Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/01/30/70283/
michael jackson dead michael jackson dead prickly pear prickly pear jcole jcole j cole
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Rights groups blast Haiti judge on Duvalier case (AP)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti ? Human rights groups harshly criticized a Haitian judge Monday after he recommended former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier face trial only on corruption charges ? and not for rights abuses during his brutal 15-year rule.
The organizations, both Haitian and foreign, said Investigative Magistrate Carves Jean ignored critical testimony that would've given weight to a prosecution of the once-feared ruler known as "Baby Doc" for crimes that include torture, false imprisonment and murder.
"The Haitian people deserve their day in court to prove Duvalier's culpability, which is an essential part of any meaningful reconciliation process," said William O'Neill, director of the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum.
Mario Joseph, a lawyer whose Haitian-run firm is representing some of the Duvalier regime's victims, said the judge "made so many errors" that they compromised his pre-trial investigation. He said the judge disregarded testimony from eight people who wanted to file complaints alleging torture and false imprisonment.
Jean decided that Duvalier should go before a special court that handles relatively minor crimes. Duvalier, the former "president for life" who has been free to roam about the capital since his surprise return from exile last year, would face no more than five years in prison if convicted in that court.
Jean said the statute of limitations has run out on any human rights crimes committed during Duvalier's 1971-86 regime but not on accusations of misappropriation of public funds. He did not explain his reasoning, although Duvalier is widely thought to have used money from the Haitian treasury to finance his life in exile.
The judge declined to give reporters a copy of the 20-page order that he held in his hands in his office at the courthouse. The decision, based on a yearlong investigation, must first be reviewed by the attorney general as well as by Duvalier and the victims of his regime who filed complaints against the former leader, Jean said.
Duvalier's lawyer, Reynold Georges, had argued that all charges should be dismissed, and he said he would appeal Jean's finding as soon as he received the paperwork.
"We're going to appeal that decision ... and throw it in the garbage can," Georges told The Associated Press. "I'm very sorry he did that ? everybody will condemn this decision."
Human Rights Watch, which has helped push for a trial, also called for an appeal ? to overturn the judge's decision against a trial on abuse charges.
"Those who were tortured under Duvalier, those whose loved ones were killed or simply disappeared, deserve better than this," Reed Brody, counsel for Human Rights Watch, wrote in an e-mail. "This wrong-headed ruling must be overturned on appeal if Haitians are to believe that their justice system can work to investigate the worst crimes."
Brody and O'Neill both argued the statute of limitations hasn't expired on alleged rights violations because they wouldn't take effect until the victims' whereabouts or people who disappeared under the regime were identified.
O'Neill added that if the decision isn't appealed, he hopes to see the case taken to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Last May, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights urged Haiti's government to "investigate and punish those responsible for the numerous violations of the right to life and physical security."
Amnesty International researcher Gerardo Ducos said he was puzzled by the judge's findings, saying the "investigation was a sham and its conclusion a disgrace." He said that only a handful of victims were interviewed and that there was no effort to collect testimony from victims and witnesses outside Haiti.
Others said Haiti has an obligation under international law to put Duvalier on trial.
"Just as courts in Chile and Argentina have addressed past atrocities by their former military dictators, Haiti's courts are fully capable of bringing Duvalier to trial, and of seeking international support to do so, if needed," said James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Duvalier has posed a challenge to Haiti since his return from 25 years in exile in France. Haiti has a weak judicial system, with little history of successfully prosecuting even simple crimes, and the government is preoccupied with reconstruction from the devastating January 2010 earthquake.
A majority of Haitians are now too young to have lived under Duvalier, who was only 19-years-old when he was tapped by his feared father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvaler, to assume the presidency. But many still remember his government's nightmarish prisons and violent special militia, known as the Tonton Macoute, which killed and tortured political opponents with impunity.
More than 20 victims filed complaints shortly after Duvalier's return. Some were prominent Haitians, including Robert Duval, a former soccer star who said he was beaten and starved during his 17 months of captivity in the dreaded Fort Dimanche prison.
On Monday, Duval said he was stunned when he was notified about the judge's decision.
"I don't understand how he could've done that," Duval said by telephone. "If that's the case, that's an outrageous decision."
Since its inception, the case has stumbled along. Prosecutors have been fired and the defendant has made few court appearances, despite pressure from advocacy groups saying a successful prosecution would mark a turning point for Haiti's weak judiciary.
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Haiti said it was eager to see the case go to trial, but Western embassies in Port-au-Prince, including the United States, remained largely mum on the matter, saying it was up to the Haitian government.
Haitian President Michel Martelly gave mixed signals. Last week, the first-time politician recanted a suggestion from a day earlier that he might be open to a pardon for Duvalier, citing a need to end internal strife that has long dogged the country. Presidential adviser Damian Merlo said, "A Duvalier pardon is not part of the agenda."
On Monday, Merlo declined to comment. Presidential spokesman Lucien Jura didn't answer his cellphone.
The Martelly administration has made Duvalier critics uneasy by filling its ranks with former officials from the Duvalier era and grown children of members of the former dictator's inner circle.
Since his return, Duvalier has traveled around the capital and countryside, hobnobbing with friends, dining at high-end restaurants and even attending a memorial service for the victims of the 2010 earthquake. Jean, the investigating magistrate, had threatened to arrest Duvalier this month because he was allegedly violating the terms of his release.
van jones van jones dark energy dark energy sherri shepherd sherri shepherd sean avery
Monday, January 30, 2012
Who's pressuring Brad to marry Angelina?
After sporting a cane for a few months due to a knee injury, Brad Pitt?s walking stick has become a play toy for his and Angelina Jolie?s kids as Brad begins the process of strengthening his atrophied leg.
Story: 'The Help' earns top honor at SAG Awards?I was getting all lopsided,? Brad, 48, explained to Access Hollywood?s Shaun Robinson at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. ?So, I?m trying to balance out now.?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Big Screen Gentlemen: Hollywood?s Leading Men
-
More Entertainment stories
-
J.Lo: Marc Anthony will 'always be in my life'
Jennifer Lopez insists she and her soon-to-be-ex will always have an emotional connection, thanks to their children and pr...
- 'Scary Potter' movie comes to theaters
- Nickelback goes after haters on Twitter
- Anyone? Ferris Bueller returning ... to TV
- Demi Moore 911 call: 'She smoked something'
-
J.Lo: Marc Anthony will 'always be in my life'
The actor ? who, in addition to his SAG Award nomination for ?Moneyball,? was also nominated for two Academy Awards this year ? revealed the Jolie-Pitt family enjoyed a good old-fashioned pancake breakfast to celebrate his Oscar nod.
Slideshow: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (on this page)?I got ?em all jacked up on sugar,? he told Shaun. ?I?m surprised they weren?t sent home from school!?
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Brangelina?s Family Album
Earlier on Sunday, the actor revealed to ?CBS Morning News? correspondent Lee Cowan he?s been receiving ?a lot of pressure? from his kids to marry Angelina ? a comment the actor is beginning to regret.
Brad Pitt on quitting 'way too much dope'?Why did I say that?? Brad laughed, when asked about the already-highly-publicized marriage reveal. ?No, but there?s an issue of equality in marriage, and we wanted to hold out until everyone had the right.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
?I was just commenting on, one, it?s really difficult (to wait) when you love someone, and two, that we?re getting a lot of heat from the kids,? he explained.
Copyright 2012 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46187484/ns/today-entertainment/
kennedy assassination kennedy assassination jfk assassination pie crust recipe heritage foundation dancing with the stars results 2011 ali fedotowsky
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Potter star looks to life without wands or wizards (omg!)
LONDON (Reuters) - For Daniel Radcliffe, it's time to forget Harry Potter. The 22-year-old actor, inextricably linked to the boy wizard he played throughout the movie franchise, takes on his first adult role in Victorian-era horror film "The Woman in Black."
Hitting theatres in Britain on February 10 and a week earlier in the United States, the movie is a step into the unknown for an actor who grew up on the set of one of Hollywood's most successful series.
Instead of production budgets of $250 million or more, The Woman in Black cost an estimated $17 million to make. And however big Radcliffe's fan base around the world, another billion-dollar box office looks out of the question.
James Watkins, who directed The Woman In Black, called it a "reinvention" for Radcliffe.
"I think it's the start of that, absolutely," Radcliffe told Reuters in an interview ahead of Tuesday's red carpet world premiere of the new movie.
One of the attractions of playing Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer and father mourning the death of his wife, was the obvious break with what went before.
"People haven't seen me looking like this before. People haven't seen me playing a father -- all those things are going to help separate it in their mind," Radcliffe said.
"But I think ultimately the thing that will help that reinvention is the fact that the story is so good. I think people will very quickly forget that they're watching Harry Potter."
CREEPY MANSION
In The Woman in Black, Kipps is forced to leave his three-year-old son and travel to a remote village on the east coast of England to look into the legal affairs of the recently deceased owner of Eel Marsh House, a creepy mansion cut off from the mainland when the tide rises.
He discovers a dark family secret that helps explain the appearance of a mysterious, ghost-like woman dressed in black who beckons children to an early grave.
The film is based on a novel by Susan Hill that was adapted into a successful West End play, still running in London.
Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the scripts for "Kick-Ass" and "The Debt," was brought in to translate the page to the big screen, and horror specialist Watkins directed.
Radcliffe said he did not think too hard about trying to be different from his Harry Potter character when he worked on the set of The Woman in Black and was pleased with the results.
"I think my work in this is certainly on a par with the work I did on the last Potter which I was very, very proud of."
He will soon discover if critics agree. Throughout the Harry Potter series Radcliffe earned mixed reviews, although any negative comments did nothing to deter record audiences.
And his two main stage roles -- "Equus" in 2007 and "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" in 2011 were generally well-received, particularly Equus.
Looking ahead, Radcliffe said proving he was not a one-part wonder would take time.
"It's a long road. It's not going to be one film and suddenly you're off. It's going to be a combination."
That combination will involve both stage and screen.
"In an ideal world I would like to mix them as much as possible. In March I'm filming a movie called 'Kill Your Darlings' in which I'll be playing a 19-year-old Allen Ginsberg.
"That's the next thing on the plate and after that we'll see."
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)
navy football navy football 50/50 50/50 dreamhouse pan am susan g komen
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
France votes on genocide law, faces Turkish reprisals (Reuters)
PARIS (Reuters) ? French senators vote later Monday on a bill to make it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide, raising the prospect of a major diplomatic rift between two NATO allies.
Lawmakers in the lower-house National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in December for the draft law outlawing genocide denial, prompting Ankara to cancel all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and recall its ambassador for consultations. [ID:nL6E7NM0OV]
The bill, which has been made more general so that it outlaws the denial of any genocide, partly in the hope of appeasing the Turks, will be debated from 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) in the upper house before a final vote.
Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.
The Ottoman empire was dissolved soon after the end of World War One, but successive Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks feel the charge of genocide is a direct insult to their nation. Ankara argues there was heavy loss of life on both sides during fighting in the area.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara would take new measures against France unless the bill was rejected.
"If every (EU) parliament implements decisions reflecting its own historical views a new Inquisition period will begin in Europe," Davutoglu was reported as saying by Dogan news agency. "We all know what happened during the Inquisition in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately the revival of this is shameful for France."
Thousands of Turks from across Europe demonstrated in central Paris at the weekend and about 200 Franco-Turks protested Monday in front of the senate. They waved their French voting cards and banners with slogans including: "It's not up to politicians to invent history."
The Socialist Party, which has had a majority in the Senate since elections in the upper house late last year, and the Senate leader of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party, which put forward the bill, have said they will back the legislation.
But a non-binding Senate recommendation last week said the law would be unconstitutional, and after weeks of aggressive Turkish lobbying there are suggestions the outcome will be closer than anticipated.
If adopted, Sarkozy should then ratify the bill with the process to be completed before parliament is suspended in February ahead of presidential elections.
The bill can still be rejected by the country's highest court if that body considers the text unconstitutional.
Turkey calls the bill a bid by Sarkozy to win the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in the two-round presidential vote on April 22 and May 6.
Sarkozy wrote to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan last week saying the bill did not single out any country and that Paris was aware of the "suffering endured by the Turkish people" during the final years of the Ottoman empire.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero Monday called on Turkey not to overreact, adding that Paris considered Ankara a "very important ally."
Engin Solakoglu, first secretary at the Turkish embassy in Paris, said: "France can't continue to say that Turkey is an important ally when it votes laws against it."
European Union candidate Turkey could not impose economic sanctions on France, given its World Trade Organization membership and customs union accord with Europe.
But the row could cost France state-to-state contracts and would create diplomatic tension as Turkey takes an increasingly influential role in the Middle East.
The bill mandates a maximum 45,000-euro fine and a year in jail for offenders. France passed a law recognizing the killing of Armenians as genocide in 2001.
(Additional reporting by Emile Picy and Lucien Libert in Paris and Daren Butler in Istanbul)
netflix stock home affordable refinance program harp harp world series game 5 moammar gadhafi harry connick jr
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Video: ?JoePa was like our father?
>>> we learned today that one of the most legendary sports figures of the last half century has died. penn state football coach joe paterno whose legacy was forever stained by the scandal that cost him his job. he passed away early this morning after a short battle with lung cancer . and nbc's michelle franzen has reaction on the penn state campus tonight. michelle, good evening.
>> reporter: good evening, lester. here outside the stadium, a steady stream of people have been coming to pay tribute all day, laying flowers and candles at the base of joe paterno 's statue. this place and the man many say symbolizes the heart and soul of penn state . along with grief throughout the day, there was also a strong showing of pride for this legendary football coach.
>> joepa was our father, like everyone. he brought penn state together, really. so it was hard seeing him and terrible this has happened.
>> joe has done a tremendous amount for this university and i just hope that we can all remember him for the good that he did and not what happened this past november.
>> earlier today the paterno family released this statement following his death saying, quote, he died as he lived. he fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. back here at the stadium, people continue to come here tonight in quiet and somber reflection, a vigil is also planned back on campus in this community waiting for word from the family on funeral and memorial plans. lester?
>> reporter:
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46093903/
boxer rebellion stanford football lsu football schedule lsu football schedule terrapin terrapin manny pacquiao vs marquez
Yemen president gives farewell speech, apologizes
FILE - In this Friday, April 8, 2011 file photo, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh reacts while looking at his supporters, not pictured, during a rally supporting him, in Sanaa,Yemen. Yemeni officials say outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States. Washington has been trying to get Saleh out of Yemen _ though not to settle in the U.S. _ to allow a peaceful transition from his rule. However, there appear to be differences whether Saleh would remain in exile. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)
FILE - In this Friday, April 8, 2011 file photo, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh reacts while looking at his supporters, not pictured, during a rally supporting him, in Sanaa,Yemen. Yemeni officials say outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States. Washington has been trying to get Saleh out of Yemen _ though not to settle in the U.S. _ to allow a peaceful transition from his rule. However, there appear to be differences whether Saleh would remain in exile. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen, File)
SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Outgoing Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is getting ready to leave the country after delivering a farewell speech on Sunday, apologizing for mistakes and saying it is time to hand over power, Yemeni officials said.
Aides to the president told The Associated Press that Saleh gathered top political, military and security officials and announced promotion of Yemeni Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to the rank of marshal. He is set to replace Saleh.
"I appeal to you to forgive my past mistakes," one top ruling party official quoted Saleh as saying. "Today, I leave the country in your hands," he said, according to the official, who was among those attended the event early in the morning. In November Saleh signed a power transfer deal but has balked at actually leaving.
Another aide who attended the meeting quoted Saleh as saying, "I am leaving this good country, today. I want to bid you farewell from this place. I thank each one of you and offer my apology to the people and ask for forgiveness."
A third official said that Saleh declined to hold a departure ceremony and preferred to offer his farewell behind closed doors.
The officials requested of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
On Saturday, Yemeni officials said that Saleh intends to leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, part of an American effort to get the embattled strongman out of the country to allow a peaceful transition from his rule.
Washington has been trying for weeks to find a country where Saleh can live in exile, since it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States. The mercurial president, who has ruled for more than 33 years, has repeatedly vacillated over whether he would leave.
After nearly a year of protests demanding his ouster, Saleh signed the agreement to hand his powers over to Hadi and step down. Hadi set up a unity government between his party and the opposition.
Even so, Saleh ? still formally the president ? has continued to influence politics from behind the scenes through his family and loyalists in positions of power.
Associated Pressmarianne gingrich what is sopa gabrielle union emily maynard mark wahlberg merle haggard ladainian tomlinson
Monday, January 23, 2012
Syria rejects new Arab League plan to end crisis
An anti-Syrian regime protester colors his fingers with the revolutionary flag colors during a protest outside the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Arab League foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, extended the much-criticized observers mission for another month, officials from the 22-member organization said. The League decided to add more observers and provide them with additional resources, the officials said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
An anti-Syrian regime protester colors his fingers with the revolutionary flag colors during a protest outside the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Arab League foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, extended the much-criticized observers mission for another month, officials from the 22-member organization said. The League decided to add more observers and provide them with additional resources, the officials said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Syrian army defectors gather at the mountain resort town of Zabadani, Syria, near the Lebanese border, on Friday Jan. 20, 2012. President Bashar Assad's forces attacked Zabadani, some 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of the capital, for six days, sparking fierce fighting that involved heavy bombardments and clashes with army defectors. On Wednesday, government tanks and armored vehicles pulled back, leaving the opposition in control of the town. Buoyed by the opposition's control of a town near the Syrian capital, thousands of people held anti-government protests Friday, chanting for the downfall of the regime. At least eight people were killed by security forces across the country, activists said. (AP Photo)
Syrian army defectors gather at the mountain resort town of Zabadani, Syria, near the Lebanese border, on Friday Jan. 20, 2012. President Bashar Assad's forces attacked Zabadani, some 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of the capital, for six days, sparking fierce fighting that involved heavy bombardments and clashes with army defectors. On Wednesday, government tanks and armored vehicles pulled back, leaving the opposition in control of the town. Buoyed by the opposition's control of a town near the Syrian capital, thousands of people held anti-government protests Friday, chanting for the downfall of the regime. At least eight people were killed by security forces across the country, activists said. (AP Photo)
An anti-Syrian regime protester flashes victory sign as he marches during a demonstration at the mountain resort town of Zabadani, Syria, near the Lebanese border, on Friday Jan. 20, 2012. President Bashar Assad's forces attacked Zabadani, some 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of the capital, for six days, sparking fierce fighting that involved heavy bombardments and clashes with army defectors. On Wednesday, government tanks and armored vehicles pulled back, leaving the opposition in control of the town. Buoyed by the opposition's control of a town near the Syrian capital, thousands of people held anti-government protests Friday, chanting for the downfall of the regime. At least eight people were killed by security forces across the country, activists said. (AP Photo)
Anti-Syrian regime protesters carry revolutionary flags while performing a traditional dance during a protest outside the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012. Arab League foreign ministers, meeting in Cairo, extended the much-criticized observers mission for another month, officials from the 22-member organization said. The League decided to add more observers and provide them with additional resources, the officials said. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria on Monday rejected the Arab League's wide-ranging new plan to end the country's 10-month crisis, saying the League's call for a national unity government in two months is a clear violation of Syrian sovereignty, as violence raged.
Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets in a suburb outside the capital, Damascus to mourn for 11 residents who were either shot dead by security forces or killed in clashes between army defectors and troops a day earlier, activists said.
An activist group said 23 people were killed in Syria on Monday.
The crowd in Douma ? which one activist said was 60,000-strong ? was under the protection of dozens of army defectors who are in control of the area after regime forces pulled out late Sunday, said Samer al-Omar, a Douma resident.
The reports could not be independently confirmed.
In Syria's north, opposition figure Radwan Rabih Hamadi was killed in an ambush by unknown gunmen in the rebellious Jabal al-Zawiya mountain region, activists said. Hamadi, 46, was a prominent figure in the revolt against President Bashar Assad.
Assad blames the uprising that erupted in March on terrorists and armed gangs acting out a foreign conspiracy to destabilize the country. His regime has retaliated with a brutal crackdown that the U.N. says has killed more than 5,400 people.
There is growing urgency, however, to find a resolution to a crisis that is growing increasingly violent as regime opponents and army defectors who have switched sides have started to fight back against government forces.
The Arab League has tried to stem the bloodshed by condemning the crackdown, imposing sanctions and sending a team of observers to the country. On Sunday, the League called for a unity government within two months, which would then prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections to be held under Arab and international supervision.
The proposal also provides for Assad to give his vice president full powers to cooperate with the proposed government to enable it to carry out its duties during a transitional period.
The state-run news agency, SANA, said Damascus considers the plan "flagrant interference in its internal affairs" and the latest turn in an international plot against Syria.
It was not immediately clear what steps, if any, Syria could take to counter the Arab League's stance.
The European Union backed the Arab plan Monday, and it extended existing sanctions against Assad's government by adding 22 more officials and eight companies to the blacklist.
In New York, German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig called Monday on fellow Security Council members to endorse the Arab League's new plan to end the violence in Syria, including formation of a national unity government.
"The decisions taken in Cairo may be a game-changer, also for the Security Council," Wittig told a small group of reporters.
Omar Idlibi, a spokesman for the Syrian National Council opposition group, said the Arab efforts do not go far enough. He and many other opposition figures demand Assad leave power and say anything less will just give the regime time to bury the revolt.
But there are significant splits in the opposition about the way forward.
Hassan Abdul-Azim, who heads the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, or NCB, said the Arab plan is an "advanced step as the Arab League has started dealing with matters more seriously."
Abdul-Azim told The Associated Press that the plan would put more pressure on Assad's regime and "tells it that it's impossible to keep matters as they are."
Syria appeared to get a serious boost Monday from its powerful allies in Russia. Russia's business daily Kommersant reported that Moscow has signed a contract to sell 36 Yak-130 combat jets to Syria ? a deal that, if confirmed, would openly defy international efforts to pressure Assad's regime.
The Arab League's observer mission has come under heavy criticism for failing to stop the violence in Syria.
On Monday, the head of the mission defended the observers' work, saying their presence had cut down on the bloodshed. Speaking at League headquarters in Cairo, Sudanese Gen. Mohammed Ahmed al-Dabi told reporters the observers have witnessed violence from both the Syrian security forces and armed opposition groups.
"When the delegation arrived, there was clear and obvious violence," he said. "But after the delegation arrived, the violence started to lessen gradually."
On Sunday, Arab League foreign ministers extended the mission for another month. The mission's one-month mandate technically expired on Thursday.
Violence continued inside Syria on Monday.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops and army defectors clashed Monday near the western town of Qusair, close to the Lebanese border. It said five soldiers were killed and 13 were wounded.
The Observatory added that 20 civilians were killed by security forces in different parts of Syria, nine of them in the northwestern province of Idlib that borders Turkey.
The LCC put Monday's death toll at 23.
It was impossible to reconcile the discrepancy.
Syria has prevented most independent media coverage and until recently has refused to issue visas for most foreign journalists. In recent weeks, the regime has begun to permit entry for journalists on trips escorted by government minders.
___
Hubbard reported from Cairo. Anita Snow contributed reporting from the U.N.
___
Bassem Mroue can be reached on http://twitter.com/bmroue
Associated Pressalcohol poisoning mark ingram mark ingram between two ferns joe the plumber weather colorado springs weather colorado springs
With Nasdaq soaring, is 2012 tech's breakout year?
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The stock market has had an impressive January. The staid companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average have gained 4 percent in three weeks, and the broader market has done even better.
But the Nasdaq composite ? a collection of technology stocks whose dot-com heyday was more than a decade ago ? has left them both in the dust.
That's no surprise when you consider tech stocks took a licking last year. Tech companies tend to carry more risk ? a problem for the Nasdaq during last year's market gyrations. As investors regain confidence in the economy, riskier plays are doing well.
But experts say the Nasdaq's gains reflect long-term currents that could lift tech stocks through 2012 and beyond. Many companies put off replacing worn-out technology during the recession. To compete and survive, they need to invest in tech.
There's also a growing global market for technology as more nations try to reduce labor costs by automating everything from factories to cash registers.
And the biggest tech companies face less competition these days when they try to acquire smaller companies. Many of their mid-sized rivals for those deals were weeded out after the dot-com bust and the financial crisis.
In the market for mergers and acquisitions, established players like IBM and Oracle can be picky about buying only those companies that will increase their earnings ? and probably their stock prices.
In other words, it's not all about Microsoft-style titans and trendy social media companies like LinkedIn and Zynga. The Nasdaq contains more than 3,000 companies, many of them relative startups compared with the companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
For the year ? just 13 trading days old ? the Nasdaq composite is up 7 percent, compared with 4.6 percent for the S&P 500 and 4.1 percent for the Dow.
"It looks like it's going to be their year, or at least their month," says Michael Vogelzang, chief investment officer at Boston Advisors LLC.
The Nasdaq sank 1.8 percent last year, while the Dow rose 5.5 percent and the S&P was flat. That left tech stocks relatively cheap, giving them more space to rise as the broader market rallied. Oracle is up 11.9 percent this year, Microsoft 14.5 percent.
Vogelzang and others say the tech rally has further to go.
"If you want to make your company more productive, you have to turn to the world of technology for that," says Kim Caughey Forrest, senior analyst with Fort Pitt Capital Group.
She expects the S&P 500's tech sector to outperform the broader market because of strong demand from U.S. companies, developing nations such as China and even cash-strapped European governments. As China's banking system exploded to serve a growing middle class, banks there spent big on IBM technology, she noted.
"Nobody questions whether they need the latest and greatest technology anymore. They know they need to keep up their technology spending," says Eric Gebaide, managing director of Innovation Advisors, a tech-focused investment bank and strategic advisory firm.
Gebaide and others mentioned many companies' efforts to move their computing and data storage off-site ? trends known as "cloud computing" and "virtualization." Long-distance computing is cheaper, but it requires technology.
But why are tech stocks rallying now? The cloud computing transition has been under way for years, and spending by companies has driven much of the U.S. recovery since the economy emerged from recession in June 2009.
It's all about the investment cycle, says Jack Ablin, chief investment officer with Harris Private Bank. He says investors are finally willing to "flex their speculative muscles in a market that isn't falling apart in the way they feared last year."
Last year, some of the best-performing stocks were consumer staples and utilities ? lower-risk industries where demand is consistent even the economy is slow. This year, utilities in the S&P are down 3.7 percent, while tech companies are up 6 percent.
The move out of so-called defensive stocks, the ones you want to own in a slow economy, is a sign that investors are willing to embrace risk again.
"You're getting this big market rotation," Vogelzang says. "People made money last year in the boring, stable industries, and they're saying, 'Hey, I better get on this economy train while I can.'"
Tech companies learned hard lessons from the dot-com bust of the early 2000s and the 2008 financial crisis, says Gebaide of Innovation Advisors. They hold more cash than most types of companies and carry less debt. That leaves them less vulnerable to bankruptcy or a loss of investor confidence.
Given its twice-stung discipline, tech is positioned to drive the economy ? "perhaps the best it has been as a sector in the past 20 years," Gebaide says.
The biggest threat to the industry, Gebaide says, is a slowdown in the early investment that helps startups grow into viable companies. Those early dollars used to offer massive returns to savvy investors when a good pick went public.
Today, the upside for venture capitalists is limited because far fewer companies are going public in big stock offerings. The bar is much higher after dot-com era debacles like Pets.com. Before underwriting a deal or buying chunks of stock, banks and investors want to see millions in annual revenue and established customer bases. It's tough for younger tech companies to meet those standards.
Peter Falvey, managing director of Morgan Keegan Technology Group, says there's plenty of capital, entrepreneurship and good ideas to keep companies' bottom lines ? and stock prices ? rising.
Falvey's group specializes in tech mergers and acquisitions ? the kinds of deals that allow IBM or Oracle to bring a small competitor's product to a wider audience and add to their own earnings. Last year was the best for M&A in his group's 11-year history, and this year's deal pipeline already is stronger than last year's was at this time, he says.
A company like IBM "has huge amounts of capital and a global customer base, plus complete hardware-software services," Falvey says. "Once you put a small company into that machine, IBM can do really well with it."
The industry's earlier downturns also helped big companies by weeding out smaller players. The number of publicly traded tech companies has decreased by a third since 2000, Gebaide says. Now the big dogs can pick and choose more carefully, acquiring only businesses that are almost certain to increase their profits.
To be sure, high-tech companies are higher-risk investments, and they could lose value quickly if the market tanks because of a debt catastrophe in Europe or something unforeseen.
"People love tech until we get an economic shock, or negative economic statistics start to come out," Vogelzang says. "Then all of a sudden, people will say, 'Whoa, I need to go buy some utilities again."
But investors should take tech's success at this stage as a promising sign, says Ryan Detrick, senior technical strategist with Schaeffer's Investment Research. He says higher-risk bets like tech stocks tend to rise as the market enters a phase of long-term growth.
Housing, tech and small-company stocks all have risen faster than broad indexes since October, Detrick says. Those sectors are sensitive to improving economic data, he says.
"When you start to see tech taking charge, that's definitely a potential step in the right direction for future gains, potentially for the whole year," Detrick says. "Those are the sectors you want to see lead a bull market."
___
Follow Daniel Wagner at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports .
.
Associated Presswill rogers ohio university ohio university keystone xl pipeline idaho potato bowl cagayan de oro cagayan de oro
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Best Business Hotels In Philadelphia - Business Travel - Portfolio.com
Once a blue-collar manufacturing hub, Philadelphia has become a veritable cradle for both startups and Fortune 500 companies. Good thing, then, that this City of Brotherly Love has enough choices when it comes to hotel rooms to satisfy your brother, or sister, or business partner, or client.
Philadelphia often gets comparisons, not too many of them good, to its giant neighbor 99 miles to the north. But a big thing working in Philly?s favor is that it?s a relatively affordable city, especially compared with Manhattan, which has helped make it attractive to new businesses in particular.
An added bonus, especially for business travelers, is that hotel rates are lower. In 2010, the average daily hotel room rate in Philadelphia was $154.82; a nice break compared to New York?s average of $164 a night. One result of this is it?s a popular city for large meetings and conferences, and the amenity-packed Pennsylvania Convention Center hosts nearly 250 events a year. The convenience of the center is ideal?one block from the delicious eats at the famed Reading Terminal Market, and just minutes from the city?s courthouses and government offices on Vine Street.
But this isn?t just a place with a nice convention center. Philadelphia also is experiencing a proliferation of new business growth, and for that it may have New York City partly to thank. Back in 2005, The New York Times dubbed it New York?s ?next borough.? Today, however, Philadelphia?s unique identity nurtures startups such as Vuzit and Launchrock. Initiatives like the Philly Tech Meetup and Startup Digest are received by over 14,000 subscribers. Fortune 500 mainstays have also made Philadelphia home for quite some time, including media behemoth Comcast, and retail company Urban Outfitters, Inc.
If corporate events don?t eat up your time, Philadelphia?s rich American history is worth a look. The city is home to one of the nation?s oldest Ivy League universities, University of Pennsylvania, as well as the iconic Betsy Ross House and the famed Liberty Bell. Younger clients will appreciate the up-and-coming art scene, which can be found in hipster-fied neighborhoods like Old City and Northern Liberties. And for those craving fresh air, a walk along the Schuylkill River provides stunning views of the many boat houses that dot its shore.
Besides, it?s not for every deal that business travelers get to kick up their heels in one of the nation?s oldest and most respected cities. For inspiration on what to do with some downtime or where to take a colleague or client, check out these suggestions:
National Constitution Center. You can be sure that business talk will go over well at a museum solely devoted to the doctrine of guidelines for our country. Soak in the founding fathers? words through tons of interactive exhibits, interesting displays and artifacts to peruse. While many of its presentations are on-going, check the events calendar for any special exhibits planned for the duration of your stay.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Although the museum was probably made iconic from Rocky?s run up its steps, those same grounds are just as good for discussing a deal. (Can?t you just hear ?Gonna Fly Now??) Fortunately, the institution also offers up some world-class art, including pieces from the Renaissance, Modern, and Impressionist movements, as well as over 80 different periods on its second floor. Insider tip: Buy your tickets online in advance to avoid day-of lines.
Pat?s and Geno?s on East Passyunk Avenue. The word ?Philly? is practically synonymous with ?cheesesteak? since the sandwich debuted back in 1930. Invented by Philadelphian Pat Olivieri (who decided to toss some meat on his grill instead of the usual hot dog one day), eating one of the rival?s hoagies will probably one of the most delicious experiences you?ll have. Bring your business partner there, order one steak at each of the dueling shops (they?re open 24/7), and divide and conquer. This editor? a former Philly native herself? swears by ordering a ?Whiz With? to avoid the wrath of gruff staffers.
Now that we?ve given you the rundown, click to the next page to get the recommendations from Oyster.com?s editors on where to stay.
Source: http://www.portfolio.com/business-travel/2012/01/20/best-business-hotels-in-philadelphia
aladdin weird al yankovic bling ring bling ring melissa mccarthy green river killer bohemian grove
Vanilla Ice Project returns for new TV season (omg!)
MIAMI (AP) ? An unlikely home improvement show hosted by 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice is set to premiere its second season with the remodeling of another South Florida home.
During the 13-episode run of "The Vanilla Ice Project" on the DIY Network, the artist ? whose real name is Rob Van Winkle ? and his crew will take a dilapidated Palm Beach County mansion along the Intercostal Waterway and bring it into the 21st century with technology that isn't on the market yet.
Van Winkle's passion for real estate and renovation took hold in the early 1990s, after his hit "Ice Ice Baby" made him an international star with millions in the bank. He first bought a home on Miami Beach's exclusive Star Island. He later bought homes in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, New York's Greenwich Village and Snowbird, Utah, a skiing and snowboarding destination.
"I went on tour for three years and never saw any of those houses," Van Winkle said.
Fearing they may have been a waste of money, he decided to sell them ? and a new career was born.
"I literally made millions of dollars on them," Van Winkle said. "I was like, you gotta be kidding me. It can't be that easy. Let's go buy some more."
After Van Winkle's early 1990s stardom faded, he became more heavily involved in real estate. While he acknowledges that the housing market is different than it was 15 years ago, Van Winkle said he's been able to make money over the years by educating himself, studying markets and taking advantage of short sales and foreclosures. The longtime Miami resident estimates that he's bought and sold more than a hundred homes, mainly in Florida.
"The Vanilla Ice Project" came together after a producer remembered Van Winkle talking about his real estate experience during an interview for another show.
Matt Levine, with Departure Films, said he had done a special on Vanilla Ice for the Biography Channel several years ago. So when the production company was looking to duplicate the success of "Flip This House," a hit on the A&E Network, Levine said he remembered Van Winkle talking about his real estate experience. When Levine called, he learned that Van Winkle was in the process of buying a large, completely gutted foreclosure in Palm Beach.
"I flew down with a camera, and we shot a little demo of him (Van Winkle) showing off the place and talking about his experience in real estate and what he wanted to do with this house," Levine said. "It was really very impressive, and it became this little teaser reel. And DIY was immediately interested in it."
That house became the project for the first season, which aired in the fall 2010. The show became an instant hit for the DIY Network, and the home sold a short time later.
Levine acknowledged that the oddness of the show's premise ? Vanilla Ice doing home improvement ? was probably the original draw for most viewers. They kept watching because of Van Winkle's charisma and expertise, Levine said.
"It was unexpected, his likeability and how much he knew," Levine said. "Once it became clear that he really knew his stuff, people started to look at him in a different way. Instead of seeing him as a one-hit wonder or a blast from the past, people started to appreciate him much more than they expected."
Although Van Winkle has been rebuilding his celebrity over the past decade with appearances on reality shows like "The Surreal Life," Van Winkle and Levine are both quick to point out that "The Vanilla Ice Project" isn't really a reality show.
"'The Surreal Life' is reality TV: no plot, not informative, not anything, just a bunch of celebrities running around, seeing how crazy they can get."
Levine describes "The Vanilla Ice Project" as more of a home renovation show, where the expert just happens to be Vanilla Ice.
"We're not manipulating the story line or coming up with ideas," Levine said. "We're crafting episodes so it's coherent. Beyond that, it's his deal."
Both houses featured on the show were purchased by Van Winkle.
"This is all my own money," Van Winkle said. "It's basically just them following me around, doing what I do."
Van Winkle acknowledges that having the film crew around has given him a chance to boost the scale of his renovations. In the past, the work he did to homes was generally limited to painting, minor repairs and landscaping.
"Since the cameras are on it, these are the best houses I've done," Van Winkle said.
The new season promises to be even bigger and better than the first.
"I'm showcasing a lot of modern, state-of-the-art home features that you can't even get until 2013," Van Winkle said.
Following the renovation, the mansion will have a helicopter pad, a pneumatic elevator, electronically controlled beds and a 3D movie theater. They're also tearing out an old swimming pool and replacing it with a lazy river and Tiki hut. The home will be wired so that everything from the televisions to the thermostat to the curtains can be controlled with a smartphone from anywhere in the world.
"Bill Gates wishes he had a house like this," Van Winkle said. "There's stuff he can't even get."
Most viewers might not have the inclination ? or the money ? to turn their home into a high-tech, rock-star pad, but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the show or learn from it.
"You don't have to put in the elevator; you don't have to put it the lazy river or the huge 3D cinema," Van Winkle said. "But you might like the flooring we used in the garage. It's just snap-in tiles. It's really simple. You can order them anywhere and make your garage a really cool man cave. There are a lot of cool little things that you're going to be inspired by and have ideas to do to your own home."
The second season of "The Vanilla Ice Project" begins Saturday on the DIY Network.
pentagon remember me anniversary god bless america flight 93 flight 93 al qaeda
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Protest SOPA/PIPA!
This may be a repeat message that someone else has posted, and it's certainly just an echo of what the admins displayed most of the day, but the more exposure, the better our chance.
Write to your representatives, or do whatever you want to do to make your voice heard! I know you may feel insignificant as an individual, but if everyone used that excuse to avoid speaking up, we will lose! Here on RPG alone we are probably a thousand or more strong (maybe that's a low estimate, I don't know); if each one of us makes a statement, that's a collective voice that is difficult to ignore!
And if every community like ours does the same, then we will beat this nonsense. So don't let this pass without giving your two cents, pence, rupees, reals, yen, or whatever else you've got.
-SF
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/OtwrBcuqP9g/viewtopic.php
president obama white house gia fashion night out outlook the young and the restless the young and the restless
NYC City Opera reaches tentative deal with union (AP)
NEW YORK ? The New York City Opera and the union representing its orchestra have reached a tentative contract agreement.
A union spokesman said orchestra players would be casting votes until 4 p.m. Thursday.
He did not release details. Management didn't immediately return a call for comment.
Negotiations are continuing with another union, the American Guild of Musical Artists. It represents the chorus, principal singers, stage managers and assistant directors.
The bitter contract dispute has resulted in cancellation of rehearsals for a Feb. 12 opening production of Verdi's "La Traviata" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
City Opera moved out of its longtime home at Lincoln Center last year, citing financial troubles. It cut back its usual schedule of 12 to 16 operas per season, with a peak of about 130 performances.
Friday, January 20, 2012
MuyInternet: Facebook, por encima de Orkut en Brasil http://t.co/SaMBgfpU
- Passer la navigation
- Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
- Passer cette ?tape
- Connexion
Facebook, por encima de Orkut en Brasil dlvr.it/15sGGr 
MuyInternet Pied de page
Source: http://twitter.com/MuyInternet/statuses/159662170592915456
lytro camera st. louis cardinals gaddafi bodyguards gaddafi bodyguards muammar gaddafi muammar gaddafi lord monckton
UT Brownsville Preps for Final Baseball Season
Brendan Fitzgerald
Brendan is the weekend sports anchor and reporter.
Read?more: Local, Sports, UT Brownsville Scorpions, College Baseball, NAIA, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Bryan Aughney, College BROWNSVILLE, TX -- As UT Brownsville opens spring baseball practice, the typical excitement is joined by frustration and sorrow that the program will be cut after this season.Source: http://www.valleycentral.com/sports/story.aspx?id=708266
what is sopa marianne gingrich william shatner gabrielle union emily maynard mark wahlberg ladainian tomlinson
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Boycott SOPA: The Android app that identifies products sold by SOPA-backing companies
The anti-SOPA movement has been gathering pace, helped by online campaigns to boycott supporting companies by hitting them where it hurts ? their bank accounts.
Go Daddy saw its customers transfer their accounts in their thousands, online campaigners have mobilsed and forced other companies to withdraw their support and Google, Amazon, Facebook, Yahoo and several other Internet companies are said to be considering taking their services offline in protest.
Whilst Internet-based companies have incurred the wrath of their anti-SOPA users and customers, hundreds of other supporting companies are not as easy to influence. However, that could be set to change with the launch of ?Boycott SOPA? a new Android application that allows users to scan barcodes of different products to identify if the company that makes or sells it is a supporter of the?Stop Online Piracy Act.
If you?re wondering what SOPA is all about, check out our guide?which explains how it will affect the Internet and you, the user.
Boycott SOPA was created by two college students that were ?unimpressed with the current SOPA bill and want to discourage it from getting passed in any way possible,? allowing its users to take action against SOPA-backing companies by boycotting or completely?avoiding?their products.
At the time of writing, the app can identify products connected to over 800 brands or companies and is?continually?being updated. As its creators note, ?it is intended as an aid to identifying such products but should not be relied upon,? adding that its users ?should carry out [their] own check in case of any product this app indicates is a product of a company supporting?SOPA is not?.
The app itself requires only Internet permissions on an Android device. However, it does require the barcode scanning app made by the ZXing (Google/Open Source) team to process the image and decode the barcode. The Boycott SOPA team says that their app makes one request to its server to find out if the product is made by a SOPA supporter and does not request or send any other data.
Lifehacker has also compiled a few extra tools that can aid you in taking the fight to those backing SOPA.
Boycott SOPA is a simple app with a common goal; with enough users it might be able to help make an impact on SOPA-supporting companies, but it?s a huge ask. It will allow those who are staunchly against the new bill to carry out their own protests against these companies, impacting brands online and?offline.
? Boycott SOPA
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tnw_mobile/~3/aDBgm8l0JCQ/story01.htm
muhammad ali pentatonix nicki minaj barbie doll nicki minaj barbie doll black dahlia drew drew
Florida Panthers fan favorite Booth returns to old haunt
SUNRISE?
When Panthers coach Kevin Dineen approached David Booth in the locker room a few minutes before pregame warmups against the Islanders on Oct. 22, he had no idea that he was about to be traded for the first time in his six-year career."I thought he was going to tell me what to do that night. Use your speed or play the body, or, lets go, pick it up, '' Booth said Sunday afternoon after practicing with the Vancouver Canucks at BankAtlantic Center.
"He brought me through the weight room into his office and I was like, 'Hurry, just tell me already.' ? Then he says, 'A deal went through.'
"I was, 'Wow,' it's really hard to hear because I enjoyed Florida so much and have a lot of good memories here and a lot of good friends along the way. It was tough to have a change in a matter of seconds and say goodbye to something that I loved.
"Looking back it was done in a professional way and now I'm really excited to be a Canuck.''
It's no secret that this Panthers regime wasn't enamored by Booth's defensive deficiencies, and after just six games and two consecutive shutouts, General Manager Dale Tallon had seen enough. He traded Booth and his one assist, minus-6 start, along with his $18.25 million contract to the Canucks for veteran forwards Marco Sturm and Mikael Samuelsson.
Booth hasn't been the same offensive force since sustaining?two serious concussions in the 2009-10 season, a year after scoring a career-high 31 goals.
After a slow start with the Stanley Cup runner-up Canucks, Booth heated up and had five goals and 12 points in 19 games before sustaining a knee injury on Dec. 6 on a cheap shot from Colorado's Kevin Porter.
Without Booth, the Panthers have gone 17-10-8 and to the top of the Southeast Division standings.
"I thought we had a good team and the guys worked hard and wanted to win so I knew it was a matter of time they were going to play well,'' he said. "It's good to see them winning and give the fans something to cheer about.''
Booth had targeted Monday's game against the team that drafted him in 2004, but although he has been given medical clearance to play and was jabbed by his coach Alain Vigneault after practice ("I'm waiting for David to tell me he's ready to go,'') Booth won't rush back.
"This is the game I'd do anything to play and it's really tough not to,'' Booth said. "I don't think I'd do any benefit to the team. I don't have my speed right now. I have no power in the leg ?I can't even put full pressure on it.
"I'd probably get hurt if I played.''
Ironically, since joining the Panthers, both Sturm and Samuelsson ? who have expiring contracts - have been slowed by concussions. However, Samuelsson has a goal and five assists in his last five games and seems ready to provide the secondary scoring that is sorely needed to take pressure off the Panthers slumping top line.
"Booth is such a dynamic speed skater and has a style of game that was very specific, as does Samuelsson. They're not similar, but both are effective,'' Dineen said after Panthers practice at Saveology.com Iceplex. "When the pucks on [Samuelsson's] stick a lot of creative things can happen.''
Markstrom scare
Panthers rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom was a no-show at practice because he tweaked the same knee that was surgically repaired last season in Friday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.
Dineen said he gave Markstrom a, "maintenance day,'' off so the doctors could make sure everything is, "solid and stable.''
"He had some long-term health issues last year and we want to make sure we're erring on the side of caution,'' he said. "I'm confident he'll be fine to be an option to play [Monday].''
leftover turkey recipes leftover turkey recipes hugo hugo the muppets percy harvin percy harvin
Monday, January 9, 2012
Nation adds 200,000 jobs in December hiring surge (AP)
WASHINGTON ? Four painful years after the Great Recession struck and wiped out 8.7 million jobs, the United States may finally be at the start of a virtuous cycle ? an escalating loop of robust job growth, healthier spending and higher demand.
The nation added 200,000 jobs in December in a burst of hiring that drove the unemployment rate down two ticks to 8.5 percent, its lowest in almost three years, and led economists to conclude that the improvement in the job market might just last.
"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."
It was the sixth month in a row that the economy added at least 100,000 jobs, the longest streak since 2006. The economy added jobs every month last year, the first time that has happened since 2005.
And the unemployment rate, which peaked at 10.1 percent in October 2009 and stood at 9.1 percent at the start of last year, has fallen four months straight.
If economics textbooks and the best hopes of millions of unemployed Americans are confirmed, the virtuous cycle may be under way, which would suggest the job market will get stronger yet.
When more Americans are hired, they have more money to spend. When more money courses through the economy, businesses can justify hiring more people. That means more jobs, more spending and more demand for businesses. Which leads to still more hiring, spending and demand.
That would be the reverse of the vicious cycle that took hold during the Great Recession. People lost jobs and spent less money, so businesses rang up less sales and were forced to lay off more people. That led to even less spending and more layoffs.
"The labor market is healing," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. She cautioned that "we still have a long way to go ? years ? to recoup the losses we have endured."
Indeed, the economy added 1.6 million jobs for all of 2011. That is better than the 940,000 it added during 2010. In 2009, the most bruising year of the Great Recession, the nation lost more than 5 million.
But it will take 6 million more jobs to get the United States back to what it had in December 2007, when the recession began. Economists forecast the nation will add 2.1 million this year.
The unemployment report was the first to be released since Republicans across the country began voting to determine a candidate to face President Barack Obama this fall in an election that will turn on the economy.
Obama appears bound to face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any president running for re-election since World War II. Unemployment was 7.8 percent when Obama took office.
But the president's re-election chances may hinge more on the direction of the unemployment rate than on what the rate is come Election Day. The rate was 7.2 percent when Ronald Reagan beat Walter Mondale in 1984, but it had fallen from 10.8 percent two years before the election.
Obama, visiting the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said: "We have made real progress. Now is not the time to stop." He called on Congress to extend a tax Social Security payroll tax cut that is due to expire at the end of next month.
Campaigning in New Hampshire for Obama's job, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum claimed credit for Republicans, suggesting the gains were tied to voter optimism that a Republican would take the White House.
"There's a lot of concern still," added Santorum, who finished in a virtual tie with Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucuses earlier this week. Another candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, dismissed the job gains as inadequate.
The report painted a picture of a broadly improving job market. Average hourly pay rose by 4 cents. The average workweek lengthened by six minutes, a sign that business is picking up and companies may soon need to hire.
The private sector added 212,000 jobs in December. That gain was offset by 12,000 layoffs by governments.
Hiring increased across industries. Manufacturing added 23,000 jobs, as did the health care industry. Transportation and warehousing added 50,000 jobs. Retailers added 28,000. Even the beleaguered construction industry added 17,000.
Economists cautioned that some of the gains reflected temporary hiring for the holiday season. The government adjusts the figures to try to account for that seasonal factor, but doesn't always get it exactly right.
The gains in transportation and warehousing, for example, reflected a strong increase in hiring for couriers and messengers. That could be because of the jump in online shopping over the holidays, the Labor Department said.
And the economy still faces many challenges, including a likely recession in Europe exacerbated by the debt crisis there. That could drag on the U.S. stock market, making U.S. investors feel poorer and weighing on their spending.
In a reminder of the threat, U.S. stocks, which had appeared poised for a higher open, declined for the day. The Dow Jones industrial average was down 39 points. Analysts blamed a spike in borrowing costs for Italy, an ominous sign for the debt crisis.
"While December's data represent good news, there is no guarantee that January will follow a similar path," said Joshua Shapiro, chief economist at MFR Inc., in a note to clients.
Dow futures jumped 40 points when the unemployment report was released at 8:30 a.m. EST, but when the market opened an hour later, the Dow dropped 83 points in the first half-hour of trading. It recovered some of those losses later.
The Dow was at 12,377, still up 159 points for the first week of the year.
The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively searching for jobs. Discouraged workers who have given up on looking are not included in the unemployment rate.
The nation's work force, which includes both people working and those searching for jobs, shrank slightly in December and doesn't look much different from last spring.
That is a concern because a strengthening job market normally encourages people to get out and look for work. And if more Americans are motivated to start looking for work, the unemployment rate could jump again.
There are also 8.1 million Americans working part-time who would rather be working full-time, though that number has fallen from 9.3 million in September and is the lowest since January 2009.
A measure that includes those groups, the so-called underemployment rate, was 15.2 percent in December. It has fallen three straight months but remains historically high.
A more robust hiring market coincides with data suggesting the economy ended the year with some momentum. Holiday sales were solid, and November and December were the strongest months of 2011 for U.S. auto sales.
Chrysler said this week that it will add 1,250 jobs at two Detroit factories next year: 1,100 to build a diesel model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and 150 more to make a version of the Dodge Viper muscle car.
___
AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber contributed to this report.
rachel uchitel new years eve party ideas strait of hormuz mars needs moms gary johnson gary johnson stephen curry
Saturday, January 7, 2012
2011 Reflections: What happened to the US debate on Afghanistan?
Seven Monitor correspondents reflect on the world's hot spots. In this installment, Ben Arnoldy is bothered by silence on the war because, unlike him, US troops can?t choose when to come home.
It's the middle of the night and I've just been awakened by an explosion. Standing in the dark of the Afghan guesthouse, I hear gunfire approaching.
Skip to next paragraphI am the only Westerner in Baharak, a far-flung town. My curiosity turns to fear. I start looking for a hiding spot. Then, mercifully, the guns fall silent.
During my three years in the region, it was times like these that made me consider whether I wanted to keep reporting on Afghanistan, where the US involvement is entering its 11th year. Was it worth the risks if few Americans seemed to be paying attention to the conflict?
Since my move back to Boston in November, I'm still bothered by the neglect of the war because, unlike me, roughly 90,000 US troops over there cannot choose when to come home ? that's up to us, the electorate. So far, I have encountered few real debates or deep curiosity here about this mostly forgotten war, just the occasional sentimentality for the troops.
"When did you get back?" the receptionist at the dentist asked me recently. "They didn't have you stick around to cover the end of the war?"
"I wasn't going to stay another three years ? or more," I said.
Confused, she said: "I thought the war just ended."
"Oh, that's Iraq," I said.
"Where were you again?" she asked. Afghanistan does feel impossibly far away here. Even the scenes that play back in my mind look a bit like the moon.
I remember piling into a light armored vehicle, a military version of a duck boat. I was embedded with a group of US Marines in the far south.
We sped into the wake of the lead vehicle, which was kicking up plumes of "moon dust" ? the powdery sand in that part of Helmand Province ? that covered anyone leaning out of the truck's open bed. I didn't have aviator goggles, so I faced in, looked down, and noticed the guys were wearing velcro straps around their thighs.
If we hit an improvised explosive device (IED), they explained later, they could quickly tighten the straps to serve as a tourniquet.
When that's the nature of daily life there, a daily conversation ought to be taking place here about whether such sacrifices are still worth the costs. Instead, it's just not a priority ? at least, not for most.
The Republican debates, when they touch on war, are fixated on Iran. The "Occupy" protests are not focused on the ongoing war, either, though returned veterans got some attention for putting themselves between police and fellow protesters.
Explain this to me
I ask people why it's such a forgotten issue. "People are more concerned about the economy," said a PhD student I met recently. Like most Americans, she wants the United States out of Afghanistan. I asked whether she'll protest. She shrugged. "We'll be out by 2014 anyway, right?"
I was in the Afghan capital, Kabul, when President Obama announced a surge of US forces into Afghanistan in 2010. He made a fateful decision to also mention a drawdown date. The reason, US officials in Kabul said, was to light a fire under Afghan President Hamid Karzai: Get serious about good governance because the US won't be there forever.
west virginia university amber rose jessica biel tim howard west virginia rob roy gaslight
Cyprus leaders host dinner to spur peace talks (AP)
PYLA, Cyprus ? Divided Cyprus' rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders hosted a dinner for U.N. officials in this ethnically mixed village Thursday as they faced growing pressure to make progress in reunification talks.
The gathering in Pyla came ahead of a crucial session with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York later this month.
Accompanied by their wives, Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and breakaway Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu braved midwinter drizzle to greet villagers and exchange New Year's wishes in the village square before sitting down for a meal at a Greek Cypriot fish tavern, followed by coffee at a Turkish Cypriot cafe.
The event was effectively a photo-op designed to underscore the leaders' commitment to a peace deal, even though there has been scant progress in recent months.
Straddling the U.N. controlled buffer zone in the island's southeast, Pyla remains the only village where Greek and Turkish Cypriots have continued to live together since 1974, when the island was split after Turkey invaded in response to a coup by supporters of union with Greece.
The island became a European Union member in 2004, but only the southern, internationally recognized half enjoys benefits. A breakaway state Turkish Cypriots declared in 1983 is recognized only by Turkey, which keeps 35,000 troops there.
But the leaders' handshakes, smiles and jovial banter with villagers did little to detract from a growing sense that after more than three years of the frustratingly complex, U.N.-facilitated talks, time is running out for the sputtering process.
U.N. envoy Alexander Downer upped the ante Wednesday when he said that the leaders have until their Jan. 22-24 meeting with the U.N. chief to agree on several 'core' issues. Those issues include how to share power under an envisioned federation and what do to with property abandoned during the Turkish invasion.
With no plans for another meeting with Ban, Downer said no agreement on all the core issues by Jan. 22 would mean a talks deadlock, prompting a U.N. rethink of the process.
ecu john wooden mirror mirror tanuki mirror mirror trailer bob knight bob knight
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)