Growing A Jeweled Rose: Money Saving Tips for the Growing Family

As our family grows we continue to search for ways to save money. ?We want to add a third member to our jeweled rose in 2013 and are even more interested in saving money where we can (college is EXPENSIVE!) ?Here are some of the changes we have implemented in our journey as growing family! ?

Money Saving Tips

Sign Up for Customer Rewards Programs

Signing up for customer rewards programs is free and full of benefits. ?I sign up for all that are available, even if I don't shop at the store too often. ?I created an email just for my rewards and coupon related mail. ?I check it just?before?shopping at certain stores to print coupons, compare deals, etc. ?This has saved us so much money! ?An example- Michaels Craft Store- if you sign up for their coupon emails, they will email you 50% coupons often. ?Then, just?before?going to purchase something from there you can?check?for the latest coupon offers, print them out, ?AND SAVE!

Use items like baking soda and vinegar to clean

Unplug

Not using it? ?Unplug it! ?We started doing this a bit ago and?noticed?a slight decrease in our electric bill. ?This slight decrease adds up to huge savings over time! ?Unplug the coffee pot, toaster, blender, and more after each use unless it is?programmed?cause then you will lose your settings

Water it down
Water down juices and even milk. ?We used to buy 1% milk which costs the same amount as whole milk. ?1% milk is just watered down whole milk. ?Buy whole and water it down yourself. ?When we fill the girls cups with milk we fill half way with milk, half way water- and save BIG bucks over a long span of time! ?Do this with juice too!?

Think before you buy

Don't impulse shop. ?If you think of something to purchase, think longer. ?Don't jump online or run to the store right away. ?Wait a few days or a week. ?If you still want the item or still feel it is a worthwhile purchase, then go for it! ?Quite often you will find you decide not to get it and SAVE!

Skip the baby gear- most of it anyway

There is so much baby stuff out there- and as first time parents we bought it all! ?Every single gizmo and gadget. ?You really don't need to do this! ?REALLY! ?Research items?before?purchase- see what others said about the product or if they found it worthwhile. ?Some examples of items I wouldn't buy again- a baby bath, a water thermometer, a changing table, and a baby play mat- use the sink, touch the water, put a blanket under their bum and change them anywhere! ?SAVINGS!

Write Shopping Lists

I used to be a chaotic shopper, stumbling down aisles and throwing stuff in. ?Not anymore! ?Now I ?list shop. ?When I stick to the list I spend less, stay focused, and actually end up with full meals in my shopping cart instead of bits and pieces of mixed foods that "kinda" make a meal. ?

Host a play date instead of going out

Going out is expensive and while we love our trips to the aquarium and the zoo it does add up- quick! ?Save here and there by having play dates at home. ?There are so many fun things you could do . ?Host an art party, mud party, or or a messy play date! ?Use what you have on hand or have everyone pitch in a little. ?It is still way cheaper than a trip to the zoo! ?Another option is to look at what kid places offer yearly memberships and invest in one if you think you will make use of it often.

Upcycle

Many of our art and craft supplies is pulled from the recycling and upcycled. ?There are TONS of crafts you can make from cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, and plastic containers. ?Check out this?upcycled Pinterest board?for TONS of great ideas to get you started!

Turn off the lights

This one is an obvious one but hey, we used to be awful at it so I thought it deserved mention. ?Turning off all the lights as we leave the room has saved us on our electric bill. ?During the day we open our blinds and go light free- SAVINGS!

Insulate your home

Add plastic to your windows for extra insulation. ?You will be surprised by the money?savings!

Yard Sale Shop

I am not very good at this myself but I have a friend who is a yard sale shopper and she saves a ton! ?A perfect example is the keyboard we got the girls for Christmas. ?I paid $40 for it. ?I asked my friend who has a similar one how much hers was and she said she got it at a yard sale for $5! ?HUGE MONEY SAVINGS!

Change the light bulbs

As your light bulbs burn out switch over to LED bulbs. ?They are a little more money?initially?but burn less energy and last longer-adding up to savings in the long run!

Practice Price?Comparing
Before going out to buy large items compare prices. ?We do this and ?I am always so surprised by the differences in price for the SAME EXACT items. ?A toy at Walmart might be $5 cheaper at Target or vice versa. ?No store is always the cheapest- the best deal varies for each item, but hoping online and checking only takes a moment. ?Bing shopping is a great tool for comparing prices.

Cancel idle memberships
Do you have?memberships?that you NEVER use? ?Get rid of them if you can and SAVE MONEY!

Shop the after holiday sales
This one I am really good at! ?I don't buy Christmas decorations in December. ?I wait until January and get all of it for 60-90% off! ?Same goes for Easter, Halloween, and Valentine's Day! ?Also be sure to hit the after Halloween costume sales for dress up clothes!?

Buy Generic
We just recently began sampling generic products and have found there are many that are fantastic! ?This will require a bit of trail and error as some stuff you really will want name brand but you will be surprised by some of the off brand products and the difference in price for name brand verse generic is HUGE! ?Give it a try and SAVE!

Extra Food Storage
If you have room in your home consider investing in a deep freezer. ?That way when there are huge food sales you can stock up and SAVE overall!?

Grow your own vegetables
Not only does growing your own fruits and vegetables save money but it is fun and educational for kids too- BONUS!

Search for free local entertainment
There are lots of free?things?to do around town. ?Our local?library?offers free story time. ?The malls near us offer free kids activities once a week. ?Check online or look at a local paper. ?We have a kids newspaper that is free and packed with fun- maybe your town does too?

Rent, borrow, and donate
Books and movies are expensive. ?While you may want to buy some why not rent and borrow the majority from the?library?? ?Netflix is another great option!

Follow the rules of the road
Don't speed, make illegal turns, or run lights. ?Not only will this keep the roads safe but you will also avoid?tickets?and fines and SAVE!

Coupons Coupons Coupons
Ok, I admit I am not that good at this one but I want to be! ?I have friends who save tons using coupons! ?Don't believe it? ?Check out the Crazy Coupon Lady!

Set up?automatic?payments

If you are like me you might be a little forgetful of when things are due or just busy and don't always get to paying things on time. ?Setting up automatic payments is a great way to avoid?unnecessary?late fees.?

Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk is cheaper! ?Next time you are at a?store?compare pricing verses size amounts. ?For products you use?regularly?buy big and SAVE!

Skip the Specialty Coffee
Brewing your own coffee at home will save you anywhere from $1-$7 per cup depending on where you get your brew from. ?Cut out the store bought coffee and make your own, or make buying specialty coffee a treat reserved for once or twice a week!

Buy and sell on Craigslist
Craiglist is AMAZING! ?It is basically a huge online yard sale. ?You can find things to purchase and also sell things. ?We bought Rosie's barbie jeep on Craigslist for 30% the original cost and it looked practically brand new. ?We also sold a few of those unneeded baby items- for 50% the original cost! ?That's definitely a lot better than having it all sit in our basement! ?Just be careful- don't give out your address- meet somewhere?publicly?and go with a friend. Write a budget
Ok, we don't have one but we have started one. ?2013 New Year resolution- stick to our budget! ?Here are some tips for writing a budget to get you started. Make your own laundry detergent
Making your own laundry detergent is super simple and will save you a TON! ?Here is?the recipe we use.


I hope your family finds these money saving tips helpful this year!
Happy 2013!

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100 Things to Buy From the Dollar Tree and use in Play

Source: http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2012/12/money-saving-tips-family.html

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Fisker sues insurance company over 338 cars, $33M, lost in Sandy ...

On the tail end of a very difficult year for electric car company Fisker, the company reveals that its insurance claim for 338 Karmas, worth $33 million, was denied by the insurance company, and Fisker is now suing XL Insurance America in court.

Electric car startup Fisker Automotive has filed a lawsuit charging insurance company XL Insurance America with breach of contract for denying coverage of its claim after 338 of its Karma cars were destroyed due to flooding in Superstorm Sandy. The cars were valued by Fisker to be worth $33 million, and Reuters first reported the lawsuit (which I?ve embedded below).

The 338 cars were being held at Port Newark in New Jersey, and during the storm, the cars were ?submerged in more than five feet of seawater, resulting in their complete destruction,? says Fisker in the suit. XL denied coverage of the claim on Dec. 20, 2012, and Fisker filed the lawsuit on Dec. 28, 2012.

All I can say is yikes, for the company, which has faced innumerable setbacks and is now looking for a well-financed partner to help it develop and manufacture its second Atlantic car. 2012 was truly an ugly year for Fisker ? will 2013 turn things around for them?

Source: http://gigaom.com/cleantech/fisker-sues-insurance-company-over-338-cars-33m-lost-in-sandy/

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Best Online Website Promotion ? Dedicated Servers

Sharing knowledge on the web can be a very powerful way to establish your online presence and credibility. First, you write a thoughtful and informative article on an topic in your area of expertise. Then you submit it to e-zines to be read by the general public and possibly re-published on other web sites. Appended to the end of your article is a resource box containing a brief promotional message linking to your web site. Webmasters who wish to reprint your article on their sites are required to include your resource box along with any live links to your site. The benefit that you get from your article is two-fold. First, your article will be read by visitors to the e-zine site. If they find it helpful and interesting, they will likely visit your web site to see what else you had to offer. Second, webmasters who find your article useful to their visitors may re-publish it on their sites, giving your article additional exposure. Every time your article is re-published on a web site, you gain an additional one-way link to your site through the live link in your resource box. This adds to your link popularity and ultimately increases your search engine rankings.  As you can see, the true potential of your article lies in its ability to propagate virally in cyberspace. For your article to propagate virally, it should appeal to both readers and webmasters alike. Keep in mind that your goal is hold your readers attention long enough for them to get to the  resource box.  If your article is boring and uninformative, few people will read it beyond the first or second paragraph. Below are some pointers to consider when writing an article: 1. Give your article a catchy title. Your title is the first and often the only thing that visitors see when they skim through a list of articles on an e-zine page. Put some thought into coming up with a title that grabs the reader?s attention right away. Words like Secrets,Free, and Successful tend to attract more attention than others. 2. Your article should not read like an ad. Most people read articles to find information they can use, not to see a pitch about your products or services.  If they see your article as nothing more than a shameless act of self promotion, they?ll get turned off and hit the Back button right away.  Put yourself in the reader?s shoes. What benefits do you want to get out of reading an article?  Cater to your reader?s  interests rather than your own. 3. Offer lots of free, useful information. Following on the last tip, keep in mind that your readers are looking for specific how-to instructions to help them achieve a certain goal.  Offer lots of tangible information that is immediately useful to them. Do not lead them through hoops just to get to an order 4) Avoid gimmicks. While it may be true that a sucker is born every minute, most internet users are sophisticated enough to tell what?s legitimate and what?s not. Write with the intention of offering something substantial to the reader. Be honest and forthright. Your article should not cause the reader to think, What is this guy trying to sell me? 5) Be succinct. Get to the point quickly, preferably in the first or second paragraph. Avoid lengthy paragraphs. Use lots of white space to separate your paragraphs to make them easier to read. 6) Your article should not be too short. Certainly, it?s possible to write a good article packed with useful information using just a couple hundred words. If your article is too short, however, some webmasters may feel hesitant to reprint it on their sites. They may, instead, borrow your ideas and write their own articles, gaining authorship without having to give you credit for your ideas. How long should your article be?  I suggest at least 500 words, preferably longer.  Longer articles give webmasters the impression that you have put some time and effort into your work and, thus, are deserving of being reprinted on their sites. 7) Use live (clickable) links in your resource box. Many e-zines permit clickable links in  resource boxes. Yet, many authors forgo this privilege by simply spelling out their URLs. Whenever permitted, you should spell out your URL as well as make it clickable (e.g. http://www.nexcomp.com/weblaunch). The advantages of a clickable URL are, (1) readers can go to your site simply by clicking on it,  and more importantly, (2) search engines will be able to record the ezine page containing your article as a link your web site, adding to your link popularity and search engine rankings. Avoid hyping in your resource box. Your resource box, while promotional in nature, should be brief and tasteful. The purpose of your resource box is not to sell your readers something, but to lead them to your website which does the actual selling. Your resource box should contain your name, your company name, a brief description of your products or services, your web site?s URL, and a clickable link to your site. 9) Put some thought and effort into your writing. E-zines have varying standards for accepting articles, and some accept and publish all submissions without any human review at all. However, this does not mean you should write an article just for sake of having it published somewhere. If your article comes off as half-baked, readers may make a similar assumption about you and your business practices. 10) Submit your article to as many e-zines as feasible. There are dozens of e-zines on the web that welcome submissions from independent authors. Ideally, you?d want your article to be exposed on as many of them as you can. But it takes time to register and submit to each one of them. Therefore, I recommend that you submit to only a handful of the more popular ones.

Best Online Website Promotion

Source: http://www.30amediagroup.com/dedicated-servers/best-online-website-promotion-3929

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DiDonato a luminous Mary Stuart at Met

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Metropolitan Opera may have pretty much turned opening night over to the glamorous Anna Netrebko, but New Year's Eve belongs to a very different diva ? Joyce DiDonato.

Last year the Kansas-born mezzo-soprano headlined a starry lineup in the baroque pastiche "The Enchanted Island." On Monday night she brought a gala audience to its feet with a luminous performance in the title role of Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda."

Never before performed at the Met, this second opera in the composer's so-called "Three Queens" trilogy portrays the lethal conflict between Mary, deposed queen of Scotland, and Queen Elizabeth I of England.

From the moment she makes her entrance in the second scene, singing of her joy in strolling outside her prison in Fotheringay Castle, DiDonato rivets attention. She imbues every syllable with a concentrated eloquence that makes her compact voice seem larger than it is. She displays seemingly effortless command of coloratura embellishments throughout a wide vocal range. And she is equally impressive in fiery outbursts and in hushed, long-held phrases ? like the ones she spun out as she sang through the chorus in the final scene.

The opera's dramatic heart is a confrontation between the two queens that never took place in history but that figures in the Friedrich Schiller play on which the libretto is based. Mary at first abases herself in hope of winning a pardon; then, as Elizabeth hurls insults, her pride reasserts itself and she seals her doom by denouncing her rival as "figlia impura di Bolena" ("impure daughter of Ann Boleyn") and "vil bastarda" ("vile bastard").

DiDonato was impressive in this scene when she sang the role for the first time last spring in Houston, but her performance Monday night was even better ? more confident and more filled with vocal and dramatic shadings. There was a wonderful touch when, after she had spent her fury, she allowed herself a beatific smile, as if to convey: "There! I said it and I'm glad!"

Of course, it takes two to stage a confrontation, and DiDonato's partner at the Met is Elza van den Heever, a South African soprano making her debut. She has a voice that's impressive in many respects, with a large and vibrant upper register. But she tended to fade out in the lower part of her range, where much of Elizabeth's music lies.

More damagingly, she was victimized by a quirk of David McVicar's production that has Elizabeth lurching awkwardly about the stage for much of the evening, as if thrown off balance by John Macfarlane's elaborate period costumes. Perhaps this bizarre gait is intended to contrast with Mary's immaculate poise, but it mainly proves distracting.

The opening scene in Elizabeth's palace is garishly staged, with what look like red rafters hanging down from the ceiling and gratuitous acrobats in devil costumes, but once past this, matters improve. For the scene outside Fotheringay, Macfarlane fills the stage with spindly trees barren of leaves and provides a painted backdrop that evokes a cloudy landscape. The final tableau is also striking: Mary, shorn of her long hair and wearing a simple red dress, climbs a staircase with her back to the audience to meet her executioner and the chopping block.

Though the two queens dominate the opera, there are some other characters, and they are all in extremely good hands. Having the elegant tenor Matthew Polenzani take on the thankless role of the ineffectual Leicester is luxury casting indeed. Bass Matthew Rose is warmly sympathetic as Mary's confessor, Talbot; baritone Joshua Hopkins sings with robust tone as her nemesis, Cecil; and mezzo Maria Zifchak lends her customary strong support as Mary's attendant, Anna.

Maurizio Benini conducts a lithe and lively performance of the score, even if he can't quite disguise the fact that the second half of the opera is decidedly anti-climactic.

There are seven more performances, including a matinee on Saturday, Jan. 19, that will be broadcast live in HD to movie theaters around the world.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/didonato-luminous-mary-stuart-met-063957453.html

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Warren Jeffs, Polygamist FLDS Cult Leader, May Be Directing Doomsday Plot (VIDEO)

Infamous polygamist and leader of the break-off Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints sect has predicted that the end of times is near, prompting some to worry about violence this New Year's Eve.

Warren Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence in Texas for abusing underage girl "brides," but authorities say he has been issuing missives to his 10,000 followers from his prison cell, the New York Daily News notes.

Sam Brower, a private investigator who represents former FLDS members, told CNN that law enforcement officers will be monitoring known FLDS communities as the new year approaches.

?The consensus seems to be that Warren is indicating that by the end of the year, the end of the world will be here," Brower said.

A CNN reporter dispatched to the community's main enclave in Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, was rejected by FLDS members who refused to speak to him. Meanwhile, the abrupt closing of the area's only grocery story and "central gathering" point for the community has added to fears Jeff's followers are gearing up for doomsday, according to the report.

This is not the first time the cult leader has predicted the end of the world, however.

As recently as Nov. 12, Jeffs issued a warning to his followers that the world would end on Dec. 23. He told them they should prepare themselves for the reckoning. According to KUTV, Jeffs warns FLDS members to ?be ready? for a ?disastrous cleansing.?

Former FLDS member Isaac Wyler told the station that Jeffs told his flock to ?make these grey or blue backpacks, 2x2x1, pack them with essentials,? he said. ?Be ready to go at a moment?s notice.?

When the world did not self-destruct, Jeffs blamed his followers? ?lack of faith," according to The Independent.

Jeffs has also told officials that if he and his fellow FLDS leaders remain in jail, the world will be subject to terrible plagues and natural disasters, Time reports.

While much of Jeffs' predictions seem like the mere rantings of a man who will not have the opportunity for freedom until his 93rd birthday, former member Wyler said the continuing obedience of some in the FLDS community is unpredictable and frightening in its strength.

?There?s always that fear that Warren would see how far he could take them,? Wyler told KUTV. ?I?ve got a brother-in-law who once told my sister ?if the prophet told me to I?d slit your throat without even thinking about it."

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/warren-jeffs-polygamist-flds-cult-leader-doomsday-plot_n_2389362.html

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Palestinian Authority Makes It Official: Palestine is all of Israel

?

The Fatah party, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, has made official what it has been saying?quietly and has adopted?a new logo showing all of Israel as Palestine.

Abbas with map of ?Palestine? in background ? Israel news photo: Flash 90

The logo marks the 48th anniversary of the founding of Fatah by Yasser Arafat and includes a map with the PA flag and a map of Israel that appears to be a depiction of the black and white checkered kefiyah, a symbol of the violent intifada, and the slogan ?the state and victory.?

Palestine Media Watch (PMW)?revealed that the official PA daily published the new official logo.

For the past year, official PA documents have increasingly shown Palestine as covering all of Israel, but this is the first time the Fatah party has?placed the map on its logo.

PMW noted, ?Other symbols central to Fatah ideology also appear in the logo, including a rifle and a key symbolizing the Palestinian claim of ownership to houses within Israel.?

The Arab media watchdog translated and published the article announcing the new logo:

Embassy in Lima, Peru.

?

?Senior Fatah official in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Rabah, stressed that the movement this year will hold a big, central rally in the Gaza Strip on the day of the 48th anniversary of the beginning of the Palestinian revolution.

?Rabah explained to Ma?an that the event will be held considering the atmosphere of reconciliation and unity that has prevailed in the Palestinian arena in the last few?.

?The organizing committee for the 48th anniversary of the Fatah movement approved this year?s main anniversary logo? [The rally] will take place in Gaza to mark the 48th anniversary of the modern Palestinian revolution under the slogan ?the state and the victory.??

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) reacted to the new logo by urging ?President Barack Obama, the European Union and the United Nations to condemn this outrage which reiterates the clear fact that Abbas and the Fatah/PA have no interest in peace with Israel, only its destruction.?

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, ?This new Fatah logo graphically depicts the ugly truth about this unreconstructed terrorist organization whose Constitution to this day calls for the destruction of Israel (Article 13) and the use of terrorism as an essential element in the struggle to achieve this aim (Article 19). ?It belies the fiction that Mahmoud Abbas is a ?moderate? who seeks peace with Israel, and who wishes to end Palestinian terrorism against Israeli Jews. It also makes clear that the principles of Yasser Arafat are respected and promoted.

?The new Fatah logo is not an aberration. The Palestinian Authority continues to promote the incitement of hatred in Palestinian mosques, schools and media.

?The ZOA renews its call upon the Obama Administration to stop wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on the unreformed terrorist entity that is Fatah, to stop making excuses for Abbas, and to stop pressuring Israel to make dangerous concessions on the altar of appeasement.?

?

View original Arutz Sheva publication at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/163683#.UODZMnd1m1I

Source: http://www.israelandstuff.com/palestinian-authority-makes-it-official-palestine-is-all-of-israel

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Congressional report lambasts Benghazi security

Sens. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, address the Senate Homeland Security Committee's 31-page report on the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi which criticizes U.S. intelligence sources and the State Department for not acting on a warning signs ahead of the incident.

By Sean Federico-O'Murchu and Kari Huus, NBC News

A?report released Monday by the Senate Homeland Security Committee lambasted the handling of security around the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in September when a deadly attack took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

In the months leading up to the Sept. 11 attack, there was a "rising crescendo" of evidence?from U.S. intelligence sources and State Department personnel that the situation was becoming dangerous and unstable, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, one of the?report's authors, said in a press conference on Monday.

"The tragedy is, however, that the reaction to the flashing red indicators was woefully inadequate," said Leiberman.

---

The 31-page report, "Flashing Red: A Special Report On The Terrorist Attack At Benghazi,"?paints a picture of a vulnerable outpost in Libya?s second-largest city, where it was clear that the new post-Gadhafi government was unable to provide full protection to diplomatic staff.

Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican member, said the congressional investigation found that "terrorists?essentially?walked right into the Benghazi compound unimpeded and set it ablaze, due to extremely poor security in a threat environment."

Collins said the State Department failed to take adequate steps to reduce the facility's vulnerability to a terrorist attack of this kind. ?

"While the Department and the Intelligence Community lacked specific intelligence about this attack, the State Department should not have waited for ? or expected ?specific warnings before increasing its security in Benghazi, a city awash with weapons and violent extremists," she said.?

Both of the senators said the U.S. facility should have been closed, given the absence of sufficient security.

Esam Omran al-Fetori / Reuters

The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames, Sept. 11. Armed gunmen attacked the compound, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire.

The report noted that as the security situation deteriorated in eastern Libya in 2012, "the Department of State did not provide enough security to address the increased threats and did not adequately support field requests for additional security."

The congressional report follows a separate investigation?by the State Department Accountability Review Board (ARB), which blamed State Department officials for "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies" that led to "grossly inadequate"?protection for the Benghazi facility. In response at the time, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the problems highlighted by the ARB were unacceptable, "problems for which ? as Secretary (Hillary) Clinton has said ? we take responsibility."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in a hospital being treated for a blood clot, the result of a concussion suffered earlier in December.?Collins said she hopes that after Clinton recovers, she will carefully review the congressional report and see if there are officials that "need to be held accountable."

Collins said that she did not see the tragedy as the fault of the Pentagon, but an indication that the Defense Department has insufficient assets to mount an effective response.

Among the?report's recommendations:

• U.S. intelligence agencies need to "broaden and deepen their focus in Libya, and beyond, on nascent violent Islamist extremist groups in the region that lack strong operational ties to core al Qaeda or its main affiliate groups."
• If a host nation can?t provide adequate security for a diplomatic facility, "the Department of State must provide additional security measures of its own, urgently attempt to upgrade the host nation security forces, or decide to close a U.S. Diplomatic facility and remove U.S. personnel until appropriate steps can be taken to provide adequate security."
• The State Department needs to establish a "mandatory process" to determine what security standards are applicable to temporary facilities, such as the Benghazi consulate, to ensure that they are "adequately protected."

"Flashing Red" was the final joint investigation by Collins and Leiberman, who is slated to retire on Jan. 2.

'Inconsistent' statements from the administration
As for the controversy over what the administration knew about the attack ? and when ? the report said officials in the State Department and the intelligence community were "inconsistent" in stating that the deaths in Benghazi were the result of a terrorist attack.

The candidacy of Ambassador Susan Rice to the post of Secretary of State was scuppered after allegations by Republican lawmakers that she misled the public about the attacks during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press?on Sept. 16.

The administration said Rice, the current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was repeating talking points provided by the intelligence community when she initially characterized the?Sept. 11?assault as a spur-of-the-moment response to a crude, anti-Muslim film.

In her interview, Rice said that "what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of ? of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video."

Independent panel: 'Systematic failures' within State Department

In a letter to President Obama on Dec. 13 withdrawing her candidacy for the top diplomatic post, Rice said she wanted to avoid a "very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive" confirmation process.

For its part, the congressional report said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had offered to provide the committee with a detailed timeline regarding the development of the intelligence community's talking points on Benghazi. "At the time of writing this report, despite repeated requests, the committee had yet to receive this timeline," the report notes.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/31/16258960-congressional-report-lambasts-security-at-us-consulate-in-benghazi?lite

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