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Saturday, December 31, 2011
Foam Wrist Rest for Tablets. Wait. What?
You know what your tablet needs? A wrist-rest. That’s where the TAB Rest comes in. Because your iPad weighs so damn much, and you have trouble holding it for any more than five minutes before your weak, t-rex-like arms start to sag, the TAB Rest exists to let you place the iPad on your lap [...]
Verizon ditches $2 fee after customer uproar (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Verizon Wireless has reversed its decision to charge a $2 fee for telephone and online bill payments, bowing to a storm of criticism from consumers and the U.S. communications regulator.
The biggest U.S. wireless operator retracted its decision on Friday, just a day after it announced the fee for one-time payments, which was to have begun January 15.
The consumer victory comes after Bank of America recently decided against a new $5 monthly fee for debit card users after consumers and lawmakers protested the charge.
"There is power in numbers and in the end, the customer is always right," one person said on the Verizon Wireless online forum. "How can any corporation expect to keep business by doing that? It's pure greed just like with Bank of America."
Verizon said it listened to its customers and made the decision based on customer input after many complained and some threatened to leave the service if the fee was instituted.
A spokesman said that the company had just wanted to encourage consumers to pay their bills via different methods such as autopay, where they give Verizon permission to charge their credit card or bank account automatically each month.
Verizon Wireless is a venture of Verizon Communications Inc and Vodafone Group Plc.
The quick turn-around came after little more than a day of complaints, but not before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it was "concerned" about the fee and that it was looking into it.
"On behalf of American consumers, we're concerned about Verizon's actions and are looking into the matter," an official for the FCC said earlier on Friday.
The prospect of a $2 fee created a flurry of online activity and one consumer organization, Change.org, said 95,000 people joined a campaign on its website urging Verizon to drop the fee.
"The era of corporations walking roughshod over consumers without consequence is officially over," Ben Rattray, chief executive of Change.org, said in a statement.
Verizon Wireless customers told the company, often in colorful language, that they would not put up with the fee.
"If this fee goes through, I will be taking my business elsewhere!!!" one person said on the Verizon Wireless website.
Another said "Victory is ours!" after the about-face.
The turnaround comes after another high-profile reversal of course earlier this year by video rental service Netflix Inc in the face of customer disgust.
In October it canceled plans to split its DVD rental service from its online streaming service. The move would have forced customers of both streaming and DVD options to visit different websites and maintain different accounts for each subscription.
The Verizon Wireless incident served to highlight fee practices elsewhere in the communications industry. Rivals AT&T Inc and Sprint Nextel said on Friday that they charge some customers $5 for bill payments, revising their comments from the day before.
AT&T and Comcast Corp say that they charge some customers who look for personal assistance in paying their bills but that they do not charge for online payments. Sprint said it charges customers with bad credit if they refuse to enroll for auto pay.
The Sprint and AT&T fees are even higher than Verizon's proposed levy at $5 per transaction. Comcast's payment fee, which is only levied in some states, is $5.99.
The FCC did not comment on whether it would look into other companies' fee policies for bill payment.
(Reporting By Sinead Carew; Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
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Canada?s Harrington stays out of spotlight
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Source: http://www.nationalpost.com/Canada+Harrington+stays+spotlight/5926177/story.html
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Pending home sales highest in 1-1/2 years
WASHINGTON?? The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes in November rose to the highest level in a year and a half.
Normally, that would signal better home sales. But a growing number of buyers are canceling their contracts at the last minute, making the gauge less reliable.
The National Association of Realtors says its index of sales agreements jumped 7.3 percent last month to a reading of 100.1.
A reading of 100 is considered healthy. The last time the index was that high was in April 2010, one month before a federal home-buying tax credit expired.
Contract signings usually indicate where the housing market is headed. There's a one- to two-month lag between a signed contract and a completed deal.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45815247/ns/business-real_estate/
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journeydan: @alexbdavies it doesn't work at all Android devices? That's a bit disappointing.
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Friday, December 30, 2011
India anti-corruption law doesn't clear Parliament
NEW DELHI -- India's Parliament was unable to pass an anti-corruption bill that had been cleared by the powerful lower house earlier this week, leaving the controversial legislation in limbo.
The upper house debated the bill for more than 13 hours Thursday before adjourning at midnight without clearing it, indefinitely delaying potential passage of the government's "Lokpal," or watchdog, bill.
The lower house passed the anti-graft bill Tuesday after hours of fierce debate with several amendments suggested by opposition lawmakers. The bill becomes a law after both houses of Parliament pass it and send it to the president for her signature.
Parliament will reconvene early next year, though the date is unclear. It must reconvene by March to pass the budget for the next year.
Like the lower house, the upper house saw impassioned, often angry debate, with opposition parties calling the bill weak and ineffective. The government's own allies also had issues with a section of the proposed legislation that allowed the central government to create an anti-corruption ombudsman for the states, who they said should be free to enact their own anti-corruption legislation.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a member of the ruling Congress party, accused the opposition of not making any constructive suggestions regarding the law, but "opposing for the sake of opposing."
The legislative showdown was the culmination of months of charged political debate and public protests that brought tens of thousands of middle-class Indians fed up with rampant corruption into the streets and put a scandal-plagued government on the defensive.
Hoping to defuse activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade, the government initiated debate Tuesday on a bill to create an anti-graft watchdog. But that failed to satisfy Hazare, who began a three-day hunger strike in Mumbai on Tuesday demanding the proposed ombudsman be made more powerful.
Hazare ended his fast Wednesday, a day earlier than planned, citing poor health, but he has vowed to keep fighting to ensure that Parliament passes his stringent version of the legislation.
He said his supporters would travel across the country to campaign against the political parties that did not support his proposals.
Hazare's main complaint with the anti-graft bill before Parliament is that the proposed corruption ombudsman would not have authority over the country's top investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation. He says the ombudsman position would be too weak without that authority.
The legislation covers senior politicians and officials. The prime minister's office is under its purview, but with restrictions. But it gives the ombudsman no powers to conduct independent investigations into complaints of corruption.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/29/2566346/india-anti-corruption-law-doesnt.html
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China Cites Flaws in Train Crash
BY JAMES T. AREDDY
SHANGHAI?Flawed equipment and procedures as well as corruption were the main culprits in a Chinese bullet-train collision this year, the government said, conceding that its rail-network expansion has gone too fast.
Delivering the results of the investigation into July's Wenzhou high-speed collision, Premier Wen Jiabao's cabinet, the State Council, cited poorly designed track-signal equipment that got knocked out by lightning strikes as well as inadequate safety procedures.
The report said subsequent inspection of China's lines turned up more than 50 installations of a little-tested and problematic signal mechanism that failed in Wenzhou. It called into question how the signal contracts ...
BY JAMES T. AREDDY
SHANGHAI?Flawed equipment and procedures as well as corruption were the main culprits in a Chinese bullet-train collision this year, the government said, conceding that its rail-network expansion has gone too fast.
Delivering the results of the investigation into July's Wenzhou high-speed collision, Premier Wen Jiabao's cabinet, the State Council, cited poorly designed track-signal equipment that got knocked out by lightning strikes as well as inadequate safety procedures.
The report said subsequent inspection of China's lines turned up more than 50 installations of a little-tested and problematic signal mechanism that failed in Wenzhou. It called into question how the signal contracts ...
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Navitas to establish college in Birmingham
Education company Navitas will continue its expansion in the United Kingdom with the establishment of a college with Birmingham City University.
Bermingham City University International College will be established in the UK's second biggest city under a 10-year agreement between Navitas and the university.
It will be Navitas' ninth college in the UK and the company is expecting it to reach operational break even in 18 to 24 months, the pattern of other Navitas colleges.
Navitas chief executive Rod Jones said he was delighted to be expanding with such a reputable university.
"We are also very excited by the university's commitment to graduate employability and research successes, and believe there will be strong student interest globally," Mr Jones said in a statement on Thursday.
Birmingham City University has about 25,000 students and has a focus on education and research for professional and creative practice.
Shares in Navitas declined four cents, or 1.1 per cent, to $3.51 by 1430 AEDT, in line with the wider market.
Source: http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/newsbusiness/aap/8396190/navitas-to-establish-college-in-birmingham
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
Pets
Prudence Wants a Pet
by Cathleen Daly
illustrations by Stephen Michael King
Roaring Brook Press, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
by Matthew S. Armstrong
Harper, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
by Cathleen Daly
illustrations by Stephen Michael King
Roaring Brook Press, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
Prudence really really wants a pet, but her parents (seen only from the waste down in the illustrations) tell her they cost too much and make noise. So Prudence gets a pet branch. Branch is an outdoor pet who lives on the front porch and who has tripped Prudence's father eight times. "Dad broke Branch into little bits and put them on the woodpile." But Prudence is not daunted. She has a new pet. Its name is Twig. But Twig lives in her pocket and one day Twig runs away in the rinse cycle. Prudence tries one unique, inanimate pet after another. Her persistence finally gets her parents' attention -- just in time for her birthday.
Another review at Colby Sharp's blog?sharpread.
Jane and Mizmowby Matthew S. Armstrong
Harper, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
This is a different kind of pet book. Jane has a pet -- a monster she finds in a red cap at the base of a tree (what is it with red caps this year???). Jane and Mizmow are best friends until the day they argue over the red hat, warm from the dryer, and pull it into two parts. Then, just like the hat, the two friends are pulled apart. Luckily, they find a way to repair their friendship in the end.
If you've read any of the FLIGHT graphic novel short story anthologies edited by Kazu Kibuishi, that's where you've met these characters before. This book has a graphic novel feel to it, and would have worked perfectly well as a wordless picture book -- the captions seem like an afterthought.
Another review at?Lori Calabrese Writes!
Source: http://readingyear.blogspot.com/2011/12/pets.html
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Leanna?s most-used iPhone and iPad apps of 2011
Like Rene, my most-used apps of 2011 are probably the built in iPhone and iPad Safari browser, Mail app, and Reminders, Calendars, etc. via Siri. That’s just the...
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/b0XRKKu1WzQ/story01.htm
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Futures off ahead of factory, home price data (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Stock index futures were lower on Tuesday as investors found little reason to make big bets in what was expected to be a light-volume session following the previous week's gains.
The S&P 500 has risen for four straight sessions and turned positive for the year on Friday. Improving economic data helped boost equities last week. The gains were amplified by the light pre-holiday trading.
Investors looked ahead to November Midwest manufacturing data, scheduled for release at 8:30 a.m. EST as well as S&P/Case-Shiller home price data for October due at 9 a.m. EST and the December consumer confidence report at 10 a.m. EST.
Home prices are seen edging lower from the previous month, while the confidence reading is seen rising to 58.3 from 56.0.
The data comes after better-than-expected housing and jobless claims data last week that confirmed a slowly improving economy.
S&P 500 futures fell 3.1 points and below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures slipped 18 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures were off 2 points.
Markets were flat globally following the long Christmas weekend, with European stocks dipping 0.01 percent.
Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) is lagging behind major U.S. competitors in complying with new capital rules, leading the bank to consider even more asset sales, sources said. Shares of the Dow component edged 0.7 percent lower to $5.56 in premarket trading.
Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD.O) plans to close 100-120 Kmart and Sears full-line stores and sees its adjusted fourth-quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization falling by more than half from a year ago.
Equities extended their gains to close out a fourth straight winning session on Friday after the strong economic data. In addition, investors hope Congressional approval of a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut will help boost growth in 2012.
(Reporting By Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Community rallies to help victims of Christmas fire
Published: Monday, December 26, 2011 at 5:36 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, December 26, 2011 at 5:36 p.m.
A Christmas Day fire has left an Edneyville family homeless and in need of help.
Gary Moore, his wife, Sabrina, and the couple's three children were not at home when the blaze broke out around 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The fire completely engulfed the singlewide mobile home on Skipper Lane off Pilot Mountain Road in Edneyville, said Edneyville Deputy Fire Chief Mark Reagan.
"The home is gone," he said Monday, adding that the fire's cause has not yet been determined. "It's still under investigation by the Henderson County Fire Marshal."
Offers of help were already coming into the Henderson County American Red Cross office Monday, said Executive Director Mike Williams.
A man called the office and said that he noticed smoke in the trailer park while he was there visiting relatives and went to offer assistance, Williams said.
"When he saw the smoke, he went to the trailer and got the back door open and hollered for people, but no one answered," Williams said. "But there was a little black dog there, so he got the dog out."
The dog ran off, but Williams said the man wanted the family to know that the dog was unharmed by the fire.
The agency put the family up at a local hotel temporarily until other housing arrangements could be made.
The Moores lost everything in the fire, including Christmas presents for the three children, ages, 5, 7 and 11, he said.
"We sent out our disaster response team to provide immediate assistance," Williams said, adding that most likely other local agencies, such as the Salvation Army, will be providing assistance in the days to come.
Offers of help were already coming in the day after the fire, said Reagan.
"Toys for Tots contacted us this morning and expressed interest in replacing the toys," he said. "There's a lot of positive coming out of this already."
The Edneyville Fire Department has set up a collection box where donations may be dropped off at any time, said Fire Chief Robert Griffin. The box is located in the foyer of the fire department at 1 Firehouse Drive (off U.S. 64) in Edneyville.
The fire department is collecting clothes, toys, food and household items for the family. Clothing sizes are 7-8 Misses and 8 1/2 shoe for one of the daughters; 14 girls and 7 1/2 shoe for another daughter; and a child's size 6 with a 13 size shoe for the son. Adult clothing sizes needed are men's pants size 32, shirts size large and shoes size 11 1/2 shoe; and women's pants size 20, shirts size 2XL and shoes size 10.
Firefighters from the Dana, Bat Cave. Gerton and Hendersonville fire departments responded to the fire, along with the Henderson County Rescue Squad, EMS and the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Reagan said.
Reach Kelley at 828-694-7871 or at leigh.kelley@blueridgenow.com.
Source: http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20111226/articles/111229869
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Matthew McConaughey Pops The Question To Model Camila Alves (omg!)
It was a very merry Christmas for Matthew McConaughey, who popped the question to girlfriend Camila Alves.
"The Lincoln Lawyer" star revealed the news himself on his WhoSay account, writing, "just asked camila to marry me, merry Christmas."
PLAY IT NOW: Access Hollywood Live: Matthew McConaughey Talks Family Life & Shares Parenting Advice
While her answer wasn't revealed, it certainly appears she said yes, as Matthew posted a photo of the pair kissing in front of a Christmas tree. Click HERE to see the photo.
Matthew began dating model Camila in 2006.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood?s Smokin? Hot Couples
They have two children together - son Levi, 3, and daughter Vida, 1.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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USDA reverses decision to cut agriculture reports
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Agriculture Department is reinstating several reports that it had targeted for elimination two months ago in a cost-cutting move.
The department says that it will reinstate reports for industries such as catfish and trout, hops, fruits and vegetables, and bees and honey.
In October, the USDA had said that eliminating or reducing the frequency of 14 crop and livestock reports would save about $10 million.
But some farmers complained that without the reports, they would be left guessing how much to produce and when to sell.
The reports influence the price and supply of many products that people wind up consuming.
The USDA said this month that several improvements to its operations have allowed the department to find money to reinstate several key reports.
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Libya to include rebels in military from January (Reuters)
TRIPOLI (Reuters) ? Libya will include thousands of former rebels who helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in its armed forces from January, the defense minister said on Sunday, testing the government's ability to get rebel leaders to cede command of their fighters.
Although rebels met a deadline imposed by the National Transitional Council (NTC) to withdraw this week from the capital Tripoli, militias led by rival commanders still guard key installations and checkpoints across the city.
The lack of a fully functioning army and police force, has given militias free rein to fight turf wars after the uprising that ended Gaddafi's 42-year dictatorship in August.
"The program aims at including the revolutionaries in many fields including defense," Osama al-Juwali, interim defense minister told a news conference also attended by interim interior minister Fawzi Abd al-All.
"The idea is to inject new blood in the army which was marginalized by the tyrant (Gaddafi)," said Juwali who was commander of the Zintan militia that captured Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam in November.
Abd al-All said the rebels were also invited to take up positions in the interior ministry which, he said, was understaffed. He said they could also apply for civilian jobs in government offices through the ministry of labor.
Lifting of the U.N. Security Council sanctions this month on Libya's central bank and a subsidiary means that the interim leaders have access to cash that could be used to offer the fighters well-paying government jobs.
Juwali said that part of the plan was to train the rebels to take up high-ranking positions in the military.
He said it would take a month to register and allocate them to the military, police and other civilian posts, and months before they were trained to guard borders and installations, including oilfields and refineries, now held by rival militias.
"Everyone is allowed to join the special forces, the navy and others," he said. Talks were being held with a number of countries to train rebels inside and outside Libya for the military, he said.
Gaddafi ignored the military, giving control to security militias led by either his sons or confidants.
Juwali said he was not concerned about occasional skirmishes among rebel factions and that he was continuously in contact with most of the rebel leaders.
"I am not worried about the revolutionaries," he told Reuters after the conference. "The revolutionaries ask me every day when can they hand in their weapons and ammunition, but I tell them to wait until we have the facilities to store them."
The latest major turf war broke out this month when armed men in the vehicles of Libya's new national army tried to take control of Tripoli's international airport from a powerful Zintan militia unit.
(Editing by Louise Ireland)
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FV couple makes it through fire and celebrates 51st wedding anniversary on Christmas
Faye and C.Y. Davis, 1960
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
Arizona coma patient now speaking, walking
Dr. Robert Spetzler, right, talks about Sam Schmid's brain injury during a news conference at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support. Schmid was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tucson. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Deirder Hamil) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Dr. Robert Spetzler, right, talks about Sam Schmid's brain injury during a news conference at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support. Schmid was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tucson. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Deirder Hamil) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Sam Schmid listens as Dr. Robert Spetzler, unseen, talks about Schmid's brain injury during a news conference at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support. Schmid was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tucson. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Deirder Hamil) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Dr. Robert Spetzler, right, talks about Sam Schmid's brain injury during a news conference at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered on Oct. 24 just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support. Schmid was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tucson. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Deirder Hamil) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
PHOENIX (AP) ? It will be a special Christmas for the family of a 21-year-old University of Arizona student who was nearly taken off life support before awaking from a coma.
Sam Schmid was walking and speaking Friday at a Phoenix hospital. Dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, he was able to use a walker and talk in brief sentences.
"Right now, I'm feeling all right ... except for the rehabilitation, I'm feeling pretty good," Schmid said.
Doctors at Barrow Neurological Institute say Schmid has a long recovery ahead of him to regain full speech, balance and memory abilities.
Schmid was involved in an Oct. 19 car crash in Tucson that left him with a brain aneurysm, among other life-threatening injuries. Because of the complexity of his brain injury, Schmid was flown to Phoenix.
He underwent surgery performed by Dr. Robert Spetzler. With no responsive signs, staff discussed taking Schmid off life support.
"They never approached me to say would I donate his organs," said Susan Regan, Schmid's mother. "The people that were surrounding us were just asking about Sam, his quality of life, what would Sam want if we had to come to a difficult decision."
Spetzler said Schmid was never officially classified as a potential organ donor. And after an MRI scan showed he wasn't at a point of no hope of survival, Spetzler recommended keeping him alive for one more week.
Then on Oct. 24, Schmid shocked doctors by following commands to hold up two fingers.
"It may not seem like a lot to you," Spetzler said. "It's an incredible loop to show brain ability. That was like fireworks going off."
Since then, Schmid has been spending his days in physical rehabilitation. Dr. Christina Kwasnica, who is overseeing Schmid's rehabilitation, said he has gone from practicing sitting in a chair to doing rehab three hours a day. She described his recovery so far as amazing but hesitated to make any predictions of what "normal" would be for him.
"It's so early in Sam's injury. We have no idea where the ceiling is," Kwasnica said.
While he will be able to spend Christmas day with family in Phoenix, Schmid will not officially be released until next week. His brother, John, based in Tucson, will relocate to Phoenix so Schmid can continue rehabilitation on an out-patient basis.
Schmid, who is a business major and was coaching basketball at a University of Arizona recreation center, is holding onto the belief that he can get back to what his life was like before the accident.
"I see myself leaving the house, going to school, work, basic things like that," Schmid said. "I just want my life to be what it used to be."
Associated Pressgazelle pumpkin carving patterns pumpkin carving patterns lizzie borden lizzie borden 20/20 maps directions
A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)
A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Thursday:
___
BRUSSELS ? Talks between Greece and its private creditors on cutting the country's massive debt load have made some progress, but disagreements remain on key parts of the deal, a person close to the negotiations said.
___
LONDON ? Stock markets bounced back after upbeat U.S. jobs figures helped shore up sentiment, a day after investors were rattled by the European Central Bank's huge loans to bolster the continent's banks.
The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed up 1.3 percent while Germany's DAX rose 1.1 percent. The CAC-40 in France ended 1.4 percent higher.
___
TOKYO ? In Asia, Tokyo's main index declined 0.8 percent and China's benchmark lost 0.2 percent. South Korea's Kospi was down 0.1 percent.
___
FRANKFURT, Germany ? The European Central Bank warned that a draft law before Hungary's parliament would undermine the independence of its central bank.
___
TOKYO ? Japan's government lowered its economic growth forecasts as the country struggles with the yen's export-sapping strength and the fallout from Europe's debt crisis.
___
LONDON ? Britain's economy grew by a slightly better than anticipated 0.6 percent in the third quarter, after unexpectedly stalling in the previous three month period, official figures showed.
___
MADRID ? Spain's new Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said he was confident the country would emerge from its severe economic crisis, but failed to outline any new measures to help the ailing economy.
___
WARSAW, Poland ? State figures show that Poland's jobless rate rose to 12.1 percent at the end of November from 11.8 percent the previous month.
___
ROME ? Italian Premier Mario Monti has easily won a vote of confidence in the Senate, signaling parliamentary approval of the government's $39 billion package of tax hikes and pension changes.
___
BRASILIA, Brazil ? Brazil's government statistics agency says the unemployment rate in Latin America's biggest economy was 5.2 percent in November ? the lowest level since the government started keeping records in 2002.
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CAIRO, Egypt ? Egypt's benchmark stock index dropped to its lowest level in over a year as a deepening political crisis in the Arab world's most populous nation clouded its political future and prompted Moody's Investors Service to push the government's bond rating deeper into junk status.
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RIGA, Latvia ? Latvia's three-year $10 billion bailout program that helped the Baltic country avert bankruptcy has come to an end.
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Saturday, December 24, 2011
Strong earthquake rattles NZ's Christchurch
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ? A strong earthquake struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee as buildings shook. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage.
One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, Christchurch police said in a statement. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread damage in the city, which is still recovering from the devastating February earthquake that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.
The 5.8-magnitude quake struck Friday afternoon 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Christchurch at a depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.
The city's airport was evacuated and all city malls shut down as a precaution.
Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated "as an emergency measure." The area has recorded more than 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7 quake rocked the city on Sept. 4, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.
Rock falls had occurred in one area and there was liquefaction ? when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil ? in several places, Isaacs told New Zealand's National Radio.
"There has been quite a lot of stuff falling out of cupboards, off shelves in shops and that sort of thing, again," he said.
Isaacs said his immediate concern was for demolition workers involved in tearing down buildings wrecked in previous quakes.
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Health Tip: Use Medications Safely (HealthDay)
(HealthDay News) -- If your child isn't feeling well and needs an over-the-counter medication recommended by your pediatrician, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these safety guidelines:
- Make sure the medicine treats only your child's symptoms, nothing more.
- Make sure any caregivers know the correct timing, dosage and type of medication your child needs.
- Always read the medication's label and follow directions carefully.
- Keep medications stored in their original packaging, so you can easily refer to instructions.
- Never give cough and cold medication to a child younger than age 4 or aspirin to anyone younger than age 18.
- Don't combine medications unless your child's pediatrician says it's OK to do so.
- Don't give any adult medication to a child.
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Tesla confirms Model S pricing and options: $49,900 and up after tax credits
Tesla confirms Model S pricing and options: $49,900 and up after tax credits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Friday, December 23, 2011
Business Highlights (AP)
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Economy ends tough 2011 on a surprising upswing
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The economy is ending 2011 on a roll.
The job market is healthier. Americans are spending lustily on holiday gifts. A long-awaited turnaround for the depressed housing industry may be under way. Gas is cheaper. Factories are busier. Stocks are higher.
Not bad for an economy faced with a debt crisis in Europe and, as recently as this summer, scattered predictions of a second recession at home. Instead, the economy has grown faster each quarter this year, and the last three months should be the best.
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ECB lends banks $639 billion over 3 years
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Struggling banks snapped up $639 billion in cheap loans from the European Central Bank on Wednesday, a sign of just how hard or expensive it has become to borrow from each other.
The huge demand for newly available three-year loans comes as fears rise that heavily indebted European governments could default and force banks and other bond holders to take big losses.
The loans to 523 banks surpassed the $578 billion in one-year loans extended in June 2009, when the global financial system was reeling from the collapse of the U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers. It was the biggest ECB infusion of credit into the banking system in the 13-year history of the euro.
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Holiday shopping season is strong
NEW YORK (AP) ? The holiday shopping season is wrapping up to be bigger than anyone expected. Now, retailers are holding their breath and hoping consumers will keep spending in the final days before Christmas.
Sales from November through Saturday rose 2.5 percent, compared with the same period a year ago, according to research firm ShopperTrak, which did not give a dollar figure. Online, shoppers have spent almost $32 billion online for the holiday season so far, a 15 percent increase from a year ago, according to comScore, which tracks Web use.
The increases are good news for retailers, but they're not out of the woods just yet. The final week before Christmas, which includes four of the top 10 holiday shopping days, can account for up to 20 percent of sales for the season.
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BofA in $335M settlement over Countrywide loans
Bank of America agreed to pay $335 million to resolve allegations that its Countrywide unit engaged in a widespread pattern of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers on home loans.
The settlement with the U.S. Justice Department was filed Wednesday with the Central District court of California and is subject to court approval. The DOJ says it's the largest settlement in history over residential fair lending practices.
According to the DOJ's complaint, Countrywide charged over 200,000 African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher fees and interest rates than non-Hispanic white borrowers with a similar credit profile. The complaint says that these borrowers were charged higher fees and rates because of their race or national origin rather than any other objective criteria.
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Home purchases up, but earlier sales look weaker
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The number of Americans who bought previously occupied homes rose last month. But the National Association of Realtors says it overstated about 3.5 million sales during and after the Great Recession, showing the housing market remains much weaker than previously thought.
The private trade group says sales rose 4 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.42 million. That's below the roughly 6 million sales a year that economists say are consistent with a healthy housing market. But it's ahead of 2008's revised sales, now considered the worst in 13 years.
The nearly 4.2 million homes sold last year are far fewer than the nearly 7.1 million sold at the peak of the housing boom in 2005. This year is on pace to slightly exceed last year's total of about 4.25 million.
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KB Home 4Q net income falls but tops Street's view
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? KB Home is increasingly catering to more affluent homebuyers in markets where there is less competition from homes up for resale and foreclosures, and the strategy is paying off.
The homebuilder reported on Wednesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 20 percent on rising expenses. Its shares fell 52 cents, or 6.7 percent, to $7.22 as broader markets also slumped.
But the company's recent trends show improvement. KB's new home orders jumped 38 percent from year earlier and home deliveries rose 4 percent. The average selling price of the builder's homes rose 3 percent.
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Walgreen 1Q profit drops on Express Scripts fight
NEW YORK (AP) ? Walgreen's first-quarter earnings fell more than 4 percent due in part to a slow flu season and its split with the Express Scripts pharmacy network.
A three-year contract between the companies ends at the end of 2011. Since June, Walgreen and Express Scripts have said they were preparing to stop doing business. Walgreen gets $5.3 billion in annual revenue from Express Scripts, but the Deerfield, Ill., company has said it would rather give that up than continue filling unprofitable prescriptions.
President and CEO Greg Wasson said that the company had made one last attempt last week to come to terms with Express Scripts, but the two sides were unable to resolve their differences over the rates that Express Scripts pays to fill prescriptions.
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New FAA rules to help end flying while sleepy
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The government told passenger airlines Wednesday they'll have to do more to ensure pilots aren't too tired to fly, nearly three years after the deadly western New York crash of a regional airliner flown by two exhausted pilots.
The Federal Aviation Administration's update of airline pilot work rules, some of which dated to the 1960s, reflects a better understanding of the need for rest and how night shifts and traveling through time zones can increase errors.
Carriers have two years to adapt to the new rules. The FAA estimated the cost to the industry at $297 million over 10 years, a fraction of the $2 billion a year that an airline trade association had estimated the draft proposal released by FAA over a year ago would cost.
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White Castle burger chain considers alcohol sales
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? White Castle, a 90-year-old hamburger chain known for its square "slider" burgers, is sipping on the idea of offering alcoholic beverages as it tests beer and wine sales at a restaurant in Indiana.
The food famously craved by stoners in the 2004 movie "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" can be had with a glass of wine or a domestic or seasonal beer at a Lafayette, Ind., restaurant that fuses a conventional White Castle with a new concept for the company called Blaze Modern BBQ. Wine costs $4.50 and beers start at $3.
Other fast-food restaurants also are dabbling with alcohol. Earlier this year, Burger King opened the Whopper Bar South Beach, a restaurant in Miami Beach offering beer, and Starbucks Corp. has been testing beer and wine at a few sites.
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By The Associated Press(equals)
The Dow Jones industrial average edged up 4.16 points, less than 0.1 percent, to close at 12,107.74. The Standard & Poors 500 rose 2.42 points to 1,243.72. The Nasdaq composite fell 25.76 points, or 1 percent, to 2,577.97.
Benchmark crude rose $1.43 to finish at $98.67 a barrel in New York. Brent crude was up 98 cents, ending at $107.71 a barrel in London.
In other energy trading, heating oil rose 6 cents to finish $2.9087 per gallon, and gasoline futures rose 4 cents to end at $2.6199 per gallon. Natural gas rose 3 cents to finish the day at $3.1550 per 1,000 cubic feet.
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TSA: Daggers hidden in book at Reagan Airport
This undated photo provided by the Transportation Security Administration shows two throwing daggers hidden in a hollowed-out book found by TSA officers at a checkpoint at Reagan-Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. A TSA spokesman says a passenger was stopped Monday when officers found the knives in the person's carry-on bag. The daggers measured just over a half-foot long and were hidden in the hard-cover book. The passenger was flying to Chicago and surrendered the knives and book. (AP Photo/Transportation Security Administration)
This undated photo provided by the Transportation Security Administration shows two throwing daggers hidden in a hollowed-out book found by TSA officers at a checkpoint at Reagan-Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. A TSA spokesman says a passenger was stopped Monday when officers found the knives in the person's carry-on bag. The daggers measured just over a half-foot long and were hidden in the hard-cover book. The passenger was flying to Chicago and surrendered the knives and book. (AP Photo/Transportation Security Administration)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Transportation Security Administration says officers found two throwing daggers hidden in a hollowed-out book at a checkpoint at Reagan-Washington National Airport.
A TSA spokesman says a passenger was stopped Monday when officers found the knives in the person's carry-on bag. The daggers measured just over a half-foot long and were hidden in the hard-cover book.
The passenger was flying to Chicago and surrendered the knives and book.
The TSA has the authority to fine passengers who bring deadly weapons into the airport checkpoint. It was not known if this was done in this case.
A spokesman for the airport did not immediately return a call for comment.
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Fans sing Happy Birthday in front of Paterno home
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? About two dozen fans gathered briefly outside Joe Paterno's home Wednesday night to wish the former Penn State coach a happy 85th birthday and sing a Christmas carol.
Paterno's son, quarterback coach Jay Paterno, thanked the crowd on behalf of his father. He said that because of chemotherapy Paterno was a little weak so he couldn't come outside.
Joe Paterno has been diagnosed with what his family has called a treatable form of lung cancer.
"Happy birthday JoePa, Happy Birthday JoePa ... and many more," the fans serenaded several times to the tune of the traditional birthday song during their seven-minute visit. Most of the gathering, which included a few children, stayed on the sidewalk and just off the Paternos' property, about 30 feet from the front door.
Wearing rain slickers or hooded jackets, most fans gathered at a statue dedicated to Paterno outside Beaver Stadium and made the roughly 15-minute walk to Paterno's modest ranch home near the end of a dead-end street. The property is decorated with bright Christmas lights.
Fans said they began planning the visit about two weeks ago. They also delivered cards as part of a drive from a Penn State alumni group in Baltimore to send Paterno 109,000 birthday cards ? a number nearly identical to the capacity of Beaver Stadium.
Jay Paterno said he didn't know how many cards the family received, but joked they would have to weigh all of them.
"It was just to wish him a happy 85th birthday, have fun, show him our support and tell him we still love him," Sue Lelko, of Port Matilda, decked out in blue Penn State sweats, said about the trip to wish Paterno well.
Fans broke out into a chorus of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas after Paterno's wife, Sue Paterno, also came out briefly while trying to get grandchildren running in the yard to return home.
"Thank you very much and have a Merry Christmas," she said.
University trustees fired Paterno last month amid mounting pressure that school leaders should have done more to stop allegations of child sex abuse against retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky that spanned from 1994 to 2009.
Paterno testified before a grand jury investigating Sandusky about a 2002 allegation reported by a graduate assistant that Paterno then relayed to a superior, but prosecutors have said he is not a target of the probe. Sandusky is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty.
Paterno has called the allegations troubling and urged the public to let the legal process unfold. He initially announced his retirement Nov. 9, taking effect at the end of the season. That day, he called the scandal "one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more." The trustees fired him about 12 hours later.
On Wednesday, a prominent Penn State donor, Anthony Lubrano, released a letter critical of the way Penn State leaders handled the initial week of the crisis.
Lubrano is a 1982 graduate whose name is on a state-of-the art baseball park that opened on campus in 2006. He said the letter was sent to fellow alumni.
In the letter with the subject heading of "Due Process," Lubrano said "In America, the presumption of innocence is a fundamental right. However, on the night of November 9th, a rush to judgment appeared to have occurred."
He wrote that others "outraged by the failure of the leadership of Penn State to allow for due process" sign a separate online petition. The petition contained nearly identical wording to an online letter of support signed by nearly 450 of Paterno's former players, including Heisman Trophy winner John Cappalletti, LaVar Arrington and current Raiders offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski.
Lubrano said he coordinated with letter organizers after the former players released their statement of support Tuesday night.
"It's about celebrating Joe's birthday today. We just want to wish him well with his recovery and everything," one of the organizers, Hall of Famer and Nittany Lions standout tailback Lydell Mitchell, said Wednesday. "He's going through a stressful time right now."
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Online: http://playersletterforjoepa.wordpress.com/
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Iraq's Maliki tells Kurds to hand over Sunni leader (Reuters)
BAGHDAD (Reuters) ? Iraq's Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday called on Kurdish authorities to hand Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi over to judicial officials to face charges his office had run death squads.
"We ask our brothers in the Kurdistan region to take responsibility and hand the wanted person over to the judiciary. His running to another state would create problems," Maliki told a press conference.
Hashemi, who denied the charges, travelled to semi-autonomous Kurdistan after Maliki's central government sought his arrest, a move that has heightened sectarian tensions soon after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq.
(Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Peter Graff)
Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111221/wl_nm/us_iraq
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Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Irish economy slumps as euro debt tensions mount (AP)
DUBLIN ? Ireland's economy shrank 1.9 percent in the third quarter, an unexpectedly large drop that raised doubts about the country's capacity to meet its deficit-fighting targets through painful cuts.
The report from the Central Statistics Office on Friday dashed forecasts of only a minor drop in economic activity and led a litany of bad financial news across Europe.
Spain's central bank reported that debt levels for the country's 17 regions have soared 22 percent over the past year. In Brussels, EU officials warned that private creditors were resisting EU efforts to write off euro100 billion ($130 billion) in Greek debts.
And in Portugal, the main opposition party refused to support the government's plan to amend the constitution to include a budget limit. All 17 members of the eurozone are supposed to make such commitments as part of the bloc's week-old plan to get its debt crisis under control.
Until now, EU leaders have held up Ireland as an example of how a country can keep growing its economy while simultaneously sucking money out of it through spending cuts and tax hikes. Ireland's economy was performing better than those of Greece and Portugal, the other two European nations to have received an international bailout.
But Ireland, midway through a seven-year deficit-fighting program that requires at least modest growth to meet its targets, said its gross domestic product fell 1.9 percent in the July-September period ? the worst quarterly fall in the eurozone.
Economists had expected a drop of only around 0.5 percent following two quarters of gains.
The third-quarter drop means Irish growth is averaging just 0.7 percent so far this year. Economists said they doubted that Ireland could rebound sufficiently in the current quarter, if at all, to meet the government's modest target of 1 percent GDP growth.
The European Union and International Monetary Fund last year extended a potential euro67.5 billion ($88 billion) line of credit to Ireland. Greece received its own bailout in May 2010, Portugal in April 2011.
As part of its deal, the Irish promised to rein in their deficit to the eurozone's 3 percent limit by 2015. Ireland posted an EU-record deficit of 32 percent of GDP in 2010 but hopes to reduce it to 10.1 percent this year.
All sides agree that Ireland cannot hope to meet the 2015 goal if its economy doesn't grow sufficiently.
Alan McQuaid, chief economist at Bloxham Stockbrokers in Dublin, said Ireland would "do well" to reach 0.5 percent growth this year "given the deteriorating world economic backdrop and the fall-off in global demand."
David Begg, general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions representing about a third of Ireland's 2 million-strong work force, said the government's austerity program was too severe and "making recovery almost impossible."
"No economy can sustain the sort of ongoing damage that is being inflicted on us," Begg said. "The latest figures show, yet again, a big drop in domestic demand while retailers warn of more closures in the new year. We need growth and we need it quickly."
Fergal O'Brien, chief economist at the Irish Business and Employers Confederation that represents 7,500 companies, noted that Irish exports were still growing, while much of the quarterly fall was caused by a 20.9 percent drop in business investment in new equipment.
"It is likely that some firms are slowing investment decisions again due to the deteriorating international outlook," he said.
Ireland's latest austerity plans published last month are based on the presumption that Irish GDP will grow 1.6 percent in 2012 and 2.8 percent annually in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Economists have labeled those figures too optimistic.
Gross national product, meanwhile, fell 2.2 percent, short of expectations for a flat performance. Many economists consider GNP a better barometer of Ireland's economic health because it excludes the largely expatriated profits of nearly 1,000 foreign companies operating in the country.
Ireland this year is spending euro57 billion ($74.5 billion) ? including more than euro10 billion ($13 billion) in aid to its five nationalized banks ? but collecting barely euro34 billion ($44 billion) in taxes.
To try to reduce the gap, the government is imposing euro2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) in 2012 spending cuts and raising euro1 billion ($1.3 billion) in extra taxes, including a 2-point hike in sales tax to 23 percent and a new national property tax.
EU heavyweight France also sought to come to grips with a new report putting the country on course for renewed recession.
The French statistics agency Insee forecast Thursday night that the country's economy would decline for the last two quarters of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012 and resume weak growth only thereafter.
Insee said it expects the eurozone as a whole to experience "a short recessive episode" over the winter, and cautioned that market volatility made such predictions difficult.
France has been bracing for a potential downgrade of its top AAA credit rating. Its leaders insisted Friday their nation's economic fundamentals are strong ? and lashed out at Britain, which has been blamed for undermining confidence in Europe's efforts to tame the eurozone debt crisis.
"We would prefer to be French right now than British in terms of the economy," French Finance Minister Francois Baroin told Europe-1 radio.
Baroin described France's banks as "among the most resistant in the world" and called Britain's economy "worrying." He declined to elaborate.
Earlier this week France's central bank governor, Christian Noyer, told the French daily Le Telegramme that Britain should be at greater risk of losing its AAA rating than France.
He was quoted as saying that Britain suffers from "higher deficits, as much debt, more inflation, and less growth than we do. (Its) credit is collapsing."
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Online:
Ireland's GDP and GNP, http://bit.ly/vTKjuI
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