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AP Sports Writer
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Usain Bolt was honored as the sportsman of the year at the Laureus Sports Awards on Monday night, and Europe's Ryder Cup golfers were selected the best team.
Bolt won his third Laureus Award after another dominant Olympic performance on the track at London, winning gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400 relay.
"This last season was a tough year," said Bolt, who also won the award in 2009 and 2010.
The European Ryder Cup team was honored for its comeback victory over the United States at Medinah.
British heptathlete Jessica Ennis was chosen the sportswoman of 2012, Andy Murray was selected the top breakthrough athlete, and Felix Sanchez the main comeback athlete.
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner was the winner in the action category after becoming the first skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound. Brazil's Daniel Dias won the disability award.
Michael Phelps won a special Laureus Academy award as the most decorated Olympian ever with 18 gold, two silver and two bronze medals, and former Olympian and London Games organizer Sebastian Coe won the Laureus' lifetime achievement award.
"The most honored and sincere awards that can ever be given are those by your peers," Coe said. "This is an extraordinary honor. You only have to look at the good people you are surrounded by."
The winners of the annual awards were chosen by nearly 50 members of the Laureus sports academy.
Bolt, who said through his video remarks that he will "definitely" be back in Rio for the 2016 Games, was contending against Phelps, Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel, double Olympic champion Mo Farah and four-time FIFA world player of the year Lionel Messi, who scored a record 91 goals last year to cement his status as the world's top soccer player.
Novak Djokovic won the men's award last year and Rafael Nadal was the winner in 2011.
The European Ryder Cup team, captained by Jose Maria Olazabal and inspired by the late Seve Ballesteros, got the team honor. It trailed the U.S. 10-6 entering the final day but pulled off a series of epic singles victories to win the gold trophy.
"This is truly special, it means an awful lot to us," Ian Poulter said in a recorded message.
Other nominees for the team award were the U.S. Olympic basketball squad, the Spanish football team, the Miami Heat, Red Bull's Formula One team and the Chinese table tennis squad which won all possible medals in London.
Ennis, one of the faces of the British track team that thrived in London, had a strong performance at the hepthlaton, beginning with an impressive win at the 100 hurdles.
"It's so surreal to stand here," Ennis said. "It's an incredible feeling."
She was contending with Americans Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn, Missy Franklin and Allyson Felix, as well as Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Vonn won the award in 2011.
Murray won the breakthrough prize after capturing the Olympic singles gold and his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
"Without a doubt it was the best year of my career," he said.
Sanchez got the comeback award after winning gold in the 400 hurdles eight years after his victory in Athens in 2004.
"After eight years without winning, it was difficult," he said. "To comeback and cross the line and win my second gold medal was obviously a special achievement for me."
Dias, who won six individual gold medals with world-record times at the Paralympic Games in London, was up against former F1 driver Alex Zanardi, who won two hand-cycling golds. Oscar Pistorius won the disability award last year.
Among the voting members in the Laureus academy are Jack Nicklaus, Boris Becker, Cathy Freeman, Dan Marino, Edwin Moses, Martina Navratilova, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Steve Redgrave and Emerson Fittipaldi.
The televised awards ceremony, for the first time taking place in Rio de Janeiro, was hosted by actor Morgan Freeman and actress Eva Longoria.
The Super Bowl got a lighthearted reference at the awards. After Freeman called the American football final one of his favorites, all the lights at the theater were turned off for a few moments, in a clear reference to the power outage that marked this year's game in New Orleans. Freeman was heard asking "how long is this going to last?"
He showed relief when the lights came back on.
Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoni
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Here's the good news: The biggest energy hog in your house is not your plasma screen. And it's probably not your home theater system—unless you're pumping out watts by the thousands. There are ways to save energy on those suckers, but why not concentrate your high-tech energy-efficiency efforts on the appliances and devices that the pull the most juice from both the utilities and your wallet?
And no, you don't have to get all cuddly with pink insulation. Though in some cases, it wouldn't hurt.
Here's a rundown on the worst energy culprits in your house and the cool ways you can tame them to save you some money.
According to the Department of Energy, heating your home accounts for about 31 percent of your energy costs. Now that could be heating with oil, gas or electricity. But in any case, you can get your costs under better control, depending on how much you want to invest.
Easy fix: Turn your thermostat down. For every degree you turn it down, you save about 1 percent on your utility bills. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up.
Get serious: Invest a few hundred in a smart or programmable thermostat—and program it! They're not hard to set, and you can schedule it for different temperatures at different times, so a room can use less heat at night while you're toasty in bed.
Get really serious: If you're heating with oil or gas, look for a modulating and sealed combustion boiler. A modulated boiler fires at different settings so it can burn lower on a hot day instead of firing at the same high level as the coldest day of the year, which is how many boilers are set. These boilers are much more efficient than the standard builder specials that lurk in many homes.
Go nuts: Look into heating with an alternative form of energy, like geothermal. It uses the constant heat in the ground then boosts it via a heat exchanger to warm your tootsies. Geothermal systems work great with radiant floor heating systems, but they can be costly—think five figures and above—and are best installed in while a home is being constructed.
We just knew this would be next, didn't we? Cooling can account for 12 percent to of your energy bill, on average—and this will certainly be higher in sunnier climes. There are great ways to control your cooling costs, too.
Easy fix: Use fans, not air conditioners. Fans draw much less electricity than A/C units. But remember, they don't cool a room. They just cool the people near them, so don't leave them on when a room is vacant. That is so un-cool. If you have skylights, open them to exhaust rising hot air. A ceiling fan beneath a skylight can be reversed to draw warm air up and out, forming a thermal chimney that helps keep your house cool. Still gotta have that A/C? If you raise your thermostat by only two degrees and use your ceiling fan, you can your lower cooling costs by up to 14 percent, according to the EPA.
Get serious: Invest in an Energy Star-labeled air conditioner. An Energy Star label signifies that the product is more energy-efficient than most others on the market. Even an Energy Star A/C uses more electricity than a fan, however. But if you have to stay cooler, this is the way to go. And if you have an older air conditioner that's Energy Star-rated, look to upgrade. Energy Star products get more efficient as years past, so an older Energy Star-certified unit is not as efficient as those available today.
Get really serious: Buy a programmable thermostat (see #1) or a home control system that hooks up to a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, so you are able to control the temperature settings in various zones of your house via a touchscreen, or even remotely. A home control system will cost you in the thousands, but if you can pre-cool your digs before coming home or reset the thermostats from your phone as you're leaving for vacation, it could be worth it.
Go nuts: Invest in both a home control system and motorized window treatments, and tie them to temperature and light sensors so the shades or curtains will close when a room gets too hot. These systems are high-end and expensive, but they can be automated to help you save on your cooling costs (as well as heating and lighting costs). Look for more motorized shading systems to be integrated with lighting control, so that the shades will open automatically to allow natural light in and reduce your lighting costs.
Water Heating
It's the big Number 3, especially if you have a house with teens who love long, hot showers. Domestic hot water is likely responsible for big part of your energy bill—no matter how you're heating it: oil, gas, or electricity. Is there a way to curb the amount of energy you're using to heat water? Absolutely.
Easy Fix: Set the temp of your hot water heater to 120 degrees for the best comfort and efficiency. You can also save energy by washing clothes in cold water and using a dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand.
Get serious: Invest in Energy Star appliances such as water heaters, dishwashers, and clothes washers.Facebook and Twitter.
Here are some examples of energy use of various household appliances, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. All figures are in watts.
Aquarium = 50–1210 Watts
Clock radio = 10
Coffee maker = 900–1200
Clothes washer = 350–500
Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
Dehumidifier = 785
Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
Ceiling = 65–175
Window = 55–250
Furnace = 750
Whole house = 240–750
Hair dryer = 1200–1875
Heater (portable) = 750–1500
Clothes iron = 1000–1800
Microwave oven = 750–1100
Personal computer
CPU - awake / asleep = 120 / 30 or less
Monitor - awake / asleep = 150 / 30 or less
Laptop = 50
Radio (stereo) = 70–400
Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
Televisions (color)
19" = 65–110
27" = 113
36" = 133
53"-61" Projection = 170
Flat screen = 120
Toaster = 800–1400
Toaster oven = 1225
Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380
Check out our recommendations for the season's best new TVs for home theater, living room or anywhere.
Home automation system helps wounded war veteran live more comfortably.
Check out our recommendations for the season's best new TVs for home theater, living room or anywhere.

subset: commoncrawl


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Holiday shipping deadlines
Published On: Dec 13 2011 02:23:40 PM PST Updated On: Dec 19 2013 05:11:26 AM PST
How much longer do you have to get grandma's presents to her by Christmas?
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Friday, 28 August 2009 00:00
The annual SCO Family of Services Peter Speranza 5K Run to Help the Children is celebrating its 20th year on Saturday, Sept. 5, in Sea Cliff. This 5K race benefits the developmentally disabled and physically challenged children whose lives have been significantly changed with SCO's help. The 5K Run is named in memory of Peter Speranza, former board member and longtime supporter of SCO. All are invited to join SCO in celebrating this milestone and bring the whole family for a day of fun while supporting a great cause. To help celebrate the 20th Anniversary, there will be games and prizes for all. This will be their best year yet!
There are three races - one for each age group - beginning with The ChemRX Half-Pint 1/2-Mile Race for elementary school children at 9 a.m. At 9:20 a.m., the Middle School Mile (for 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders) kicks off. The 20th Annual Peter Speranza 5K Run for the Children begins promptly at 9:45 a.m. Each runner will receive a race T-shirt and awards will be given to the top finishers in each age category. Refreshments will be available immediately following the last race. A ragtime band will entertain the runners and spectators. The race will be timed by Start to Finish and will use the microchip method of scoring. Race results will be available shortly after the race ends and will be posted on the Start to Finish website (www.start2finish.com).
The registration fee for all races is $20. Entries must be postmarked by Aug. 22. Late registration is $25 and takes place Friday, Sept. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. at SCO Family of Services, 101 Downing Avenue, Sea Cliff. Registration will also be available on race day for $25.
Local companies play a large part in the success of the The SCO Peter Speranza 5K Run for the Children. ChemRX, Tweezerman International, 4-C Foods, Gabrielli Trucking and Rising Tide Natural Market are proud to be major race sponsors. For information on how you can become a sponsor, volunteer, or register for the race, please call Sioban Rack, SCO Family of Services Director of Development, at 516-671-1253, ext. 139 or visit their website at www.sco.org.


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- About us
- Statistics and Reports
- News and Events
- Discover Georgia
- Contact Us
Dear visitor,
I am delighted to welcome you to the official website of Georgian National Tourism Administration.
Georgia, with its unparalleled cultural and historical heritage and striking landscapes, is becoming more and more popular amongst foreign travelers looking to savor the essence of Georgian hospitality.
It is my pleasure to share with you the renowned and emerging tourist destinations in Georgia and invite you to explore the endless possibilities of business and leisure activities. Simplified Visa procedures and Visa-free regime that Georgia offers to around 100 nationalities will ease your travel.
We work hard and put utmost effort to have diverse and developed tourist products with high quality service. Therefore, if you have any queries or suggestions on how we can serve you better, please feel free to contact us.
On behalf of all Georgians I look forward to welcoming you to our country and I am convinced that you will enjoy your stay.


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A fire at a vacant Omaha house earlier this month left one man wondering why investigators impounded a family car parked at the scene and why he was left with the bill.
A neighbor's car parked in front of the house near 49th and Burt was either in the way or part of the investigation, so it was towed to the city impound lot.
"The fees start stacking up every day they don't want to release the car, but if you are holding the car, don't charge me for you holding the car." Doug Parker says arson investigators questioned his son before releasing the car and its contents four days later.
Parker says his insurance will pay for fire damage to the vehicle, but to get it out of impound, he was told he'd have to pay at least $80 in fees. Parker says a fire investigator told him they wouldn't have to pay impound fees.
"There actually were fees being incurred and so because the investigator told the owner that, we have dropped the fees," said OFD Capt. Tim McCaw.
Bob Neve lives next to the burned home. "If the fire investigators thought it might have something to do with the fire, then I think they are justified in towing it."
There's no parking on the block so neighbors and visitors often park in front of the vacant house where there's been one fire after another. Neve hopes there won't be another. "This whole neighborhood is worried about people starting fires."
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Arson Hotline at 444-FIRE.


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Latest update : 2012-12-31
Moscow to clamp down on drunk drivers
Russian roads are some of the deadliest in the world. Last year there were over 200,000 traffic accidents, leaving some 28,000 people dead. In an attempt to reduce these shocking figures, the government has announced new penalties for drunk drivers. Our Moscow correspondents Ksenia Bolchakova and Shaun Walker report.