Holiday pay, work and hiring - Business Management Daily

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the IRS can also throw kinks into your holiday plans. Watch out for these lumps of coal.

Four rules on holiday pay

Although paid holidays are customary for many employers, there?s no requirement to pay holiday pay.

• Rule #1: The FLSA doesn?t mandate that employees be paid for holidays. This gives you a lot of latitude. For example, you can pay nonexempts for eight holiday hours, even if they customarily work 10-hour days.
• Rule #2: If you do pay for holidays, and employees work overtime that week, don?t factor the holiday pay into their regular rates as you figure their overtime rates.

Holiday pay for exempt employees is trickier, since exempts generally must be paid their full salary in any week they do any work.

• Rule #3: If you close for a holiday, and you have a bona fide benefits plan, exempts can be required to take those days off, provided they continue to receive their guaranteed salary. Warning: Exempts who would run out of accrued time due to current debiting, or those who have negative time in their banks, must be paid their full salaries.
• Rule #4: Exempts don?t need to be paid if they don?t work for a whole week. Thus, if you shut down for the entire week between Christmas and New Year?s, you needn?t pay exempts anything. They may use vacation or other accrued time, if they have it.

Two rules for holiday work

As we said, you don?t include holiday pay in nonexempts? regular rates.

• Rule #1: Under the FLSA, you also don?t have to include holiday pay in the regular rate calculation for nonexempts who work through the holiday if they receive their regular wages in addition to the holiday pay. Downside: You can?t credit the holiday pay against your obligation to pay overtime.
• Rule #2: If, instead of paying employees their normal wages, plus the holiday pay, you ask them to exchange their holiday pay for at least time-and-a-half for holiday work, you can credit that time-and-a-half premium against your obligation to pay overtime. Employees don?t lose a penny and the company actually ends up saving money.

Example: Ben earns $10 an hour. He?s entitled to Christmas Day as a paid day off.

Plan A: He gives up his holiday and works nine hours. During the week he works 50 hours. Total pay: $630: $400 in straight-time pay, $150 in overtime and $80 in holiday pay.

Plan B: Ben gets double time for the holiday. Total pay for working nine holiday hours: $180. He still receives $400 in straight-time pay and $15 for one OT hour. Total pay: $595. Ben?s employer credits the nine hours of OT pay against the 10 hours of OT he?s owed.

Requirements for holiday hiring

Seasonal employees must complete W-4 forms and I-9 forms and be reported as new hires. Tips: Ask to see their Social Security cards and photocopy them for your records. Then, use the Social Security Adminis?tration?s Social Security Number Verification Service to ensure that their names and Social Security numbers match.

If you don?t want to enroll these employees in your direct deposit program, you can facilitate electronic pay with paycards. If you use paycards, be sure to provide employees with all appropriate explanatory material.

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Weight Vest and SandBell? Training for Football

By Sam Dowd

As many football coaches have looked to provide their programs with innovative resistance training regimens, certain athletic institutions have turned to expensive, bulky, and ultimately worthless machines built to work select muscle groups through non-functional movement patterns. Conversely, more astute football programs throughout the country have turned to a central Texas company for simple, affordable, and versatile training tools designed to take their game to the next level.

Hyperwear, with their signature SandBell and Hyper Vest PRO weight vest products, has transformed football strength and conditioning programs for the better. While it is beyond the scope of this blog to discuss all the possible training applications for football, some practical and easily applied techniques are warranted to fully appreciate the impact that the SandBell and weight vest can have on a football training program.

Many players and coaches have used weight vests to burn more calories and seamlessly add additional weight when doing any type of strength or cardio exercise. Incorporate the Hyper Vest PRO into your sprint training to develop powerful speed gains. Utilizing a weight vest during training can mean the difference in your speed when it counts during a game. You can also wear the PRO vest during work on any kind of incline to further tax the lower body muscles and prepare the cardiovascular system for the rigors it will endure during a game.

Transverse leap in the Hyper Vest PRO

Additionally, you can use the added resistance in a multiplanar plyometric regimen to activate hip muscles responsible for explosive movements or quick changes in direction. An easy entry into plyometric training with a weight vest is a simple vertical leap. Bring yourself into a deep squat, and power through your hips to explode into a jump. Land with soft knees and repeat. Upon completing the vertical leaps with the weight vest, you can transition into bi or uni-lateral leaps in any number of planes. Sagittal weighted plane leaps will activate a greater number of fibers in the gluteus maximus. Frontal weighted plane leaps will activate additional fibers in the gluteus medius, allowing for quick cuts and greater hip stability in lateral movements. Transverse weighted plane leaps will serve to fire the piriformis and additional deep hip muscles responsible for keeping the hips stable in any rotational movements. In terms of resistance for any of these exercise progressions, the Hyper Vest PRO can be tailored to provide varied weight levels, so you can find a size and weight that works for you.

Using the SandBell in conjunction with weight vest training will undoubtedly lead to monumental gains in lower body and abdominal strength that are vital to the success of any football player. While the football training possibilities are endless with a tool as versatile as the SandBell, a brief outline of the potential training applications is warranted to appreciate the impact this product can have on your football resistance training program.

A great way to introduce yourself to SandBell training is to incorporate the tool into squats or lunges. Starting here is a reasonable means by which your abdominals and hips can become accustomed to the dynamic resistance that is inherent in the SandBell.

Once you master SandBell squats and lunges in the sagittal plane, try incorporating multiplanar SandBell moves with your basic lifts in order to activate additional muscles. A squat or lunge with a SandBell rotation will engage the muscles through the midsection that are responsible for rotational movements common in football. Through training with the SandBell, the hips and abdominals are required to work in an integrated and sequential fashion, and in turn create more explosive power that translates to the field more readily than any other piece of strength training equipment on the market today.

SandBell Slam

And of course, no Hyperwear blog on football training is complete without mentioning the acclaimed SandBell Slam! As previously stated, two of the primary goals when training in any football context is to develop additional power through the hips and strengthen the abdominals. By incorporating the SandBell Slam into your football training, you are priming your body to build explosive hip and core strength from the top down, while utilizing the SandBell?s dynamic resistance, as well as ground reaction forces, to tax your muscles in a way that is not possible using conventional, static strength training equipment. While it is best to start with a slam in a base stance through the sagittal plane to master the movement pattern, incorporating multiplanar slams and slams coupled with movements such as lunges will continue to build strength through the hips and core in a three dimensional fashion, and will translate to significant performance increases on the field.

About Sam Dowd

Sam Dowd is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently a personal trainer at Mecca Gym and Spa and the Four Seasons residences. Sam?s skill lies in his ability to work with and transform every type of client, regardless of their health and fitness goals.?While Sam works with any client regardless of their health background, his passion is working with clients to help them move more efficiently by implementing movement patterns that serve to realign the kinetic chain.

Sam is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Through those associations, and his continued involvement with Hyperwear, Sam is able to bring his clients a synthesis of all the most current and functional strength training science in an accessible and accommodating format.

Source: http://www.hyperwear.com/blog/weight-vest-sandbell-training-football/

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KRPR Media Announces 1st Website Collaborates Artist, Music ...

By Pigeon Project on Nov 28, 2012 in Art, Featured

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? Unsignedstarz is an One-Stop Music Match Making Site designed to create collaborations, promotion opportunities, music/video distribution and more for those in the entertainment industry.

Unsignedstarz (US) joins multifaceted individuals associated in the Music industry into one location allowing members to collaborate by going to artist(s) page(s) to click the ?COLLAB? button which notifies the artist that someone is interested in some type of partnership or working situation. In addition, there are apps available for artist to use to build fan base and to maintain up to date info about music, performances and more. Unsignedstarz allows talent to upload photos, videos, music and so much more. In addition, they can build their own team such as Managers, Producers, Promoters and even Media Attorneys.

Unsignedstarz is a necessary source for ARTISTS that sing yet need beats to create the song; PRODUCERS that have beats for artist to sing on; WRITERS that have poems or lyrics for singers to sing or producers to match to the beats; VENUES searching for acts to book at clubs, concerts or festivals and more.

In addition, there is a store online where talent can upload music to sell with a 100% profit OR to just allow others to download.

Unsignedstarz creates collaborations with artist from around the world, allows talent to chat with managers and record labels, gets advice about the music world from professionals living it and so much more.

- A simple and easy to use customizable template
- A listing feature for jobs and gig openings
- A chat room that is user friendly also includes webcam chat and single player games
- A Star System that grades every member on the site by the amount of views on their page and song or video plays
- A member page were you can browse all our members and to make it easier through a state of the art search engine
- A forum to talk to different people from around the world
- A group page to join or to create for personal use
- A simple and easy to use way to collaborate with musicians
- A homepage with easy to navigate through pages highlighting today?s hottest artist, the most viewed videos, news, events and more,
- FUTURE ADDITIONS a high tech online studio, a battle page where you can battle head to head with other musicians and more.

Entertainment Individuals are invited to join www.unsignedstarz.com today ?collaborations are waiting for you!

For features or media inquiries, please email: krprmedia@gmail.com
KimiRhochelle
www.krprmedia.com

Source: http://pigeonproject.com/2012/11/28/krpr-media-announces-1st-website-collaborates-artist-music-producers-writers-singers-and-more/

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Fired-up congressional panel vows strict VA oversight

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

Members of Congress angrily vowed Wednesday to crank its investigative floodlights far brighter on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, accusing agency leaders of dodging direct questions on travel and conference spending, failing to disclose a gathering in Las Vegas, and exhibiting ?total incompetence? as veterans wait in record-long lines for medical help.

During a hearing before the House Committee on Veterans? Affairs, chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., said that one day after he and VA Deputy Secretary Scott Gould had held a ?civil conversation? on the same issues, Gould?s vague responses to the panel's precise and lengthy interrogation ?raised the hackles on the back of my neck.?

?The truce is over. It lasted less than 24 hours. Expect much more oversight from this committee,? Miller said. ?Expect more questions from this committee because they?re coming ? in great volumes.?

---

The fiery, two-hour hearing was primarily held to examine how the VA plans to prevent future, exorbitant spending lapses like the estimated $9 million the agency doled out for two Orlando gatherings in 2011. During those conferences for VA human resources personnel, the VA invested, for example, $84,000 for VA-branded promotional items, including pens, highlighters and hand sanitizers, according to Office of the Inspector General. But at the close of the hearing, Gould complained the committee?s line of questioning had devolved into ?a slap at the employees who work at VA every day.?

Miller interrupted Gould.

?No, no, no, no,? Miller said, his voice rising. ?Don?t you ever accuse a Democrat or a Republican on this committee of slapping any of the hardworking 300,000 VA employees. Rest assured, it?s the leadership that we?re concerned with.?

Earlier, Gould opened by describing the VA?s beefed-up oversight to block other Orlando-type escapades, which he called: ?abdications of responsibility, failures of judgment, and serious lapses of stewardship.?

Those tightened measures include requirements that all VA conference planning now include ?a detailed business case analysis.? And, from this point, any VA gatherings estimated to cost $20,000 to $100,000 must receive prior approval by a VA under secretary or assistant secretary, conferences estimated to cost $100,000 to $500,000 must be approved by the deputy secretary, and conferences costing more than $500,000 ?are generally not permitted,? he said.?

Click here for more military-related coverage from NBC News.

But the hearing quickly turned into larger prosecution of VA leadership by the committee. The members complained about what they called the VA?s chronic lack of responses ? or its fuzzy answers???to dozens of congressional requests for information on items ranging from VA spending to its internal discipline of employees caught making ethical errors.?

For example, on Aug. 16, Congress asked the VA to disclose how much it spent during 2011 on conferences. According to Miller, the VA first reported the price of those events was $20 million but later amended that figure to more than $100 million. At Wednesday?s hearing, VA Chief Financial Officer Todd Grams testified that the events cost, in total, $86.5 million.

Miller asked Gould if he ?or anyone at the table? had been ordered to withhold information from Congress. Gould responded: ?No.? Miller then blasted VA leaders for failing to answer 75 specific congressional questions.

?Unfortunately, lengthy delays or not responding to requests at all has become normal for VA,? Miller said. ?We clearly have a problem here.?

The Orlando conferences had served as the initial spark for ramped up congressional scrutiny of the agency. But several members said the VA?s lack of answers had left them increasingly irked???and several members sounded so Wednesday, their voices sometimes breaking or shaking, including Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan.

?It?s been 106 days since I asked some of these questions. I have asked for: a list of the attendees at the July 2011 conference in Orlando; a list of attendees at the August 2011 conference in Orlando; a list of individuals involved in planning these conferences; the names and titles of employees who are being held accountable. Why have you refused to answer all of these?? Huelskamp asked Gould. ?Those were all ignored. When will you find it out ? in another 106 days? These are simple questions.

?This is an issue of competence, the failure to either know the answers or refuse to answer them,? Huelskamp added. ?It?s about a gentleman in Syracuse, Kan., who had to drive 522 miles to the nearest VA hospital. In that time, you could fly folks to Orlando for a great conference. And you won?t even tell the American people who attended? Either you?re trying to hide something or it?s total incompetence.?

In response, Gould testified that VA leaders ?understand we have an obligation to respond to Congress.? He further testified that, following the many information requests from Congress, the VA has supplied 35,000 documents and answered 6,000 policy questions and attended 100 hearings and 1,100 staff briefings.

?Sir,? Gould added, ?you can sit here and shake your head, but the reality is there?s a tremendous amount of information that flows to this committee and others on a daily basis by a very competent team.?

But Congress has grown so impatient with the VA?s silence on the issues, Miller said, he and other congressional members and their staffs have begun perusing VA?s Facebook and Twitter accounts to try to independently piece together a more complete list of the VA conferences and training seminars.

Miller discovered, for example, posts on the VA Facebook page about a VA senior management conference at Las Vegas' Venetian Hotel in August 2010. That event included teachings on ?yoga, massage therapy (and) acupuncture,? according to the VA Facebook post, which showed pictures of people???ostensibly VA employees???getting massages. Beneath those images, someone commented: ?Sounds like my kind of conference!? That observation was followed by a comment posted by the administrator of the Facebook page for VA?s Veterans Canteen Services: ?It?s amazing how immediate the results are!?

Miller asked Gould why the VA had not mentioned the Vegas conference when Congress had requested a full accounting of all VA conferences since 2005.

Gould testified that he had no explanation other than the VA has hosted thousands of conferences since 2005.

That post on the VA Facebook page was removed shortly after the hearing.?

?The perception out there, if you?re a taxpayer just barely getting by ... is you?ve got one set of rules for people in government, and (another set for) the rest of us out there in the real world, said Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn. ?And perception is reality.

"It?s embarrassing for me to go home and try to explain to people why their money is being wasted,? added Roe, a physician. ?I have veterans who come up and say, ?I can?t get into a hospital down here, Doc. I?m in a line 40 miles long.? And then they show me this plush event that occurred in Orlando. It?s very hard to explain that to people. It?s embarrassing for the 300,000 hardworking VA people who are then tagged with this.??

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/28/15519110-truce-is-over-fired-up-congressional-panel-vows-strict-va-oversight?lite

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Skating on fun ice ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

This winter, welcome the quintessential tradition of ice skating as soon as the ice gets hard or a rink is opened.

Imagine it: You arrive at the ice rink all bundled up. You lace on a pair of skates ? figure, recreational, or hockey ? and once arriving at the ice, you glide easily across it.

Advanced skaters may do jumps and spins while newer skaters will slowly shuffle across the ice. Little ones will hold the hands of the adults who brought them. Couples cuddle side-by-side as they support each other around the rink.

The vision ? a Norman Rockwell painting of brightly colored scarves, knit hats, and smiles that stretch from ear to ear.

But there are a few things smart skaters ? and hopeful skaters ? should know before hitting the ice.

Get the right gear

While consumers can purchase ice skates from most department stores, purchasing skates from a specialty shop can save time and money in the long run.

According to Rick Gunn, owner of Gunn?s Sports Shop at 32 Greenpoint Road in Brewer, novices should get started with a basic pair of skates. His family-owned business has been serving skaters for almost 37 years.

According to Gunn, hockey-style skates or recreational skates share a similar look and their rounded blade with no toe pick are best for the newbie skater.

?Most beginner figure skaters use the toe pick inappropriately and can develop bad technique,? Gunn said. ?Proper technique is important so it doesn?t matter what you learn on.?

He added that there are three essential things to consider when choosing ice skates: proper support, the right fit to allow room for growth, and correctly sharpened blades. Specialty shops often include sharpening in the price of the skates.

?Skates don?t come already sharpened,? he said.

Purchasing skates from a specialty store doesn?t always mean the skater will pay more. In fact, utilizing experts can help save a skater money, and frustration, in the end.

Get the right fit

Choosing the right sized skate is a lot like choosing the right sized shoe. If the shoe fits properly, the foot feels great. If it?s ill fitting, all sorts of problems can arise resulting in extra dollars spent to get the right equipment.

?You?re trying to achieve the equivalent of bolting a blade to your shoe, so it?s important to get the boot to fit tightly,? he said. ?As an adult, you want to get it as tight as you can with it still being comfortable. Comfort is king.?

The correct and comfortable fit begins with the socks. Forget about those super thick wool socks your grandmother knit for you when it comes to going ice skating. Thinner socks made from SmartWool or any fabric that wicks away moisture is optimal. Choose well-fitting socks that don?t bunch or sag and bring them to the fitting.

Hockey skates, he said, should usually be bought a size and a half below the skater?s shoe size.

For young skaters, Gunn recommended purchasing skates an extra size larger to allow for the foot to grow. Gunn?s offers used skates and a trade-in program for re-saleable skates, making skating more affordable for youngsters who want to give it a try.

?The skates don?t have to be from here originally,? he said.

The most important part to getting the fit right, Gunn said, is having the skater present for the fitting. Gunn said he and his staff ask lots of questions while working with the skater to find the perfect skate for them. That?s doubly important for children and youth skaters who are constantly growing, he said.

Upkeep is key

After finding ?the one? at the skate store, storage and upkeep are key to keeping the skates looking (and feeling) like new. To keep equipment in tip-top shape, skaters should:

? Purchase blade guards. Blade guards protect the blades from dulling due to dirt, gravel, or pavement. They also protect hands, fabrics, and pets from being cut. Hard blade guards are ideal for walking short distances.

? Don?t store the skates in the blade guards. Moisture from the environment and ice that is trapped in guards can cause the blades to rust and is costly to fix. Put blade guards on while travelling and if walking over gravel, dirt, or pavement.

? Keep those blades sharp. For recreational skaters, once or twice a year should suffice. For more constant skaters or for skaters who are outside, Gunn recommends sharpening the skates every six to eight hours of ice time.

? Store skates in a dry, cool location. To prevent moisture from infiltrating the skates, Gunn recommended storing skates in a dry, cool location to allow skates to air dry.

For a list of ice arenas in Maine, many of which offer public ice time and rent equipment, visit arenamaps.com/arenas/Maine.htm. Many towns also have outdoor rinks, but if you?re planning to venture out on one of Maine?s many lakes or ponds to try out those blades, make sure the conditions are safe.

Maine Warden Service tips for ice safety

Never guess the thickness of the ice ? Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.

Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.

If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.

Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.

If you break through the ice, remember:

Don?t panic.

Don?t try to climb out immediately ? you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.

Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, don?t walk, to safety.

To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don?t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

?

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/29/outdoors/outdoors-extra/skating-on-fun-ice/

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Jessica Simpson to Get Married Before Birth of Second Child?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/jessica-simpson-to-get-married-before-birth-of-second-child/

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Car Finance ? Receiving The Most From Your Payday Cash Loans

quick payday loans online Get unsecured personal loan in Tulsa Oklahoma by using quick $ 200 payday loans online bad credit ok .

Lots of people today use online payday loans whenever you have need. Is this anything you are looking at obtaining? Then, it is crucial that you happen to be experienced in online payday loans and the things they entail. The next article is going to give you assistance to actually are very knowledgeable.

If you are looking to acquire a payday loan however they are nervous about the prospect of it, you ought to relax. Realize that most of the bad connotations associated with payday loan are certainly not true. Should you use only whatever you can afford and spend it back through the thanks date, it ought to be a simple practical experience.

Just because you may have less-than-perfect credit does not always mean you cannot get yourself a payday loan. A lot of people could definitely make use of a payday loan.Tend not to even trouble trying to get one particular, mainly because they have less-than-perfect credit. A lot of companies will, the truth is, supply you with a payday loan, just provided that you are utilized.

Consider loan providers that will roll over the loan automatically. In case the financial institution will not provide this up, ensure that you check with! Each time a loan is rolled over, it indicates that you will be charged a lot more costs, and a lot more interest then you might be prepared for. Do not be hesitant to speak up and ask queries.

Steer clear of getting a payday loan unless of course it is definitely an unexpected emergency. The total amount that you simply spend in interest is incredibly big on these sorts of lending options, therefore it is not worth the cost if you are getting one to have an everyday explanation. Have a lender loan when it is something which can wait around for a time.

Be sure that you browse the guidelines and regards to your payday loan meticulously, in order to avoid any unsuspected excitement down the road. You need to understand the overall loan deal prior to signing it and obtain the loan. This can help you create a better choice with regards to which loan you ought to acknowledge.

Should you be looking for a payday loan on the web, try to avoid obtaining them from areas that do not have obvious contact info on the internet site. A lot of payday loan firms are certainly not in the nation, and they can cost exorbitant costs. Ensure you are conscious what you are about lending from.

Payday loans could be a life-saver for lots of people that have an unexpected emergency or a situation. Even though the funds are required quickly, take time to evaluation shop before you take out your loan. The costs, interest, and also other costs associated with online payday loans may differ widely across this market where there are bargains can be found.

Should you be intent on acquiring a payday loan, you ought to instantly start to set-aside money in order that you be capable of spend that loan back by the time it really is thanks. Payday loans are simply right up until your following income which means you don?t have that a lot of time to price range your cash.

Prior to applying for a payday loan, ensure it will be easy to spend it back right after the loan term comes to an end. Generally, the borrowed funds term can conclusion soon after no more than fourteen days. Payday loans are just for many who will pay them back quickly. Be sure to will likely be obtaining paid for a while immediately before you apply.

Whenever feasible, try out to acquire a payday loan from your financial institution personally as an alternative to on the web. There are many believe on the web payday loan loan providers who may be stealing your cash or personal data. Actual are living loan providers are far a lot more respected and really should give you a less dangerous purchase for you.

Almost people have to handle fiscal troubles one or more times in their lives, and that?s great. There are many retailers that individuals use as a way to solve this trouble, for example online payday loans. You may use one of these brilliant lending options to deal with your problem?s on account of the article earlier mentioned.

Source: http://yumiwa.com/receiving-the-most-from-your-payday-cash-loans/

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Costco pays special 'fiscal cliff' dividend to investors

Costco is paying shareholders a special dividend of $7 per share, in addition to the regular quarterly payout the wholesaler gives investors. Costco is one of many companies making special payouts because investors may have to pay higher taxes starting in January.?

By The Associated Press / November 28, 2012

In this May 2012 file photo, David Lee shops at a Costco Wholesale store, in Portland, Ore. Costco is adding a special dividend to its quarterly payout to investors in anticipation of investor tax rates possibly rising in January.

Rick Bowmer/AP/File

Enlarge

Costco?plans a special dividend of $7 per share next month in addition to the regular quarterly dividend the wholesale club operator pays shareholders.

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The Issaquah, Wash., company said Wednesday that the special dividend will be payable Dec. 18 to shareholders of record Dec. 10.?Costco?Wholesale Corp.'s regular quarterly dividend of 27.5 cents per share will be paid Nov. 30 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 16.

Costco?also said Wednesday that its November revenue climbed nearly 9 percent to $8.15 billion. Revenue from stores open at least a year climbed 6 percent. The increase was 5 percent excluding gains from gasoline price inflation and stronger foreign currencies.

Revenue from stores open at least a year is a key gauge of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.

Costco's?shares rose 4.7 percent, or $4.49, to $101 in premarket trading.

Many companies are making special end-of-year dividend payments or moving up their quarterly payouts because investors may have to pay higher taxes on dividend income starting in January.

Investors have paid a maximum 15 percent on dividends since 2003. But that historically low rate will expire in January unless Congress and President Barack Obama reach a compromise on taxes and government spending.

As it stands, dividends will be taxed as ordinary income in 2013, the same as wages, so rates will go up depending on which income bracket a taxpayer is in. For the highest earners, the dividend rate would jump to 43.4 percent.

Even if a compromise is reached, there's no guarantee that the tax rate for dividends will remain at its current level.

Costco?runs 618 warehouses in several countries, including 447 in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/nTEA2hWNN8I/Costco-pays-special-fiscal-cliff-dividend-to-investors

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The Halifax Reader - Halifax Public Libraries: Willaim Hall Sports ...

Now in its 24th year, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the world's longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize. As well as a ?24,000 cash prize, the winning author will receive a ?2,000 William Hill bet, a specially-commissioned hand-bound copy of their book and a day at the races.

Winner:

The Secret Race : inside the hidden world of the Tour de France : doping, cover-ups, and winning at all costs (M)
by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle

"The Secret Race is a definitive look at the world of professional cycling?and the doping issue surrounding this sport and its most iconic rider, Lance Armstrong?by former Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle. Over the course of two years, Coyle conducted more than two hundred hours of interviews with Hamilton and spoke candidly with numerous teammates, rivals, and friends. The result is an explosive book that takes us, for the first time, deep inside a shadowy, fascinating, and surreal world of unscrupulous doctors, anything-goes team directors, and athletes so relentlessly driven to succeed that they would do anything?and take any risk, physical, mental, or moral?to gain the edge they need to win."

Runners up:

Running with the Kenyans : passion, adventure, and the secrets of the fastest people on earth (M)
by Adharanand Finn

"Whether running is a recreation, a passion, or just a spectator sport, Finn's incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya will captivate. Part travelogue, part memoir, this quest uncovers the secrets of the world's greatest runners--and puts them to the test." - Publisher

A Life Without Limits : a world champion's journey (M)
by Chrissie Wellington

"In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer to the sport and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport. A life without limits is the story of her rise to the top, a journey that has taken her around the world, from a childhood in England, to the mountains of Nepal, to the oceans of New Zealand, and the trails of Argentina, and first across the finish line."- Publisher

That Near-Death Thing ? Inside the TT : the world?s most dangerous race (M)
by Rick Broadbent
"If there's one motorcycle race that deserves a quality hardback, it's the Isle of Man TT. Commonly seen as the world's most dangerous race, Rick Broadbent gets behind the scenes and into the helmets of four leading racers over the course of two seasons -- 2010 and 2011 -- following the riders through the numerous vicissitudes of an average season." - Publisher

Be Careful What You Wish For (M)
by Simon Jordan

"Simon Jordan grew up a stone's throw from Crystal Palace Football Club. As a boy he used to break into the Palace ground for a kick-about on the hallowed turf. On leaving school he entered the mobile phone business. By the age of thirty-two, he'd built a company from nothing, sold it for ?75 million and bought his childhood club. By the age of forty-two Palace was in administration and Jordan had lost nigh on everything..." - Publisher

Fibber in the Heat (M)
by Miles Jupp

" Fanatical about cricket since he was a boy, MILES JUPP would do anything to see his heroes play. But perhaps deciding to bluff his way into the press corps during England's Test series in India wasn't his best idea. By claiming to be the cricket correspondent for BBC Scotland and getting a job with the (Welsh) Western Mail, Miles lands the press pass that will surely be the ticket to his dreams." - Publisher

Shot and a Ghost: a year in the brutal world of professional squash
by James Willstrop (not yet available in Canada)

"Englishman James Willstrop is one of the world's leading squash players and one of the sport's most complex and cerebral characters. Brought up in Pontefract, he is anything but the archetypal Yorkshireman - a poetry-loving vegetarian with a love of musicals, Morrissey, Oscar Wilde and Philip Larkin. He became world No 1 in January 2012 despite being accused by many of being `too nice' to be a winner. James, 28, has just written his first book - a diary account from January 2010 to February 2011. He writes with candid honesty about the issues that affect him, using flashbacks to earlier periods in his life. As critical of himself as of others, he talks openly about his close relationship with his father and coach, Malcolm; the devastating death of his mother, Lesley, and his fierce and often acrimonious rivalry with fellow Yorkshireman and former world No 1 Nick Matthew." - Publisher

Source: http://www.thereader.ca/2012/11/willaim-hall-sports-book-of-year-secret.html

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Katy Perry: I "Almost Always" Wear Spanx

Katy Perry may have been named Maxim magazine's "First Lady of Hot," but even she always gets a little bit of support to feel confident. 

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/katy-perry-i-almost-always-wear-spanx/1-a-505235?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Akaty-perry-i-almost-always-wear-spanx-505235

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Learn How to Blog with eBooks from ProBlogger at a Special Price

I hope you got everything you wanted from the Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals that went out last week. The good news is that great deals for bloggers isn?t over just yet.

Darren Rowse of ProBlogger is celebrating 10 years of blogging by offering his lineup of eBooks at $10 each ? this is a savings of 50% to 90% off of the regular prices. This deal is good for the next 10 days only until December 7th. Here is the lineup!

ProBlogger?s Guide to your First Week of Blogging

This is the perfect eBook if you?re just starting out with blogging. It guides you through your first days of building great content for your new blog including brainstorming techniques, developing a content plan, building a social media presence, setting up a publishing process, and more. This isn?t just about the theory of blogging ? it?s 32 actionable tasks that will help you start blogging immediately. This eBook is normally $19.99.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog

If you?re just starting out or feel like your blog isn?t getting the results you want, you can use this 31 day guide to transform your blog. By the end of 31 days, you will have published a variety of different types of posts, learned how to come up with new topics, promoted your blog to bring in new readers, developed relationships with other bloggers, developed an editorial calendar, and more. This eBook is normally $29.99.

The Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers

The Copywriting Scorecard will teach you how to prepare each blog post for ultimate success, giving you a 63 step checklist that covers writing, scannability, search engine optimization, and grammar. If you do these things before publishing each post, you can ensure your blog posts will be as successful as possible with both readers and search engines ? both of which can help you get more visibility for your blog. This eBook is normally $29.99.

The Blogger?s Guide to Online Marketing

This is probably the best deal of them all. If you want to turn your blog into a business, this eBook is a blueprint of 31 steps to transforming your blog into something profitable. It covers everything: brand audits, understanding your target audience, creating an elevator pitch, focusing your content, building your email list, conducting an SEO audit, building a support team, learning how to monetize, and much, much more. It also includes 21 templates, worksheets, and examples to help you start applying the blueprint immediately. This kit is normally $99.99.

ProBlogger?s Guide to Blogging for Your Business

Are you blogging for your business? If so, Blogging for Your Business will help you do everything including set up a WordPress blog, conduct keyword research, understand your online competition, build a strong social media footprint, and create a successful business blogging strategy. Each of the 12 chapters end with tasks that you can apply to your business blogging plan. This eBook is normally $49.99.

Blog Wise: How to Do More With Less

Do you struggle with making time for work, family, and blogging? Well-known bloggers including Darren Rowse, Amy Porterfield, Brian Clark, Heather Armstrong, Leo Babauta, and more share their secrets of organization. After all of the steps, you will also get a simple nine-step program to improve your productivity. You?ll also receive a problem solving guide that covers 21 common productivity problems that most bloggers face. This eBook is normally $19.99.

Don?t miss out on these great savings ? be sure to buy the eBooks you want before December 7th to save anywhere from $10 to $90 per eBook or more if you are purchasing them all!

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We all have heard that content is king, but if no one comes to see your content, then what is the point?

Blog Post Promotion: The Ultimate Guide will take you through ten different strategies you can use to successfully promote your blog posts, leading to more social shares, more comments, and much more traffic.

This guide will not only show you the strategies that will help you get your awesome content the exposure it deserves, but it will also help you build a mutually beneficial promotional team on your email list, instant messenger, and social networks so that when you are ready to promote, they will be there willing to help you.

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Source: http://kikolani.com/10-ebooks-from-problogger-for-10-days-only.html

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Video: Undaunted by odds, millions line up for Powerball

>>> now what has become a giant sector of the economy all by itself. the powerball drawing, the jackpot is now $550 million and counting. many are in the game and hoping. nbc's stephanie gosk has more.

>> reporter: good evening, brian, well, earlier this year, powerball doubled the price of tickets from one to two dollars, that drove up the numbers, and more people play. early until the state of new york , 1.5 million tickets were being sold an hour.

>> the winning ticket.

>> reporter: money does not buy you happiness, but it can buy a whole bunch of other stuff. so people are lined up all over the country for a chance at the second largest lottery jackpot in history.

>> you got to be in it to win it.

>> reporter: 42 states from coast to coast .

>> got the winning ticket right here.

>> reporter: undaunted by the odds.

>> when i win, i'm moving tomorrow.

>> reporter: most know they will probably lose.

>> the lottery is a tax for the poor, more than rich. so the people who can afford it the least are putting the most into it.

>> reporter: half the ticket sales go into the state, a good boost for the ailing budget, in new jersey, it helps veterans, in colorado, they're improving state parks , in georgia, most going for education. the numbers are funded by the lottery. hannah grant feels like she hit the jackpot without even having to play.

>> i would not be able to get into a large university like georgia state .

>> reporter: the other half of the ticket sales goes to the grand prize . at $550 million, a single winner can choose a lump sum of $360 million, like earning $173,000 an hour, or $2900 a minute, for an entire year. but the federal government will want its cut, $90 million in taxes. not an immediate concern for the dreamers.

>> today is the day .

>> i want to give something to my grandchildren.

>> for one, i would stop working.

>> i would buy a house.

>> i would give some to charity.

>> reporter: this family won more than $2 million two months ago. this morning, on today, they had advice for the next winner.

>> don't go out and get everything now, you will have time for all of that. just grow into the money.

>> reporter: winning a lot of money can be difficult to handle.

>> i just thought i would take a chance now, why not?

>> reporter: even so it is a problem many wish they had. the lottery winners say there is a 75% chance there is a winner. but if not, tomorrow they will announce an even bigger jackpot.

>> you never know, it may be the last fine we ever see stephanie gosk reporting on powerball tonight. good luck,

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50001978/

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Fed's Beige Book: Single-Family Homes Continued to Improve ...

November 28, 2012 ? 7:51 pm

?

Real Estate and Construction
Overall, markets for single-family homes continued to improve across most Districts with the exception of Boston and Philadelphia. Residential real estate markets in the New York District were mixed but generally firm prior to the storm. Selling prices were steady or rising. Boston, New York, Richmond, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Dallas noted declining or tight inventories. The Cleveland District indicated that the number of single-family housing starts had increased since our last report and from a year ago; most sales contracts were in higher price-point categories. Similarly, Richmond noted more residential work in the high-end home category for the first time in three years, and builders cited significant pent-up demand in the first-time buyer segment. Atlanta indicated that existing home sales were up slightly compared to a year ago and reported that investors were more active in Florida than in the rest of the District. In Chicago, residential construction increased at a slow but steady pace in October and early November, and construction increased for single-family as well as multi-family homes. St. Louis reported that residential real estate market conditions continued to improve, and Minneapolis indicated that segments of construction and real estate were growing at a double-digit clip. Kansas City characterized residential real estate activity as brisk and noted that a solid rise in home sales had reduced home inventories. Dallas noted that single-family housing activity remained strong, with both new and existing home sales activity increasing. San Francisco reported that home demand continued to strengthen and that home sales continued to grow on a sustained basis in most areas, spurring new home construction. However, sales growth generally slowed for both the condominium and single-family home markets in the Boston District, and the Philadelphia District noted that October began as a disappointing month for some Realtors, only to be punctuated by Hurricane Sandy.

Construction and commercial real estate activity generally improved across Districts since the last report. Gains, albeit modest in most cases, were reported by Philadelphia, Richmond, Chicago, and Minneapolis. The gains among Cleveland?s contacts were tempered by reports in recent weeks of a slowdown in inquiries and a decline in public-sector projects. Kansas City described activity as holding firm and noted that real estate markets remained stronger than a year ago. Demand for office and industrial space continued to increase in Dallas, although contacts at some businesses said they were ?holding back on expansions due to uncertainty.? Several Districts noted segments of little change in commercial real estate activity. Boston described market fundamentals as flat, and San Francisco depicted market conditions as stable but with pockets of strength for large infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges. Commercial and industrial conditions were mixed in the St. Louis District and throughout most of New York prior to the hurricane. New York added that, while office markets across upstate New York were unaffected by the storm, there were some signs of recent softening.

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Source: http://woodonfire.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/feds-beige-book-single-family-homes-continued-to-improve-across-most-districts/

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Peanut butter plant closure angers New Mexico town

This Nov. 27, 2012 photo shows the Sunland Inc. peanut butter and nut processing plant in eastern New Mexico, near Portales, which has been shuttered since late September due to a salmonella outbreak that sickened dozens. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, suspended the registration of Sunland Inc., which is the country's largest organic peanut butter processor. FDA officials found salmonella in numerous locations in Sunland's processing plant after 41 people in 20 states, most of them children, were sickened by peanut butter manufactured at the Portales, N.M., plant and sold at the Trader Joe's grocery chain. The company had announced plans to reopen its peanut processing facility on Tuesday after voluntarily shutting down earlier this fall. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)

This Nov. 27, 2012 photo shows the Sunland Inc. peanut butter and nut processing plant in eastern New Mexico, near Portales, which has been shuttered since late September due to a salmonella outbreak that sickened dozens. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, suspended the registration of Sunland Inc., which is the country's largest organic peanut butter processor. FDA officials found salmonella in numerous locations in Sunland's processing plant after 41 people in 20 states, most of them children, were sickened by peanut butter manufactured at the Portales, N.M., plant and sold at the Trader Joe's grocery chain. The company had announced plans to reopen its peanut processing facility on Tuesday after voluntarily shutting down earlier this fall. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)

This Nov. 27, 2012 photo shows the Sunland Inc. peanut butter and nut processing plant in eastern New Mexico, near Portales, which has been shuttered since late September due to a salmonella outbreak that sickened dozens. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012, suspended the registration of Sunland Inc., which is the country's largest organic peanut butter processor. FDA officials found salmonella in numerous locations in Sunland's processing plant after 41 people in 20 states, most of them children, were sickened by peanut butter manufactured at the Portales, N.M., plant and sold at the Trader Joe's grocery chain. The company had announced plans to reopen its peanut processing facility on Tuesday after voluntarily shutting down earlier this fall. (AP Photo/Jeri Clausing)

PORTALES, N.M. (AP) ? Farmers in a revered peanut-growing region along the New Mexico-Texas border should be celebrating one of the best harvests in recent memory.

Instead, millions of pounds of their prized sweet Valencia peanuts sit in barns at a peanut butter plant shuttered for two months amid a salmonella outbreak that sickened 41 people in 20 states.

Farmers are worried about getting paid for their peanuts, nearly a third the plant's 150 workers have been laid off, and residents wonder what toll an increasingly contentious showdown between the nation's largest organic peanut butter plant and federal regulators could ultimately have on the region's economy.

The tension boiled over when the Food and Drug Administration on Monday said it was suspending Sunland Inc.'s registration to operate because of repeated safety violations, meaning the plant will remain indefinitely shut down as the company appeals the decision. The company had planned to reopen some its operations this week after voluntarily recalling hundreds of products and closing its processing and peanut butter plants in late September and early October.

Many in this flat, dusty and solidly Republican farm town of about 20,000 denounce the FDA's tactics as unfair and unnecessarily heavy-handed ? and become defensive about the shutdown of the largest private employer in town.

"We had the best crop in years, and then these (expletives) came in and started this," said resident and local telecomm worker Boyd Evans.

For the first time ever, the FDA is using authority granted under a 2011 food safety law signed by President Barack Obama that allows the agency to shut food operations without a court hearing.

The FDA said inspectors found samples of salmonella in 28 different locations in the plant, in 13 nut butter samples and in one sample of raw peanuts. Inspectors found improper handling of the products, unclean equipment and uncovered trailers of peanuts outside the facility that were exposed to rain and birds. Inspectors also said employees did not have access to hand-washing sinks, and dirty hands had direct contact with ready-to-package peanuts.

The FDA has inspected the plant at least four times over the past five years, each time finding violations. Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, said the agency's inspections after the outbreak found even worse problems than what had been seen there before.

The salmonella outbreak was traced to Trader Joe's peanut butter produced at the plant. Sunland produces products for a number of national grocery and retail chains, and New Mexico Peanut Growers Association President Wayne Baker says the industry generates about $60 million in the region each year.

Valencias are a variety of peanuts that come almost exclusively from eastern New Mexico. Because of their sweet flavor, they are favored for organic and natural peanut butter products because they require few additives.

The peanut is celebrated every year at the town's annual Peanut Valley Festival, and most residents have stories related to peanuts, whether growing up on a peanut farm, helping to haul them to harvest or knowing peanut workers or farmers.

"Peanuts is, like, everything here," said local shopkeeper Brittany Mignard.

The plant's retail store remains open, although its shelves are bare of its own products. The few items remaining include peanut brittle made in Lubbock, Texas. The shelves are stocked with jelly, but no peanut butter.

Baker, who is also a Sunland board member, said the company had never been notified of any past violations. And the company has vehemently denied FDA allegations that it knowingly shipped any potentially tainted products.

Plant officials said they were blindsided by the FDA's suspension on Monday. Just hours before it was announced, the plant had announced plans to start shelling the bumper crop on Tuesday. Plant officials said they had notified the FDA last week of their plans to reopen the processing operations while waiting for approval to resume making peanut butter.

"The FDA is overreaching its power and putting out information that isn't true," Baker said. "We don't understand what is going on. We don't think we are guilty."

FDA officials wouldn't comment on his allegations, saying it was an ongoing investigation.

Food safety expert and Cornell University professor Bob Gravani said given the number of salmonella outbreaks in recent years, he believes the FDA is being heavily scrutinized about why they are not using their rules more frequently or more aggressively.

Putting aside the "he-said, she-said" between the FDA and the company, he said, "I would say suspension is warranted in this case."

This is not the first major outbreak since the FDA gained authority to pull a facility's registration in the 2011 food safety law. An outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in 2011 is linked to at least 30 deaths and investigators found similar conditions at Jensen Farms in Colorado. Unlike Sunland, however, Jensen Farms did not attempt to restart operations after the recall and FDA investigation. The company later filed for bankruptcy.

Baker said officials have been trying for the past two months to cooperate with the FDA to get the plant reopened.

"That hasn't worked," he said. "But we are not going to give up. We are going to fight this. We have got no choice."

He said officials have begun calling the state's senators and congressman and talking with other agricultural groups about getting help in Washington with an appeal of the FDA action. No hearing has yet been scheduled.

Coburn said about 30 percent of the plant's workers were laid off Monday.

Although peanuts can be stored for a while, Coburn and Baker acknowledged that time is of the essence for getting to work on what Coburn said were "many, many millions" of pounds harvested from this year's crop.

Farmers, Baker acknowledged, are worried about getting paid. But he said Sunland has committed to paying them for their crops.

Under a worst-case scenario, he said, Sunland could sell the peanuts to other producers.

___

Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jeri Clausing on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/jericlausing

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-28-Tainted%20Peanut%20Butter/id-9296362b1c064667ab396da4e800d3cf

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Video: Alan Simpson on budget deal : By Dec. 31, ?go big or go home?

Tablets 2012: Even with competition, iPad hangs onto crown

Non-iPads from Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others are flooding the market, bringing more diverse experiences, often at better prices than the iPad and its little sibling, the iPad Mini. Doesn?t matter.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49985564#49985564

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Who is new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby?

As a former oil executive turned Anglican bishop, the new archbishop followed an atypical path to leadership of the Church of England.

By Ben Quinn,?Correspondent / November 9, 2012

Justin Welby, the bishop of Durham and newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, speaks to the media during a news conference at Lambeth Palace in London today.

Dylan Martinez/Reuters

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As a former student of elite Eton College ? just like the current prime minister and generations of other senior figures in British public life ? the new Archbishop of Canterbury comes with some impeccable establishment credentials.

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While his mother had been Winston Churchill?s private secretary, business is also in the blood: He is the son of a businessman who traded in whiskey during America?s prohibition years and later worked for a company that survived the ban by selling communion wine.

Born in London in 1956, Justin Portal Welby studied law and history at Trinity College, in Cambridge, England, after the initial schooling that made him an "Old Etonian."

A career in the oil industry beckoned and he spent 11 years in the sector as a senior executive, based in Paris and London. He worked on projects in the North Sea and the Niger Delta, gaining a familiarity that would come in useful in later years as a cleric traveling to the West African reaches of the Anglican Communion, Nigeria.

In 1983, his seven-month-old, first-born daughter was killed in a car crash, leading to "a very dark time" for him and his wife. But it also "bought us closer to God," he has said.

He left behind his career in business in 1987 to train an Anglican priest, later telling business magazine Money Marketing "I was unable to get away from a sense of God calling."

He became a deacon in 1992 after taking a degree in theology, serving later as a curate in the Coventry diocese and was made a rector in 1995 before being made a canon at Coventry Cathedral in 2002.

At Coventry, he was involved in international conflict resolution before becoming dean of Liverpool in 2007. He was elevated to the fourth most senior post in the Church of England in November 2011, when he became the bishop of Durham.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/KomGDEMZ_q0/Who-is-new-Archbishop-of-Canterbury-Justin-Welby

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End of an era: Myanmar's buses head for scrap

This once-isolated country is replacing its fleet of buses cobbled together from the shells of World War II-era Chevy trucks. ?NBC News' Ian Williams reports on this antique roadshow on wheels that is being swept away by rapid change.

By Ian Williams, NBC News

YANGON, Myanmar -- U Ming Kyi affectionately tapped the hood of his dilapidated bus.??Of course I?ll be sad to see it go. They are really reliable. The brakes are great,? he said.

But on this particular morning, bus No. 61 from North Dagon to San Pya market was not cooperating.?The engine screeched and smoked as U Ming sat behind the wheel, turning the key and willing it to life.

He gave up and glanced back at the passengers. As if on cue - and clearly well practiced - several jumped from the bus and began pushing until it spluttered, gasped, then finally roared to life.

Bus no 61 was on its way across the north of Yangon, as it has been for decades.

U Ming smiled gingerly. He?s been driving these buses for thirty five years, and keeping on the road what are possibly the oldest buses in the world still operating needs constant improvisation.

Ian Williams/NBC News

Driver U Ming Kyi at the wheel of bus number 61. He's been driving the Big Belly Chevy for 35 years.

In Myanmar they are called ?big belly? buses and the chassis of no 61 was registered in 1939.?Back then it was a military truck - a Canada-built Chevy C-15. These were used by the United States, Britain and western allies during the ?Burma Campaign? ? the south-east Asia theater of the Second World War.

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After the conflict, Myanmar?s military regime converted them into buses. The makeshift vehicles quickly became the mainstay of a transport system that resembled until recently an antiques show on wheels.

But in a sign of the rapid wider changes sweeping this country, they have been banned from the increasingly traffic-clogged center of Yangon, Myanmar?s main city, and are being phased out to be replaced by shiny new Japanese models.

Ian Williams/NBC News

Passengers packed on board bus number 61. Big Belly Bus.

The price of an old ?big belly? has suddenly gone through the roof - not because of the vehicle, which is off to the junk yard, but because of the valuable operating license that goes with it.

If he had the money, U Ming would buy one himself. ?The new ones just won?t be the same,? he said. He can read every crunch, bang and hiss - of which there are many on a bumpy, shaky ride across the city.

Like most vehicles here, the ?big belly? is right hand drive, a legacy of British rule when traffic drove on the left. Yet the traffic in Myanmar now drives on the right, as in the US, which means drivers like U Ming spend a good deal of their time staining to see what?s coming at them.

Former dictator Ne Win made the switch after seizing power in 1962. Some say it was an anti-colonial gesture. Others put it down to his notorious superstition: The U.K.?s Daily Telegraph said he took the decision after consulting a wizard.

Ian Williams/NBC News

The interior of a Big Belly Bus.

That these buses operated for so long, patched together with whatever parts were available during years of isolation and sanctions, is testament to the ingenuity of men like U Ming.

All is not lost, though. Long time Italian resident Alberto Peyre has bought three and given them a luxurious face lift to serve the country's tourism boom.

?They are a piece of history, a piece of history,? he said, as immaculately dressed attendants handed us cold towels as we sat in expensively upholstered seats for a mini-tour of the city.

?I love these buses. I just love them,? he said.

Peyre?s company, Elephant Coach, is marketing tours as ?the ultimate luxury in overland travel.? It?s a long way from the U Ming?s no 61, but will ensure that these remarkable old machines will not entirely disappear from the streets of Myanmar.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/26/15447661-end-of-an-era-myanmars-big-belly-chevy-buses-from-wwii-face-scrap?lite

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Audra McDonald new 'Live From Lincoln Center' host

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Broadway superstar Audra McDonald is adding a new chapter to her long history with Lincoln Center.

The singer-actress is the new host of "Live From Lincoln Center," PBS said Tuesday.

McDonald will emcee seven broadcasts from December through spring 2013, starting Dec. 13 with "The Richard Tucker Opera Gala" and Dec. 31 with the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve gala.

"It's a great honor. I'm thrilled that they came to me and trusted me to do it," said McDonald, 42, whose five Tony Awards include a trophy this year for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess."

Her memories of the Lincoln Center performing arts complex in Manhattan run deep.

"I remember watching Beverly Sills broadcasting from the Met (the center's Metropolitan Opera House) on my PBS channel at my home in Fresno," McDonald said, adding that she was amazed at the venue's size and "inspired by the music."

As a high school student, she had the chance to visit the center and recalled thinking, "This is where I want to be some day."

That wish was fulfilled when she moved to New York to attend The Juilliard School, which has its campus there.

Stepping in as host of the PBS series "feels like it's my way of thanking Lincoln Center," she said.

"We can't imagine a more perfect match," said Elizabeth Scott, the center's executive in charge of the TV series. McDonald's passion for the performing arts is "infectious," Scott added.

McDonald, who starred in "Private Practice" as Dr. Naomi Bennett, has performed on the long-running PBS showcase several times, including programs with Elvis Costello, Patti Lupone and the New York Philharmonic.

She will be working especially hard New Year's Eve when she hosts and performs in the holiday program, "One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch" (check local listings for time).

"We'll see if I fall down by the end of the evening, or by the middle," she said, lightly. What she'll sing is a secret for now, but McDonald said it's among Hamlisch's most famous pieces.

The composer, who died in August at age 68, created more than 40 film scores and won a Tony and the Pulitzer for Broadway's "A Chorus Line."

"Live From Lincoln Center" is in its 37th broadcast season. In recent years, artists and actors including Yo-Yo Ma and Alec Baldwin have filled the host's job that previously saw long tenures by famed opera singer Sills and TV personality Hugh Downs.

___

Online:

http://www.pbs.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/audra-mcdonald-live-lincoln-center-host-132410634.html

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'Innocence of Muslims' filmmaker: I have no regrets

From behind bars, the maker of the anti-Islam movie "Innocence of Muslims" says he has no regrets. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year-old Egyptian-American Coptic Christian, told The New York Times that he stands by the incendiary movie, which portrays the religion's beloved Prophet Muhammad as a fraud and a pedophile.

"I thought, before I wrote this script," said Nakoula in his first public statement since his arrest, "that I should burn myself in a public square to let the American people and the people of the world know this message that I believe in." He said he didn't regret the film "at all" and wanted to communicate the "actual truth" about Muhammad.

Nakoula was sent to prison earlier this month for violating his probation on a prior federal fraud conviction. He admitted that he lied to his probation officer and used fake names, though prosecutors dropped other counts, which included the accusation that he had lied to authorities about the scope of his role in making "Innocence of Muslims."

While there is controversy over whether the video provoked the Benghazi terrorist attacks that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans this past September, the bizarre film undoubtedly provoked a series of deadly protests across the Muslim world.

After a clip was translated into Arabic and broadcast by TV networks in the Middle East, Egyptians stormed the U.S. embassy in Cairo and replaced the American flag with an Islamic banner. Protests spread even as details emerged that showed "Innocence of Muslims" was an amateurish, low-budget film shot in just over two weeks.

Nakoula, a former gas station manager and cancer survivor, was convicted of intent to manufacture methamphetamine in the 1990s. In 2010, he pleaded no contest to bank fraud. While in prison, said Nakoula, he closely followed the protests against the building of the Park 51 Islamic center near ground zero in New York and planned for his anti-Islam film.

"He said it might have been a blessing to go to prison because he had time to work on the script," his son told The New York Times. Nakoula also told the Times that he was motivated by violence against his fellow Copts in Egypt, as well as other violent acts by Muslims, including the Ft. Hood massacre of 2009, allegedly committed by U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan.

Many of the people involved in the production of "Innocence of Muslims," including cast and crew, say they were not aware of the film's controversial content.

"They put words in my mouth that were not in the script and I never said," Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress who starred in the film, told ABC News. She claims that after shooting, dialogue was dubbed over with inflammatory remarks about Islam that were not in the original script.

"Now, I'm sick that people died over this. I'm exhausted and really hurt and angry," she said. Morris Sadek, an activist Copt from Virginia who helped publicize the trailer on the internet, said he thought the movie was created to raise awareness about the persecution of Copts in Egypt. Joseph Nassralla Abdelmasih, the head of the non-profit organization "Media for Christ," which provided Nakoula with free studio space, echoed Sadek's sentiments and asserted that his group provided no cameras or other production assistance, according The Times.

Nakoula has used multiple aliases over the years. Though he was convicted under the name Nakoula Bassely Nakoula, he told the cast and crew of "Innocence of Muslims" that his name was Sam Bacile. He changed his name to Mark Bassely Youssef in 2002, and then to Ebrahem Fawzy Youssef in 2009.

Media for Christ and Nakoula's son did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/innocence-muslims-filmmaker-no-regrets-190823770--abc-news-topstories.html

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