Posted onDecember 28, 2011 at 12:34 pmbyField and Stream in hunting
--Chad Love
So you really want an ATV for your hunting spot, but just don't have the money to buy one. You could keep hoofing it, which would keep you healthy. You could steal one, which would probably land you in the klink, or you could do what this guy did and just make your own.
From this story (Lost in Translation Warning: The grammar in the linked story reads a bit like a cheap toy instruction manual.) on chinahush.com:
Chinese folks have always had the self-entertaining mindset to compare little things to big renowned things even just for the slightest resemblance. We had a post last year talking about a homemade knockoff Lamborghini by a 25 years old guy. Recently a chef from Zigong City, Sichuan Province became famous on the Internet for spending only about 4000 yuan in designing and handcrafting what netizens called a knockoff ?Hummer."
read more
(Read the full post from Field and Streame...)
?Chad Love
So you really want an ATV for your hunting spot, but just don?t have the money to buy one. You could keep hoofing it, which would keep you healthy. You could steal one, which would probably land you in the klink, or you could do what this guy did and just make your own.
From this story (Lost in Translation Warning: The grammar in the linked story reads a bit like a cheap toy instruction manual.) on chinahush.com:
Chinese folks have always had the self-entertaining mindset to compare little things to big renowned things even just for the slightest resemblance. We had a post last year talking about a homemade knockoff Lamborghini by a 25 years old guy. Recently a chef from Zigong City, Sichuan Province became famous on the Internet for spending only about 4000 yuan in designing and handcrafting what netizens called a knockoff ?Hummer.?
Your momma always said your handsome mug would take you places. Now it might allow you to access your iPad. An Apple patent application released today describes a facial recognition system that requires minimal computing power, and works whether you're indoors or out -- we don't use our tablets and phones in a photo booth, after all. The technology works by comparing a current image of your mug to a reference model user profile made using "high information" portions of the human face, like eyes and mouths. Translation: it'll take a picture, compare it against the pictures associated with various user accounts on the device and decide if the two images are similar enough to grant you access. Because this is just an application, it's safe to say we won't be seeing this kind of facial recognition in iOS anytime soon, but let's hope it works better than the ICS version if it does.
Update: An important thing to note is that Apple applied for this patent long before Android's Face Unlock debuted a few months back. The paper work was first submitted on June 29th, 2010 -- it's just now being disclosed to the public.
LOS ANGELES ? Academy Awards season is officially on. Nominations ballots for the 84th Oscar show have just gone in the mail.
Oscar organizers mailed ballots Tuesday to 5,783 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Ballots are due back Jan. 13, and Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 24.
The Oscar ceremony is set for Feb. 26, with Billy Crystal returning as host for the first time in eight years.
Among this season's best-picture prospects are the black-and-white silent film "The Artist," the Deep South drama "The Help," George Clooney's family tale "The Descendants" and Steven Spielberg's World War I epic "War Horse."
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) ? Chile's Supreme Court has ordered a newspaper to pay $125,000 to 13 people who suffered burns while trying out a published recipe for churros, a popular Latin American snack of dough fried in hot oil.
The publisher of La Tercera must pay individual damages to 11 women and two men ranging from as little as $279 to $48,000 for one woman whose burns were particularly severe.
The high court's ruling was announced Monday, seven years after the readers burned themselves while trying out the recipe.
Judges determined that the newspaper failed to fully test it before publication, and that if readers followed the recipe exactly, the churros had a good chance of exploding once the oil reached the suggested temperature. Grupo Copesa, which publishes the paper, said it will abide by the ruling.
Days after the recipe was published in the paper's "Woman" magazine in 2004, hospitals around the country began treating women for burns suffered when the dough boiling in oil suddenly shot out of kitchen pots.
An obviously faked People magazine cover on which Taylor Lautner supposedly announced that he's "out and proud" ricocheted across the internet Monday, tricking fans and even celebs like Russell Simmons.
RELATED: Taylor Lautner On Gay Pals: "I Think They Know I'm Straight"
The Photoshopped image of the purported Jan. 7, 2012 People issue shows the "Twilight" star announcing he's gay and "tired of the rumors."
The fake cover goes on to fake-quote Lautner as saying his decision to come out has left him feeling "more liberated, and happier than I've ever been."
MORE: What Taylor Lautner Gay Rumors?! Dustin Lance Black Fights Back After GQ
While the internet was abuzz, celebs like Def Jam's Simmons even fell prey to the hoax, tweeting Taylor a congratulatory tweet: "proud of Taylor Lautner for his bravery and his courage."
Once realizing the mistake, Simmons tweeted: "disappointed that people would joke about someone coming out about their sexuality. Let Taylor Lautner be whoever he wants to be...."
CHECK OUT: So True? So False? Guessing Game
A rep for People magazine confirmed the cover a hoax to Gossip Cop, saying the cover is "absolutely fake."
Did you fall for the hoax? Let us know in the comments.
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion
Connexion
Rejoignez Twitter !
Mexico army did not say if it's closer to capturing "El Chapo" now that it has arrested his security chief: apne.ws/lkcIo1 -EFIl y a environ 10 heuresvia CoTweetRetweeted by 46 people
Peace between the Koreas "serves the common interests of all parties," an official says
Yoshihiko Noda visits Beijing for the first time as Japanese prime minister
China and Japan also signed energy and environmental agreements
Both countries will also use their own currencies -- not the U.S. dollar -- in bilateral trade
Beijing (CNN) -- Chinese and Japanese leaders held talks Monday to discuss peace and stability on the Korean peninsula following the recent death of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Il, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday, wrapping up his trip to Beijing to discuss cooperation between the two countries.
"The two sides believe that maintaining peace and stability of the Korean peninsula serves the common interests of all parties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters Monday. "The two sides are ready to make concerted efforts to realize peace and stability of the Korean peninsula."
During Noda's visit, discussions over the stability of the Korean peninsula overshadowed traditionally controversial issues between the countries -- including issues of disputed islands and energy disagreements in the East China Sea.
Both sides also signed energy conservation and environmental protection agreements, along with an announcement that the two sides will use their own currencies in bilateral trade rather than U.S. dollars in an effort to encourage economic cooperation.
Noda, in his first visit to Beijing since taking power in September, is the first foreign leader to visit with China's leaders since Kim's death. Both sides touched on the importance of resuming the six-party North Korean nuclear talks in an effort to promote the long-term stability of the region, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
Kim's death was announced by Pyongyang on December 19 and has put the region on edge, as the world waits to see how North Korea's succession will play out.
In an effort to improve North and South relations, an 18-member civilian delegation of South Korean citizens arrived in Pyongyang on Monday to express condolences after the death of the Kim, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
Finance can easily be defined as ?assets along with culpability management?. It is a substantial discipline that handle numerous areas of offers or even dealings involving income. It isn?t really a new area because it has been in existence for millennia, because the moment gentleman began trading; earlier it absolutely was the barter method or perhaps items in exchange of goods after which came your financial system. Even so, basic principles of this industry possess continued to be pretty much exactly the same though it offers progressed within the age range. We?ve complicated fiscal constructions in small along with macro ranges and so there are plenty of chances for individuals that have to get into financing professions right after college.
For like a part of fund careers, one would have to have a diploma that will provides graduated pupils with the information as well as required resources to develop a prosperous job inside fiscal industry. Instruction plans usually concentrate on constructing a complete comprehension of controlling financial situation, regulations linked to the idea, sociable abilities and skilled understanding of the niche.
A level throughout financing would make somebody to deal with, assess and also plan different monetary or even economic factors associated with efficiency of the corporation; these kinds of organizations could be in the area of That, consumer banking, real estate, manufacturing and also asking companies and so on. This system makes an hard work to educate people within sales rules, fiscal equipment, planning of money money order, resource or even managing debt, budgeting, inspecting financials and purchases along with collection management.
The courses on the basic or perhaps graduate level typically deal with areas such as financial, data, overall costs, economic plan and accounting treatments, analysis, fiscal companies and cash strategy strategies.
Graduates which has a 4-year college level in financing meet the requirements for any number of finance-related occupations throughout private organizations, community bodies as well as non-profit organizations. Many people on this industry be employed in regions such as business banks, companies as well as MNCs, investment bank, management of your capital, insurance policy and real estate.
Tasks as well as activities linked to this specific occupation:
1) Creating along with operating procedures and operations regarding companies.
2) Having selections around the detailed money of the business, making certain every one of their sections contain the economic indicates needed for that to perform correctly.
3) Analyzing home based business options and their fiscal feasibility.
4) Managing the procedure for getting money for brand spanking new projects.
Thus finance careers might be each demanding and gratifying and a lot of people find it as being the lucrative alternative. It could also be the important thing to economic steadiness since experts within this field are generally paid out well.
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion
Connexion
Rejoignez Twitter !
#twitter RT @mikko: General: "So, how do we get Stuxnet 2 in Iran? USB sticks won't do it any more" Sergeant: "What... dlvr.it/127L2BIl y a environ 2 heuresvia dlvr.it
Only 11 days left in the Docs In Progress Scholarship campaign and we appreciate all of you who have already given and continue to get the word out.
We are excited that we have surpassed the $1500 mark since that means that we can fund one scholarship in full for our 2012 Summer Camp. We hope that, in the coming 10 days, we will reach our full goal of $5,000 so we can fund a second youth scholarship and one for an adult student in our spring production class.
What do the participants in these programs get? A tangible finished short video, yes. A look into what is really involved in documentary filmmaking, absolutely. But it the skills they develop beyond the film itself ? planning, teamwork, time management, self-expression, and leadership ? which will last a lifetime.
We want to be able to give this experience to more budding filmmakers of all ages. Together, we can make that happen!
BERLIN ? The agent for Dutch-born entertainer Johannes Heesters says the artist died on Christmas Eve. He was 108.
Heesters made his name performing in Adolf Hitler's Germany and was dogged later in his decades-long career by controversy over his Nazi-era past.
Agent Juergen Ross said Heesters died at the hospital in the southern city of Starnberg early Saturday.
Heesters' career took off in Berlin, where ? starting in 1935, two years after the Nazis took power ? he became a crowd favorite at the Komische Oper and Admiralspalast.
Heesters was never accused of being a propagandist or anything other than an artist willing to perform for the Nazis, and the Allies allowed him to continue his career after the war, when he took Austrian citizenship.
HONOLULU (AP) ? The Obama administration is considering whether to allow Yemen's outgoing president into the United States for medical treatment.
A senior administration official says President Ali Abdullah Saleh's office requested that he be allowed to receive specialized treatment in the U.S. for injuries sustained in a June attack on his compound.
Saleh announced Saturday that he was leaving for the U.S. in order to help calm tensions in his country following a fresh wave of violence. But he said his travel was not for medical treatment.
Saleh's presence in Yemen has angered many there, who say he wants to continue to wield his influence despite agreeing to transfer power following months of protests.
The official requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
?2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Twitter sur votre mobile ? Cliquez ici m.twitter.com!
Passer cette ?tape
Connexion
Connexion
Rejoignez Twitter !
Brazil Slaps Chevron with New Oil Spill Fine: Brazil's Environment Institute orders Chevron to pay another fine ... bit.ly/s6IIZiIl y a environ 4 heuresvia twitterfeed
Hello Visitors !! Are u really crazy for American Football? You guys are invited to my site to confirm your new TV channel for complete entertainment via online Internet TV channel. No additional hardware is required to set up. So buy it at a low cost n enjoy the best quality live stream video of the season. This is certified link that broadcast the live stream on College Football n National Football League (NFL). If u are not satisfy by the link, we r ready to refund command where total money will be back.
So watch Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live stream American College Football game via Online Internet TV on PC
Game Schedule
American College Football, Week -15
Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live
Saturday December 25, 2011
Time :01:30 UK
So visitors stay with us for the total season, we r ready to confirm Ur requirement
Also have a look at our world wide highlights of the whole game after the live match is finished, for all the goals and highlights. So do not miss to watch between Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Dec 19, 2011.
college football, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live, watch free Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers vs Detroit Lions live free, San Diego Chargers vs Detroit Lions live stream, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live online, free watch Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live on pc, Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers live free tv
DEAR FAN's Are Welcome to watch and enjoy NFL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES---Week 15 live online NFL football match high quality HD video on your pc, Now Watch the game and enjoy your best sports time. Watch all the live football from that game here on Live Sport Network. So viewers watch tonight these superb game live on PC by using this standard TV link.Download high quality video software and enjoy the online game.
NFL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES---Week 15
Match schedule Date: Saterday December 25 Competition : NFL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES---Week 15 Live / Repeat: Live upcoming match info : NFL FOOTBALL LIVE, NFL FOOTBALL LIVE online, NFL FOOTBALL LIVE streaming tv link, NFL FOOTBALL LIVE streaming video here
Live TV Channel----ESPN,ESP2,ESP3,CBSS,CBS,BTN,FOX,FSN,Big Ten Network,ESPU,ESGP ACCN,NBC,TMTN,VERS, FCS,FX,SEC Network,ABC,ROOT TV
So Watch and enjoy the Live Stream NFL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES---Week 15 Game 2011/2012 of NFL football live Today Tv Channel Link Just Follow.
Transform the way you watch TV with Stream Direct. Streaming online eliminates all the hassles associated with cable or satellite. This is a new, more effective technology that has revolutionized home entertainment . Stream Direct not only offers better content and quality, but it also offers better options, features and pricing.
Because Stream Direct works directly with computers and laptops, it offers freedoms that cable and satellite just can?t provide. It?s portable; television can now be taken anywhere a laptop can. There are no contracts to sign and no monthly fees. Neither are there any program restrictions; watch any show at any time of the day. Interruptions, too, are a thing of the past. Take back the power with Stream Direct and watch television the way it?s meant to be watched; at your leisure.
Boise State wide receiver Matt Miller (2) catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona State cornerback Osahon Irabor (24) during the second quarter of the Maaco Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Boise State wide receiver Matt Miller (2) catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona State cornerback Osahon Irabor (24) during the second quarter of the Maaco Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Boise State tight end Kyle Efaw (80) celebrates with wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker (89) after Shoemaker scored a touchdown against Arizona State in the first half of the Maaco Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Boise State cornerback Lee Hightower (29) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona State wide receiver Aaron Pflugrad (4) during the first half of the Maaco Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Doug Martin rushed for 151 yards and returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, giving No. 8 Boise State a lead 14 seconds into the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas on the way to a 56-24 win Thursday night.
Arizona State (6-7) never seriously threatened the Broncos (12-1), even though Boise State had three turnovers and allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the Sun Devils to start the second half.
"It spread the word about Boise State," quarterback Kellen Moore said. "We took advantage of opportunities to elevate this program."
Boise State finished seventh in the BCS standings, but wasn't invited to one of its big-money bowl games. The Mountain West and Pac 12 conferences each received $1.1 million for the MAACO Bowl.
Arizona State missed on several opportunities to make the game closer, wasting a bowl-record 241-yard receiving effort by Gerell Robinson, who caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Broncos had already scored 49 points.
Moore ? the NCAA's winningest player at the position ? played well enough in his last college game to keep his team scoring, despite some missteps. He finished with 266 yards and two touchdowns, plus two interceptions and a fumble in a game that capped his college career with 50 total wins.
"When you're at a good place with good people, good things happen," Moore said.
Boise State coach Chris Petersen said it was important to put a stamp on the careers of Moore and his fellow seniors.
"These guys took it up a notch or two," Petersen said. "It was extremely important to the coaching staff and this team."
Martin finished with 301 all-purpose yards, breaking a bowl record set in 1997 by Air Force's Pat Johnson. His touchdown return also set a record for the longest kickoff return in MAACO Bowl history. It was the first time the opening kickoff had been returned for a score in any bowl game since Ted Ginn Jr. did it in the 2007 BCS title game.
Boise State finished with a bowl record in points scored by a single team, and the teams combined for the highest scoring game in the bowl's 20-year history.
The most costly mistake for Arizona State came in the third quarter, as the Sun Devils tried to capitalize on a fumble by Moore ? his third turnover of the game. The Sun Devils drove 49 yards to Boise State's 1-yard line, but quarterback Brock Osweiler's fourth-down pass was intercepted by Jamar Taylor, who returned it for a touchdown to make the score 35-10.
Moments before the play, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson tried to call a timeout as his team was late to the line of scrimmage, but his attempts weren't acknowledged by the referees.
"I should have just called a timeout," said Osweiler, who threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns in defeat.
Osweiler said his team had some confusion before the play, with the wrong players on the field and a delay in communicating what they wanted to do.
The Broncos led 28-3 at halftime with Martin's kick return, Moore's passing touchdowns and another by wide receiver Matt Miller on a trick play in the second quarter.
Arizona State didn't score after its first interception and failed to pick off a lofty, poorly-aimed toss from Moore's brother, receiver Kirby Moore, that hit a Sun Devils defender in the chest during a trick play. Boise State scored its fourth touchdown later in the drive.
"In a game like this, momentum is everything, and we didn't capitalize and they did," Robinson said.
Erickson was coaching his last game for Arizona State, which let him go in November after the Sun Devils finished the regular season on a four-game losing streak.
Erickson said he doesn't think his career is finished.
"I'll be involved in football some way ? I'm not sure exactly what," he said.
Moore said he's not sure where his future in professional football may go.
"I focused on this thing first. (I'm) looking to the opportunities ahead of (me)," Moore said. "We've been playing well for four years and you want to see where you can go from here."
___
Follow Oskar Garcia at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia .
Perlick Corporation, a US-based manufacturer of refrigeration and beverage dispensing systems, has become the official beverage refrigeration and dispensing outfitter for the celebrated Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Perlick coordinated with Denver-based Epicurean Culinary Group to outfit Sport Authority Field at Mile High's 97 suites with Perlick's Signature Series 48-inch Refrigerator and Beverage Centers.
Sports Authority Field at Mile High already featured Perlick's Century Beer System and various commercial products in its concessions areas.
Each 48-inch Refrigerator and Beverage Center features 12 cubic feet of storage space and the ability to cool beverages in two different temperature zones, including 16 bottles of wine and up to 162 cans of beer.
The system also includes Perlick's exclusive, whisper-quiet Variable Speed Compressor, Perlick's RAPIDcool refrigeration technology, stainless steel interior, and full-extension shelving.
Perlick said its proprietary compressor cooling method makes it possible to serve beer at the temperature its customers request while managing to increase profit margins.
Ever feel like you need a quick nap during work or school? ?The Ostrich Pillow from Kawamura Ganjavian architecure and design studio lets you nap in peace. Put your head in the “sand” and ignore that fast paced world around you. ?Discrete it’s not however and breathing might be a problem “OSTRICH offers a micro [...]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits hit a 3-1/2 year low last week, bolstering views the economy was gaining momentum, even though third-quarter growth was revised down.
Other data on Thursday underscored the firming tone in the economy, with consumer sentiment scaling a six-month high in December and a barometer of future activity rising for a seventh straight month in November.
While the economy is wrapping up 2011 with a spring in its step, bickering over budget policy in Washington and the debt crisis in Europe have cast a cloud over its prospects next year.
A payroll tax cut and benefits for the long-term unemployed, both of which are due to expire at year end, have become tangled in partisan politics and it is unclear whether they will be renewed.
There were signs on Thursday the impasse had been broken, with House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner informing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid he will set a vote on a Senate-passed two-month extension of the payroll tax cut, according to a Democratic leadership aide.
"The economy is carrying some clear momentum into 2012," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania. "If Congress doesn't kill that by failing to extend the tax breaks, we can look forward to a better year ahead."
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 4,000 to 364,000, the Labor Department said. That was the lowest level since April 2008 and just a month after the collapse of Bear Stearns.
The claims data, which covered the survey period for the December nonfarm payrolls report, helped to take the sting out of a separate report showing the economy expanded at only a 1.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter.
Growth, which had previously been reported to have expanded at a 2 percent pace, was held back by a sharp drop in healthcare spending, the Commerce Department said. A month ago, it had said healthcare spending had risen.
The revision to healthcare spending estimates reflected new source data, which showed losses at nonprofit hospitals.
However, spending on long-lasting goods was stronger than previously estimated, indicating consumer demand remained healthy.
Prospects for spending were boosted by the rise in consumer confidence. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's sentiment index rose to 69.9 from 64.1 in November as measures of both current conditions and future expectations increased.
LABOR MARKET IMPROVING
The data helped stocks on Wall Street to post their third straight day of gains. The U.S. government bond market largely ignored the data, while the dollar was flat against a basket of currencies.
Even as much of the rest of the world is slowing down, with a mild recession forecast for Europe next year, the U.S. economy remains resilient.
The labor market is improving, households are spending, home building is picking up and factory output is expanding, putting the economy on course for at least a 3 percent growth pace in the fourth quarter. That would be the fastest pace in 18 months.
An index from the private sector Conference Board that seeks to predict the strength of future economic activity rose for a seven straight month in November, suggesting the economy could pick up even more speed by spring.
While claims for first-time unemployment benefits tend to be volatile this time of the year, they have dropped for three straight weeks. A four-week moving average, a better measure of trends, is now at its lowest level since June 2008.
"One unexpectedly low number can easily be a fluke; two are interesting; three are telling us something real is happening in the labor market," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, New York.
"The drop in claims in recent weeks, if sustained, is consistent with private payrolls growth ramping up to about 200,000 per month."
Nonfarm employment growth has grown by an average of 131,636 jobs per month so far this year, but not enough to significantly lower the jobless rate which is currently at 8.6 percent.
GROWTH GAINING STEAM
Last quarter's growth was still a step up from the April-June period's 1.3 percent pace. Part of the pick-up in output reflected a reversal of factors that held back growth earlier in the year.
The drop in healthcare consumption caused consumer spending growth to fall to a 1.7 percent rate from 2.3 percent. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of economic activity.
Business inventories fell, but not as sharply as previously reported. Restocking by businesses is expected to support growth in the fourth quarter, helping to keep factories busy.
In addition, businesses showed little signs of cutting back on spending and profits continued to grow at a healthy clip.
Excluding inventories, the economy grew at a 3.2 percent rate, revised down from a 3.6 percent pace.
(Additional reporting by Jason Lange in Washington and Leah Schnurr in New York; Editing by Tim Ahmann; Editing by Dan Grebler)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Home sales rose in November, adding to hints of recovery, but updated data showed the housing crash was much deeper than previously thought.
The National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday that sales of previously owned homes increased 4 percent from October to an annual rate of 4.42 million units.
At November's sales pace, the 2.58 million unsold homes on the market represented a 7.0 month's supply, the lowest since February 2007 and a sign the backlog of inventory that has been weighing on the market was clearing.
The rise in sales and drop in inventory was the latest suggestion the housing sector, which triggered the 2007-09 recession, may be on the cusp of a recovery. Data on Tuesday showed housing starts scaled a 1-1/2 year high in November.
"The housing market is finding its bottom, and that will translate into more growth in GDP and less of a drag on consumer confidence," said Robert Dye, chief economist at Comerica in Dallas. "But we still have a long, long way to go."
The pickup in sales, however, is coming off a deeper trough.
NAR said it had overstated sales from 2007 through 2010 by 14.3 percent. Sales over that period averaged 4.42 million units a year, not 5.16 million, and they bottomed at a 3.30 million-unit pace in July 2010, rather than 3.86 million, underscoring the depth of the downturn.
The group blamed double-counting of properties, builders selling homes through real estate brokers and geographic population shifts as among the reasons for its mismeasurement.
RISKS ABOUND
A housing recovery could help underpin what already appears to be a quickening of U.S. economic growth. During normal times, economists estimate that one out of every eight jobs in the economy is generated by housing-related activity.
Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the Realtors' group, said existing home sales for 2011 were expected to total 4.25 million units, up from 4.19 million units last year.
While the U.S. economy appears to be gathering strength, the global backdrop remains troubling with much of the world slowing down and Europe sliding into an almost certain recession.
In addition, lawmakers have yet to break an impasse over extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million U.S. workers that expires at year end. Economists have warned a failure to keep the tax cut in place could hit the economy hard.
Stocks on Wall Street were little moved by the housing data as persistent worries over the European debt crisis dominated sentiment. U.S. stock indexes fell as weak results from technology giant Oracle Corp (ORCL.O) weighed on the mood.
U.S. government debt prices also fell, while the dollar was up against the euro.
Oracle pinned its disappointing results on the increased scrutiny its customers were applying to their investment spending, a potentially bearish sign for the economic outlook.
INVENTORY STILL BLOATED
While the inventory of unsold homes fell in November, market conditions are still troubled and analysts warned that a stream of foreclosed properties coming onto the market would likely keep prices under pressure.
The median sales price rose 2.1 percent from October, but was still down 3.5 percent from a year ago at $164,200.
Distressed properties, foreclosures and short sales which typically occur at deep discounts, accounted for 29 percent of sales last month, up from 28 percent in October.
The number of new foreclosures jumped by more than 21 percent in the third quarter as banks moved more aggressively after a pause that began late last year, a bank regulator said.
Last month, a third of pending existing home sales contracts were canceled, the NAR said. That was unchanged from October but way above the year-ago level of 9 percent, a suggestion that bank lending remains tight.
"We expect months' supply to head higher as inventory enters the market," said Michelle Meyer, a senior economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "With a sluggish economic recovery, low consumer confidence and tight credit conditions, it will be difficult to clear the excess inventory."
"There is still a bumpy road ahead for the housing market," she said.
(Additional reporting by David Clarke; Writing by Lucia Mutikani and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Neil Stempleman)
Mexican chemical and petrochemical firm Mexichem (BMV: MEXCHEM) acquisition target Dutch plastic pipe manufacturer Wavin has obtained commitment from its banks to extend and amend its existing financing facility by 440mn euros (US$575mn), the latter said in a statement.
The financing consists of a 220mn-euro bullet term facility and a 220mn-euro revolving credit facility.
"Covenant levels have been relaxed, whilst conditions and margins remain similar to the existing facility. Maturity has been extended two years to April 2015," Wavin said.
"The new financing facility provides Wavin with sufficient headroom and flexibility to respond to uncertain market conditions and offers a solid base to execute the 'Wavin 2015' strategic program," added the company.
The announcement comes after Wavin earlier this month rejected Mexichem's improved offer of 9 euros/share for all outstanding shares, valuing the firm at 457mn euros.
At the time, Wavin said the new offer, which was increased from the initial 8.50 euros/share offer, still "materially undervalues the company and its prospects."
Why settle for this one story when you can access all our news? Sign up here for your free 15-day trial.
Uncommon Dec. tornado hits La hospital; none hurtUncommon December tornado hits SW Louisiana hospital; no injuries reported from quick storm By The Associated Press
DEQUINCY, La. (AP) ' An uncommon December tornado on Tuesday ripped of part of a hospital roof in a southwest Louisiana city, causing several patients to be evacuated, but no injuries.
The National Weather Service said the weak tornado touched down at 8:25 a.m., causing some property damage including at DeQuincy Memorial Hospital. Eight patients were transferred to hospitals in the nearby cities of Lake Charles and Kinder, but the emergency room remained open, administrative assistant Kashia Spears told the American Press (http://bit.ly/tDX2ws).
She said it's unclear when the hospital would be able to house people overnight again because the torn off portion of the roof covered a hallway of rooms for patients.
The weather service classified the storm as an EF-1 tornado, which can pack winds up to 110 mph, though an agency official said actual wind speeds were likely far lower. EF-1 tornadoes can have wind speeds as low as 86 mph.
The tornado was the first to strike anywhere in the U.S. this December, a month in which tornadoes are historically uncommon. Though last New Year's Eve, deadly twisters hit Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri. And wide swaths of Mississippi and Louisiana were under severe weather watches.
Weather service forecaster Todd Mogged said the DeQuincy tornado was likely on the ground for less than a minute. Though the weather service issued a tornado warning, Mogged said the fast-developing, short-lived twister probably touched down at about the same time as the alert.
Calcasieu Parish's emergency preparedness director Dick Gremillion said DeQuincy was fortunate.
"It's a miracle that there wasn't any more damage," Gremillion said. "It could have been a lot worse."
It was hospital nurse Alisha St. Germain's first encounter with a tornado. Her Chevrolet Tahoe sustained severe damage on its passenger side when roof fragments slammed into it.
"I just got out of my car about three minutes before it happened," said St. Germain, who bought the vehicle in September.
Beyond the hospital, damage was limited in the northern part of the city.
The tornado was part of a system bringing rain to several Southern states. Also, a different deadly storm that caused blizzard conditions in portions of the Great Plains weakened Tuesday as it headed east into Missouri and toward the Great Lakes.
In DeQuincy, Gremillion said recovery operations began minutes after the tornado passed, and by 1 p.m., workers at the hospital had begun installing a temporary roof in a bid to prevent further damage.
By nightfall, area utility companies said they had largely restored power after a day of widespread outages.
Page: 1
Related Keywords:Louisiana-Tornado, Tornados, Natural disasters, Weather, General news, Accidents and disasters Related Sites:Creative Mac , ? AEC Newsroom , ? Digital Webcast , ? Digital Producer , ? Hollywood Industry , ? Media Workstation , ? Digital CAD , ? Digital Animators , ? Animation Artist , ? Siggraph News , ? Audio Video Producer , ? BN - Broadcast Newsroom , ? Corporate Media News , ? Digital Game Developer , ? Digital Media Designer , ? MacAnimationPro , ? Digital Post Production , ? DVD Creation , ? DV Format , ? Film Imaging , ? HD Issues , ? Presentation Master , ? Oceania , ? MacDVDPro , ? MacVideoPro , ? MacAudioPro , ? MacDesignPro , ? After Effects , ? CEN - Consumer Electronics Net , ? PhotoShop , ? Final Cut Pro , ? Illustrator , ? Vegas , ? Premiere , ? Digital Intermediates , ? CEN - Camcorders , ? CEN - AV Software , ? CEN - Desktops , ? CEN - Audio , ? CEN - DVD , ? CEN - Gadgets , ? CEN - Games , ? Maxon , ? Storage , ? DVD Studio Pro , ? Flash , ? IBN - IT Business Net , ? IBN - Storage , ? Motion , ? IBN - Business , ? IBN - Enterprise Applications , ? IBN - Hardware , ? IBN - Networking , ? IBN - Internet , ? IBN - ProductivityApps , ? IBN - Security , ? IBN - SoftwareDev , ? BN - NAB , ? BN - Webcast , ? BN - HD , ? BN - DTV , ? BN - IBC , ? BN - Production , ? BN - Avid , ? BN - Acquistion , ? BN - Radio , ? BN - Storage , ? BN - Harris , ? BN - Panasonic , ? BN - JVC , ? BN - Quantel , ? BN - Grass Valley , ? BN - Hardware , ? BN - Software , ? BN - Facilities , ? BN - People , ? BN - Canon , ? BN - Sony , ? BN - Miranda , ? USDailyNews , ? BN - Sports , ? BN - Religious , ? BN - Encoding , ? HTN - Health Technology Net Related Newsletter:DMN Newsletter , ? CMN Newsletter , ? Timeline Newsletter , ? CADList Newsletter , ? Pixels Newsletter , ? Levels Newsletter , ? Loud Newsletter , ? Renders , ? Streamline Newsletter , ? KNews Newsletter , ? Digital Media Net , ? DVD Viewpoint , ? BN - HD Weekly , ? DMNForums , ? CEN - Gadgets Newsletter , ? Tutorial Finder , ? Review Seeker , ? IBN - IT Weekly Newsletter
Source:Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.. All Rights Reserved
Not everyone needs a Google Nexus. Some of you - and your friends - are happy to exist in a plane without technology, a world dedicated to quiet reflection and acoustic jamming. Here are some of our picks for the Luddites on your list this year. There are no hand-hewn axes in this list - this is gear that will keep you living in the Hipster Age while still maintaining a connection to the past.
Hitching a ride into the retina on nanoparticles called dendrimers offers a new way to treat age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. A study by investigators at Mayo Clinic, Wayne State University and Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that steroids attached to the dendrimers target the damage-causing cells associated with neuroinflammation, leaving the rest of the eye unaffected and preserving vision. The findings appear in the journal Biomaterials.
Dry age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are caused by neuroinflammation, which progressively damages the retina and can lead to blindness. Macular degeneration is the primary cause of vision loss in older Americans, affecting more than 7 million people, according to the National Institutes of Health. Retinitis pigmentosa encompasses many genetic conditions affecting the retina and impacts 1 in 4,000 Americans, the NIH estimates.
"There is no cure for these diseases," says Mayo Clinic ophthalmologist Raymond Iezzi, M.D., a lead author of the study. "An effective treatment could offer hope to hundreds of millions of patients worldwide."
Iezzi and fellow principal author Rangaramanujam Kannan, Ph.D., an ophthalmology professor at The Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins, developed an intracellular, sustained-release drug delivery system. The research, conducted in part at Wayne State University's Kresge Eye Institute with collaboration from Wayne State's College of Engineering and Ligon Research Center of Vision, tested the dendrimer delivery system in rats that develop neuroinflammation.
The target was microglial cells, inflammatory cells in charge of cleaning up dead and dying material in the eye, Dr. Iezzi says. When activated as "trash collectors," the cells cause damage via neuroinflammation -- a hallmark of each disease. The microglial cells gobble up the dendrimers, and the drug then shuts down the cells' activity.
"Surprisingly, the activated microglia in the degenerating retina appeared to eat the dendrimer selectively, and retain them for at least a month. The drug is released from the dendrimer in a sustained fashion inside these cells, offering targeted neuroprotection to the retina," Kannan says.
The treatment reduced neuroinflammation in the rat model and protected vision by preventing injury to photoreceptors in the retina. Though the steroid offers only temporary protection, the treatment as a whole provides sustained relief from neuroinflammation.
###
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news
Thanks to Mayo Clinic for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.