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FILE - In this Oct 9, 2012 file photo, Venezuela?s President Hugo Chavez holds a miniature copy of his country's constitution during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela. The ailing president's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed. Officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to take the oath of office, without saying what will happen if he can't. The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly and that a new presidential vote should be held within 30 days. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's Vice-President Nicolas Maduro, center, delivers a speech during a visit to "Fama de America" government-run coffee plant in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Maduro said Thursday that reports of recent contacts between U.S. and Venezuelan diplomats have been distorted and that Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez authorized the conversations. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

In this photo provided by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, center, delivers a speech during a visit to "Fama de America" government-run coffee plant in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Maduro said Thursday that reports of recent contacts between U.S. and Venezuelan diplomats have been distorted and that Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez authorized the conversations. At right, Venezuela's National Assembly's President Diosdado Cabello. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)

A boy plays behind a poster with an image depicting Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. The ailing president's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed. The ailing president's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed. Officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to take the oath of office, without saying what will happen if he can't. The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly and that a new presidential vote should be held within 30 days. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

People walk a mural depicting Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez past in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. The ailing president's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed. Officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to take the oath of office, without saying what will happen if he can't. The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly and that a new presidential vote should be held within 30 days. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is being treated for "respiratory deficiency" after complications from a severe lung infection, his government said, pointing to a deepening crisis for the ailing 58-year-old president.

Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation in Cuba, and the latest report from his government Thursday night increased speculation that he is unlikely to be able to be sworn in for another term as scheduled in less than a week.

"Chavez has faced complications as a result of a severe respiratory infection. This infection has led to respiratory deficiency that requires Commander Chavez to remain in strict compliance with his medical treatment," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said Thursday night, reading the statement on television.

The government's characterization raised the possibility that Chavez might be breathing with the assistance of a machine. But the government did not address that question and didn't give details of the president's treatment.

"It appears he has a very severe pneumonia that he suffered after a respiratory failure. It is not very specific," said Dr. Alejandro Rios-Ramirez, a pulmonary specialist in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, who is not involved in Chavez's treatment. "It does imply the gravity of his pulmonary infection that led to a respiratory failure. It doesn't mean yet that he is breathing with a machine."

Dr. Michael Pishvaian, an oncologist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Cancer Center in Washington, said such respiratory infections can run the gamut from "a mild infection requiring antibiotics and supplemental oxygen to life threatening respiratory complications."

"It could be a very ominous sign," Pishvaian said.

The government expressed confidence in Chavez's medical team and condemned what it called a "campaign of psychological warfare" in the international media regarding the president's condition. Officials have urged Venezuelans not to heed rumors about Chavez's condition.

The statement didn't point to any particular rumors but said "this campaign aims ultimately to destabilize the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ... and end the Bolivarian Revolution led by Chavez."

Venezuela's opposition has demanded that the government provide more specific information about Chavez's condition.

Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

He was re-elected in October to another six-year term, and two months later announced that the cancer had come back. Chavez said before the operation that if his illness prevented him from remaining president, Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be his party's candidate to replace him in a new election.

This week, the president's elder brother Adan and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello joined a parade of visitors who saw Chavez in Havana, and then returned to Caracas on Thursday along with Maduro.

"In the past hours, we've been accompanying President Hugo Chavez and taking him the courage and strength of the Venezuelan people," Maduro said on television. Appearing next to Cabello visiting a government-run coffee plant in Caracas, he said they had been with Chavez together with the president's brother, his son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez and Attorney General Cilia Flores.

Chavez's health crisis has raised contentious questions ahead of the swearing-in set for Jan. 10, including whether the inauguration could legally be postponed and what will happen if Chavez can't begin his new term. The plans of Chavez's allies remain a mystery.

The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly, and officials have raised the possibility that Chavez might not be well enough to do that, without saying what will happen if he can't.

The constitution says that if a president or president-elect dies or is declared unable to continue in office, presidential powers should be held temporarily by the president of the National Assembly, who is now Cabello. It says a new presidential vote should be held within 30 days.

Opposition leaders have argued that Chavez, who was re-elected to a six-year term in October, seems no longer fit to continue as president and have demanded that a new election be held within 30 days if he isn't in Caracas on inauguration day.

But some of Chavez's close confidants dismiss the view that the inauguration date is a hard deadline, saying Chavez could be given more time to recover from his surgery if necessary.

Aristobulo Isturiz, a state governor and leader of Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said Thursday that if Chavez's swearing-in isn't held Jan. 10, it will be up to the Supreme Court to determine the place and date of the ceremony.

"The president has a right to recover," Isturiz said in remarks published by the state-run Venezuelan News Agency.

Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, an opposition politician, proposed on Thursday that a commission travel to Cuba to determine the state of Chavez's health. He said the delegation should be made up of doctors, lawmakers and other officials such as state governors, including opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

"I'm not asking for permission to go to Cuba. I think it's our right to go there and see what's going on," Ledezma said in comments reported by the television channel Globovision. "Enough mysteries. Venezuela isn't a colony of Cuba."

Some of the brewing disagreements could begin to be aired Saturday, when the National Assembly, which is controlled by a pro-Chavez majority, convenes to select legislative leaders. That session will be held just five days before the scheduled inauguration day.

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Associated Press writers Jorge Rueda and Christopher Toothaker in Caracas and Adriana Gomez Licon in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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Ian James on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ianjamesap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-04-Venezuela-Chavez/id-78a22d27222b441ca08582a4c5781a63

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A Kanawha County judge has granted ex-Attorney General McGraw?s request for a permanent injunction against the Liberty Mutual insurance company and a St. Albans body shop owner who illegally installed junkyard parts on new vehicles involved in auto accidents.

The judge ruled that Liberty Mutual and Greg Chandler ? owner of Greg Chandler?s Frame and Body ? cannot install used parts on vehicles built within three years of the date of the crash.

The judge?s decision was apparently based on Liberty Mutual?s admission that it had repaired nearly 200 vehicles using junkyard and aftermarket parts, which was in ?blatant disregard of the law.?

The court has not yet decided the amount of compensation Liberty Mutual will have to pay its customers or the amount of any penalties it will be assessed.

This ruling is a victory for residents of West Virginia and will hopefully deter other unscrupulous insurance companies and auto repair shops from installing junkyard parts on new cars.

If you have been involved in an auto collision in West Virginia and suspect your insurance company is attempting to repair your car with used or junkyard parts, please feel free to call West Law Offices to speak with a WV car accident attorney.

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Source: http://www.wvpersonalinjurylawyer.com/insurance-company-fixing-cars-junkyard-parts

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India has become one of the best places for mobile vendors to invest. The reason is quite obvious that the country ranks second in the world in terms of mobile subscriber base. As number of mobile handsets (especially smartphones) ramping up, internet access on the device has become one of the hottest trend here. In addition, mobile devices account for about 50% of all web traffic in the country.

2.7 Million Users Accessed Internet Using Dongle In Oct, 2012

As usual, mobile handset users in India often use their device for accessing information, playing games, communication,?watching videos and listening to music. According to a recent report from IAMAI, an online publisher tracking?digital and?online industry, the country had?78.7 million users, accessing internet on their mobile device in last one month, in October last year.

Among entire mobile internet users, 61 million were ?Off Deck Users? (accessing sites other than operators), while 15 million were ?On Deck Users? (accessing sites only specified by operators). Besides, 2.7 million users accessed internet using dongles, connected to internet using using 2G, 3G or high speed data cards.

22% Of Mobile Internet Users In India Spend INR 500 Or More In Every Month

As competition is ramping up in Indian mobile segment, it?s tough for the device manufacturers to manage high ASP (average selling price). This is the reason why average selling price of mobile devices (among users those are accessing internet) is just INR 8,250 in the country. In simple words, still majority of users have low-cost and inexpensive internet-enabled mobile handsets.

The firm has reported that an average monthly bill of users, accessing internet on mobile device, is about INR 460. More importantly, users spend INR 198 (out of INR 460) towards internet expenses. Really, it?s nice to listen that users are more likely to spend (nearly 40% of their mobile expenses) on internet access. However, they still spend 60% of their entire mobile expenses on voice services. One of the noticeable point here is that 22% of mobile users spend in the range of INR 500 and above.

average monthly spend on mobile internet

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?Email Accessing? Is The Most Preferred Activity On Mobile

Among all internet activities, Indian mobile users prefer most to emails (send or receive) and social networking sites accessing. Besides, users are also more willing to access app stores as well as online videos. By the end of 2012, India is expected to have 87.1 million mobile internet users, accessing internet every month.

At the end of October last year, the country had 904 million mobile subscriber?categorised?into two segments??Off Deck Users? and ?On Deck Users?. Apparently, the main credit goes to low-priced feature phones for the prevalence of mobile internet across the country.

Mobile internet users often use emails, social networking services and messengers daily on their device. However, app stores are being accessed by lower proportion of the users, but in terms of engagement, it?s mind-boggling.

activities on Mobile internet

Prevalence Of Online Gaming, Video Streaming And News On Mobile Devices

Online activities such as tickets??booking?and bank service access on mobile devices have also increased over the past couple of years. However, still a low proportion of users access these services on their mobile devices. Some other activities such as watching online videos, reading online news and playing online games have also surged on mobile devices; users access internet on their mobile handsets for these activities approximately 2-6 times a week.

Interestingly, 50% of mobile internet users in India use their device for online games, while less than 30% of users read online news and watch online videos.

mobile internet users in India

Mobile Internet Users In India Would Hit 164.8 Million Figure By March 2015

It?s beyond the shadow of doubts that the growth of mobile internet will remain strong over the next few years. As the trend of on-the-go internet access is mounting up, users are more likely to adopt internet-enable mobile devices in forthcoming years. On the other side,?deployment?of 3G and 4G networks across the country by the carriers could also fuel adoption of internet-enabled mobile devices in the country.

As demand of internet on mobile device is growing, the day is not so far when mobile internet users will hit 150 million milestone. It?s expected that the country will achieve 100 million mobile internet subscribers by March 2014 and 164.5 million by March 2015.

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Source: http://www.dazeinfo.com/2013/01/03/mobile-internet-users-in-india-to-reach-100-million-by-march-2014/

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Getty Images

For the teams who had their seasons come to an end this past weekend, the page turns toward next season.

Teams have already begun signing players to reserve/future contracts for when rosters expand to the off-season limit of 90 players at the end of the league year in March. Here is a list of teams that have already inked deals with players for the 2013 season.

For teams still in the playoffs, the players signed are not eligible to take part in any team activity until after the season.

Buffalo Bills (5)

Running back Zach Brown, defensive end Corbin Bryant, defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert, offensive tackle Adam Grant, linebacker Brian Smith.

Chicago Bears (6)

Wide receiver Dale Moss, tight end Gabe Miller, guard Chris Riley, guard Derek Dennis, linebacker Aston Whiteside, cornerback Isaiah Frey.

Cincinnati Bengals (1)

Wide receiver Lavasier Tuniei.

Dallas Cowboys (10)

Cornerback Vince Agnew, wide receiver Tim Benford, wide receiver Danny Coale, defensive end Ikponmwosa Igbinosun, cornerback Micah Pellerin, defensive tackle Brian Price, linebacker Brashton Satele, tight end Andre Smith, quarterback Nick Stephens, linebacker Monte Taylor.

Detroit Lions (12)

Wide receiver Patrick Edwards, cornerback Lionel Smith, guard Rodney Austin, cornerback Conroy Black, wide receiver Troy Burrell, linebacker Carmen Messina, running back Devin Moore, cornerback Ross Weaver, wide receiver Lance Long, wide receiver Dominique Curry, wide receiver Terrence Austin, wide receiver Chastin West.

Indianapolis Colts (3)

Safety Larry Asante, offensive tackle Robert Griffin, linebacker Quinton Spears.

New York Jets (8)

Linebacker JoJo Dickson, defensive tackle Tevita Finau, safety Jaiquawn Jarrett (pictured), offensive tackle Dennis Landolt, wide receiver Royce Pollard,? wide receiver Titus Ryan, quarterback Matt Simms, linebacker Jacquies Smith.

Philadelphia Eagles (7)

Defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron, tight end Derek Carrier, WR B.J. Cunningham, LB Marcus Dowtin, offensive tackle Matt Reynolds, guard Julian Vandervelde, defensive back Eddie Whitley.

St. Louis Rams (8)

Linebacker Jabara Williams, wide receiver Nick Johnson, wide receiver Raymond Radway, defensive end Mason Brodine, running back Chase Reynolds, tight end Cameron Graham, guard Brandon Washington, offensive tackle Ty Nsehke.

Tennessee Titans (5)

Wide receiver Diondre Borel, defensive tackle Zach Clayton, defensive end Thaddeus Gibson, safety Suaesi Tuimaunei, tight end Martell Webb.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/01/cardinals-arent-ready-to-give-up-on-kevin-kolb/related/

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Highlights of a bill Congress passed Tuesday aimed at averting wide tax increases and budget cuts scheduled to take effect with the new year. The measure would raise taxes by about $600 billion over 10 years compared with tax policies that were due to expire at midnight Monday. It would also delay for two months across-the-board cuts to the budgets of the Pentagon and numerous domestic agencies.

The House and Senate passed the bill Tuesday and sent it to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Highlights include:

?Income tax rates: Extends decade-old tax cuts on incomes up to $400,000 for individuals, $450,000 for couples. Earnings above those amounts would be taxed at a rate of 39.6 percent, up from the current 35 percent. Extends Clinton-era caps on itemized deductions and the phase-out of the personal exemption for individuals making more than $250,000 and couples earning more than $300,000.

?Estate tax: Estates would be taxed at a top rate of 40 percent, with the first $5 million in value exempted for individual estates and $10 million for family estates. In 2012, such estates were subject to a top rate of 35 percent.

?Capital gains, dividends: Taxes on capital gains and dividend income exceeding $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for families would increase from 15 percent to 20 percent.

?Alternative minimum tax: Permanently addresses the alternative minimum tax and indexes it for inflation to prevent nearly 30 million middle- and upper-middle-income taxpayers from being hit with higher tax bills averaging almost $3,000. The tax was originally designed to ensure that the wealthy did not avoid owing taxes by using loopholes.

?Other tax changes: Extends for five years Obama-sought expansions of the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit, and an up-to-$2,500 tax credit for college tuition. Also extends for one year accelerated "bonus" depreciation of business investments in new property and equipment, a tax credit for research and development costs and a tax credit for renewable energy such as wind-generated electricity.

?Unemployment benefits: Extends jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed for one year.

?Cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors: Blocks a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors for one year. The cut is the product of an obsolete 1997 budget formula.

?Social Security payroll tax cut: Allows a 2-percentage-point cut in the payroll tax first enacted two years ago to lapse, which restores the payroll tax to 6.2 percent.

?Across-the-board cuts: Delays for two months $109 billion worth of across-the-board spending cuts set to start striking the Pentagon and domestic agencies this week. Cost of $24 billion is divided between spending cuts and new revenues from rule changes on converting traditional individual retirement accounts into Roth IRAs.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/details-legislation-averting-fiscal-cliff-080939257--finance.html

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Desert Island Discs.? If that phrase does not immediately conjure up whimsical music backed by the sound of breaking waves and seagulls, let me explain?? The eponymous series on BBC Radio 4 has been running for 70 years in 2012.? Guests are interviewed and asked to choose the eight ?discs? that they would take with them if stranded on a desert island.

The selection of music and sounds that mean most to the guests is revealing and seems to act as a launch pad for many probing questions and expos?s of character.? A recent episode with the sprinter Michael Johnson showed a strength of character and focus of almost super-human proportions; I was close to tears listening to Emma Thompson recount the emotional struggle of getting through her divorce, describing her Father in such tender words and playing a piece that had been composed specially for their house in Scotland.? The programme does not just focus on traditional ?celebrities? either.? From scientists, to charity activists, playwrights, entrepreneurs to politicians ? there is rarely a disappointing interview.

The atrocious circumstances of the flight from Nazi Germany gave a clue to the dark nature of Jan Pienowski?s illustrations, while Dawn French went from tears (reminiscing about her Mother?s death) to laughter (her choice of Patrick MacNee and Honor Blackman?s Kinky Boots).? Names associated with food and drink range from Nico Landenis, to Clement Freud, Fay Maschler and Anna del Conte. The latter spoke of serving up horse meat to unsuspecting house guests during the war.? In line with her belief that her countrymen eschew novelty, ?Italians want the same food made only better and better?, her desert island dish would be pasta with a good tomato sauce. Clarissa Dickson-Wright had no doubt that she would eat well on her island as she would hunt wild pig for making into wontons and forage for wild raspberries.

Over the last year and a bit I have asked some interesting people in the food world, including food bloggers, writers, authors and chefs, the following: ?If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one three course meal (plus a bottle of something if desired), what would it be? ?? It would be a sort of last meal on earth before a diet of coconuts and fish for ever more (or until you were rescued).

Desert Island Dishes on www.mycustardpie.com

In no particular order, here are the replies:

Caroline Mili Artiss ? successful video food blogger and TV chef (she also says she?s a custard fanatic too).

For my starters it would have to be scallops.. any which way really. ?I just LOVE scallops, I could eat ten in one go. ?Pan seared and wrapped in prosciutto.

Main course ? A Chinese meal that I couldn?t bear to live without. ?It consists of three different types of meat (this is possibly the reason I chose it) and it is something that you can order from any good Chinese restaurant, ?the ones with the rows of duck and other meats hanging in the windows. ?This dish is almost like a staple Chinese meal and one that I have grown up on. ?It?s simplicity is what I love most about it as it let?s the flavors speak for themselves. ?It?s a plate with a big heap of plain steamed rice, topped with a few slices of roast duck, Char sui pork which is slowly cooked with a sweet marinade normally using five spice and honey, and siu youk pork. ?Siu Youk uses the belly of pork and it?s roasted until it is very crispy on the top with plenty of salt. ?There is also some plain steamed green vegetables like kai lan, a crunchy chinese broccoli and all this is topped with a drizzle of sweet soy sauce.

Dessert has to be a lemon meringue pie. ?To die for. ?Must be my ultimate favorite sweet treat. ?The tangy lemons with sweet meringues and crumbly pastry crust, who could resist?

I think from my selection you can tell I?m East meets West not only in the kitchen but in my DNA too.

Vanessa Kimbell ? author of the cook book Prepped who describes herself as a food loving, sour dough adoring, baking mad foodie.

Starters Chinese Duck Canapes, Pork balls with caraway and Cardamon and basil ice-cream for pudding

Desert Island Dishes on www.mycustardpie.com

Chinese Duck Canapes, Pork balls with caraway and Cardamon and basil ice-cream ? image by Vanessa Kimbell

Jeanne Horak-Druiff ? award-winning ?food, wine & travel blogger of Cook Sister

A starter of either seared foie gras and apple chutney; or MOUNDS of Jamon Iberico de Bellota; a main of a giant Caesar salad topped with the best quality salmon fillet available, very lightly seared; and for dessert, cherries Jubilee.? To wash it all down?? A bottle of pink Champagne like Graham Beck Brut Rose

Antonio Carluccio ? Italian cookery writer and chef

Deeba Rajpal? ? Passionate About Baking food blogger is an understatement; she also write an online baking blog for the Times of India, one of India?s largest newspapers

My?choice of?desert island dishes would be:

Indian Chicken Mince Kebabs?& Ricotta & Cream Cheese Chili Poppers

Chicken & Roasted Bell Pepper Juliennes {pot pies}, Sauteed French Beans, Potato-Mushroom Crouquttes ?? served with?a cold pasta salad

Stone Fruit Crumbles with unsweetened low fat cream ?. plus a bottle of Chardonnay { or maybe chilled beer}

Stone fruit crumbles from Passionate about Baking

Helen Graves ? of Food Stories who blogs mainly about food and drink in Peckham, London (and a lot of pork recipes), sent me an email full of laughter, literally?.

I think for my starter I would have an absolutely MASSIVE plate of Jamon Iberico, the best money can buy and a glass of Manzanilla. No a bottle actually. Then I think I might have pulled pork with Boston baked beans as that?s my favourite meal in recent memory. I am tempted to say a MASSIVE bowl of pasta though because I do love it. I would have anchovy, chilli, brocolli and garlic pasta with plenty of white wine and parsley. Breadcrumbs for the top please, fried in the oil from the anchovy jar.

For dessert?it would have to be ice cream as I?m a serious addict. Salted caramel perhaps. Can I have some cheese too? I want some cheese. A trolley of cheese actually and some bread and crackers to go with it. And some grapes.

Then I would like a double fernet branca.

I think that?s it. I better stop before I change my mind!

P.S. Actually no forget the pasta. I want the pulled pork and baked beans! Ha ha ha ha.

Porridge Lady - Desert Island Dishes on www.mycustardpie.com

Porridge lady eating a pear

Anna Louise Batchelor aka Porridge Lady ? Food Writer, blogger for the Soil Association, sustainable food advisor, radio reporter & presenter, cook and freestyle Porridge Maker who has been an award winner at the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Awards.

Whilst away I have been thinking on this and below is my ?Desert Island Dish?. It is a very autumnal menu but I guess my fave dishes are real hearty comfort foods. After the harvest the foods in the South East of England are bountiful and delicious and it?s a great time to be hungry!

Starters; I don?t tend to eat a lot of starters but I would choose a little wholemeal sour dough bread lightly toasted with walnuts from my neighbour?s garden. Served with slices of with apples and pears from my local orchard? ? Cross Lanes Fruit Farm.

Main course ? Toad in the hole with peas and home-made ketchup. I make my own sausages from meats reared on a local biodynamic farm and recently the lamb has been superb making very tasty sausages.

Pudding ? Oatmeal spotted dick with home-made custard. This is the dish that I won the speciality section of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships with and so it?s a dish close to my heart.

To drink ? I drink very little alcohol but when I do I love perry which I buy from Olivers Cider and Perry company one of the few real Perry makers left in the country.

Oatmeal Spotted Dick ? image by Porridge Lady

Claire Sutton ? Who makes me homesick and hungry at the same time on Things We Make where she and her husband Ed blog and photograph (beautifully) the?things they make. Lots of common ground between her choices and mine.

Griddled Chicken Skewers with peanut satay sauce

Local Roast Rib of beef, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, horseradish sauce, proper gravy and fresh perfectly cooked vegetables

Raspberry Pavlova with extra thick cream

A bottle of Fleurie (I don?t know much about wine, but I know I have had this and it was nice!)

Claire?s Desert Island Dinner ? image copyright Things We Make

Joan Nova -? of Foodalogue who is a food blogger, recipe developer, cooking challenge enthusiast, wine imbiber, casual communicator, social media dabbler, photography enthusiast, tireless traveller.

Soooo hard to choose. I wanted to honor comfort foods from my Spanish-Italian heritage plus what I?ve learned from my travels and my penchant for things Latin American and Asian?not to mention recent discoveries as a blogger which have taught me to appreciate farm-to-table, clean, unprocessed, uncomplicated food preparations.

It was very hard to leave a seafood salad (Italian or ceviche) or some other fish dish behind. Wish it was 4 courses!!

The only thing I was totally sure about was the wine!!

First Course: Caponata Pasta (anchovy-based with eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, herbs, nuts, raisins, garlic, nuts and chili flakes) tossed with pasta and fresh boccocini.

Entr?e: Grilled chorizo, broccoli rabe (rapini) and toasted ciabatta bread with a savory white bean spread.

Dessert: I don?t have a particularly sweet tooth, so I?d opt for twice-baked Italian biscotti with nuts and fruit. I find them irresistible. Maybe I?d take a scoop of deep chocolate gelato or Italian lemon ice or a Vin Santo to dunk that cookie!

Wine: Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. No question.

asparagus and goats? cheese pasta from Ren Behan of Fabulicious Food

Ren Behan ? freelance writer and blogger behind Fabulicious Food who likes to cook using fresh, seasonal ingredients, enjoys baking and is often influenced by the hearty, Eastern European food?of her childhood.

For a starter I would go for Baked Aubergine/Eggplant ?Iman Bayaldi? topped with yoghurt,?fresh herbs?and diced, grilled?halloumi cheese. A Turkish recipe I believe, where the eggplant is baked and with onion, garlic and tomatoes. I haven?t made it yet but once ate it?at my favourite restaurant so I can?t wait to give it a go.

For a main course I would have to go with home made pasta, kept really simple. I love seasonal food and local produce so my recipe with asparagus and goats? cheese would do nicely!

For dessert it would have to be a hot chocolate fondant pudding with a gooey centre and a scoop of Cornish clotted cream.

Wine ? my favourite is the Viognier grape.

Diana Henry ? award-winning food writer, author, cook and presenter

?and if you listened to the end of the recording, the answer was ?bread and cheese?.

Samantha Wood aka Foodiva ? who writes impartial, intelligent restaurant reviews and foodie features about the U.A.E. and other countries.

OK here are mine. Must admit I struggled with the starter, there are so many for me. Yours is a great one too, I can eat pretty much anything with a runny egg, and I do love asparagus.

Starter; Pan-fried foie gras served with toasted brioche

Main course; Fillet steak cooked rare topped with Cafe De Paris butter, mustard mash potato and green beans with garlic

Dessert; Tarte Tatin served straight out of the pan (has to be the original dish with apple) with vanilla or clotted cream ice-cream ? followed by a cheese platter with most definitely Stilton included!

Tipple; Dom Perignon ros? for all courses

Giorgio Locatelli ? Award-winning Italian chef with restaurants in London and Dubai

Sheila Dillon from the BBC Food Programme mentioned taking watercress sandwiches which made me wish for a stream on the island where I could harvest some wild watercress.

And what would I choose?

I?d start with local asparagus, in season, from the Vale of Evesham with a poached egg on top (maybe Hollandaise too) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Roast organic free-range pork would be my main course, with crispy roast potatoes, roast parsnips, Savoy cabbage, runner beans, apple sauce, gravy and lots of crackling. I?d be on my own on the desert island so no-one could complain about the crunching. Pudding would be blackberry and apple pie (the blackberries picked from the hedgerows) with home-made custard. Not the best food match, but I?d sip and savour a bottle of 1996 Chateau Palmer bringing back memories of friends who I drank this with.

Desert Island Dish on www.mycustardpie.com

Thank you to everyone who has participated. There are so many people left to include so I love to hear your choices in the comments section. This could be part one?.who would you like to ask about their desert island dish?

As to why it?s taken me so long to write up, this post is something I?m printing out as my New Year?s resolution! Strike a chord? Happy New Year everyone ? and a massive thanks to everyone who stopped by in 2012.

Source: http://mycustardpie.com/2013/01/01/whats-your-desert-island-dish/

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uftarfoorani

Last night just before 2 AM, the Senate overwhelmingly agreed to pass a bill that will avert the Fiscal Cliff once the House approves it.

The bill is pretty straightforward. Income tax rates will only rise on those making over $400K (liberals wanted $250K, GOP wanted no taxes to rise). Spending cuts will be delayed for 2 months to give the sides more time to address them.

So why is the bill 157-pages long?

Because when Washington does business and passes a huge bill, there are all kinds of little other pre-existing tax things most Americans have never heard of, but which needed to be extended, that also get into the bill. It's just how it works.