Pope marks end of difficult year, notes God's good

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of a difficult year Monday by saying that despite all the death and injustice in the world, goodness prevails.
Benedict celebrated New Year's Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks for 2012 and look ahead to 2013. He appeared tired during the service and used a cane afterward — an indication that the busy Christmas season may be taking a toll on the 85-year-old Benedict.
In his homily, Benedict said it's tough to remember that goodness prevails when bad news — death, violence and injustice — "makes more noise than good." He said taking time to meditate in prolonged reflection and prayer can help "find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily life."
This past year was full of highs and lows for the pope, including a successful trip to Mexico and Cuba but also the betrayal of his butler, convicted in October of stealing Benedict's personal papers and leaking them to a journalist.
After the service, Benedict was brought out in a covered car to pray before the Vatican's main nativity scene in St. Peter's Square. Walking with a cane in the chilly piazza, Benedict chatted animatedly with the artist who crafted the scene, which recreated an entire village from the poor, southern Italian region of Basilicata which donated this year's crèche.
The Vatican gladly accepted Basilicata's donation after the €550,000 price tag the Vatican paid for the 2009 nativity scene was revealed in the documentation leaked by Benedict's ex-butler Paolo Gabriele.
Gabriele was convicted of aggravated theft by a Vatican tribunal and sentenced to 18 months in prison. He received a pre-Christmas papal pardon and is expected to soon leave his Vatican City apartment for a new home and job elsewhere.
On Tuesday morning, Benedict celebrates a New Year's Day Mass, which the Catholic Church celebrates as its world day of peace.

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Pope convinced of peace in 2013 despite world woes

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday he is convinced that peace will prevail in 2013, despite the inequality, terrorism and "unregulated financial capitalism" that afflict the world today.
Benedict celebrated a New Year's Day Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to mark the church's world day of peace. His target audience was in the front pews: diplomats accredited to the Holy See, who next week will attend the pope's annual address about the plight of the world's poor and its war-torn regions.
In his homily, Benedict said that despite today's terrorism, criminality and the inequality between rich and poor, he is convinced the "numerous works of peace, of which the world is rich, are testimony to the innate vocation of humanity to peace."
He cited "unregulated financial capitalism" as evidence of an "egotistical and individualistic mentality" that is rife in the world.
Later, Benedict appeared at his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square to wish the crowds below a Happy New Year.
Nearby, a man scaled the scaffolding along the colonnade surrounding the square and draped a banner calling on Benedict to "Stop Terrorism." After a few hours of police negotiations, he came down and was escorted away.
The protest didn't appear to cause the pope any disturbance.

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France counts 1,193 cars torched on New Year's Eve

 Hundreds of empty, parked cars go up in flames in France each New Year's Eve, set afire by young revelers, a much lamented tradition that remained intact this year with 1,193 vehicles burned, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said Tuesday.
His announcement was the first time in three years that such figures have been released. The conservative government of former President Nicolas Sarkozy had decided to stop publishing them in a bid to reduce the crime — and not play into the hands of car-torching youths who try to outdo each other.
France's current Socialist government decided otherwise, deeming total transparency the best method, and the rate of burned cars apparently remained steady. On Dec. 31, 2009, the last public figure available, 1,147 vehicles were burned.
Like many countries, France sees cars set on fire during the year for many reasons, including gangs hiding clues of their crimes and people making false insurance claims.
But car-torching took a new step in France when it became a way to mark the arrival of the New Year. The practice reportedly began in earnest among youths — often in poor neighborhoods — in the 1990s in the region around Strasbourg in eastern France.
It also became a voice of protest during the fiery unrest by despairing youths from housing projects that swept France in the fall of 2005. At the time, police counted 8,810 vehicles burned in less than three weeks.
Yet even then, cars were not burned in big cities like Paris, and that remained the case this New Year's Eve. Minister Valls said the Paris suburban region of Seine-Saint-Denis, where the 2005 unrest started, led the nation for torched cars, followed by two eastern regions around Strasbourg.
For some, the decision to tell the public how many cars have been burned on New Year's Eve is a mistake.
Bruno Beschizza, the national secretary for security matters in Sarkozy's UMP party, said on iTele TV that publishing the numbers motivates youths to commit such crimes. "We know that neighborhoods compete," he said. Gang rivalries center on who can torch the most cars, with claims made on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, he said.

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Trade, tax, transparency on June G8 meet agenda - UK

Trade, tax compliance and promoting greater transparency will be the main focus of the next meeting of leaders of the Group of Eight major economies in June, Britain said on Wednesday as it assumed the group's rotating presidency.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped the group's seven other member nations - the United States, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany - would join Britain in trying to "fire up economies and drive prosperity".
"At the heart of my agenda for the Summit are three issues - advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting greater transparency," Cameron said in a letter to other G8 leaders.
The next G8 meeting is expected to be held in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland.
On trade, Cameron said deals between the European Union and Canada, Japan and the United States was on the table, and efforts are also expected to be made to close international tax loopholes and strengthen global tax standards.
Cameron also hopes to boost transparency and accountability of aid spending.
The British prime minister said the G8 economies together account for around half of the world's economic output and so should be able to achieve ambitious goals.
However, experts question the group's continuing relevancy given it does not include rising powers China, Brazil or India.

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Instant View - Manufacturing PMI jumps to fifteen-month high in December

LONDON (Reuters) - British factory activity jumped unexpectedly in December to grow at its fastest pace since September 2011, a survey showed on Wednesday, raising the chance that the economy eked out growth at the end of 2012.
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- Highest headline manufacturing PMI index since September 2011
- Highest output component since April 2011
- Highest new orders component since March 2011
- Highest new export orders component since September 2012
- Highest input prices index since March 2012
- Highest output prices index since April 2012
- Highest employment index since August 2012
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ECONOMISTS' COMMENTS
BRIAN HILLIARD, SOCIETE GENERALE
"A belated Christmas present. The most encouraging feature was the surge in the output index... Export orders are still down, so that would suggest that it's domestic demand which is picking up, which is surprising if true.
"So it's a welcome surprise, it's difficult to know what's driving it.
"The biggest uncertainty about Q4 (GDP) is going to be construction numbers. The October (official non-seasonally adjusted) figures suggested that we could see a bounce, but it's very early days. It's a very uncertain number. Barring distortions to construction, even with a slightly more encouraging manufacturing output number, it (Q4 GDP) should be around flat."
GEORGE BUCKLEY, DEUTSCHE BANK
"The jump in the output index is very encouraging, to 54. Obviously there's a risk that it might not be sustained but if it is, then we are moving, it would suggest, from a period of negative growth in the final quarter of last year to positive growth again.
"It's obviously very difficult to read, because we don't know what the services survey did but if you plot it against GDP, it is consistent with an improvement into positive territory, so it's encouraging in that sense."
ROSS WALKER, RBS
"The big question is over the official manufacturing output figures; we've seen pronounced weakness in the official manufacturing figures since the summer.
"The fact that survey figures are easing up a little bit means we may see an improvement in the official figures, but it is not enough to prevent a sizeable fall (in manufacturing) in the fourth quarter."
ROB WOOD, BERENBERG BANK
"The sector seems to be showing some signs of improvement - probably as the euro zone crisis is easing a little bit and Chinese growth is bottoming out.
"But the big picture is that the UK economy has been bouncing along the bottom over the last year.
"Today's figures point to stabilisation rather than a return to growth."
ROB DOBSON, MARKIT
"UK manufacturing exited 2012 on a positive note, with December's PMI data signalling a reassuringly solid return to growth for the sector. However, this does little to change the view that the sector contracted over the fourth quarter as a whole, following the temporary growth surge of 0.7 percent in the third quarter.
"The domestic market remained the main spur for growth of production and new orders in December, although there are also signs that global trade flows are stabilising as China and the U.S. strengthen and the downturn in the euro zone eases. If the recovery in overseas markets continues to build at the start of 2013, this would be of major benefit to UK exporters."
"The latest survey also showed that manufacturers remain on a cost-cautious footing, leading to lower levels of purchasing, the running-down of inventories and a reluctance to increase payroll numbers.
"However, there are increasing signs of firms starting to move out of this cost-cutting mode, though it is clear that the outlook remains far from certain.
"Business confidence among producers therefore remains fragile and could easily be derailed by setbacks in key export markets, notably any resurgence of the euro zone debt crisis."

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The Top Four Trending Marketing Tactics for 2013

San Diego based Ad Agency Explains What companies Need to Know to be Noticed in Our Fast Paced and Cut-Throat Marketing Battlefield Released by Santora Media Group Inc.

San Diego, California (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
If a company is serious about business, they are likely to want to crush their competition. In the past, companies could simply put an ad in a newspaper and hire a mediocre inbound sales representative and be reasonably successful. In the 2013 and beyond marketplace it is a bit more complicated. With trade shows to attend and Facebook accounts to update, it is imperative to have a solid plan for what is coming into popularity rather than what has worked in the past. The following are a few of the most important areas of marketing to focus on as we move deeper in to the twenty first century.
The Brand: So many companies have the notion that their logo design and overall marketing aesthetic is not going to make or break their ability to capture current and new audiences. The reality is that in our current marketplace people truly care about the image of the brands they buy from. Notions of quality or durability are often taking a backseat to “what’s new and cool.” Often if a brand doesn’t convey a sense of overwhelming popularity and mass appeal it is perceived as simply just another brand.
Cross marketing: A company can make a huge impact with half the budget if they partner up with a compatible company. Postcards, business cards, and brochures are great printing avenues to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce two brands in a way that makes sense. If a company is heading off to a trade show, they should tap into their business’s network and see if there is another company that will co-brand the collateral printed for the show. Many brands can collaborate that compliment each other and ultimately increase sales for each company, we at Santora Media Group call this the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Theory.”
Redeveloping the company image: What was hip and trendy last year will slowly but surely turn into what is hip and trendy next year. A brand must reflect certain visual trends to be clumped into the category of visually relevant and appealing to the customers that are apt to spend big bucks to utilize the “in” company or buy the “in” products. If a company has a product or service that is timeless and really doesn't change, they shouldn't feel that this phenomenon doesn't apply to them, it does! Usually all they need to do is put their product in a new light. redesign their business cards. market in a new way that is uncommon for their industry, like a building wrap or hand out custom promotional products that will keep your brand close to the consumer.
Show them you care: As everyone has undoubtedly noticed, companies have embraced sustainability, and all things eco. It behooves every company to embrace this in 2013. Whether you are on board or not with the movement, many consumers are. Santora Media Group offers eco printing, banners made from low impact materials and of course graphic design that is the most eco friendly.

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GreenDeals Re-brands Marketplace as Go Green Marketplace

GreenDeals has relaunched their Marketplace for eco-friendly products under a new domain and brand, GoGreenMarketplace.com.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 31, 2012
GreenDeals launched their Marketplace last month to help green minded consumers purchase green products, including eco-friendly, fair trade and organic items in one place. After extensive testing, they have decided to re-brand the GreenDeals Marketplace to the Go Green Marketplace to help differentiate its offering from its traditional eco-friendly deal site. The Go Green Marketplace will be hosted under a new domain but still be operated as an entity of GreenDeals.
The Go Green Marketplace will still allow shoppers looking for eco-friendly and organic products such as bath & body, kitchen & home, cleaning supplies and more to purchase all of these products at one website. All products are shipped out from a single warehouse to limit excessive shipping and reduce our shipping carbon footprint.
Gone are the days of searching website after website to find green products, the Go Green Marketplace is the one stop shopping experience for anything green. Shoppers can purchase green products from over a hundred companies such as Seventh Generation, Bambu, Mr. Meyer's, EcoClean, and Preserve.
The Go Green Marketplace features over 1,500 products and will add new products weekly with a goal of 20,000 green products by the end of 2013. GreenDeals Director, Jonah Mytro stated, "The re-launch of the GreenDeals Marketplace is essential to help us differentiate and grow this new website to consumers. We are anticipating the Go Green Marketplace to experience tremendous growth over the next 12 months as we expand our green product offerings."
While GreenDeals has had tremendous success offering discounts on green products, the Go Green Marketplace is ideal for consumers looking to purchase a variety of products for home, family, and gifting. Shoppers can visit the Go Green Marketplace and get free shipping with any order of at least fifty dollars.
About GreenDeals
GreenDeals launched in October 2010 to offer discounts and deals from local and national green businesses approved by Green America. GreenDeals offers daily deals, contests, content, tips, and promotes green living to thousands consumers across the US and Canada.

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Book of Mormon Tickets Remain Atop Most Popular Theatre Tickets List

The Book of Mormon continues to remain at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list, said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. The 9-time Tony Award winning musical is currently running at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York, the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, and the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 01, 2013
This bold, bawdy, hilarious and heartfelt musical opened in February of 2011. It went on to win nine Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Now after almost two years, it continues to top popularity polls and play to sold out crowds around the country. (Source: Wikipedia.com, BuyAnySeat.com)
From the creators of “South Park and “Avenue Q”, Coloradoans Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the Book of Mormon continues to receive an almost perfect 4.9 rating from audiences, while critics give it a 4.7 out of five stars. (Source: Entertainment-link.com)
“While this musical is not appropriate for younger children, especially those in their pre-teens, adult audiences appear to appreciate the show’s explicit and irreverent content,” said Felina Martinez at online ticket marketplace BuyAnySeat.com. “We continue to see The Book of Mormon tickets at the top of our Most Popular Theatre Tickets list.”
“Through-out the Holiday season, we’ve also seen major spikes in search traffic for discount Book of Mormon tickets for the current performances in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.”

“We still have a big selection of Book of Mormon tickets available however,” said Martinez. “And we’re proud to be able to offer fans a great selection, with a worry-free guarantee to protect their purchase,” said Martinez.
“To access the complete selection of cheap Book of Mormon tickets we now have available, customers can go to BuyAnySeat.com and search for Book of Mormon – then select their tickets,” said Martinez.
The musical itself tells the tale of two mismatched missionaries sent to deepest, darkest Africa to spread the good word. Those who have seen "South Park" probably won't need any warnings, but the producers have issued a parental advisory due to `explicit language’. What happens to these asymmetric missionaries in poor, hungry, AIDS-plagued Africa is... well, R-rated.
To some reviewers, the musical’s content is both revolutionary and classic, hilarious and humane, funny and obscene. Other critics have called it blasphemous, scurrilous and more foul-mouthed than David Mamet on a blue streak – yet with a heart and soul as pure and pristine as a Rodgers and Hammerstein or Disney show.
How offensive is it? Despite its adult theme and bawdy content, Entertainment Weekly and the Salt Lake Tribute call it “surprisingly sweet”, while Vogue magazine writes that the show "starts out as a potty-mouthed buddy comedy" before "winding up as a kind of parable," and concludes that the musical's "dirty little secret is its big heart."
To shop for The Book of Mormon tickets, visit BuyAnySeat.com.
About BuyAnySeat.com: An online ticket marketplace, BuyAnySeat.com connects sports, theater and other live entertainment fans to an extensive worldwide network of ticket sellers. The site’s simplified listings and navigational tools enable fans to easily locate, compare and purchase inexpensive, discounted or lower-priced tickets to virtually all advertised sports and entertainment events around the globe. The site, which is PCI-compliant and Norton Secured, also provides customers with a complete Worry-Free Guarantee on all ticket purchases. Based in Denver, Colorado, BuyAnySeat.com is a subsidiary of Denver Media Holdings. For more information, please visit http://buyanyseat.com.
Note: Not an authorized ticket seller of the Book of Mormon.

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Breakout Consulting Offers New Clients $500 Off on Dream Client Marketing Campaign

Leading business consultancy offers businesses of all sizes to strategically target their dream client list.

(PRWEB) January 01, 2013
Breakout Consulting, a leading small business coaching and consulting firm based in Dearborn, MI is offering new clients a $500 discount on their Dream Client Marketing Campaign focused on attracting the most lucrative buyers in their marketplace. The customized marketing package includes all the research, creatives and marketing collateral necessary to execute an effective dream client or best buyer marketing strategy. Package price also includes coaching and guidance to ensure effective deployment of the campaign. New clients can expect to be interacting with prospective dream clients within 45 days of engaging Breakout Consulting for this service.
The promotional price of $495 is a 50% discount over the normal price and is offered to new clients only.
Additional details can be found on their website or by calling 313-757-1425.
About Breakout Consulting:
Breakout Consulting, LLC was founded in 2000 by Michael P. Berry, a seasoned business professional who has been involved at various levels of ownership and management in 23 different private and franchise brands. Coaching and consulting services focus on all aspects of business improvement including marketing, sales, profitability, growth, hiring, training, planning, policies and procedures for start-ups and small to medium sized businesses. Prospective clients are offered a complimentary initial consultation and receive a customized 12-point growth plan free of charge.

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More than 400 Million Devices Are Connected in U.S. Homes, According to The NPD Group

There are 425 million devices connected to the Internet in U.S. homes, according to a new Connected Intelligence report from global information company, The NPD Group.

Port Washington, New York (PRWEB) January 02, 2013
There are 425 million devices connected to the Internet in U.S. homes, according to a new Connected Intelligence report from global information company, The NPD Group. The Connected Home report found that while computers are still the primary connected device, numerous others are diminishing the computer’s relevance to the broadband content marketplace. This trend is being fueled by devices such as gaming consoles and Blu-ray Disc players adding to the number of Internet connected HDTVs, and the connectivity piped directly to the TV itself. Strong consumer retail sales in developing categories such as tablets and smartphones are also impacting the traditional computer’s share of Internet connected devices.
By the end of 2013, a shift towards more screen-sharing across devices is expected. Smaller screens such as the smartphone have the greatest reach now with an estimated 133 million users, with tablets contributing another 31.8 million screens. The development of the shared screen experience, by throwing content from a smaller screen to the TV, is converging device ecosystems and will allow for over-the-top content to become even more prominent on the TV.
“Mobile is adding another dimension powered by screen sharing technologies that allows users to project their tablet or smartphone onto their TV,” said John Buffone, director, NPD’s Connected Intelligence. “Through 2013, multi-screen and multi-device synergy will lead the growth in the broader connected device market, but only if services consumers desire are delivered in a simplistic manner. In this connected world, content providers and consumer technology OEMs need to determine the optimal mix of services and have them on the right devices.”
Are consumers embracing the ability to access apps on their TVs? Read John’s blog to find out.
Methodology

More than 4,000 U.S. consumers, age 18 and older were surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2012. The number of installed and internet connected devices includes those that deliver broadband applications such as computers, tablets, smartphones, HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc Players, video game consoles, and streaming media set top boxes. These devices must actually be connected to the Internet not just be Internet capable. Networking devices and others such as routers, modems, mobile hot spots, and pay TV set top boxes were excluded from this analysis. E-readers were also excluded due to the limited content array they offer.
About Connected Intelligence

Connected Intelligence provides competitive intelligence and insight on the rapidly evolving consumer’s connected environment. The service focuses on the three core components of the connected market: the device, the broadband access that provides the connectivity and the content that drives consumer behavior. These three pillars of the connected ecosystem are analyzed through a comprehensive review of what is available, adopted, and consumed by the customer, as well as reviewing how the market will evolve over time and what the various vendors can do to best position themselves in this evolving market. For more information: http://www.connected-intelligence.com. Follow Connected Intelligence on Twitter: @npdci.

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