timothyecarhart: 2012

Thursday, 6 December 2012

Ryan, Rubio lay out vision for future of GOP (cbsnews)

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Apple slump drags Wall Street lower

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An unexpected decline in shares of Apple Inc led U.S. stocks lower on Wednesday, as the tech giant dropped nearly 5 percent in heavy trading.

Investors have been reluctant to take big positions as lawmakers continue to negotiate a deal to avoid a series of spending cuts and tax increases effective next year - known as the "fiscal cliff" - that could push the U.S. economy into recession next year.

Apple shares were down at $546.70 and accounted for more than half of the Nasdaq 100's 1.5 percent selloff. Market participants cited a consultancy's report about the company losing share in the tablet market and reports that margin requirements had been raised by at least one clearing firm.

"It's Apple that is dragging the whole market down for today," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer at Solaris Asset Management.

Later in the day, President Obama will renew his case for tax hikes and call for a smooth increase in the nation's borrowing limit in a speech to the Business Roundtable group of CEOs.

For several weeks, the market has reacted quickly to often-conflicting headlines out of Washington about ongoing budget negotiations, prompting investors to be cautious.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 0.04 points, or 0.00 percent, at 12,951.82. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 6.02 points, or 0.43 percent, at 1,401.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was down 32.52 points, or 1.09 percent, at 2,964.17.

Banking shares gained, with the KBX Bank index <.bkx> adding 0.7 percent to 48.16.

Citigroup Inc shares rose 4 percent to $35.64 after saying it will cut 11,000 jobs, or 4 percent of its work force - its first major move to restructure since the departure of former chief executive officer Vikram Pandit.

Bank of America shares hit a new 52-week high, rising more than 3 percent to $10.23.

Shares of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc slumped 13 percent to $32.23. The company said it is acquiring Plains Exploration & Production Co and McMoRan Exploration Co in two separate deals for $9 billion in cash and stock in a major expansion into energy.

But shares of McMoRan Exploration soared 75 percent to $14.81 and Plains Exploration & Production shares also jumped, by 24 percent to $44.59.

Weighing on market sentiment, data showed U.S. private-sector employers added 118,000 jobs in November, shy of economists' expectations.

U.S. factory orders rose for second straight month in October, and the service sector grew in November, separate data showed, but market reaction was muted.

Global shares rose after Chinese Communist Party chief Xi Jinping said the country would maintain its fine-tuning of economic policies in 2013 to ensure stable economic growth. Among his key priorities, Xi listed tax reform, urbanization and allowing the market to play a bigger role in setting resource prices.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-futures-signal-gains-open-100415772--finance.html

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Forecasting Denial: Why Are TV Weathercasters Ignoring Climate ...

Waves crash over a seawall as Hurricane Sandy hits Winthrop, Massachusetts.

Darren McCollester/Getty Images

December 5, 2012 4:30 PM ET

It's been a busy year for TV weathercasters: July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, unprecedented wildfires scorched the West, the worst drought in 50 years parched two-thirds of the county. Then, in October, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New York and New Jersey. Yet the cause of much of the meteorological mayhem ? global warming ? was rarely mentioned on air. The reason: There's a shockingly high chance that your friendly TV weatherman is a full-blown climate denier.

Take David Bernard, the handsome young chief meteorologist at the CBS affiliate in Miami. In a rapidly warming world, Miami is at huge risk from rising seas and increasingly intense storms like Sandy. But rather than alerting viewers to the connection between extreme weather and the rising concentration of climate-warming pollution in the atmosphere, Bernard spent his time last summer posting 131 pictures of Dolly, his Boston terrier puppy, on his Facebook page. In Bernard's view, climate change is nothing but a plot perpetuated by crazy liberals intent on bringing about, as he put it in one tweet, "global wealth redistribution." In June, during a month when more than 700 heat records were broken across the country, Bernard tweeted that the Earth is "cooling" and defended the Heartland Institute, a right-wing think tank that has compared those who believe in global warming to mass murderers. As for Hurricane Sandy, which climate scientists believe was spiked by rising sea surface temperatures, it was just part of a natural cycle: "We have seen storms like this over and over again," Bernard said.

Bernard is not only a top weathercaster in a major media market ??he's also a rising network star. A few years ago, he scored a national gig with CBS as a severe weather consultant, commenting on everything from hurricanes and tornados to heat waves and drought. "It's like CBS deciding to cover a public health crisis by relying on a doctor who doesn't believe in germs," says Daniel Souweine of Forecast the Facts, a group that tracks TV weathercasters.

And Bernard is far from alone: A recent study found that more than a quarter of TV meteorologists call global warming a "scam," while less than a third believe that climate change is caused by human activity. In fact, some of America's most outspoken climate crackpots are TV weather guys. John Coleman, a co-founder of The Weather Channel who now tracks storms for KUSI-TV in San Diego, has called global warming "a fictional, manufactured crisis," and aruged that "stamping out the global warming scam is vital to saving our wonderful way of life." Anthony Watts, a former weathercaster in Chico, California, runs a leading climate disinformation site called "What's Up With That?" And Joe Bastardi, the chief forecaster for the meteorological service Weatherbell, routinely misrepresents climate data during his appearances on Fox News.????

If you've ever wondered why many Americans are so ill-informed about the risks of climate change, here's your answer. "For most Americans, TV weathercasters are as close as they are going to get to real scientists," says Heidi Cullen, the former on-air climate expert at The Weather Channel who is now chief scientist at the website Climate Central. "They are ideally positioned to help people understand that global warming is not a far-off, distant thing ??that is happening all around them, right now, and it is affecting their lives." But by failing to inform viewers about the realities of climate change, TV weathercasters neglect their scientific responsibility on a nightly basis.

Weathercasters argue that it's tough to cram complex climate science into a three-minute broadcast.? But enlightened weathercasters, such as Jim Gandy at WLTX in Columbia, South Carolina ? hardly a hotbed of environmentalism ? manage to do it very well.? Gandy pioneered short segments called "Climate Matters," which are two or three minute segments that focus on the science behind issues like heat waves and explains to viewers why global warming is likely to lead to, say, more poison ivy in their backyards. "If you do it right, you can build an audience for this," Gandy says. "Climate science doesn't have to be alienating or scary to audiences."

The biggest problem is that most weathercasters are not scientists at all ??they just play one on TV. Only half of on-air weathercasters have advanced credentials ??often in "broadcast meteorology," a dumbed-down, made-for-TV version of the degree. The rest, like The Today Show's Al Roker, are just? TV stars with colorful personalities. And thanks to increasingly sophisticated forecasting technology, you don't need to know much about cloud dynamics to get the job done. "I've never known a meteorologist to get promoted for his or her forecasting skill," says a former network news producer who asked not to be identified.

Nor do weathercasters need to know much about how greenhouse gases are altering the atmosphere to get a coveted stamp of approval from the American Meteorological Society, the gold standard for weathercasters. "There is no requirement for the AMS certification to know anything about climate science," says Jeff Masters, the co-founder and chief meteorologist at Weather Underground, an Internet weather site that is known for its aggressive coverage of climate change. In fact, the AMS itself has been slow to embrace the latest science on global warming. In public statements, the society has long played up uncertainties and natural causes for the earth's warming. Only last August did the AMS finally admit that warming is "unequivocal" and that human beings are "the dominant cause."

Another problem is corporate politics. "Most local TV stations are owned by large corporations like Gannett or Scripps," says Terry Kelly, a former weathercaster and CEO of the forecasting company Weather Central. "Many of these owners have a conservative political bent, and tend to be climate skeptics." At some, like Fox News, the influence is explicit. Others, like the Weather Channel ??which is co-owned by Mitt Romney's old firm, Bain Capital ??avoided dealing with the issue by simply shutting down its entire climate unit in 2008. "The influence is rarely direct," says a weathercaster who works for a Scripps-owned station. "But it's just clear that if you want to say or do something about climate change, you need to be very careful, because you are likely to hear about it from upstairs."

Smaller, privately-held stations can be even worse. Stan Hubbard, whose Hubbard Broadcasting owns 12 stations nationwide, calls global warming "the biggest fraud in the history of America." His job, Hubbard says, is to make sure that "both sides of the argument have equal opportunity to be heard" ? meaning that even widely debunked climate deniers get plenty of air time on his stations. Not surprisingly, the chief meteorologist at Hubbard's flagship station in Minneapolis, Dave Dahl, echoes his boss's views, suggesting that global warming is a "political theory" pushed by grant-hungry scientists.

It's not always a matter of ideology, though. Many broadcasters are simply afraid that any talk of global warming will dampen ratings and scare off advertisers. "Talking about climate change is kryptonite for TV meteorologists," says Paul Douglas, a veteran TV weathercaster and reformed climate skeptic who is now the chief meteorologist at Alerts Broadcaster, which specializes in severe weather alerting services. "They tend to abhor anything that might turn viewers off and make it harder for them to renegotiate a big, fat, six-figure salary. By even bringing up the topic, you know you're going to alienate the percentage of the audience who still link global warming with Al Gore and conspiracy theories. Why run into the buzz saw of denial? It's easier to stick to safe topics, like dew point and hot weather survival tips."

In the long run, of course, avoiding the reality of global warming is a losing strategy ??both for TV weathercasters and their millions of loyal viewers. "The simple fact is, the climate is going to get warmer and warmer as we put more heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere," says Jeff Masters of Weather Underground. "As that happens, the weather is going to get more extreme. People who talk plainly and credibly about climate change are going to be more successful and draw bigger audiences. Weathercasting is not an industry that can bet its future on denial."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/forecasting-denial-why-are-tv-weathercasters-ignoring-climate-change-20121205

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lijansharma: kudals: molina anvil: Reference and Education: Proper

Becoming an electrician starts with getting the right schooling. One can start quite early, even in High School. Many vocational programs in secondary schools have an electrical program. Following High School graduation, one can enter a program at a college to further their learning. Community colleges often have excellent trades program, including electrical. In addition to their typical general education courses like math and English, students will take practical courses where they learn both the science behind the trade and also get to apply and learn new skills in hands-on work. If one desires to learn more about the scientific end of things, they can attend a four year college that offers advanced programs like electrical engineering or similar majors. Community colleges are great because they offer students practical experience.

One can also do some extra work on their own to increase their skills and education. It is a great idea to find an experienced individual who works in the field and get close to them. An experienced worker can offer electrician training in the form of an apprenticeship or might be able to hire a student to work for them. They can also share the pros and cons of the industry, as well as stories from on the job. This will give the young student a better idea of what daily life is like as an electrical worker, and help them decide if this is really the field that they want to devote their life to. Working with a professional can help one meet others in the field and perhaps potential future customers. The pro may also have some suggestions for training programs or courses that the aspiring electrician can take advantage of. They can serve as a reference for the student's resume.

Before one can be successful in industry, they must have to proper education and training. Fortunately, budding electrical workers have many options to help them reach their goals and better themselves.

Source: http://iscussnisa.blogspot.com/2012/11/proper-electrician-training-and.html

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Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Pope joins tweeting masses with Pontifex handle

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Benedict XVI, the pope known for his hefty volumes of theology, is now trying brevity ? spreading the faith through his own Twitter account.

The pontiff will tweet in eight languages starting Dec. 12 using his personal handle (at)Pontifex, responding live to questions about faith during his weekly general audience, the Vatican said Monday.

Within six hours of the Vatican's announcement, Benedict had already garnered nearly 150,000 followers on the English version of (at)Pontifex alone, with thousands more following him in the eight other language accounts.

All that, and he hadn't even sent a single tweet.

He may never hit 1 billion faithful that the Catholic Church counts around the globe, but he's odds-on to get 1 million followers by the end of the year, British bookmakers Ladbrokes said.

The pope sent his first tweet last year from a generic Vatican account to launch the Holy See's news information portal, part of efforts to increase the church presence in social media and spread the faith. A personal Twitter account for the 85-year-old Benedict has been the subject of intense speculation ever since; Monday's news conference was packed, a strong indication of the interest it has generated.

Greg Burke, the Vatican's communications adviser, said the handle (at)Pontifex was chosen because it not only means pope in Latin, but also bridge-builder, suggesting unity. How often will the pope tweet? "As often as he wants," Burke said, adding that he hoped the tweeting would be frequent.

While the pope will push the button himself on Dec. 12, subsequent tweets will be sent by someone in the Vatican's secretariat of state. They will, however, all be approved by the pope, officials said.

"It's always going to have his engagement and his approval," said Monsignor Paul Tighe, the No. 2 in the Vatican's social communications office. "Not physically, but from his mind."

Questions for the inaugural papal tweet can be submitted to (hash)askpontifex, and the pope will likely respond to three to five of those sent from around the world, Burke said. Subsequent tweets are expected to remain spiritual in nature, taken from his teachings or homilies.

By late Monday, many of the questions sent in were jokes and criticism, including of the church sex abuse scandal ? Twitter spam that the pope will likely never see.

Currently a host of Twitter accounts use the pope's name, purporting to be his personal account. The (at)Pontifex account, however, is certified as the only official papal Twitter feed, Tighe said. No special security arrangements have been taken to prevent the account from being hacked.

Burke said Twitter has many celebrity clients. "They seem to be able to take care of them. We assume they'll be able to take care of us as well."

Twitter spokeswoman Rachael Horowitz declined to comment on whether the strong interest in the launch of the pope's handle would break any records, saying Twitter doesn't track such data of individual account followers.

But she noted in an email that religious content on Twitter "punches above its weight" in terms of interest and engagement. Religious leaders, for example, get one retweet for every 500 followers, whereas a musician gets one for every 30,000 followers.

Papal tweets will be sent simultaneously in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Polish and Arabic. Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, the president of the Vatican's social communications office, said he hoped to add Chinese.

He stressed that the papal tweets aren't to be considered infallible teachings, merely "pearls of wisdom" in the pope's own words.

The Vatican has been increasing its presence in social media, using YouTube channels and Facebook pages for special events and Twitter to engage believers and nonbelievers alike, particularly the young.

The Vatican decided against using a personal Facebook page for the pope because they thought it was too personal an interaction and would require more manpower to keep updated.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-joins-tweeting-masses-pontifex-135447250.html

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Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Emigration of children to urban areas can protect parents against depression

ScienceDaily (Dec. 3, 2012) ? Parents whose children move far away from home are less likely to become depressed than parents with children living nearby, according to a new study of rural districts in Thailand. The study, led by scientists at King's College London, suggests that children who migrate to urban areas are more likely to financially support their parents, which may be a factor for lower levels of depression.

Dr Melanie Abas, lead author from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's said: 'Parents whose children had all left the district were half as likely to be depressed as parents who still had one of more child living in the district. Although our study was conducted in Thailand, the findings are similar to previous studies in China.'

In Thailand traditionally children take responsibility for aging parents. Local concerns that rising rates of rural-urban migration across South East Asia might have a negative impact on families and that older parents might experience loneliness, isolation and depression, have now been debunked by this research led by King's .

Protection against 'empty-nest syndrome'

The authors explain that parents can protect themselves from the so-called empty-nest syndrome. Dr Abas said: 'We found several protective factors against the empty-nest syndrome, some similar to those we see in the UK and US. Living in close-knit communities, seeing their children regularly at family gatherings or holidays and the feeling that they had succeeded as parents by having a self-sufficient child living and working in the city all helped against the empty-nest syndrome.'

However, one of the key protective factors -- unique to lower and middle income countries -- is the effect of children sending money home. 'In a country with a less developed welfare system, this makes an important difference to older parents' lives', Abas says.

In collaboration with the Mahidol University and Thammasat University, both in Thailand, researchers from King's studied nearly 1,000 parents aged 60 or over from 100 villages in rural Thailand to understand the effect of child migration on parents' depression.

Around 27 percent of the parents who had at least one child living close by -- within the district -- usually more than 100 kilometres away, had a depression, compared to 16 percent of those with all children living far from home -- outside the district. One year later, 24 percent of parents with at least one child living within the district had a depression, compared to 9 percent of those with all children living outside the district.

Rates of depression varied as children moved out and back in to the district: 33 percent of those who had a child move back to the district were depressed compared to 20 percent of those who did not experience any child movement during the follow-up year.

Dr Sureeporn Punpuing, co-author from the Mahidol Univerity in Thailand explained: 'We found that there were two main reasons children returned home. Children either returned home because something had gone wrong in their own lives, such as divorce or job loss, adding to parents worries or because of their parents' declining mental or physical health.'

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by King's College London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Abas, M. et al. Migration of children and impact on depression in older parents in rural Thailand, South East Asia. Archives of General Psychiatry, December 2012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/W1Kk-HAvKxE/121203163528.htm

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Revealed: Secrets of a smartphone bill under $50

By Bob Sullivan

Roger Dluzak used his survival skills to fight his way through the jungles of Vietnam in the 1960s, and picked up a few medals before coming home.? He says he uses those same skills now to navigate the jungle of being a U.S. consumer.

"I learned how to survive a long time ago, still using the survival skills in today?s economy," he said.? So when he saw his cellphone bill creep up toward $100 per month, he took immediate evasive action.?

"When my contract was over with AT&T, I went to Walmart and bought their best smartphone, a Samsung Galaxy II for $350, and signed up with Straight Talk ... for $44 a month, or $500 a year," he said.

Dluzak is part of a small but growing segment of smartphone users who are fighting back against triple-digit bills by exploring creative options.

The Red Tape Chronicles recently wrote about a cellphone industry report claiming the average bill was $47 per month, and asked readers to tell us how much they pay for service.? From the 1,400 responses we examined, the average bill was more like $125 per month, and about one-quarter of respondents paid more than $200. We looked at the stories behind these high-bill payers in another recent story, "Newest family budget-buster: the $300 cellphone bill."

But hundreds of others wrote in to brag that their bills were at or below that industry average $47. Roughly one-quarter -- 423 out of 1,400 -- said their bills were under $85, and 223 said their bills were $50 or less.? Today we look at how these cheap talkers do it.

The easiest way is to use your phone as just a phone. There is no shortage of old-fashioned, flip-phone plans that can keep your bill south of $50, provided you don't end up receiving a bunch of unexpected text messages. If you want a phone-only phone, you might want to look away from the major carriers, however, which are now focused on lucrative data-hogging customers. If you wander into a local Verizon store, for example, you are likely to find only one or two basic phone options.? Smaller carriers and pre-paid services are the right choice here. Those who want cellphones only for emergencies and pay for only the minutes they use can keep their bills down to $20 or even $10 per month. Ditto for those who just don't want to have their face buried in a smartphone for hours per day.

"Friends have smartphones.? I couldn't care less,? said Judith D. Schlesinger, 67, who lives just outside Annapolis, Md. ?If they want to talk to me, they can call.? If not, they can send email. ?I had text and email turned off on my phone after I received charges ... for some junk texts and some unknown use, they said, of 1 megabyte of data.? I'd never used either before and don't miss them."

But can cellphone users who worry about getting lost, getting an important work email on the road or being able to look up movie times while sitting at dinner keep their costs down to $50 monthly??

It depends.

You'll need a bit of geographical luck, you generally won't enjoy the latest new phone, you might need to forgo any kind of customer service and you probably need to swallow some high up-front costs. But plenty of Red Tape readers are living proof that low smartphone bills exist and, like Dluzak, most of them are darn proud of it.

"My service has been great for the past five months or so and I only pay $45 a month!!!" wrote Edwin Argueta. ?He lives near Los Angeles, and uses a Galaxy Nexus phone he purchased directly from Google on Straight Talk's service, which offers unlimited text, talk and web surfing.

David Wynn lives in Little Rock, Ark., and had similar enthusiasm for Straight Talk.

"I had recently completed a two-year contract with AT&T; enjoyed the service but not the telephone ... or the price. I was paying $100 for unlimited talk and text," he said. "Now I have a better plan (unlimited talk/text/data) with Straight Talk and my cost is a flat $45 per month plus tax. ? The bottom line is. I am extremely satisfied with Straight Talk and plan to keep it forever."

His enthusiasm hasn't persuaded his wife, however, who has an iPhone on AT&T's network and is on a ?'quest to have the most expensive plan ever," Wynn said. Her bill is $150 monthly, he said. "I've yet to convince her that she's going in the wrong direction."

Straight Talk, offered through Walmart, was very popular with budget-conscious Red Tape readers. Of the 433 who pay $85 or less monthly, 36 use Straight Talk, and nearly all of them pay less than $50.? Another 28 use Virgin Mobile, which offers similar (but slightly more expensive) discounted plans.? Virgin has one advantage -- users can "tether" their phones, and use them as WiFi hotspots for tablets and laptops, by paying an extra $15 monthly. Straight Talk doesn?t allow tethering. Boost, Tracfone, MetroPCS and Consumer Cellular were also popular with Red Tape readers, and there were a few Cricket users.

Some in this discount group were truly lucky ?? ?they?d managed to hold on to inexpensive, ?grandfathered? data plans from major providers. Since that option isn?t available any longer, we won?t spend time on that.

But customers with moderate data requirements also can find deals, said Sam Simon, senior fellow at the New?Millennium?Research Council, which advocates for phone consumers. ?We tend to think about data gobblers, but if you aren't the kind of person who?s going to use a lot of data, there are cheaper options,? he said. ?

There are a few big hurdles to getting a deeply discounted data plan.

*Network quality

As with all things cellular, the network you use can make or break your deal.? A cheap smartphone that can't access your email is useless. A discount seller?s service ?might not work where you live. Because? they ride along the large carriers' networks, some have huge coverage gaps. Straight Talk users, for example, must use either AT&T or T-Mobile?s network, while Virgin customers use Sprint?s network. While service might be good across town, it might be terrible at your house or along your commuting path. When shopping for cheap smartphone service, do a lot of research and ask your friends and neighbors about their experiences with dropped calls and data speeds.?

*Where's the store?

While there are plenty of loyal Straight Talk, Virgin, and Boost customers, there are plenty of complaints about customer service, too. Verizon has the largest national network of cell coverage, and Verizon retail locations are as common as fast food joints. That's handy when you have a cellphone emergency. Discount data users complain frequently that customer service isn't a kiosk away -- it's continents away, as troubles are handled by overseas call centers.

* Bad to big users

Data plans are complex, and change frequently, so it?s difficult to give generic advice, but this is certain: Cheap unlimited plans are not designed for data hogs.? Straight Talk has a soft cap at 2 gigabytes per month or 100 megabytes per day; that might not get you through an entire Netflix movie or baseball game.? Users who exceed these marks get warnings that they can be terminated at any time, which would really stink if you paid a lot of money for a phone because you planned on sticking with a discounted service.

*Up-front costs

Speak of the devil: The biggest hurdle for many would-be discount plan users is the "bring your own phone" element, which can require a large up-front investment.? The discount plans offer no phone purchase subsidy with two-year contracts.? For example, Walmart is offering a Galaxy SII Android phone for $349, while similar phones would be free from major carriers to users who sign a contract. Of course, there's no such thing as a free phone, and those subsidized phones end up being more costly than one used with a "bring your own" plan.

Dluzak's situation is typical:

"With AT&T, the cost for two years would have been $2,400 even if I didn?t go over my data limit," he said. "With Straight Talk, two years is $1,000, plus the $350 for the phone ... so which would you rather pay??

Here's a rare case where it's sensible to make a purchase with a credit card, even if you can?t pay off the full balance at the end of the month. Instead of having the carrier subsidize the large purchase, borrow the money from your card-issuing bank instead. The interest you pay will be less than the "interest" you'd pay the carrier for the subsidy.

*Not the latest gadget

Cellphone-plan discounters and prepaid services generally don't offer the latest gadgets.? Walmart isn't selling the Galaxy III to prepaid users, for example.? This isn't so much a conspiracy as it is market economics, says Simon.

"The latest phones would be too expensive for the prepaid folks to provide," he said. They are also servicing their budget-conscious customers, who are clearly more worried about price than getting the latest and greatest gadget.? "You still get a decent phone, just not the latest one,? he said. ?It might be one generation older."

But even this bit of accepted market behavior is beginning to change. Starting this week, Apple began selling fully unlocked iPhone 5 devices direct to consumers for $649 to $849, depending on model. The device has some limitations -- you can only buy the GSM model from Apple, meaning it can't be used on many U.S. networks. But the sale shows that smartphone contract haters are starting to enjoy more options.

The emergence of a thriving prepaid market for flip-phones over the last decade was a godsend to consumers tired of overpaying for calling minutes they never needed, just to avoid accidental overages and surprise big bills. As pre-paid plans emerged from the shadows and became mainstream, the competition forced contract carriers to lower prices and offer more consumer-friendly options. This same cycle is playing out now with smartphones. Contract phones and the big providers still have an edge with smartphone service and gadgets. But that gap is closing. If you aren?t a technophile, don?t plan on streaming a lot of video with your phone and don?t need tethering capabilities for home or work, you owe it to your family budget spreadsheet to investigate month-to-month smartphone plans.

?Sure, it?s not the latest and greatest,? Dluzak said.? ?But the latest and greatest will cost dearly. Dearly is twice the price, and yes to be safe, you?ll need to make sure you?re sitting in a nice comfy chair when you open the bill, because if you?re not, you could fall over and injure yourself.?

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More from Red Tape Chronicles:

Source: http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/04/15652999-a-smartphone-bill-for-under-50-red-tape-readers-reveal-their-cell-secrets?lite

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jansen lassen: Education & Reference 2015: McDougal Littell ...

McDougal Littell Algebra 1: Applications, Equations, Graphs
by Ron Larson, Laurie Boswell, Timothy Kanold, Lee Stiff

(42)

New!: $102.35 (as of 11/28/2012 20:41 PST)
399 Used! | New! from $4.95 (as of 11/28/2012 20:41 PST)

Education & Reference

Text includes application highlights, career links, skill reviews, quizzes, test preparation questions, chapter summary, and review for standardized tests.

Rank: #6529 in Books
Published on: 1999-11-03
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 1.32" h x 8.70" w x 10.80" l, 4.40 pounds
Binding: Hardcover
896 pages

Source: http://topeducationreference952.blogspot.com/2012/11/mcdougal-littell-algebra-1-applications.html

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Source: http://miquelhooper172.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/education-reference-2015-mcdougal-littell-algebra-1.html

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Source: http://jansen-lassen.blogspot.com/2012/12/education-reference-2015-mcdougal.html

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Source: http://mgkusemak.posterous.com/jansen-lassen-education-reference-2015-mcdoug

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Self Improvement | Some Self Improvement Thougbhts Now that the ...

Christmas gift One more day of November and the holdiay season is moving into high gear.

Every TV commercial says ?Buy, Buy, Buy.? Some even suggest that you get a loan so you can buy those expensive gifts you think each member of your family wants (and needs?) After all, will 5 year old?Tommy ever respect you again if you don?t give him his own cell phone with music, video and text messaging? (of course he can?t read or spell but so what?)?Will 13 year old Jessica forgive you if she doesn?t receive those $120 designer jeans? Does your wife expect diamonds or your husband expect a Rolex even though you?re on a tight budget? Or, hey, how about having twin Mercedes sitting in the?driveway on Christmas morning like the commercials instruct?

Get real.

At the foundation of self improvement is knowing what you believe and how that belief system shows up in your everyday life. When your beliefs are?yours and not what you were told you must believe?and your boundaries are clear, you can celebrate how you choose to celebrate. That celebration may be traditional or avant guarde and it will be meaningful to you. You may choose not to celebrate at all and that is certainly an option as well. Being able to do?this requires high self esteem and balance in your life.

Let?s look at the holidays we celebrate:

Christmas:?a celebration of the birth of Jesus.

Hanukkah (Chanukah):?the festival of lights that celebrates the rededication of the temple at the time of the Macabee rebellion.

Kwanzaa:?a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture. http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm

Two are religious celebrations and one is a celebration of family and culture. I know the history of Santa Claus and, essentially, it has nothing to do with the above three celebrations and?Santa doesn?t relate to the present day commercialism, either.

No, my name is not Scrooge and I love the gifting at Christmas/Hannukah as much as anyone. I love? the smell of all that wonderful food, the pine scent of the tree, and the scent of candles. I love the excitement of the children and their eagerness to shred the fancy paper and get to what it hides. I love the family coming together and talking about old times and what-might-have-been as well as what is now. I love seeing the new babies, and hugging the grandmas and grandads and seeing how much the nieces and? nephews have grown. But, give me a break. What does this have to do with Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa?

Let?s at least get honest about what it is we are celebrating and let?s make our own rules about exactly how we want to celebrate it. Don?t let peer pressure or the merchandisers tell you what to do or what and how much to buy or how it is you will celebrate Christmas, Hannukuh or Kwanzaa.

Happy Holidays.

Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-esteem/some-self-improvement-thoughts-now-that-the-holidays-go-into-full-gear/

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Monday, 3 December 2012

Support US jobs? Then support electric cars, says governor.

Electric cars meant thousands of new jobs in Michigan, says the former governor of that state. While many have criticized alternative energy grants, Jennifer Granhom says they are essential if the US doesn't want to lose advanced manufacturing jobs 'forever.'

By Antony Ingram,?Guest blogger / December 2, 2012

A sign is painted on a parking space for electric cars inside a car park in Hong Kong in this January 2012 file photo. Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm has penned an op-ed arguing that embracing electric auto technology is essential for keeping high-end manufacturing jobs in the United States.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters/File

Enlarge

Want to support American jobs? Then support electric cars.

Skip to next paragraph GreenCarReports

The website focuses on the auto industry?s future, the evolution of cars beyond fossil fuels, and the green movement's relevance to car shoppers today. For more stories on green cars, click here.

Trained Navy dolphins losing out to robots (Providence Journal)

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Rumor mill hints at upcoming Samsung phones and tablets

Android Central

It should come as no surprise that Samsung is working on next-gen smartphones and tablets -- after all, every major manufacturer is engaged in the development of new products. But the latest round of rumors from SamMobile could shed some light on specific details of Samsung's upcoming tablets and phones. The site has proved accurate with earlier Samsung leaks, so we're inclined to give these reports a bit more time than the average Internet rumor.

Citing sources in Samsung's native South Korea, SamMobile claims the next-generation Galaxy S device (think Galaxy S4) is known internally as "Project J," and that current timetables call for an announcement in April 2013. As the Galaxy S3 was unveiled in London in early May this year, that means we could see a successor launch as the S3 turns one year old.

A new, budget-friendly Galaxy Note variant is also reportedly in the works. Apparently aimed at the European market and lacking S Pen support, the device likely won't wear the "Galaxy Note" branding if and when it appears. SamMobile speculates that Samsung might not use its leading HD SuperAMOLED display tech in this device.

Finally, a 13.3-inch ASUS Transformer-style device -- a tablet with QWERTY keyboard dock -- is also said to be planned, though there's no word on whether this will run Android, Windows or some other OS.

The "Galaxy S4" or "Project J" reports aren't particularly surprising; most manufacturers tend to release a new flagship phone every twelve months. But the introduction of a large-screen device with a more budget-oriented price tag would be an interesting development indeed -- right now, more affordable devices tend to top out at around 4.3 inches.

We'd take these latest rumors with a pinch of salt in any case. No doubt we'll learn more about Samsung's upcoming mobile devices at the CES and MWC shows over the next few months.

Source: SamMobile

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/PXvwGwJB-7w/story01.htm

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Mechanical Services For All Types Of Vehicle | Palin Defender

Automotive services should be done either by the car owner or a professional mobile auto mechanic San Francisco to ensure the life of the vehicle is lengthened. There are a number of auto service procedures that are available in several auto repair shops in the US. These automotive services can be classified into two: car repair services and car diagnostics.

Car Diagnostic Services is an automated service that is a type of preventive car maintenance. Routine diagnostic procedures include checking different parts of the vehicle to see if they are still at their best. This is important so that if something needs to be replaced, it can be replaced immediately before causing major problems to the car.

Three of the most important auto parts in vehicles that usually undergo diagnostics are transmission, brakes, and engine.

However, according to some mobile auto mechanic, the term transmission gearbox refers to the gearbox, clutch, and axles as a whole. The transmission is what gives the car its speed and power. It has the ability to reduce the motor speed while increasing the power at the same time. Transmission is responsible for shifting car from any problems related to the transmission that may require major car repair.

The motor, on the other hand, is used to burn the gasoline in the engine and convert the energy to mechanical motion. It is an internal combustion engine that burns fuel and utilize the hot gases produced by the power generation. Most engine configurations focus on increasing the combustion efficiency and engine power. If there is a problem with the engine of a vehicle, the car is usually left to a car repair shop for a number of days to get it fixed.

Finally, the car brakes are devices used to stop the car while driving or in motion. There are different types of car brakes but they all work for the same purpose. Brakes diagnosis involves increasing the momentum of brakes as well as brake repair and replacement.

When it comes to car repair, the most popular automotive services include air conditioning system repair and collision repair. Especially for older vehicles, air conditioning units are not running as well as before. You need to be constantly replacing the parts. Auto air conditioning units absorbs the heat inside the, especially during the summer. Auto air conditioning units differ according to car models so it is best if a mobile car mechanic San Francisco is consulted before doing anything.

Collision repair, on the other hand, is part of the automobile body work and services framework. Collision repairs are made to the cars dented by road accidents or mishaps. You can do these car repairs but they are painstaking processes so it is highly recommended that you seek professional help. The car repair services, such as these, require certain skills, techniques, and tools. People have been trained to specialize in those things, so it is best if you let them do their job. Just make sure that you transact business with an auto repair shop that is renowned for competitive prices in exchange of high quality work.

Source: http://www.palindefender.com/2012/12/mechanical-services-for-all-types-of-vehicle.html

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Saturday, 1 December 2012

World AIDS Day 2012: Getting to Zero for Cats Too! ? Fur the Love of ...

outdoor cats The World Health Organization marks December 1st as World AIDS Day. For 2012, the chosen theme is ?Getting to Zero.? World AIDS Day remembers those who have died from this terrible disease and educates those at risk of contracting it. This year?s theme focuses attention on the hope that someday there will be no human patients with AIDS.

Cats too suffer from a virus similar to HIV/AIDS in humans. Like our hope for zero AIDS patients, cat lovers everywhere hope to someday get to zero feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections. This connection between AIDS and cats gives us a good opportunity to think about the thousands of cats infected with FIV and then talk about how to prevent your cat from this serious viral infection.

I started thinking about FIV recently when a feline patient, Yuki, came to The Animal Medical Center for an internal medicine consultation with a fever and an FIV infection.

Location, location, location

American cats are lucky: FIV infection is uncommon here, occurring in approximately 2.5% of all cats. Yuki came to the USA from Japan where, according to a recent survey, nearly 25% of cats are infected with this virus.

A high prevalence of FIV infections occur in countries where cats roam freely outdoors.

Although Yuki is a female cat, the typical cat with an FIV infection is male. Males have a greater risk of becoming infected with FIV due to their propensity for fighting and biting, which transmits the virus to uninfected cats.

FIV-related illnesses

Like AIDS, FIV infection can be asymptomatic, but there are certain diseases which are known to be associated with FIV infections. If your cat develops one of these diseases, your veterinarian will recommend FIV testing as part of a disease management strategy. Tops on my list of FIV-associated diseases are oral inflammation, ocular inflammation, neurological disorders, and bone marrow failure. FIV-infected cats are also predisposed to infections such as toxoplasmosis, giardiasis, ringworm, and recurrent upper respiratory viruses. Although this sounds grim, the lifespan of FIV-infected cats appears to be similar to uninfected cats.

Cats are first when it comes to a vaccine

For cats at high risk of developing FIV infection, a killed vaccine to protect against FIV is available. This vaccine is considered ?non-core? and not all cats need to be vaccinated against FIV. FIV vaccination complicates FIV testing. The antibodies induced by the vaccine make FIV tests performed in veterinary clinics positive, even when the cat is not infected with the virus. Additional testing is needed to differentiate the FIV-infected cat from the vaccinated cat.

Getting to feline zero

Test all kittens and cats for FIV before they meet your other cats.
Keep FIV-infected cats separated from FIV-negative cats.
Keep your cats indoors so they are not exposed to other cats infected with FIV.
Neuter male cats to help prevent biting behavior which spreads infection.
If you have an FIV-infected cat, make it an only cat and an indoor cat to prevent spread of the virus.
Because the FIV vaccine is not considered a ?core? vaccine, talk to your veterinarian about your cat?s risk of contracting this virus and the need for vaccination.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 30th, 2012 at 9:50 am and is filed under veterinarian, pets, cat, pet health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://amcny.wordpress.com/2012/11/30/world-aids-day-2012-getting-to-zero-for-cats-too/

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Video: Housing: Waving Goodbye to Short Sales?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50027569/

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AP Source: Ramirez positive test for testosterone

NEW YORK (AP) ? The substance that caused Manny Ramirez to test positive for a banned substance last year was testosterone, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The administrator of baseball's drug program issued his annual report on Friday. The document lists the substances that resulted in seven positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs that led to discipline.

Six players were suspended earlier this year for taking prohibited substances and, in each case, the substance that triggered the positive test was announced under a change to baseball's drug agreement.

However, one positive test was unaccounted for and it came from Ramirez, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because that detail wasn't included in the report.

Ramirez, then playing for Tampa Bay, at first retired in April 2011 rather than face a 100-game suspension for his second failed drug test. He changed his mind last December ? after the Independent Program Administrator's 2011 report ? and an agreement was reached that suspended him for 50 games rather than 100 because he sat out nearly all of the 2011 season. The failed testosterone test was then included in the 2012 figures.

After signing a minor league contract with Oakland this year, Ramirez asked to be released in mid-June without reaching the majors.

Ramirez, 14th on the career list with 555 home runs, was suspended for 50 games in 2009 while playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the substance causing that suspension was not announced, at the time a person familiar with the details said Ramirez used the female fertility drug HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. The substance stimulates natural testosterone production, which shuts down during a cycle of steroids use.

Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon and Yasmani Grandal also tested positive for testosterone in 2012. The other PED positives came up in tests from Guillermo Mota (Clenbuterol), Marlon Byrd (Tamoxifen) and Freddy Galvis (Clostebol). All were given 50-game suspensions.

Ryan Braun's test, which was overturned in a grievance, was not included because it did not lead to discipline.

There were 11 positive tests for banned stimulants, two of which led to 25-game suspensions for Carlos and Ryan Adams. The other nine were for initial positive tests, which result in follow-up testing but not suspensions.

Ten of the stimulant positives were caused by Adderall and the other by amphetamine.

The report showed MLB granted 116 therapeutic use exemptions to treat attention deficit disorder in the past year, up 11 from last year and the most since the sport started releasing statistics in 2008. There were 25 new TUEs, down from 28 in 2011, and 91 holdovers. The exact substances allowed under the TUEs are not specified.

ADHD drugs were the overwhelming majority of the 119 exemptions granted, according to Friday's annual report by Dr. Jeffrey M. Anderson, baseball's new IPA. There were two for hypertension and one for hypogonadism.

Dr. Gary Wadler, former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency's committee that considers which substances should be banned, has for several years criticized baseball for its total of ADHD exemptions. The sport says its experts maintain the condition is more frequent in young adult males than among the general population.

Anderson, who replaced Dr. Bryan Smith, said there were 1,181 blood tests in baseball's first year of checks for human growth hormone. No positives were reported. There also were 3,955 urine tests for drugs, an increase of 87 tests.

Baseball does not break out how many of the tests were during the offseason.

Each player was given a blood test for HGH during spring training as part of the labor contract that was agreed to a year ago, which allows blood testing during the offseason and spring training, and if there is reasonable cause. Players and management are discussing whether to expand HGH testing.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-30-Ramirez-Testosterone/id-a6ecb75d98f74368ae7085babe12fe07

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Murdoch's papers, others condemned in phone-hack report

Senior British judge Brian Leveson is set to release the findings of his yearlong inquiry into phone-hacking and media ethics by newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch and others.

By Carol Grisanti, Keir Simmons and Ian Johnston, NBC News

Updated at 10:35 a.m. ET: LONDON -- Rupert Murdoch?s newspapers and other British media were reckless in the pursuit of sensational stories ?almost irrespective of the harm? caused, according to a major report on Britain's?phone-hacking scandal.

The findings of the year-long Leveson Inquiry criticized a ?failure of systems of management and compliance? at Murdoch?s News of the World (NoTW) tabloid, which was closed down as the full extent of their illegal actions became clear.

Lord Justice Leveson said if Murdoch and his son James did not know about the extent of phone-hacking at the paper, then there had been a "determined cover-up" by unidentified staff.

And if they had known then the Murdochs should have done something about it, he said. However, the judge added there was no evidence from which he could "safely infer" that Rupert Murdoch was aware of a wider problem.

The report is being watched by American lawmakers amid concerns that U.S. laws may have been broken.

Leveson did not recommend state regulation of the media ? or censorship in the eyes of some ? as some victims of press intrusion had demanded, but did propose a new self-regulatory body enshrined in law.

The inquiry was set up after it emerged that people working for the News of the World had hacked into messages on a phone belonging to?Milly Dowler, 13, while she was a missing person in 2002. She had been abducted and was murdered.

A string of other examples of phone-hacking and other examples of press intrustion then emerged.

?At the News of the World, quite apart from phone-hacking, there was a failure of systems of management and compliance,? the report said.??There was a general lack of respect for individual privacy and dignity.?

Read the full Leveson Inquiry report

The report said it was not just Murdoch?s newspapers that were at fault.

?There has been a recklessness in prioritizing sensational stories almost irrespective of the harm that the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected (perhaps in a way that can never be remedied),? it said.

?Too many stories in too many newspapers are the subject of complaints from too many people,? it added.

Related content:

Key US lawmaker watching as Rupert Murdoch braces for phone-hacking report

Judgment day looms for Rupert Murdoch, Piers Morgan and UK press

Former UK PM accuses Murdoch of misleading inquiry into phone-hack scandal

Rupert Murdoch not 'a fit person' to firm, UK lawmakers say?

But Leveson was particularly scathing about the Murdoch empire, saying there had been a ?serious failure of governance? at the News of the World, News Corporation and its U.K. arm News International.

?There was a failure on the part of the management at the NoTW to take appropriate steps to investigate whether there was evidence of wrongdoing,? he said. ?Although I endorse the right of any business to seek to protect its reputation, it surely must first take every step to get to the bottom of what had happened.?

Author J.K. Rowling and actress Sienna Miller testified at the Leveson inquiry, addressing the emotional pain they experience after having their privacy invaded by tabloid reporters. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

'Determined cover-up'
Leveson said if Rupert Murdoch and his son James were kept in the dark then ?one or more parts of the management at the NoTW was engaged in a determined cover-up to keep relevant information about potential criminal activity within the organisation from senior management within NI.?

?? if James Murdoch had been the victim of a cover-up, or an attempt to minimise the gravity of the position, then the accountability and governance systems at NI would have to be considered to have broken down in an extremely serious respect,? he added.

Leveson said there was ?no evidence? from which he could ?safely infer that Rupert Murdoch was aware of a wider problem.?

But Leveson noted Rupert Murdoch did not appear to have followed up -- or arranged for his son James to follow up -- on the instructions Murdoch said he gave to Colin Myler, editor of the News of the World from 2007 to 2011, to ?find out what the hell was going on.?

Actor Hugh Grant took a starring role on Monday in a London courtroom, where he testified at a public hearing about alleged phone hacking by British tabloids. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

?If News Corporation management, and in particular Rupert Murdoch, were aware of the allegations, it is obvious that action should have been taken to investigate them,? Leveson said.

The report noted evidence given to the inquiry that News International had been ?obstructive? during an early police investigation into phone-hacking.

?The approach taken by NI is far from what might be expected of a well-run corporation ? An organisational culture that is founded on integrity and honesty would require not only full co-operation with law enforcement, but also a determination to expose behaviour that failed to comply with the law,? the report said.

?What happened at the NoTW in relation to voicemail interception in this context is particularly informative about the culture that pertained both within the corporate and editorial operations," it added.

Leveson said that what was needed was a ?genuinely independent and effective system of self-regulation.?

The current Press Complaints Commission includes members of the media industry, but Leveson said the new body he was proposing should have no ?serving editors or members of the House of Commons or government.? He also said that the new body should?be recognized in law.

He said he was ?struck by the evidence of journalists who felt they might be put under pressure to do things that were unethical or against the [press standards] code.?

To address this, he said there should be a new whistleblowing hotline and the new board should ?encourage? media firms to include a ?conscience clause? in their employment contracts to protect them if they come under pressure to do something unethical.

U.S. senator: 'Deplorable conduct'
Senator Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate commerce committee, signaled he will be paying close attention to the findings of the report.

In an emailed statement sent to NBC News before the report was released, he called on investigators in the U.K. to hold media companies accountable for their ?deplorable conduct.?

The parents of murdered school girl Milly Dowler told the Leveson Inquiry how her phone had been hacked into when she went missing, giving them false hope that she may still be alive. ITV's Damon Green reports.

Read more on this story from Britain's ITV News

Rockefeller said that he feared that illegal journalistic practices may have been used on U.S. citizens.

He said he hoped Leveson?s report and other investigations would ?continue to clear the air? and hold the media organizations involved ?accountable for their deplorable conduct.?

?While I understand that the main goal of this report is to make policy recommendations, the core of the inquiry remains the illegal and unethical practices of newspapers owned by the News Corporation,? Rockefeller said.

?I remain deeply concerned that these companies may have violated U.S. laws and injured U.S. citizens,? he added.

Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted he was very close to News International as Prime Minister - but he told the Leveson Inquiry it was a working relationship, not a close one. Testimony was briefly interrupted by a protestor who accused Blair of being a "war criminal." ITN's Tom Bradby reports.?

Former top aide to UK PM David Cameron charged in perjury case

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, who was later hired as Cameron's chief media adviser, and Rebekah Brooks, the former CEO of News International, appeared in court Thursday to face charges related to allegations of corrupt payments made to public officials, ITV News reported. They were later released on bail.

The Associated Press, Reuters and ITV News contributed to this report. ITV News is NBC News' U.K. partner.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/29/15539281-rupert-murdochs-papers-uk-media-condemned-in-phone-hacking-report?lite

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Friday, 30 November 2012

Total Recall: Brad Pitt's Best Movies

We count down the best-reviewed work of the Killing Them Softly star.

Brad Pitt

Today he's one of the most bankable movie stars in Hollywood, and one of the few actors audiences will pay to see no matter what sort of role he's playing -- whether it's action, drama, or comedy the script calls for, having Brad Pitt's name above the title is about as close as anyone can come to a guarantee for a hit film. Not so long ago, however, Pitt was just another good-looking dude with enough gumption to work his way into a steady stream of TV shows and bit parts in movies. He's come a long way, for sure, and to celebrate his latest starring role -- in Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly, opening this weekend -- we decided the time was right for yet another Brad Pitt edition of Total Recall!

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He started the 1990s on a hot streak, but by the end of the decade, Pitt was suffering through a bit of a slump, appearing in a string of critical dogs (Seven Years in Tibet, The Devil's Own, Meet Joe Black) whose box office tallies reflected their disappointing reviews. But just when the naysayers were ready to write him off as an expensive hair model who couldn't break a movie, Pitt rebounded with Fight Club, a reunion with Seven director David Fincher that paired Pitt with Edward Norton in an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's hit novel. Though some critics found the film's overpowering violence and homoerotic overtones repugnant (New York Magazine's Peter Rainer, for one, dismissed it as "the squall of a whiny and essentially white-male generation that feels ruined by the privileges of women and a booming economy"), most writers responded to Fight Club's social criticism and thought-provoking themes. In the words of ReelViews' James Berardinelli, it's "a memorable and superior motion picture - a rare movie that does not abandon insight in its quest to jolt the viewer."

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Critics have a reputation for turning up their noses at escapist fare, but when it's done right, most scribes have no problem saying so -- as they did in 2001, with the Certified Fresh Ocean's Eleven. A loose remake of the 1960 Rat Pack feature of the same name, Eleven blended the original with the nod-and-a-wink light touch of The Sting, giving its high-wattage cast free rein to essentially goof off for 116 minutes -- and audiences, who hadn't been treated to a real all-star caper since 1984's woeful Cannonball Run II, turned out in droves. Pitt's turn as the food-obsessed Rusty Ryan gave him an opportunity to flash the pearly whites and old-fashioned Hollywood cool that he'd played down in recent projects such as Seven Years in Tibet or Fight Club, and helped charm critics like Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, who wrote, "forget Oscar, Ocean's Eleven is the coolest damned thing around."

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An adaptation of Norman Maclean's semi-autobiographical book of the same name, A River Runs Through It arrived on screens with a pretty stellar pedigree -- director Robert Redford had won an Academy Award for his first effort, 1980's Ordinary People, cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (who would win his own Oscar for River) was highly regarded for his work in French cinema, and musician Mark Isham brought his Grammy-winning talents to the Oscar-nominated score. The result, as you might imagine, was a visually sumptuous film -- one whose stunning vistas bowled critics over even as they yawned through its languid pace and shrugged at its simple presentation of a Montana family's multi-generational dynamic (as TV Guide wrote, "it's hard to get excited by fisherman casting their lines into the water"). Still, in spite of its lack of flash, River afforded Pitt an early opportunity to work with some tremendously talented individuals, and proved he was more than just the cowboy-hatted hunk he portrayed in Thelma & Louise. Caryn James of the New York Times was suitably impressed, writing, "here are two things I never thought I'd say: I like a movie about fly fishing, and Robert Redford has directed one of the most ambitious, accomplished films of the year."

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Nothing gets a cineaste's anticipation humming like news of a new Terrence Malick film -- and since Malick is nothing if not deliberate, we had plenty of time to hum over Tree of Life. Originally announced in the wake of Malick's 2005 effort The New World, it tumbled down the release schedule throughout 2009 and 2010 before finally bowing in May 2011 -- all 139 inscrutable minutes of it. The product of Malick's progressively harder-to-contain ambition, Life took viewers from the dawn of life to the 21st century, leaving plenty of room for solid acting from Pitt and Jessica Chastain -- as well as hosannas from critics like Salon's Andrew O'Hehir, who deemed it "a noble crazy, a miraculous William Butler Yeats kind of crazy, alive with passion for art and the world, for all that is lost and not lost and still to come."

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On the surface, it looks like just another buddy cop movie -- in fact, with its "retiring detective partnered with unorthodox rookie" setup, it could have been a Lethal Weapon ripoff. Of course, as we all now know, David Fincher's Se7en brought its own dark twist to the genre, plunging the viewer into a bottomless pit of sorrow, rage, and moral decay -- and ultimately refusing to help them climb out at the end. With Fincher's amped-up direction, Darius Khondji's gripping cinematography, and mesmerizing performances from Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey, Pitt could conceivably just shown up to take a paycheck without damaging Se7en too much, but instead, he helped take it to another level, using his youthful good looks -- and his character's mounting horror and confusion -- as a painful visual analogy for the brutal loss of innocence and compassion suffered by everyone in the film. Though some critics took issue with Se7en's constant gloom and grisly violence, most scribes echoed the sentiments of Netflix's James Rocchi, who called it "a harrowingly bleak vision that haunted me in the theatres and made my flesh slick with fear even on this recent re-viewing."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1925994/news/1925994/

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