Pets & Friends Welcome At 5th Annual Fest Hosted By Dog Gone ...

Oct 31, 2012

By Sandy Meyer

Dog Gone Holistic is sponsoring its 5th Annual Dog Gone Healthy Pet Fest on Saturday December 1. The event will be held in the parking lot in front of the store, which is located in the Publix Plaza in Fishhawk, as well as inside the store.? Hours outside are from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and inside the store from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The event began in 2008 when the shop first opened. ?We wanted people to know what Dog Gone Holistic is all about. We are all about offering only the healthiest foods, treats and supplements on the market,? states Kim Tom, who co-owns the store with her husband Chris.? The Pet Fest has continued to grow and last year Tom estimates over 500 people attended.

There will be several tents set up in the parking lot which will feature pet products, holistic dog food companies, and local pet businesses. Smokey Bones of Brandon and? Kona Ice Yum will be on site selling their delicious fares along with music provided by Pure Power Productions. ?We also invite several local pet rescue groups to attend the event so they can showcase their adoptable pets and collect much needed donations,? shares Tom. Dog Gone Holistic will also collect donations by selling raffle tickets for dog and cat gift baskets. Customers can also make donations right at the register.

Inside the store, everything will be discounted 15% during the day of the event, including cat and dog food. ?Pets are welcome to attend, but must be on a leash and be friendly to other dogs and people,? Tom said.

Dog Gone Holistic is located at 5620 Fishhawk Crossings Blvd in Lithia. More information about the store and the Pet Fest can be found at www.doggoneholistic.biz. ?Pet food and products company reps will be on hand to answer questions. It is a great time to try a new food, treats or toys? or to just buy your pet a Christmas gift,? concluded Tom.

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By Sandy Meyer Animals, Bloomingdale, Business, FishHawk Tags: "Dog Gone Holistic", Chris Tom, Kim Tom, Kona Ice Yum, Organic Dog treats, Pet Fest in FishHawk, Public Plaza in FishHawk, Smokey Bones

Source: http://www.ospreyobserver.com/2012/10/pets-friends-welcome-at-5th-annual-fest-hosted-by-dog-gone-holistic/

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Sling Media Slingbox 500

Not feeling the cord-cutting craze? From live sports and 24-hour news to a vast array of premium channels, most Americans are staying with cable or satellite TV for now. The problem is, aside from the lack of ? la carte channel options, TV providers also make it exceptionally difficult to watch the programming you pay for from computers and mobile devices. Enter the venerable Slingbox, which since 2005 has made it easy to "place-shift" live TV and recorded DVR content, letting you watch it on any device over the Internet when you're away from home.

Now, after a four-year hiatus, Sling Media is back with the Slingbox 500 ($299.99 direct), its first consumer product since the Slingbox Pro-HD and the somewhat misguided SlingCatcher. With the 500, the Slingbox finally includes features many fans have been clamoring for, such as full 1080p streaming and Wi-Fi support. In an age of direct Internet streaming services, parts of the way the Slingbox 500 works are beginning to feel quite dated. But if you want to get the most out of your cable or satellite TV subscription, the Slingbox 500 remains a great way to stream live TV and recorded DVR content to any of your computers or mobile devices, at home or on the go.?

Design, Connections, and Setup
With its twisted design, the Slingbox 500 looks kind of like an inspired piece of modern art. It's made entirely of matte black plastic with a textured finish that feels durable and scratch resistant.?As a coworker commented, it's no longer flat on top, so people won't be putting stuff on top and watching their Slingboxes overheat, which used to happen with the older models.

In the package, you get lots of goodies. Aside from the Slingbox itself, there's a small remote control, an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, component and composite video cables, a pair of stereo RCA audio cables, an Ethernet cable, and a printed instruction manual.?The HDMI port seems like an exciting addition at first, but thanks to encryption issues from the TV providers, it only passes through regular TV and basic cable channels like USA HD. To get around this problem, Sling Media recommends a simultaneous HDMI and component audio and video cable setup; I ended up testing with the component connection.

The Slingbox 500 also includes an internal IR blaster for controlling your cable-company-issued set-top box. This means you don't have to fiddle with the little plastic external one on a wire, as you did with older models. Sling Media says the blaster is strong enough to bounce off the walls and hit the sensor on the set-top box. If that doesn't work in your setup, the company still includes the old IR blaster on a wire in case you need it.

I tested the Slingbox 500 with a Dish Network Hopper DVR and a Samsung HDTV. From the back of the Dish Hopper, I ran both HDMI and the five component A/V cables from the output jacks to the inputs on the Slingbox 500. Then out from the Slingbox 500, I connected the existing HDMI cable (from the Dish Hopper) to the back of the TV. The Slingbox 500 took about two minutes to boot for the first time; it installed a software update during this time, which I assume was already on the Slingbox, because I hadn't yet connected it to a network.

You can connect to 802.11b/g/n networks on either the 2.4GHz or 5GHz channel. I added the Slingbox 500 to our test WPA2-encrypted 5GHz network without issue, and then picked up the new remote to control the Slingbox's new TV interface. After inputting my location and zip code, the unit scanned the connected inputs and asked about our service provider, for which I selected Dish New York. It already had the Dish Hopper in its set-top box database and loaded the appropriate remote control layout. I tested the programmed remote buttons as directed, and everything worked properly from the Slingbox remote. I had no problem bringing up the menu and channel guide, switching channels, and powering the Hopper off or on?and that was without using the external blaster cable, and while standing in front of both devices.

The bundled Slingbox 500 remote is fairly small.??It's made entirely of black plastic and is very light, but doesn't feel too flimsy.?It includes a Home button at the top, three function keys, an oversize five-way control pad, Play/Pause, Stop, and seek controls, and a numeric keypad. The rubber buttons are easy to press, although they're not backlit.

Performance
As with any streaming 1080p device, you'll want to make sure your home network is in tip top shape. As a general rule, 802.11n is better than 802.11g, and 5GHz is better than 2.4GHz. (Read How to Set Up a Wireless Router for quick tips on improving your network's speed and range.)

Slingboxes have always excelled at optimizing the quality of video against available network bandwidth. Even over Wi-Fi, the Slingbox 500 is no exception. I watched?NCIS?in HD and saw a clear, crisp picture, both over 720p and 1080p, on my ThinkPad's Chrome Web browser, with perfectly synced audio at all times. I also had little trouble changing channels and otherwise navigating the Dish Hopper's program guide.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/1mSyPExm-d4/0,2817,2410815,00.asp

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Libya police colonel targeted in assassination attempt

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A police car exploded on Saturday during a failed assassination attempt on a police colonel in the eastern city of Benghazi, a Libyan police official said.

The attack was the latest in a series of assassination attempts in Benghazi, the cradle of last year's uprising which ousted Muammar Gaddafi, and where U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens was killed in a September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate.

Unknown suspects placed a home-made bomb under Colonel Mohammed Ben Haleem's car which was parked outside his house, police spokesman Majed al-Obeidi said.

"The colonel turned his engine on to warm up the car, then stepped back into the house to retrieve something. That's when the car exploded," he told Reuters.

Obeidi said the explosion in the central Benghazi neighborhood of al-Hadayeq caused no injuries or deaths.

Ben Haleem was a police colonel under Gaddafi and resumed his post in the new government after the uprising.

On August 10, gunmen shot dead Libyan army general Mohammed al-Fitori in Benghazi when he was leaving Friday prayers. The bullets were fired from a passing car.

Fitori had defected from Gaddafi's government during last year's revolt and later became head of ammunition and armament for the army.

In early September, a Libyan intelligence officer was killed and another wounded when their car exploded in Benghazi.

A bomb planted in the car, which belonged to one of the officers, was remotely detonated when the two got into the vehicle in a busy shopping district of the Mediterranean city.

(Reporting by Ghaith Shennib; Writing by Hadeel Al-Shalchi; Editing by Myra MacDonald)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/libya-police-colonel-targeted-assassination-attempt-101643108.html

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Insider Guide: Best of Toronto | CNNGo.com

Toronto would be just another dot on the map of the United States had Canadian, British and First Nations warriors not banded together to beat the Americans and win the War of 1812.

Two centuries later, the city once known as York is the biggest in Canada and one of the most multicultural in North America, home to 2.5 million people (5.5 million in the Greater Toronto Area, or GTA) of more than 200 distinct ethnic origins.

Other Canadians often mock Torontonians for their center-of-the-universe attitude, but top dogs are always targets for those with bones to pick. This city is the country?s economic and social powerhouse.

Once ruled by Victorian and Protestant morality, it has matured over the past few decades into a truly international destination, with a vibrant bar, restaurant and club scene, not to mention world-class sports teams and arts institutions.

Toronto the Good, as it was once called (and sometimes is still called in jest), isn?t afraid to show its bad side -- or any of its sides.

It?s a city of neighborhoods -- Chinatown, Little Italy, Riverdale. It?s a city of festivals -- the Toronto International Film Festival, Caribana, Gay Pride. But above all, the best of Toronto makes it a livable city, one full of promise and potential.

Hotels

Luxury

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

Four-star views within.

With its glossy wood, big brass maple leaves, neutral earth tones and original artwork, the Ritz-Carlton is a luxurious tribute to Canadiana.

The hotel?s 267 guest rooms, all at least 41 square meters, provide views of the CN Tower and Lake Ontario. Rooms on floors 18 to 20 have the views -- if you go lower than that, condos partially block the lake.

The bathrooms are decked out in marble, with deep tubs and in-mirror TVs.

One of the Ritz-Carlton?s best of Toronto restaurants, TOCA (short for Toronto, Canada), sports a menu filled with dishes created with only local, naturally raised ingredients.

The cutting-edge cocktails mixed at the DEQ Terrace and Lounge draw in all sorts of customers, who are encouraged to dabble in mixology.

The Ritz-Carlton also lays on a customized wellness program, with experts who tailor everything from facials to fitness to the needs of each guest.

181 Wellington St. W.; +1 416 585 2500; from C$345 (US$342) per night; www.ritzcarlton.com

The Fairmont Royal York

Refurbished royalty.

The Royal York is the Grand Dame of Toronto?s hotel scene, an imposing stone and copper-roofed structure that?s firmly anchored in a sea of steel and glass. It?s been a star since it officially opened in 1929, a favorite for royalty, celebrities, movie directors and regular folk who want to soak up its Old World charm.

A C$100-million renovation that finished in 1993 helped keep this property in good shape.

Rooms have an elegant, Victorian style, with antique furniture, quilted bed covers and thick curtains and valance.

The Royal York is located across the street from the grand Union Station (and connected to it via underground walkway), Toronto?s main train station, which is also built in a neoclassical, Beaux-Arts style.

100 Front St. W.; +1 416 368 2511; from C$289 (US$288) per night; www.fairmont.com

SoHo Metropolitan

Just don't say "hipster" and we'll get along fine.

This contemporary hotel, situated in a slick condominium complex, is a short walk from the shops and restaurants on King West and Queen West, plus the bars and clubs in the Entertainment District.

SoHo's 92 guest rooms, which are 55 square meters on average, feature ultra-soft Frette linens and towels, natural down duvets and bathrooms with deep tubs and heated floors. Lights, blinds and the ?do not disturb? sign can be manipulated by remote control. Thick windows block out sound, but guests have the option of opening them.

Big spenders can book the 370-square-meter penthouse suite, which has an in-suite glass elevator, two bedrooms, two fireplaces, a state-of-the-art kitchen, plus a rooftop terrace with a barbecue and an eight-seater hot tub.

The bakery/bar/restaurant Sen5es (get it?) is attached to the hotel, serving up baked goods and a solid menu, including a dinner deal for C$50 that provides one appetizer, one entr?e and one dessert.

318 Wellington St. W.; +1 416 599 8800; from C$200 per night;?www.metropolitan.com

More on CNNGo: World?s most expensive hotels

Boutique

60 Thompson

Warm nights call for cool places.Travelers who have spent a night in a Thompson Hotel in cities such as New York and Chicago will feel at home in this modern property, located in the burgeoning King West Village neighborhood.

The 102 guest rooms (some with balconies) have floor-to-ceiling windows, heated bathroom floors and unique lighting features, along with plasma TVs and iHome docking stations. Orange and red accents stand out against the dark, hardwood floors.

The hotel's offer attributes include a 24-hour American-style diner, a rooftop bar and infinity pool, a 40-seat theater ideal for private film screenings, and the 1812 Lounge, named in cheeky commemoration of the war between the United States and Britain.

550 Wellington St.; +1 416 640 7778; from C$409 per night; www.thompsonhotels.com

Mid-range

Drake Hotel

This truly is a hotel "experience."A home-away-from-home in Toronto?s trendy West Queen West neighborhood. From the teeny tiny Solo room to the extra large Suite (and not forgetting the Crash Pads, Dens and Salons in between), the Drake Hotel is the perfect place for travelers looking for a more eclectic place to lay their heads.

But getting to bed early will be a challenge once you get a look at everything the Drake has to offer: a cool club for indie bands, DJs and film screenings; a raucous restaurant with a menu heavy on the meat, fruits de mer and comfort food options such as mac ?n cheese; and a chill lounge, with a rotating art collection, culinary cook-offs, trivia and weekend oyster bar.

The best of Toronto rooftop Sky Yard is dubbed an ?all-season space? by management (um, in Canada?), where patrons sip cocktails and roast marshmallows.

1150 Queen St. W.; +1 416 531 5042; singles from C$169, doubles from C$189. www.thedrakehotel.ca

Budget

HI-Toronto Youth Hostel

Nice place. But we don't condone shoes on the bed. Or that totally lame novel.

A solid option for travelers searching for less-expensive digs, HI-Toronto sports everything from 10-bed dorms to private rooms with double beds. It?s close to much of downtown's shops, restaurants, sports and entertainment facilities, plus it?s a short walk from other neighborhoods, such as Cabbagetown and the Gay Village.

HI-Toronto staff lead guests on pub crawls on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and they also show popular sporting events on the hostel?s big screen TV (English Premier League, Champions League Football, Rugby World Cup).

76 Church St.; +1 416 971 4440; from C$22 for members, C$26 for non-members;?www.hostellingtoronto.com

Dining

Canoe

Your pan-Canadian trip starts here.A million-dollar facelift in 2011 gave Canoe even more Canadian-style glamour. This dining institution is filled with custom wood and stone, from the carved walnut chandeliers to the soapstone bar.

The ?Masters of the Universe? from Bay Street (Toronto?s Wall Street) love to congregate here for power lunches. Canuck celebrities also dine at Canoe (Neil Young, William Shatner). It really doesn?t matter who you are, if you can afford the C$19-27 starters and the C$37-47 mains, you?re in.

The updated menu is oh-so-Canada, coast-to-coast: maple-torched B.C. salmon, pan-seared Quebec foie gras, Alberta lamb and New Brunswick sturgeon.

The atmosphere can feel hip, relaxed or stuffy depending on the night and, perhaps, the company. Two things stay the same, though: the food is inventive and tasty, and the view is one of the best in the city.

66 Wellington St. W., 54/F, TD Bank Tower; +1 416 364 0054; expensive; www.oliverbonacini.com

Acadia

The signature Anson Mills grits, Gulf prawn, oyster mushroom, pimento cheese, ham hock consomme. That's a mouthful. Everyone seems to be either eating at Acadia or talking about it.

As the name suggests, the focus is on Acadian food, with nods to Louisiana, South Carolina and Canada?s Maritimes. Toronto?s food critics love this place. One called it among ?the most relentlessly original, ambitious and technically bang-on kitchens in the city.?

Menu items, which can vary with the season, are standouts in taste and in name: pickerel fish accompanied by early spring succotash, scuppernong mustard, soft shell shrimp and fish boudin; ecolait veal cheek merged with date and sorghum molasses, satsuma and chicory; Yarmouth albacore drizzled with brown butter emulsion, dill and blackened spices.

50C Clinton St.; +1 416 792 6002; moderate; www.acadiarestaurant.com

Osteria Ciceri e Tria

Down-home Italian done right.A hole-in-the-wall, rustic Italian restaurant centered on a long communal table, with smaller satellite tables. The menu is filled with Pugliese food (fare from Italy?s ?heel of the boot? region) and it changes daily, although the orecchiette con rapini and the orecchiette de farro make regular appearances.

All of the pasta is made fresh. And all of the antipasti dishes are worth a try, the fava bean pur?e with cicoria and the pan seared scallops with cauliflower pur?e to name just a couple.

Run by the same group that owns the city?s trio of Terroni restaurants, this is best of Toronto Italian done right, comfort food drenched in olive oil that?s best accompanied by a glass or two of wine (bottles range from C$40-110; half and quarter sizes sold).

106 Victoria St.; +1 416 955 0258; reasonable; osteriacicerietria.com

The Black Hoof

A restaurant where good knives are essential. We like.This restaurant is a haven for carnivores and foodies who love snout-to-tail eateries. The folks at Black Hoof have been winning praise for their self-proclaimed ?off-cut meat-centric menu? since 2008 (fish and veggie options also available).

The space is tight and reservations are a no-no, so when it?s busy, you?ll have to wait in line.

Diners tuck into dishes ranging from beef tongue brioche to spicy horse tartar to roasted bone marrow. It all gets rave reviews, including, believe it or not, a carrot cake that?s topped with seared foie gras. The Black Hoof also has a bar (923 Dundas St. W.; +1 416 792 7511), which serves custom cocktails (C$11-17) and wine and cheese plates.

Just don?t expect to find any vodka-based drinks on the menu -- read the owner?s tell-us-how-you-really-feel rant ?Vodka is stupid? to find out why.

928 Dundas St. West; +1 416 551 8854; reasonable; theblackhoof.com

Fresh

How do you stay fresh for more than a decade? Keep updating.Fresh started out in the 1990s as a mobile juice bar and has evolved into Toronto?s premier vegetarian and vegan restaurant, with three locations to its name.

Its employees still blend up juices -- fruit smoothies, power shakes, immune elixirs, you name it. But they also create Asian-inspired salads (Tangled Thai), rice bowls (Buddha) and burgers (miso burger), all enjoyed by veggies and meat eaters.

The sweet potato fries should not be missed. Ditto the decadent desserts, which are vegan and change daily (you should hope for a carrot cake day).

Fresh?s main location is at 326 Bloor St. W.; +1 416 599 4442; reasonable; www.freshrestaurants.ca

Salad King

Finally, a Thai place without a fit-to-be-Thai'd pun in the name.Cherished by university students and working stiffs, Salad King is a Thai food-lovers paradise.

The layout is cafeteria style, with friends and strangers rubbing elbows at long tables. The food is fast and fresh. The menu is simple enough to memorize.

And everyone has their favorite dishes -- ours include the green chicken curry and the golden tofu curry. Word of warning: the spice quotient ranges from mild (a bit spicy) to 20 chilies (could set some stomachs aflame).

340 Yonge St.; +1 416 593 0333; affordable; www.saladking.com

Aunties and Uncles

No big city is complete without a great place to grab breakfast or brunch, and Aunties and Uncles is one a best of Toronto fave.

The former barbershop, anchored in Toronto?s Kensington Market/Chinatown neighborhood, is old-school-American-diner meets hip-thrift-store, with Formica tables, vintage posters and action figure dolls.

The cool kids love to come here, and they even line up on weekends for a spot (it?s quieter during the week).

The menu is designed to suit sweet or salty tastes, with banana oatmeal pancakes and Belgian waffles sharing top billing with omelets and breakfast tacos.

Best of all, everything is under C$10, with lattes and cappuccinos running C$3. Aunties and Uncles doesn?t take reservations, so get there early.

74 Lippincott St.; +1 416 324 1375; affordable; www.auntiesanduncles.ca

Jet Fuel

Locals flock to Jet Fuel for good coffee, fresh pastries and a healthy dose of attitude. This caf?, located in the Cabbagetown neighborhood, is a favorite hangout for musicians, actors, dancers and bike couriers.

The music can be loud. The seating can be limited. But the coffee is always strong and reasonably priced.

519 Parliament St.; +1 416 968 9982; jetfuelcoffee.com

Nightlife

This is London

Edward R. Murrow wouldn't recognize the place, but we sure do.Downtown dwellers and suburbanites jam Toronto?s Entertainment District on weekends (and some weeknights) to dance, drink and be seen in the city?s nightclubs, many of which are located on Richmond and Adelaide Streets.

This is London is one of the pillars of the scene. Built inside a former warehouse -- complete with exposed beams and piping, carpets, plush furniture and chandeliers -- this club is spread out over multiple levels, racking up the requisite pounding music, dance space, bottle service, VIP areas (for the likes of Mick Jagger, Kate Hudson, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez), stone-faced bouncers and expensive drinks.

The women?s washroom is done up like a luxurious spa, complete with its own DJ booth and, on Saturdays, complementary hair stylists and makeup artists.

364 Richmond St. W.; +1 416 351 1100; cover around C$20, dress code;?www.thisislondonclub.com

Fly Toronto

Just steps away from Church Street, the backbone of Toronto?s gay village, Fly is an institution known for a range of weekly, monthly and special event nights.

Expect a mix of fit urban professionals grinding to Donna Summer numbers alongside an otherwise rather more varied crowd.

8 Gloucester St., +1 416 410 5426; cover C$10-20; www.flynightclub.com

The Roof Lounge

Can this guy please tend every bar on the planet?

Showcasing best of Toronto views, the Park Hyatt?s iconic Roof Lounge has been luring patrons to its perch above the city for decades.

It?s a favorite all year round, but is especially crowded during the Toronto International Film Festival. Leather chairs, dark suede walls and a fireplace help reinforce the 1940s/1950s feel. Drinks are pricey. Space is limited.

4 Avenue Road, +1 416 925 1234; www.parktoronto.hyatt.com

The Horseshoe Tavern

Where Toronto goes to rock.

Toronto has a vibrant music scene and the legendary Shoe?s been one of the best venues to catch a live show since 1947.

The bar is at the front. The stage is at the back. The decor (old wood, stickers from various bands) really feels like an afterthought -- the Horseshoe's got too much cred to care.

Some of the best Canadian bands have jammed here. So have The Rolling Stones. It?s a can?t-miss stop on a music-lover?s tour of Toronto.

370 Queen St. W; +1 416 598 4753; ticket prices vary; horseshoetavern.com

Victory Cafe

Also fine after losses.

An English-style pub that matches a tasty food menu (burgers, fries, curries, pastas) with an even tastier drinks' list, filled with craft beer favorites.

Where else in the city can you get a pint of Flying Monkey Smashbomb Atomic IPA?

Victory Cafe is on a quiet, tree-lined street on the western edge of Toronto?s Annex neighborhood. It?s simple, yet warm atmosphere provides the perfect location for friends to get together, catch up and share some laughs.

581 Markham St.; +1 416 516 5787; victorycafe.ca

7 West Cafe

This cafe/restaurant/lounge (open 24 hours a day, seven days a week) has been a funky after-hours staple for 20 years.

Wooden tables, chairs and benches are spread out over a few different floors inside a narrow old house that drips with character.

Exposed brick, stained glass, chandeliers and heavy curtains help reinforce the late-night feel, with clouds painted on the ceiling to take the edge off. 7 West sports a menu filled with salads, sandwiches, pastas and appetizers, but it?s probably more popular for its pies and cakes.

7 Charles St. W.; +1 416 928 9041; www.7westcafe.com

Shopping

Eaton Centre

Workout facility for your credit card.This downtown mall, which occupies two full city blocks, lures 50 million visitors a year. The more than 230 stores and restaurants are spread out over five floors, including a sprawling basement food court.

Designers modeled the glass dome that runs the length of the center after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade in Milan. A large mobile of Canada geese helps provide a sense of place.

Mall management added a more modern piece of art in 2011. Slipstream is a 135-meter LED installation that changes based on the movement of the sun and meteorological factors.

Eaton Centre is easily accessible by transit (TTC) -- streetcars, subways and buses stop here. It also has an entrance facing Yonge-Dundas Square, the Times Square of Toronto.

220 Yonge St.; +1 416 598 8560; www.torontoeatoncentre.com

Bloor-Yorkville

Big brands, good buys.A short walk north from the Eaton Centre, you?ll find one of Toronto?s toniest shopping and dining districts. Bloor-Yorkville has been going through a period of revitalization in recent years, with new buildings going up, parking lots turning into parks and sidewalks being beautified.

Visitors will have no trouble finding their fine fashion favorites here, including Prada, Hugo Boss and Chanel, along with lower-cost options such as Banana Republic and Club Monaco.

They can also wander the back streets to discover small boutiques, art dealers, galleries and heritage buildings, stopping along the way to grab a coffee or eat in the many caf?s and restaurants.

Bloor-Yorkville BIA: www.bloor-yorkville.com; Bloor-Yorkville app available on iTunes

Queen West

Hundreds of options.Hundreds of retail outlets, restaurants, caf?s and bars line Queen Street West. This neighborhood, between Simcoe and Bathurst Streets, used to epitomize hip.

It?s still a cool place to stroll, shop and eat, but big brands such as H&M and Zara have moved in and changed the landscape.

The smaller boutique and fashion scene has moved west, spawning a neighborhood between Bathurst and Gladstone Avenue called West Queen West (home to one of our hotel picks, the Drake).

Shoppers heading here will stumble on gems such as bag and accessory maker A2ZANE, the recycled vintage fabric fashions of preloved and the mid-century modern furniture and design store Atomic Design.

Queen West BIA: queenstwestbia.ca; West Queen West BIA: westqueenwest.ca

Kensington Market

Canada's "ethnic mosaic" on sale here.The Canadian government designated Kensington Market a National Historic Site in 2006, calling it a "microcosm of Canada's ethnic mosaic."

People of all stripes have been coming to this neighborhood since the first wave of immigrants settled here in the mid-to-late 19th century. Kensington is filled with eclectic shops, bakeries, restaurants of all flavors (Latin American, Jamaican, French, Thai) and grocery stores selling fruit, veggies, meat and spices.

Shoppers often drop by this neighborhood?s vintage clothing stores to try on old jeans, retro T-shirts and the odd fur coat. Favorite haunts include Courage my Love (14 Kensington Ave.) and Exile (22 Kensington Ave.).

West of downtown, bordered by Spadina Avenue, Dundas, Bathurst and College streets; www.kensington-market.ca

Attractions

CN Tower

The highest man-made point in Canada. No Vancouver jokes, please.
This 553-meter-high communications and observation tower has been marveled at and mocked since it opened in 1976. For years, it was the world?s tallest freestanding structure (beaten by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai) and the world?s tallest tower (beaten by the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China). Its views of Toronto and Lake Ontario are still a draw.

It takes 58 seconds to zip up the 346-meter LookOut level (adults C$23.99, seniors C$21.99, children C$15.99). An extra C$10 will get you to the 447-meter SkyPod. The CN Tower also gives visitors a chance to walk on the roof of its restaurant, which is 356 meters above the ground.

EdgeWalk tickets cost C$175 and include videos, photos and access to the rest of the tower.

301 Front St. W.; +1 416 868 6937; www.cntower.ca

St. Lawrence Market

Food, history, plenty more.Part food market, part flea market, the St. Lawrence Market is one of Toronto?s most treasured landmarks and institutions.

It opened in 1803 and has evolved from a wooden structure to a brick building, been rebuilt after fire, renovated and reimagined.

Today, the market consists of three buildings: the South Market, the North Market and St. Lawrence Hall.

More than 120 vendors occupy the main floor and lower level of the South Market, selling fresh produce, meat and cheese, along with baked goods, coffee, clothes, jewelry, accessories and much more. The North Market hosts a Farmers? Market on Saturday, featuring seasonal produce from Southern Ontario. On Sunday, more than 80 antique dealers set up shop in the North Market and the surrounding plaza.

92-95 Front St. E.; +1 416 392 7120; www.stlawrencemarket.com

Sports

If the NHL would stop with the lockouts and strikes, we'd show you some hockey.Toronto sports scene is rock-solid, with a number of pro teams.

The Toronto Argonauts have been around the longest, one of eight clubs in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Their home is the Rogers Centre, which has a retractable roof (the building used to be called the SkyDome). The CFL season runs from June until November.

The Toronto Blue Jays share the Rogers Centre with the Argos. The former back-to-back World Series champs play their regular Major League Baseball season from April until October.

This being Canada, you?ll find most sports fans are more interested in hockey. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been chasing pucks around since 1917, although they haven?t won a Stanley Cup since 1967. They play at the Air Canada Centre (regular season October-April), sharing the space with the NBA?s Toronto Raptors (regular season October-April) and the Toronto Rock lacrosse team (regular season January-May).

The latest addition to this city?s sports scene is the Toronto FC, which plays Major League Soccer at the BMO Field (season runs March to October).

Parks

Toronto swan song.Toronto enjoys its fair share of green space, from the small to the sprawling.

High Park is the city?s largest public park, located on 1873 Bloor Street and easily accessed by subway, streetcar and bus. Along with trees and trails, it has a pond, sports facilities (tennis, baseball, soccer), picnic areas and a dog run. During the summer, a Shakespeare play is staged in its amphitheatre.

Dufferin Grove Park (Dufferin Street between College and Bloor) feels like a true neighborhood green space and is well loved by locals. It?s easy to spend a day there checking out its play structures and unique wading pool, baking pizza or bread in one of the public wood-fired brick ovens or picking up produce at the farmers? market (Thursday).

Another favorite for outdoor activities are the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario, just a short ferry ride from the harborfront. Centre Island is the biggest in the chain, boasting the largest urban car-free community in North America. The Toronto Islands have parks, picnic areas, beaches (Hanlan?s Point is clothing-optional), an amusement park and more spread out over some 240 hectares.

Architecture

Toronto?s former leaders and officials have taken a lot of flak for allowing developers to do doing away with some of its architectural heritage. The building boom of the 1950s and ?60s led to the destruction of many 19th-century buildings. In the decades before that, two great fires (1849 and 1904) burned up big chunks of downtown.

In these days of condo creep, city planners are stricter about saving heritage buildings. They?ve also approved projects to renovate old sites or allowed new projects to go ahead, leading to yet another building boom.

The Old

Victorian style is at home here.Toronto is a relatively young city, so its heritage buildings were constructed in the 1800s and 1900s.

One of the oldest areas is the Fork York National Historic Site. The British built the fort in 1793 and rebuilt it after the Americans torched the place during the War of 1812. Visitors can tour the fort?s eight historic structures, along with seeing musket and music demonstrations (250 Fort York Blvd.; +1 416 392 6907).

Toronto is home to a number of Victorian-style buildings, and many of them can be found in the neighborhood of Cabbagetown. Residents developed the area in the late 1800s. Go for a stroll on your own, or link up with the folks at Heritage Toronto for one of their free walking tours. You can get to Cabbagetown by taking the TTC 506 streetcar, which leaves College Station and runs along Carlton Street.

Casa LomaThe University of Toronto (27 King?s College Circle; +1 416 978 2011) contains a number of historic structures designed in the Romanesque or Gothic Revival styles. University College, Soldiers? Tower and Convocation Hall are three worth checking out.

Also take time to walk through the buildings and grounds of Trinity College. You?ll feel like you?re at Cambridge or Oxford. The Trinity College Chapel is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in North America.

Casa Loma was once considered the most creative buildings on the continent. Some men want their home to be a castle, and Canadian millionaire Sir Henry Pellatt spent a fortune, and eventually went bust, turning his vision into reality. Casa Loma merges elements of Norman, Gothic and Romanesque-style architecture. The City of Toronto owns the property. Tours are available every day of the year, except December 25. Guided garden tours run from May 1 to October 31 (1 Austin Terrace; +1 416 923 1171).

The Restored

Distillery District Cafe is a best of Toronto stop.The Distillery District (55 Mill St.; +1 416 364 1177) started out as the Gooderham & Worts distillery in the 1830s. It produced millions of gallons of whiskey and spirits in its more than 150-year history, surviving a fire and a brief period of prohibition before shutting down in 1990.

After a stint in the 1990s as the top film location in Canada, developers renovated the complex and reopened it in 2003, giving new life to the largest and best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. Its car-free, brick-lined streets and restored buildings are home to galleries, boutiques, caf?s, restaurants, dance studios, a craft beer brewery and a sake brewery.

Looks even cuter after a few beers.

The folks who run Steamwhistle Brewery (255 Bremner Blvd.; +1 416 362 2337) started fermenting their award-winning craft pilsner in 2000 in the historic John Street Roundhouse. The building, just south of the CN Tower, opened in 1929 as a steam locomotive repair facility. The environmentally friendly brewery runs tours and hosts events. Go to see the building, stay for the beer. Or just go for the best of Toronto beer.

The Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave.; +1 416 596 7670) is Canada?s first large-scale community and environmental center. The development is built on the site of the former Don Valley Brick Works. National Geographic named the Brick Works one of the top 10 geotourism destinations in the world in 2010. Visitors flock here to take part in interactive workshops (bike repair 101, urban gardening, cooking), tour the farmers? market and watch environmental documentaries.

The New

Toronto?s landscape has been transformed over the past decade, with new buildings popping up and older ones getting facelifts.

One of the first buildings to open, in 2004, was the stunning Sharp Centre for Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design (100 McCaul St.; +1 416 977 6000), a table-top structure with ?black-and-white pixelated skin.?

Another addition to the cityscape is the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen St. W.; +1 416 363 6671), with its sweeping glass-and-brick facade. Inside, more glass and plenty of wood enhance acoustics. The FSC was built specifically for opera and ballet and is home to the Canadian Opera Company and The National Ballet of Canada.

You can see the ROM (pictured) as part of a Toronto Society of Architects tour.

Two of the world?s best architects gave two of Toronto?s best-loved museums makeovers in recent years.

Daniel Libeskind reimagined the exterior of the Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen?s Park; +1 416 586 8000), home to dinosaur skeletons, armor, statues and a host of other exhibits. Libeskind merged the old ROM building with what?s called the Michael-Lee Chin Crystal (named after the guy who donated C$30 million to the museum?s renaissance project). The interlocking structure, made of 25 percent glass and 75 percent extruded-brushed, aluminum-cladding strips, has transformed the museum and the street corner it occupies.

Not to be outdone, management at the Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W.; +1 416 979 6648) hired Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry, the mastermind behind the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, to redesign their building. The AGO?s new facade is made of gently curving glass and Douglas fir. Other touches include an impressive sculptural spiral staircase in the new south wing.

More on CNNGo: Frank Gehry?s first China project

The Toronto International Film Festival has been around since 1976, but it only got a home befitting its global stature in 2010. The TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St. W.; +1 416 968 3456) is part cinematic culture center and part condo tower, home to five state-of-the-art cinemas, two galleries, three learning studios, retail space and restaurants.

The Toronto Society of Architects runs tours showcasing the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the ROM, the AGO and a number of other buildings in Toronto.

Source: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/destinations/insider-guide-best-toronto-139513

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Everything You Need To Know About the War on Drugs (Theagitator)

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Stocks steady, set for losing week on growth concerns

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Safe boating class set for first Saturdays : Outdoors & Recreation ...

MADEIRA BEACH ? The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-3 plans monthly safe boating classes through the end of the year at its headquarters at 299 Boca Ciega Drive.

Classes meet the first Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $40 per person. The next class meets Nov. 3.

Another will follow on Dec. 1.

Classes conducted for Spanish-speaking residents will be held Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

The classes are open to the public and recommended for anyone who owns a boat, a personal watercraft, anyone interested in purchasing a boat or anyone who wants to learn safe boating practices.

Classes cover subjects such as navigating the waterways, operating a boat safely, legal regulations, what to do in an emergency, getting to know your boat and information you need to know before getting under way.

Anyone born after January 1989 must take a boating safety course and have a valid boating certificate and a photo ID while operating a vessel.

Experienced U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary instructors teach all classes.

For more information, call 391-5185 or visit www.a0701103.uscgaux.info/.

Source: http://www.tbnweekly.com/editorial/outdoors/content_articles/101112_out-05.txt

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Romney Clueless on Lethal Lack of Health Insurance | The ...

Thurs, Oct. 11, 8:00 p.m. -9:30 p.m.

Follow us here at www.progressive.org

---

Monday, Oct. 15, Highland Park, IL
10:30-11:30 a.m., at the police station
Matthew Rothschild will speak on

---

October 12 ? 13, 2012 in Claremont, California

Amitabh Pal, managing editor of The Progressive and author of Islam Means Peace

Source: http://www.progressive.org/romney-clueless-about-lethal-lack-of-health-insurance-audio

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Apple likely to reveal iPad mini on October 23rd, reports AllThingsD

Rumors about the iPad mini are really starting to heat up and alleged leaks of the body are hitting the web with machine gun-like regularity. Now AllThingsD claims to have another piece of the puzzle -- when. According to "people familiar" with the matter, Apple is scheduling a press event for October 23rd, where it will likely take the wraps off its latest (and smallest) tablet offering. The outlet reported a similar rumor ahead of the iPhone 5 launch, insisting that the littlest slate would be held until October. Now, here we are -- it's October -- and we're still waiting for our invitations. As usual, you'll be the first to know when ours arrives and we can confirm the when and where (and we think you already know the what). As for the how and why? Well, that we're just going to have to wait and see.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

Apple likely to reveal iPad mini on October 23rd, reports AllThingsD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feds target finances of ultra-violent street gang MS-13

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration declared the ultra-violent street gang MS-13 to be an international criminal group on Thursday, an unprecedented crackdown targeting the finances of the sprawling U.S. and Central American gang infamous for hacking and stabbing victims with machetes.

The Treasury Department formally designated MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal organization. The aim is to freeze it out of the U.S. financial system and seize what are estimated to be millions of dollars in criminal profits from drug and human smuggling and other crimes committed in this country.

The gang was founded by immigrants fleeing El Salvador's civil war more than two decades ago. Its founders took lessons learned from that brutal conflict to the streets of Los Angeles and built a reputation as one of the most ruthless and sophisticated street gangs, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jason Shatarsky.

With as many as 10,000 members in 46 states, the gang has expanded far beyond its initial roots. Members are accused of major crimes including murder, kidnapping, prostitution, drug smuggling and human trafficking.

The group established itself in Los Angeles before spreading across the U.S., said Shatarsky, an MS-13 expert assigned to ICE's national gang unit. The group's violence ? using a machete to hack a victim to death or shooting someone in the head in broad daylight, for instance ? surprised authorities and even rival gangs.

"They saw a level of violence that hadn't been seen before," Shatarsky said, adding that as the gang has expanded it has also become more sophisticated than many rivals.

The gang, which is allied with several of Mexico's warring drug cartels, has a strong presence in Southern California, Washington and Northern Virginia, all areas with substantial Salvadoran populations. Shatarsky said its members target residents and business owners for extortion, among other crimes. The gang is also active throughout Central America and in parts of Mexico. Authorities in Europe have reported evidence of MS-13 expanding operations there.

Among the most high-profile killings attributed to MS-13 in Virginia was the 2003 slaying of a pregnant teenager who had become an informant. Brenda Paz, 17, was stabbed to death and her body was left along the banks of the Shenandoah River. Gang members have also been linked to the 2007 execution style shooting deaths of three friends in a schoolyard in Newark, N.J. One victim was slashed with a machete before being shot. Six people have been charged in the case.

By labeling MS-13 an international criminal organization subject to sanctions by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, the government hopes to stymie the gang's ability to funnel money back to its leaders in El Salvador or launder criminal proceeds through otherwise legitimate businesses.

George Grayson, an expert on Mexico's Los Zetas drug cartel who has also studied other criminal organizations, said the Treasury sanctions are likely to be successful throttling the group's finances in the U.S. but may not affect its operations in El Salvador or the rest of Central America. With the gang having significant numbers of members operating outside the U.S., he said, it may be hard to have as significant an impact as the government wants.

"You've got to have cooperation with the Central American authorities," said Grayson, a professor at the College of William & Mary and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington.

The Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, David S. Cohen, said that while no specific members of the gang have been listed as part of the group's sanction, anyone identified as a gang member or associate trying to do business with gang members could be subject to criminal prosecution.

The government is also making it more difficult for gang members to use banks and wire transfer services to move profits from the group's crimes.

ICE Director John Morton described the designation as a "powerful weapon" for his agency's effort to dismantle the gang. The action "allows us to strike at the financial heart of MS-13," he said.

Other international criminal groups that have been subject to similar sanctions by the Treasury Department include the Yakuza, a Japanese organized crime group, and the ruthless Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas.

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Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twittter.com/acaldwellap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/violent-street-gang-us-targets-finances-ms-13-191850695.html

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Romney Looks Like a Leader in Three Swing States

Voters in three swing states see more strong leadership qualities in Romney than Obama; in another poll of swing states we find the debate didn't change that many people's minds; a small number of debate watchers do so on two screens; and the national tracking polls once again conflict.?Here's our guide to today's polls and why they matter.

RELATED: A Guide to 2012's Swing States

Findings:?In Colorado, Virginia, and Wisconsin?Romney's looking more like a leader than Obama. Whereas 54 percent, 62 percent, and 59 percent of likely voters in the three states, respectively, think Obama has "strong leadership qualities," 67 percent, 64 percent, and 65 percent think Romney does.? Pollster:?Quinnipiac/New York Times/CBS News? Methodology:?Survey of 1,254 likely Colorado voters, 1,288 likely Virginia voters, and 1,327 likely Wisconsin voters from October 4 through 9 with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points. Why it matters:?Post-debate Romney looks more like a leader than President Obama, and Michael D. Shear and Megan Thee-Brenan at the?Times write that "the poll suggested that Mr. Romney had gained strength in a number of ways since last month."? Caveat:?Shear and Thee-Brennan also point out indications that Obama still has something to hold on to: the outlook on economics and being relatable. And as our Elspeth Reeve wrote this morning, this poll, along with one from NBC and the?Wall Street Journal,?shows that the campaign is essentially back to where it was all summer.?

RELATED: Washington Post Puts Obama Up 8 Points in Virginia

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Findings:?The NBC/WSJ?poll found that the debate wasn't really a mind-changer: In Florida only 6 percent of likely voters said they'd decided who they would throw their weight behind after the debate, and in Ohio and Virginia only 7 percent had. Pollster:?NBC/WSJ/Marist?? Methodology:?Poll of 988 likely voters in Florida, 994 likely voters in Ohio, and 981 likely voters in Virginia?from October 7 through 9 with a margin of error of +/-3.1 percent. Why it matters:?Perhaps this implies that, as Reeve wrote this morning, the race is just settling in again to neck-and-neck status. Director of?the Marist Institute for Public Opinion Lee?Miringoff told?The Wall Street Journal's Janet Hook that "Most people already picked sides."? Caveat:?Hook pointed out that Romney's favorability did increase in this poll and "the exposure seems to have improved voters' impression" of him.

RELATED: Ryan Hasn't Yet Won Wisconsin for Romney

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Findings:?Of the 56 percent of Americans who watched the debate live, 11 percent were "dual screeners," meaning they watched both television coverage and coverage on a computer or mobile device, and three percent only watched on a computer or mobile device. Pollster:?Pew Methodology:?Telephone interviews of 1,006 adults from October 4 through 7 with a margin of error of +/-3.7 percentage points.? Why it matters:?Most people are still watching TV, so, old media trumps in this situation.? Caveat:?That 11 percent could just be media people. (We're kidding. Kind of.)

RELATED: Are Swing States Swinging Back to Romney?

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Findings:?Romney is up by three points in the Reuters/Ipsos tracking poll and by one point in Gallup, but is down by a point in Rasmussen.? Pollster:?Reuters/Ipsos, Gallup, Rasmussen? Methodology:?For?Reuters/Ipsos: Online survey of 1,092 likely voters from October 7 through 11 with a credibility interval of +/-3.4 percentage points. For Gallup: Seven-day rolling average of 2,700 likely voters with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points. For Rasmussen: Three-day rolling average of 500 likely voters per night with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.? Why it matters:?The collection of these polls don't paint a clear picture. Yesterday Rasmussen had Romney up by a point. Today it's Obama. Gallup went from a tie to a Romney lead, and Reuters/Ipsos shows a Romney lead keeps growing. This morning the Washington Post's?Chris Cillizza tweeted: "Totality of swing state polls out today have to make Obama campaign feel good. National Romney bounce not nearly as big in swing states."? Caveat: In the Weekly Standard?Jay Cost raises an eyebrow about a potential Democratic shift in Gallup because of a?change in methodology. That said, he notes, it's unclear if that's taking hold in the head-to-head likely voter contest.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-looks-leader-three-swing-states-211017959.html

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Team Obama hopes veep debate halts GOP momentum

Students posing as Vice President Joe Biden, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., shake hands during set up for Thursday's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Students posing as Vice President Joe Biden, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., shake hands during set up for Thursday's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A banner made by a local middle school depicting Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at left, and Vice President Joe Biden, at right, hangs on the wall inside the media center ahead of Thursday's vice presidential debate, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, at Centre College in Danville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., poses for pictures with supporters as he arrives at the Blue Grass airport, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves during a campaign rally at the Shelby County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in Sidney, Ohio. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) ? Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Paul Ryan pull up a couple of chairs for a vice presidential debate that has mushroomed in importance since Mitt Romney's strong showing in the first presidential faceoff. This time, it's the Obama team looking to put the brakes on the other guy's momentum.

The veep showdown matches up two skilled politicians with strong policy credentials and very different styles. It's 69-year-old Biden's folksy appeal and solid vice presidential portfolio vs. 42-year-old Ryan's intensity and extensive knowledge of the federal budget and economy from 14 years in Congress.

Like the second installment in a miniseries, it will help to shape the campaign narrative until Romney and Obama themselves meet up again Tuesday. Obama is eager to change the vibe after his lackluster performance in the first debate and Romney's recent gains in the polls. Romney, for his part, is hoping that a strong Ryan performance will help propel Republicans forward on an energetic drive through the campaign's final weeks.

The 90-minute debate at Centre College, a liberal arts school with just 1,340 students in tiny Danville, is sure to draw a television audience of tens of millions. But it's unlikely to eclipse the 70 million who tuned in to watch Biden face off with Republican firebrand Sarah Palin four years ago.

That debate was more of a curiosity: It allowed Palin to outdo Biden in folksiness and recover from a series of painfully awkward media interviews but did little to alter the trajectory of the race.

"Normally vice presidential debates are good political theater and sort of interesting from a talent scout standpoint, as you evaluate the up-and-comers on the political stage," says Alan Schroeder, author of a book on presidential debates. "But this year could be different because of the negative reviews of Obama's performance. That heightens expectations for this second debate."

Thursday was a rare day when the political activities of the running mates were taking center stage and those of Obama and Romney were seen as secondary. But with just 26 days left until the election and the race still tight, neither Obama nor Romney was completely ceding the spotlight. The president was hunting for votes in Florida while his GOP opponent devoted time to North Carolina, another battleground.

Thursday's debate, moderated by Martha Raddatz of ABC News, will cover both foreign and domestic topics. The debate is to be divided into nine 10-minute segments. At the outset, Raddatz will ask an opening question, and each candidate will have two minutes to respond.

Romney and Obama both predicted strong performances by their No. 2s.

"I think Paul Ryan will do great," Romney told supporters at a town hall meeting Wednesday in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

He said the debates offer people a rare chance to see the candidates directly, unfiltered by misleading and negative ads.

The GOP nominee said he'd seen some of the anti-Romney TV ads running in Ohio that morning, and added, "It's a good thing I don't do that very often because my blood pressure would be very high."

Obama, in a radio interview Wednesday with Tom Joyner, said he'd been "too polite" in his debate with Romney ? a sure sign that Biden won't be going easy on Ryan. And that Obama won't make the same mistake in the next two presidential debates, on Tuesday in Hempstead, N.Y., and Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla.

"We've got four weeks left in the election, and we're going to take it to him," Obama said.

Later, in an interview with "ABC World News," Obama minimized the importance of his poor first debate performance, saying: "Gov. Romney had a good night. I had a bad night. It's not the first time I've had a bad night."

He added, "What's important is the fundamentals of what this race is about haven't changed."

The president, who had tried to lower expectations for his own performance ahead of last week's debate, predicted in his radio interview that Biden would be "terrific."

Ryan signaled he's ready for whatever Biden sends his way.

"I'm not intimidated, I'm actually excited about it," he said on CNN.

Both Biden and Ryan head into the debate with vulnerabilities: Biden must rein in a freewheeling manner that can be endearing but also produces plenty of gaffes. Ryan hasn't been in a campaign debate for more than a decade and is light on foreign policy experience, a sharp contrast to the vice president, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ryan also will need to find a way to reinforce Romney's policy positions without selling out his own, more conservative credentials.

Romney adviser Kevin Madden signaled in advance that Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, would distance himself from his past proposals for sharp budget cuts.

"You have to remember that there is a Romney-Ryan ticket and there's one presidential candidate ? there's one person at the top of the ticket ? so the focus again will be on what Gov. Romney's plan is for reforming Washington," Madden said.

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Benac reported from Washington.

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Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-10-11-Presidential%20Campaign/id-948a5614876a4aff9bb7d242671d4dee

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