Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Window Cleaning, a Simple and Worthwhile Home Improvement ...

Oct31

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Source: http://peterkonigart.com/window-cleaning-a-simple-and-worthwhile-home-improvement-project/

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Pot, gay marriage, suicide are ballot-item topics

NEW YORK (AP) ? After all the economy-focused campaign talk, voters in some states will get a chance on Election Day to sound off on intriguing topics that the presidential rivals ignored, including death-penalty repeal, marijuana legalization and assisted suicide.

In all, there are 176 measures on the Nov. 6 ballots in 38 states, according to the Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California.

Many are technical proposals by legislators related to state finances and regulations. Others, however, are dramatic and highly divisive measures that would ? if approved ? be historic milestones for U.S. social policy.

Any of three states ? Maine, Maryland and Washington ? could become the first to legalize same-sex marriage through a popular vote, a potentially momentous development that could influence future Supreme Court deliberations on the issue. Thus far, all 32 states with referendums on gay marriage have rebuffed it, while the six states that have legalized it did so through legislation or court orders.

Washington is in another three-state group, with Oregon and Colorado, that could become the first to legalize recreational use of marijuana ? allowing adults to possess small amounts of pot under a regimen of state regulation and taxation. The Oregon proposal appears to be fizzling, but the Washington and Colorado measures have led in opinion polls and are backed by wealthy out-of-state donors.

A "yes" vote in any of the states could set up a showdown with the federal government, which continues to consider pot an illegal drug. The Justice Department has declined to elaborate on how it would react.

Two other states ? Arkansas and Massachusetts ? will be deciding whether to allow marijuana use for medical reasons, as 17 states have done previously. Arkansas would be the first southern state to join the group.

Another emotionally charged measure in Massachusetts would legalize physician-assisted suicide. Massachusetts would join Oregon and Washington in allowing terminally ill patients to obtain lethal doses of medication if doctors say they have six months or less to live.

The measure raises "the most profound questions that an individual can wrestle with," said the Rev. Tim Kutzmark, of Reading, Mass., a Unitarian Universalist minister who shifted from a foe of assisted suicide to a supporter after watching a close friend slowly die from Parkinson's disease in 2002.

As is often the case, California has numerous attention-getting measures, including one that would abolish the state's death penalty. If approved, the more than 720 inmates on California's death row would have their sentences converted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

While 17 states have ended capital punishment, most did so through legislative action. Only in Oregon, in 1964, did voters choose to repeal the death penalty, and they later reversed themselves to reinstate it.

Another contentious measure in California would require most genetically engineered processed foods and produce sold in supermarkets and other outlets to be labeled as such. These GMO foods also will be prohibited from carrying the term "natural" on their labels.

Consumer groups and the organic food industry support the measure as a way of giving shoppers more information about what they purchase and consume, while many retailers are opposed, saying grocery bills would increase. Food and chemical conglomerates, including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., have contributed nearly $41 million to defeat the measure ? close to 10 times what its supporters have raised.

California's epic budget problems also are on the ballot, in the form of rival tax-increase proposals.

Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30, aimed at averting $6 billion in budget cuts, mostly to education, would raise income taxes on people who make more than $250,000 a year for seven years and raise the state sales tax by a quarter cent for four years. Proposition 38, sponsored by wealthy civil rights attorney Molly Munger, would raise income taxes on nearly all earners and send the money directly to local school districts, bypassing the Legislature.

California labor unions are the target of another measure, aimed at depriving them of tens of millions of dollars they use to finance campaigns and political organizing.

Proposition 32 would prohibit corporations and unions from collecting money for state political activities from employees or members through paycheck deductions. It would hit unions hardest: Corporations don't typically deduct money from employee pay for state political activities, but unions do use the practice to fill their political coffers.

The battle over Proposition 32 follows conflicts in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere where Republican efforts to weaken organized labor have produced protests and political tumult.

In Michigan, labor unions are fighting back. On Nov. 6, voters there will be deciding on a first-of-its-kind ballot initiative that would put collective bargaining rights in the state constitution ? and out of lawmakers' reach.

If successful, the strategy could serve as a model for other states, encouraging unions to bypass hostile officeholders and take their case directly to voters.

"Labor is on the defensive," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute, a liberal research organization in Washington, D.C. "This could very well be a turning point if the people of Michigan affirm collective bargaining."

Other notable ballot measures:

? In Alabama, Montana, Florida and Wyoming, voters have an opportunity to weigh in on one key aspect of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in the form of Republican-backed measures stating that no individual or business can be compelled to participate in a health care system. The measures are viewed as largely symbolic; they would violate federal law and any attempt to enforce them would likely wind up in the courts.

? Maryland voters will decide whether to uphold or overturn a new state law allowing illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges if their parents have paid taxes and if the students have attended Maryland schools.

? Illegal immigrants are the target of a measure in Montana, placed on the ballot by lawmakers, that would require people who receive certain state services to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency.

? A measure in Ohio would create a 12-person citizen commission to draw up legislative and congressional districts, taking that power away from legislators.

? Oklahoma voters will decide whether to abolish affirmative action programs in state government and education. That's a step already taken in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nebraska and Washington.

? Minnesotans will decide on an amendment that would require showing a photo ID in order to vote.

? A proposal in Missouri would raise the state cigarette tax to 90 cents per pack, up from a lowest-in-the-nation 17 cents per pack.

___

Follow David Crary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CraryAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pot-gay-marriage-suicide-ballot-item-topics-142253250--election.html

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Listen to These 5 Podcasts to Improve Your Personal Finances ...

podcasts

Podcasts might just be the best vehicle for personal growth. They carry up-to-date information, delivered in a format you can take in while doing other things. This makes them the ultimate learning tool for multitasking while increasing your knowledge.

Whether you?re new to personal finance education, or just looking for new tricks, check out the top five podcasts you should be listening to, if you want to improve your personal finances.

1. Money Girl?s Quick and Dirty Tips

Like the name implies, the Money Girl podcast episodes are under 10 minutes long ? covering topics as varied as basic budgeting, tax tips and how safe online banking really is. The short duration makes it great for brief commutes, or errands where you?ll be interrupting your listen from time to time. The Quick and Dirty network includes some other podcasts to help you save money, such as The Domestic CEO and Mighty Mommy.

2. The Dave Ramsey Show

If you?re interested enough in personal finance to read this blog, but have never heard of Dave Ramsey, somebody owes you an apology. One of the biggest personalities in the field, Ramsey is all about debt reduction and financial independence. His program switches between actionable advice and interviews with people who have successfully used his system to become debt-free.

3. Planet Money

From small advice to the big picture. This is NPR?s money podcast, drawing from recordings from its economics radio presence. Variety is the hallmark of this program. You?ll get a local expert talking about coupons, a global leader explaining macroeconomics, and a government official explaining tax policy ? sometimes on the same episode.

4. The Suze Orman Show

Suze Orman is one of America?s most recognized personal finance experts. The Suze Orman Show, covers today?s hottest financial topics, helping people make the connection between self worth and net worth. She candidly tells her audience the truth about money so viewers can change the course of their financial destiny ? to have more and be more.

5. Jill on Money (CBS MoneyWatch)

Jill on Money is an entertaining call-in radio show that helps listeners take control of their financial lives. Jill communicates complicated and murky financial information in a relatable way to listeners of all ages with varying amounts of money and experience. She focuses on investing, retirement savings and answers all your personal finance questions.

What?s your favorite financial podcast??

Photo Credit: scubabrett

Source: http://www.payoff.com/blog/index.php/2012/10/listen-to-these-top-5-podcasts-and-improve-your-personal-finances/

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Cybericide, creative counterbullying and bespoke social networking ...

The problem of cyber-bullying poses adaptational challenges to individuals and to institutions across a number of spheres. A counterstrategy to cyber-bullying will have to involve preparing at-risk individuals for cyberbullying, and helping them get through and over cyberbullying if and when it arises. The problem needs to named and combated out in the open in schools, youth-clubs, libraries?in all institutions dealing with the young. We also need to harness the power of pop culture, the TV, the Radio and the internet itself to make cyberbullying as uncool and as shameful as possible.

The response will also, obviously, have to have an enhanced and updated legal dimension dealing especially with Cybericide. Cybericide occurs where a person kills themselves as a result of internalising the murderous hate-speech directed against them on a social networking site or other part of the web. Cybericide must be officially legislated for as a new and special kind of multimedia group-crime carrying specific sanctions not only for those who partake in the cybericide but also for those institutions and individuals who, through neglect, allow the cybericide to take place.?

But the law will only take us so far. No crime has ever been abolished by the law. Life?s just not that simple, unfortunately. We have to concentrate even more on prevention, on how to make cyberbullying less likely to occur in the first place, and how to make it less damaging when it does. This means consistent, frontline, face-to-face counter-bullying activities with and among the young.

Dealing with Cyberbullying and it?s evil flower of Cybericide is complicated further by the fact that it is both carried out and suffered, in the main, by the under-eighteens.?

Adult and/or institutional interference in the world of the teenage needs to be very carefully thought through so as to avoid aggravating the issue, or creating new problems alongside or in place of cyber-bullying. It is unlikely that cyberbullying can be repressed or monitored or legislated out of existence by adults. Overall, we need a strategy that co-operates with the young, rather than attempts to control them.?

We shouldn?t be silly enough to try and hide our children from bullying or to hide bullying from our children. We should try instead to help them meet and ride over it when it comes. We need to help our children learn to deal with the real world, rather than the one we wish we were living in. And, in the world as currently constituted, bullying is rather widespread.?

Speaking as a creative writer and performer working in education, I think there is a valuable contribution to be made by exploring all of the issues raised in bullying in an open and creative manner through drama games, role play, rap workshops and the like. Discussing the issue through poetry and storytelling in the english or creative writing class will also help. We are less afraid of and less vulnerable to a known enemy than to a known one.?

My anti-bullying poem ?Because I?m Human?, written to support a bullied 12 year old niece of mine, is being used as anti-bullying tool in many classrooms in Ireland and? around the world. I have also developed a creative-writing anti-bullying workshop suitable for 4th, 5th and 6th class in primary schools, and 1st and 2nd years in secondary schools. Schools can contact me at davelordanpoet@gmail.com for further details.

I can also give talks on how creativity helped me to overcome my own terrible and near fatal experience of childhood bullying.

Poets can help in the fight against cyberbullying and cybericide, but computer engineers have perhaps an even greater role to play. I have a friend, John Costello, who works on, among other amazing projects, developing contained and tailored social networks for exclusive use of one institution such as a company or a university. If each school (or neighbourhood, or youthclub etc) were to have their own bespoke social network it might wean kids off Facebook onto something more human-scale and in the process reduce both the likelihood and the impact of cyberbullying.

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Source: http://davelordanwriter.com/2012/10/30/cybericide-creative-counterbullying-and-bespoke-social-networking/

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Hi Tek Natural Grain Free Dry Dog Foods | Waterloo Pet Provisions

Hi Tek Grain Free Dry Dog Food offered by Waterloo Pet ProvisionsIntroducing the updated Hi-Tek Naturals Grain Free Dry Dog Foods

. . . Waterloo Pet Provisions is proud to carry the Hi-Tek Naturals Grain Free dry dog foods product line.? Manufactured by Hi-Tek Rations, this line of dry adult dog foods provides exceptional nutrition, in three popular flavors:? Alaskan Fish Formula, Lamb Meal & Sweet Potato, and Chicken Meal & Sweet Potato.

Hi-Tek dog foods have been developed with extensive research on the nutritional needs of modern dogs.? Each dry food formula is a ?complete food? for your dog.? Each tasty flavor is easily digestible and provides your pet with the exact amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids known to be beneficial to the overall health of your dog.

Hi Tek dog foods are manufactured with high quality ingredients and great care to produce outstanding products free of pollutants or contaminants.? Hi Tek Rations, founder and led researcher, Leonard Powell, is committed to bring premium and holistic dog foods to an ever growing health conscious consumer.

Hi Tek dry dog foods are all grain free.? Each variety features a different meat source such as chicken, pork, lamb, or fish.? Only the highest quality meat meals are used, because of their low moisture content and higher protein content.? This produces exceptionally nutritious foods at affordable prices.

?

Hi Tek Grain Free Alaskan Fish Formula

One of Hi Tek?s most popular flavors, the Alaskan Fish Formula dry dog food is a yummy and nutritious meal for your pet.? It is a totally grain free food, made with the high protein salmon meal, herring meal, and ocean whitefish meal, combined with sweet potatoes for the perfect balance of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

Hi Tek Natural Grain Free Alaskan Fish formula is based on extensive research and high quality salmon meal which is a rich source of protein, fat and important vitamins and minerals that help to maintain vibrant muscles, strong bones, and a robust immune system. This is popular dry dog food keep pets happy and healthy.

?

Hi Tek Grain Free Lamb Meal & Sweet Potato

Like all Hi Tek Rations grain free dry dog foods, Lamb Meal & Sweet Potato Formula Dry Dog Food is a nutritionally balanced and complete meal for your adult dog.? It is made from high quality lamb meal, sweet potato, pork, chicken and duck meal.? For added antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and probiotics, this formula includes raspberries and blueberries, resulting in an irresistibly delicious and complete meal for dogs.

This dry dog food is ideal for consumers looking for a complete dog food that promotes good digestive health, and needs no other supplements or additives.

?

Hi Tek Grain Free Chicken Meal & Sweet Potato

Hi Tek Ration dry dog foods are known for their exceptional quality and value.? The Chicken Meal & Sweet Potato formula is best seller.? This grain free, high protein dry dog food provides outstanding nutrition at a competitive price.

Hi Tek Grain Free Chicken and Sweet Potato Formula food contains only the finest ingredients including high-quality meat proteins from lamb meal, chicken meal, pork and duck meal combine with sweet potatoes, peas, and eggs for superior nutrition. For vitamins and antioxidants it contains raspberries and blueberries; resulting is a total balanced nutritional formula for adult dogs. Best of all, consumers know that with this complete dry dog food, no additional supplements or additives are required.

Source: http://www.waterloopet.com/2012/10/hi-tek-natural-grain-free-dry-dog-foods/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hi-tek-natural-grain-free-dry-dog-foods

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Hurricane Sandy to cost billions. Will the economy stand?

Hurricane Sandy is causing disruptions for companies, travelers and consumers. But for the overall economy, damage from Hurricane Sandy will likely be limited. Economists estimate the damage will cost between $10 billion and $20 billion.?

By Christopher S. Rugaber and Martin Crutsinger,?AP Economics writers / October 29, 2012

A worker clears a tree dropped by the high winds prior to landfall of Hurricane Sandy in Shrewsbury, Mass., Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. The storm is predicted to cost between $10 billion and $20 billion in damages.

Charles Krupa/AP/File

Enlarge

?Airlines canceled thousands of flights and stranded travelers. Insurers braced for damages of up to $5 billion. Retailers expected shrunken sales.

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Hurricane Sandy is causing disruptions for companies, travelers and consumers. But for the overall economy, damage from the storm will likely be limited. And any economic growth lost to the storm in the short run will likely be restored once reconstruction begins, analysts say.

Preliminary estimates are that damage will range between $10 billion and $20 billion. That could top last year's Hurricane Irene, which cost $15.8 billion.

If so, Hurricane Sandy would be among the 10 most costly hurricanes in U.S. history. But it would still be far below the worst ? Hurricane Katrina, which cost $108 billion and caused 1,200 deaths in 2005.

"Assuming the storm simply disrupts things for a few days and it doesn't do significant damage to infrastructure, then I don't think it will have a significant national impact," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said Monday.

The economic impact could be more severe if the storm damages a port or a major manufacturing facility such as an oil refinery, Zandi noted.

Here's how the storm has begun to affect key areas of the economy:

? AIR TRAVEL:

Flights in the Northeast are all but stopped for at least two days. Airlines canceled more than 10,000 flights for Monday and Tuesday from Washington to Boston. The disruptions spread across the nation and overseas, stranding passengers from Hong Kong to Europe.

Airline cancellations have already surpassed those from Hurricane Irene last year and are on par with those from the snowstorm that pounded the East Coast early last year. The Airports Council International, a trade group, said that even if the storm damage turns out to be minor, it could be a week before operations are back to normal at major East Coast airports.

Eric Danielson was trying to fly Monday from San Francisco to Norfolk, Va., to start a new job.

"It was supposed to be only a two-hour layover here in Atlanta, Ga., and now it's beginning to be a 28-hour layover until tomorrow, Danielson said.

Wall Street analysts expect carriers like JetBlue, United and Delta to suffer a short-term hit to earnings as they spend money to shuffle crews and planes away from and then back to the East Coast.

? RETAILERS:

The nation's big stores are expected to lose billions, and the losses could extend into the crucial holiday shopping season. Sales at department stores, clothing chains, jewelers and other sellers of non-essential goods are expected to suffer the most.

The industry is entering the holiday season, when many retailers collect up to 40 percent of annual revenue. Retailers, excluding restaurants, could lose at least $25 billion in sales this week, estimates Burt Flickinger III of retail consultancy Strategic Resource Group.

Even home improvement chains and grocers that will benefit from shoppers?stocking?up on emergency supplies before the hurricane and cleaning and repair items afterward could lose sales in the long run if overstretched consumers feel they must scale back.

"If you're spending $400 on a generator, that could hurt discretionary purchases," said Brian Sozzi, chief equities analyst at NBG Productions.

Flickinger now estimates that holiday sales in November and December will rise 2.1 percent over last year instead of the 3.2 percent he had originally predicted.

A better idea of how Hurricane Sandy is affecting the retail business will come Thursday, when some major retailers like Target Corp. and Macy's will report sales figures for October.

The storm is affecting small retailers as well as large ones.

At Angelo's Civita Farnese, a restaurant in Providence, R.I., the lunchtime crowd didn't surface as usual Monday. By 12:30 p.m., barely 10 customers were inside, and owner Bob Antignano had no hope of seeing the 200 to 250 he usually serves for lunch.

"It's a wasted day and it looks like tomorrow probably will be as well," Antignano said.

The loss of two days' revenue will wipe out his profit for the month. He would face losses if the restaurant lost power. He would have to close, and the food in his walk-in refrigerator and freezers could spoil.

? INSURANCE

The cost to insurers is expected to rival the insured damage from Hurricane Irene last year. Damage from Irene cost insurers roughly $5 billion, according to Sterne, Agee & Leach Research. Because the storm is hitting a highly populous region, with "one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the world," the damages are likely to run into the billions, say analysts at Morgan Stanley.

Hurricanes, like other disasters, can cause big losses but also big spikes in economic activity, once homes and buildings are rebuilt or repaired. And Americans may spend more before the storm when they?stock?up on extra food, water and batteries. Spending can also rise afterward as households restock.

The economy expanded at an annual rate of 2 percent in the July-September quarter. Zandi said he isn't changing his forecast for similar growth in the current October-December quarter of 1.9 percent.

Economic activity in October and November might slow if factory output declines and some workers are laid off temporarily and seek unemployment benefits. But the economy could strengthen in December as companies rebound.

CoreLogic, a private data provider, estimates that there are 284,000 homes worth about $88 billion in the hurricane's path.

? AUTOS

The effect on auto sales may be minimal, some analysts say. Many people who planned to buy cars in the last few days of the month, when deals tend to peak, bought cars over the weekend instead, said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with car buying site TrueCar.com.

As a result, TrueCar isn't changing its forecast for October U.S. auto sales. Toprak predicts that more than 1.1 million vehicles will be sold in October, up 11.5 percent from the same month last year.

Forecasting firm LMC Automotive predicts that 1 percent to 3 percent of new-car sales, around 20,000 vehicles, will be lost because of the storm. But LMC analyst Jeff Schuster predicts that those sales will simply shift to November. So the storm might have little or no overall effect on sales.

Toprak also notes that dealers could gain sales once the storm is over if people need to replace damaged vehicles.

? POWER

Energy outages and disruptions in major East Coast cities "may take a toll on (power) demand unlike anything we have seen before," Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst for Price Futures Group, wrote in a report.

Some of the biggest oil refineries in the Northeast were closed, and others were running at reduced capacity. As businesses closed and drivers staying home, demand for gasoline was expected to fall.

___

AP Business Writers Matthew Craft, Anne D'Innocenzio, Samantha Bomkamp and Joyce M Rosenberg in New York, Joshua Freed in Minneapolis and Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/0c4XWdVYHcE/Hurricane-Sandy-to-cost-billions.-Will-the-economy-stand

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Exclusive: Iran's coal shipping trade booms despite Western heat

LONDON (Reuters) - Using shadowy middle men, multiple bank accounts and a fleet of ghost ships, Iran's coal trade is quietly booming as the Islamic Republic tries to sidestep Western sanctions and prevent its industrial economy from crashing.

Tougher measures imposed by the European Union and the United States have tightened the screws on Tehran, which relies on its shipping trade for many imports including food, consumer and industrial goods. Many foreign companies, including shipping firms, have pulled out for fear of losing business in the U.S. and due to the complexities of arranging non-sanctioned deals.

Despite the setbacks, industry sources say producers in Ukraine are providing Iran with coking coal, also known as metallurgical coal, and coke - key steel ingredients.

"Iranians used to buy a lot of coking coal from Australia to make their own coke but that has stopped now as the big companies there don't want to do it as they are too exposed," a British-based coal trade source said. "So Iran went to buy coke from Ukraine," he added, referring to the concentrated coal used in blast furnaces.

While coal is not directly targeted as a commodity, the European Union imposed a ban on steel sales to Iran last week, making the Islamic Republic's coal needs more pressing because it now must produce more steel itself.

"Iran is one of the fastest-growing countries in terms of steel production so they need more steel raw materials," a European based trade source said. "They need to import more (metallurgical) coal and coke," he said.

Lured by a trade worth nearly $25 million a month, suppliers in Ukraine are aiming to take advantage.

"The US and EU sanctions programs currently in place against Iran are complex and include sanctions against the indispensable marine insurances," said Jakob Larsen with BIMCO, the world's largest private ship owners' association.

"As is often the case, for those who are willing and able to take the risk, the rewards are more likely to be high. In such a market the risk-taker segment will try to find a way out."

Sources say the trade is complex involving often multiple brokers and diverse payment arrangements including a mix of currencies such as Russian roubles.

"We have been approached to sell some (metallurgical) coal to Iran and they have been buying more lately," one Ukrainian metallurgical coal producer said. "We have done some business but not directly, through another country -- Syria and Lebanon," he said, without providing further details.

Even those looking to do deals with Iran from Ukraine are having to find creative ways to trade, other sources said.

"One of the ways around it being looked at is barter. We've been approached several times but haven't done any deals yet to do barter of coal for steel of equivalent value, that way no money needs to change hands," a raw materials trader said.

IRAN'S FLEET

A Black Sea based trade source also reported receiving multiple enquiries in recent weeks from Iran. "It isn't easy, it's very complicated to deal with Iran," the source said.

"To do some business there you must use a bank with specialist knowledge, not the usual banks or Russian banks. I would use a Lebanese bank instead, which has representative offices in Tehran and acts as an agent between the mills and suppliers."

Trade sources said it was unclear who the ultimate Iranian end-users of imported material were because of the involvement of agents and middle men and the desire to conceal purchases.

"Anybody who is doing this kind of business is not going to say who the buyers are," another Ukrainian coal source said.

Another Black Sea based industry source familiar with the shipments said cargoes were being routed from the cargo port of Nikolayev, not far from Ukraine's larger terminal of Odessa.

"Exports have been going on a constant basis already for two years, and there are around two to three cargoes a month," the source said. "Iranian vessels come into the port, pick up the coal and then head for home."

A Nikolayev port spokeswoman said: "There were no coal shipments to these directions (the United Arab Emirates and Iran) during the past four weeks," without giving further details.

Official data from Ukraine's Statistics Service showed overall exports to Iran in the period from January to August of this year rose 10 percent to $800 million compared with the same period last year.

Coal exports in the period reached $421 million, just over 20 percent lower than in the same period last year.

Trade sources say the figures do not reflect the full extent of the trade and between 170,000 to 200,000 tons a month of coal are exported from Ukraine, especially using vessels belonging to Iran's top cargo firm, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).

"IRISL vessels work out cheaper than using foreign ship owners, who are charging massive premiums for to Iran," the second Black Sea trader said. "IRISL increasingly is finding it has fewer trade options, so it works out for Iran well."

An IRISL official in Tehran said: "Maybe sometimes we have some offers on coal for factories in Iran."

IRISL has been on a Western blacklist of sanctioned entities for years, accused of transporting weapons, which it denies. It has tried to dodge sanctions by using various tactics including changing its flags, and setting up front companies, the U.S. Treasury and the European Union have said.

Other tactics have included changing ownership of ships and flags and falsifying cargo documents in a bid to become more invisible, the U.S. Treasury has said.

IRISL's chief said this week that if sanctions pressure continued the carrier, which is receiving state help, would face grave problems. It has already had $50 million dollars blocked by the central bank -- reflecting the acute shortage of U.S. currency and underscoring the problems with trades involving Iran's fleet.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has faced growing criticism over his handling of the economy, especially after the Iranian currency plunged by more than a third in recent weeks.

"The regime has reason to be concerned about the budget and being able to support subsidies in the long term as its earnings from trade continue to diminish," said Anthony Skinner of risk analysts Maplecroft.

"President Ahmadinejad has received a lot of blame for the state of the economy and economic mismanagement party explains the dire state of affairs."

(Additional reporting by Silvia Antonioli in London, Pavel Polityuk in Kiev and Zahra Hosseinian and Marcus George in Dubai Writing by Jonathan Saul; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-irans-coal-shipping-trade-booms-despite-western-063408651.html

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

How to get Water Tight VOIP Security

VOIP securityWhile VOIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, offers a number of cost advantages over traditional telephoning, it can also pose a security threat.

When it comes to getting water tight security for VOIP, all companies will have different requirements.?There are three levels of security that most of the companies can be categorized into.

At the very least, your business needs to incorporate strategic security tactics so that others cannot access your data.?Here are a few tips that will enable you to secure your VoIP and protect your business from potential hackers:

  • Applying security policies before you implement VOIP will enable you to have better protected devices. You can also apply and then test various security policies after your VOIP has been implemented to ensure that you are tightly secured.
  • For networks, you can implement MPLS VPN or Virtual Private Networks to enjoy a higher level of security. Implementing security protocol is essential and should be done based on the specific type of application being used. SIP applications for instance will require a different protocol than voice applications.
  • SAFW-SIP aware firewalls are a must and should be added to all of your existing systems. You can also add IPSec for security as well as encryption at the IP level.
  • Digital certificates can be added using a third party solution such as Kerberos and all of your UDP IPsec should be evaluated based on RFC 3948.
  • All call processing and feature servers need to be placed behind a firewall. Software feature loads should be encrypted and it is essential that you perform spyware, virus and intrusion as well as other security scans when you first boot up your systems.
  • Not overloading systems is essential as well. Ensure that all software and sets are only running the minimum of services that are required for use.
  • Gateways and phones should always be authenticated before signaling.

VOIP is an excellent way to boost production in your workplace, but it?s essential that you have security systems in place to avoid falling victim to threats. VOIP offers many benefits but only if you are properly secured. If you?re using wireless applications, they should be integrated over WiFi and you have to plan for both horizontal and vertical attacks.

Being secure often means being prepared so taking the necessary security precautions may seem a bit extreme but you simply never know when something may happen that will test your security precautions; experts agree that there is simply no way of knowing when or where an attack may take place.

It is critical that all of your staff is aware of what attacks could take place and that they do what they can to avoid these security threats. Being aware that a potential danger exists is often the first step in overcoming that danger.

Alert staff to be careful of what they say over the phone and if your organization has a PBX, you can check to see that the call manager software is properly filtering calls, detecting any that may seem suspicious. You may want to consider assigning one person on your staff with the responsibility of handling these suspicious calls and if you feel that you have been threatened, it is essential that you report your suspicions immediately.

VOIP can significantly increase productivity and has changed how many businesses operate. Keeping your VOIP secure offers more benefits than you may realize, and it?s integral that you ensure that every security measure is taken.

Photo credit:?meship.com

This article was written by Abbey Telecom at abbeytele.com, suppliers of telephone system installation from the Highlands to the Channel Islands.

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Dow Chemical to close plants, cut 2,400 jobs

Dow Chemical Co., the largest U.S. chemical maker by sales, will cut about 2,400 jobs and shut 20 manufacturing plants to reduce annual costs by $500 million in the face of slow global economic growth.

The facilities to be closed are in the U.S., Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, the U.K. and Japan, the Midland- based company said in a statement released after it inadvertently emailed a draft copy to Bloomberg News. An additional $500 million will be saved by cutting capital spending and curtailing some investments, Dow said.

The job cuts, which amount to 5 percent of Dow's global workforce, follow DuPont Co.'s announcement Monday that it's eliminating 1,500 jobs in part because of declining demand for paint pigment and solar cells. Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris said in July the company is operating in the worst conditions since 2009.

"Chemicals are a very economically sensitive industry," Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Longbow Asset Management, said in a phone interview. "Economic growth in 2012 has slowed to a trickle, and that has spooked a lot of people."

The job cuts announced by the two largest U.S. chemical makers are a reflection of a global economy still struggling to fully recover from recession, said Dollarhide.

"The reality is we are operating in a slow-growth environment in the near-term," Liveris said in the statement. Annual costs savings should be realized by the end of 2014, Dow said. The reductions won't affect plans for new factories on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in Saudi Arabia, or opportunities in the agriculture and electronics units, the company said.

The facilities to be shut down over the next two years include a polyethylene plastics plant in Belgium, a factory that makes diesel-particulate filters for autos in Michigan and an epoxy resins plant in Japan.

Also closing are factories in Spain, the U.K. and Ohio, that are part of the formulated systems unit, which makes polyurethane foams and epoxy products. A plant in the Netherlands also will close.

Dow is scheduled to release third-quarter earnings Thursday.

Source: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121024/BIZ/210240321/1001/rss21

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Fern-finding scientists immortalize Lady Gaga

Duke University reports on the new fern genus, named after Lady Gaga.

By Alan Boyle

Lady Gaga is already a huge name in the music world, but now she's a scientific name as well ? thanks to fans at Duke University who named an entire genus of ferns after the gender-bending pop star.

Nineteen species in Central and South America, Mexico, Arizona and Texas belong to the newly designated genus Gaga, the researchers report in a paper published by Systematic Botany. The genus is a grouping of closely related species that was split off from an earlier named genus known as Cheilanthes on the basis of subtle differences (for example, the number of spores per sporangeum) as well as DNA analysis.

The new genus' 19 species include two new ones: Gaga germanotta was found in Costa Rica and has a species name that pays tribute to the family of the artist, whose birth name was Stefani Germanotta. The species name for Gaga monstraparva, a newfound type of Mexican fern, honors Gaga's fans. ("Monstra parva" is Latin for "Little Monster," Gaga's term of endearment for her followers.)


It's clear from Duke's news release that Gaga's Little Monsters include the Duke researchers who proposed the new genus name.

"We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression," said biologist Kathleen Pryer, director of the Duke Herbarium. "And as we started to consider it, the ferns themselves gave us more reasons why it was a good choice."

Duke pointed out that the ferns go through a stage in which they have somewhat fluid definitions of gender. During their bisexual reproductive stage, the ferns' gametophyte takes on the appearance of a blue-green Gaga costume. Even the DNA analysis turned up a Gaga angle: One of the genus' distinguishing strings of base pairs reads GAGA (guanine-alanine-guanine-alanine).

Duke University

One of the costumes Lady Gaga wears for her performances (left) reminded researchers of the color and shape of a gametophyte from the species in the genus Gaga (right).

But the main motivation for the naming is to pay tribute to a superstar who's been an inspiration.

"We often listen to her music while we do our research," Pryer said. "We think that her second album, 'Born This Way, is enormously empowering, especially for disenfranchised people and communities like LGBT, ethnic groups, women?? and scientists who study odd ferns."

Lady Gaga is a "remarkable, unexpected, perfect" choice for the scientific tribute, said Duke faculty member Cathy N. Davidson, whose was involved in a MacArthur Foundation initiative that helped the pop star create a national anti-bullying project called the Born This Way Foundation.

"Encouraging her fans and kids everywhere to be brave, bold, unique, creative and smart is what Lady Gaga is about," Davidson said in Duke's news release. "It's rare that a celebrity so young gives back so much to society."

There may be future opportunities out there for performers who count botanists among their fans. Pryer, who is president of the American Fern Society as well as the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, points out that genetic analysis may well reorganize the family tree of ferns over the long term ? leading to more scientific categories that will need new names.

Update for 6:20 p.m. ET: In a follow-up phone call, Pryer told me she was inspired to go for a genus named Gaga after seeing the performer's blue-green getup during the broadcast of the 2010 Grammy Awards.

"When she emerged in what I saw as a fern gametophyte, I just felt that she was speaking to us," Pryer said.

She and her colleagues had been focusing on ferns for five years or so, and detailed studies of the plants' characteristics as well as DNA readings were leading them to the conclusion that many of the ferns that had been classified as belonging to the genus Cheilanthes really belonged in a separate category. "This is going to come as a shock to some botanists that they can't be called Cheilanthes anymore," she said.

Lady Gaga's appearance, basically in a fern costume, was the key moment for Pryer. "That was the initial 'Oh, my gosh, it would be wonderful if we could name a genus after her,'" the biologist said. When the research article was submitted to Systematic Botany for review, she and her colleagues sought Gaga's permission to use her name.

"Within 24 hours, her manager sent us an email and said 'Great,' with a smiley face," Pryer said.

She noted that U.S. taxpayers, including fans of Lady Gaga, help fund her lab's research through the National Science Foundation. "A lot of 'Little Monsters' are out there supporting the work in this field," Pryer said. Maybe knowing there's a scientific classification out there with Gaga's name on it will inspire the littlest Monsters to pursue careers in science. But in any case, the name will stand as an enduring tribute to a person who's done so much to promote basic human kindness through her music and the Born This Way Foundation, Pryer said.

"It's a way for us to give a gift," she said. "A forever gift."

This performance helped inspire the Duke researchers' decision to name a fern genus after Lady Gaga: Lady Gaga performs "Poker Face" and a medley of "Speechless" and "Your Song" with Elton John at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on CBS. ? 2010 The Recording Academy

Taylor Kinney tells TODAY's Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb that he feels lucky to be dating superstar Lady Gaga and discusses his role as a tough guy lieutenant battling an addiction to pain medication on the new NBC show "Chicago Fire.''

More celebrity species:


In addition to Pryer, the authors of "Gaga: A New Fern Genus Segregated from Cheilanthes (Pteridaceae)" include Fay-Wei Li and Michael D. Windham. The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/24/14673044-lady-gaga-immortalized-in-ferns?lite

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

B&N: PIN pad tampering was "sophisticated" crime

NEW YORK (AP) ? Barnes & Noble Inc. said Wednesday the tampering of devices used by customers to swipe credit and debit cards in 63 of its stores was a "sophisticated criminal effort" to steal information, and reiterated it's working with federal law enforcement authorities.

The nation's largest bookseller late Tuesday disclosed the data breach in stores in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, and warned customers to check for unauthorized transactions and to change their personal identification numbers, or PINs.

B&N said only one device, or PIN pad, was tampered with in each store, affecting less than 1 percent of these devices in its stores. It released a complete list of locations that were affected. All the PIN pads in its nearly 700 stores nationwide were disconnected on Sept. 14, after the company learned of the tampering.

In a press release issued Wednesday, B&N said the criminals planted bugs in the tampered devices, allowing for the capture of credit card and PIN numbers. The company did not offer a timeline for when the bugs were planted or how long they were in use before they were discovered.

B&N said that it's continuing to work with federal law enforcement and with banks, payment card brands and issuers to identify accounts that may have been compromised, so that additional fraud-protection measures can be taken.

Customers at its book stores will now have to ask cashiers to swipe credit or debit cards on card readers connected to cash registers, a process that is secure, Barnes & Noble said.

Anything bought on Barnes & Noble.com or with the chain's Nook devices and app were not affected, the company said. It also said its customer database is secure.

Barnes & Noble is only the latest major retailer to be a victim of a serious data breach. In one of the largest, more than 45 million credit and debit cards were exposed to possible fraud because of hackers who broke into the computer system of TJX Cos., the parent company of retailers T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, starting in 2005.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/b-n-pin-pad-tampering-sophisticated-crime-121531151--finance.html

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Aspirin has selective benefit in colorectal cancer

The mystery of why aspirin helps some colorectal cancer patients but not others may be partially solved. A new study finds that the drug seems to extend survival in patients whose tumors harbor a specific genetic mutation, while patients lacking the mutation get no survival advantage from regularly taking the pills.

The study, in the Oct. 25 New England Journal of Medicine, may lead to standardized testing of colorectal cancer patients for the mutation, in a gene called PIK3CA, to see who would benefit from aspirin use.

?We may be witnessing a game changer,? says Boris Pasche, an oncologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who wasn?t part of the study team. ?I wouldn?t be surprised to see labs beginning to test for this mutation quickly.?

The study will need to be validated in a randomized clinical trial before a PIK3CA test becomes part of treatment guidelines, Pasche says. Roughly 15 to 20 percent of patients whose colorectal cancers have the mutation.

Researchers analyzed data from 964 colorectal cancer patients, taking note of patients? mutation status and aspirin use after being diagnosed with the disease. ?Among those with the PIK3CA mutation, taking the drug dramatically increased survival over those not taking it. Over more than a decade of follow-up time, only three of 66 patients, or 4.5 percent, harboring the mutation who took aspirin died of colorectal cancer causes, compared with 26 of 95, or 27 percent, with the mutation who weren?t taking aspirin. ?

Of 803 patients who didn?t have the mutation, no survival advantage emerged from taking aspirin.

The mutated form of PIK3CA may cause the gene to stay switched on, overactivating a biochemical pathway that is known to play a role in cancer. But precisely how the mutation does this, or how aspirin involves itself in the pathway, remains unclear, says study coauthor Andrew Chan, a physician at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

One possible explanation is COX-2, an inflammatory compound that has been implicated in the same biological pathway as PIK3CA. Aspirin inhibits COX-2. In 2009, Chan?s team found that aspirin?s beneficial effect was strongest in patients whose tumors made a lot of COX-2. The new data, Chan says, further suggest a connection between COX-2 and the PIK3CA pathway.

Farhat Din, a surgeon and cancer researcher at the University of Edinburgh, says that although the role of aspirin in colorectal cancer is not fully elucidated, the new study ?substantiates that this pathway is deranged in bowel cancer and that targeting it is critical.?

?One of the benefits of aspirin is that it?s a fairly ?dirty? drug,? she says, ?and is likely hitting several components of the same pathway," thereby limiting the tumor?s ability to evade its effects. Aspirin can trigger programmed cell death, reduce cell growth and even cause autophagy, in which a cell digests itself, Din says. All three effects can come in handy when attacking tumor cells.

A.T. Chan et al. Aspirin use and survival after diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 302, Aug. 12, 2009, p. 649. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1112

J. Kaur and S.N. Sanyal. P13-Kinase/Wnt association mediates Cox2/PGE2 pathway to inhibit apoptosis in early stages of colon carcinogenesis: chemoprevention by diclofenac. Tumour Biology, Volume 31, 2010, p. 623. doi: 10.1007/s13277-010-0078-9

N. Seppa. Polyp Stopper: Controversial drug may prevent colon growths. Science News, Volume 169, April 8, 2006, p. 213. Available online: [Go to]

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346029/title/Aspirin_has_selective_benefit_in_colorectal_cancer

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London councils failing private tenants and landlords

Professor and student

Councils must provide better information to help "amateur landlords" learn about their responsibilities. Photograph: B.O'Kane / Alamy/Alamy

Last week, tenancy officer Ben Reeve-Lewis reminded us that problems in the private rented sector (PRS) are more likely to be caused by "reluctant landlords" ? people who find they can't sell their home and so rent it out instead.

I have said for some time that councils and the lenders of buy-to-let mortgages should be doing a lot more to help spread knowledge. In September, Letting Focus surveyed the quality and quantity of information that 12 London local authorities made available to tenants and landlords in the private rented sector. The results were shocking.

We found an almost complete lack of information on important issues such as letting agency fees charged to tenants and how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud at the hands of fake letting agents. Even advice for landlords on safely letting large shared houses is sometimes missing ? particularly worrying because these houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) run a high fire risk.

Unfair fees charged to tenants

A recurring complaint made by tenants is that many letting agents and some landlords charge them high and unexpected fees for services such as reference checking and drawing up an inventory. Often, these fees are not set out clearly at the outset and bear no relation to the real costs of providing the service specified. The problem is so serious that the Scottish government has announced that it is to ban letting agents and landlords charging tenants additional fees for any work in connection with setting up a tenancy.

Our survey found that only two councils out of 12 ? Hammersmith & Fulham and Wandsworth ? made any mention of letting fees in the information they provide for tenants. Even there, the advice was very limited.

Wandsworth's guidance to prospective tenants simply advised them to "ask about fees", and said only to do this where the provider was an "accommodation agency". The council was was silent on what tenants should do if the provider was a letting agent or a landlord acting for themselves, even though the issue is just as relevant for these types of operator.

Fraud Risks

Tenants and landlords in the PRS can be exposed to the threat of fraud. Tenants can become victims of fraud when they hand over reservation fees, rents or deposits in advance to people posing as a landlord or the landlord's agents when in fact they have either illegally gained access to a property or set up a fake lettings website. Landlords can become victims if rogue tenants use the property address to steal their identity.

Our survey found that only two councils made any mention of this risk at all, Newham and Southwark. Southwark's information was limited to simply telling tenants not to hand over cash and to ask for a receipt.

Houses in multiple occupation

The demanding standards for larger shared dwellings, or HMOs, were put in place for good reason, including an attempt to reduce the much higher risk of fire and other health and safety issues associated with this type of accommodation.

Incredibly, two of the 12 local authorities we surveyed ? Camden and Wandsworth ? did not provide any information about HMOs at all. Wandsworth had a link to webpage where information should be available but the link was no longer active. Hackney's information is adequate, and the opening line of its guidance document conveys the impression that all HMOs are bedsits, which they are not. Waltham Forest rather oddly tells any Scottish landlords who may chance upon their website that "all HMO properties in Scotland have to be licensed".

Time for change

These examples show that local government is simply not good enough at providing essential information for private tenants and their landlords, particularly in a sector that is now so large. Councils cannot criticise landlords for failing to meet their obligations if the councils themselves are failing to provide the information that landlords and tenants need.

A lack of expertise and understanding of the PRS at town halls in senior and middle-management level is at the heart of this failure to develop both a strategy and good advice for the private sector.

David Lawrenson is a private rented sector consultant who works with organisations ranging from buy to let mortgage lenders to local authorities

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Join the housing network for comment, analysis and the latest jobs direct to you

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/housing-network/2012/oct/23/london-councils-fail-private-tenants-landlords

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2011 Ford Fiesta SES - $13,995

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Source: http://www.carpages.ca/used/2011/Ford/Fiesta/Chilliwack/British_Columbia/1073885

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MetroPCS? Samsung Galaxy S III is the carrier?s first Google Wallet-enabled device

MetroPCS is joining few other carriers which support the Google Wallet service. The mobile operator turned to Facebook to share the good news, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S III will be their first device to allow for contactless payments, ?enabling consumers to carry their credit cards, debit cards and offers, so they can pay and save in-store by simply tapping their phone against a point of sale terminal, and also shop online with convenience.?

Meanwhile, the search giant wowed to launch updated the Google Wallet to make it appealing to more users. We?ll see how that goes?

About The Author

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IntoMobile/~3/BI_7UnAOk3Q/

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SAY Media Rebrands ReadWriteWeb As ?ReadWrite?, Redesigns, Hires Dan ?Fake Steve Jobs? Lyons As Editor In Chief

Snapshot 10:22:12 9:04 AMI'm a fan of ReadWriteWeb, always have been, but other than not being able to pronounce the blog's name, I've always appreciated the technical and detailed analysis coming out of the brand. SAY Media agreed and acquired it, and the property has undergone some serious changes. Gone is founder Richard MacManus, but coming in is a new Editor in Chief, Dan Lyons. You know him best as "Fake Steve Jobs." Along with a new name for the site, ReadWrite, Lyons told me last week that he wants to bring a new attitude to the site, which he says has "millions of readers", however online data suggests otherwise. The tech blog game is getting serious once again, and it's going to take a massive shift to shake it up. Lyons hopes he can instigate this shift at RW.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DPCYeZs5A28/

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Consumer's Commitment is Necessary in Debt Management

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People generally get panic when debts go out of control. It can be overwhelming to try your own debt management. Now, as debtor you may either seek advice from debt experts or can move towards credit counseling services. Getting advice from experts can be a beneficial option. Debt management services are helpful to manage debts but effectiveness of the plan always depends upon the debt situation of person.

High credit card balances and other financial liabilities make it difficult to manage debts with an appropriate money plan. Credit counseling agencies can help in this situation. They review the financial situation of the person and help to set a financial plan based upon the problems that can serve best solution in existing situation.

At the time of acquiring debt counseling services, you need to show some financial documents like copies of bills, expenses, income proof etc. Credit counselor cannot provide appropriate guidelines towards money management without knowing about the current financial situation. Counselor tries to discover some appropriate measures which can fit into your situation to clear debts in full. It may include selling of assets, setting a debt management plan or budget plans etc. Debt management plan commitment is for long term. DMP helps to eliminate debts in full within three to five years.

Debt management plan should be designed in a way not to add any new debt on existing liabilities that can be difficult for some consumers. But it is essential to complete the arrangements successfully. It is based upon the commitment of consumer and financial discipline is necessary for the success of plan.

Credit card companies offer lower interest rate if someone enters in DMP. It helps to reduce total repayments and you can contribute more towards balance payments. It is better to prepare own deal with credit card companies instead of signing in a debt management plan. It saves amount that you pays for service charges.

Daniel Leo is professional debt advisor of UK. He has above 5 years of advising experience on debt consolidation and debt management related debt topics. Get more information on debt management through this post.

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Daniel Leo is an expert debt advisor. He has above five years of writing experience on debt issues.

Source: http://www.freepressreleases.com/consumers-commitment-debt-management/269649

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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Cellphone thefts soaring coast to coast

In this tech-savvy city teeming with commuters and tourists, the cellphone has become a top target of robbers who use stealth, force and sometimes guns.

Nearly half of all robberies in San Francisco this year are cellphone-related, police say, and most occur on bustling transit lines.

One thief recently snatched a smartphone while sitting right behind his unsuspecting victim and darted out the rear of a bus in mere seconds.

Another robber grabbed an iPhone from an oblivious bus rider ? while she was still talking.

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And, in nearby Oakland, City Council candidate Dan Kalb was robbed at gunpoint of his iPhone Wednesday after he attended a neighborhood anti-crime meeting.

"I thought he was going to shoot me," recalled Kalb, who had dropped his phone during the stickup. "He kept saying, 'Find the phone! Find the phone!'"

Shrinking cellphone bill claim may not be accurate

These brazen incidents are part of a ubiquitous crime wave striking coast to coast. New York City Police report that more than 40 percent of all robberies now involve cellphones. And cellphone thefts in Los Angeles, which account for more than a quarter of all the city's robberies, are up 27 percent from this time a year ago, police said.

"This is your modern-day purse snatching," said longtime San Francisco Police Capt. Joe Garrity, who began noticing the trend here about two years ago. "A lot of younger folks seem to put their entire lives on these things that don't come cheap."

Thefts of cellphones? particularly the expensive do-it-all smartphones containing everything from photos and music to private e-mails and bank account statements? are costing consumers millions of dollars and sending law enforcement agencies and wireless carriers nationwide scrambling for solutions.

In San Francisco, police have gone undercover and launched a transit ad campaign, warning folks to "be smart with your smartphone." Similar warnings went out in Oakland, where there have been nearly 1,300 cellphone robberies this year.

When Apple's ballyhooed iPhone 5 went on sale last month, New York City police encouraged buyers to register their phone's serial numbers with the department. That came just months after a 26-year-old chef at the Museum of Modern Art was killed for his iPhone while heading home to the Bronx.

Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

In St. Louis, city leaders proposed an ambitious ordinance requiring anyone who resells cellphones to obtain a secondhand dealers license. Resellers also would need to record the phone's identity number and collect detailed information including the seller's names, addresses, a copy of their driver's licenses ? even their thumbprints.

"It will take a national solution to make this problem go away," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said of the phone thefts.

Though some experts put annual cellphone losses in the billions of dollars, there is no precise figure on how many devices are stolen each year.

However, the problem has become so visible that it has caught the attention of lawmakers and regulators seeking to take the profit out of cellphone theft.

Related:

AT&T to block phones that are reported stolen

NBCWashington.com: DC Police Cut Down on Cell Phone Thefts

NYPD to Launch Cell Phone Registry Campaign

In April, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, and New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced that the major U.S. cellphone carriers and the Federal Communications Commission have agreed to set up a national database to track reported stolen phones. It is scheduled to launch in late 2013.

Schumer also introduced a bill called the Mobile Device Theft Deterrence Act, which proposes a five-year prison sentence for tampering with the ID numbers of a stolen cellphone. The bill is supported by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), a Washington, D.C. advocacy group.

In addition, CTIA officials said carriers are expected to launch individual databases later this month to permanently disable a cellphone reported stolen. The initiative is similar to a successful decade-old strategy in Australia.

Previously, U.S. carriers have only been able to disable so-called SIM cards, which can be swapped in and out of phones. That's led to a profitable black market for stolen phones.

Chris Guttman-McCabe, CTIA's vice president of regulatory affairs, said the goal of creating theft databases is to render stolen cellphones worthless.

"We want to dry up the aftermarket," Guttman-McCabe said. "Hopefully, there will be no sense in stealing a phone and a once valuable piece of hardware will essentially turn into useless metal."

Right now, the incentive is to steal and that's creating huge losses, said Kevin Mahaffey, a co-founder of Lookout, a San Francisco-based mobile security firm which has advised carriers about the national database.

"Thieves know that carrying a smartphone is like carrying $500 in your hands," said Mahaffey. His company estimates that stolen and lost cellphones could cost American consumers more than $30 billion this year.

Many cities with highest rates of stolen and lost phones also rank among the FBI's listing of U.S. cities with the highest crime rates, including Cleveland, Detroit, Oakland and Newark, N.J., Mahaffey said.

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Meanwhile, cellphone thefts and police response continue at a frenzied pace.

In Chicago, two men were each charged with armed robbery last week after stealing an iPhone from a teen.

In Oakland, nearly three dozen people were recently arrested during a sweep for allegedly stealing smartphones. On Tuesday, police arrested 15-year-old boy who allegedly swiped a woman's iPhone near Oakland's City Hall and sold it in downtown San Francisco for $200 to buy marijuana.

"It's a quick crime of opportunity, a snatch and grab, either by foot or on bike," Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland police spokeswoman, said. "The thieves are gone in an instant."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49489003/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Romney and Obama leave campaign trail to prepare for last debate, give running mates the stage (Star Tribune)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/256980343?client_source=feed&format=rss

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News Summary: Google's 3Q unsettles investors

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