tell it to the world. Aaron Swartz was hounded to his death ultimately by the horrid and evil legal doctrines of Malum Prohibitum, arbitrary doctrines that have become the very basis for the laws that rule our lives. These doctrines are what provide support for Progressivism, and until Americans recognize that fact and until Americans are willing to do away with the web of rules and more rules that oppress them, they will be forced to live the nightmare time and again.

This is not simply a problem caused by those Progressives on the Left, as utterly hypocritical as they might be. The law-and-order Progressives of the Right are just as bad (and maybe worse) because they are True Believers that Malum Prohibitum is the essence of the Good Society and that rules are there for a good reason. Perhaps it is that mentality that led the evangelical and politically-conservative World Magazine to lavish praise upon a nihilistic and immoral movie like Zero Dark Thirty while mentioning the death of Aaron Swartz only in passing, with the passage not even beginning to address the vast and arbitrary powers of the prosecutors and making it sound as though only a few activists believed the prosecutors were wrong.

The Aaron Swartz case was not a legal outlier any more than Michael Nifong was a ?rogue? prosecutor. Aaron Swartz faced what thousands upon thousands of Americans face every day from a system of laws that empowers the State and crushes liberty and replaces the light of a free society with the darkness of tyranny. Most of the victims of American ?justice? choose to experience the horror and remain alive, even though in reality, unbridled State power has sucked the life out of them just as it drained the life out of Aaron Swartz.

January 21, 2013

William L. Anderson, Ph.D. [send him mail], teaches economics at Frostburg State University in Maryland, and is an adjunct scholar of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He also is a consultant with American Economic Services. Visit his blog.

Copyright ? 2013 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.

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Source: http://ncrenegade.com/editorial/malum-prohibitum-read-it/

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NASA's older Mars rover notches another milestone

This image provided by NASA shows the late-afternoon shadow cast by the Mars rover Opportunity at Endeavour Crater. The six-wheel rover landed on Mars in January 2004 and is still going strong. (AP Photo/NASA)

This image provided by NASA shows the late-afternoon shadow cast by the Mars rover Opportunity at Endeavour Crater. The six-wheel rover landed on Mars in January 2004 and is still going strong. (AP Photo/NASA)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Opportunity, NASA's other Mars rover, has tooled around the red planet for so long it's easy to forget it's still alive.

Some 5,000 miles away from the limelight surrounding Curiosity's every move, Opportunity this week quietly embarks on its tenth year of exploration ? a sweet milestone since it was only tasked to work for three months.

"Opportunity is still going. Go figure," said mission deputy principal investigator Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis.

True, it's not as snazzy as Curiosity, the most high-tech interplanetary rover ever designed. It awed the world with its landing near the Martian equator five months ago.

After so many years crater-hopping, Opportunity is showing its age: It has an arthritic joint in its robotic arm and it drives mostly backward due to a balky front wheel ? more annoyances than show-stoppers.

For the past several months, it has been parked on a clay-rich hill along the western rim of Endeavour Crater that's unlike any scenery it encountered before. It plans to wrap up at its current spot in the next several months and then drive south where the terrain looks even riper for discoveries.

Long before Curiosity became everybody's favorite rover, Opportunity was the darling.

The six-wheel, solar-powered rover parachuted to Eagle Crater in Mars' southern hemisphere on Jan. 24, 2004, weeks after its twin Spirit landed on the opposite side of the planet.

During the first three months, there were frequent updates about the twin rovers' antics. The world, it seemed, followed every trail, every rock touched and even kept up with Spirit's health scare that it eventually recovered from.

Opportunity immediately lived up to its name, touching down in an ancient lakebed brimming with minerals that formed in the presence of water, a key ingredient for life. After grinding into rocks and sifting through dirt, Opportunity made one of the enduring finds on Mars: Signs abound of an ancient environment that was warmer and wetter than today's dusty, cold desert state.

Spirit, on the other hand, landed in a less interesting spot and had to drive some distance to find geologic evidence of past water. After six productive years wheeling around, it fell silent in 2010, forever stuck in Martian sand.

Opportunity went on to poke into four other craters, uncovering even more hints that water existed on Mars long ago.

The rover "is not like a lander staring at the same real estate. We've gone to different terrains, explored different geology and answered different questions on Mars," said project manager John Callas of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which runs the $984 million project.

What's still unknown is whether Mars ever had the right environmental conditions to support microscopic organisms ? something Curiosity is trying to answer during its two-year mission. Besides water, it's generally agreed that a power source like the sun and carbon-based compounds are essential for life.

Unlike the flashier Curiosity, armed with the latest tools, Opportunity is not equipped with a carbon detector. Its latest crater destination, which it arrived at last year after an epic three-year journey, contains sections rich in clay deposits. Clays typically form in the presence of water and can be a fine preserver of carbon material. But scientists will never know.

As it enters its tenth year on Mars, Opportunity will continue studying the chemical makeup and pinning down the ages of several interesting rocks at its location for several more months before adding more mileage to the 22 miles it has logged since landing.

As for the hunt for carbon, all eyes are on Curiosity, set to drive later this year to the base of a mountain where rock layers containing clay minerals have been detected.

Callas, the JPL project manager, said Curiosity has a long way to go to catch up with Opportunity, which has nearly a decade head start on the Martian surface.

"Mars is big enough for more than two rovers to explore," he said.

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Follow Alicia Chang at http://twitter.com/SciWriAlicia

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-01-21-Mars%20Rover/id-7f73e21ed9f24475a0af5972521a8b30

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