Web browser manufactures often market their products to consumers with an emphasis on privacy, assuring users that their products can better control how personal information is used online. Carnegie Mellon privacy researcher Lorrie Cranor explains that many companies have developed quiet ways to step around some of that privacy-protecting code.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/02/24/147356632/weaving-around-web-privacy-controls?ft=1&f=1007
For the first time since the death of Whitney Houston, the man who most recently dated this legendary singer has spoken out.
In a just-released statement, Ray J says: "Over the past few days, I've tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend."
Ray J and Whitney had been together for a few months prior to her passing, and were spotted out in Los Angeles about a week before she died. Sources say Ray raced to the Beverly Hills Hilton as soon as the tragic news broke.
"Nippy, I miss you so much!" Ray J added, using a nickname given to Whitney by her father. "You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever."
Yes, this is the same Ray J best known to most as the man who filmed himself having intercourse with Kim Kardashian.
[Photos: WENN.com]
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Developer: Rebellion /?Publisher: Konami /?Played On: Xbox 360 /?Price: $59.99 /?ESRB: Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language)
You play as the cocky, sullen hero Bryce who was cursed with immortality over 500 years ago. Not being able to die makes him the perfect specimen to take on contracts from a secret agency trying stop the threat of a demonic invasion. At Bryce?s side is the voluptuous vixen Arcadia, who works for the same agency as Bryce but doesn?t have the luxury (or curse, rather) of infinite life. The two work together to blast the baddies to pieces until they eventually rescue a young female pop star named Nikki. Soon after, the two of them unravel a bigger mystery as to why the demons want Nikki and how the fate of the world could hang in the balance. Interspersed between missions are cutscenes that chip away at Bryce?s past, providing more depth and motivation for his actions. The reasons Bryce and Arcadia work together simply does not make sense. Arcadia does not help in any meaningful way, and the fact that she can be killed means Bryce has extra baggage to look after on each mission. Their dialogue is poorly written and the characters sound boring and uninterested when delivering their lines. Bryce is easily the most likable character of the bunch compared to his accomplices and the random other demon mercenaries you?ll run into, but even he can?t escape from a dull storyline that doesn?t leave you with any real reason to want to see what happens next.
NeverDead is a third-person action game not unlike Devil May Cry. Bryce can use a variety of guns to dispatch his enemies: two pistols are available from the start of the game, and eventually you find SMGs, assault rifles, and a shotgun. Ammo is limited, however, so conserving firepower for the right moment can be critical. After 500 years of battling Bryce has also gotten pretty skilled using his butterfly blade, an obscenely large knife that makes slicing through enemies a breeze. You can also dodge roll to avoid incoming damage as well as jump to traverse over obstacles. As you kill enemies you gain experience that you use to buy new abilities, such as increased weapon damage, longer roll distances, and sharper aiming. Many parts of the environment can also be destroyed as well, causing ceilings to fall and opening up new pathways to explore.
Where NeverDead finds its unique style is with Bryce?s immortality. There are no life bars, but if Bryce takes enough hits (oftentimes one is enough) his legs, arms, and even head can go flying from his torso. Losing an arm or a leg isn?t so bad because you can still use your weapons and walk around somewhat normally, but losing your head is a different story. When decapitated, you must navigate Bryce?s head back to his body by rolling it around the level until you find his mangled torso. Your head will attach to your body when in close proximity, but when trying to reattach your limbs you have to roll over them to pick them back up. I guess simply walking over your severed arm was too much of a hassle. This is a pretty cool idea, having limbs lopped off during battle, but it happens far too often and far too easily. If you so much as brush past an enemy you can kiss your appendages goodbye. What?s worse, your head can sometimes go careening off in one corner of the stage while your body remains at the foot of the big ass monster that ripped you apart in the first place. So then you have to reassemble yourself just to get obliterated again by the same monster. Sometimes you can magically re-grow your missing limbs if a special meter is filled, but this does not alleviate the problem. There are instances where having severed limbs works out rather well, like when you have to rip your own arm off to throw it into the mouth of a creature to kill it from the inside, or when you have to pull your head off to loft it into a ventilation shaft to reach a new area, but these sequences still don?t make up for the infuriating scenarios while battling enemies.
You fight only a few styles of enemies over and over again. Four legged dog-like creatures can lunge at you from afar but are pretty easy to take out. Grotesque monsters with huge blades for heads can only be killed by your sword, giving you reason to alternate between weapons. Other enemies can only be damaged by hitting specific areas. Also little fleshy ball monsters run around the level inhaling your severed body parts. If they inhaled your head you have to succeed at a small quick-time event or it?s game over (strangely, for a hero who can?t die). Killing enemies in the first level is fine and all, but fighting basically the same enemies just with different colors all throughout the entire game is boring. One highlight is the impressive boss battles that mark the end of each stage. I mentioned one boss that has you firing your gun inside its stomach in order to kill it, and another has you killing off electrically charged flying monsters before you?re able to attack the tender underbelly of a demon nearly three stories high. Though the bosses are cool and well designed, they simply aren?t worth trudging through level after level just to see them.
Sloppy controls make an already mediocre game worse. Trying to aim with your guns is a chore, as enemies move too fast, highlighting the lack of any lock-on mechanism. Toggling aim mode helps a little bit, allowing for more accurate shots, but it still doesn?t make it much easier to hit your target. The butterfly blade does have a lock-on ability, however, making it the more sensible choice of weaponry. While using the blade, you lock on to an enemy with the left trigger, and then move the right control stick to swing in the desired direction. The game informs you that careful motions make for more damaging blade swings, but I found moving the stick left and right repeatedly was effective in just about every situation. Moving around feels sluggish, and oftentimes Bryce will get stuck behind a small piece of debris that has fallen into his path. Having to constantly roll over your body parts to pick them back up is completely unnecessary and turns the game into a gymnastics simulator instead of a demon killing marathon.
I have to give Neverdead some credit for being fully voiced, but lackluster dialogue removes most of that credit. Arcadia is so monotone in her delivery that you?d think they had a computer reading her lines. On the other end, Nikki has an annoyingly high voice and constantly nags you even though you?re saving her life. Many lines are repeated during combat as well. I can?t tell you how many times I heard Bryce proclaim, ?Hello, anyone seen my right arm?? or ?Lookin? for my left leg? during gameplay. A heavy metal and rock-influenced soundtrack plays during each stage and sound alright. Visually the game looks good. Stages are varied and unique: first you?re in a dilapidated building, then you?re exploring a detailed museum, and later a pitch-black subway station. The characters look good, and during cutscenes they move and animate great.
Ultimately NeverDead is a failed opportunity to do something special. Too many bad design choices hold back the overall experience. Repetitive gameplay, constantly having to recover your limbs, useless supporting characters, poor controls, the list goes on. The real curse for the main character isn?t immortality, but forever being a part of this game.
Many major security suite vendors are taking note of the fact that their customers need to protect multiple devices, not all of them PCs. A subscription to Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security Premium Edition ($99.99/year direct) lets you protect three PCs, three Macs, and three Android phone or tablet devices. You also get 50GB of online storage for Trend's impressive SafeSync backup tool.
Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security for PCs
Your Premium Edition subscription includes three licenses to install PC-based Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012 ($79.95 direct for three licenses, 3.5 stars). In our testing, the PC product proved lightweight and easy to use. Its spam filter was more accurate than many. Trend Micro chose not to add a separate firewall, but rather to "boost" the effectiveness of the Windows built-in firewall, which is especially effective in Windows 7 and Vista. A system tuner component helps speed performance by eliminating unnecessary and erroneous files and Registry items.
The suite's detection of phishing (fraudulent) websites proved less effective than that of Internet Explorer alone, however. In addition, the suite's antivirus protection turned in mediocre scores in PCMag's tests and in some independent tests.
Trend Micro Smart Surfing for Mac
When you purchase Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus+ 2012 ($39.95 direct, 2.5 stars) or Trend Micro Titanium Maximum Security 2012, you get one free license to install Trend Micro Smart Surfing for Mac, a $49.95 value. The Premium Edition extends that offer to three licenses.
While it doesn't include all the features of the PC-based suite, Smart Surfing is more than just a Mac antivirus. Phishing attacks rely on fooling the user and hence are platform-independent, so Smart Surfing aims to steer users away from fraudulent sites. It also blocks malware-hosting sites and marks up dangerous links in email and instant messages.
If your kids use the household Mac, you'll want to enable Smart Surfing's content filtering component, which blocks access to inappropriate sites in various content categories. Parents can also set it to block specific websites.
Trend Micro Mobile Security Personal Edition
A subscription to the standalone Trend Micro suite comes with one license for Trend Micro Mobile Security Personal Edition, while the Premium Edition includes three licenses. This product protects Android phones and tablets in a number of ways. Naturally it offers on-demand and on-access scanning for malware. In addition, it can scan all apps on the device and warn about any whose permissions could compromise security.
For smartphone devices, the product can block unwanted calls and text. It can locate a lost or stolen Android device or tablet and remotely lock or wipe the device, or trigger an ear-piercing alarm. The parental control component blocks access to inappropriate websites using a simple slider to set low, medium, or high sensitivity.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/GdaEaEzoQ9g/0,2817,2400236,00.asp
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Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves at a campaign rally in Mesa, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney waves at a campaign rally in Mesa, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Mesa, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign rally in Mesa, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is wooing tea partyers in his home state of Michigan with a potentially risky strategy: blasting the auto industry bailout that many people credit with saving the state's most vital industry.
The tactic seems designed to undermine Rick Santorum's popularity with conservatives who dislike government intervention in business, even when the results appear defensible. It also reinforces Romney's image as an experienced capitalist who understands the pain sometimes involved in making companies work.
Santorum's fast rise in national polls has forced Romney to sharpen his criticisms of the former Pennsylvania senator. Santorum says his team will "plant our flag" in Michigan while also campaigning in other states.
A Romney loss in Michigan's Feb. 28 primary would be hugely embarrassing, or worse, to his campaign. His team has promoted an aura of inevitability for months, but Romney has failed to persuade the party's most conservative segments to embrace him.
Romney's father was a top auto executive and three-term governor of Michigan, and Romney still holds big financial advantages over Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. Thus far, he has bought far more TV advertising time than they have.
When longtime Michigan political analyst Craig Ruff was asked if a Romney loss here is conceivable, he said: "I'm astounded, but yes." Ruff worked for Republican Gov. William Milliken but now is an independent.
He said he was surprised by how vigorously Romney is criticizing the government rescue of General Motors and Chrysler in 2008-2009.
"Many, many Republicans have ties to the auto industry," through investments or current or former employment, Ruff said. "He's got a lot of explaining to do."
Some GOP activists, however, said Romney's actions make sense. He already was on record opposing the bailouts. So his Tuesday op-ed in the Detroit News gave him a chance to elaborate, they said. And his stance will appeal to business-oriented Republicans as well as more libertarian-leaning voters who oppose government intrusion in general.
"It may be dicey in the general election, but it's not dicey in the primary," said Lansing-based Republican strategist Steve Mitchell. "Republicans opposed the auto bailout. They opposed other bailouts. They oppose bailouts."
A May 2010 poll conducted by EPIC-MRA for the Detroit Free Press found that nearly two-thirds of Michigan adults thought the auto bailout was a good idea. Republicans were more closely divided, with 51 percent calling it a good idea, and 43 percent calling it a bad idea.
Santorum, Gingrich and Paul also criticized the auto industry rescue, but Romney's remarks have drawn more attention because of his ties to the state and the auto industry.
Santorum hopes Michigan's tea party supporters will vote in big numbers, possibly overwhelming Romney's advantage with party insiders. Insurgent candidates have done well here at times. Pat Robertson won the GOP primary in 1988. John McCain beat George W. Bush here in 2000 after then-Gov. John Engler promised Michigan would be Bush's firewall.
The auto bailout started when the Bush administration loaned money to GM and Chrysler to keep them from collapsing during the 2008 financial crisis.
President Barack Obama's administration brought the total to $81 billion, and Obama now calls the results a triumph.
"When I took office, the American auto industry was on the verge of collapse. And there were some folks who said we should let it die," Obama said Wednesday in Wisconsin in a veiled swipe at Romney. "With a million jobs at stake, I refused to let that happen."
GM emerged from bankruptcy as a considerably smaller company. It has repaid billions of dollars, but the federal government still holds much of the firm.
Chrysler was forced to join forces with Fiat. The federal government and the United Auto Workers union also became big stockholders.
General Motors says it made $8 billion in profits in 2011. Chrysler claimed profits of $225 million for the fourth quarter of 2011.
In his op-ed, Romney said the car companies should have gone through regular bankruptcy procedures. Obama rushed in to help pro-Democratic labor unions while putting taxpayers at risk, Romney said, calling it "crony capitalism on a grand scale."
"Without his intervention, things there would be better," Romney wrote. "Managed bankruptcy may sound like a death knell. But in fact, it is a way for a troubled company to restructure itself rapidly."
Steven Rattner, who oversaw the auto rescue for Obama, told the Free Press that Romney's remarks were "a complete denial of the facts." There was no private financing at the time to sustain the car companies, which would have been shuttered and sold in pieces in normal bankruptcy procedures, he said.
Many nonpartisan economists agree with that view.
John Feehery, a Washington-based GOP strategist, said Romney is taking a risk. "My own view is that the auto bailout was pretty popular in Michigan, so re-litigating that is stupid," Feehery said.
As for Romney's stakes here, Feehery said: "Losing Michigan could be fatal."
Romney was campaigning in Grand Rapids on Wednesday. Both he and Santorum planned to appear in the Detroit area Thursday.
Michigan voters are just starting to see the sort of TV ads that flooded Iowa, South Carolina and other early states. Romney and Santorum, and the independent committees that support them, are airing or preparing to put up positive and negative ads.
A pro-Romney spot notes he "grew up in Michigan."
An anti-Santorum ad, which ran in earlier states, says Santorum voted five times in Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling, an issue the tea party has turned into a battle cry. The ad calls Santorum a "big spender" and "Washington insider."
Santorum is pushing back with an ad in which a Romney look-alike fires mud from a gun but ends up splattering himself. "Mitt Romney's ugly attacks are going to backfire," the narrator says.
It's not clear that Santorum can raise enough money to make it a fair fight on the airwaves. He says he has raised several million dollars since his surprise wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses last week. But Democrats who track GOP media buys said Romney and his friendly political action committee have spent $1.8 million for TV time in Michigan, while Santorum has spent less than $45,000.
Santorum told The Associated Press he hopes to finish "a good strong second" in Michigan. "We think we can plant our flag there and do well," he said.
Romney's backers are praying Santorum doesn't do better than that.
___
Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont, Steve Peoples and Kathy Barks Hoffman contributed to this report.
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Many companies have a policy of giving their employees company cars as part of their employees? welfare package. In companies that have a large number of employees, implementing such a policy may very well be rather expensive as it may be difficult to buy such a big number of cars for its employees. In such a case, company car leasing becomes the only best alternative. This is usually the case with companies where their employees are expected to make frequent business trips to various destination for the well being of the firm. Such companies would need a convenience and affordable method of travel for their employees when travelling either within or outside of the country. One of the major reasons why companies opt to lease cars for an employees is that company car leasing services supply a warranty on all the leased cars the industry major benefit to the firm.
Many car dealers are always thrilled by the idea of leasing their cars to companies. This is because they are aware that such companies will tend to maintain a long term method of trading with the leasing companies that offer more benefit to them. Customer loyalty is always fundamental in any sort of business. As a company involved yourself in leasing cars to your employees, maintaining a good reputation is very essential as this not only guarantee you fair leasing costs but it also ensures that you get the best leasing services.
Company car leasing truly a hard task to get a company to accomplish. The simplest way you can go about it as a company is leasing cars over the internet. This can be the most efficient way to lease vehicles for a company that ensures that you get the best deals in the market. With the emergence of many online car leasing websites, you are not only able to compare leasing rates among different companies but you can as well read customers reviews to make sure that you are engaged within leasing agreements with reputable leasing companies. This is because as companies will usually tend to lease many cars at once for all their people, it makes sense that they need to enter into leasing agreements with more credible company car leasing services in the market.
Another trick that companies can utilize throughout their leasing process is leasing through the phone. This can be a better alternative for smaller companies that have not fully adopted technological on their operations. In this way, you don?t have to remain rubbing shoulders with irritating sales men. These sales men can waste high of your valuable time by looking to force you to enter into deals you will be not interested in. simply by giving a leasing company your company details, you can be assured of a smooth leasing process along with the least hassles if any.
Company car leasing should not be a hard task for a company to accomplish. Click here to know more about Company car leasing.
The government of a west-African country proposed this week to cut a recent hike in fuel prices by 20 per cent, after labour unions threatened to go on strike.
Sounds familiar? This isn?t Nigeria, however ? where six days of strikes in January cost the economy around $1.3bn ? but nearby Ghana.
There are key differences between the two countries: analysts consider the situation in Ghana much more benign, with little prospect of violent protests. But as with Nigeria, there are concerns that political populism is suppressing economic necessity ? especially with elections just round the corner.
Speaking to African Business News, Razia Khan, Head of Africa Research at Standard Chartered said: ?we don?t think necessarily that the climbdown on the policy is going to be a game-changer for [Ghana's] entire fiscal outlook? but what will leave investors a little less comfortable is the fact that Ghana?s political cycle now seems to be more of an influence on economic policy.?
Ghana announced that fuel prices would rise on December 28. The move didn?t surprise analysts but the timing did, coming ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections towards the end of 2012. Alex Mould, chief executive of the National Petroleum Authority in Nigeria, cited the prohibitive costs of the subsidy: $276 million in 2011. That had been exacerbated by a rise in the cost of procuring crude oil and a depreciation in the cedi, he said.
Since Ghana removed its fuel subsidy, petrol and diesel prices have climbed 15 per cent, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. The new proposals would reduce this increase by 20 per cent ? but the National Petroleum Authority has not yet signed off on the move.
Khan added: [The proposals] ?will inevitably lead to investors being more cautious about what else might change; where else we might see some deterioration in the fiscal outlook.?
The differences between the situations in Ghana and Nigeria are marked. Ghana has only recently become an oil exporter, whereas Nigeria accounts for 10 per cent of the world?s crude production. And Ghana is much more accustomed to frequent adjustments in its domestic fuel prices than its west African peer, where fuel prices were previously capped at 65 naira (around $0.40) per litre.
What?s more, there is a big discrepancy in the total cost of the subsidies ? $11bn in Nigeria in 2011, 40 times as much as in Ghana (Nigeria?s GDP is around 6 times bigger) .
Nonetheless, Kahn argues that fuel prices in Ghana will have to rise eventually ? and that politics cannot stand in the way indefinitely.
?The system that would probably suit Ghana better would be to see more flexibility in domestic fuel prices? in part because this would reduce the potential for a bigger shock when Ghana faces an inevitable fuel price adjustment. It would also help to de-politicise the issue of fuel prices,? she told beyondbrics.
Fortunately, there?s a precedent in Africa which not only Ghana, but other countries grappling with fuel subsidy costs ? Nigeria, and also Guinea and Chad ? could learn from.
?Ultimately, if African countries are looking for a model ? something that?s likely to be sustainable in the future ? the South African model, where there are monthly adjustments, creates a much more sustainable basis for the management of fuel prices longer term,? Khan said.
Related reading:
Nigeria: a reformed investment, beyondbrics
Nigeria: Power outage, FT
Ghana: almost a star, beyondbrics
Ghana: lies, damn lies and estimates, beyondbrics
Source: http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/02/09/ghana-mixing-politics-and-fuel-prices/
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With FGO approval, the tax relief ordinance will be voted on by the full Common Council at their meeting next Monday (7PM, Council Chambers).
Drew is fulfilling one of the key promises he made in his campaign for mayor (see, for example, HERE). On Thursday he wrote in an email to The Eye, "I have met people living on fixed incomes who have been unable to pay their taxes, and this program will provide them with the financial stability they need to stay in their homes."
The tax credit is a city extension of an existing state program. Residents of the city who are over 65 can receive a municipal credit of $50 (in addition to the credit from the state), if their income is less than $32,300 (single) or $39,500 (married). For residents with incomes above those limits, but below $37,300 (single), or $44,500 (married), they would not receive the state credit, but would receive $100 to $150 from the City.
The tax deferral is a program in which home-owners whose income meets the limits above would choose not to pay part or all of their taxes. Unpaid taxes would accrue 18% interest charges, and the city would place a lien on the property for the unpaid taxes. This is similar to how the city handles delinquent taxes for all residents. However, according to Braasch, the city would normally move towards foreclosure within a few years, while this program would allow seniors to defer their taxes without this threat looming. The taxes and interest would be due upon death.
The tax freeze program has similar income restrictions to the credit, but in addition the homeowner must have less than $125,000 in assets, not including the home. Qualified seniors would have their taxes in 2013 frozen at the 2012 level. For example, a house assessed at $200,000 would lead to taxes of $5220 with this year's mill rate of 26.1; if the mill rate rose to 27.1, the tax savings under the proposed ordinance would be $200, or 3.7% of the tax bill. Braasch noted that the applicants who are approved for the program this year would actually receive the benefit beginning on July 1st of 2013, when the rate would be frozen at the 2012 level. If the property taxes of all citizens were cut, then this benefit would be moot, seniors would not be locked into a higher rate.
Financial analyst Tina Gomes said that there were 188 residents who applied for the state tax credit, if they all qualified for the tax freeze, and there were a 1 mill increase, she estimated it would cost the city $55,000 in the 2013/14 budget.
The proposed ordinance has a built-in sunset provision, it will expire in two years unless the Council takes further action, "Unless otherwise extended, this tax relief shall expire after the Grand List of October 1, 2013."
The draft ordinance is available HERE.
Source: http://middletowneyenews.blogspot.com/2012/02/drew-proposes-senior-citizen-property_03.html
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We see the same scenery each individual day in our houses, and that?s why so numerous homeowners choose that it?s time for your minor remodeling. Painting the walls, rearranging the furniture, and likely with new molding ? these can seem like easy enough tasks in the begin. Nonetheless, many people find that they?re daunting. No make a difference what your goals are, check out these house- improvement ideas.
Purchasing new household furniture can be quite costly. It is possible to add some pizzazz in your rooms with nice furnishings by shopping local thrift outlets and garage income. You may discover some true hidden treasures amongst the many employed elements, like household furniture. Some could demand a little bit of perform, but with all the correct time invested, they can be a true asset in your home.
When improving your house, get the character of the neighborhood into consideration. A Victorian household over a block of saltbox cottages is gonna stand out like a sore thumb. A remodel that blends seamlessly into the existing neighborhood has a better chance of selling when it?s the perfect time to move.
You need to always wear safety glasses or goggles when cutting using a saw or other powered gear. If you do not wear protective gear for the eyes pieces from the materials that you are cutting or dust can turn out to be lodged in your eye or result in irritation. In severe instances permanent harm can be achieved to your eye.
Look at what areas or rooms inside your residence you want to restoration or strengthen. Think of the look prior to deciding to go with it. Separate elements you need fixed and things that you want to undertake. This can assist you to get moving on repairing your house right before which makes it style better.
To generate a created-in screen condition for your beloved china, glassware, or decorative touches, consider removing 1 or more cabinet doors from the cooking area cabinetry, or replace a few solid cupboard doors with glass doors. The inside with the cabinet may be painted, and you will effortlessly bring accent lighting to generate the area a key focal area.
In case you are planning a home improvement venture, think of doing the painting or a minimum of, choosing a color scheme very first. Having the fresh new paint on your walls can make your property appear nice sufficient that it doesn?t will need a whole renovation. If it also wants more task, the new paint might provide you with more concepts on where to go.
In case you have the space and it is allowed below city ordinances, consider adding an extension in your home. The more space can be employed as an office, den or household space. Give some thought to putting a skylight as part of your addition. These bring ons will boost the value of your house considerably.
When you possess the room and it really is allowed below town ordinances, give some thought to adding an extension to the house. The extra room will be used as an office, den or household space. Consider putting a skylight in the addition. These bring ons will raise the value of your house considerably.
Together with the previous guidelines floating through your thoughts, you ought to be ready to find started out on your very own residence improvement projects! It does take some hard job and several attention to details, but if you keep at it, it is indeed achievable. So, go out there, get pleasure from your self and start improving your house!
If you need extra knowledge in relation to dome skylights, visit Nikole W Giovanini?s website instantly.
Source: http://apicsud.com/fantastic-concepts-for-home-improvement/
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It seems that the only thing traders and investors on TV want to do is try to handicap when a bunch of government officials and bureaucrats in Europe will finally make up their minds and solve the crisis still gripping the region.
But while that may be a fun mental exercise, I prefer to use my time looking for good investments to buy. Because when you find a good investment at a compelling valuation, the implications from Europe or any other crisis can be substantially minimized. On top of that, the rewards can be gigantic!
Take Netflix (NFLX) for example ?
NFLX was a darling of Wall Street during much of 2011. That is until the company decided to split its on-line streaming video service and its traditional DVD-by-mail service. In addition, they raised prices on their subscribers.
The customer outrage was incredible, and subscribers cancelled in droves (I was one of them!).
The stock absolutely collapsed, from a high of over $300/share in July, to a low of $62/share in late November, a fall of nearly 80 percent! You would think that given the decline, Netflix was on the brink of going under.
But the company hadn't lost all of its subscribers. Plus it was trading at a very compelling valuation ?
Netflix, at the peak, was trading at 63 times 2011 expected earnings of $4.75/share. At the bottom, it was trading at just 13 times earnings, which was about the same multiple as stodgy, non-growth stocks. At that valuation, there was a valid argument to be made for getting long the shares, even though Wall Street still hated the stock!
Investors who bought in that $60, $70 even $80 dollar range turned out to be right, as shown in the above chart. And last week Netflix's announcements further confirmed that that had been a smart move ?
Buyers who saw the value in this stock have earned a big reward: Shares were up 20 percent in one trading day last week, and hit $125 on Monday, up a jaw-dropping 100 percent from that low in November.
So at this lofty price range, does this mean that Netflix is out of the woods as a business and there's nothing but higher profits ahead?
Of course not ? the valuation is no longer as attractive as it was when shares were at $60.
But the point is that to make money in this market, it's necessary to look for value in names the Street and the market hate ? and try to avoid being obsessed with the latest headlines.
Best wishes,
Tom
This investment news is brought to you by Money and Markets. Money and Markets is a free daily investment newsletter from Martin D. Weiss and Weiss Research analysts offering the latest investing news and financial insights for the stock market, including tips and advice on investing in gold, energy and oil. Dr. Weiss is a leader in the fields of investing, interest rates, financial safety and economic forecasting. To view archives or subscribe, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com.
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The topic of loans for people with very bad credit is highly relevant in associated markets as well as the parent market and for good reason. The more you uncover about this, we are confident you will begin to see why it is important for you to know about it. We understand there can seem to be a wealth of information you have to absorb, so just take your time with it. This article was produced from the perspective of looking at the overall which should at least touch on some of your concerns.
Naturally, we share commonalities with our need to have knowledge in this important area which leads us to feel good about how much you will gain from what you are about to read.
Sometimes home improvement projects are better done by outside help, but others you might as well do yourself. Either choice is fine, provided you understand what?s involved. You can save on the costs by doing your own work, but make sure you don?t underestimate the amount of time and the level of skill that?s necessary. Home improvement projects that you want to do yourself, will be easier to plan with the helpful tips from this article.
Actually, we went back and forth about what would be best to discuss on the topic of cash loans.
Bear in mind that our site contains more details and points, and that is really great for you we believe.
But aside from that, you are engaged in your research efforts because this issue is important to your life.
So do not think what you are doing is in vain or somehow is not important.
The only way you will be in a the best position to decide what course to follow is through timely information. One of the most important areas to think about when you are taking on any kind of home repairs, renovations or decorating projects is your budget. Before you start to work it is important to figure out how much the project you want to complete is going to cost. You should always assume that the actual cost is going to be more than what you first estimate, by at least 10%. Seriously, it just about always ends up that way. There will always be some unexpected reasons for a project to cost more than you think it will cost. You may need more materials than you thought, you might make a mistake that has to be corrected, or you might discover an additional problem that needs to be addressed.
It is possible to save some money on tools and materials when you get ready for a home repair project. You never want to compromise on quality, but it may be possible to find what you need at a low price. Recycle places or ?Re-Stores? offer new materials for about 50% off, compared to the items sold in home improvement and hardware stores. If you are able to locate the items you need in these places, you can tremendously lower your costs, while still using nice quality materials. When it comes to tools, either locally or on the Internet, you can generally find used ones that are still in good shape.
You naturally want to keep your costs down when undertaking any kind of DIY home improvement. You also want to save money on tools and materials, but not by buying junk.
The results of your project will be affected badly if the materials you use are cheap, but quality used and recycled items can work really well. Choosing the right interior or exterior paint, is a good example of this. Using cheap paint might save you money to start with, but it won?t look as good, and you will have to repaint more often. In most cases, inexpensive materials fall apart quicker, so items like cheap tile which will break in a year or two, should not be purchased. People take on DIY projects for all sorts of reasons. Maybe there are some repairs that have needed doing for quite a long time, maybe you want to put in an addition or maybe you just want to offer your home a new and fresh look. Whatever you want to do, with the right tools, materials and the ability to follow directions, there isn?t any reason that your DIY home improvement project should be a success.
Since you have your own particular reasons for learning about cash loans, you can continue digging through the relevant literature. That is why you just never know where things will end up depending on the peculiarities. That is what usually can cause certain issues to come into play. That should give you reason enough to have the desire to branch out and explore other areas for research. We know you can get that job accomplished since it is information and there is plenty of it around. However, you need to do responsible research on anything. We have all seen sites that sure looked pretty suspect with their content, and you always need to pay attention.
Source: http://www.lesamisdesfreres.org/?p=584
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Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby is seen entering the courtroom of the Legal Services Center at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby is seen entering the courtroom of the Legal Services Center at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
Allen Lew, father of Lance Cpl. Harry Lew and Rep. Judy Chu of California, speak to members of the press outside the courtroom of the Legal Services Center of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
Allen Lew, father of Lance Cpl. Harry Lew and Rep. Judy Chu of California, speak to members of the press outside the courtroom of the Legal Services Center of Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
Lieutenant John Battisti, followed by Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby walks in the Legal Services Center at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
Marine Sgt. Benjamin Johns walks to the courtroom of the Legal Services Center of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Lance Cpl. Jacob D. Jacoby, Sgt. Benjamin Johns, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III are accused of hazing fellow Marine Lance Cpl. Harry Lew who later committed Suicide. (AP Photo/Kent Nishimura)
KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (AP) ? A Hawaii-based Marine lance corporal accused of hazing in Afghanistan is going to jail for 30 days and will have his rank reduced to private first class for punching and kicking a fellow Marine who killed himself shortly afterward.
Navy Capt. Carrie Stephens, the judge in Lance Cpl. Jacob Jacoby's special court-martial, handed down the sentence after Jacoby, 21, pleaded guilty to assault.
The Marine admitted he punched and kicked Lance Cpl. Harry Lew of Santa Clara, Calif. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors withdrew charges that Jacoby humiliated and threatened Lew.
Stephens said she found no evidence that Jacoby's abuse of Lew caused Lew to kill himself, and she didn't take the suicide into account when determining the sentence.
Two other Marines have also been accused of hazing Lew and face courts-martial.
Jacoby said he acted out of anger and frustration that his fellow Marine had repeatedly fallen asleep while on watch for Taliban fighters.
He told the court he wanted to talk to Lew, to find out why he kept falling asleep, and to help him stay awake. But Jacoby said he got angry when Lew spoke to him in a disrespectful manner, even though Lew was putting the lives of the Marines at their patrol base in danger by dozing off.
Before sentencing, Jacoby said he was sorry and that he wanted to take responsibility for his actions.
"I allowed my emotions and frustrations to get the best of me, and acted out against a fellow Marine," Jacoby said.
He said he will never forget the pain and humiliation of being court-martialed, and believes he can use his experience to help other Marines.
Marine Capt. Jesse Schweig said the government was confident Jacoby is capable of rehabilitating himself.
But Schweig asked the judge to sentence Jacoby with an eye on deterring similar behavior. He said Jacoby should be given a bad conduct discharge.
"If this is how you're going to approach and motivate your peers, then you do not need to be a part of the service," Schweig said in closing remarks at the sentencing hearing.
Navy Lt. John Battisi, Jacoby's attorney, said Jacoby lost his temper and struck Lew ? but argued Jacoby made sure to hit Lew on his body armor where he was best protected.
He also asked the judge to keep in mind the circumstances the Marines were in, and that the chain of command hadn't addressed Lew's sleeping problem and instead had left the issue in Jacoby's hands that night.
"We're asking him to control his emotions and gain emotional maturity in the heat of battle," Battisi said in his closing remarks.
Lew committed suicide April 3 at a patrol base in Helmand province, shortly after the abuse. The 21-year-old was a nephew of U.S. Rep. Judy Chu.
Two other Marines also are accused of hazing Lew before he shot himself with his machine gun in his foxhole. Sgt. Benjamin Johns, the leader of the squad the Marines belonged to, and Lance Cpl. Carlos Orozco III will have their own separate courts-martial later.
Both Marines watched the court proceedings Monday.
Lew's father, Allen Lew, testified during the sentencing hearing that his son wanted to join the Marines because he felt it was "the best."
He said was shocked to hear about his son's death, and his legs buckled when Marines came to his house at 7:30 a.m. with the news in April.
"My son died ? I have only one son," Lew said. He said he doesn't understand how Marines could do the things they did to their own.
Chu, D-Calif., attended the hearing. "I want to make sure that there is justice for Harry. And I want to support these brave persons, his parents," she told reporters beforehand.
The attorney representing Johns said he was concerned the presence of a politician will taint the process and interfere with justice.
"How do I get a fair jury? What implicit message is she trying to send to those panel members?" said Tim Bilecki, a defense attorney who specializes in military clients.
Chu said that wouldn't be the case. "I'm not going to be saying anything in the trial. All I'm doing is being here. I'm here for the family to support them," she said.
The case involves the actions of Marines at an isolated patrol base the U.S. was establishing to disrupt Taliban drug and weapons trafficking in Helmand province.
Squad members and officers had tried different methods to get him to stay awake, including referring him up the chain of command for discipline and taking him off patrols so he could get more rest.
But on Lew's last night, when he fell asleep again, those efforts escalated into alleged acts of violence and humiliation, according to the charges. The Marines were accused of punching and kicking him, making him do push-ups and pouring sand in his face.
A central issue in the case has been whether the Marines intended to humiliate and harm Lew or discipline him so he would stop falling asleep while on watch duty.
Before Lew put the muzzle of his machine gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, he scrawled a note on his arm: "May hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice I'm sorry my mom deserves the truth.
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After lagging the growth in spending, personal income rose solidly in December.
By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer
American consumers caught a break in their paychecks in December ? and the money went right into their saving accounts.
That could help ease the recent squeeze on household finances. But it?s not at all clear whether the trend will continue.
Personal income rose by?0.5 percent in December, after edging up just 0.1 percent in November, according to the Commerce Department. For months, wage gains have been meager, forcing consumers to lean more heavily on their credit cards to pay the bills. The income bump last month could help spur a bigger pickup in consumer spending, which would help keep the economic recovery on track.
?We need worker compensation to pick up if consumption is to rise,? said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors, ?and that may finally be happening.?
Household budgets got some additional relief on prices, which edged up just 0.1 percent in December after holding steady in the prior two months. A decline in gas prices helped offset price rises elsewhere as energy prices fell 1.3 percent. For all of 2011, the Commerce Department?s price gauge?rose 2.4 percent. (The government?s best-known inflation tracker, the Consumer Price Index, rose 3 percent in 2011, double the increase in 2010.)
But even as their spending power increased in December, consumers took the extra wages and stashed them in their savings accounts, leaving?consumer spending?flat for the month. The?savings rate rose to?4 percent, the highest reading since August.
The boost in income was a welcome relief. Sluggish wage gains last year forced households to draw down their savings to pay the bills. Over the past 18 months the savings rate had fallen from 5.8 percent to just 3.5 percent in November. That trend was unsustainable, according to Capital Economics? senior economist Paul Dales.
?Now households are devoting part of their additional income to boosting their savings,? he said. ?That?s still not high enough, suggesting that real consumption probably won?t grow by much more than 1.5 percent this year.?
Continued sluggish consumer spending doesn?t bode well for the U.S. economy, which most economists believe will slow to a growth pace of just 2 percent this year. If income growth remains weak, so will the growth in consumer spending - which accounts for roughly 70 percent of gross domestic product.
?We expect consumer spending adjusted for inflation to increase about 2.2 percent this year,? said Chris Christopher Jr., a senior economist with IHS Global Insight. ?This is nothing to write home about. However, compared to our counterparts in Europe ? the American consumer and economy are looking relatively good.??
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Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/30/10271191-wage-gains-offer-welcome-relief-to-workers
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