Tips in Getting Cheap Travel Insurance | Hi Traveling

Tips in Getting Cheap Travel Insurance ? review by Ian D.U. on August 4th ????? 4.5

Most of the world?s human population are really keen on happening holidays. This is an excellent method of relaxation and resting the mind. You will find also many people who like to travel simply to escape from their daily routine, whether it is at the office, in class or perhaps in your own home.

But you need to admit that does not all holidays are great. Sometimes you will find really that may exceed your control. You will find occasions when you are traveling could involve accidents. Because of this , why some people decide to get travel cover. Is that this really necessary?

It is good to be ready just in case something bad happens when you are traveling. You?ll have a wonderful time without anything to bother with if problems occur since you are safe by travel cover. Nevertheless, you may be believing that insurance would certainly be one more expense. That?s not just a problem because you will find a lot of insurance providers that provide travel cover for any reasonable cost. You just need to take a look at which from the offers could be more beneficial for you. Selecting the best travel cover would rely on the thing you need. Listed here are 3 tips to help you choose an ideal insurance offer for you personally.

1. It?s not enough that you?re obtaining a cheap travel cover. Most importantly, it?s important that you should know everything concerning the deal. Looking at the insurance plan is crucial to ensure that you are able to clarify things that aren?t obvious for you prior to going via a transaction. Everything should be in black and whitened especially benefits, coverage?s as well as exclusions.

2. Before studying the offers, you need to know the thing you need. It might be simpler to search for the insurance coverage if you have your personal criteria. Think about the budget! It?s just how much you are prepared to pay. You may also list the policy that you could easily search for these personal needs, each insurance that you are wanting to get.

3. After you have already recognized your requirements, now you can utilize mediums and you?ll discover right travel cover for you personally. Asking your friends? and relatives? opinions would be also useful. However, a good option to search for your insurance coverage is online. You are able to freely examine every offer online of insurance providers.

You cant ever tell when accidents may happen and because of this , why you need to be ready for something that can happen. Financial restrictions should never be an issue any longer due to travel cover offers which are very cost-effective. You just need to be cautious especially if you work with the web to obtain your insurance. You?ve to be certain that you?re benefiting from the best offer to ensure that you will get the fair value. You?ve got to be vigilant to ensure that you won?t finish up being fooled by fraudulent firms that simply want to get fast money especially if you?re not acquainted with how the organization works. It might be recommended that you review company reviews in addition to customer recommendations. Cure knows better the way a company works? The satisfaction rate of clients can have that the organization does a great job in rendering service.

Always bear in mind that travel cover must manage to safeguarding you. You?ll you need to be costing you time, effort and cash with insurance when the benefits aren?t actually competitive.

Source: http://hitraveling.com/tips-in-getting-cheap-travel-insurance.html

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THE RETURN OF NCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Okay college football fans, NCAA College Football is back for the Fall 2013 season. My question to you is who do you predict to win the BCS National Championship this year? The pre season polls are out. and guess who is number one? That?s right. We have the Alabama Crimson Tide as number one. Half of the top ten schools ranked are from the SEC Conference. We shouldn?t be surprised now should we? I was actually expecting more than five being ranked in the top ten.

In my humble opinion, preseason polls are usually accurate, and critically important, if only because they mean we?re that much closer to the season. But there are a few points of interest in our look to see which teams the coaches believe deserve to be ranked: The SEC reigns supreme once again. The SEC has six teams in the initial poll, all ranked in the top 13 ? while the Pac-12 and Big Ten each have five. The Big 12 is next with four ranked teams.

Ohio State went undefeated last year and its 2013 schedule is extremely favorable, but I expected it to be ranked a bit lower than No. 2 by the end of the regular season. Carlos Hyde?s suspension hurts the Buckeyes, and the status of Bradley Roby remains unknown in the wake of his misdemeanor battery charge.

In the SEC expectations are out there for Johnny Football, Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies. Being at No. 6, Texas A&M has its highest preseason ranking since 1995. But do we really believe that Johnny Manziel will repeat what he has done last year? With all of the hoopla and media attention he has been getting to include some negative publicity, being sent home early from Peyton Manning's camp, and minor brushes with the law? He probably can't handle the outside attention that he is getting.

One thing for sure, Alabama will remember what has taken place last year at Legion Field, and revenge is presented on a dish best served cold for the Aggies. You can also believe that the SEC will again dominate this year in the Polls, and if you don't know, you had better ask somebody.

Here are your top 25 Pre-Season Poll Rankings:

01. Alabama (58)
02. Ohio State (3)
03. Oregon
04. Stanford
05. Georgia
60. Texas A&M (1)
07. South Carolina
08. Clemson
09. Louisville
10. Florida
11. Notre Dame
12. Florida State
13. LSU
14. Oklahoma State
15. Texas
16. Oklahoma
17. Michigan
18. Nebraska
19. Boise State
20. TCU
21. UCLA
22. Northwestern
23. Wisconsin
24. USC
25. Oregon State

College Football Fans, buckle up, and hold on tight for another exciting season of NCAA College Football. The SEC Conference: The NFL Of NCAA College Football today. In NCAA Football, you have the SEC, and then everybody else.

Blog has been viewed (143) times.

Source: http://community.coastalcourier.com/blogs/detail/16620/

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07/31/2013 : A New View on the Origin of Dark Matter and Dark Energy - Image of M31 Heralds the Dawn of HSC

(Originally published by Kavli IPMU)

July 31, 2013

A stunning image of M 31 captured by Subaru Telescope?s Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC) displays the fruits of international collaboration and technological sophistication aligned with cutting-edge science. In addition to providing information about a nearby galaxy that resembles our own, this image demonstrates HSC?s capability to fulfill Subaru Telescope?s intention of producing a large-scale survey of the universe. The combination of a large mirror, a wide field of view, and sharp imaging represents a giant step into a new era of observational astronomy and will contribute to answering questions about the nature of dark energy and matter. It marks another successful stage in HSC?s commissioning process, which involves checking all of HSC?s capabilities before it is ready for open use.

M 31 captured by Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) (Credit: HSC Project/NAOJ)

HSC?s first beautiful image of M 31 gives an answer to the question: Does HSC really deliver what it promises in terms of image quality? It displays a resounding ?yes? by demonstrating the sharp, detailed resolution of which the camera is capable across the wide field of view that it embraces. The image indicates why this powerful instrument is unique within the domain of current observational technology, enabling high-resolution images from observations with a large primary mirror (8.2 m) and large field of view (1.5 degrees).

M 31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is the spiral galaxy nearest to our own Milky Way Galaxy, 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the brightest objects listed in the Messier catalog and has garnered the attention of observers since 964 A.D., when the Persian astronomer al-Sufi wrote about it. Messier catalogued it as M 31 in 1764, 800 years later, and it continues to intrigue the public and astronomers alike. It is visible to the naked eye on moonless nights, even in areas with moderate light pollution. Astronomers find it particularly interesting, because it is quite similar to the Milky Way Galaxy and can provide valuable information about how our own galaxy formed. Since the galactic center is visible, it is possible to investigate how star formation varies in relation to distance from the center of the galaxy. Of particular significance in HSC?s image is the consistently high quality of resolution of the objects throughout the frame, which surpasses the clear resolution of the image of the Andromeda Galaxy captured by the Subaru Prime Focus Camera (Suprime-Cam) in 2001 (?Sister Star World 2.5 Million Light-Years Away,? http://www.naoj.org/Pressrelease/2001/09/07/index.html). Although HSC?s field of view is seven times larger than that of its predecessor, Suprime-Cam, there is no degradation of the image at the edges.

Figure 2: A comparison of the images of M31 captured by Suprime-Cam (bottom left and middle) and HSC (right). The yellow-outlined boxes within HSC's image illustrate the dramatic difference between Suprime-Cam's field of view and HSC's as well as the high quality of resolution in the HSC image. An image of the apparent diameter of the Moon is shown as a standard by which to compare the fields of view of the Suprime-Cam and HSC images. (Credit: NAOJ)

Dr. Masahiro Takada (Kavli IPMU), the chair of the HSC science working group, enthusiastically affirmed how much the performance of HSC expands the range of potential scientific research: ?This first image from HSC is truly exciting. We can now start the long-awaited, largest-ever galaxy survey for understanding the evolutionary history and fate of the expanding universe. A ?cosmic census,? i.e. a large-scale imaging survey of every galaxy over a wide solid angle in the sky and in sufficient depth to probe the distant universe, will include the detailed measurement of hundreds of millions of galaxy shapes and assessment of the effects of gravitational lensing. Such data will allow scientists to map the distribution of dark matter, constrain the nature of dark energy, and search for baby galaxies that were just born in the early universe.?

Dr. Hitoshi Murayama, Director of Kavli IPMU and the Principal Investigator of the Subaru Measurements of Images and Redshifts (SuMIRe) Project said: ?HSC is a tremendously exciting project. We at Kavli IPMU have been involved in the project to our full extent. We contributed about a half of the project cost, and put more than 20 people working on it. We are also developing and building a multi-object spectrograph called PFS to follow up on the HSC imaging data to determine the distance, motion, and chemical composition of galaxies. The combination of HSC and PFS would allow us to conduct an unprecedented ?cosmic census.? We are very much looking forward to the coming survey data!?

HSC?s image of M 31 gives tangible evidence of features that HSC?s developers had envisioned as early as 2002, when astronomers at Subaru Telescope tried to anticipate the future demands of cosmology-related research that existing technology could not handle. Their foresight led to the establishment of the HSC Project in 2008 and was a catalyst for international collaboration among major research partners -- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ Japan), Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the universe (Kavli IPMU, Japan, from 2007), the School of Science at the University of Tokyo (Japan), KEK (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Japan), Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA, Taiwan, from 2005), Princeton University (U.S.A., from 2007) -- and with outstanding companies from industry: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Canon Inc., and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

The cooperation of so many institutions and organizations resulted in the completion and installation of the major components of HSC (116 charged-coupled devices, the seven, high-optical quality lenses of the wide field corrector in an innovative ceramic lens barrel, and the prime focus unit) onto the Subaru Telescope on August 16-17, 2012 (?Hyper Suprime-Cam Ushers in a New Era of Observational Astronomy,? http://www.ipmu.jp/node/1376, http://www.naoj.org/Topics/2012/09/12/index.html). Scientists at Princeton University have worked closely with their Japanese colleagues at NAOJ and Kavli IPMU on the software pipelines that are analyzing terabytes of raw data, which not only yield beautiful images but also precise measurements of the brightness, position and shape of every galaxy and star.

The more recently installed filter exchange unit (FEU) is another example of the fruit of international collaboration. ASIAA (Taiwan) received valuable input from NAOJ about the overall concept of the unit, its requirements, and definition of the interface with the camera. Regular meetings between the partners every few months enhanced the development of the unit. ASIAA and their domestic partner, the Aeronautical Systems Research Division of Taiwan?s Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (ASRD), developed and delivered the unit, the building of which took place mainly in Taiwan. As a result of these combined efforts, the completed FEU was ready to use on HSC for the observation of M 31. The unit can store up to six filters and position one of them in the optical path. During the exchange process, a motorized cart grasps the required filter and pushes it from the jukebox storing its filters. FEU?s operation is fully automated, and it can complete the entire exchange sequence in 14 minutes, a relatively short period of time for such sophisticated, heavy technology. HSC?s filters in the FEU help the implementation of HSC?s science goals by providing a multi-color data set.

Dr. Satoshi Miyazaki, director of the HSC Project, expressed his deep satisfaction with the high performance of HSC, which shows the significant role that it will play as a tool to realize the scientific objectives envisioned in its design: ?The sharp resolution in the current image augurs the instrument?s capabilities for capturing weak lensing, which is central to HSC?s scientific goals of surveying the parameters and properties of dark matter and dark energy in the universe as well as exploring the causes of the accelerating expansion of the universe. In essence, this means an expansion of applications that derive from the instrument?s capacity to make nearly invisible, distant faint objects, visible and for bringing dark energy and dark matter into the arena of scientific identification and investigation. The design of HSC facilitates this task with faster survey speed and tenfold expansion of file size, while maintaining quality equivalent to Suprime Cam?s.?

Scientists have long dreamed of being able to image billions of galaxies across the sky. As HSC proceeds along a successful path of testing and demonstrates its capabilities, that dream is becoming a reality.

Source: http://www.kavlifoundation.org/kavli-news/kavli-ipmu-image-m31-heralds-dawn-hsc

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In honor of 2 Guns, here's our 8 favorite performances from Denzel Washington ht...

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Benzema scores twice, Real Madrid beats Galaxy 3-1 in Champions Cup

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GLENDALE, Arizona ? Karim Benzema scored two second-half goals to lead Real Madrid to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday in the preseason Champions Cup friendly tournament.

"In general it was a good performance from the team," Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "We played well. We had a good combination in the front. We had a lot of opportunities."

Midfielder Angel DiMaria scored the first goal, taking a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo, who had beaten three defenders.

Ronaldo had multiple chances to score early in the match, hitting the cross bar in the sixth minute.

The fans in the crowd of 38,922 rose to their feet every time Ronaldo touched the ball. The Di Maria-Ronaldo connection almost produced another result in the 38th minute, as Ronaldo had plenty of time to settle a pass at his feet, dribble and shoot. But his shot went over the goal.

"The atmosphere was really fantastic and the stadium was one of the best in the world," Ancelotti said. "We will have a good memory of the experience in the future."

Ronaldo left the match at halftime, replaced by Benzema. It took the Frenchman only six minutes to score.

Francisco Alarcon looped a pass to Benzema, who was in open space and shot the ball past Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe.

Real Madrid was close to a third goal after some nifty dribbling from Alarcon at the top of the penalty area, but his 60th-minute shot was saved.

Jose Villareal pulled the Galaxy to 2-1 with some skillful work in the 63rd minute. Seconds after Brazilian star Kaka left the match for a substitution, Villareal took two touches to get some room and fired a shot past Real Madrid keeper Diego Lopez.

Di Maria found Benzema in the 74th minute with a cross over the Galaxy defenders for the final goal of the match.

Source: http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/0e6e8b2df8154775ab711da9a357040d/SOC--Real-Madrid-LA-Galaxy/

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Johnson & Johnson fined in China monopoly case

China has accused foreign companies of monopoly practices

The healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson has become the latest foreign company to be accused of misconduct in China.

A ruling by a Shanghai court ordered the US company to pay $85,000 (?56,000) to a local distributor for violating anti-monopoly laws.

Two subsidiaries of the company were accused of setting a minimum price for the sale of surgical instruments.

Multinationals have faced increased scrutiny from the Chinese authorities.

Last month, two foreign milk suppliers announced price cuts after the government launched an investigation into possible price-fixing.

Sensitive

Four Chinese executives from the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline have also been detained after being accused of paying bribes.

The Chinese authorities are sensitive to consumer prices as the cost of living continues to surge.

Some business analysts say that foreign companies are being targeted to shore up the market share for their Chinese competitors.

The Shanghai court overturned a judgment by a lower court that cleared the Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries.

The judge said the ruling was intended to protect consumers and the public interest.

He said the $85,000 damages were intended to compensate the distributor, Rainbow Medical, for lost sales.

It was denied access to further products by the suppliers after being told it was selling medical equipment too cheaply.

Rainbow Medical brought the case to court with a demand for $2.2m compensation.

It expressed disappointment at the size of the award.

Source: http://forum.santabanta.com/showthread.htm?326231-Johnson-amp-Johnson-fined-in-China-monopoly-case&goto=newpost

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Getting Your Home Ready for Your Vacation | AOL Real Estate

By Donna Fuscaldo

Vacation is a time to escape for a little rest and relaxation, but it's also the time thieves increasingly break into empty homes. According to recent claims data from insurance company Travelers, theft increases during the summer months largely because more people are away. But it's not only criminals you have to worry about while you are kicking back, you also have to be concerned about potential damage from a broken pipe, busted hot water heater or other unexpected mishaps.

"Things happen while you are away," says Jim Gustin, senior property specialist Travelers. "There are multiple perils homeowners need to worry and think about." Nobody wants to come home from a vacation to find their home has been burgled or discover their furniture floating about because of a flood. To reduce the chances of that happening follow these four tips from insurance experts, after all doing nothing can be costly: According to a Nationwide survey, the average cost to replace stolen belongings is close to $3,600.

Tip No. 1: Make it look like someone's home. Burglars prey on easy targets and will go after homes that look like empty; nothing screams unoccupied more than mail and newspapers piling up in front of the door front and a dark house at nighttime. Melissa Digby, director, loss prevention and safety at insurance provider USAA, recommends leaving the TV or a radio on to create noise.

Have a friend or neighbor collect mail and newspapers or place a temporary stop on both until you return. Set timers to turn on interior and exterior lights and other electronic devices at random times to give the appearance that someone is home, says Nationwide spokesman Jarrett Dunbar. Digby also advises alerting the local law enforcement that you will be away and ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye out for strange activity.

Tip No. 2: Keep your vacation private. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, we've become a nation of over-sharers. We share our moods, meals and pictures and while most of the time all that information is harmless, posting when you leave and come back is an open invitation to robbers. "People like to tell everyone where they are going on Facebook but the problem is they are telling everybody they are leaving," says Gustin.

Tip No. 3: Consider a water detection alarm. Flooding can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time, so you can easily imagine what would happen if you were away for a week and had no idea a pipe burst. Digby of USAA says a water detection alarm can help detect a problem early. "These devices alert you when a possible water leak is detected so that you can take action. In addition to an audible alarm, many can also be programmed to shut off the water to the appliance or main water supply to your home when a leak is detected."

Tip No. 4: Prepare for severe weather. You pack your vacation attire to deal with inclement weather, so prep your home before jetting off. If your vacation is during the summer and you live in an area prone to hurricanes, Gustin says to secure any outdoor furniture, close and lock all shutters and unplug any appliances that may be susceptible to a power surge if there is a lighting storm.

Winter travelers face the risk of a frozen pipe that explodes. To prevent that from happening, Digby suggest keeping a slow trickle of water flowing through the outside faucets, fit exposed pipes with a minimum of two inches of insulation and keep the thermostat no lower than 55 degrees. "When taking an extended vacation, consider shutting off the main water supply and draining the water system to keep water from freezing inside the pipes and bursting them," she says.

More on Fox Business:

Are Your Working at a Dead-End Job?
Summer Sales and an Exclusive Deal for Gals
Enter to Get Your Business to the Super Bowl

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
See more celebrity real estate.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/08/01/tips-preparing-home-for-vacation/

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Ontario Centre of Excellence Voucher for Innovation and Productivity

The Ontario Centre of Excellence (OCE) is now offering the OCE Collaboration Voucher Program in order to connect Ontario small and medium-sized businesses with research institutions that may help them overcome obstacles to improve productivity, performance and competitiveness. Post-secondary collaboration credit offered through the OCE?s Voucher Program are not Ontario small business grants, but rather as the name suggests vouchers that can be redeemed for research services from participating Ontario research institutions.?

OCE Collaboration Voucher for Innovation and Productivity Allows Access to Multiple Canadian Small Business Grants through a Single Application

The Collaboration Voucher for Innovation and Productivity allows Ontario small and medium-sized businesses the opportunity to apply for the Voucher program and 4 Canada small business grants simultaneously through a single application to the program.

Stay connected with Mentor Works for greater details regarding program eligibility and the application process by signing up for our Canadian government funding weekly e-newsletter.

OCE Voucher and Small Business Grants Eligibility

In order to be eligible for this program, and thus qualify for the associated Ontario business grants, businesses and their projects must meet the following requirements:

• Project length must be 6 months to maximum of 1 year.
• Include one or more investing companies and one academic applicant
• Company must be based in Ontario and the commercialization and results of the project must be used in Ontario
• Academic partner must be an Ontario accredited public academic institution (college, university, research hospital)
• 1:1 cash plus in-kind matching is required
• A minimum of 25% cash-contribution is required. The remainder can be in-kind.
• OCE contributions are provided to the academic institution who is partnering with the company
• Applicants must be in good financial and reporting standing with OCE
• Other program partner rules and eligibility apply for Connect Canada, NSERC Engage, NSERC ARD-1 and NRC-IRAP

Learn More about the OCE Voucher Program and Small Business Grants Canada

To find out more about small business grants and loans programs follow us on YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.? You can also sign up for our Canadian business grants and small business loans weekly e-newsletter

Source: http://www.mentorworks.ca/blog/government-funding/oce-voucher-innovation-productivity-08-2013/

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California IT snapshot: The failed state payroll overhaul

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July 31, 2013

After test runs failed miserably, state Controller John Chiang earlier this year suspended plans to shift the state's patchwork employee payroll system into a single, nimble program.

But the Human Resources Management System -- dubbed "MyCalPays" and, before that, the "21st Century Project" -- remains on the Department of Technology's tracking list, so we're including it as No. 8 on our list of California's 10 most-expensive IT projects:

Name: Human Resources Management System
Department: State Controller' s Office
Total estimated cost: $ 371 million
Amount spent: Roughly $250 million
Percent of project complete: NA
Estimated time frame: 2003-2004 to 2012-2013 (8.7 years)

What was it supposed to do? Replace the state payroll system that has been paying employees since the Vietnam War era.

The official line: "The State Controller's Office proposes to design, develop and implement an integrated HRMS/Payroll system, called MyCalPAYS in order to modernize the State of California payroll system that pays approximately 294,000 employees."

Red flags: Pilot program launch had numerous errors including under- and over-paying employees, taking incorrect deductions and making late payments.

This is the third installment in a series of daily posts looking at California's 10 most-expensive state computer projects as listed on the Department of Technology's website.

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Source: http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2013/07/california-it-snapshot-the-failed-state-payroll-overhaul.html

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'Evolution will punish you if you're selfish and mean'

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Evolutionary biologists offer new evidence that evolution doesn't favor the selfish, disproving a theory popularized in 2012.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/eKycQnOsDYw/130801095509.htm

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Stocks close on highs as markets await crucial jobs figures

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

3 hours ago

Stocks soared to fresh closing highs on Thursday, one day before the government releases critical jobs figures that could help determine whether the economy is healthy enough for the Federal Reserve to begin to slow down its stimulus package.

The rally, in which the S&P 500 went through the 1,700-point level for the first time, was sparked by a plethora of upbeat economic data ahead of the widely-watched jobs report set for Friday morning.

Analysts polled by Reuters expect to see a gain of 184,000 jobs in July, after a 195,000 uptick in the previous month.?

(Read more:?July jobs report key to Fed action)

"The jobs numbers have been decent as of late, but the problem is the quality of employment," said Lance Roberts, chief economist at StreetTalk Advisors. "There's also clearly a divergence between the stock market and real economy and that's because of the artificial stimulus from the Fed.

"The problem is that they're not seeing that stimulus being translated into the economy so the worry we should have is that we're inflating valuations and the issue of potentially blowing an asset bubble is very real."

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve?declined to signal when it would start tapering its bond-buying program, which has buoyed the markets. However, it did raise concerns about rising mortgage rates and flagged the risks of inflation falling too far below its target. In addition, the central bank slightly downgraded its outlook for economic growth.

But several reports on Thursday boosted the views of many analysts that the economy is getting healthier. Weekly jobless claims?dropped to a 5-1/2 year low, according to the Labor Department. And the number of planned layoffs at U.S. firms?declined modestly in July, with employers announcing 37,701 cuts last month, down 4.2 percent from June, according to the report from consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

In another positive sign, the pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector accelerated in July to the?highest level since June 2011 as new orders surged, according to the Institute for Supply Management.?

The positive economic data have stimulated the stock markets recently. Major stock averages closed out their?best July since 2010 on Wednesday and so far this year, the Dow and S&P 500 have spiked more than 19 percent, while the Nasdaq has surged an impressive 21 percent.

On Thursday, the?Dow Jones Industrial Average spiked to close 128 points higher and set a fresh all-time high of 15,650.69, lifted by Bank of America and P&G. ExxonMobil was among the few Dow components in the red.

The?S&P 500 and the?Nasdaq both put on 1 percent, with the S&P 500 piercing the 1700 barrier to close at 1706.87. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, slid below 13.

All key S&P sectors closed in positive territory, led by financials and industrials.

"The rising asset prices will help instill confidence and that will breed more confidence," said Matthew Kaufler, portfolio manager of the Clover Value Fund at Federated.?

"However, we've had a great run in the market and at some point there will be a correction in the near point?still, my sense would be that there's enough momentum that we'll end the year up a few percentage points higher than where we currently are."

(Read more:Short the S&P atall-time highs? Absolutely!)

Asian stocks rallied after China's official PMI (purchasing manager's index) data showed the country's manufacturing sector continued to expand in July, defying forecasts of a contraction. But the picture was mixed, with a private gauge of factory activity by HSBC showing an 11-month low of 47.7 in July. Japan's Nikkei rallied to a one-month peak on the news, the Shanghai Composite hit a one-week high and South Korea's Kospi touched a seven-week high.

"Official PMI is more skewed to larger companies, and the HSBC figure reflects the smaller companies and that is where you get this divergence," said Frederic Neumann, co-head of Asian economics research at HSBC.

(Read more: Will China PMI mark the end of negative data surprises?)

In Europe, the European Central Bank kept its main interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.5 percent, and reiterated that rates would remain at present or lower levels for an extended period of time.

"Labor market conditions remain weak. Looking ahead to the remainder of the year and 2014, euro area growth should benefit from a gradual recovery in global demand," said ECB president Mario Draghi in a press conference following the announcement. "Our monetary policy stance remains accommodative for as long as necessary. We have unanimously confirmed the forward guidance we gave last time."

Euro zone manufacturing activity grew for the first time in two years in July, with the purchasing manager's index (PMI) climbing to 50.3 in July. A reading above 50 indicates an expansion.

And the Bank of England left its interest rates unchanged at 0.5 percent, as expected, under its new governor, Mark Carney.

(Read more:July jobs report key to Fed action)

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Appeals court: NYC's big-soda ban unconstitutional

NEW YORK (AP) ? New York City's crackdown on big, sugary sodas is staying on ice.

A mid-level state appeals court ruled Tuesday that the city's Board of Health exceeded its legal authority when it voted last year to put a 16-ounce size limit on high-calorie soft drinks served in restaurants, theaters, stadiums, sidewalk food carts and many other places.

In a unanimous opinion, a four-judge panel of the state Supreme Court Appellate Division said that while the board has the power to ban "inherently harmful" foodstuffs from being served to the public, sweetened beverages don't fall into that category. Soda consumption is not necessarily harmful when done in moderation, the court wrote, and therefore "cannot be classified as a health hazard per se."

The panel didn't address whether the size limit would have infringed on personal liberties, but said that in adopting it, the health board improperly assumed broad lawmaking powers given only to legislative bodies, like the City Council.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the driving force behind the regulation, promised a quick appeal.

"Today's decision is a temporary setback, and we plan to appeal this decision as we continue the fight against the obesity epidemic," he said in a statement.

The American Beverage Association, which had been among the groups challenging the rule, applauded the ruling, which was the second to find that the Board of Health had overstepped its authority. A similar lower court ruling in March kept the regulation from taking effect.

"With this ruling behind us, we look forward to collaborating with city leaders on solutions that will have a meaningful and lasting impact on the people of New York City," said Beverage Association spokesman Christopher Gindlesperger.

New York's effort to cap soda portions has drawn praise from health experts lauding it as a groundbreaking step in America's war on extra weight and ridicule from late-night TV hosts ribbing the mayor as a nutrition nanny.

The drinks limit follows other Bloomberg efforts to nudge New Yorkers into better diets. His administration has forced chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus, barred artificial trans fats from restaurant fare and challenged food manufacturers to use less salt.

Bloomberg and city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley saw soft drinks as a sensible next front in a necessary fight: reining in an obesity rate that rose from 18 to 24 percent of adults in the city within a decade. Studies have tied heavy consumption of sugary drinks to weight gain. A 20-ounce Coke packs more calories than a McDonald's hamburger. Diabetes, linked to excessive sugar intake, is now among the leading causes of death in New York.

Bloomberg leaves office at the end of the year, and it is unclear whether his successor will continue the legal fight. Only one candidate, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, supports the ban. City Council President Christine Quinn, another candidate, has said she believes the city has the right to impose the ban, but wouldn't have done it herself. All the other leading candidates oppose it.

Many city residents view the drink limits as well-intentioned but too big of a reach into private conduct.

"Obesity is a big problem in our society, and that's where all the impetus for this comes from," said Francesca Delavega, 26, who moved to the city three years ago from Minnesota. "But I think people in New York also like being able to do whatever they want. And that's kind of one of the things we're known for."

Writing for the appeals panel, Justice Dianne T. Renwick did leave a slight crack in the door for some type of restriction on beverage sizes.

Nothing in the decision, she wrote, is intended to "express an opinion on the wisdom of the soda consumption restrictions, provided that they are enacted by the government body with the authority to do so."

___

Associated Press Writer Jonathan Lemire contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/appeals-court-nycs-big-soda-ban-unconstitutional-161311200.html

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Texas A&M Freshman Killed in Single-Car Accident

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/07/texas-a-and-m-freshman-killed-in-single-car-accident/

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