Saturday, June 30, 2012

MONEY MARKETS-U.S. repo rate rises on debt supply - Reuters

Fri Jun 29, 2012 12:53pm EDT

* U.S. dealers seek funding for Treasuries settlement

* Investors move back to stocks, less cash to lend

* Deferred Eurodollars fall, front months steady

By Richard Leong

NEW YORK, June 29 (Reuters) - A key borrowing cost for Wall Street banks rose on Friday as they sought funds to pay their purchases at this week's U.S. Treasury debt auctions that raised $99 billion for the federal government.

The supply of dollars in the $1.6 trillion tri-party repurchase agreement market -- where Wall Street banks pledge U.S. Treasuries and other assets as collateral in exchange for cash -- shrank as investors moved money back into the stock market and other riskier investments after European leaders took further steps to manage their region's fiscal mess.

"The market was surprised since everyone seemed to be at odds heading into the summit," said Mike Lin, director of U.S. funding at TD Securities in New York.

Euro zone leaders struck a deal on Friday to allow their rescue fund infuse cash directly into struggling banks from next year and intervene on bond markets to support troubled member states.

The interest rate on repos due on Monday was last bid at 0.24 percent, 2 basis points higher than Thursday and up 13 basis points at the end of the first quarter.

"There is just a lot of collateral around at the end of the quarter and there is less money to fund them," Lin said.

Some of the cash was channeled into stocks on Friday. The three Wall Street indexes were up nearly 2 percent in midday trading.

Primary dealers, those top Wall Street firms that do business directly with the U.S. Federal Reserve bought more than half of the two-year, five-year and seven-year debt at this week's U.S. Treasury auctions.

Dealers and other investors who bought the bonds must pay the U.S. Treasury on Monday.

During the course of reselling their purchases in the open market, primary dealers typically seek funding for their Treasuries positions.

The quarter's steady rise in repo rates stemmed from the growing supply of short-term U.S. Treasury debt in the open market due to the Fed's Operation Twist.

Under Operation Twist, these Wall Street firms must bid on the short-dated Treasuries that the Fed sells for this bond program. The Fed in turn has used the proceeds to buy long-dated Treasuries with the goal to lower mortgage rates and other longer-term borrowing costs.

In addition to a general rise in short-term interest rates, primary dealers are stuck with more short-dated debt supply.

As of June 20, they owned $96.7 billion in Treasuries, of which $60.2 billion are in coupon debt that matures in three years or less, according to the latest Fed data available.

At the start of Operation Twist which began last October, they held a combined $11.9 billion in Treasuries. Primary dealers had $4.8 billion in net short positions in coupon debt that matures in three years or less.

Last week, the Fed extended Twist, which was initially scheduled to expire on Friday, into year-end with planned purchases of $267 billion long-dated debt. This is on top of $400 billion it already bought.

MIXED SIGNALS

Other parts of the dollar funding market suggested lingering concerns about the banking system due to the sovereign debt problem in Europe and signs of slowing global economic growth, analysts said.

Eurodollar futures for delivery after 2013 fell anywhere from 1.0 to 8.5 basis points on Friday, although most front-month contracts were unchanged to up 1.5 basis points.

The steadiness in front-month Eurodollar futures helped narrow the risk premium on two-year interest rate swaps over Treasuries by 0.25 basis points to 24.25 basis points.

Two-year swap spread, which is seen as a gauge on investor confidence, ended essentially unchanged in second quarter after flirting with 38.00 basis points in early June on fears over Spain's troubled banks and Greece's possible exit from the euro zone.

In offshore dollar lending, the London interbank rate on three-month dollars was unchanged at 0.46060 percent.

This rate benchmark for $370 trillion of financial products worldwide was down from 0.46815 percent at the end of March.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/markets-money-idUSL2E8HT6CV20120629

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Florida takes chances with your tax dollars to lure jobs

By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune

Companies across Florida collect millions of dollars up front to create jobs, then miss their marks ? some by a little, some by a lot.

In many cases, they balk at giving the public its money back.

They include Metlife in Tampa, Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach, and Redpine Healthcare Technologies in the Panhandle.

The grants in question come through the Quick Action Closing Fund, one of 13 job-creating incentive programs that Florida offers and the program that has awarded the most money in the last five years ? more than $200 million.

Governments have awarded incentives to companies for years to encourage them to hire, but historically, they demanded the companies create jobs and invest corporate dollars before getting a tax refund or credit.

This gave taxpayers some protection.

But the timing is changing. Competition for jobs is so fierce that state and local governments nationwide are choosing to turn over cash in advance.

Gray Swoope, chief of the economic development agency Enterprise Florida, argues that up-front incentives work. Companies need money at the beginning of an expansion more than they do later on, he said ? to buy land, equipment and train their workforce.

"It's becoming more of an effective tool as states move toward more closing funds than any other program," Swoope said in an interview.

It hasn't worked in Bay County, though, where the government is in court trying to get its money back. And while the recession no doubt has hurt companies' ability to create jobs, a Tampa Tribune review suggests more than 40 percent of companies have missed their job-creation and investment marks.

Ed Smith, county manager there, watched Redpine collect $750,000 up front from the state and county, move into town, then shut down within months.

"We had never done that before," Smith said, "and I would venture we won't do it again."

***

Read more about Florida's gamble on jobs in a special report that begins Sunday in The Tampa Tribune.

Source: http://www2.tbo.com/news/business/2012/jun/29/florida-takes-chances-with-your-tax-dollars-to-lur-ar-421980/

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Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background

Nike+ Fuelband iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background

If you decided to snag the latest Nike+ wristband earlier this year, you're about to get some added functionality thanks to an iOS application update. First, the outfit has added Path integration to the mobile software. Users can now keep track of the sights they've visited while out for a jog or bike ride and share said moments / achievements with their mates. When the day comes to a close, those points-of-interest along the trail will appear on the app's progress graph. You'll also encounter background syncing by holding down the FuelBand's button alongside the ability to check battery status, offline data access and setting the time with your iPhone or iPod touch. For a quick look at what you can expect to see with the refresh, sprint to the gallery below.

Nike+ FuelBand iOS app updated to run along your Path, sync in the background originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/8r_kk5F_Y0Q/

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Friday, June 29, 2012

ContractManagementJobs.com: Business Management jobs ...

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Contracts Manager POSTED: Jun 28
Salary: Open Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Employer: Confidential Type: Full Time - Experienced
Categories: Business Management, Contract Management Required Education: 4 Year Degree

The Contracts Manager will analyze significant and unique requirements, special provisions, terms and conditions, Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR") and Defense FAR Supplement ("DFARS") flow downs for applicability and ensure compliance with the appropriate procurement laws, regulations, corporate policies and procedures and business unit objectives and the contract requirements of the customer. The Contracts Manager will review complex solicitations and prepare, in addition to routine responses, specialized and/or non-routine responses for proposals, bids and contract modifications and change orders. The Contracts Manager develops a contract negotiation strategy and functions as the lead in contract negotiation with government and commercial customers' contracts professionals (non-legal professionals). The Contracts Manager assists the business unit members in all bid and proposal activity and coordinates the various proposal functional inputs such as estimating and pricing, engineering, quality, program management, to ensure a timely and comprehensive response to the solicitation. The Contracts Manager functions as the point of contact for all DCAA and DCMA audits, and price negotiations. Will provide contract review and negotiation assistance to the corporate purchasing departments to ensure proper FAR and DFAR provisions are identified and flowed down to internal and external subcontractors and vendors. The Contracts Manager assists in the implementation of companywide government contracting strategies, policies and procedures awareness and compliance activities and training of employees who are less familiar with government contracting.

Additionally, the Contracts Manager is responsible for all export related activities with a specific focus on the preparation of DSP-5 applications, preparation of Technical Assistance Agreements and Manufacturing License Agreements and monitoring Company compliance with the issued license requirements. The Contracts Manager interfaces regularly with engineering and sales team members in defense article determinations. Reviews Company activities with its global distributor network for brokering activity compliance as well as export and import documentation prepared by business and sales team members. The Contracts Manager acts as the Empowered Official supporting several business units.


? Bachelor?s degree required with advanced or graduate sturdy and/or degrees a benefit; ? CFCM (Certified Federal Contracts Manager) qualification required; ? CCCM (Certified Commercial Contracts Manager) desired; ? CUSECO (Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer) or CIP (Certified ITAR Professional) a plus; ? Minimum 5 to 7 years experience functioning in the role of a Contracts Manager; ? Extensive knowledge of Federal Procurement Regulations; Defense FAR Supplement and other agency supplements and procurement process; ? Working to expert knowledge as a non-legal professional of contract principles; ? With support from the Law Department, the ability to draft routine to complex contractual instruments particularly in the government procurement arena; ? Experience in foreign government procurement processes and regulations (e.g. U.K. DEFCONS), FMS and direct foreign commercial sales strongly desired; ? Strong experience with commercial item determinations and procurements (FAR Part 12) as well as FAR Part 15 requirements and negotiations; ? Advanced knowledge of ITAR and EAR regulations and DDTC policies and procedures; ? Strong to excellent analytical and communication skills; ? Excellent presentation, leadership and team-building skills; ? Emerging ability to excel in upper level management environment; ? Ability to effectively function on a day to day basis with business team members varying disciplines and experience; ? Self motivated to stay abreast of the frequent changes in procurement regulation and policy; ? Active membership in the National Contracts Management Association a plus.


Confidential

Baltimore MD

http://www.kaydon.com "); febox .html('') .addClass('featured-employer-box') .appendTo($('body')) .css({ "height":fWin.height() - 50, "width":980 }) .overlay({ top: 20, closeOnClick:true, load: false }); feframe = $('#featured-employer-frame'); }); $('body').delegate('.fe-popup','click',function(e) { var el = $(this); feframe.contents().find('body').html(""); feframe.attr('src',el.data('url')); febox.overlay().load(); }); })(jQuery);

Source: http://www.ncmajobs.com/jobs/4825498/contracts-manager

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Florida Baptist 2012 Hunger Awareness Offering

Florida Baptist 2012 Hunger Awareness Offering

Jun 29, 2012
By STAFF

They come from different walks in life.?

An elderly woman just released from the hospital, bearing a cancer diagnosis is devastated by the turn of events in her life. Searching the eyes of those around her, she looks for somebody to care, someone to hold her hand and pray with her, someone to provide a few extra groceries at the end of the month when her Social Security runs low.?

A young couple unable to find jobs in harsh economic times wonders how they will feed their small children. Although they are willing to work, few jobs are available. Longing for some type of financial security in their lives, they ask how long they will have to endure such instability.?

Hispanic families working the fields of Ocala?s horse farms perform back-breaking manual labor few others would. They are isolated by language and culture. As they work to support the region?s economy, their own physical nourishment is lacking.?

They hope for more than words.

They come to Ocala?s Fellowship Baptist Church where they find a group of God?s faithful servants willing to embrace them in their difficulties, pray with them in their trials and provide food to help them make it through the month. They give more than words.

On the third Saturday of each month, Fellowship?s servant saints provide bags of food to their community?s needy. The bags contain canned food basics, bakery goods, meats and frozen foods; also diapers and baby formula when needed.?

?Our goal is to provide three days of emergency food,? said Cindy Mesa, director of the church?s community outreach. Per month, the congregation feeds as many as 100 families?some with as many as seven members and others who are single.

?No one is ever turned away,? she explained.?

?I?ve seen people here who are going through horrible times. I?ve seen burly, gruff men with tears streaming down their face. So many people are isolated and don?t know people care.?

Fellowship Church is personifying God?s Word as found in I John 3:17-18 as it instructs believers to love others with more than words.?

?If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.? ?? I John 3:17-18

Church members have embraced the effort, scouring food banks, gleaning produce from local fields, picking up left over foods from grocery stores and bakeries and even subsidizing costs from their own wallets. They give of their time to organize and distribute food, meet special needs, and touch lives.

?It is very humbling for a person to come here and receive food,? said Fellowship Pastor John Outlaw. ?But our church members establish a rapport with those who do. They love on them, pray for them and share the Gospel in many ways and actions.??

Fellowship?s food assistance program is the only one in this southwest corner of Ocala, explained the pastor. The region has been hard hit by the economy which climbed to as high as 16 percent unemployment in recent months before dropping to 11 percent.?

And as a result of their ministry, the church has seen professions of faith in Jesus Christ and welcomed families into the congregation.?

Each month, Fellowship receives $300 from Hunger Relief funds given by Florida Baptists to the state?s Hunger Offering. Since the ministry was begun six years ago the church has partnered with the Florida Baptist Convention.

The Convention subsidy does not cover the entire cost of the church?s ministry, but supports a much needed part of the church?s efforts.

They find Florida Baptists care.

During the past year, 125 Florida Baptist churches and associations received financial assistance from the Florida Baptist Hunger Offering. These funds totaled $131,435 and fed 161,896 people in 2011. As a result, 1,828 people made professions of faith and 521 were baptized into the fellowship of a local congregation.

When Florida Baptists give ?more than words,? their gifts to the offering go to alleviate hunger and causes of hunger in Florida, the United States and around the world. ?

Few can dispute the tragedies caused by hunger in the world today. Media outlets show the injustices as an estimated 1.2 billion poor people in developing countries live on $1 a day or less. Florida Baptists, through the International Missions Board?s World Hunger Fund, are making a difference.?

The fund is not supported by either the Cooperative Program or the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Gifts enable missionaries to minister with ?more than words? by meeting human needs around the world through community development and disaster response.

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people may believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to certain socio-economic segments, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.?

Right now, millions of Americans struggle with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.?

Funds earmarked for the North American Mission Board help Southern Baptist churches within the United States demonstrate ?more than words? to the hungry in all 50 states.?

?

Southern Baptists? ?response

$239,641 was given by Florida Baptists to fight world hunger in 2011.

161,896 persons were fed through Florida Baptist hunger funds given to 125 Florida Baptist churches and associations to feed 162,000 hungry people.?

1,828 persons came to know Jesus Christ as Savior from Florida Baptists? hunger ministries; 521 were baptized.

304 World Hunger global hunger relief projects that affected entire communities were carried out in 2011 as a result of Southern Baptists giving $6 million to help feed millions around the world.?

5 million meals were fed to the hungry in North America through Southern Baptist hunger funds, resulting in 30,000 professions of faith.?

?

2011 FLORIDA BAPTIST?HUNGER MINISTRY

$239,641 given by Florida Baptists

$131,435 distributed to Florida churches

125 churches and associations received funds?

161,896 people fed

1,828 salvations resulted

521 baptisms performed

One hundred percent of all money received?is distributed through Southern Baptist channels.?

25% to Florida Baptist?Convention?for Florida hunger relief ministries through?local churches and associations

15% to ?North American?Mission Board?to alleviate hunger in the United States

60% to International?Mission Board?for worldwide hunger relief

?

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Source: http://www.gofbw.com/News.asp?id=14153

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What is Colloquial Speech?

The English language is one of the most awkward and confusing languages in the world. There is no rhyme or reason to the way that words are spelled or pronounced, and there are different names for every single part of speech.

Since there are so many definitions regarding the different parts of speech and the different items related to speech, it hard for the non-English major to keep track of it all.

Colloquial speech is one of the terms that most people don?t know or understand.

What is colloquial speech?

Colloquial speech, otherwise known as colloquialism, is words and phrases that are used throughout informal conversation. These items cannot be used in formal speeches or writing.

What are examples of colloquial speech?

Since colloquialisms contain both words and phrases, there are a vast variety of examples. The most popular would include informal contractions, such as ?wanna? or ?y?all?. As for phrases, most catch phrases fall into the genre of colloquialisms, including ?dead as a doornail? and ?raining cats and dogs?. Some colloquial words can have both a formal and informal meaning. For example, the word ?kid? is formal for baby goat, while as a colloquialism, it means young child.

Where are colloquialisms found?

Colloquialisms can be found everywhere, from written conversations to verbal conversations and through the Internet.

Some colloquialisms vary by region. For example, the word ?y?all? tends to be used primarily in the south and is not as common in northern regions. Terms referring to soft drinks are one of the most popular examples of regional colloquialism. For example, most people in the midwest refer to soft drinks as ?pop?. Those in the northeast or western states tend to refer to it as ?soda?, and those in Kentucky and Tennessee refer to all soft drinks as ?Coke?.

Aren?t colloquialisms the same thing as jargon or slang?

While they?re similar, there is a major difference between slang and colloquialisms. Colloquialisms are informal words and phrases that can be used by anyone. On the other hand, slang is considered special words and phrases that are used by specific social groups, including military members, surfers and even teenagers.

Like slang, jargon refers to vocabulary used by certain people in the same job industry or activity. For example, doctors and lawyers use jargon as a way to communicate with other doctors and lawyers. These terms are not used by everyone and refer only to items and events found throughout their own respective industries. People who are not in those professions will not understand what is being said.

Is it okay to use colloquialisms?

When you are writing or speaking informally, such as to friends and family members, using colloquial speech is perfectly acceptable. Your audience will understand what you?re saying, and there is no need to impress them with your formal language.

On the other hand, colloquial speech needs to be avoided when speaking at formal events or writing formally, such as on invitations, school papers and published articles. Using formal language makes it much easier for your audience to understand what it is you?re trying to say, and it presents you as a more educated and well-versed individual than colloquial speech.

Post By ? Hans Shultz who has written 1 posts on CommunityCollegeTransferStudents.com

Hans Shultz is originally from Germany and is a writer.? He likes to write articles on various topics including grammar and language.? Hans also writes for Accent Pros and recently started writing about Accent Pros language classes.


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    Journey with the Williams Family: Foster-To-Adopt Timeline

    I thought I would share a very loose, generic look at a typical foster-to-adopt timeline for those that aren't familiar.? This is our basic understanding and this is most likely not exact or perfect.? We are also in Virginia, and I'm sure it varies from state to state.? ??

    Some acronyms:

    DSS - Department of Social Services

    CPS - Child Protective Services

    Step 1:? Receive phone call from DSS asking if you are willing to accept a particular child.? Not much information is given at this time and you have to make an almost immediate decision.

    Step 2:? CPS Officer arrives with child (sometimes within minutes of the initial phone call)!

    Step 3:? Court Hearing within the first week to determine that child should remain in foster care.? Case is still a CPS case.? This is the earliest a child usually would be removed from foster and given back to their birthparents.

    Step 4:? Court Hearing within 30 days of removal to determine that child should remain in foster care, (at this point the case is handled by a foster care worker and is no longer a CPS case) or be returned to the birthparents.

    Step 5:? Court hearing at the 75 day mark or 45 days from the Step 4 Court Hearing.? This hearing puts a plan in motion and is an order to the birthparents and foster parents on what they need to be doing.? Foster parents are ordered to continue to provide a safe, loving home.? Birthparents may be ordered to do many things like take a parenting class, get a job, clean the home, and/or go to rehab.?

    Step 6:? Within 6 months of the Step 5 Court Hearing a Foster Care Review Hearing should be set up to report the progress of the birthparents.

    Step 7: Within 5 months of the Foster Care Review Hearing a Permanency Review Hearing will be held.? This hearing can be held sooner if the plan can be reached sooner.

    Step 8: If the permanency plan is for adoption then foster parents may move forward.? There may be additional review hearings until adoption is complete (every 6 months)

    In order to adopt, the child must have been in the adoptive parents home for at least 6 months.? We are of the understanding that this back-dates to the date of the initial placement of the child in our home.? So even if parental rights are terminated in the final steps, the 6 month goal would have been met at this point and you can petition for adoption.???

    Next up:? What we've been up to, including Daniel's 6th Birthday!!

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    Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Latest threat to Europe: A weaker German economy

    FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? For Germany ? the biggest of the 17 countries that use the euro ? the crisis gripping Europe can feel like someone else's problem. Its economy is growing. Unemployment is low. And its government can borrow at lower interest rates than any other country in the euro alliance.

    That helps explain why Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to favor a slower approach to the financial crisis than other leaders do ? especially if a solution would impose a heavy burden on Germans.

    But now, Germany itself is at risk of a slowdown, which would make it even harder to end Europe's crisis. Many analysts say a downturn would hit home to Germans how much they depend on the health of other European economies. If so, they could become more willing to put money at risk to support their weaker neighbors.

    Those issues are helping drive discussions that began Thursday at a European Union summit in Brussels. The summit is intended to reach agreements on how to shore up Europe's economies and save the euro alliance. Olli Rehn, the European commissioner for economic affairs, said Thursday he expects an agreement on steps to spur growth and reduce Spain's and Italy's unsustainably high borrowing costs.

    Concerns about Germany's economy grew last week with a report that German business optimism fell in June. Earlier in the week, a survey showed manufacturing was slowing. Germany's economy is powered by exports, and manufacturing is at the heart.

    Both surveys are intended to forecast where Germany's economy could be in several months. For now, its economy remains far stronger than its European neighbors'.

    Unemployment is just 5.4 percent. German autos and other products have been selling well in China and North America. Low interest rates have made it easy to borrow and invest. And the euro's value, held down by weaker nations in the currency alliance, has made German goods affordable for foreign buyers.

    But Europe's raging debt crisis threatens the entire continent. Nearly 60 percent of Germany's exports go to the 27 countries in the European Union. Recessions in Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal are weakening demand for those goods.

    Slowing growth by its trading partners in Asia is also affecting Germany's economy. Asia accounted for 16 percent of German exports. Germany's exports to China surged 15 percent last year and contributed significantly to Germany's 3 percent growth in 2011.

    Fear of a catastrophe, possibly resulting from a Greek exit from the eurozone or the need to bail out a big economy like Italy's, could make German businesses scale back plans to expand.

    Economists still foresee modest growth in Germany this year, whose gross domestic product totaled ?2.57 trillion ($3.42 trillion) in 2011 and accounted for 27 percent of the eurozone's economy. The interest rate on Germany's 10-year bond is just 1.56 percent ? even lower than the rate on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note.

    But the risks of a downturn are growing. The government predicts 0.7 percent growth this year. Other forecasts range from 0.5 to 1.0 percent.

    Perhaps the biggest issue is how a recession in Germany would affect its willingness to put its stellar credit rating behind weaker countries so they could borrow affordably.

    Germany has resisted proposals for so-called eurobonds. These would be bonds issued jointly by all 17 countries in the eurozone. Because they'd be backed by the collective power of so many countries, including Germany, they'd carry a low interest rate. But eurobonds would put Germany partly on the hook if a big country like Spain or Italy defaulted.

    Another idea would be to take the excessive debts of eurozone countries and put them into a "debt redemption fund." The fund would be jointly guaranteed and could be paid down over two decades or more.

    If Germans began to fear for their jobs, would their resistance to these proposals begin to melt?

    Many analysts suggest it would. They think a downturn would force more Germans to recognize how much they depend on other European nations to buy their goods and support the German economy. They could become more willing to jointly accept the risks of backing weaker countries' debts.

    "The main constraint here is political ? the willingness to help, rather than the ability," said Randall Henning, a professor of international economic policy at American University in Washington.

    Douglas Elliott, a fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said he thinks Germany could turn more sympathetic to its neighbors as their economic problems cut into Germany's exports.

    "Germany to this point has not suffered in any obvious way from the crisis, which has made it harder to convince voters that Germany has a strong economic stake in pulling Europe through this," Elliott said.

    So far, Germany's economy hasn't slowed enough to tighten the pressure on Merkel. Jacob Kirkegaard, research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, noted that Germany's low unemployment, rising wages and increasing home prices have kept Germans largely insulated from Europe's crisis.

    That's made it easier for Merkel to step up the demands on Greece, Spain and Italy to cut government spending and reduce their budget deficits in return for financial help.

    "She can play the long game, the gradualist game to solving crisis," Kirkegaard said.

    The dynamics could shift if Germany's economy suffered a sharp slowdown. Merkel, who is up for re-election next year, would likely face more pressure to resolve Europe's crisis quickly, economists said.

    "It would be a little like the situation Obama is in," Kierkegaard said.

    Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble have opposed common borrowing. But they've signaled they could back some form of jointly backed debt ? if much stricter controls were imposed on individual countries' spending and borrowing.

    A weakening economy in Germany would threaten the eurozone's growth because Germans normally buy so many of the goods other European nations export. As Germany's economy slowed, its consumers would scale back. And their neighbors' economies would suffer.

    The EU predicts the economy in the 17 eurozone countries will shrink 0.3 percent this year ? a relatively mild recession. But without growth, that will make it even harder for the countries to reduce their debt. Growth raises tax revenue because companies and consumers make more money.

    Germany's exports benefit its neighbors because its companies import raw materials, parts and factory machinery from other European nations to fill orders from elsewhere. That's already helped some of the heavily indebted countries ? Spain, Portugal and Greece ? narrow their trade gaps.

    ___

    Rugaber contributed from Washington.

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    Dozens wounded as Serbs, Kosovo police clash

    [ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

    [ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

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    Google Now: Contextual Results With Real-Time Reminders And Data

    google nowAndroid users are about to get access to real-time notifications and data through a cool-looking new feature called Google Now. It's one of the new features in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean unveiled this morning at Google I/O. To explain how it works, Googlers demonstrated how Google Now might assist them in the course of a regular day. First of all, Google Now will remind you about appointments, and then it can use your travel preferences (like the fact that you prefer to take mass transit rather than drive) and real-time data to tell you exactly when you need to leave so that you arrive on time.

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    Wednesday, June 27, 2012

    How Do We Know Smartphones Endanger Planes?

    Maybe you were fiddling with the air-conditioning nozzle, but you ignored the flight attendant?s annoucement to turn off your phone or iPad. Later, when the plane lands and you disembark at your destination, you look at your gadgets only to realize they were powered on (and not in airplane mode) during the entire flight.

    The fact that you landed safely might make you join with myriad other air travelers who scoff at the rules about phones during flights and wonder whether it?s really necessary to turn them off (we?re looking at you, Alec Baldwin). But to Jay Apt, a professor of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, that type of logic is dangerous. Despite the fact that more wireless signals are bouncing around than ever, Apt says there?s still a good reason why the flight attendants are sticklers about gadgets.

    Back in 2003, Apt and his colleagues closely examined the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum for three months? worth of flights. Though they could detect a strong signal radiating from active cellphones, their data did not explicitly link it to a specific airplane malfunction during flight.

    There may not be a smoking gun to connect cellphone use and equipment problems, but Apt stresses that the consequences of a malfunctioning plane are plenty high already. "Don?t come away with the idea that cellphone activity will take down a plane," he says. "The probability of a crash occurring due to cellphone interference is low, but there are lots of flights each day. If a flight with 150 passengers crashes only once per decade, that is still too much."

    Why Do They Have Those Rules Anyway?


    The risk is a result of the basic way cellphones work?they behave like powerful radios. Apt says that when your phone is first turned on, it broadcasts high-power radio waves while it?s looking for a cell tower to connect with. Essentially the phone yells out, "Can you hear me now?" and a cell tower replies, "Loud and clear!"

    Once the cellphone establishes a connection, it reduces the strength of its radio waves. The back-and-forth between tower and phone repeats, with each cycle decreasing the cellphone?s broadcasting power. When the tower gets an unclear signal, though, it flags the phone to let it know that it needs to speak a little louder. Now the cellphone knows to send out a slightly stronger signal. And every so often, even when it sits there idly without actively making calls or using the 4G connection, the phone periodically sends messages to the cell tower just to confirm the connection.

    But if you?re at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, there?s no cell tower to talk to. The phone doesn?t know that, though, so it will continue sending out energetic signals to see if there?s anybody out there. The worry with planes is these loud and powerful signals could cause radio interference with GPS signals beamed down from satellites, resulting in a lost connection or even incorrect navigation information.

    But What About Wireless?


    If radio waves are causing interference, why are more and more airlines offering onboard wireless? It?s because laptops send and receive signals from an onboard server rather than a faraway antenna. Because the connection is only meters away instead of miles, your machine doesn?t need to transmit radio waves at high power. (The iPads now used by pilots are meant to replace binders full of maps and other reference materials; their Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi, and other wireless features are kept off.)

    But you can take advantage of the wireless only when the plane is at cruising altitude. Takeoff and landing are different matters because, as Apt says, you?re that much closer to the ground without much time to correct for any mistakes. The majority of accidents happen during these stages. That?s why flight attendants disrupt your slumber and ask you to turn off your music so the plane can land. "While cellphones produce electromagnetic interference, all electronic devices [including CD players and game devices] can too," Apt says.

    Jerrold Sandors, the manager of the Spectrum Assignment & Engineering Team at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), says that planes fly through a host of radio activity. "Anything that transmits a signal can get through." If RF emissions are present when close to the towers and the antennas on the ground, what?s keeping the plane?s equipment from malfunctioning as it lands?

    Apt doesn?t deny that RF activity on the ground can breach the cockpit. However, he says, the key factor is that the external interference is well-documented. Planes are regularly scheduled to perform "instrument approaches"?test flights that are conducted without any passengers on board. During the flight, the pilot makes sure that the plane receives signals from a variety of navigation beacons and GPS satellites. If the pilot experiences any difficulty receiving those signals due to ground RF activity, then subsequent flights at those particular destinations are suspended until the issue is resolved. Unlike cellphone interference, ground transmission is regulated by the FCC.

    One way to try and minimize the interference is to install electromagnetic shielding and block off any unwanted interference. Gregory Huff, an electrical engineering professor at Texas A&M University, says that newer planes made in the past five years or so have cockpits with better RF shielding. However, it?s difficult to retrofit planes that were built more than 20 years ago. "You can?t just shield the cockpit and expect to keep all the radio energy out. Any small crack or crevice is a place that RF energy can escape."

    Huff says that while the technology will advance, he doesn?t anticipate that we?ll be able to make cellphone calls while aboard a plane. Instead, he sees a smarter generation of smartphones?phones that could automatically switch to airplane mode or power down when they detect that they?re in an aircraft.

    In any case, Huff says, he thinks airlines would be better served by improving onboard wireless rather than cell-tower communication. In the air or on the ground, people are using more and more data. "Data access is going to be critical, and for many people that will make or break the airline you choose," he says. "It?s just a factor in planning your trip, no different than choosing one hotel over another for the better Wi-Fi."

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    Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva I and Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock III full fight videos

    Clear your schedule, because you're going to want to spend some time with these full fight videos. First up, Chael Sonnen's first fight with Anderson Silva. By now, you know the result. Silva won by submission, but if you've never watched what happened before the triangle armbar, then watch now. Heck, if you have watched what happened before the triangle armbar, watch now.

    Next up, watch Tito Ortiz's final fight with Ken Shamrock. Ortiz, who is set to retire on July 7 after finishing a trio of fights with Forrest Griffin, faced Shamrock three times, as well.

    Which fight was your favorite? Tell us in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter.

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    Tuesday, June 26, 2012

    Toll from Colo. wildfire grows to 248 homes

    Flames forced thousands of Colorado residents from their homes over the weekend and disrupted vacation plans for countless visitors as smoke shrouded some of the state's top tourist destinations, including majestic Pike's Peak and tranquil Estes Park.

    Colorado is having its worst wildfire season in a decade, with more than a half dozen forest fires burning across the state's parched terrain. Some hotels and campgrounds are emptying ahead of the busy Fourth of July holiday.

    One of the newest fires, a blaze near Colorado Springs, grew to more than 6 square miles Sunday after erupting just a day earlier and prompting evacuation orders for 11,000 residents and an unknown number of tourists.

    The fire sent plumes of gray and white smoke over the area that obscured at times Pikes Peak, the most-summited high-elevation mountain in the nation and inspiration for the song "America The Beautiful."

    Winds had started to push smoke away from Colorado Springs and evacuations orders were lifted for the 5,000 residents of nearby Manitou Springs, but area residents and tourists still watched nervously as haze wrapped around the peak.

    "We're used to flooding and tornadoes, nothing like this," said Amanda Rice, who recently moved to the area from Rock Falls, Ill. Rice, her husband, four children and dog left a Manitou Springs hotel late Saturday.

    Rice, scared when she saw flames, took her family to the evacuation center before she was told to go.

    "It was just this God-awful orange glow. It was surreal. It honestly looked like hell was opening up," Rice said Sunday.

    Even while other large fires burn across the West, Colorado's blazes have demanded half the nation's firefighting fleet, according to Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. He said C-130 military transport planes from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs would begin assisting Monday.

    "People recognize this is going to take a big push" to extinguish, Hickenlooper said Sunday from a Colorado Springs grocery store, where volunteers were passing out burritos, sandwiches and drinks to 350 firefighters working near Pikes Peak.

    A statewide ban on open campfires and private fireworks has been in place for more than a week.

    While no homes were reported damaged in the Colorado Springs-area fire, a forest fire near Rocky Mountain National Park destroyed structures near the mountain community of Estes Park. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that 22 homes and two outbuildings had been burned.

    The Estes Park fire destroyed vacation cabins and closed the most commonly used entrance to the park. Clouds of smoke blew toward the 102-year-old Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write "The Shining."

    Also over the weekend, residents of a subdivision near the northern Colorado city of Fort Collins learned that 57 more homes in their neighborhood had been lost to the High Park Fire, which already had claimed 191 homes, authorities said.

    Video: Wildfires rage across West

    The High Park Fire is the second-largest wildfire and among the most expensive in Colorado's history. It has scorched more than 130 square miles and was just 45 percent contained on Sunday, The Denver Post reported.

    With Colorado midway through its worst wildfire season in a decade, travelers have seen some of their favorite sites closed to the public, obscured by smoke and haze. Some travelers were awoken with evacuation orders.

    Families planning whitewater rafting trips or visits to the stunning red-rock formations in Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs were instead spending their vacations passing out bottled water and setting up cots in evacuee centers.

    They included Mark Stein, of Morristown, N.J., whose family arrived after midnight Sunday at their Manitou Springs hotel for a week of whitewater rafting and sightseeing.

    "We were sleeping for 15 minutes when they started knocking on the door ? a day from hell," Stein said of the day of travel. With his wife and two sons, Stein spent the first night of his vacation setting up cots for more than 200 evacuees who slept at the school.

    "I think it's the best vacation ever. This is what the real world is about. There's a lot of people that need help," Stein said.

    Also Sunday, a brushfire that began near Elbert, about 50 miles southwest of Denver, quickly spread to about 60 acres, forcing the evacuation of about 100 residents.

    Elsewhere, firefighters contended with windy and heat as they battled wildfires in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

    ? In Utah, a 15-square-mile blaze around Fountain Green in Sanpete County was threatening more than 359 permanent structures and 213 mobile homes and travel trailers in four rural subdivisions, forcing about 1,000 people to flee. BLM says the human-caused fire erupted Saturday afternoon. Officials report progress on a 9-square-mile wildfire around Saratoga Springs, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.

    ? In California, a wildfire about 60 miles north of Los Angeles triggered evacuations of campgrounds around an off-road recreation area on Saturday. Officials said the fire has blackened at least 1,000 acres in the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area, along the Interstate 5 corridor in Gorman.

    ? In New Mexico, a lightning-caused wildfire that destroyed 242 homes and businesses is 90 percent contained. The 69-square-mile fire near Ruidoso began June 4. Meanwhile, the largest wildfire in state history was 87 percent contained, having burned more than 464 square miles after two blazes merged on May 16.

    ? In Montana, two wildfires were burning in the southwest part of the state, including the fast-moving Antelope Fire, which started Saturday afternoon about 10 miles north of Whitehall and had grown to 462 acres on Sunday. About 100 firefighters were battling that blaze.

    ? In Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service said late Sunday that containment against the Poco Fire, just outside of Young, is up to 65 percent and remains under 12,000 acres. Officials say many of the firefighting resources are being released to their home units or to other fire assignments.?

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

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    Facebook Already Killed Its New 'Find Friends Nearby' Feature That Found People Around You [Facebook]

    Facebook was stealth testing a new 'Find Friends Nearby' feature over the weekend that would show the Facebook users who were around you—think Find My Friends on iOS or Where You At? on Boost Mobile—but has now pulled the feature completely. More »


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    'The Two Great Classes?Tramps and Millionaires' (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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

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    Most Contractors Specialize In A Specific Area Of Home Improvement

    Improve the look of your bathroom without spending a lot of time and effort. The first solution is to throw out those old bath mats, towels and shower curtains and replace them with new ones. That instantly lifts the look of the room. Plants fresh a bathroom, but be certain to select those that are good in high humidity and do not need a lot of light.

    Start composting to lower your amount of garbage. A compost pile is easily started by choosing a spot in your yard, and layering grass cuttings, coffee grounds, veggies, fruit peelings and other organic matter into a pile. This decreases your trash for trash day, meaning you can lower your waste bill.

    Texturing walls through the use of drywall mud could cover up unwanted blemishes. It is easy to create texture. Just trowel the drywall mud in place and use something like a stiff bristled brush, a sponge, or even a wadded up plastic bag to dab at the drywall mud and add texture.

    You can significantly improve your bathroom?s look and feel by getting them re-glazed. A new glaze will make your fixtures look brand new. Buying new fixtures and flooring can be expensive, but glazing can be done for just a couple hundred dollars. It?s one of the best ways to increase your home?s value without spending too much money.

    Replacing the flooring in any room can be an expensive project. You can add a stain to your concrete foundation to save money. This industrial-inspired look is both versatile and modern and can be easily altered if you decide on a different decor.

    Painting your walls can give a quick and refreshing change to a room without spending too much money! Take a trip to your nearest hardware store and pick up some paint chips! Look for ones that excite you or inspire you, and dive right in! If it doesn?t turn out the way you wish, it is easy to paint over it!

    Buy ?hurricane socks? if you live in an area where heavy rains and flooding occur often. These are a good investment. Hurricane socks will suck up about a gallon of liquid. Put these next to your doors and windows.

    A real estate slump is the perfect time for homeowners to invest in renovations and additions. During this time homeowners can save money. This is due to the fact that most contractors are competing for work. There is no expiration on home improvements. However, renovations made during a housing slump will add much value to a home when the market goes back up.

    If you have home improvement projects that use the water supply, shut it off before working. You should know where all water valves are located, and turn them off when necessary so you don?t have any flooding.

    Only EPA-certified stoves should be purchased if you?re looking into purchasing a stove that burns real wood. Most stoves that are newly made are certified, but if you buy a used one, you will want to check to be sure. It is also of the utmost importance that you ensure your wood-burning stove does not leak deadly carbon monoxide.

    When you are wanting to do bathroom remodeling, make your bathroom handicap accessible. Although you may not need your bathroom to be handicap-friendly now, if you stay in the home when you get older, you may need it to be. If you are planning to sell your house, these preparations will surely add to your house?s value.

    Home improvement can mean a lot of different things and can be done on any kind of budget. You do not have to spend a fortune on a large construction project. If you have a small budget for home improvements, the best thing to do is smaller, less expensive projects, such as repainting or residing your home.

    Home improvement projects are so popular because they can be tailored to almost any price range or skill level. You must know what you are doing before you do it. With the advice in the article above, you should be better prepared to meet your goal. Good luck in all your future home improvement endeavors!

    Richie Vee, the site?s editor, is the Chief Engineer of one of the largest Platinum LEED buildings in NYC. His extensive engineering experience helps guide consumers through home improvement projects for the average homeowner. Using home solar energy and roofing repair ideas to save them money.

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