Friday, January 27, 2012

More seek unemployment aid, but trend is positive (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 377,000, up from a nearly four-year low the previous week. But the longer-term trend is pointing to a healthier job market.

Applications have trended down over the past few months. The four week average has declined to 377,500. When applications fall consistently below 375,000, it tends to signal that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

Some economists say the figures suggest further job gains ahead.

The nation has added at least 100,000 jobs for six straight months. And the unemployment rate has declined to 8.5 percent, its lowest in almost three years.

Separately, orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose as companies spent more on computers, machinery and other equipment. The Commerce Department said Thursday that durable goods orders rose 3 percent last month.

Stock market futures rose after the durable goods report.

"There is more horsepower to this economy than most believe," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. "The stars are aligned right for a meaningful economic recovery."

The number of first-time unemployment applications rose 21,000 last week, the Labor Department said. Applications had plummeted two weeks ago to their lowest level since April 2008.

The average has fallen about 9 percent since Oct. 1.

Unemployment applications have been particularly volatile this month because employers have cut temporary workers hired for the holidays. The department adjusts for seasonal trends. But doing so accurately can be difficult.

But underneath all the volatility, applications have leveled off in recent weeks.

Steven Wood, an economist at Insight Economics, said the longer-term trend suggests that the January jobs report, to be released next week, will show a "solid gain" in hiring.

"The labor market is improving, albeit slowly," Wood said in a note to clients.

Economists forecast that the nation will gain about 160,000 jobs a month in 2012, according to a survey of economists by the Associated Press. That's up from an average of about 135,000 last year.

A better outlook for job growth has coincided with other signs of improvement in the economy. Factory output jumped in December, and consumer confidence and spending have risen. Even the battered housing market has shown some signs of slight improvement.

Still, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it expects growth to remain modest this year. And it forecasts only gradual declines the unemployment rate.

The Fed predicts the unemployment rate could fall as low as 8.2 percent by the end of 2012. The economy will likely expand about 2.5 percent this year.

The job market has a long way to go before it fully recovers from the damage of the Great Recession, which wiped out 8.7 million jobs. More than 13 million people remain unemployed. Millions more have given up looking for work and so are no longer counted as unemployed.

Growth could slow this year. Europe is almost certain to fall into recession because of its financial troubles. And wages aren't keeping up with inflation. That makes it harder for consumers to spend more, potentially limiting growth.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_bi_ge/us_unemployment_benefits

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President Tyler's grandkids still alive (Politico)

John Tyler became the 10th president of the United States in 1841 ? and today - incredibly - he still has two living grandchildren.

Tyler, who lived from 1790-1862, had 15 children during his lifetime, making him the most prolific president. One of his children, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, born in 1853, fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Jr. in 1924 and Harrison Ruffin Tyler in 1928, according to Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, the home of President Tyler.

Continue Reading

Both men ? Tyler?s grandchildren ?are still alive.

Tyler was William Henry Harrison?s Whig running mate in the 1840 election, which spawned one of the most famous campaign slogans in American history, ?Tippecanoe and Tyler too.? On his 32nd day in office, Harrison died of complications from pneumonia. Tyler was then the first vice president to become president due to the death of his predecessor, serving from 1841-1845.

Tyler also has the distinction of becoming the first president to get married while in office ? after his first wife died in 1842, Tyler married Julia Gardiner, who was 30 years younger than him, in 1844.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_72021_html/44316690/SIG=11m8gdfin/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/72021.html

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Funeral service for Paterno as thousands mourn (AP)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Quiet mourners lined the route of Joe Paterno's funeral procession Wednesday, watching with grief and reverence as the electric-blue hearse carrying the Penn State coach's casket slowly drove by.

Some took pictures with their cell phones, or waved to his widow. Others craned their necks hoping for a better glimpse through the crowd sometimes four deep or more.

The private funeral and burial service capped another emotional day for a campus and community pained over Paterno's death from lung cancer Sunday at age 85, and over the way his stellar career ended ? being fired by university trustees Nov. 9 in the wake of child sex-abuse charges against a former assistant.

Thousands of students, alumni and fans took to the streets in and around Penn State to say their last goodbyes to the football coach who grew into a beloved figure in Happy Valley, not only for his five undefeated seasons but for his love of the school and his generosity.

"He cared about the kids. He wanted to see us succeed. So for a lot of us, he became a grandfather-like figure," Jordan Derk, a senior from York, said after the procession went past Beaver Stadium.

"He loved us and we loved him back," Derk said. "So saying goodbye is very tough."

Jay Paterno, the coach's son and quarterbacks coach, sent a message to the mourners via Twitter.

"Thank you to all the people who turned out for my father's procession," he wrote. "Very moving."

The elder Paterno won two national titles and a Division I record 409 games over 46 seasons as head coach. His cancer was disclosed just nine days after he was forced to leave the football program he had worked with since 1950.

But Wednesday was once again a salute to Paterno's life and accomplishments. The service, a Roman Catholic Mass, was attended by a veritable who's who of Penn State and Paterno connections.

Paterno's family arrived about an hour before the funeral service on two blue school buses, the same kind the coach and his team rode to home games on fall Saturdays. His wife of nearly six decades, Sue, sat in the seat traditionally reserved for her husband and was first off the bus, followed by Jay.

Former defensive coordinator Tom Bradley walked to the service with NFL great Franco Harris. Also in attendance were other ex-NFL players including Matt Millen and Todd Blackledge, both now TV analysts. Nike founder Phil Knight and actor William Baldwin were there, too.

"Today's Mass was a celebration. We laid to rest a great man," Bradley said. "Not so much for the football victories ... He meant so much to so many people."

Charles Pittman, who played for Paterno in the 1960s, also was at the Mass.

"It really focused on the type of person Joe Paterno was ? his devotion to his family, his wife, his grandkids," said Pittman, a senior vice president for publishing at Schurz Communications Inc., an Indiana-based company that owns television and radio stations and newspapers, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Associated Press.

A family spokesman, Dan McGinn, said Paterno's grandchildren escorted the casket down the aisle during the opening procession, and again at the end of the service. Jay Paterno and his brother, Scott, were among the pallbearers.

In between, during the service, all of Paterno's children spoke except for Jay, who is scheduled to talk at a campus memorial service Thursday at the Jordan Center. Two of Paterno's 17 grandchildren also talked and shared the favorite moments collected among the rest of the grandkids ? including one instance when Paterno mistakenly drove over a bicycle after returning home from work.

Former defensive tackle Anthony Adams, who carried a program with a black-and-white picture of a smiling Paterno on the cover, said the service was befitting of his former coach, who loved to be surrounded by family and just talk.

On the other hand, Paterno also was notorious for trying to avoid the spotlight himself.

"He would've been embarrassed. He would've hated it," Millen said. "He would've told us to shut up already. I guarantee it."

Paterno didn't focus on the scandal that led to his stunning ouster, Scott Paterno has said, and neither did mourners.

Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant coach at the center of the abuse scandal, has been charged with molesting 10 boys over a period of 15 years. He has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail, awaiting trial. Paterno was criticized in the days after Sandusky's arrest for not going to authorities outside campus when he was told of an allegation against the retired assistant in 2002. Paterno did notify two of his superiors at Penn State.

Mike McQueary, the then-graduate assistant who told Paterno about the alleged assault, went both to the public viewing and the funeral. Also at the service was former athletic director Tim Curley, who along with former university official Gary Schultz, is charged with perjury and failure to notify authorities about the 2002 allegation.

They melted into the crowd on a day when Paterno was the center of attention.

"The things he did for athletes, the things he did for all students actually ? that alone earns our respect to say one final goodbye," said Alex Jimenez, a sophomore from Manapalan, N.J., standing directly across from Paterno Library. The procession went right past the library to which the Paterno family has donated millions of dollars.

And the procession rolled past Beaver Stadium, the 100,000-plus seat facility that Paterno helped turn into a college football landmark. Thousands watched in silence there until the convoy reached "Paternoville," the makeshift campground outside the stadium used by students the week before games.

There, as the procession slowed nearly to a stop to negotiate a curve, someone in the throng screamed, "We are!"

"Penn State!" came the crowd's reply.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Rubinkam and AP freelance writer Emily Kaplan contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_penn_state_paterno

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Conservative India unlikely hotspot on gay tourism map (Reuters)

NEW DELHI (Reuters) ? When Thomas Roth first visited India, he was often asked about his wife and children -- questions he would try to evade.

That was thirty years ago, when homosexuality was a criminal offence in India and for many the term "gay" only meant "happy."

Roth is again planning a trip to India, this time with his partner, and hopes the visit will coincide with the annual Queer Pride parade in New Delhi.

"(Earlier) like most gays in India at that time, I was basically invisible," said Roth, who runs a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community market research firm in San Francisco.

"Now, with emerging Gay Pride events, film festivals, parties, etc. gay visitors can have it all," he added, in an email interview.

Since homosexuality was decriminalized in India in 2009, an increasing number of LGBT tourists are viewing India as a holiday destination.

A survey conducted by Roth's firm in the United States last year ranked India as the second most desired cultural or adventure destination, just behind Thailand.

Changing mindsets have created business possibilities for travel operators, who are now portraying India as an emerging gay-friendly destination.

Four years ago, there wasn't a single gay tourism company in India. The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) now lists seven gay-friendly or exclusively LGBT travel agents in India.

"Word about India has travelled far and wide through the Internet," said Sanjay Malhotra, owner of Indjapink, which calls itself India's first gay travel boutique. He started with 20 clients but now has more than 100.

"Five years ago, the gay community had so many apprehensions travelling to India," he added. "Now, they look at the option of travelling to India without acting heterosexual."

Tours cover everything from honeymoon packages and candle-lit dinners to wildlife safaris and spiritual retreats. An opportunity to interact with the local gay community is the icing on the cake.

Malhotra has even conducted weddings with traditional Hindu rites for two couples.

Not that it is impossible for LGBT tourists to experience India without a travel agent. When economist Qing Wu visited North India with his partner, he said he "never felt uncomfortable" as a couple.

"In India, it is fairly common to see boys holding hands," said Wu, who lives in San Francisco, via email. "I personally feel pretty safe."

The special packages provided by LGBT tour companies in India also ensure clients can be completely uninhibited during their visit. The entire staff, if not gay, is gay-friendly.

"It is my duty that no taxi driver or guide says anything offensive," said Abhinav Goel, owner of Out Journeys in New Delhi.

Typically, these packages are mid-range to luxury and most of the clientele comes from the United States and Australia. A majority of these agencies still cater to men, though the survey by Roth's firm showed India was the most desired destination among lesbians in North America.

"We cannot truly call ourselves LGBT till we do something about the 'L' part of it," said Goel, who is planning on starting a group package for lesbians.

India is still way behind places such as Hong Kong and Thailand, which have openly gay communities and gay-friendly infrastructure.

Operators say it would be hard for India to compete with these destinations without visible government support.

"They just have to make the statement that Incredible India supports gay travelers," said Goel. "That small and simple statement could really open the doors."

(Editing by John Chalmers and Elaine Lies)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/lf_nm_life/us_india_gay_tourism

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Creating This Laser Cut Paper Eiffel Tower By Hand Would Probably Kill You [Video]

Even the most patient crafter would lose their mind cutting out this intricate 12-inch model of the Eiffel Tower by hand. So thank goodness we've harnessed the powers of lasers which make short work of this complicated task. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/GQrFQlJp4m4/creating-this-laser-cut-paper-eiffel-tower-by-hand-would-probably-kill-you

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Anderson-KM gets TIF help with home base - Finance & Commerce

Posted: 3:43 pm Tue, January 24, 2012
By Matt M.?Johnson
Tags: Anderson-KM, KM Building Co., St. Louis Park, tax increment financing

Designed to fit in with a neighboring, 16,500 square-foot building erected by Anderson-KM partner Greg Anderson in the early 2000s, Oak Hill II will both home to the construction company, but to office tenants as well. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)

Avoiding a fate similar to that of the cobbler?s children, a St. Louis Park construction company will put as much into the appearance of its new $3.5 million office building as it does into client projects.

And the city is going to help.

Last week, the St. Louis City Council unanimously approved a measure that will put $300,000 of tax increment financing (TIF) money into the Anderson-KM Companies? 21,450-square-foot building in the city?s Lenox neighborhood.

Once complete, the brick-faced multitenant space will not only be home to the construction company, but will also continue the redevelopment of an aging commercial area near the corner of Highway 7 and Louisiana Avenue.

Called ?Oak Hill II,? the building will be built on a 35,000-square-foot corner lot adjacent to the multitenant, strip commercial Oak Hill building Anderson Builders erected in the early 2000s. In July, St. Louis Park-based Anderson Builders merged with KM Building Co. in Minneapolis to form Anderson-KM .

In an issue briefing prepared by the city?s economic development coordinator, Greg Hunt, the city estimates the total value of the project at $4.3 million. Construction may start as early as summer.

Noting that some of this value comes from ?other economic benefits derived from the proposed development,? the document supports the creation of a TIF district to help pay for demolition and development costs at the hillside site.

?The project is not economically feasible without some public financial assistance,? Hunt wrote.

Anderson Builders demolished a former commercial building on the site in 2007.

The remainder of the $3.5 million in construction costs will be bank financed. Carlson said bringing an additional tenant into the two-story building will be a condition for any loan. The TIF financing, he said, will make up for ?high redevelopment costs.?

?Their participation helps,? he said of the city.

Members of St. Louis Park?s community development staff did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Currently working out of a single, 7,500-square-foot St. Louis Park office, Anderson-KM needs more space. Carlson expects the company to add about a half-dozen employees to its workforce of 26. He could not say how long it would take to add those employees.

?We?re seeing an increase in activity,? he said of the construction market.

The merged company announced last week that it is providing development services for a new, $15 million manufacturing plant in Shakopee. Last summer, it pitched building 200,000 square feet of industrial space in Brooklyn Park, and redeveloping the former Midway Chevrolet site on University Avenue into affordable housing.

Anderson-KM will occupy the lower half of the two-story building. It will lease out the remaining 10,716 square feet. Carlson said he hopes to bring medical offices associated with nearby Methodist Hospital into the space. DaVita Dialysis currently leases space in the neighboring Oak Hill building.

While the building is not large, CBRE leasing specialist Dave Marschinke identifies it as a ?Class A? space. Marschinke is seeking leasing clients on Anderson-KM?s behalf.

Both he and Carlson said the neighborhood is redeveloping. Older buildings are being torn down, and St. Louis Park plans to begin construction this year on a new traffic interchange at Highway 7 and Louisiana similar to one finished at Woodard Avenue in 2010.

?It?s a great location,? said Marshinke. ?It?s just old.?

Anderson-KM Companies

Address: 4220 Park Glen Road, St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Future address: 3340 Republic Ave.

CEO: Kent Carlson

Founded: July 2011

Services: Construction, development services, project management,

Employees: 26

Facility size: 7,500

Annual gross: N/A

Website: anderson-km.com

Source: http://finance-commerce.com/2012/01/anderson-km-gets-tif-help-with-home-base/

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lagarde urges Europe to boost growth and firewalls (AP)

BERLIN ? Europe's stronger economies should do more to boost growth and beef up the defenses against the continent's debt crisis, the head of the International Monetary Fund said Monday.

After meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Christine Lagarde urged the leaders of the 17 countries that use the euro to deal with a crisis that's threatening the public finances of a number of countries and raising fears of another recession in the eurozone.

"There are three imperatives ? stronger growth, larger firewalls, and deeper integration," she said in a prepared text of her speech to the German Council on Foreign Relations. "Resorting to across-the-board, across-the continent, budgetary cuts will only add to recessionary pressures."

Lagarde, a former French finance minister, suggested that some of the stronger economies in the eurozone could deal with their own debts in a less aggressive way so they can shore up economic growth.

"Several countries have no choice but to tighten public finances, sharply and quickly," she acknowledged. "But this is not true everywhere. There is a large core where fiscal adjustment can be more gradual."

Germany, which has had to foot a large chunk of Europe's bailouts, has put austerity at the heart of the eurozone rescue effort and is reluctant to put more money into rescue funds.

Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have both stressed this month that boosting growth in the 17-nation eurozone is a priority ? though Germany, the region's biggest and strongest economy, still insists on strict budget discipline.

Like Merkel, Lagarde underlined the importance of countries pushing through structural reforms to boost their competitiveness and growth potential.

But she was outspoken on the need for a larger eurozone firewall, pointing to the risk that Italy or Spain "could potentially be forced into a solvency crisis by abnormal financing costs." Those two countries are far bigger than Portugal, Ireland and Greece, which already have received bailouts, and are considered too big for the eurozone's already-planned firewalls to handle.

Lagarde advocated increasing the size of the eurozone's permanent rescue fund, the euro500 billion ($650 billion) European Stability Mechanism, which is supposed to start work in July.

She called for "adding substantial real resources," in part by folding into the ESM what remains of the current, temporary euro440 billion ($570 billion) European Financial Stability Facility. That isn't currently planned.

Lagarde also said action by the European Central Bank "to provide the necessary liquidity support to stabilize bank funding and sovereign debt markets would also be essential."

The ECB has provided huge long-term loans to the eurozone's banks, but has been extremely reluctant to step up its limited program to buy government bonds, a program already viewed with suspicion by many in Germany.

Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, told reporters that Germany does not currently see the need to increase ESM funding, but did say that the chancellor was "prepared to talk about whatever our European partners bring to the negotiating table in Brussels."

On Sunday, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble brushed aside a question about the possibility of beefing up the ESM.

Schaeuble pointed to decisions made by eurozone leaders at a summit in early December.

"They said that we will reappraise it (the fund) in March, and we are going to take that time," he told ARD television.

Eurozone countries are currently thrashing out details of a budget-discipline pact, or "fiscal compact," championed by Berlin. Lagarde identified a need for it to go further.

"To complement its 'fiscal compact,' the area needs some form of fiscal risk-sharing," she said, pointing to "a number of financing options" such as jointly issued eurobonds or a debt redemption fund.

"Political agreement on a joint bond to underpin risk sharing would help convince markets of the future viability of European economic and monetary union," Lagarde added.

Merkel has fiercely resisted eurobonds, which are deeply unpopular in her center-right coalition, because they could drive up Germany's borrowing costs.

Lagarde said that she understands both the pain felt by those in European countries that have to make deep cuts and the feelings of those in countries that have been thrifty and are now being asked to help.

"But what we must all understand is that this is a defining moment," she said.

"It is not about saving any one country or region. It is about saving the world from a downward economic spiral. It is about avoiding a 1930s moment, in which inaction, insularity, and rigid ideology combine to cause a collapse in global demand."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_imf

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Rand Paul and the TSA Scanner Conspiracy (Little green footballs)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/190533749?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Pot-based prescription drug looks for FDA OK (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? A quarter-century after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription drugs based on the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, additional medicines derived from or inspired by the cannabis plant itself could soon be making their way to pharmacy shelves, according to drug companies, small biotech firms and university scientists.

A British company, GW Pharma, is in advanced clinical trials for the world's first pharmaceutical developed from raw marijuana instead of synthetic equivalents_ a mouth spray it hopes to market in the U.S. as a treatment for cancer pain. And it hopes to see FDA approval by the end of 2013.

Sativex contains marijuana's two best known components ? delta 9-THC and cannabidiol ? and already has been approved in Canada, New Zealand and eight European countries for a different usage, relieving muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis.

FDA approval would represent an important milestone in the nation's often uneasy relationship with marijuana, which 16 states and the District of Columbia already allow residents to use legally with doctors' recommendations. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration categorizes pot as a dangerous drug with no medical value, but the availability of a chemically similar prescription drug could increase pressure on the federal government to revisit its position and encourage other drug companies to follow in GW Pharma's footsteps.

"There is a real disconnect between what the public seems to be demanding and what the states have pushed for and what the market is providing," said Aron Lichtman, a Virginia Commonwealth University pharmacology professor and president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. "It seems to me a company with a great deal of vision would say, `If there is this demand and need, we could develop a drug that will help people and we will make a lot of money.'"

Possessing marijuana still is illegal in the United Kingdom, but about a decade ago GW Pharma's founder, Dr. Geoffrey Guy, received permission to grow it to develop a prescription drug. Guy proposed the idea at a scientific conference that heard anecdotal evidence that pot provides relief to multiple sclerosis patients, and the British government welcomed it as a potential way "to draw a clear line between recreational and medicinal use," company spokesman Mark Rogerson said.

In addition to exploring new applications for Sativex, the company is developing drugs with different cannabis formulations.

"We were the first ones to charge forward and a lot of people were watching to see what happened to us," Rogerson said. "I think we are clearly past that stage."

In 1985, the FDA approved two drug capsules containing synthetic THC, Marinol and Cesamet, to ease side-effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. The agency eventually allowed Marinol to be prescribed to stimulate the appetites of AIDS patients. The drug's patent expired last year, and other U.S. companies have been developing formulations that could be administered through dissolving pills, creams and skin patches and perhaps be used for other ailments.

Doctors and multiple sclerosis patients are cautiously optimistic about Sativex. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has not endorsed marijuana use by patients, but the organization is sponsoring a study by a University of California, Davis neurologist to determine how smoking marijuana compares to Marinol in addressing painful muscle spasms.

"The cannabinoids and marijuana will, eventually, likely be part of the clinician's armamentarium, if they are shown to be clinically beneficial," said Timothy Coetzee, the society's chief research officer. "The big unknown in my mind is whether they are clearly beneficial."

Opponents and supporters of crude marijuana's effectiveness generally agree that more research is needed. And marijuana advocates fear that the government will use any new prescription products to justify a continued prohibition on marijuana use. .

"To the extent that companies can produce effective medication that utilizes the components of the plant, that's great. But that should not be the exclusive access for people who want to be able to use medical marijuana," Americans for Safe Access spokesman Kris Hermes said. "That's the race against time, in terms of how quickly can we put pressure on the federal government to recognize the plant has medical use versus the government coming out with the magic bullet pharmaceutical pill."

Interest in new and better marijuana-based medicines has been building since the discovery in the late 1980s and 1990s that mammals have receptors in their central nervous systems, several organs and immune systems for the chemicals in botanical cannabis and that their bodies also produce natural cannabinoids that work on the same receptors.

One of the first drugs to build on those breakthroughs was an anti-obesity medication that blocked the same chemical receptors that trigger the munchies in pot smokers. Under the name Acomplia, it was approved throughout Europe and heralded as a possible new treatment for smoking cessation and metabolic disorders that can lead to heart attacks.

The FDA was reviewing its safety as a diet drug when follow-up studies showed that people taking the drug were at heightened risk of suicide and other psychiatric disorders. French manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis, pulled it from the market in late 2008.

Given that drug companies already were reluctant "to touch anything that is THC-like with a 10-foot- pole," the setback had a chilling effect on cannabinoid drug development, according to Lichtman.

"Big companies like Merck and Pfizer were developing their own versions (of Acomplia), so all of those programs they spent millions and millions on just went away..." he said.

But scientists and drug companies that are exploring pot's promise predict the path will ultimately be successful, if long and littered with setbacks.

One is Alexandros Makriyannis, director of the Center for Drug Discovery at Northeastern University and founder of a small Boston company that hopes to market synthetic pain products that are chemically unrelated to marijuana, but work similarly on the body or inhibit the cannabinoid receptors. He also has been working on a compound that functions like the failed Acomplia but without the depressive effects.

"I think within five to 10 years, we should get something," Makriyannis said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_bi_ge/us_marijuana_drug_development

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Honey Boo Boo Child on Dr. Drew?s Lifechangers

Dr. Drew Takes A Sip of Honey Boo Boo Child’s Go-Go-Juice on “Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers” airing February 2nd at 3:00pm on The CW

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/honey-boo-boo-child-on-dr-drews-lifechangers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=honey-boo-boo-child-on-dr-drews-lifechangers

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95% Knuckle

Like many great documentaries, Knuckle was born out of something else. It originally began as a wedding video. Ian Palmer found something so interesting about his guests, he ventured further and discovered the world of Irish travelling bare knuckle boxing. Most specifically he follows the feud between two clans of the same family, The McDonaghs and the Joyces. So after that wedding video, Palmer ended up documenting this feud and these fights for 12 years. This extraordinary amount of time puts the whole thing into perspective about the needlessness and absurdity of violence. Many say the feud goes back 50 years, and yet nobody gives a straight answer as to its origins. People hold grudges and plan rematches 9 years down the line. It becomes obvious that fighting has become an addiction and a way of life for these poor men. They have nothing else to do. When we see the acclaim they receive from their families, it's easy to see why they have been so taken in by aggression. In the first fight James McDonagh says it will be his last, but it's far from it. He seems genuine about his wanting to quit, but he always ends up in another fight. Even the director talks about how he continued filming just for the thrill, and had lost sight of his documentary. Every fight is brutal in that realistic sense, and Palmer clearly paints a vivid picture of this strange world. Aggressive men, but loving husbands and fathers. Fights that are fought for lack of reason, but are controlled and fair with a sense of honour. Knuckle is the kind of film that lures you in with basic blood lust, but gives you a whole lot more.

December 28, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/knuckle_2011/

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Former kidnap victim Elizabeth Smart engaged to marry (Reuters)

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) ? Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped at age 14 from her Salt Lake City home and held for what she described as "nine months of hell," is engaged to be married and anticipates a wedding in early summer, a family spokesman said on Friday.

Smart, now a 24-year-old advocate for missing children and occasional TV news commentator, has not publicly identified her fiance, spokesman Chris Thomas said.

"Elizabeth got engaged this past weekend," Thomas said in a written statement. "A date for the wedding has not been set but the couple anticipates early summer."

"While she plans to be very publicly involved with her child advocacy work, she has decided she wants to keep the details of her personal life private," Thomas added.

Smart was abducted at knifepoint from her bedroom in June 2002 by a homeless street preacher, Brian David Mitchell, and was repeatedly raped and forced to wander with her captor from town to town for nine months.

She was freed after being spotted by passers-by in a Salt Lake City suburb in 2003.

Mitchell was convicted in 2010 of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced in May to life in prison.

Smart testified during Mitchell's trial, describing her time as his captive as "nine months of hell."

Mitchell's wife, Wanda Barzee, was sentenced to a 15-year prison term in 2010 after pleading guilty to conspiracy and cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Mitchell.

ABC News announced in July it had hired Smart as a contributor on stories about missing persons.

(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/us_nm/us_usa_smart

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'30 Rock' episode mocks its own star's gay dilemma (AP)

NEW YORK ? NBC comedy "30 Rock" often finds laughs in real-life events in the show business world it inhabits.

But Thursday's edition targeted one of its own cast members, Tracy Morgan, who found himself in real-life hot water last June after making anti-gay remarks during a stand-up appearance in Nashville, Tenn.

On the "30 Rock" episode, Tracy Jordan, the character Morgan plays, sparked a protest after making a couple of ridiculous gay-oriented jokes at a club date.

A contrite Jordan mistakenly apologizes to the makers of Glad bags, rather than to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, known as GLAAD.

Jordan's boss, played by series star Tina Fey, is forced to apologize for him.

"He's not capable of hate," she assures the media. "He's just an idiot who doesn't know what he's saying."

In real life, Tracy Morgan publicly apologized to his fans and the gay and lesbian community for what he called "my choice of words." He denied being a hateful person and acknowledged that "even in a comedy club" what he said went too far "and was not funny in any context." During his rant, Morgan had said in part that if his son were gay, he would "pull out a knife and stab" him.

Fey, who is also the creator and an executive producer of "30 Rock," issued a statement at the time declaring "I hope for his sake that Tracy's apology will be accepted as sincere by his gay and lesbian co-workers at `30 Rock.'"

Mirroring that real-life statement on Thursday's episode, Fey's character, Liz Lemon, chides Jordan by saying, "Do you know how many of your hardworking and dedicated co-workers are gay?"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_en_ot/us_tv30_rock

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Best Online Meeting Service? [Hive Five Call For Contenders]

Best Online Meeting Service? If you work from home, or just at a company with employees scattered around the globe in different offices, you need a tool to let you all set eyes on one another, share the same screen, collaborate on documents, and collectively work together even though you're miles apart. This week we'd like to know which service you or your company uses to get the job done.

It's been a while since we talked about online meeting services, and we thought it was time to check back and see if the landscape has changed. New features have appeared with better features, and even some social networks like Google+ have added screen sharing and collaboration features. Let us know which tool you think is the best in the comments below.

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: BEST ONLINE MEETING SERVICE. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's five best wallpaper sites.

Photo by Bernard Goldbach.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/RxSaXfXUPgQ/best-online-meeting-service

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Video: Perry to Drop Out of GOP Race

Rick Perry is going to withdraw from the GOP race today, which signals another blow to Mitt Romney and a boost for Newt Gingrich, reports CNBC's John Harwood.

Related Links:

Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46056092/

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wall Street gains on banks, pullback seen (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? U.S. stocks rose on Thursday, putting the S&P on track for its third straight advance after earnings from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley lifted financials and strong demand at European bond auctions eased concerns over Europe.

Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) climbed 4.6 percent to $7.11 and was the top boost to both the benchmark S&P and the Dow Industrials. The bank swung to a fourth-quarter profit, helped by one-time items and lower expenses for bad loans. Morgan Stanley (MS.N) reported a quarterly loss that was narrower than expected, sending shares up 4.5 percent to $18.13.

With Wednesday's forecast-topping earnings from Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N), results from the three big financials lessened some concerns about the sector's exposure in debt-strained Europe.

Some analysts would not be surprised by a pullback in the S&P 500 from highs not seen since last July, especially after recent weak results from JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Citigroup Inc (C.N).

"No question we've seen some encouraging news with earnings and Europe, but the question is whether we're getting ahead of fundamentals," said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio.

"Clearly things have improved, but it remains to be seen if there really has been a turn, or if this is just a January thaw ahead of more winter storms," McCain said. "There are still a lot of parts of the world with significant problems and concerning trends."

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was up 15.89 points, or 0.13 percent, at 12,594.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) added 4.99 points, or 0.38 percent, at 1,313.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) gained 20.39 points, or 0.74 percent, at 2,790.10.

Financial shares have rallied since the start of the year. The S&P financial index (.GSPF) is up 8 percent for 2012, helping to push the S&P 500 up more than 4 percent. The financial index was up 0.7 percent for the session.

In a sign of optimism about Europe, Spain and France both drew strong demand at government debt auctions.

The Nasdaq got a boost from eBay Inc (EBAY.O), which reported better-than-expected results after the close on Wednesday. The stock was up 4.2 percent to $31.63.

After the close, quarterly reports are due from technology bellwethers Google Inc (GOOG.O), International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N), Intel Corp (INTC.O) as well as Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).

Transportation stocks moved higher after Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N) reported higher quarterly profit and revenue that beat estimates. Union Pacific was up 3 percent to $113.05, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average (.DJT) gained 1.8 percent.

The number of Americans filing for new jobless benefits dropped to a near four-year low last week and factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic expanded, suggesting the economy maintained its momentum early in the year.

However, housing starts dipped, indicating the sector was still a ways from strengthening.

(Reporting By Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Give Your iPhone 4/4S a New Look with MetalliCover

If you’re tired of a plain black or white iPhone 4 or 4S but don’t want a plastic skin, give a look to MetalliCover‘s metal skins. You’ll cover both the front and back of the phone with these stainless-steel plates;? they’ll add only 0.2″ thickness and 0.7 ounces to your phone.? The plates are laser [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/01/16/give-your-iphone-44s-a-new-look-with-metallicover/

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

ZTE Warp Review

ZTE Warp

The market for prepaid cell phones continues to rise as more of us look for ways to reduce expenses in everyday life but no one wants to be stuck with a run of the mill phone because of it, right? Well lucky for us we have seen some more powerful Android handsets arriving in the pre-paid market, so you can now slash the price tag without giving up a whole lot when it comes to the device.

ZTE has recently released the Warp, a Gingerbread powered device with a 4.3-inch display that carries a rather affordable price tag of only $199 with no contract needed. Could a device at this price point hold up in comparison to others that have released recently? Let’s hit the break and break it all down.


The Good

The ZTE Warp offers a great combination of nearly the most current OS (no ICS) along with a nice large display without breaking the bank.

The Bad

ZTE's record in Android has yet to be established here in the United States -- with U.S. carriers, so we are unsure what to expect as far as updates. 

Conclusion

If money is a determining factor in your next cell phone purchase, but you don't want it to allow you to completely limit your purchase the ZTE Warp is a great device to consider. Keeping up with most of the specs of a high-end device, or an entry level price allows it to be ultra competitive in the market.
 

read more



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/vPMsBvIuNw4/story01.htm

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2-4 weeks to remove fuel from Italian cruise ship (AP)

ROME ? A Dutch extraction firm says it will take between two to four weeks to safely remove the oil from a wrecked cruise ship off Italy's Tuscan coast.

The firm Smit, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, said Tuesday the search operation for the missing 29 people has the first priority and a survey of the ship must take place before the extraction begins.

However, officials say the two operations can go on in tandem and the fuel extraction operation could begin as early as Wednesday if approved by Italian officials.

Italy's environment minister has warned of an ecological crisis if the oil spills off the island of Giglio, part of a protected sanctuary for dolphins, porpoises and whales. Some 500,000 gallons of fuel are on board the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground Friday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ROME (AP) ? A Dutch extraction firm says it will take between two to four weeks to safely remove the oil from a wrecked cruise ship off Italy's Tuscan coast.

The firm Smit, of Rotterdam, Netherlands, said Tuesday the search operation for the missing 29 people has the first priority and a survey of the ship must take place before the extraction begins.

However, officials say the two operations can go on in tandem and the fuel extraction operation could begin as early as Wednesday if approved by Italian officials.

Italy's environment minister has warned of an ecological crisis if the oil spills off the island of Giglio, part of a protected sanctuary for dolphins, porpoises and whales. Some 500,000 gallons of fuel are on board the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground Friday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_cruise_aground

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

[OOC] residentevil the next generation

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Monday, January 16, 2012

Gingrich faces tough questions at black church

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) ? Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich faced tough questions Saturday about his past statements on race and class, making a rare appearance by a Republican primary candidate before a black church ? an audience unlikely to vote in South Carolina's Jan. 21 contest.

Standing behind the lectern at Jones Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Gingrich was peppered with questions about his assertion that poor children lack work ethic and his criticism of President Barack Obama as a "food-stamp president."

Gingrich may get credit for spending nearly an hour in front of a largely unsupportive crowd. But the event is unlikely to help him win many votes in South Carolina's primary, a contest Gingrich himself has said will be make-or-break for his campaign.

Blacks made up just 2 percent of those who voted in South Carolina's 2008 Republican primary, according to exit polls.

While the give and take between Gingrich and more than 50 people in the audience was largely respectful, some in the crowd had sharp questions for the former House Speaker. Many centered on Gingrich's remark last month that poor children as young as nine should work at least part time cleaning their schools in order to learn about work.

Gingrich said his comments were misconstrued.

"What I was saying was, in the poorest neighborhoods, if we can find a way to help young people earn some money, we might actually be able to keep the dropout rate down and give people an incentive to come to school," he said.

The explanation little satisfied some in the crowd, including a woman who said Gingrich's words came across "so negatively, like we're not doing everything for our young people."

Gingrich was also asked if he stood by his assertion that Obama is a "food stamp president", a line the Georgia Republican uses often during stump speeches. He responded with a simple, "Yes."

Gingrich is grasping for campaign life in South Carolina after disappointing fourth place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Success for Gingrich in the South's first primary will depend largely on his ability to draw support from the state's conservative and evangelical voters.

That made Saturday's appearance at a black church all the more head-scratching, particularly because it was Gingrich's only public appearance of the day in South Carolina.

But Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond said the appearance was a good use of the candidate's time.

"If you're going to lead America, you have to be willing to lead all of America," he said.

The often-combative Gingrich did try to strike a conciliatory tone at times, promising "a very serious outreach to Democrats" in Washington if he were elected president. And he said the forum was appropriately being held around the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.

"This would be what he would have liked," Gingrich said of the late civil rights leader.

Following the question and answer session, church members prayed over Gingrich and his wife, Callista. The couple then joined the crowd in the church basement for dinner.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-14-Gingrich/id-57e859571ad84c848cd6b9a2f809359f

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Your iPhone Was Built, In Part, By 13 Year-Olds ... - Business Insider

We love our iPhones and iPads.

We love the prices of our iPhones and iPads.

We love the super-high profit margins of Apple, Inc., the maker of our iPhones and iPads.

And that's why it's disconcerting to remember that the low prices of our iPhones and iPads ? and the super-high profit margins of Apple ? are only possible because our iPhones and iPads are made with labor practices that would be illegal in the United States.

And it's also disconcerting to realize that the folks who make our iPhones and iPads not only don't have iPhones and iPads (because they can't afford them), but, in some cases, have never even seen them.

This is a complex issue. But it's also an important one. And it's only going to get more important as the world's economies continue to become more intertwined.

Last week, NPR's "This American Life" did a special on Apple's manufacturing. The show featured (among others) the reporting of Mike Daisey, the man who does the one-man stage show "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs," and The NYT's Nicholas Kristof, whose wife is from China.

You can read a transcript of the whole show here. Here are some details:

  • The Chinese city of Shenzhen is where most of our "crap" is made. 30 years ago, Shenzhen was a little village on a river. Now it's a city of 13 million people ? bigger than New York.
  • Foxconn, one of the companies that builds iPhones and iPads (and products for many other electronics companies), has a factory in Shenzhen that employs 430,000 people.
  • There are 20 cafeterias at the Foxconn Shenzhen plant. They each serve 10,000 people.
  • One Foxconn worker Mike Daisey interviewed, outside factory gates manned by guards with guns, was a 13-year old girl. She polished the glass of thousands of new iPhones a day.
  • The 13-year old said Foxconn doesn't really check ages. There are on-site inspections, from time to time, but Foxconn always knows when they're happening. And before the inspectors arrive, Foxconn just replaces the young-looking workers with older ones.
  • In the first two hours outside the factory gates, Daisey meets workers who say they are 14, 13, and 12 years old (along with plenty of older ones). Daisey estimates that about 5% of the workers he talked to were underage.
  • Daisey assumes that Apple, obsessed as it is with details, must know this. Or, if they don't, it's because they don't want to know.
  • Daisey visits other Shenzhen factories, posing as a potential customer. He discovers that most of the factory floors are vast rooms filled with 20,000-30,000 workers apiece. The rooms are quiet: There's no machinery, and there's no talking allowed. When labor costs so little, there's no reason to build anything other than by hand.
  • A Chinese working "hour" is 60 minutes ? unlike an American "hour," which generally includes breaks for Facebook, the bathroom, a phone call, and some conversation. The official work day in China is 8 hours long, but the standard shift is 12 hours. Generally, these shifts extend to 14-16 hours, especially when there's a hot new gadget to build. While Daisey is in Shenzhen, a Foxconn worker dies after working a 34-hour shift.
  • Assembly lines can only move as fast as their slowest worker, so all the workers are watched (with cameras). Most people stand.
  • The workers stay in dormitories. In a 12-by-12 cement cube of a room, Daisey counts 15 beds, stacked like drawers up to the ceiling. Normal-sized Americans would not fit in them.
  • Unions are illegal in China. Anyone found trying to unionize is sent to prison.
  • Daisey interviews dozens of (former) workers who are secretly supporting a union. One group talked about using "hexane," an iPhone screen cleaner. Hexane evaporates faster than other screen cleaners, which allows the production line to go faster. Hexane is also a neuro-toxin. The hands of the workers who tell him about it shake uncontrollably.
  • Some workers can no longer work because their hands have been destroyed by doing the same thing hundreds of thousands of times over many years (mega-carpal-tunnel). This could have been avoided if the workers had merely shifted jobs. Once the workers' hands no longer work, obviously, they're canned.
  • One former worker had asked her company to pay her overtime, and when her company refused, she went to the labor board. The labor board put her on a black list that was circulated to every company in the area. The workers on the black list are branded "troublemakers" and companies won't hire them.
  • One man got his hand crushed in a metal press at Foxconn. Foxconn did not give him medical attention. When the man's hand healed, it no longer worked. So they fired him. (Fortunately, the man was able to get a new job, at a wood-working plant. The hours are much better there, he says ? only 70 hours a week).
  • The man, by the way, made the metal casings of iPads at Foxconn. Daisey showed him his iPad. The man had never seen one before. He held it and played with it. He said it was "magic."

Importantly, Shenzhen's factories, as hellish as they are, have been a boon to the people of China. Liberal economist Paul Krugman says so. NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof says so. Kristof's wife's ancestors are from a village near Shenzhen. So he knows of what he speaks. The "grimness" of the factories, Kristof says, is actually better than the "grimness" of the rice paddies.

So, looked at that way, Apple is helping funnel money from rich American and European consumers to poor workers in China. Without Foxconn and other assembly plants, Chinese workers might still be working in rice paddies, making $50 a month instead of $250 a month (Kristof's estimates. In 2010, Reuters says, Foxconn workers were given a raise to $298 per month, or $10 a day, or less than $1 an hour). With this money, they're doing considerably better than they once were. Especially women, who had few other alternatives.

But, of course, the reason Apple assembles iPhones and iPads in China instead of America, is that assembling them here or Europe would cost much, much more ? even with shipping and transportation. And it would cost much, much more because, in the United States and Europe, we have established minimum acceptable standards for the treatment and pay of workers like those who build the iPhones and iPads.

Foxconn, needless to say, doesn't come anywhere near meeting these minimum standards.

If Apple decided to build iPhones and iPads for Americans using American labor rules, two things would likely happen:

  • The prices of iPhones and iPads would go up
  • Apple's profit margins would go down

Neither of those things would be good for American consumers or Apple shareholders. But they might not be all that awful, either. Unlike some electronics manufacturers, Apple's profit margins are so high that they could go down a lot and still be high. And some Americans would presumably feel better about loving their iPhones and iPads if they knew that the products had been built using American labor rules.

In other words, Apple could probably afford to use American labor rules when building iPhones and iPads without destroying its business.

So it seems reasonable to ask why Apple is choosing NOT to do that.

(Not that Apple is the only company choosing to avoid American labor rules and costs, of course ? almost all manufacturing companies that want to survive, let alone thrive, have to reduce production costs and standards by making their products elsewhere.)

The bottom line is that iPhones and iPads cost what they do because they are built using labor practices that would be illegal in this country ? because people in this country consider those practices grossly unfair.

That's not a value judgment. It's a fact.

So, next time you pick up your iPhone or iPad, ask yourself how you feel about that.

SEE ALSO: The Shocking Conditions Inside Foxconn [PHOTOS]

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-child-labor-2012-1

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

Asia stocks up after successful Europe bond issue (AP)

BANGKOK ? Asian stock markets rose Friday, driven higher by a successful bond issue in Europe that eased worries over the continent's sovereign debt crisis.

Benchmark oil rose to nearly $100 per barrel and the dollar fell against the euro but was steady against the yen.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.1 percent to 8,479.24 and South Korea's Kospi index edged up 0.2 percent at 1,867.17. Australia's S&P ASX 200 was 0.4 percent higher at 4,195.90. Benchmarks in Singapore, Indonesia, India and Malaysia also rose.

But shares in Hong Kong and mainland China dipped following the release Thursday of Chinese inflation data that showed rising prices eased only slightly in December, to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent in November. Analysts had hoped to see more improvement.

China is less likely to ease monetary policy, which would help growth, so long as authorities must remain on guard against rising consumer prices.

"The market expected below 4" percent inflation, said Linus Yip, a strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong. "What we see is inflation actually is under control, but ... not going down as fast as the market expected. So maybe another easing policy will be a little bit delayed."

Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell slightly to 19,089.46. But mainland shares were sharply down, with the Shanghai Composite Index sliding 1.9 percent to 2,230.19 and the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index plummeting 3.7 percent to 844.07.

Raw materials and industrial companies advanced, following their U.S. counterparts higher. Japanese heavy equipment maker Komatsu Ltd. jumped 4 percent and Hitachi Construction Machinery gained 3.6 percent.

Energy Resources of Australia soared 6 percent and Paladin Energy Ltd., an Australian uranium miner, gained 3.1 percent. But shares in Australia's QBE Insurance group dropped 3.1 percent, after the company warned its earnings could halve following a spate of natural disasters in 2011.

South Korean tech shares posted solid advances, with Samsung Electronics Co., the country's largest company, advancing 1.1 percent and Hynix Semiconductor, a global leader in chip-making, surging 2.9 percent. Its largest banking group, Woori Financial Holdings Co., jumped 3.7 percent.

On Wall Street, stocks ended higher after oil prices dropped below $100 per barrel for the first time this year. Oil fell on rumors that Europe will delay an embargo on Iran. Crude plunged $2 a barrel in just eight minutes, ending at $99.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.2 percent to end at 12,471.02. The S&P 500 finished up 0.2 percent at 1,295.50. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.5 percent to 2,724.70.

Strong bond auctions in Italy and Spain also pushed stocks higher. Italy was able to sell one-year bonds at a rate of just 2.735 percent, less than half the 5.95 percent rate it had to pay last month. Spain was able to raise double the amount of money it had sought to raise in its own bond sale as demand for its debt was strong.

Investors have been worried that Italy and Spain might get dragged into the region's debt crisis. Greece, Ireland and Portugal have been forced to get relief from their lenders after their borrowing costs spiked to levels the countries could no longer afford.

Benchmark oil for February delivery rose 24 cents to $99.34 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract tumbled $2 to finish at $99.10 per barrel in New York on Thursday.

In currency trading, the euro rose to $1.2836 from $1.2827 late Thursday in New York. The euro hit a 16-month low of $1.2661 on Wednesday after Germany predicted that its economy shrank in the last three months of last year.

The dollar was unchanged at 76.76 yen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_re_as/world_markets

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