Friday, January 25, 2013

Russian forces kill three militants in North Caucasus

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian security forces killed three suspected militants on Friday in a shootout in the North Caucasus, where the government is fighting an Islamist insurgency, authorities said on Friday.

Security forces stormed a house where suspected militants were hiding out in the town of Chegem, near the regional capital Nalchik, after the gunmen refused to surrender.

"Despite efforts to persuade the rebels to stop putting up resistance, they refused and opened intensive fire on security forces," the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in statement. "The decision was taken to storm."

Clashes between security officials and suspected militants are routine in Russia's mostly-Muslim southern provinces.

Russian forces killed 391 suspected militants and arrested 461 more in the North Caucasus last year, the head of the Interior Ministry's operations in the region, Sergei Chenchik, said on Friday.

Militants killed 211 law enforcement officers and 78 civilians in 2012, he added, quoted by Interfax agency.

(Reporting By Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-forces-kill-three-militants-north-caucasus-182447640.html

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'Two-Buck Chuck' No Longer: Trader Joe's Raises Price Of Iconic Wine

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- The popular wine known as "Two-Buck Chuck" will need a new name after the bargain beverage's price was raised.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/V7znEA) that over the past decade shoppers at Trader Joe's California stores paid $1.99 for a bottle of Charles Shaw shiraz or cabernet sauvignon.

The new $2.49 price tag had shoppers searching for new names. Some customers joked that the brand should now be called "Inflation Chuck" or "Upchuck."

Trader Joe's sold about 5 million cases of the wine last year.

The maker, Bronco Wine Co., said it was able to keep the price so low because it owns 45,000 acres of vineyard, which insulated it from large fluctuations in grape prices.

But bad crops in 2011 and 2012 impacted the price.

___

Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/two-buck-chuck_n_2538321.html

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How to Write and Deliver that Speech! Feb. 6, 2013 Workshop ...

How to Write and Deliver that Speech! Feb. 6, 2013 Workshop

3 Hours ? 2 Pro?s ? 1 Night

featuring

Darren LaCroix and Sheryl Roush

Wednesday, February 6, 2013
6:00 ? 9:00pm

Space limited to 60 attendees!

Only $10 !!!

TWO VALUABLE PROGRAMS ? BACK-TO-BACK:

How to write a speech step-by-step
Want to earn more? Create a better speech!
Speak more often? Create a better speech!
More confidence? Create a better speech!

Darren LaCroix demystifies the process. This step-by-step program is distilled from years of wisdom gained from coaching professional speakers, executives and sales teams. Darren struggled for years putting together his first keynote speech. Trial-and-error can be a long and painful process. You can shorten your learning curve and avoid the years of frustration by attending this workshop.


Walk away with:

? Time-proven speech writing process
? Common mistakes most people make and how to avoid them
? A new perspective to writing a world-class speech

For more information on this speaker, go to DarrenLaCroix.com
To register for the upcoming Lady and The Champs Speakers? Conference February 16-17, click here.

How to authentically deliver that speech
Want to connect better with others?
Be more comfortable when speaking?
Appear more credible and engaging?

Spanning over 25 years of speaking experience, throughout 10 countries and over 3,000 presentations, Sheryl Roush speaks on ? and coaches others ? on bringing out their brilliance. Whether addressing intimate groups of eleven, or sports arenas filled with 5,000? from opening on stage for Marie Osmond and closing for Geena Davis, she uses these skills to enhance connection, raise the bar, and create excitement.

You will discover:
? Simple ways to authentically engage any audience
? Bring more of who you naturally are to your presentations
? Ways to generate the desired results of your message

For more information on this speaker, go to SherylRoush.com
To register for the upcoming How to Speak and Market Like a Pro Boot Camp, April 5-6-7, click here.

Space limited to 60!

LOCATION:
San Diego County Office of Education
6401 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, CA 92111
Conference Room 306

AGENDA:
5:30-6:00pm Registration &?Snacks
6:00-7:30pm Darren LaCroix
7:30-7:45pm Break
7:45-8:45pm Sheryl Roush
8:45-9:00pm, Q&A, Social & Networking

ADMISSION:
Only $10 (to cover handouts and light refreshments
RSVP with a Credit Card (MC, Visa, Discover or American Express)
Fax credit card information to secure line: 619-947-6624
Cash at the door, if there is room for walk-in?s.

RSVP please!
Email: Sheryl@SherylRoush.com with the subject line:?2/6 Write that Speech!
Or call Sheryl Roush directly: 858-569-6555

Hosted by:? Sparkle Presentations, Inc.

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Source: http://sherylroush.com/2013/01/how-to-write-and-deliver-that-speech-feb-6-2013-workshop/

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Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign hands-on

Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign handson

Looking forward to the Wii U's incoming Virtual Console update? No need to wait -- despite the service's post-spring update launch announcement, Nintendo is already rolling out fully functional (and Wii U enhanced) Virtual Console games to the eShop. It's part of the Famicom's 30th anniversary celebration, and gives gamers a chance to sample a handful of Nintendo's best at a hefty discount -- only 30 cents a pop. We tossed a few dimes toward a copy of Balloon Fight to give the upcoming service a quick look.

Like all Wii U downloadables, Virtual Console games take up residence on the system menu, flaunting a thumbnail of the game's title screen underlined with a Virtual Console banner. While loading, players are treated to a preview of the game's vitals -- year released, originating console and number of players supported. Easy enough for Balloon Fight: 1984, the Nintendo Entertainment System and two. Within 15 seconds (we're looking forward to that speed update, Nintendo) the game's title screen is mirrored across the gamepad and TV. This is the basic, pure experience -- press start, twiddle the thumbsticks and play the game.

Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign handson

Tapping the gamepad's screen or pressing the ZR button brings up the Virtual Console menu, laying bare the Wii U enhanced features Iwata told us about: restore points and controller settings. 3DS owners should be familiar with the former -- restore points allow you to save your game at any moment and restore it without penalty. Little has changed in the feature's jump to the home console, and usage is straightforward -- just tap the onscreen buttons to save or restore. The Controller settings menu, on the other hand, is new, allowing users to remap the game's controls to their liking. The menu's capabilities are limited, however -- analog sticks and the d-pads won't tolerate reassignment. As promised, playing on the Wii U gamepad is an option, but it isn't necessary. Traditional Wii remotes work just fine (for both single and multiplayer), and the tablet-controller's screen can be disabled through the regular Wii U menu. Miiverse is supported too, of course, dropping users into a Balloon Fight community when launched from the game.

Wii U Virtual Console Trial Campaign handson

The Wii U Virtual Console's official launch may still be a few months off, but based on the first game in the Famicom 30th Anniversary Virtual Console trial campaign, it's shaping up to be a strong evolution of its predecessor. Controller mapping allows users to manually sidestep control issues -- something select games suffered from on the Wii VC when paired with a Gamecube controller. Save states have been a boon to 3DS owners not accustomed to the challenges of classic Nintendo games, and is a welcome addition to the full-sized Virtual Console setup -- after all, how else are we supposed to get a decent score in Balloon Trip mode?

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First Look at Steve Jobs Movie with Ashton Kutcher Is Actually Pretty Good

I don't know if jOBS—the biopic of Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher—will be a good movie, but this clip—despite our initial reservations—actually looks surprisingly decent!. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/AF-_oQ1P-V0/first-look-at-steve-jobs-movie-with-ashton-kutcher-is-actually-pretty-good

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It's the end of the dating world as we know it (and I feel fine), Part II

This is the follow-up to Part I of my post.

Let?s address the third and oldest narrative being pushed on us by the dating-trend-du-jour articles and books out there: that men want casual sex, women want serious relationships, and that men are coercing women to get the former out of them.

This is a narrative perpetuated by many sources: popular culture, news media, academics and even the seduction community I was once involved with (more on that later). It?s the opposite of the slutty-woman double standard, and no less harmful.

Shitting on men?s sexuality and their alleged player nature is an easy way to get noticed these days:

  • The book ?Hooking Up? casts female college students as so desperate for relationships in a sea of commitment-averse guys that they?re willing to submit to one-night stands in the hope that it leads to more.
  • The New York Times? recent article on the supposed end of courtship cites only anecdotes where the guy ? never the woman ? is either too horny, too careless or too broke to pursue a relationship.
  • I?ve already written about one writer?s confused attack on men?s supposed Peter Pan complex.
  • In the Atlantic?s much-discussed ?All the Single Ladies,? our loveless heroine reduces men to ?deadbeats or playboys? and claims that in her experience, ?In many cases, the more successful a man is (or thinks he is), the less interested he is in commitment.? Even though she leads off the piece by explaining how she walked away from a seemingly great boyfriend.

There are more examples ? worse ones, too ? but you get my drift. Men want casual sex before love (if they want love at all), and women want love before sex. Right?

If only it were so simple. The onslaught of beer commercials, sitcoms and Maxim-like magazines make us seem as complex as a checkers board when we?re really a lot more like chess. Someone needs to write ?The Masculine Mystique? to get the point across, apparently.

Fortunately, there is some emerging data to back this up:

  • The University of Michigan?s Terri Conley deals a karate chop to the men-are-dogs theory in a 2011 study. Among her team?s findings: when you seek the median rather than the average number of desired sexual partners over a 30-day period, men and women want the same number: one. Also, while men usually claim more sexual partners than women, that gap disappears when both sexes think they?re taking a polygraph test.
  • Sociologist Paula England led a wide survey of college campuses, where it?s supposedly Sodom and Gomorrah these days, and found not only that ?hookup culture? is a media-created myth, but also that college men and women both want a mix of hookups and relationships. For instance, where 66 percent of the women said they hoped their most recent hookup would lead to something more, 58 percent of the guys said the same.
  • And despite at least one book?s scare tactics on sex-crazed teenage boys, the stats show that fewer teenagers are having sex and getting pregnant than their parents.

Also, not that all young women are in the mold of Karen ?F-list? Owen, but there is data to show that women can be as active in enjoying sex and delaying commitment as men are. Academics Elizabeth A. Armstrong and Laura Hamilton found this to be true.

One young woman on the How About We blog said it well: ?The hookup culture isn?t some sphere that we got trapped in because twenty-something guys and technology made it so. We, too, are opting for more freedom, more variety of experience, more sex in our twenties. It?s our hookup culture, too.?

If anything, we need more young guys gaining sexual experience so they can be prepared for relationships sooner. England?s college survey supports the theory that most of the sex is being had by about 20 percent of the students. About 25 percent of college students don?t hook up at all, and another 30 percent will hook up three times or less before they graduate. We can only speculate on how much of that abstinence is voluntary, but I?ll guess that much of it isn?t.

This brings us to my own experience. I have coached well over 100 guys on how to talk to women, and helped many more informally. Most of them had backgrounds similar to mine: they stayed inexperienced with women into their 20s or beyond, which left them frustrated and unprepared for a real relationship.

They, like me, were exposed to the same kind of rock-star playboy hype that was rampant in ?The Game? and on the websites of countless PUA gurus. They, like me, wanted a taste of this lifestyle because it seemed infinitely more fun than masturbating to porn. Some never stopped to think whether they were even cut out for a life of sleeping with different women left and right. The hype suggested that this was simply what an ?alpha male? did.

I like to think that I was above such exploitation as a coach and I?ve actively distanced myself from it, but as Rob Overman and I once discussed, I?m sure the hype got us some clientele too.

Once they were down the rabbit hole with me, though, I found most of the guys to be much like I once was: they wanted the variety because they?d never had it, but ultimately they wanted more than just casual flings.

It didn?t work out for all of them. But I?m proud to say that many of the guys I kept up with enjoyed both ends of the spectrum, from wild sexual breakthroughs to hard-earned courtships. To point out the complexity of men wanting some mix of sexual variety and commitment might not fit a convenient, Twitter-friendly headline, but it does get us much closer to the truth.

Source: http://www.gkdating.com/its-the-end-of-the-dating-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine-part-ii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-the-end-of-the-dating-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine-part-ii

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Lagerfeld backs French gay marriage with Chanel catwalk finale

PARIS (Reuters) - Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld sent two models dressed as brides alongside his tiny godson down the catwalk on Tuesday in a public show of support for French government plans to legalize same-sex marriage and adoption.

The models and Lagerfeld's four-year-old godson took the final bow at the German designer's Chanel haute couture show before Lagerfeld gave voice to his opinions on the subject in an interview with Reuters after the show.

"I do not understand why people who live together cannot have the same security as those bourgeois who are married," said one of the fashion world's most successful designers, who is also renowned for his controversial comments on everything from politics to celebrity personalities.

"Two women getting married, I find that natural, and having two mothers is a good thing."

The French government's proposals have divided opinion and sparked huge protests both in favor and against.

Earlier this month, roughly half a million people marched through Paris demanding that President Francois Hollande withdraw the reform bill and hold a national debate on the issue.

However, the government said it remained determined to submit the legislation to parliament and pass it by June.

Lagerfeld's show was held as usual in the cavernous Grand Palais, which was transformed into a gigantic forest with towering pine trees surrounding a wooden amphitheatre where models strutted in white sand.

The nature-inspired collection featuring embroidered tulle and sequined flowers echoed the garden-themed show presented on Monday by Belgian designer Raf Simons for Christian Dior.

Tulips, roses, camellias and birds of paradise took centre stage at Chanel, embroidered on sequined tulle dresses which took more than 1,000 hours to make, Lagerfeld said.

Models paraded in long-lace boots with open toes and shiny heels that gave their silhouettes a romantic and modern touch.

"As nature is threatened, might as well celebrate it," Lagerfeld said.

MABILLE AND ROLLAND

On Monday evening, Alexis Mabille, who presented his first collection as a full-fledged member of Parisian haute couture, opted for evening gowns in sorbet colors, crafted with intricate embroidery, delicate lace and clouds of tulle.

Striking pieces included a retro 1940s style siren-shaped scarlet dress and black tuxedo outfit with a thigh-high slit that seemed designed for entertainer Dita Von Teese, who was sitting on the front row.

Later on Tuesday, French designer Stephane Rolland, known for his Parisian workshop's couture dresses, said he was branching out into ready-to-wear with a first boutique in Abu Dhabi scheduled to open end-March.

The designer, whose sculptural wares are favored by Middle Eastern women, said he planned to open other boutiques in the region as well as in London and in China. Rolland declined to give a precise timeline for the other boutiques nor reveal the identity of the business partner.

Asked if the partner was French, Rolland told Reuters: "There are no French financiers (for fashion), they do not exist anymore."

Rolland, who dresses the glamorous wife of the emir of Qatar, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser, worked until last year to help the secretive Qatar Luxury Group create a luxury brand from scratch.

The launch of the brand, to be called Qela, was initially planned to coincide with Qatar's first fashion week in March last year but was postponed several times.

The group made its first acquisition in 2011 with Paris-listed French accessories brand Le Tanneur for 26 million euros ($34.62 million) and said on its website it remains on the lookout for acquisitions.

Rolland presented a sculptural black and white collection with a 1970s James Bond-themed edge dominated by long flowing capes and see-through, sequined trains.

At the Palais de Tokyo modern art museum in Paris, models strutted on silver platforms wearing close-fitting silk-crepe backless dresses with emerald crystal embroidery and sash-dresses with ostrich feathers or organza embroidery.

Rolland concluded his show by sending 82-year old model Carmen Dell'Orefice down the catwalk in an ivory white tuxedo ornamented with white corals and an oversize flowing cape.

($1 = 0.7510 euros)

(Additional reporting by Elena Berton, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lagerfeld-backs-french-gay-marriage-chanel-catwalk-finale-162807858--finance.html

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Housing sales slowed in December | Boston Homes Prime Real ...

Home sales nationally slowed in December, according to the National Association of Realtors, but they were higher than a year ago.

Pent-up demand is sustaining the market, sayd Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. ?Record low mortgage interest rates clearly ae helping many homebuyers, but tight inventory and restrictive mortgage underwriting standards are limiting sales.

?The potential number of buyers who stayed on the sidelines accumulated during the recession, but they started entering the market early last year as their financial ability and confidence steadily grew, along with home prices. Likely job creation and household formation will continue to fuel that growth. Both sales and prices will again be higher in 2013,? he said.

First-time buyers accounted for 30 percent of purchases in December.

Distressed homes ? foreclosures and short sales ? accounted for 24 percent of December sales (12 percent were foreclosures and 12 percent were short sales), up from 22 percent in November but below the 32 percent share in December 2011.

At the end of December, only a 4.4-month supply of existing homes was available for sale or 1.82 million homes, which includes single-family homes and condominiums. This is the lowest housing supply since May 2005, when it was 4.3 months, which was near the peak of the housing boom, according to NAR.

Source: http://wickedlocalbostonhomes.com/2013/01/boston-real-estate/housing-sales-slowed-in-december/

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'Death Wish' director Michael Winner dies

Getty Images, Paramount Pictures

Michael Winner and Charles Bronson in "Death Wish."

By Brandi Fowler, E! Online

British film director Michael Winner, best known for his thriller "Death Wish," has died at the age of 77.

The filmmaker passed away Monday at his London home after an illness, his wife Geraldine confirmed, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"The Wire's" Proposition Joe, Robert F. Chew, dead at 52

Winner had been ill for a while with heart and liver problems, according to Reuters, revealing last summer that specialists had given him 18 months to live.

Winner, who was born in London in 1935, went on to direct more than 30 films, including the 1973 hit "Scorpio." He later became a restaurant critic for the London Sunday Times.

Take a look at the stars that have fallen this year

The flamboyant director was famously unapologetic about the content of his films, once saying, "If you want art, don't mess about with movies. Buy a Picasso."

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/01/22/16640527-death-wish-director-michael-winner-dies-at-77?lite

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Eames House Alphabet Blocks: M Is For "Make Your Kids Cooler"

Terrible aesthetics and children's toys go hand in hand. Barbie's "Dreamhouse" is an uninspired architectural disaster, and the font used on most alphabet blocks leaves design-minded parents actually missing Comic Sans. But what's the alternative? How about a set of alphabet blocks with beautiful typography and iconography that also happen to assemble into a miniature model of the iconic Eames House. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pQYgr6hkzSY/eames-house-alphabet-blocks-m-is-for-make-your-kids-cooler

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NTT DoCoMo announces 12 new mobile devices for the spring, launches Smart Home initiative

NTT DoCoMo announces 12 new mobile devices for the spring, launches Smart Home initiative

Change of season? You can bet NTT DoCoMo has an armload of new devices to announce -- it's almost a tradition. This time around, the Japanese carrier has revealed 10 new smartphones, two tablets and a mobile WiFi hotspot. Large, 4.5 to 5-inch displays and quad-core processors pepper the entire spring smartphone line, but there are a few notable standouts, including the previously leaked LG Optimus G Pro, Huawei's Ascend D2 and the NEC Medias W -- a curious dual-screen smartphone we first saw at MWC 2012. DoCoMo fills its tablet quota with the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and a carrier branded device called the dtab, a 10.1-inch WiFi slab apparently built for DoCoMo's Smart Home initiative. Don't let the name run away with your imagination -- the Japanese carrier is focusing on sharing music, video and digital content between smartphones and other home electronics, not automating your apartment.

The dtab is compatible with a handful of carrier exclusive services, such as the dmarket and DoCoMo cloud. It's not technically part of the carrier's mobile line, but DoCoMo had one more announcement for spring: an HDMI dongle. The SmartTV dstick gives HDTVs access to the carrier's dvideo, danime store and dhits services, and can be controlled with via smartphone or a similarly named tablet. Spring hardware will start hitting Japan on January 25th with the Aquos Phone EX, and continue to roll out through March. Read on for the official press release.

Update: Apparently, we're looking at a different Ascend D2 than the one we saw at CES, one with a smaller screen (4.7-inch 720p vs. 5-inch 1080p) and battery (2150mAh vs. 3000mAh).

Show full PR text

NTT DOCOMO Unveils 12 New Mobile Devices
- 5 Models to Link with Home Electronics and Play Full-HD under New Initiative -

Products & Services

TOKYO, JAPAN, January 22, 2013 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC., announced today its 2013 spring lineup of 12 models that will launch in sequence beginning on January 25. The lineup includes 11 smartphones and tablets, plus one mobile Wi-Fi(R) router. For maximized ease of use, the models feature upgraded versions of numerous popular functions introduced in the 2012 winter lineup.

Some of the new and prominent features of the lineup include:
o.First DOCOMO smartphones capable of full-HD for superb high-definition video.
o.Compatible with DOCOMO's Xi[TM] ("crossy") LTE service for max. downlink of 112.5 Mbps (some areas), the fastest LTE connection in Japan as of January 21.
o.A large selection of models featuring quad-core CPUs for increased enjoyment of mobile games and videos.
o.Many models running on Android[TM] 4.1.
o.Large-capacity batteries (2,000mAh or more) for power-thirsty users.
o.Smartphone model with special safety and security features for preteens.

Also announced today was "docomo Smart Home," an all-new initiative for sharing videos, music and other content between smartphones and home electronics, realizing a convenient new way to enjoy high-definition digital content both at home and on the move.

As part of this initiative, the new spring lineup offers the "dtab," a Wi-Fi-dedicated tablet with special features for DOCOMO services such as the dmarket[TM] portal, and the "SmartTV dstick," a small flash drive-like HDMI device for enjoying movies and animation from dmarket, etc. on large-screen televisions.

In addition, new functions have been added to the Twonky[TM] Beam app, which enables DOCOMO smartphones to play full-HD digital-terrestrial and broadcast-satellite programs that are stored on the user's Blu-ray[TM] recording devices at home.

[See source link for pictures and attachments]

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Source: DoCoMo

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The inaugural do-over: chomping gum, savoring view


Essential News from The Associated Press

? ?Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-21-Inauguration%20Scene/id-2587b26d5de04eeb82e80545ebf6c585

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Monday, January 21, 2013

The Friend of God

(John 15:12-17)

friends

To be the friend of God is the greatest friendship of all

What do we need to know or do to be the friend of God? How should we behave? What customs should we keep? What do we give and put into a friendship with the supreme Creator of man and all that we can see and know in the universe around us? And how wonderful would it be to have God Himself say that you are ?The Friend of God??

Surprisingly it is not that hard a thing to be the friend of God. God created man to be a social being and to want to have friends and be a friend. God is also a God of relationships. He desires to be in relationship with us, and it is His hope and desire that man will choose to be in a relationship with Him.

And friendship is a very special form of relationship, as we will see in this section of scripture. There are many ways we can be in a relationship with God: servant, disciple, follower, convert and even His enemies are in a relationship with Him?but not a good one and not one that will have a positive outcome for them! But to be a friend of God is a wonderful and powerful relationship as we will see.

The Friend of God

Let?s think about friendship first. A friend is someone who will help you in a time of need and who you will go to in their need. A friend is a confidant whom you can tell your deepest held secrets, fears, hopes, desires, troubles and reasons for joy. You can tell a really good friend anything and you don?t and won?t hold back.

Why? Because you trust your friend. You trust then with your secrets and even your life. You trust them not to divulge what you tell them or to gossip about you. You trust them to be there for you and in all these things they too trust you to reciprocate. A friend is a great thing and we see that the bond of friendship can be very strong binding two people together like glue.

One of the greatest friendships in the Bible was the friendship between David and Jonathon, the son of King Saul. Even when his father was seeking David to take his life, Jonathon stayed true to David because he was his friend, and he warned him to save his life. He was truly like the friend described in Proverbs 18:24,

There are friends who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

But to be called the friend of God would be even greater than this friendship. For all of these attributes of friendship are what God offers to those he calls His friends. Look at what Jesus says to the disciples when he tells them that they are His friends.

13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

First we see that Jesus was prepared to lay down His life for His friends. And that is the ultimate test of any friendship. Jonathon defied his father the King for the sake of his friendship with David, which could have cost him dearly. But for the sake of his friendship he was prepared to suffer the ire and the wrath of King Saul if it came to that.

We see also that Jesus said of the disciples that He had shown them everything. He had exposed all that was happening and all that He was doing to them, just as a friend will take a person into their confidence, hiding nothing.

And Jesus did this with them because He trusted them. He trusted them enough that He would send them forth after His death to spread the Gospel of salvation to the entire world. He trusted them with His plans to bring the hope of righteousness to every person on the planet. And they did as they were commanded. And here we are two thousand years later still learning from these friends of Jesus how we too can become His friends also.

This is My Commandment

I mentioned earlier that it is not hard to be a friend of God. Verse 14 in this section makes it quite simple for us where He says, ?You are my friends if you do what I command you.?

Now some people would see those words and say that this is not friendship, it?s slavery or at least servitude. And that is a point that could be argued. However, the fact that Jesus shows us everything we need to know about His plan, revealing the way of salvation and guiding us to His righteousness through the working of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant is proof that we are not mere servants or slaves. The servant and the slave are not privy to such knowledge. Only a friend has such access.

And besides, let?s look at what the commandment is that He is asking of us. He said in the first verse of this section as well as the last verse the following.

12 ?This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
?and?,
17 This I command you, to love one another.

The command of Jesus that He asks of us to be His friends is simply to love one another. And as John wrote in one of his letters, ?Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning.? (1 John 2:7)

The commandment of love is an old commandment. The greatest of the laws of Moses, as Jesus stated in Matthew 22:37-40 were the two laws that spoke of love, first love for God and second, the love of our fellow man.

37 And he said to him, ?You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.?

The commandment of Jesus is that we love one another, and as we see this has ALWAYS been the commandment, even back into the old law. All of the laws were built on the foundation of love and through the laws of Moses God was setting a standard in wisdom and truth as to what the love of God looked like.

But you cannot enforce love under law. You can show what it is and then hope the person will choose to do it. And that is why Christ appeared to take away sin, to take away the law so that we would live by love rather than be bound by law. And through living a life based upon love, we find the truth that is written in 1 John 5:2-3,

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

And the commandment to love is NOT burdensome. How can it be a burden to love when it comes from the heart? It was a burden to keep the myriad of laws, but to live a life in the love of God, where a person will naturally keep God?s laws is not a burden at all. And when we do this we also keep the additional commandment of God the Father as seen here in 1 John 3:21-23.

21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

The commandment of the Father is to have faith and believe in the Son. And the commandment of the Son is to love one another and to love God. And that?s about it! Pretty simple which is why it is not burdensome and also why Jesus said in Matthew 11:29-30,

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.?

Lay Down Your Life

The real test of friendship we saw was when Jesus said that He would lay down His life for His friends. And He did so, literally. Jesus dies for us so that we too could live and have access to the Father and be transformed into the image of Christ. No greater gift could anyone give than to give the gift of life by laying down their own life.

And now we are being called to lay down our lives for our friends and for God. That does not mean we have to die for each other, although there have been some who were put to the ultimate test. Instead we are to serve one another and be prepared to give of our life to help them. John writes it like this in 1 John 3:16-18:

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But if any one has the world?s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God?s love abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.

We lay down our lives by giving our help and aid to one another. When we see someone in need and we offer assistance we are showing the love of God and laying down our life for them. Paul also described this saying to the Corinthians about the way that the Macedonian churches lay down their lives for the benefit of the churches in Judea. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

1 We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedo?nia,
2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part.
3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will,
4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints?
5 and this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Note that they first gave themselves to the Lord and then gave of their goods out of extreme poverty and affliction to come to the aid of the other churches. Truly they did as commanded by the Lord to show the love of God in a physical way through their zeal for the Lord and their giving to aid those in need.

This is how they lay down their life for God. It is also how we are called to lay down our lives for God too. When we help those around us who are in need of assistance, we too are living in the love of Christ as He commanded and following in the ways of love. Then we too shall be called the friend of God as we do what He commanded.

(Photo sourced from stock.xchng taken by Sanja Gjenero)

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Love Is The Answer
Inherit Eternal Life
A New Commandment
How To Love Jesus
Jesus Fulfilled Law
Love Your Enemies
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Serving Jesus

Source: http://freegiftfromgod.com/blog/2013/01/the-friend-of-god/

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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)

(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 had the remarkable effect of making Chastain 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 of 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.

Instead, 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," Warner Bros.' "Gangster Squad" and the Weinstein Co.'s "Django Unchained."

"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 of $55.3 million.

Also nominated for best picture, Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," in its fourth week became the director's biggest box-office hit. It surpassed his previous film, "Inglourious Basterds," by adding $8.2 million for a domestic total of $138.4 million.

___

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 Monday.

1. "Mama," $28.1 million.

2. "Zero Dark Thirty," $17.6 million.

3. "Silver Linings Playbook," $11.4 million.

4. "Gangster Squad," $9.1 million.

5. "Broken City," $9 million.

6. "A Haunted House," $8.3 million.

7. "Django Unchained," $8.2 million.

8. "Les Miserables," $7.8 million.

9. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," $6.4 million.

10. "The Last Stand," $6.3 million.

___

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-4579289335b148148a31ea0f655f8d36

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Suwanee Real Estate: Homes in the North Gwinnett Cluster ...

When considering a move to a new home, one of the biggest factors for families with children is often the?school district. That explains why this is such a common request when we perform searches for clients.

While Gwinnett County has a number of high performing schools, the?Suwanee?area is fortunate to have award-winning schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Related Topic:

Of the around?200 homes?on the market in Suwanee, close to half are in the?North Gwinnett High School district. This week, Suwanee Real Estate takes a closer look at five homes in the North Gwinnett cluster. If you are curious about a particular property, click the address link for all the details of that particular home.

1. ?160 Bayswater Drive ?$309,500

This fabulous lakefront home with four bedrooms and 2.5 baths has it all. Located in?Bayswater Common, the large level lot on the lake with a dock is wooded and private. Enjoy your lake view year round from the cedar sunroom with its vaulted ceilings. The country kitchen boasts a keeping room with a fireplace. There is also a separate formal living room and formal dining room. The full, finished terrace level offers an exercise room, a bonus room, and a rec room as well as a wine cellar. If you have ever dreamed of living on the water in a sought-after school district, this is the home for you!

2. ?625 Grove Manor Court ?$279,900

Welcome to this gorgeous six bedroom, five bath home in the much sought after Village Grove. This home boasts designer colors throughout, wide plank hardwoods and a open and light floor plan. It has been freshly painted inside and out. A formal dining room, a cozy keeping room, and oversized bedrooms are just a few of the many features this home offers. The third floor bedroom and full bath would make a wonderful teen suite. This home shows like a model home!? A great opportunity!

3. ?3811 Portland Trail Drive ?$239,900

The perfect package! This lovely four bedroom, 2.5 bath home in?Shadowbrook?is a short walk to parks, shopping and restaurants. The relaxing, rocking chair porch welcomes you to this charming house with a brick front and mature, professional landscaping. The kitchen has hardwood floors, stained cabinets, a center island, and a pantry. The breakfast nook has a view to the open family room, which is centered around a fireplace. The master suite features vaulted ceilings, a double vanity and a separate tub/shower. You will live life to the fullest as part of this active, desirable community.

4. 4110 Baxter Trail ?$210,000

This pristine, three bedroom, two full bath Craftsman style home is part of the Old Suwanee subdivision. Features include two covered porches, a premium corner lot, hardwood floors, maple cabinets, and corian countertops in the chef?s kitchen. The master suite has a private door to the second story covered flagstone patio. Step out the back door to your own private oasis with a hot tub and built-in grill on a secluded flagstone patio. HOA fees include lawn care and maintenance as well as trash pickup.? Wow!

5. 825 Yosemite Drive ?$199,900

This is a beautiful two-story, five-bedroom, 2.5 bath home in the much sought-after?Forest Plantation?neighborhood. The open floor plan from kitchen to breakfast area and family room is great for entertaining friends and family. Imagine relaxing every evening in the large master suite with its trey ceiling and garden tub in the master bath. The nice, spacious basement is perfect for a workout/play area or teenage retreat. You will love the beautiful fenced-in backyard with both a pool and a hot tub. This is one home you must see for yourself!

CLICK HERE?to view all homes on the market in Suwanee.????????

Click here to view all Suwanee foreclosures?or?click here to do your own custom search.????

Please?Like?our Facebook page at?www.facebook.com/scottlacyrealtyteam.com.?????

For more information on these or other Suwanee homes, call Scott Lacy, email him at?scottlacy@kw.com?or follow?@ScottTheRealtor?on Twitter.

Listing information is based on current data from the Georgia Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Source: http://suwanee.patch.com/articles/suwanee-real-estate-homes-in-the-north-gwinnett-cluster-07a48bc5

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World's best big wave surfers compete at Mavericks

FILE - In this file photo from Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, Ion Banner loses control on a giant wave during the Mavericks surfing contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif. As massive swells lumber across the Pacific toward Northern California, nearly two dozen of the world's best big wave surfers will be waiting to meet them Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, a half-mile offshore at the infamous surfing break Mavericks. For the first time since 2010, the Mavericks Invitational surf contest ? which requires wave faces of at least 20 feet ? will occur at the bone-crushing break that has claimed the lives of two expert big wave surfers. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

FILE - In this file photo from Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, Ion Banner loses control on a giant wave during the Mavericks surfing contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif. As massive swells lumber across the Pacific toward Northern California, nearly two dozen of the world's best big wave surfers will be waiting to meet them Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, a half-mile offshore at the infamous surfing break Mavericks. For the first time since 2010, the Mavericks Invitational surf contest ? which requires wave faces of at least 20 feet ? will occur at the bone-crushing break that has claimed the lives of two expert big wave surfers. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) ? As massive swells lumber across the Pacific toward Northern California, nearly two dozen of the world's best big wave surfers will be waiting to meet them Sunday a half-mile offshore at the infamous surfing break Mavericks.

For the first time since 2010, the Mavericks Invitational surf contest ? which requires wave faces of at least 20 feet ? will occur at the bone-crushing break that has claimed the lives of two expert big wave surfers.

Wave forecasters this week saw an excellent mixture of swell, wind, tide and sunny skies. Once the decision was made to run the contest, the call went out to the surfers, giving them a couple of days to pack their boards and wetsuits, and hop a plane.

Surfing the wave at Mavericks is a feat that takes athletic skill, experience and nerve.

The swells travel through deep water for five days before hitting a small, finger-like section of shallow reef that juts out into the sea.

When the swell meets the reef, the wave jumps upward and crashes back down with a fury, eventually washing through a section of craggy rocks.

The takeoff is often so steep that the surfers' big-wave "gun" surfboards leave the wave face, forcing the surfers to land near the bottom and make a quick turn before being pummeled by the wave's lip.

The spot ? named after the dog of Jeff Clark, who is credited with being the first to surf Mavericks ? has earned a nasty reputation. Mark Foo, a legendary big-wave surfer from Hawaii, died while surfing Mavericks in 1994. In 2011, another seasoned waterman, Sion Milosky, died there just weeks after another surfer nearly drowned.

This year's contest will be different: spectators are forbidden access to the beach or bluffs. After a large set of waves crashed into the crowd in 2010, injuring dozens, local officials barred crowds from congregating there.

Also, people congregating on the bluffs and along tide pools during previous contests caused environmental damage.

This year organizers have set up a festival at a nearby hotel, featuring a large screen that will broadcast the surfing live. The surfers will hold the awards ceremony there at the end of the contest.

The Coast Guard has issued a high surf advisory for the weekend, and is warning people throughout the region to watch for "sneaker waves" and other hazards.

___

Follow Jason Dearen on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JHDearen

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-20-US-Big-Wave-Contest/id-049b7159dd414c0e96c1eaf601b4ec6d

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David Plouffe: Revenue Debate Not Over

White House senior adviser David Plouffe said on Sunday that despite Republican warnings that the tax debate is over, President Obama would not accept a budget deal without additional revenue.

"We are going to require some more revenues," Plouffe told me on "This Week." "John Boehner himself said he thought there was $800 billion in revenues from closing loopholes. We've dealt with the tax rate issue, now it's about loopholes."

"And I think the country would be well served by tax and entitlement reform because it would help the economy," he added.

Plouffe said that Obama has met Republicans "more than halfway," and that any deal needs to be "balanced." Republicans, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, have said that the revenue debate is "over" and that they would not negotiate with the White House for additional revenue in a budget deal.

"We need spending cuts and entitlement reform and revenue. Have to have that," Plouffe said.

When I asked him if Republicans have caved with their new debt ceiling strategy, he said that they had.

"Yeah, I think they have, on this principle, and that's very important," he said. "This is a big departure for them."

Tune in to the ABC News.com Live page on Monday morning starting at 9:30 a.m. EST for all-day live streaming video coverage of Inauguration 2013: Barack Obama. Live coverage will also be available on the ABC News iPad App and mobile devices.

Plouffe said that in Obama's inauguration address he will lay out his vision for his second term, and will provide a "blueprint" in his State of the Union address.

He said that in his second term, Obama will push for "common ground" on issues like the deficit, immigration reform and gun control.

"It's clear there's a huge consensus in the country about how we ought to approach the deficit and the economy-issues like immigration and gun safety," Plouffe said. "I think he's going to be very frustrated if Washington is completely divorced from the reality in the country."

"So he's going to seek common ground, he's going to find every way he can to compromise. But he's going to be pretty clear, and we're also going to bring the American people more into the debate than we did in the first term."

Despite misgivings among several Democratic Senators about the president's proposals on gun control, Plouffe said he believes a deal is possible, although difficult to achieve. He said he believes that opinions in Washington are changing on the issue, citing the example of pro-gun Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin who expressed an openness to discuss the issue.

"We don't expect it all to pass?in its current form," he said. "We're going to twist the arms of Democrats, Republicans and we're going to engage the American people in this debate."

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused Obama of being a "sore winner" in his dealings with Republicans. He said that the Obama administration could build common ground with Republicans on immigration reform and the deficit if he would ask Democrats to compromise more, but he hasn't.

"That's the problem with this administration. They don't, they don't-they're not very gracious winners. And I always say if there's one thing worse than a sore loser, that's a sore winner. And the president is a sore winner," Santorum told me. "And Republicans understand that. This president could get immigration done. He could get something done on deficits and entitlements, but he's got to move his people to do that instead of forcing Republicans always to come his way. And that's the problem."

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/david-plouffe-revenue-debate-not-over-160018779--abc-news-politics.html

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Armstrong emotional when recalling talk with son

FILE - In this July 24, 2005 file photo, Luke Armstrong, rear right, tries to touch the winner's trophy held by his father, Lance Armstrong, after Armstrong won his seventh straight Tour de France cycling race, in Paris. During the second part Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, of Oprah Winfrey's interview with Armstrong, Armstrong talked about talking with Luke after his son had defended him concerning doping allegations. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this July 24, 2005 file photo, Luke Armstrong, rear right, tries to touch the winner's trophy held by his father, Lance Armstrong, after Armstrong won his seventh straight Tour de France cycling race, in Paris. During the second part Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, of Oprah Winfrey's interview with Armstrong, Armstrong talked about talking with Luke after his son had defended him concerning doping allegations. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, file photo provided by Harpo Studios Inc., Lance Armstrong listens as he is interviewed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey during taping for the show "Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive" in Austin, Texas. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France cycling during the interview that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Harpo Studios, Inc., George Burns, File)

FILE - In this July 25, 2010, file photo, Lance Armstrong looks back on the podium after the 20th and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Paris, France. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski, File)

FILE - In this July 19, 2009, file photo, Lance Armstrong crosses the finish line during the 15th stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Verbier, Switzerland. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

A video screen at a hotel restaurant in Grapevine, Texas, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, shows a replay telecast of a segment of Lance Armstrong being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, Reversing more than a decade of denials, Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France cycling during the interview that aired night before. The second part of the interview will air tonight. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

(AP) ? Lance Armstrong finally cracked.

Not while expressing deep remorse or regrets, though there was plenty of that in Friday night's second part of Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It wasn't over the $75 million in sponsorship deals that evaporated over the course of two days, or having to walk away from the Livestrong cancer charity he founded and called his "sixth child." It wasn't even about his lifetime ban from competition, though he said that was more than he deserved.

It was another bit of collateral damage that Armstrong said he wasn't prepared to deal with.

"I saw my son defending me and saying, 'That's not true. What you're saying about my dad is not true,'" Armstrong recalled.

"That's when I knew I had to tell him."

Armstrong was near tears at that point, referring to 13-year-old Luke, the oldest of his five children. He blinked, looked away from Winfrey and, with his lip trembling, struggled to compose himself.

It came just past the midpoint of the hourlong program on Winfrey's OWN network. In the first part, broadcast Thursday, the disgraced cycling champion admitted using performance-enhancing drugs when he won seven straight Tour de France titles.

Critics said he hadn't been contrite enough in the first half of the interview, which was taped Monday in Austin, but Armstrong seemed to lose his composure when Winfrey zeroed in on the emotional drama involving his personal life.

"What did you say?" Winfrey asked.

"I said, 'Listen, there's been a lot of questions about your dad. My career. Whether I doped or did not dope. I've always denied that and I've always been ruthless and defiant about that. You guys have seen that. That's probably why you trusted me on it.' Which makes it even sicker," Armstrong said.

"And, uh, I told Luke, I said," and here Armstrong paused for a long time to collect himself, "I said, 'Don't defend me anymore. Don't.'

"He said OK. He just said, 'Look, I love you. You're my dad. This won't change that."

Winfrey also drew Armstrong out on his ex-wife, Kristin, whom he claimed knew just enough about both the doping and lying to ask him to stop. He credited her with making him promise that his comeback in 2009 would be drug-free.

"She said to me, 'You can do it under one condition: That you never cross that line again,'" Armstrong recalled.

"The line of drugs?" Winfrey asked.

"Yes. And I said, 'You've got a deal,'" he replied. "And I never would have betrayed that with her."

A U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report that exposed Armstrong as the leader of an elaborate doping scheme on his U.S. Postal Service cycling team included witness statements from at least three former teammates who said Kristin Armstrong participated in or at least knew about doping on the teams and knew team code names for EPO kept in her refrigerator. Postal rider Jonathan Vaughters testified that she handed riders cortisone pills wrapped in foil.

Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he had stayed clean in the comeback, a claim that runs counter to the USADA report.

And that wasn't the only portion of the interview likely to rile anti-doping officials.

Winfrey asked Armstrong about a "60 Minutes Sports" interview in which USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said a representative of the cyclist had offered a donation that the agency turned down.

"Were you trying to pay off USADA?" she asked.

"No, that's not true," he replied, repeating, "That is not true."

Winfrey asks the question three more times, in different forms.

"That is not true," he insisted.

USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner replied in a statement: "We stand by the facts both in the reasoned decision and in the '60 Minutes' interview."

Armstrong has talked with USADA officials, and a meeting with Tygart near the Denver airport reportedly ended in an argument over the possibility of modifying the lifetime ban. A person familiar with those conversations said Armstrong could provide information that might get his ban reduced to eight years. By then, he would be 49. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential matter.

After retiring from cycling in 2011, Armstrong returned to triathlons, where he began his professional career as a teenager, and he has told people he's desperate to get back.

Winfrey asked if that was why he agreed to the interview.

"If you're asking me, do I want to compete again ... the answer is hell, yes," Armstrong said. "I'm a competitor. It's what I've done my whole life. I love to train. I love to race. I love to toe the line ? and I don't expect it to happen."

Yet just three questions later, a flash of the old Armstrong emerged.

"Frankly," he said, "this may not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it. Maybe not right now ... (but) if I could go back to that time and say, 'OK, you're trading my story for a six-month suspension?' Because that's what people got."

"What other people got?" Winfrey asked.

"What everybody got," he replied.

Eleven former Armstrong teammates, including several who previously tested positive for PEDs, testified about the USPS team's doping scheme in exchange for more lenient punishments. Armstrong said in the first part of the interview that he knew his "fate was sealed" when his most trusted lieutenant, George Hincapie, who was alongside him for all seven Tour wins between 1999-2005, was forced to give Armstrong up to anti-doping authorities,

"So I got a death penalty and they got ... six months," Armstrong resumed. "I'm not saying that that's unfair, necessarily, but I'm saying it's different."

Armstrong said the most "humbling" moment in the aftermath of the USADA report was leaving Livestrong lest his association damage the foundation's ability to raise money and continue its advocacy programs on behalf of cancer victims.

Originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the cyclist created it the year after he was diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. Doctors gave him 50-50 odds of surviving.

"I wouldn't at all say forced out, told to leave," he said of Livestrong. "I was aware of the pressure. But it hurt like hell. ...

"That was the lowest," Armstrong said. "The lowest."

Armstrong's personal fortune had sustained a big hit days earlier. One by one, his sponsors called to end their associations with him: Nike; Trek Bicycles; Giro, which manufactures cycling helmets and other accessories; Anheuser-Busch.

"That was a $75 million day," Armstrong said.

"That just went out of your life," Winfrey said.

"Gone."

"Gone?" Winfrey repeated.

"Gone," he replied, "and probably never coming back."

So was there a moral to his story?

"I can look at what I did," he said. "Cheating to win bike races, lying about it, bullying people. Of course, you're not supposed to do those things. That's what we teach our children."

Armstrong paused to compose himself before a final mea culpa.

"I just think it was about the ride and losing myself, getting caught up in that, and doing all those things along the way that enabled that," he said. "The ultimate crime is, uh, is the betrayal of those people that supported me and believed in me.

"They got lied to."

___

AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas, and National Writer Eddie Pells in Denver contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-19-Armstrong-Oprah/id-681106f800e74535ab751c69911bb228

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