Monday, November 28, 2011

Low cost Texas Car Insurance | Free Article Directory

In at present?s advanced world of expertise, the Internet has made it attainable for us to buy almost all the pieces online. Car insurance coverage is no exception, and drivers in California are capable of purchase car insurance from the same auto insurance firm used by drivers in West Virginia due to the Web and the broad scope of promoting it provides.

Nonetheless, when you are in search of low-cost Texas automobile insurance coverage, you should not overlook the option of buying the insurance coverage from a Texas car insurance coverage company. Purchasing low-cost Texas automobile insurance from a Texas automotive insurance coverage company doesn?t mean purchasing the insurance from an organization that is merely licensed to do insurance business in Texas. A Texas automotive insurance coverage company is one that focuses on selling car insurance coverage to Texas drivers and automotive owners.

Texas-based mostly automobile insurance corporations are in a position to promote cheap Texas automotive insurance because they?re aware of any particular elements that should go into automotive insurance in Texas. Somewhat than merely having policyholders in Texas, they have house owners and agents within the area.

A Texas automobile insurance firm will ask Texas drivers and car homeowners the identical kinds of questions asked by some other car insurance coverage company. The insurance company will need to know contact details about you, equivalent to your identify, your deal with, your telephone number, and your email handle, in addition to extra private data corresponding to your marital status, gender, age, employment, and credit score rating. The insurance company may even wish to know details about your present Texas automobile insurance, information about your car such as make, mannequin, 12 months, and vehicle identification quantity (VIN), and details about the people who additionally drive your car.

To start your seek for low cost Texas automotive insurance coverage, start at home. Look at your newspapers, native television commercials, and phone listings, and talk with your loved ones members, friends, and associates in regards to the Texas automobile insurance firms they use.

If you need additional facts with reference to texas auto insurance, visit Kizzy A Shulse?s Site without hesitation.

Source: http://fatbikezreview.com/low-cost-texas-car-insurance/

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

Giffords serves Thanksgiving meal at Ariz. base (AP)

TUCSON, Ariz. ? U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords helped serve a Thanksgiving meal to service members and retirees at a military base in her hometown.

Giffords arrived in the dining hall at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson at midday Thursday wearing a ball cap and an apron with her nickname of "Gabby" sewn on the front. She was accompanied by her retired astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, who also donned an apron.

Giffords used only her left hand as she served, a sign that physical damage remains from the injuries she suffered when she was shot in January.

Kelly supported her from her left side as she worked the turkey station on the serving line. He served ham.

The event marked the first time Giffords has met with her constituents since the shooting. After serving dinner, she mingled with service members, exchanging pleasantries and mostly one-word greetings and responses.

She did tell Airman 1st Class Millie Gray, of Kansas City, Mo., "Happy Thanksgiving, thank you for your service."

Gray said she had intended to only grab a plate and head back to her dorm to eat, until she heard that Giffords was going to be there.

"She's such an inspiration and her story is so inspirational, it really made me proud. I felt very proud and very humble," Gray said. "It just feels really good to see that she is out here supporting the troops, and just continuing to be an inspiration and a strong role model for Americans in general.

"She was very warm, asked how our meal was, which, of course, was amazing. The food is awesome," Gray said. "She and her husband were very, just delightful and asked a lot of questions. It was just very warm-hearted, and I told her she was an inspiration and she was very thankful for that."

Giffords and Kelly left after less than an hour.

Giffords has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston as she recovers from a gunshot wound to the head. She was among 19 people shot Jan. 8 as she met with constituents outside a Tucson supermarket. Six people died.

The congresswoman arrived in Tucson on Tuesday evening from Houston for a private visit with her parents and other family members and friends.

"It's always special to have a member of Congress come and spend time with the troops and show support," said Brig. Gen Jon Norman, acting commander of the the 12th Air Forces, Southern. "But after everything that she's been through, it's a little bit more special."

Giffords' staff said base officials originally asked a member of the congresswoman's staff to take part in the annual Thanksgiving dinner. When the staff member told Giffords about the event, the congresswoman decided she wanted to go herself.

Giffords previously returned to Tucson for the Father's Day and Labor Day weekends.

___

Christie reported from Phoenix.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111125/ap_on_re_us/us_congresswoman_shot_thanksgiving

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Grand Central Apple Store Is ?Arriving Soon?

Grand Apple storeApple's largest retail store is under construction in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. It takes up an entire mezzanine level at one end of the grand hall where there used to be a restaurant. Currently, the construction site is boxed up and draped in black, but today they added a large digital sign with lettering that flips just like the signs showing the latest trains and tracks above the ticket booths. I took the picture above this morning, which says simply: "Apple Store, Grand Central. Arriving Soon."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/SzPMo9Vrtbg/

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Moroccans hold Arab Spring-inspired election

A Moroccan woman leaves a polling booth before casting her vote in a polling station in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. Moroccans began voting for a new parliament Friday in Arab Spring-inspired elections that are facing a boycott by democracy campaigners who say the ruling monarchy isn't committed to real change. Small sign reads: voting booth. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

A Moroccan woman leaves a polling booth before casting her vote in a polling station in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. Moroccans began voting for a new parliament Friday in Arab Spring-inspired elections that are facing a boycott by democracy campaigners who say the ruling monarchy isn't committed to real change. Small sign reads: voting booth. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

Abdelilah Benkirane, the secretary general of Morocco's Islamist Justice and Development Party, leaves the voting booth in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. Moroccans began voting for a new parliament Friday in Arab Spring-inspired elections that are facing a boycott by democracy campaigners who say the ruling monarchy isn't committed to real change. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

Moroccan Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, tipped as possibly the next prime minister, casts his ballot in the affluent neighborhood of Souissi, Rabat. Moroccans voted on Friday Nov. 25, 2011 in parliamentary elections brought forward as part of the king's package of reforms to respond to the Arab Spring. (AP Photo/Paul Schemm)

A man clutching his car keys and smartphone votes in the affluent Rabat neighborhood of Agdal early in the morning Friday Nov. 25 2011. Moroccans voted Friday in parliamentary elections brought forward as part of the king's package of reforms to respond to the Arab Spring. (AP Photo/Paul Schemm)

A woman deposits her ballot paper after voting in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. Moroccans voted for a new parliament Friday in Arab Spring-inspired elections that are facing a boycott by democracy campaigners who say the ruling monarchy isn't committed to real change. (AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar)

(AP) ? Moroccans voted for a new parliament Friday in Arab Spring-inspired elections that are facing a boycott by democracy campaigners who say the ruling monarchy isn't committed to real change.

A moderate Islamist party and a pro-palace coalition led by the finance minister are competing for the top spot, but a key test for the authorities' legitimacy will be how many voters cast ballots.

The king amended the constitution over the summer giving the prime minister new powers, including the ability to dissolve parliament and make certain appointments, in response to pro-democracy protests. But the ultimate authority remains with the king.

The election result will be closely watched by Morocco's U.S. and other Western allies, as well as European tourists who cherish its beaches and resorts, to see how this North African kingdom navigates its own Arab Spring.

In the affluent Agdal neighborhood of Rabat, a steady stream of professionals lined up early in the morning at a polling station to vote before work.

"I've always voted, but this time it is more important," said Dr. Mohammed Ennabli. "Before it was the king who chose, now it is the people who choose."

Many people, however, scorned a process they say has been going on for decades without any tangible effect on their lives.

"I won't vote, the promises are never kept ? with or without the new constitution, it is the same," said Abdallah Cherachaoui, an unemployed 45 year old in the lower income district of Akkari. "They are laughing at us."

In the working class city of Sale, across the river from the capital Rabat, there was a steady trickle of voters to the school acting as a polling station, but some stayed outside.

"I voted in 2007 because the candidate was a member of my family, but he also disappointed me and as soon as the elections were over, I never saw him again, so I'm not making that mistake again," said Brahim Errami, 25, from his seat in a nearby cafe. "I pity the people going in and out of that school."

Morocco's reputation as a stable kingdom in North Africa has taken a hit with this year's protests over government corruption and heavy handed security forces. And its once-steady economy is creaking from the amount of money the government has pumped into raising salaries and subsidies to keep people calm amid the Arab world turmoil.

The election campaign has been strangely subdued, unlike the lively politicking in nearby Tunisia when it held the first elections prompted by the Arab uprisings last month.

Morocco with its many political parties and regular elections under the tight control of an all-powerful monarch was once the bright star in a region of dictatorships.

But all that has changed with the Arab uprisings that toppled dictators in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Now a political system that holds elections but leaves all powers in the hands of a hereditary king does not look so liberal.

Some 31 political parties are fielding 5,392 candidates to compete for 395 seats in parliament, including 60 set aside for women and 30 for "youth," under 40.

A complex proportional system of representation means no party is likely to take more than 20 percent of the seats.

Under the new constitution, the king asks the party with the most seats to form the government, which could well be the Islamist Justice and Development party, known by its French initials PJD. But there's uncertainty over whether it can truly change anything in the face of the palace's power.

The Islamists' biggest rival for the top spot is Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar's Rally of Independents, which leads an alliance of seven other pro-palace parties.

"This is a very important election for the Moroccan people and it confirms the choice made for an open process of democratization that is being consolidated by this election," he told The Associated Press after voting. "This is really a moment of great emotion."

Like elsewhere in the Arab world, Moroccans hit the streets in the first half of 2011 calling for more democracy, and King Mohammed VI responded by amending the constitution and bringing forward elections.

But since then the sense of change has dissipated, and while the king remains a respected figure, few have much confidence in parliament or the politicians in it.

"I voted because we need to elect a new parliament, but I voted blank for the simple reason that there is no one I can trust from the people that are being elected," said Chamseddin Baba, the manager of an IT company who voted in the wealthy suburb of Souissi. "I would like to vote for the best, but the best are not there."

The 2007 elections, the first with widespread international observation, had just 37 percent turnout, and some fear it could be even lower this time around.

Now, however, the number of registered voters has dropped from 15 million to 13.5 million, despite population increases, so turnout will almost certainly be higher.

There will be 3,200 election observers, though they will likely only cover a fraction of the 40,000 polling stations scattered across the country.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-11-25-ML-Morocco-Elections/id-a41decf2f084425883da0ded59a48c3e

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Pujols, Fielder, Reyes offered arbitration (AP)

NEW YORK ? Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Jose Reyes were offered salary arbitration Wednesday, guaranteeing their teams two extra draft picks next year if they sign with new clubs.

Teams offered 26 players arbitration, of which six were Type A free agents. A new club signing one of those premier players would lose a top pick in June's amateur draft, and a team that offers arbitration and loses one of those players would get two extra selections as compensation.

Pujols (St. Louis), Fielder (Milwaukee) and Reyes (Mets) received offers, along with Boston designated hitter David Ortiz, Texas left-hander C.J. Wilson and Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins. They have until Nov. 30 to accept.

The Phillies declined to offer arbitration to right-hander Roy Oswalt, the only Type A player turned down.

Reliever Jonathan Papelbon, the eighth Type A player, already has left Boston to sign a $50 million, four-year deal with the Phillies. The Red Sox will receive draft-pick compensation for losing Papelbon.

San Diego offered arbitration to closer Heath Bell, who had been a Type A player but was reclassified under Tuesday's labor deal. If he signs elsewhere, the Padres will gain two draft picks, but Bell's new club won't lose any. Also in that category are relievers Ryan Madson (Philadelphia) and Francisco Rodriguez (Milwaukee), outfielders Michael Cuddyer (Minnesota) and Josh Willingham (Oakland), and second baseman Kelly Johnson (Toronto).

Also offered arbitration were Padres pitcher Aaron Harang, Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle, St. Louis right-hander Edwin Jackson, Yankees right-hander Freddy Garcia, Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez, Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena, Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, Red Sox right-hander Dan Wheeler; Twins outfielder Jason Kubel; Oakland outfielder David DeJesus; Pittsburgh first baseman Derrek Lee; Toronto right-handers Frank Francisco and Jon Rauch; and Blue Jays catcher Jose Molina.

Three free agents agreed to contracts. Left-hander Bruce Chen stayed with Kansas City for a $9 million, two-year deal; outfielder Grady Sizemore remained with Cleveland for a $5 million, one-year contract; and catcher Ryan Doumit left Pittsburgh for a $3 million, one-year agreement with Minnesota.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111124/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_free_agents

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Pets of Envato Part 4: Fish, Birds, Menageries and More | Envato ...

It?s here. The final episode of ?Pets of Envato?. While most of the Envato team have cats or dogs (mainly dogs), some of the team are a bit different. Some have pets that fly or swim. Some have collections of pets that make you shake your head and wonder how the household survives. And some have pets that are a little bit different. Envato different.

So let?s get started. As usual the pets are described in the words of their owners.

Fish and birds are sensible pets. They?re fun, but easier to maintain. And they?re usually enclosed in a space that?s easier to clean. Scott and April are the sensible pet owners.

Scott, Marketplace

Lily is one week old! My wife got her from the pet store only last week! [Editor: this was back in October.] She?s cheap, she takes up very little room and she never answers back. Every man?s dream! ;-)

April, Admin

I thought I?d give you something for all the bird lovers These two boys are Pepe and Fernando and they are Fischer?s Lovebirds which are originally from Tanzania. They are both around 3 years old and they enjoy screeching, cuddling and eating my plants.

At the opposite end of the spectrum are the people who spend lots of time maintaining their pets: the ones with small menageries. Amanda and I fall into that category. Pity us or envy us ? that?s up to you.

Amanda, Rockable Press

Here?s my furry crew and photos:

Morgan, Neurotic Guard Spaniel

Morgan?s a spaniel mix, about six years old, and her favorite game is making sure none of the other animals are having any fun and/or trouble. She takes her job quite seriously and is the Hackwith house chief security officer.

Mei Mei, Troublemaking Ewok

Mei Mei is our four year old dog and is the typical spoiled little sister. She?s half Shih Tzu and half Shiba Inu, which means she kind of looks like an Ewok from Star Wars.

Loki, Puppy-cat

Loki is eleven years old and pretty much the most dog-like cat in the world. He?s an old man, but he still takes his duties of following me around and hindering any real work very seriously.

Pixel, grumpy kitty

Pixel is a two year old tortie cat who is pretty much my husband?s cat. He?s the only human worthy of her attention, though she will bless me with her presence if my office window happens to be the warmer spot.

Adrian, Audiotuts+ and Envato Notes

Having lots of kids, it?s pretty hard not to have lots of pets. Over the years we?ve had almost every pet imaginable. They just keep on coming.

The dogs ? Bella and Chuck

Our dogs aren?t really ours. They moved in with other people. Bella is a cross poodle. She moved in with a troubled teenager who stayed with us for six months last year. But when the teenager left, Bella stayed.

Then earlier this year one of my sons moved back home. Shortly afterwards he bought Chuck, who is part dalmatian and very excitable. But when my son moved out, Chuck stayed. I think there?s a moral to this story somewhere.

As you can see in the photo, both dogs are very excitable. I couldn?t get a decent photo of them both being still. They?ve recently taken to destroying out outdoor furniture.

The cats ? Tommy and Luna

Earlier this year I noticed that my daughter-in-law was asking for advice on Facebook about where to buy kittens. I gave her some tips having no idea that she was buying the kitten for my daughter?s 18th birthday. I probably would have given her very different advice if I knew! The kitten was named Tommy.

A couple of days later my wife bought a second kitten for some reason, and named her Luna. They get along well together, but have opposite personalities. Tommy loves to laze around the house, while Luna loves to climb and play, and goes outside at every opportunity.

The birds ? cockatiels

My wife Sonya loves birds. She had to buy some new ones recently. Chuck worked out how to open the cage, and let the old ones out. Unfortunately I found a small pile of feathers in our yard.

These are the new cockatiels, who feel more comfortable in their large cage now that it has been moved far away from Chuck?s reach. If all goes well, we?re hoping for lots of little cockatiels.

The guinea pigs

Guinea pigs also don?t have a great track record in our house, partly because my three-year-old loves to get them out of the cage and watch them run around. We?ve recently adopted a couple of new ones, and put the cage somewhere harder to reach. So far they are very happy!

The chickens

We haven?t had chickens for a while. It?s great to have fresh eggs every morning. Here are our new arrivals. They?re just kids at the moment, but they?ll have to work for their keep eventually. It?s good that the dark one cheeps very loudly. I?ve rescued her from the Tommy?s mouth a couple of times!

What?s this? Another dog? I couldn?t finish the series without Ibby?s new Golden Retriever. That dog was the inspiration for this series. Unfortunately Ibby was sick when we started, but he?s more than made up for it with a video and bunch of photos.

Ibrahim, Support

Burbuja (Bubble in English) is a two year old Golden Retriever that we have recently adopted. She is so quiet and cute, she is demanding love all day long. She loves scratching her face with her paws and she also gets crazy in the park. We call her ?Bur?, ?Burbu? or just ?Burbuja?.

Untitled from Ibrahim Rodr?guez on Vimeo.

And finally, we finish with the strange pets. You?re probably imagining snakes or goannas or billy goats. No, these pets are strange in a way that only the Envato team could come up with.

Carmen, Community

Exciting news, I have gotten myself a Pet this very day! (So I can participate.) His name is Jacob and he is 18 years old (in dog years). Jacob enjoys being around other people and he is very artistic! He makes pictures with his food all the time.

Lance, Marketplace

When we started to put this series together I received a short but polite email from Lance: ?Fun idea, though I have no pets.? I started to feel a bit sorry for him.

But Josh Sprague emailed me with a completely different story, and some strong photographic evidence:

Hi Adrian, I?m not sure if you know, but Lance has been super busy this week getting ready for his big trip to Australia.? As a result, he didn?t have any time to get his photos out to you of his precious lil? angel, so he asked me if I could put something together for you.

Apparently Lance has a little two-year-old dog called Lady, or Lady Gaga. Josh quotes Lance as saying, ?Many of you may know me as the ?Tuff Guy? or the ?guy with the cool facial hair? but to my precious little Lady I?m just ?Daddy?.? Judging by the photos, Lance and Lady are very close.

So, which email is telling the truth? Who knows. I?ll just post the photos and let you make up your own mind. Do you think that Lady Gaga is real? Let us know in the comments.

Well, that?s the end of our series about the pets of the Envato team. Have you enjoyed it? Let us know in the comments.

If you?d like more of the same, we could open the series up to the entire Envato community. If you haven?t had enough yet, let us know in the comments and I?ll see what I can do.

Finally, a huge thanks for the cooperation and interest the whole team had for this series. It?s been fun!

Source: http://notes.envato.com/team/pets-of-envato-part-4-fish-birds-menageries-and-more/

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

1 in 6 Job Seekers Found Their Latest Job On A Social Network

Social Job Seeker SurveyDespite LinkedIn's professional focus, it's Facebook that's leading social networks to become a major way people find new jobs. 16% of those unemployed and looking, employed and looking, or employed and open to a new job said "an online social network directly led to finding their current/most recent job", according to a new Jobvite study. Of these 22.1 million Americans, 78% attributed their job to Facebook, while 40% cited assistance from LinkedIn, and 42% cited Twitter. The findings should signal HR departments and recruiters of the importance of social networks, and especially Facebook, to their success.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/miyJeDCJF-8/

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

UN envoy: Yemen president should transfer power

A supporter of Yemen's President Ali Abduallah Saleh, seen in a poster, waves Yemen's flag and chants slogans during a rally to show support for Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. Yemeni security forces fired tank and artillery shells at a restive central city on Friday, killing several people, including women and a nine-year-old boy, a medical official said. Violence has escalated in the Arab world's poorest country following nearly nine months of a popular uprising seeking to oust longtime autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A supporter of Yemen's President Ali Abduallah Saleh, seen in a poster, waves Yemen's flag and chants slogans during a rally to show support for Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. Yemeni security forces fired tank and artillery shells at a restive central city on Friday, killing several people, including women and a nine-year-old boy, a medical official said. Violence has escalated in the Arab world's poorest country following nearly nine months of a popular uprising seeking to oust longtime autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Yemeni boys hold posters of Yemen's President Ali Abduallah Saleh during a rally to show support for Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. Yemeni security forces fired tank and artillery shells at a restive central city on Friday, killing several people, including women and a nine-year-old boy, a medical official said. Violence has escalated in the Arab world's poorest country following nearly nine months of a popular uprising seeking to oust longtime autocratic President Ali Abdullah Saleh. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A Yemeni girl receives a polio vaccination during a house to house polio immunization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

A Yemeni child receives a polio vaccination during a house to house polio immunization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

(AP) ? Yemen's embattled president must speed up reforms and begin a transfer of power according to a plan backed by the international community, said a U.N. envoy on Monday.

Jamal Benomar visited Yemen for a week to promote a Gulf-backed proposal that calls for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to transfer power to his vice president in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Saleh told a TV interviewer that he will sign, but he did not say when.

Saleh has resisted the proposal despite nearly nine months of protests against his 30-year rule. Several times he said he would sign, only to back away at the last minute. Months of international diplomacy has failed to resolve the crisis.

Benomar held meetings with opposition figures on Monday, including Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, who leads a military unit of defectors siding with the opposition and protecting protesters.

Earlier in his trip, Benomar met with Saleh and his deputy.

In a rare interview with foreign media, Saleh told the TV channel France 24 that he would sign the Gulf-backed package, but he would not say when that would happen or what was preventing him from doing so, vaguely noting that there was no time mechanism in the accord. The interview was broadcast late Monday.

"Definitely, definitely," Saleh replied when asked if he intended to leave power. "I believe that anyone who grips on to power is crazy." He said he would step down 90 days after the agreement goes into effect, but he did not say when that would be.

Mediators and opposition figures have become exasperated with what they see as Saleh's stalling tactics.

He said that the media was lying when reporting he refused to sign the agreement. He accused armed militias of infiltrating peaceful demonstrations in Yemeni cities.

Pro-Saleh forces regularly engage in deadly clashes with armed tribesmen and military defectors who support the protesters in Yemen's largest cities, and al-Qaida-linked militants have taken control of entire towns in the country's restive south.

Security has collapsed across the Arab world's poorest nation during the nine-month popular uprising.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-14-ML-Yemen/id-f86b34677dd84d0cad7dc24c3112123c

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Teen Mom 2 Season 2 Trailer: As Babies Grow, So Do Challenges


The cast of MTV's Teen Mom 2 will be returning for a second season starting Tuesday, December 6. When they do, we'll find that their babies have grown, but so have the formidable obstacles these young parents and MTV reality stars face.

Jenelle Evans, Leah Messer, Chelsea Houska and Kailyn Lowry all struggle to raise their children. From health woes to alcohol abuse, infidelity, divorce and potentially serious troubles with the law, they are up against it in a big way.

Check out the trailer for Season 2 of Teen Mom 2 below ...

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/teen-mom-2-season-2-trailer-as-babies-grow-so-do-challenges/

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Monday, November 14, 2011

Italy parliament OKs reforms, Berlusconi to quit (AP)

ROME ? Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is expected to resign Saturday after parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms, ending a 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing Italy back from the brink of economic crisis.

Respected former European commissioner Mario Monti remained the top choice to try to steer the country out of its debt woes as the head of a transitional government, but Berlusconi's allies remained split over whether to support him.

Their opposition probably won't scuttle President Giorgio Napolitano's plans to ask Monti to try to form an interim government once Berlusconi resigns, but it will likely make Monti's job more difficult.

Napolitano appealed Saturday for lawmakers to put the good of the country ahead of short-term, local interests ? an indirect appeal to members of Berlusconi's party and the allied Northern League to work with the new government.

"All political forces must act with a sense of responsibility," he said.

Berlusconi's resignation was expected after the Chamber of Deputies, with a vote of 380-26 with two abstentions, approved economic reforms which include increasing the retirement age starting in 2026 but do nothing to open up Italy's inflexible labor market.

The Senate on Friday easily passed the measures, paving the way for Berlusconi to leave office as he promised to do after losing his parliamentary majority on Tuesday. A Cabinet meeting has been scheduled for 6 p.m. (1700 GMT, 12 p.m. EST), presumably Berlusconi's last, before he heads to Napolitano's palazzo to tender his resignation.

Berlusconi stood as lawmakers applauded him in the parliament chamber immediately after the vote.

Earlier in the day, Berlusconi lunched with Monti in a clear sign the political transition was already under way, news reports said.

While members of his coalition and the euroskeptic Northern League remained opposed to Monti's nomination, some lawmakers suggested they could support a Monti-led government for a few months to enact the additional EU-demanded reforms before early elections are held in early 2012.

Regardless, it's an ignoble end for the 75-year-old billionaire media mogul, who came to power for the first time in 1994 using a soccer chant "Let's Go Italy" as the name of his political party and selling Italians on a dream of prosperity with his own personal story of transformation from cruise-ship crooner to Italy's richest man.

While he became Italy's longest-serving post-war premier, Berlusconi's three stints as premier were tainted by corruption trials and accusations that he used his political power to help his business interests.

His last term has been marred by sex scandals, "bunga bunga" parties and criminal charges he paid a 17-year-old girl to have sex ? accusations he denies.

Italy is under intense pressure to quickly put in place a new and effective government to replace him, one that can push through even more painful reforms and austerity measures to deal with its staggering debts, which stand at euro1.9 trillion ($2.6 trillion), or a huge 120 percent of economic output. Italy has to roll over a little more than euro300 billion ($410 billion) of its debts next year alone.

Markets battered Italy this past week amid uncertainty that Berlusconi would really leave and questions over whether Italy's notoriously paralyzed parliament could rally around a replacement. But Italy's borrowing rates pulled back after Napolitano made clear he intended to tap the politically neutral economist Monti to try to head an interim government to push the reforms through.

The yield on benchmark Italian 10-year bonds fell to 6.48 percent Friday, safely below the crisis level of 7 percent reached earlier this week.

Greece, Ireland and Portugal all required international bailouts after their own borrowing rates passed 7 percent. The Italian economy would not be so easy to save. It totals $2 trillion, twice as much as the other three countries combined.

An Italian default could tear apart the coalition of 17 countries that use the euro as a common currency and deal a strong blow to the economies of Europe and the United States, both trying to avoid recessions.

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said Saturday that Italy's political transition over the next few days should send a "clear sign of clarification and of credibility" that the country is now on the right path to get its finances back in order.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Lagarde had high praise Saturday for Monti, saying she had great esteem for the "quality" economist with whom she had long enjoyed a "extremely warm" and effective relationship.

The IMF has a key role to play over the next few months in overseeing Italy's efforts to pull itself back from a Greek-style economic disaster, monitoring how it implements reforms to rein in debt and spur growth, which is projected at a scant 0.6 percent this year and 0.3 percent next year.

Amid market turmoil last week, Berlusconi was forced to ask for IMF monitoring of Italy's finances, a humiliating prospect for the eurozone's third-largest economy and an embarrassment for the long-defiant Berlusconi.

The premier, however, received a warm sendoff from one of his closest pals, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who called Berlusconi "one of the last Mohicans of European politics" who had brought political stability to Italy.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111112/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_financial_crisis

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Penn State fundraising could feel sting of scandal (Reuters)

BOSTON (Reuters) ? It could be years before a sense of normalcy returns to Penn State after the child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the campus this week, with fund-raising and sports recruiting among the activities that could feel the sting.

"From now, when you mention Penn State, the first thing people will think about is the scandal. The legacy can not help but be tainted," said Dan Lebowitz, executive director of the Sport in Society program at Northeastern University.

The tumult began when Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach, was charged with sexually abusing boys for 15 years, including incidents on team premises. Two former university officials were charged with not reporting at least one known assault to the police.

On Wednesday, Joe Paterno, who coached Penn State's football team for 46 years, and university president Graham Spanier were removed by Penn State's board of trustees as it sought to start the healing process.

Both had been criticized by state investigative officials for not doing more to intervene after learning that Sandusky was seen sexually abusing a boy in the locker room showers in 2002 by then graduate assistant, and now assistant coach, Mike McQueary.

Penn State University, a diverse, multi-campus state-funded college, is well into its biggest ever fund-raising drive. The "For the Future" campaign had raised $1.3 billion by April 30, toward a goal of $2 billion by 2014.

The university this week canceled or postponed several events related to fund-raising campaign, including the "President's Tailgate" before Saturday's home football game against Nebraska,

On Wednesday, campaign chair Peter Tombros appealed to the university's supporters not to turn their backs on Penn State because of the scandal.

"This is not a moment to reconsider our commitment to the University. I urge you to continue to support the campaign and the students whose lives will be transformed by your philanthropy," Tombros said.

The letter included a disclaimer that all fund-raisers surely dread to write: "I also want to assure you that no private funds or philanthropic resources will be directed toward legal expenses for the university employees who have been charged in the case."

At least one major donor is standing firm.

Terry Pegula, a billionaire natural gas tycoon and owner of the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, has donated $88 million to construct a new ice hockey arena and create men's and women's varsity hockey programs at the school.

"Our own support for Penn State and its hockey program is well known and will continue," Pegula said in a statement.

Penn State has more than half a million alumni. Many are prominent members of the business community, including Kenneth Frazier, chief executive of Merck & Co., John Surma, chief executive of U.S. Steel Corp., and Patricia Woertz, CEO of agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland Co.

Surma and Frazier are among the university's trustees. Frazier will chair the special investigative committee into the Sandusky scandal, announced on Friday.

Philanthropy specialists said worries about fund-raising when an institution gets into trouble are sometimes exaggerated -- but acknowledge that Penn State is facing a situation of unprecedented severity.

"In this case, it is difficult to predict how future donations will be affected," said Nancy Albilal, vice president for development at The Foundation Center.

Typically, she said, when a public scandal hits a large institution, unrestricted donations fall while program-specific donations rise, resulting in no significant change overall.

One thing that keeps alumni engaged in university life and ready to open their checkbooks is a winning football team. But prospects for the Penn State's Nittany Lions are uncertain with the 46-year Paterno era now over.

"I think the fallout on recruiting and the team will be extremely long-lived. Joe Paterno IS Penn State football," said Josh Helmholdt, a football recruiting analyst at rivals.com.

One top recruit for 2012, offensive lineman Joey O'Connor from Colorado, has already backed out of a verbal pledge to join Penn State, saying he wanted to consider offers from other universities, according to a newspaper report.

(Reporting by Ros Krasny; Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111111/us_nm/us_usa_crime_coach_reputation

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Maharashtra to invest $60 bln over 20 yrs to modernise Mumbai (Reuters)

MUMBAI (Reuters) ? The Maharashtra government has decided to invest $60 billion over the next 20 years to build infrastructure and modernise India's overcrowded financial capital, a top state official said on Thursday.

The investment, to be part-funded through public-private partnerships, is expected to boost the city's housing, transport, power and tourism industries, among others, said Ratnakar Gaikwad, Chief Secretary of Maharashtra.

"The investment is intended for holistic development of the entire Mumbai region, including the hinterland," he said on the sidelines of a conference organised by the India Economic Summit.

According to the latest census data released by the government of India this year, the population of Mumbai is more than 12 million.

Due to lack of space, it is also one of the world's most densely populated cities, estimated to have 20,482 people per square kilometre.

Mumbai, which houses Bollywood, also routinely suffers from congestion on roads and airports, power cuts and water shortages.

Gaikwad said the state has already lined up funds worth 430 billion rupees ($8.6 billion) for the first phase of the project till 2016, and part of it will be used to improve the city's rail transport system.

He said 40 percent of the $60 billion would be raised through public-private partnership models and the rest through government agencies.

The Maharashtra state government has attracted investment from 40 global corporates, including General Electric, L'Oreal, LG Corp and Beiqi Foton Motor, said Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra's chief minister.

Chavan said eight agreements have already been signed and 32 more are in the pipeline.

(Reporting by Aniruddha Basu; Editing by Rajesh Pandathil)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/india_nm/india604416

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Penn State scandal: Assistant coach won't be at Saturday's game

Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary won't be at Penn State's last home game, citing "threats." Joe Paterno is seeking legal advice, according to reports.

?Penn State University struggled to stem the damage on Thursday from a sex abuse scandal that ended the 46-year career of football coach Joe Paterno, one of the most revered U.S. sports figures.

Skip to next paragraph

Paterno was fired late on Wednesday after it was revealed he was told in 2002 that his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky engaged in allegedly sexually inappropriate behavior with a young boy in a campus locker room. While Paterno told his boss, he did not call the police.

NBC News, citing sources, reported on Thursday night that Paterno had hired prominent Washington criminal defense lawyer J. Sedgwick Sollers. Paterno has not been charged with any crimes in the Sandusky case.

A spokesman for Sollers' firm, King and Spalding, could not confirm the report. But Scott Paterno, one of Paterno's sons, tweeted: "No lawyer has been retained."

Separately, the university's athletic department said that Mike McQueary, one of the football team's coaches and a central figure in the sex abuse scandal, would not take part in Saturday's game against the University of Nebraska. It cited "multiple threats" against him.

McQueary was a graduate assistant in 2002 when he saw Sandusky allegedly raping a young boy in the locker room showers. He reported the incident to his supervisors, including Paterno, but not to the police.

Police have plans to boost security at Penn State's final home football game on Saturday, although interim head coach Tom Bradley said he was not concerned about the safety of players.

"We are obviously in a very unprecedented situation," Bradley told a news conference on Thursday of the challenge facing him. "I am going to find a way to restore confidence and start a healing process with everybody."

Sandusky was charged on Saturday with sexually abusing eight young boys over more than a decade and former Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and former finance official Gary Schultz, were charged with failing to report an incident.

Sandusky, Curley and Schultz have all denied the charges.

Along with Paterno, Penn State University President Graham Spanier was also fired on Wednesday after 16 years in the job.

In a statement hours before he was sacked on Wednesday, Paterno announced he would resign and said, "With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

He met his legal obligation by reporting the abuse allegation to Curley, legal experts said.

But he stands accused of moral failings for not calling police.

Paterno's fall from grace, weeks after becoming the winningest all-time coach in major U.S. college football, is taking various forms.

On Thursday, Pennsylvania's two U.S. senators, Republican Pat Toomey and Democratic Bob Casey, reversed their nomination for Paterno to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor.

"We hope the proper authorities will move forward with their investigation without delay," Toomey and Casey said in a joint statement.

Penn State's board of trustees will meet on Friday to appoint a special committee to investigate the events that lead up to the charges against Sandusky outlined by a grand jury. A press briefing is expected in the afternoon.

A ninth possible victim, now in his 20s, has since come forward and Pennsylvania police have set up a telephone hotline to receive information about the sexual abuse allegations.

"I'm still a big Penn State fan, but I wholeheartedly agree with the firing," said Paul Brosky, 40, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, wearing a Penn State shirt. He said Paterno should have reported the incident once he saw nothing was being done.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/egLjkZyqqhU/Penn-State-scandal-Assistant-coach-won-t-be-at-Saturday-s-game

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Crisis in Italy spurs fears of euro zone break-up (Reuters)

ROME/BERLIN (Reuters) ? Political and economic crisis in Italy spurred fears of a split in the euro zone with borrowing costs for Europe's third biggest economy near unsustainable levels and the bloc unable to afford a bailout.

The escalating crisis prompted European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to issue a stern warning of the dangers of splitting the zone. EU sources told Reuters French and German officials had held discussions on just such a move.

"There cannot be peace and prosperity in the North or in the West of Europe, if there is no peace and prosperity in the South or in the East," Barroso said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in with a call to arms. She said Europe's plight was now so "unpleasant" that deep structural reforms were needed quickly, warning the rest of the world would not wait. "That will mean more Europe, not less Europe," she told a conference in Berlin.

She called for changes in EU treaties after French President Nicolas Sarkozy advocated a two-speed Europe in which euro zone countries accelerate and deepen integration while an expanding group outside the currency bloc stays more loosely connected -- a signal that some members may have to quit the euro.

"It is time for a breakthrough to a new Europe," Merkel said. "A community that says, regardless of what happens in the rest of the world, that it can never again change its ground rules, that community simply can't survive."

The European Central Bank, the only effective bulwark against market attacks, intervened to buy Italian bonds in large amounts but remained reluctant to go further and Italy's 10-year bond yields shot above 7 percent, a level widely deemed unsustainable, as investor confidence evaporated.

"Financial assistance is not in the cards," one euro zone official said, adding that the bloc was not even considering extending a precautionary credit line to Rome.

POLICY VACUUM

Italy replaced Greece at the center of the crisis as Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's insistence on elections instead of an interim government threatened prolonged instability.

Having lost his majority in a parliamentary vote, Berlusconi confirmed he would resign after implementing economic reforms demanded by the European Union, and said Italy must then hold an election in which he would not stand.

He opposed any form of transitional or unity government, which the opposition and many in the markets favor, and said polls were not likely until February, leaving a three-month policy vacuum in which markets could create havoc.

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said there was no doubt about the resignation of Berlusconi once economic reforms were implemented by parliament within days.

"Therefore, within a short time either a new government will be formed ... or parliament will be dissolved to immediately begin an electoral campaign," Napolitano said.

Even with the exit of a man who came to symbolize scandal and empty promises, it will not be easy for Italy to convince markets it can cut its huge debt, liberalize the labor market, attack tax evasion and boost productivity.

Worries that the debt crisis could be infiltrating the core of the euro zone were reflected in the spread of 10-year French government bonds over their German equivalent blowing out to a euro era high around 140 basis points.

FRUSTRATION

Policymakers outside the euro area kept up pressure for more decisive action to stop the crisis spreading.

Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, told a financial forum in Beijing that Europe's debt crisis risked plunging the global economy into a Japan-style "lost decade."

"If we do not act boldly and if we do not act together, the economy around the world runs the risk of downward spiral of uncertainty, financial instability and potential collapse of global demand."

Berlusconi has reluctantly conceded that the IMF can oversee Italian reform efforts.

Euro zone finance ministers agreed on Monday on a road map for leveraging the 17-nation currency bloc's 440-billion-euro ($600 billion) rescue fund to shield larger economies like Italy and Spain from a possible Greek default.

But there are doubts about the efficacy of those complex plans, and with Italy's debt totaling around 1.9 trillion euros even a larger bailout fund could struggle to cope.

Lagarde said she was hopeful the technical details on boosting the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) to around 1 trillion euros would be ready by December.

Many outside Europe are calling on the ECB to take a more active role as other major central banks do in acting as lender of last resort. German opposition to that remains implacable, seeing it as a threat to the central bank's independence.

"The ECB will be drawn like everyone else by the weight of gravity (to act)," one euro zone official said.

"CORE" ZONE DISCUSSED

EU sources told Reuters German and French officials had discussed plans for a radical overhaul of the European Union that would involve establishing a more integrated and potentially smaller euro zone.

The discussions among policymakers in Paris, Berlin and Brussels raise the possibility of one or more countries leaving the zone, while the core pushes to deeper economic integration.

In a speech in Berlin, Barroso said Germany's gross domestic product could contract by 3 percent if the 17-member zone shrank and its economy would shed a million jobs.

"What is more, it would jeopardize the future prosperity of the next generation," he said.

Barroso said any push toward deeper integration should not come at the price of new divisions among EU member states.

GREEK DRAMA

In Greece, a deal on forming a national unity government collapsed as the country headed toward an economic abyss and revived early on Thursday the chances of former European Central Bank vice president Lucas Papademos heading the coalition.

Papademos made his demands for both major parties to back the bailout package, which includes austerity measures that are likely to prove highly unpopular, amid warnings that Europe is running out of patience with Greece and may cut a financial lifeline that the party leaders seem to take for granted.

On a day that was bizarre and chaotic even by Greek political standards, Prime Minister George Papandreou wished his successor well and headed off to meet the president -- only for it to emerge that there was no successor due to feuding in the political parties.

Papademos, whose candidacy had seemed doomed, insisted that both the socialist and conservative parties sign written undertakings to support Greece's 130-billion-euro bailout, as demanded by the European Union, a government source said.

The outgoing prime minister had agreed to the terms laid down by Papademos, who as Bank of Greece governor oversaw the country's adoption of the euro in 2002, the source said.

(Additional reporting by Dina Kyriakidou and Lefteris Papadimas in Athens, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Kirsten Donovan and William James in London; Writing by Mike Peacock; Editing by Janet McBride and Andrew Roche)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111110/bs_nm/us_eurozone

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Giants rally to beat Patriots; Packers stay perfect (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? In a win that evoked their Super Bowl triumph from the 2007 season, the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in dramatic fashion on Sunday with a touchdown pass from Eli Manning in the final seconds.

Manning's one-yard pass into the corner to Jake Ballard secured a 24-20 road win for the Giants, who trailed by three points with 1:36 remaining when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady found Rob Gronkowski with a 14-yard touchdown pass.

Manning completed 20 of 39 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns as the NFC East-leading Giants improved to 6-2 while New England dropped to 5-3 and into a three-way tie with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills for first in the AFC East.

The Jets enjoyed a statement win at Buffalo as Mark Sanchez tossed a touchdown to Santonio Holmes while LaDainian Tomlinson and John Conner also found the end zone as the Jets picked up their first road win of the season and handed the Bills their first home loss.

The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers held off a furious late fightback by the San Diego Chargers to extend their perfect start to the National Football League season with a nail-biting 45-38 victory on Sunday.

Seemingly set for a crushing win when leading 45-24 in the final quarter, the Packers were stunned by two quick touchdowns as Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers twice connected with wide receiver Vincent Jackson in a 67-second span.

But the Packers held on to become only the third defending Super Bowl champion to start their following season 8-0.

The Indianapolis Colts' awful season without injured quarterback Peyton Manning continued with a 31-7 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons (5-3). At 0-9 the Colts are the only winless team in the National Football League.

Manning has not practiced with the Colts since having neck surgery in September and the team could be without tight ends Dallas Clark and Brody Eldridge as both left Sunday's game early with injuries.

RUNNING GAME

The Houston Texans, playing without top receiver Andre Johnson for a fifth straight game, showed off their running game in a 30-12 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Texans running backs Arian Foster (124 yards) and Ben Tate (115 yards) made up for the absence of Johnson, who remains out with a hamstring injury, as both scored touchdowns against a Browns (3-5) defense that struggled to defend the rush.

The Texans defense had a solid day though as Cleveland managed just 172 yards of total offense as they tried to recover from a pair of first quarter Houston touchdowns.

Houston (6-3) lead the AFC South and coach Gary Kubiak's team are starting to look like serious post-season contenders with the effectiveness of their running game.

Tim Tebow earned his second win in three games as a starter for the Denver Broncos (3-5) after completing 10 of 21 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-24 road win over the Oakland Raiders (4-4).

While the hugely popular quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner as the top U.S. collegiate player put points on the board with his arm, it was his running game that stood out as he ran for 117 yards on 12 carries.

Running back Willis McGahee also helped Denver's cause with two touchdowns and 163 yards rushing.

After losing in Tampa last month and suffering a surprise defeat to the St. Louis Rams last week, New Orleans badly needed a victory at home against the Bucs (4-4) and they got one with a solid all-round display.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns while New Orleans (6-3) produced 195 yards on the ground thanks to the running of Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles.

The San Francisco 49ers grabbed their sixth straight win to improve to 7-1 with a 19-11 victory over the fading Washington Redskins (3-5).

The Miami Dolphins (1-7) finally picked up their first win of the season on the road at Kansas City with quarterback Matt Moore throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-3 win as the Chiefs (4-4) were unable to score after a first quarter field goal.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Frank Pingue)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111107/sp_nm/us_nfl

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45 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed (Mashable)

This week at Mashable, we jumped (or barrel rolled) right into November, buzzing about the great Kardashian divorce of 2011 and already preparing to rock the holiday season. Still reminiscing over last weekend's Halloween shenanigans? Or if you were left unfulfilled because of the snow, we have a few things for you below. If you've been too busy doing push-ups to get ready for the mobs of Black Friday, we've got the weekly features roundup packaged nicely for you right here.

[More from Mashable: What Facebook?s New Features Mean for Journalists]


Editor's Picks



Social Media


  • Protecting Your Online Reputation: 4 Things You Need to Know [INFOGRAPHIC]
    This infographic shows you how to manage your online reputation, perhaps saving you some embarrassment, or even your career.
  • 7 Creative Tributes to Steve Jobs
    Amidst the sadness over the Apple founder's death came a flood of whimsical tributes.
  • Top 7 Mashable Comments This Week
    Mashable has a new weekly feature to showcase some of the most inspired comments from our community.
  • 13 Halloween-Themed Facebook Timeline Designs [PICS]
    It's Halloween, so we've taken a look at how people are celebrating the spookiest day of the year on Facebook.
  • 20 Dramatic Divorce Tweets From Kim Kardashian's Sisters and Haters
    Using Twitter, Ryan Seacrest confirmed that TV personality Kim Kardashian filed papers to divorce NBA player Kris Humphries, who were married for just 72 days. Soon after, Twitter was abuzz Monday with serious tweets from Kardashian's sisters and funny ones from people poking fun at the divorce filing.
  • The 7 Deadly Sins of Social Good -- And How to Avoid Them
    Every non-profit must fight off the seven deadly sins of social good, but what are they and what kinds of dangers do they pose to well-meaning causes?
  • 20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week [CHART]
    Which TV shows generate the most buzz on social networks? Find out each week from our new chart.
  • Social Thievery: Will Your Tweets Get You Robbed? [INFOGRAPHIC]
    Burglars are starting to use social media as a way to target potential victims. How can you make your house or apartment "socially safe"?
  • 7 Easy Steps for Creating Buzzworthy Content
    Content is king. Here are seven steps for creating interesting content that will help to develop your brand and the community around it.
  • 7 Ways to Create a Memorable Customer Experience With Social Media
    Companies are often uneasy about social media because it gives consumers a public platform for complaints. But there can be huge benefits. Here's how you can dive in.
  • Will Anonymous Target Facebook on Nov. 5?
    Anonymous, a group of hacker activists, have made a mysterious career out of big game hunting. Now, the group may be targeting Facebook come Nov. 5.
  • Top 25 Most-Shared Stories in October
    Based on figures from Mashable Follow?s M Share button, the following 25 stories got the most love, with all of them garnering about 315,000 combined shares on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon and Buzz.
  • Facebook Is Most Popular Social Network for All Ages; LinkedIn Is Second [STUDY]
    A recent study by Forrester found that of U.S. adults who use social networking sites, 96% of them are on Facebook.
  • YouTube's 20 Most-Shared Ads in October [VIDEOS]
    A couple of practical jokes and a man getting reverse-tattooed appear on this month's most-shared ads for October.
For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable's social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

[More from Mashable: The Evolving Role of Social Media in News Organizations [LIVE BLOG]]


Tech & Mobile


  • Top 7 Scary Video Games to Play This Halloween
    For a scary Halloween, turn off the lights, grab a friend, and pick up one of these psychological thriller games.
  • Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]
    It was another terrific week for tech, and we scoured the world to find the best examples for you, right here. So buckle up and get ready for the shiniest, most futuristic, and in some cases, even the most bizarre tech the week had to offer.
  • 8 Breakthrough Innovations in Tech
    Our Tech Innovators Series has covered breakthrough technologies from companies large and small. Here's a recap, in case you've missed it.
  • Halloween Google Doodles Through the Years
    For your viewing pleasure, we've collected all of Google's October 31 homepages into a great gallery.
  • Apple iTV: Not So Fast
    An Apple TV is coming. Or is it?
  • How Cellphones Shape the Lives of College Students [INFOGRAPHIC]
    The majority of college students today use smartphones -- although a three-quarters don't foot their own bills.
  • Happy Halloween: 8 Techy Costumes From Mashable Readers [PICS]
    Mashable asked readers to send photos of themselves in tech-themed Halloween costumes. Here are our favorites.
  • 7 Tips for Boo-tiful Web Design [INFOGRAPHIC]
    Take some Halloween-flavored web design advice from these ghouls and ghosts.
  • Top 4 Ecommerce Tools for WordPress
    The ability to sell products on a WordPress site has come a very long way. Here are four plugins and frameworks of note.
  • The Future of Trash: 4 Ways Tech Is Improving Recycling Rates
    Technology is going to waste. Read on to find out how digital tools and high tech devices are improving recycling programs and improving global sustainability efforts.
  • 9 Things You Need to Know About the New Gmail
    The new Gmail is here. Here are 9 features you'll want to get familiar with.
  • Google Interface Designs: Welcome to Dullsville
    Google's new design language has two words: black and white.
  • 5 Ways Tech Companies Are Committing to Sustainability
    As world governments struggle to agree on policies for addressing climate change, corporations may be the ones to pave the way toward a sustainable future.
  • The Only Thing This High-Tech Baby Monitor Doesn't Do Is Change Diapers
    The latest high-tech baby monitors can capture multi-camera images and video, transmit them via Skype, and enable two-way remote communication with your infant.
  • Web Typography 101
    Can't tell a serif from a spare rib? This primer will give you the lowdown on web-safe fonts and what all the terminology means.
  • 10 Classic Video Game Memes
    If you grew up with classic video games, you're going to love these 10 videos.
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    The Mountain View-based search giant may not have Apple's design chops, but it certainly knows how to code a good joke.
For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable's tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Business & Marketing


For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable's business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

Image courtesy of Flickr, webtreats

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111105/tc_mashable/45_new_digital_media_resources_you_may_have_missed

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Monday, November 7, 2011

Legal Theory Blog: Legal Theory Lexicon: Holdings

Introduction

?It used to be the case that an endless investigation of the difference between holding and dictum was a central preoccupation of the first year of law school. Nowadays, depending on which law school you attend and which set of instructors you are assigned, it is perfectly conceivable that you might make it all the way to your second year, with only a vague sense of what the difference between "holding" and "dictum" really is.?This is not an accident.?The old-fashioned, but still powerful, distinction between the?holding?of a case, which has precedential effect, and mere obiter dicta, which have only persuasive effect, does not easily fit in the post-realist landscape of contemporary American legal thought. This installment of the?Legal Theory Lexicon?provides a brief tour of the concept of a holding, with a special emphasis on the ideas that are relevant to a first-year law student with a bent for legal theory.?So here we go!

?Holding,?Dicta, and?Stare Decisis

?It may be obvious, but let's say it anyway. The notion of a "holding" is only relevant because of the doctrine of?stare decisis?or binding precedent. In common law systems, decisions have precedential effect.?It is easy for lawyers--in the United States and other legal cultures descended from the English common-law system--to forget that this need not be the case:?in civil law systems, court decisions do not create binding precedents! ?Given that court decisions set precedents, the question naturally arises:?what is the precedential effect of a decision?? The traditional answer to that question is that subsequent courts are bound to follow the?holding?of a decision, but they are not bound by mere dicta--statements that are "unnecessary to the decision." ?This is as good a place as any to mention that "dictum" is the singular (one unecessary statement) whereas the word "dicta" is the plural of dictum, meaning two or more such statements.

Vertical and Horizontal Stare Decisis

?So to understand the idea of a holding, you also must have a basic knowledge of the doctrine of?stare decisis, which is just the fancy Latin phrase for "precedent." Here are some very basic points:

  • Vertical stare decisis?refers to the power of higher courts to bind lower courts. All courts in the United States are bound by vertical precedent to follow the holdings of decisions by the United States Supreme Court.
  • Horizontal stare decisis?refers to the power of a court to bind itself. The United States Supreme Court does not consider itself bound by its own prior decisions, although it says that it gives them "substantial weight" in its deliberations. The intermediate appellate courts in the federal system are called the United States Courts of Appeal (USCA). When a USCA sits in an ordinary three judge panel, the panel is bound by the prior decisions of the Court. (The USCA is divided into circuits, e.g. the First Circuit, Second Circuit, etc.) However, each Circuit is free to overrule its own prior decisions if it is constituted as an?en banc?court--that is, the full complement of judges on the Circuit sit on a panel. (The Ninth Circuit is different for reasons I won't explain here.)

A Loss of Faith in the Existence of the Holding

?Law students are generally introduced to?holdings?very early in their law school careers. The professor may play some socratic games with early cases, manipulating students into giving broader and narrower formulations of the holdings of the cases. It is quite likely, however, that these games will stop long before the class has a very clear idea of what a holding even is. One of the reasons for this is that the very idea of a holding best makes sense in the context of?legal formalsim?but most law professors (consciously or unconsciously) have adopted some form of neorealism--they no longer believe in holdings in the old-fashioned sense. And when you don't believe that holdings really exist, it hardly makes sense spending a lot of class time trying to master what they are.

Two Theories of Holdings

?In fact, there are several different theories as to what constitutes the holding of a case. ?For simplicity's sake, we will focus on two of these. One theory is associated with legal formalism, and the other with legal realism.?Every law student should become familiar with these two theories!?Once you master them, and have an ability to spot them in action, a huge amount of confusion will simply drop away. What was cloudy will become clear. So here they are:

  • The Formalist Theory of the Holding.?The formalist view is that the holding of a case is its?ratio decidendi.?What in the world does that mean??The?ration decidendi?is the reasoning necessary to reach the result--on the basis of the issues contested by the parties. Early in law school, you might get a professor who tries to whittle the holding of a case down to its?ration decidendi?by asking questions which force the student to see that the rule that she has formulated as the "holding" is broader than the facts of the case. It is very important to understand that identifying the?ratio decidendi?of a case involves judgments of legal salience. Thus, if the case involves an automobile accident, we know that some facts (the car was red, the accident happended on a Tuesday) are not legally salient and hence are irrelevant to the holding. Other facts (the driver was speeding or the driver was intoxicated) may be legally salient and hence are candidates for inclusion int he holding. Even on the formalist theory of holdings, identification of a holding requires the exercise of practical judgment. If someone tells you that formalists believed that holdings could be identified mechanically, then that person is trying to characterture legal formalism--likely for the purpose of dismssing it.
  • The Realist Theory of Holdings.?Legal realists have a very different theory of what constitutes a holding. Here is one way of getting at it. Legal realists view holdings as predictions of what future courts will do. The holding of a case is simply the best prediction that we can extract from the opinion as to what rule the court would apply in future cases.?And what is the best evidence of how a court will behave in the future??Arguably, the best evidence is the court's own statement as to what rule it will apply in the future. This means that legal realists become very interested when a court introduces a statement of the rule with the statement: "We hold that . . . " No matter how broad this statement might be, the fact that the court pronounced it, legislatively, as a?holding?is strong evidence that the court regards what follows "We hold that . . ." as its own prediction as to what it will do in the future.

What is the debate between realists and formalists really about?

So there are different theories about holdings, realist and formalist.?What is the debate between these two theories about??There are two answers to that question. First, there is a descriptive debate. Formalists may be claiming that when judges use the term "holding" they are, in fact, referring to the ratio decidendi of a case. Realists may be claiming that when judges use the word "holding" they are, in fact, making a prediction about what the court will do in the future.

But in addition to the descriptive debate, there is a normative controversy. Legal formalists may acknowledge the existence of legislative style holdings, but argue it wrong to give courts the power to legislate in this way. Likewise, legal realists may be willing to concede that some courts still use holding in its "old-fashioned,"?ratio decidendisense, but argue that judges should employ legislative style holdings, in order to produce good consequences.

The normative debate between the advocates of broad (legislative) holdings and narrow (case-bound) holdins may be connected with another big controversy--the debate between particularists and the champions of moral rules (or decision procedures). ?Particularists believe that good moral judgments are focused on particular cases--and from that premise, one could argue that good legal decisions should be narrow in scope. ?Those who believe in general moral rules (that correspond to moral rights) might argue that for holdings to protect these rights they must be as broad as the rights are. ?Consequentialists will have their own arguments for broad (or narrow) holdings--such arguments will depend of course on the consequences of having broad or narrow legal rules. ?Another set of normative consideration can be found in the rule-of-law values of publicity, predictability, certainty, and stability of legal rules.

It is always important to sort out the descriptive and prescriptive strands in this sort of debate. ?It is easy to slide from descriptive arguments to normative ones, and vice versa.

Conclusion

The question, "What is the holding of such and such a case?," is inherently ambiguous. The idea of a holding is very much contested in contemporary legal theory. As a first-year law student, you will undoubtedly be searching for holdings. Here is my advice. Always look for at least?two?holdings when you read a case. First, look for the true?ratio decidendi, the narrowest reasoning necessary to sustain the result. Be careful when you do this! Include only the legally salient aspects of the case! Second, look for the rule of law that you think the court is trying to announce. When you do this, be very sensitive to language that announces the intention of the court. "We hold that . . ." or the "The rule is . . ." are frequently giveaways as to the intentions of the court. And then you might compare the two holdings that emerge from these two inquries. Which is broader? Which is narrower? If you read subsequent cases that discuss this case, then you can ask a further question, "Which holding was recognized by subsequent courts as the?the holding?of the case?"

Related Lexicon Entries

Other Resources on the Internet

Bibliography?

(This entry was last revised on November 6, 2011.)

Source: http://lsolum.typepad.com/legaltheory/2011/11/legal-theory-lexicon-holdings.html

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