NBA scores: Pistons make Central Division proud with upset

While Cavalier fans haven't had much to be happy about over the past two days, the Pistons still represented the division well by knocking off the Miami Heat.

With the Cavaliers losing, the Detroit Pistons were the only Central Division team that was victorious Thursday or Friday with their 109-99 upset over the Miami Heat.

Sure, the Heat may not have been at full power with Dwyane Wade serving a one-game suspension but the victory was still impressive nonetheless. Will Bynum (25 points, 10 assists) led a bench attack for Detroit that combined to produce 64 points between just four players. That performance came just two days after the Pistons' reserves chipped in 85 points in their 126-119 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Speaking of the Hawks, Atlanta took to Cleveland in the fourth quarter Friday night with Jeff Teague going off for a career-high 27 points. Kyrie Irving had 28 of his own, but none of those came in the final 2:53 as the Cavaliers went scoreless from that point on.

Anderson Varejao missed Friday's game with the same knee injury that has kept him out of the previous four games. The league's leading rebounder has already been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nets, but he should be back soon with his ailment being of the non-serious variety, according to Sam Amico of Fox Spots Ohio.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Source: http://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-cavaliers/2012/12/29/3814900/nba-scores-2012-pistons-heat-cavaliers

sopa marg helgenberger censorship wikipedia sopa and pipa bills censoring the internet blackout

Consumer confidence hits four-month low in December

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer confidence fell to a four-month low in December as a looming budget crisis sapped what had been a growing sense of optimism about the economy, a private sector report released on Thursday showed.

The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes fell to 65.1 from a downwardly revised 71.5 in November. Economists had expected a reading of 70.0, according to a Reuters poll.

November's number was originally reported as 73.7.

While the present situation index rose to 62.8 from an upwardly revised 57.4, its highest in more than four years, the overall survey suggested most consumers expect things to worsen.

"Consumers' expectations retreated sharply in December resulting in a decline in the overall index," Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, said in a statement. "The sudden turnaround was most likely caused by uncertainty surrounding the oncoming fiscal cliff."

The fiscal cliff refers to $600 billion of automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect in January unless Congress acts to stop them. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders have failed to agree to a long-term deficit reduction deal that would avert the situation.

The expectations index fell to 66.5 from a downwardly revised 80.9. December's reading was the lowest in more than a year.

Franco said a similar pullback in consumer expectations was seen in August 2011, when political bickering over raising the U.S. debt ceiling led to a sharp drop in the stock market.

Consumers' labor market outlook also turned a bit more pessimistic. The "jobs hard to get" index fell to 35.6 percent from a revised 37.4 percent the month before, but the "jobs plentiful" index also fell to 10.3 percent from 11.0 percent.

Consumers' expectations for inflation in the coming 12 months held steady this month at 5.6 percent.

(Reporting by Steven C. Johnson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/consumer-confidence-hits-four-month-low-december-151353347--business.html

chandler jones peyton hillis fletcher cox charlotte bobcats new york rangers nfl mock draft 2012

The Worst Cads of 2012

2012 was a banner year for scumbags and skanks, making our task of curating the most deplorable for our annual round-up of bad behavior a breeze. So come all ye readers, and delight in our slideshow of meticulously selected cads.

This year we have golden boys that fell from grace, the ever-present lying, cheating politicians, and Internet louts, not to mention the disgraced and humiliated in the wide world of sports. May this refresher serve you well as you cozy up to your family this holiday season and think how truly blessed you are that some mistress isn?t stalking you and that your cousin isn?t Violentacrez (whew). Oh, and if we missed anyone, please let us know in the comments. Some years, there are just too many cads to keep track!

Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson may be back together, but we can?t just forgive and forget. This past summer, US Weekly published photos of the Twilight starlet cheating on her boyfriend and co-star with her married director, Rupert Sanders. All hell broke loose. Stewart tried to contain the Twihard outrage with numerous public apologies, while Sanders, father of two, pretty much slipped under the rage radar. They both make our list?for causing so many tween tears and for ruining the K-Stew/R-Patz fantasy.

Remember in 2009 when Chris Brown assaulted his girlfriend Rihanna, and the world gasped collectively at the leaked images of Rihanna?s injured face? Well Brown hasn?t exactly been on an apology tour since then. Three weeks ago, he tweeted to comedian Jenny Johnson: ?take them teeth out when u Sucking my dick HOE.? More from Twitter: Rihanna?s recent tweets indicate the two are back together. They also collaborated on a song called, ?Ain?t Nobody?s Business,? though their saga continues to be everybody?s.

Violentacrez aka Michael Brutsch

Known as the ?Biggest Troll on the Web,? Reddit user Violentacrez became Internet-famous for creating Jailbait, a section of the popular social news site where users posted images of underaged girls. He was also the brainchild behind Creepshots?another ?sub-reddit,? which collected close-ups of women?s breasts and butts, covertly shot in public?and just generally spent a ton of time on Reddit for the sole purpose of pissing people off with racist, anti-Semitic, and sexist comments. We thought he might hit the road after Gawker?s Adrian Chen exposed his identity as the perverted yet oddly vanilla Michael Brutsch, but his recently fired self still roams Reddit to collect donations for his plight and defend himself. Oh, and he?s looking for a new job in the porn industry.

Joining the rather sizable club of hypocritical politicians this year was Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.): His sordid past, which came to light during his 2012 campaign, includes (to name a few) several extramarital relationships with his patients when he was a physician, allegedly exhibiting ?violent and threatening behavior? toward his ex-wife, and claiming an anti-abortion stance while asking his mistress to get an abortion after he knocked her up. Perhaps the most depressing part of this story? He won re-election.

While Rush Limbaugh spews a lot of dirtbag-level junk, he hit a particular nerve in February with his comments about Sandra Fluke, calling her a ?slut? and ?prostitute? for appearing before the House to gain support for contraceptive coverage. Or, as Jezebel wrote, ?The talking butthole that replaced Rush Limbaugh's face decades ago is making sounds again.? Despite the growing criticism across party lines, Limbaugh continued to antagonize Fluke until he finally offered an elliptical, faux-apology months later, only to retract it after learning Fluke was being considered for Time?s person of the year.

Lance Armstrong could be (and has been!) called many things. We decided ?cad? should be one of them for?as a colleague put it??tricking a nation that was in love with him.? Once a hero of sports and life, gaining the admiration and wrists of millions for his post-cancer Tour de France triumph, U.S. News named Armstrong one of their top 10 losers in 2012 after he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping. ?We cheered for the young man who gave us a best-case scenario of what life might be after cancer,? wrote Elaine Schattner for the Atlantic. ?His influence was pervasive, and that's why it matters so much that he misled millions.?

The Generals: David Petraeus, John Allen, Jeffrey Sinclair

To speak in generous terms, the military did not have a great PR year: The documentary The Invisible War detailed the military?s rape problem as allegations of sexual assault continued to make headlines. Then came the Petraeus scandal that would not quit. While we?ve included Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair in our trio, his alleged actions rise way above cad-level, featuring charges of raping his subordinate officers, forcible sodomy, and threatening women who refused to have sex with him. But as far as we know (it?s all still such a warped, tangled mess), David Petraeus, the now ex-director of the CIA who had an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell, and Gen. John Allen, who seemed to have a rather unusual email relationship with the married Jill Kelley, hit the mark.

After getting fired from the University of Arkansas, football coach Bobby Petrino recently landed a job at Western Kentucky University. Congratulations, Bobby! It?s a tough job market, you know, especially for someone who got himself sacked for having an affair with a former Arkansas student. Not content to just sleep with Jessica Dorrell, Petrino also hired her as a student-athlete development coordinator, and gave her a wad of cash totaling $20,000 for Christmas. The whole affair came to light after Petrino got into a motorcycle accident with Dorrell in tow, and then lied and said he was riding alone. Classy all around.

We hesitate to even put Hunter Moore on our list, because Hunter Moore exists for attention. Moore?s claim to fame is the now shuttered ?revenge porn? website, Is Anyone Up?, where scorned lovers could post naked photos of their exes. After blessedly going away for a time, he is now back, promising a new site with much of his old formula, plus a stalker-friendly mapping feature with the addresses of his personal enemies. Salon interviewed him and was somewhat disappointed: ?There was nothing shocking about his?talk of ?gross, green vaginas? or his admitted lack of morals?at one point I actually caught myself yawning,? wrote Tracy Clark-Flory. May we forget him by this time next year.

The Sex Tape Scandal of the Year goes to pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan. The video, made six years ago, surfaced a few month back on Gawker and is of Hogan and the wife (now ex-wife, Heather Clem) of his former friend, Bubba the Love Sponge, who supposedly encouraged the two to get it on. (Bubba: Also a cad.) According to Hogan, his wife at the time, Linda, also wanted him to sleep with Clem. Linda tells a different story. In an interview with Access Hollywood, she said she was hurt and shocked by the news of the sex tape. So, lesson here on what not to do if a sex tape of you cheating on your wife becomes public: blame your wife for coercing you to have sex with another woman. It is highly unlikely people will take your side. I have not heard a soul say, ?Team Hogan.?

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has made some mistakes. He slept with a woman, Louise Neathway, who wasn?t his wife. She then blackmailed him by threatening to go public with their affair if he didn?t divorce his wife. Neathway is now charged with harassing Cashman?s wife and his other ex-mistresses. She also asked him for money, allegedly saying she needed it to ?to fund medical treatment after an aborted pregnancy prosecutors say never happened.? Cashman?s wife filed for divorce in February and Neathway awaits trial. If Fatal Attraction had not already been made, perhaps Cashman could sell his story. Instead, he?ll have to settle for making our list.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=91d888c5228a61b6600c6ddd8f1cbc1a

bruno mars winter solstice Jabari Parker 2012 australia Brothers Grimm Tate Stevens

Unions Plan New Offensive After Michigan Right-To-Work Loss

Protesters Hold Signs Outside Of Michigan Capitol

LANSING, MI, - DECEMBER 11: Union members from around the country rally at the Michigan State Capitol to protest a vote on Right-to-Work legislation December 11, 2012 in Lansing, Michigan. Republicans control the Michigan House of Representatives, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has said he will sign the bill if it is passed. The new law would make requiring financial support of a union as a condition of employment illegal. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Protesters Flood Lansing

LANSING, MI, - DECEMBER 11: Union members from around the country rally at the Michigan State Capitol to protest a vote on Right-to-Work legislation December 11, 2012 in Lansing, Michigan. Republicans control the Michigan House of Representatives, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has said he will sign the bill if it is passed. The new law would make requiring financial support of a union as a condition of employment illegal. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Protesters Flood The Capitol

Protesters gather for a rally at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Protesters gather for a rally at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A protester walks past Michigan State Police at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Sheet metal workers from Toledo escort an inflatable rat during a march to the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Thousands of supporters rally at the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Union members Brian Brissette, of Auburn, Mich., from left, Tom Gazley, of Romeo, Mich., and Eric Kozlow, of Warren, Mich., watch the Michigan House of Representatives vote on a television in the at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan State Police surround a man who was allegedly knocked off his segway scooter by a sheriff deputy on horseback during a rally on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Protesters gather for a rally in the rotunda at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Thousands of supporter march to the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Michigan State Police stand guard at an entrance to the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Protesters gather for a rally in the rotunda at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Protesters gather for a rally outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

RIGHT TO WORK

Map locating all U.S. states with right-to-work laws.

Tuesday Protests

People begin gathering outside on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012 to protest right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. Michigan will become the 24th right-to-work state, banning requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Right to Work Michigan

A protester holds a sign addressed to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who refers to himself as "one tough nerd."

State Police Brace For Protesters

Michigan State Police cruisers line the pedestrian walkway west of the state Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. Lansing authorities were bracing for an onslaught of protesters Tuesday. They increased police presence and planned road closings and parking restrictions around the Capitol for the planned protests against the Michigan legislature's right-to-work proposals which passed last week. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Right to Work Protesters

United Auto Workers protest right to work.

Tuesday Protesters

Thousands of protesters gather for a rally on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. Michigan will become the 24th right-to-work state, banning requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Michigan Nurses

About a dozen members of the Michigan Nurses Association stand on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Silenced

Debbie Nault from the Michigan Nurses Association stands with other members of the association on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Longtime Nurse Protests

Linda Erspamer a veteran nurse of more than 30 years at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, stands with other dozen members of the Michigan Nurses Association on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Thousands Gather

Thousands of protesters gather for a rally on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. Michigan will become the 24th right-to-work state, banning requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Blocking RTW Banner

Protesters stand and block a right-to-work banner on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation that was passed by the state legislature last week. Michigan will become the 24th right-to-work state, banning requirements that nonunion employees pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Holding The Flag

A protester holds an American flag at a rally on the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Protesters In The Capitol

Protesters gather for a rally in the State Capitol rotunda in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Capitol Filled

Union workers fill the entire of the Capitol rotunda in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Hundreds of chanting and cheering protesters streamed back into the Michigan Capitol after receiving a court order saying that the building must reopen. The pro-union crowd walked in as lawmakers were debating right-to-work legislation limiting union powers. The Republican-led House subsequently passed the bill with no Democratic support.

Led Away

Protesters are led out of the State Capitol Building in handcuffs after demonstrating against right-to-work legislation inside the Capitol in downtown Lansing, Mich. Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Eight people were arrested for resisting and obstructing when they tried to push past two troopers guarding the Senate door, state police Inspector Gene Adamczyk said. The Capitol was temporarily closed because of safety concerns.

Handcuffed

Protesters are led out of the State Capitol Building in handcuffs after demonstrating against right-to-work legislation inside the Capitol in downtown Lansing, Mich. Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Eight people were arrested for resisting and obstructing when they tried to push past two troopers guarding the Senate door, state police Inspector Gene Adamczyk said. The Capitol was temporarily closed because of safety concerns.

Blocked

State Police block protesters outside the Senate chamber at the State Capitol Building in downtown Lansing, Mich. Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Eight people were arrested for resisting and obstructing when they tried to push past two troopers guarding the Senate door, state police Inspector Gene Adamczyk said. The Capitol was temporarily closed because of safety concerns.

Thumbs Down

David Dudenhoefer, left, a right to work supporter, receives a thumbs down sign from a union worker during a rally in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. Tensions rose at the Capitol late Wednesday afternoon when hundreds of union members packed into the rotunda area, blowing whistles and shouting slogans such as "Union buster" and "Right to work has got to go." Senate Republicans introduced right-to-work legislation in the waning days of the legislative session as outnumbered Democrats pledged to resist the proposal and say rushing it through would poison the state's political atmosphere.

Fed

Protesters eat pizza outside the Senate chamber at the State Capitol Building in downtown Lansing, Mich. Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. So-called right-to-work measures generally prohibit requiring unions from collecting fees from nonunion employees, which opponents say drains unions of money and weakens their ability to bargain for good wages and benefits. Supporters insist it would boost the economy and job creation.

Union Workers Rally

Union workers rally outside the Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 as Senate Republicans introduced right-to-work legislation in the waning days of the legislative session. The outnumbered Democrats pledged to resist the proposal and said rushing it through the legislative system would poison the state's political atmosphere.

UAW President Bob King Waits

United Auto Workers President Bob King waits outside the Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 as Senate Republicans introduced right-to-work legislation in the waning days of the legislative session. The outnumbered Democrats pledged to resist the proposal and said rushing it through the legislative system would poison the state's political atmosphere.

Rally Day

A union steel worker holds up a sign during a rally outside the Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 as Senate Republicans introduced right-to-work legislation in the waning days of the legislative session. The outnumbered Democrats pledged to resist the proposal and said rushing it through the legislative system would poison the state's political atmosphere.

Sheet Metal Workers Bring GOP Rats to Protest

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Paul_Pimentel"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/1419408869/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Paul_Pimentel">Paul Pimentel</a>:<br />Sheet Metal Workers' Local 292 Detroit on RTW Protest 12/11/2012 Lansing, MI show our support Bob Donaldson Business Manager and Journeyman Earl Gray

The Welcoming Committee

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Concernedwm"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://s.huffpost.com/images/profile/user_placeholder.gif" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Concernedwm">Concernedwm</a>:<br />Gov. Snyder took theses folks away from protecting the public to intimidate and inhibit the voice of the people. G. Hines

Protester Paula Merwin, of Leslie, Mich., stands with an American flag outside the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Protester Blake Nance, of Detroit, stands by a line of Michigan State Police guarding the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

A man covers his face after getting pepper sprayed during a protest outside the George W. Romney Office Building in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. Thousands of protesters rallied outside the state Capitol as lawmakers pushed final versions of right-to-work legislation. The GOP majority has used its superior numbers and backing from Gov. Rick Snyder to speed the legislation through the House and Senate last week, brushing aside denunciations and walkouts by helpless Democrats and cries of outrage from union activists who swarmed the state Capitol hallways and grounds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

United we Bargain Divided We Beg!

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Ryan_Van_Note"><img style="float:left;padding-right:6px !important;" src="http://graph.facebook.com/1640357026/picture?type=square" /></a><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Ryan_Van_Note">Ryan Van Note</a>:<br />Ryan VanNote protesting Right to work in Lansing, MI 12/11/12.

A protester rallies in front of Michigan State Police at the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan State Police push the crowd back outside the George W. Romney Office Building in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. Thousands of protesters rallied outside the state Capitol as lawmakers pushed final versions of right-to-work legislation. The GOP majority has used its superior numbers and backing from Gov. Rick Snyder to speed the legislation through the House and Senate last week, brushing aside denunciations and walkouts by helpless Democrats and cries of outrage from union activists who swarmed the state Capitol hallways and grounds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Michigan State Police surround the George W. Romney State Office Building as thousands of protesters rally outside the state Capitol as lawmakers push final versions of right-to-work legislation in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The GOP majority has used its superior numbers and backing from Gov. Rick Snyder to speed the legislation through the House and Senate last week, brushing aside denunciations and walkouts by helpless Democrats and cries of outrage from union activists who swarmed the state Capitol hallways and grounds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Protesters sit during a rally at the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan State Police push protesters away from the entrance of the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Rev. Jesse Jackson, left, and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, right, try to enter past Michigan State Police at the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan State Police carry a protester from a rally at the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Drew Dobson, of Coleman, Mich., protests at a rally at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)p

Protesters sit during a rally outside the doors of the George W. Romney State Building, where Gov. Snyder has an office in Lansing, Mich., Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. The crowd is protesting right-to-work legislation passed last week. Michigan could become the 24th state with a right-to-work law next week. Rules required a five-day wait before the House and Senate vote on each other's bills; lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Tuesday and Gov. Snyder has pledged to sign the bills into law. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/unions-michigan-right-to-work_n_2324130.html

grammy winners obama budget woolly mammoth belize resorts nikki minaj grammy performance shel silverstein niki minaj grammy performance

Israel green-lights 1,500 settler homes in East Jerusalem

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel approved plans Monday to build 1,500 more Jewish settler homes in East Jerusalem, an official said, days after provoking international protests against a project for another 3,000 such homes on land it occupied in the 1967 war.

Spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said the Interior Ministry?s planning committee had told the applicants to trim their request to build 1,600 new housing units at Ramat Shlomo to 1,500 and resubmit it ?for final approval.?

The Palestinian leadership responded by saying it would seek a U.N. Security Council meeting on the Israeli plans to build the new settler homes.

The leadership was about to take ?important and necessary measures against Israel?s settlement building, including recourse to the U.N. Security Council, to prevent implementation of these decisions,? President Mahmoud Abbas?s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

The Israeli plan caused a diplomatic rift with Washington when it was first announced in 2010.

It has lain dormant since August 2011 but two weeks ago the ministry announced that it had been revived.

Orbach said that at a Monday?s meeting, the committee heard public objections and told to make changes.

?It reduced the plan from 1,600 to 1,500 and now the plan has to be resubmitted and meet the conditions in order to get final approval,? she said. ?It could take months more, or years.?

Palestinians see Israeli settlements as obstacles to achieving independent statehood. The settlements have been condemned by the international community.

?We condemn in the strongest possible terms these Israeli actions and the determination of Israel to continue expanding settlements and in the process undermining the two-state solution,? said senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat.

?These are very dangerous and alarming steps. The Israeli government is showing its determination to contravene the will of the international community,? the top peace negotiator said.

As Israel announced that it would revive the controversial plan, Jewish residents of the hard-line Yitzhar settlement just south of Nablus clashed with shepherds from the nearby village of Madama, one of whom was hit in the leg by a bullet, a local official said.

Madama local council head Ehab al-Qat told AFP a 27-year-old shepherd was shot in the leg and his brother ?was beaten by settlers.?

The Israeli military said it was a soldier who shot the Palestinian, after a stone-throwing crowd ignored orders to disperse.

In another incident, Israeli naval forces shot and wounded a Palestinian fisherman in waters off the northern Gaza Strip, sources on both sides said.

Nizar Aayesh, head of the Gaza fishermen?s union, said the man was wounded when navy gunfire hit his boat. The man was taken to hospital in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon.

The military insisted the boat had been beyond the permitted fishing limit.

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-18/198900-israel-green-lights-1500-settler-homes-in-east-jerusalem.ashx

Phyllis Diller Darla Moore newsweek Tony Scott UFC 151 empire state building prince harry

Hummus Battles Peanut Butter Over Farm Bill (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/271319966?client_source=feed&format=rss

chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national blake griffin pau gasol

Observatory: Fossils of New Species Discovered in England

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A tiny, fossilized crustacean that lived 425 million years ago has been discovered, remarkably intact, in a rock formation in Herefordshire, England.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/science/fossils-of-new-species-discovered-in-england.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

nene dark shadows trailer nate mcmillan clooney arrested southern miss rod blagojevich rod blagojevich

What Outdated Tech Do You Miss The Most?

Technology is always marching on, and for the most part, that's a good thing. Gadgets get more efficient, more powerful, cheaper, smaller, all around nicer. But for every innovation that you don't know how you ever lived without, there's something—usually something little—that you miss. What old, antiquated gadget makes your heart swell with nostalgia, even if it's demonstrably inferior to what followed it in just about every single way? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/myM0TLDnRjQ/what-outdated-tech-do-you-miss-the-most

bachelor pad Green Coffee Bean Extract september 11 adam levine 9/11 Memorial Google Docs 911

Sprint confirms it's buying the rest of Clearwire for $2.2 billion

Sprint has just announced that it has entered into a "definitive agreement" to buy the 50 percent stake of Clearwire it doesn't already own. The transaction, worth $2.2 billion, is $100 million higher than the original offer House Hesse had made, once rumors of the deal had pushed Clearwire's share price up. While the deal is contingent upon the legal nuts-and-bolts of the Sprint-Softbank merger going through, the Japanese company has already given its blessing to the deal.

Big Yellow has also garnered support from Clearwire's big-ticket minority shareholders, including Comcast, Intel and BrightHouse Networks. As part of the deal, Sprint will take on Clearwire's $5.5 billion in debt and licensing obligations, as well as coughing up a further $800 million in investment for the constantly-ailing network provider. If it meets regulatory approval, then the deal will complete in 2013, and never again will Dan Hesse have to have that dream nightmare about LightSquared.

Continue reading Sprint confirms it's buying the rest of Clearwire for $2.2 billion

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Sprint

Comments

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

arpaio carol burnett neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson davy jones death born this way foundation lytro camera

Christmas Eve Service - Eagle Hardware Farm & Ranch

Christmas Eve at The Hardware Store Service

Join us on?December 24, 2012?at 2:00pm for?Barbed Wire, Barn, and a Baby!

This Christmas season, we would like to invite you to the annual?Christmas Eve at the Hardware Storeservice. If it sounds unconventional, it is! ?However, for several years now many in our community have gathered at Eagle Hardware on Christmas Eve and celebrated the birth of our Savior. This year will be no different! ?We would enjoy nothing more than your attendance. You are cordially invited to experience Christmas Eve like never before! ?While?Barbed Wire, Barn, & a Baby?on Christmas Eve at Eagle Hardware may not be your traditional Christmas Eve service, we promise it is the perfect way to?celebrate a meaningful, worshipful Christmas with family and friends.

Hope to see you there,

Shawn and Mary Risinger

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2012 at 7:27 am and is filed under Events, News & Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://www.eaglehardwarefarmandranch.com/news-updates/christmas-eve-at-the-hardware-store-service-2012-12-2948

Time Fun Voting Locations atlanta falcons voting hours election results Doug Martin

occult telecom: miniewatts: jamey shrillness: Recreation And Sports

According to some 2007 article within the Telegraph out of the United Kingdom, this extreme sport has decided to become a popular daredevil sport the same as bungee jumping and skydiving. The Shimano Di2 is built to last in fact it is also the bike that will withstand any weather condition. Road con ?

Visit site:?

Recreation And Sports Activities: Boxing Report Category | Click ?

Source: http://self-development-information.com/2012/12/04/recreation-and-sports-activities-boxing-report-category-click/

donovan mcnabb donovan mcnabb lottery ticket megga millions what is autism the giver march 30

Source: http://jamey-shrillness.blogspot.com/2012/12/recreation-and-sports-activities-boxing.html

april fools global payments eli young band wrestlemania country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs

Source: http://kathyvabuk.blogspot.com/2012/12/jamey-shrillness-recreation-and-sports.html

abercrombie abercrombie Aeropostale Jcpenny ohio state football cyber monday lupus

Source: http://miniewatts.blogspot.com/2012/12/jamey-shrillness-recreation-and-sports.html

derrick rose torn acl pacers undrafted free agents braveheart earthquake california earthquake california roy orbison

Source: http://occult-telecom.blogspot.com/2012/12/miniewatts-jamey-shrillness-recreation.html

may day stoudemire jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer delmon young dallas mavericks

Source: http://hoodlum-payphone.blogspot.com/2012/12/occult-telecom-miniewatts-jamey.html

the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome where the wild things are josh smith birdsong

Source: http://kirbybarrick3.multiply.com/journal/item/2050/occult-telecom-miniewatts-jamey-shrillness-Recreation-And-Sports

Kanye West sex tape emmys emmys torrey smith torrey smith oakland raiders Jessica Lange

An older Vega: New insights about the star all others are measured by

Dec. 11, 2012 ? Vega, a star astronomers have used as a touchstone to measure other stars' brightness for thousands of years, may be more than 200 million years older than previously thought. That's according to new findings from the University of Michigan.

The researchers estimated Vega's age by precisely measuring its spin speed with a tool called the Michigan Infrared Combiner, developed by John Monnier, associate professor of astronomy in U-M's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

MIRC collects the light gathered by six telescopes to make it appear to be coming through one that's 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. It's installed at the Georgia State Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy Array located on Mt. Wilson, California.

The tool boosts resolution so astronomers can zoom in, relatively speaking, to observe the shape and surface characteristics of stars that would otherwise look like mere points even through the most powerful telescopes. By tracking stars' surface characteristics, scientists can calculate how fast they rotate and deduce their inner workings.

Vega is a summer star in the Northern Hemisphere, just visible toward the west at sunset. It's the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. At 25 light years away, Vega is close on cosmic scales. A light year is the distance light travels in one year.

About six years ago astronomers discovered that Vega is rotating so fast it's nearly flinging itself apart. They haven't been able to agree on many of the related details, however. One of the debates centers on Vega's exact rotation rate, which is essential to gauge both its mass and age. Other controversies deal with Vega's tilt as viewed from Earth and the amount of turbulence in the system from roiling gases at the star's surface.

With MIRC's unprecedented resolution, Monnier and his colleagues have taken steps to rectify competing estimates of Vega's rotation rate and other properties The new findings indicate that the star rotates once every 17 hours, rather than once every 12. The sun's equator, for comparison, rotates much slower -- once every 27 days, or 648 hours. In addition to finding that Vega is older than previously thought, the Michigan group confirmed its mass to be just over two times the sun's.

"Vega continues to challenge and surprise us," Monnier said. "We found out not too long ago that it has a disk of dusty debris, or a leftover solar system, around it. Then we found out it was a rapid rotator. It's a reference point for other stars, but it certainly isn't boring or normal."

The work will help astronomers build more accurate computer models of stars, so they can simulate those too far away to observe and gain a better understanding of their life cycles.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Michigan, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. J. D. Monnier, Xiao Che, Ming Zhao, S. Ekstr?m, V. Maestro, Jason Aufdenberg, F. Baron, C. Georgy, S. Kraus, H. McAlister, E. Pedretti, S. Ridgway, J. Sturmann, L. Sturmann, T. ten Brummelaar, N. Thureau, N. Turner, P. G. Tuthill. Resolving Vega and the inclination controversy with CHARA/MIRC. The Astrophysical Journal, 2012; 761 (1): L3 DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/761/1/L3

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/PZY2utuEjZA/121211154441.htm

st louis weather guinea bissau google stock google stock china gdp dont trust the b in apartment 23 johnny damon

Grab 999: Twenty-nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense from Google Play for just 2 bucks [books]

If you're a fan of classic suspense and egde-of-your-seat horror stories, you'll want to have a look at 999: Twenty-nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense. It's an anthology of 29 short stories of the darker genre from names like Stephen King, Edward Bryant, and Nancy A. Collins. Read it, and  you're sure to find a new favorite, too.

The first tale, Kim Newman's Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue, is a mixture of post-apocalyptic horror and nightmares from bad LSD and is honestly one of the best shorts I've ever read. I think plenty of you guys and gals will like it, too.

I know, DRM free ePub files are the right way to do eBooks. I can't argue that one, and most of my library is just that. But sometimes you gotta say what the hell and give the devil his due -- this is one of those times. And to be honest, the app isn't half bad since the latest update. Give it a try before you hate it

Make sure you have Google Play Books installed on your phone or tablet if you want to read on a mobile device, or you can just read on the web. Click here to pick it up for two bucks.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/6USB633NszU/story01.htm

censored jerry yang stop sopa justified southland sopa blackout protect ip act

Secrets of gentle touch revealed

Dec. 9, 2012 ? Stroke the soft body of a newborn fruit fly larva ever-so-gently with a freshly plucked eyelash, and it will respond to the tickle by altering its movement -- an observation that has helped scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) uncover the molecular basis of gentle touch, one of the most fundamental but least well understood of our senses.

Our ability to sense gentle touch is known to develop early and to remain ever-present in our lives, from the first loving caresses our mothers lavish on us as newborns to the fading tingle we feel as our lives slip away. But until now, scientists have not known exactly how humans and other organisms perceive such sensations.

In an article published online this week in the journal Nature, the UCSF team has identified the exact subset of nerve cells responsible for communicating gentle touch to the brains of Drosophila larvae -- called class III neurons. They also uncovered a particular protein called NOMPC, which is found abundantly at the spiky ends of the nerves and appears to be critical for sensing gentle touch in flies.

Without this key molecule, the team discovered, flies are insensitive to any amount of eyelash stroking, and if NOMPC is inserted into neurons that cannot sense gentle touch, those neurons gain the ability to do so.

"NOMPC is sufficient to confer sensitivity to gentle touch," said Yuh Nung Jan, PhD, a professor of physiology, biochemistry and biophysics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at UCSF. Jan led the study with his wife Lily Jan, PhD, who is also a UCSF professor and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

The work sheds light on a poorly understood yet fundamental sense through which humans experience the world and derive pleasure and comfort.

Jan added that while the new work reveals much, many unanswered questions remain, including the exact mechanism through which NOMPC detects mechanical force and the identity of the analogous human molecules that confer gentle touch sensitivity in people.

The discovery is a good example of basic brain research paving the way toward answering such questions. UCSF is a world leader in the neurosciences, carrying out research that spans the spectrum from fundamental questions of how the brain works to the clinical development of new drugs and precision tools to address brain diseases; educating the next generation of neuroscientists, neurologists and neurosurgeons; and offering excellent patient care for neurological diseases.

Why is Touch Still Such a Mystery?

Though it is fundamental to our experience of the world, our sense of gentle touch has been the least well understood of our senses scientifically, because, unlike with vision or taste, scientists have not known the identity of the molecules that mediate it.

Scientists generally feel that, like those other senses, the sense of touch is governed by peripheral nerve fibers stretching from the spine to nerve endings all over the body. Special molecules in these nerve endings detect the mechanical movement of the skin surrounding them when it is touched, and they respond by opening and allowing ions to rush in. The nerve cell registers this response, and if the signal is strong enough, it will fire, signaling the gentle touch to the brain.

What has been missing from the picture, however, are the details of this process. The new finding is a milestone in that it defines the exact nerves and uncovers the identity of the NOMPC channel, one of the major molecular players involved -- at least in flies.

Jan and his colleagues made this discovery through an unusual route. They were looking at the basic physiology of the developing fruit fly, examining how class III neurons develop in larvae. They noticed that when these cells developed in the insects, their nerve endings would always become branches into spiky "dendrites."

Wanting to know what these neurons are responsible for, they examined them closely and found the protein NOMPC was abundant at the spiky ends. They then examined a fly genetically engineered to have a non-functioning form of NOMPC and showed that it was insensitive to gentle touch. They also showed that they could induce touch sensitivity in neurons that do not normally respond to gentle touch by inserting copies of the NOMPC protein into them.

This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health via grant #R37NS040929 and #5R01MH084234; by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; and through two Long-Term Fellowships from the Human Frontier Science Program.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Zhiqiang Yan, Wei Zhang, Ye He, David Gorczyca, Yang Xiang, Li E. Cheng, Shan Meltzer, Lily Yeh Jan, Yuh Nung Jan. Drosophila NOMPC is a mechanotransduction channel subunit for gentle-touch sensation. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11685

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/BgR00DwXToY/121209152517.htm

Brigitte Nielsen Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless

Solid evidence elusive in right-to-work debate

Debbie Nault from the Michigan Nurses Association stands with other members of the association on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Debbie Nault from the Michigan Nurses Association stands with other members of the association on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

About a dozen members of the Michigan Nurses Association stand on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Members of the Michigan House Democrats and supporters stand in the office of House Democratic Leader Rick Hammel, center, in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, to denounce the state's right-to-work legislation which was passed last week in Lansing. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Linda Erspamer a veteran nurse of more than 30 years at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, stands with other dozen members of the Michigan Nurses Association on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Members of the Michigan State Police, background, look on as about a dozen members of the Michigan Nurses Association stand on the state Capitol steps in Lansing, Mich., Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, protesting right-to-work legislation. Organizers say the gathering was meant to symbolize the silencing of unions that nurses say will happen should the legislation become law.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

LANSING, Mich. (AP) ? Gov. Rick Snyder says one reason he supports right-to-work legislation in Michigan is the economic boost a similar law has given Indiana, although officials have provided no conclusive evidence that the policy by itself has drawn new businesses to the state next door.

It's an example of the flurry of claims supporters and opponents were making as the Michigan Legislature prepared to reconvene Tuesday for what could be final votes on right-to-work bills that have inspired fierce protests from unions and their Democratic allies, including President Barack Obama. Lansing authorities were bracing for an onslaught of demonstrators, increasing police presence and planning road closings and parking restrictions around the Capitol.

Snyder, a Republican who said repeatedly during his first two years in office that right-to-work wasn't a priority for him, reversed course last week by endorsing bills that would prohibit requiring nonunion employees to pay unions for negotiating contracts and other services. Within hours, bills were rushed through the GOP-dominated House and Senate as Democrats angrily objected and chanting union activists clogged the hallways.

During a news conference explaining his decision, Snyder said he had been impressed by results in Indiana, another Rust Belt state and historical labor stronghold that enacted a right-to-work law earlier this year.

"They've had 90 companies in the pipeline for economic development say this was a factor in deciding to look to come to Indiana," he said. "That's thousands of jobs. We need more and better jobs in Michigan."

Spokeswoman Sara Wurfel said Snyder's comment was based on information provided by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. She said the agency had reported that 67 of those prospective companies had "progressed to the pipeline stage."

"Of these 67 companies, 31 companies have already accepted the IEDC's offer, accounting for more than 3,700 projected new jobs and more than $431 million in investment," Wurfel said in an email, referring to information provided by the Indiana agency.

It was unclear what was meant by "the pipeline stage" or "the IEDC's offer." Katelyn Hancock, spokeswoman for the Indiana agency, told The Associated Press that "90 companies have communicated to the IEDC that Indiana's enactment of right-to-work will factor into their decision-making process of where to locate current projects."

Hancock added, "Out of respect for companies, all discussions are confidential until we have completed negotiations and have a final acceptance from them."

Indiana has made a number of business relocation and expansion announcements this year in which company executives have identified the right-to-work law as one reason behind decisions. Whayne Supply Co., a distributor of heavy construction and earth moving equipment, said in May it was boosting operations in Evansville, creating up to 50 jobs. President and CEO Monty Boyd mentioned the law along with Indiana's "outstanding infrastructure, talented workforce and recent legislation to lower taxes."

But the president of another business, MBC Group, said the Indiana agency had incorrectly reported that its planned expansion resulted from the right-to-work law.

Meanwhile, opponents of right-to-work laws contend they push wages and benefits lower. Michigan Democrats frequently cite a study by the liberal-leaning Economic Policy Institute reporting that employees in right-to-work states earn $1,500 less annually than their counterparts in states without such laws.

The Economic Policy Institute acknowledged it is "notoriously difficult" to evaluate the effects of a single state policy, but said its wage analysis was controlled for more than 40 different factors such as age, race and education.

The conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan says compensation in right-to-work states can be even higher than elsewhere when costs of living are considered. A study by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce found personal income grew more in right-to-work states than those with no right-to-work laws between 1977 and 2008.

"Very little is actually known about the impact of right-to-work laws," Gary Chaison, a professor of labor relations at Clark University in Massachusetts, said Monday. "There's a lot of assumptions that they create or destroy jobs, but the correlation is not definite."

Democrats contend the disagreement over such questions is one reason why the Legislature should allow further consideration, although Republicans say the issue is longstanding and the viewpoints clear.

"These so-called right-to-work laws, they don't have anything to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics," Obama told cheering workers Monday during a visit to an engine plant in Redford, Mich. "What they're really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money."

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and members of the state's U.S. House delegation met with Snyder on Monday in Detroit and urged him to veto the legislation or amend it to allow a statewide referendum. Levin said the governor pledged to "seriously consider" the requests.

In Lansing, leaders of the Democratic minority in the state House acknowledged there was little they could do to stop the fast-moving legislation in the waning days of the session. However, they vowed to vote against other legislation as a form of protest, including one that helps to finance a downtown Detroit project featuring a new home for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.

Ari Adler, spokesman for Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger, chided those in Washington for "trying to tell Republicans in Michigan to slow down and not do our job in Lansing while they fail to resolve the nation's fiscal cliff crisis or even approve a budget."

___

Associated Press writers Tom LoBianco in Indianapolis, Ed White in Detroit and Ben Feller in Redford, Mich., contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-10-Right-to-Work-Michigan/id-24e58d7d96c146eb9549e005d16155c2

dad shoots daughters laptop brandon jennings the vow review luol deng culkin wooly mammoth no child left behind

Home Improvement and Landscaping Ideas Indicators You Need to ...

The pipes, sinks, and toilets about your household are components of your life that you in all probability use devoid of even pondering. On the other hand, when they begin to malfunction, you might be left questioning if you are in Will need of plumbing fix. Some of these issues you can in all probability tackle on your personal, but other people are going to Will need a contact to the experts. Right here are some Indicators that it could be time to contemplate calling for aid.

Cracked Pipes

Pipes can be pricey and tricky to repair, specifically if they are in the sewer program. Due to the fact of this, you really should rely on a qualified if you Want aid with them. Short-term fixes can truly make factors worse in the extended run, so have cracks fixed professionally ahead of they develop.

This is specifically accurate for sewer systems Due to the fact of the wellness threat they pose. Cracked and broken pipes, even if they are outdoors your house, let the toxic mess inside to leak into the surroundings, exposing your household and the households in the houses about you to possibly dangerous supplies. You Require to safeguard other people by way of obtaining this fixed as soon as feasible.

Root Development in Pipes

If you have trees or shrubs about your property, you could encounter root Development in your pipes. Root Development can result in troubles, which includes generating the pipes leak. You can preserve up with root Development and avert this dilemma, but if the roots have begun to harm your pipes, you are going to Will need to get in touch with the plumbing fix skilled. They will have particular gear to cut the roots properly, and they can also give you with chemical compounds that can be applied as a preventative against additional Development.

Clogs

Some uncomplicated clogs, such as a clogged drain, can be fixed on your personal. Even so, if you come across the most important line to your residence is clogged, it is time to require qualified plumbing fix. The fantastic news around mainline repairs is that they may possibly not be your monetary responsibility, as these are usually handled through your public utility business. Nonetheless, you Will need to contact a expert prior to you tackle these repairs. In some states, it could even be against the law to try to fix your mainline devoid of a licensed and bonded qualified.

Preparing to Sell Your Residence

At times, the Indicators it is time to contact a skilled are less apparent. When you are preparing to sell your residence, for instance, you must contemplate specialist support. You Need to have to make positive anything is in good operating order ahead of prospective purchasers commence walking by your residence. If you do not, then you may well struggle to sell.

Constructing or Adding On

If you are Developing a new house or adding on to an current home, you Require a plumbing fix and installation contractor. Developing codes Need most most important jobs to be handled through somebody licensed and educated in this business. To comply with the law and make sure that every thing is totally functional in your new space just before you move in.

Source: http://earfish.com/indicators-you-need-to-have-plumbing-fix.html

2001 a space odyssey barefoot bandit polar bear plunge lovelace antioch the grey review demi moore 911 call