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মঙ্গলবার, ৩১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
সোমবার, ৩০ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Oil spill brings attention to delicate Gulf coast
TIVOLI, Texas?? For decades, farmers and fishermen along the Gulf of Mexico watched as their sensitive ecosystem's waters slowly got dirtier and islands eroded, all while the country largely ignored the destruction.
It took BP PLC's well blowing out in the Gulf ? and the resulting environmental catastrophe when millions of gallons of oil spewed into the ocean and washed ashore ? for the nation to turn its attention to the slow, methodical ruin of an ecosystem vital to the U.S. economy. Last month, more than a year and a half after the spill began, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a three-year, $50 million initiative designed to improve water quality along the coast.
"I'm not going to say that it's the silver lining," Will Blackwell, a district conservationist with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services, said of the oil spill. Blackwell is one of many regional officials who have long worked with farmers and ranchers to fence cattle, reseed native grasses and take on other seemingly inane projects that go a long way toward preventing pollution and coastal erosion.
"I'm going to say that it will help get recognition down here that we have this vital ecosystem that needs to be taken care of," he said. "This will keep it at the forefront."
NRCS administrators struggled for years to divide a few million dollars among farmers and ranchers in the five Gulf states. Now, they are getting an eleven-fold increase in funding, money that will allow them to build on low-profile programs that already have had modest success in cleaning crucial waterways by working with farmers and ranchers to improve land use practices.
The nation's focus turned sharply to the Gulf when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew up in April 2010. Images of oil-coated birds and wetlands were splashed across newspapers and cable news networks. Coastal wetlands that are habitat to all sorts of wildlife were soiled and oyster beds were wiped out, underscoring the Gulf's ecological and economic importance.
The project is called the Gulf of Mexico Initiative, the first concrete step from a year's worth of meetings, studies and talking by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, a committee formed by President Barack Obama in the spill's wake.
Sometimes, the money is spent on simple projects, such as building fences and installing troughs to keep cattle away from rivers and creeks that flow into the Gulf. The minerals in cow manure can pollute those upstream waters and then flow into the ocean. Those minerals can deplete oxygen in the Gulf, creating "dead zones" where wildlife can't thrive.
Other times, the program pays for expensive farming equipment that turns soil more effectively and creates straighter rows. That helps keep fertilizers on the farm ? where it helps crops ? and out of the Gulf, where the nutrients choke oxygen from the water. This equipment also decreases erosion, which has eaten up hundreds of miles of Gulf Coast habitat in the past century.
Until now, most counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas got right around $100,000 apiece to spend annually on these programs. The demand was far greater in many areas, but money was hard to come by, Blackwell said, highlighting the popularity of the program in Refugio County, Texas ? the rural area of Southeast Texas he oversees.
The influx of money has many farmers and ranchers ? especially those who have reaped the program's benefits in the past ? eager for more opportunities to improve the environment they rely upon for their livelihood.
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Now, they are hurriedly filling out applications and waiting for officials to rank the paperwork ? those considered to have the greatest possible impact are the most likely to be approved.
"Fifty million dollars sounds like a lot. But when you consider ? Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and Texas, it's not going to be enough," said Glen Wiggins, a Florida farmer applying for help buying new farming equipment.
"But it'll help."
Dallas Ford, owner of the 171-acre Smoky Creek Ranch in Tivoli, Texas, first worked with the NRCS to build fences and strategically located troughs. The fences keep cattle in separate fields and allow him to rotate the cows between the fields, a practice that helps keep grass longer and better able to recover when it rains. The troughs ensure the cattle remain in the area and keep away from Stony Creek ? a bountiful tributary of the Gulf's Hynes Bay.
Ford estimates he has between $15,000 and $20,000 worth of additional work to do on his ranch ? all of which will ultimately improve water quality in Stony Creek ? but he will be able to do it only if he can get another contract with NRCS, which would cover about half the costs.
The cash infusion reminded him of a mentor who once said you could cook anything with time and temperature. In this project, Ford said, time is plentiful ? the temperature is money and manpower.
"We might be able to cook something a little faster," Ford said. "Now, maybe I can get you a nice steak."
About 685 miles away, Wiggins has been buying new tilling equipment to use on his 800-acre peanut and cotton farm that straddles the Alabama-Florida line. The high-tech farming equipment helps him better turn the soil and plant straighter rows, which ultimately prevent erosion and keep nutrients in the soil rather than allowing them to flow downstream and into the Gulf.
Wiggins' land sits on three watersheds ? Canoe Creek and Pine Barren Creek that are part of Sandy Hollow Creek, and Little Pine Barren Creek. With the work he's already done, Wiggins estimates he has reduced erosion by at least 50 percent. Now, he wants to further reduce it, mostly through the use of new equipment that will decrease conventional, and more destructive, tillage of his land.
"I'd like to get it down to zero, but if I could get it to 10 percent conventional tillage, I would be tickled to death," Wiggins said.
He estimated the new equipment will cost about $70,000. The only way he can make that purchase is with NRCS' help ? and now it may be within reach.
"The oil spill has been a powerful force to get people's attention," Wiggins said.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46182691/ns/us_news-environment/
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Iran web developer sentenced to death (AP)
TEHRAN, Iran ? Iran's state media say the Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence against a web developer convicted of spreading corruption.
The semiofficial Fars news agency says blogger Saeed Malekpour was found guilty of promoting pornographic sites. It says the Supreme Court approved the death sentence handed down by a Revolutionary Court that deals with security crimes.
Malekpour was reported imprisoned in October, 2008 and confessed on Iranian TV that he developed and promoted pornographic websites.
The website gerdab.ir, affiliated with the elite Revolutionary Guard, called Malekpour the head of the biggest Persian-language network of pornographic websites.
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রবিবার, ২৯ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Arab League halts observer mission due to violence
AP
This citizen journalism image provided by the Local Coordination Committees in Syria purports to show anti-Syrian regime protesters during a demonstration in Idlib province, Syria Friday.
By NBC News and msnbc.com news services
Updated 12:51 p.m. ET: Syria says it regrets an Arab League decision to halt its mission monitoring a peace plan in the country, official state television?reported on Saturday.
"Syria regrets and is surprised at the Arab decision to stop the work of its monitoring mission after it asked for a one-month extension of its work,'' Syria Television reported in an urgent news flash.
Updated at 11:31 a.m. ET: The Arab League halted its observer mission to Syria on Saturday, sharply criticizing the regime of President Bashar Assad for escalating violence in recent days that has killed nearly 100 people across the country.
"Given the critical deterioration of the situation in Syria and the continued use of violence ... it has been decided to immediately stop the work of the Arab League's mission to Syria pending presentation of the issue to the league's council," Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement.
A delegate at the league said no date had yet been fixed for a meeting of the council on Syria.
The rising bloodshed has added urgency to new attempts by Arab and Western countries to find a resolution to the 10 months of violence that according to the United Nations has killed at least 5,400 people as Assad seeks to crush persistent protests demanding an end to his rule.
But the initiatives continue to face two major obstacles: Damascus' rejection of an Arab peace plan which it says impinges on its sovereignty, and Russia's willingness to use its U.N. Security Council veto to protect Syria from sanctions.
Syrian government forces clashed with anti-regime army defectors across the country on Saturday. At least 20 were reported killed in the clashes and other violence. The new deaths come after two days of bloody turmoil killed at least 74 people, including small children.
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin visits Zabadani and speaks with members of the?anti-regime Free Syria Army.
The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria.
The Security Council discussed a European-Arab draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed.
Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the European-Arab version was unacceptable in its present form but said it was willing to "engage" on it.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow wanted a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change.
The Arab League said it was in talks with Russia ahead of a Security Council meeting in New York. Britain and France said they hoped to put the draft resolution to a vote next week.
Published at 7:30 a.m. ET: A Syrian opposition group claimed Saturday that 130 people had been killed across the country in just 24 hours by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the death toll while speaking to NBC News in London.
Activists also told Reuters Saturday that the bodies of 17 men previously held by Syrian security forces have been found in the city of Hama.
"They were killed execution-style, mostly with one bullet to the head. Iron chains that had tied them were left on their legs as a message to the people to stop resisting," Abu al-Walid, an activist in the city, told Reuters by telephone.
Another activist said the bodies, their hands tied with plastic wire and some with their legs chained, were dumped in the streets of five Hama neighborhoods on Thursday evening.
Turkey was due to meet Gulf Arab states later Saturday to reinforce support for an Arab call for Assad to quit.
The Arab League and Western countries are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, resisted by Assad's ally Russia. The U.N. Security Council discussed a new European-Arab draft resolution on Friday aimed at halting the bloodshed.??
The United Nations Children's Fund also said Friday that at least 384 children had been killed and virtually the same number had been jailed during the course of the uprising.
UN Security Council weights action on Syria
The U.N., which estimated in mid-December that more than 5,000 people had been killed, says it can no longer keep track of the total death toll. The Syrian government says insurgents have killed more than 2,000 soldiers and policemen.
'Siding with the Syrian people'
Turkey urged Syria's leadership to comply with an Arab League transition plan that calls on Assad to step down.
"We are siding with the Syrian people and their legitimate demands," Turkish President Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying by the United Arab Emirates newspaper al-Bayan.
Outside Syria capital, suburbs look like war zones
Turkish officials say the number of Syrians seeking sanctuary in Turkey has risen in the past six weeks, with 50 to 60 arriving daily, taking the total living in refugee camps to nearly 9,600 from about 7,000 previously.
More than 6,000 Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon.
Turkey, which spent years rebuilding relations with Syria, turned against Assad after he ignored its advice to enact reforms to calm what began in March as a peaceful uprising against his rule, inspired by Arab revolts elsewhere.
Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft U.N> resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the European-Arab version was unacceptable in its present form but added that it was willing to "engage" on it.
Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin criticized the draft, which endorses the Arab transition plan.
Moscow, he said, wants a Syrian-led political process, not "an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process that has not yet taken place" or Libyan-style "regime change."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Suspect shown by Mexico cops says he beat Canadian (AP)
CULIACAN, Mexico ? A man charged with brutally beating a Canadian tourist at a luxury beach hotel told reporters Saturday that he tried to hold the woman in an elevator and punched her several times in the face when she cried for help.
Police presented Jose Ramon Acosta Quintero, 28, to local and foreign journalists in the Pacific port city of Mazatlan, where the attack on Sheila Nabb of Calgary, Alberta, occurred in the early hours of Jan. 20.
He was arrested Friday and charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors have said investigators were led to Acosta by a hotel security video that showed him leaving the elevator where Nabb was attacked.
Sinaloa State Prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez said Saturday that Acosta was drinking in local bars and had taken cocaine with a Canadian friend when they decided to go to one of the large tourist hotels where bars operate 24 hours. He said Acosta frequents those hotels and sometimes goes by the name "Ray."
Flanked by police, Acosta spoke in fluent English as he answered a few questions from foreign reporters. He said he entered the hotel from the back beach doorway and was taking an elevator up to the roof when the doors opened and Nabb got in. They talked and then he put his hand on the door, he said, to prevent her from leaving so they could keep talking.
"She got afraid when I didn't let her out and she started yelling, 'He won't let me out,'" Acosta said. "I got afraid also, because she's a North American and I'm Mexican and I wasn't supposed to be in the hotel."
He said he covered her mouth as she continued to yell for help.
"Then I hit her four or five times in the face with my fist and then I left," said Acosta, who swallowed nervously as he talked.
Nabb's husband was in their hotel room at the time of the attack and she was found lying in the elevator and bleeding heavily.
She was flown to Canada, and Canadian media have reported that she remains hospitalized with major injuries to her face and jaw.
"Yeah, I did it. I did, but it wasn't planned or anything like that," Acosta said in a soft voice. "I didn't try to abuse her, or I didn't try to kill her or anything or rob her."
Acosta said police had shown him a security camera video of him leaving the elevator, but he denied it showed him kicking Nabb. He said that possibly he was using his foot to move her hand out of the door so it would close.
Higuera has said Acosta had Nabb's blood on his shoes when he was arrested.
"I'm sorry and I hope that she recovers," Acosta said before being led away by police. "I've seen the papers. Her face was bad."
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শনিবার, ২৮ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Economy likely ended 2011 with strong growth
A sold sign is seen in fron of a new home in Jefferson, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The economy likely grew at annual rate of 3 percent in the October-December quarter, according to a survey by FactSet. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
A sold sign is seen in fron of a new home in Jefferson, Pa., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The economy likely grew at annual rate of 3 percent in the October-December quarter, according to a survey by FactSet. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A weak year for the economy likely ended on a hopeful note.
The economy likely grew at annual rate of 3 percent in the October-December quarter, according to a survey by FactSet. The Commerce Department will release the actual figure Friday.
The gain would represent modest improvement from this summer, when the economy grew just 1.8 percent. However, even with the strong finish, economists believe the economy expanded just 1.7 percent for the whole year ? roughly half the growth in 2010.
And growth is expected to slow in the first three months of this year. A key reason is wages have failed to keep pace with inflation. That will likely force many consumers to pull back on spending after splurging over the holidays.
Consumer spending is important because it makes up 70 percent of economic activity.
Businesses are also expected to reduce spending in the first quarter after building up their stockpiles in the final months of 2011.
Richard DeKaiser, a senior economist at Parthenon Group, expects just 2 percent annual growth in the January-March quarter. But Kaiser says that should be the weakest quarter. He expects the economy to gain strength in each quarter and grow 2.6 percent for the entire year.
The year is off to a good start. Companies invested more in equipment and machinery in December. The unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent last month ? the lowest level in nearly three years ? after the sixth straight month of solid hiring.
People are buying more cars, and consumer confidence is rising. Even the depressed housing market has shown enough improvement to make some economists predict a turnaround has begun.
Still, many economists worry that a recession in Europe could dampen demand for U.S. manufactured goods, which would slow growth. And without more jobs and better pay, consumer spending is likely to stagnate.
The Federal Reserve signaled this week that a full recovery could take at least three more years. In response, it said it would probably not increase its benchmark interest rate until late 2014 at the earliest ? a year and a half later than it had previously said.
The central bank also slightly reduced its outlook for growth this year, from as much as 2.9 percent forecast in November down to 2.7 percent. The Fed sees unemployment falling as low as 8.2 percent this year.
DeKaiser said part of his optimism stems from a view that housing sales and prices will rise moderately this year. That should lift the battered construction industry, which ended last year with three months of gains in single-family home construction.(backslash)
At the moment, housing remains the weakest part of the economy. New-home sales fell last month, and total sales for 2011 were the lowest on records dating back to 1963.
"I think the clouds will gradually lift over housing. Rising home prices will make consumers feel wealthier and this will translate into stronger consumer spending," DeKaiser said.
.
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The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM!
Another Engadget Show is in the can, and for once, everyone's back in their respective homes. This time out, Tim and Brian will be joined once again by Dana. You can join us too in the chat after the break.
Continue reading The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM!
The Engadget Podcast is live tonight at 5PM! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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শুক্রবার, ২৭ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
BlackBerry Curve 9360 review
Continue reading BlackBerry Curve 9360 review
BlackBerry Curve 9360 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৬ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
House panel challenges gov't response on Volt (AP)
WASHINGTON ? A GOP-led House committee is challenging the Obama administration's investigation into Chevy Volt batteries that caught fire last year, raising questions about whether the government's partial ownership of General Motors Co. created a conflict of interest.
The report by the Republican staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said it was "deeply troubling" that safety regulators waited several months before telling the public that a Volt battery caught fire three weeks after a government crash test. The fire happened in June but was not made public until November ? "a period of time that also coincides with the negotiation over the 2017-2025 fuel economy standards," the report states, adding that it was possible that those negotiations "incentivized NHTSA to remain silent on the issue."
But in a recent letter to committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland said that the agency's investigation into the Chevy Volt "is completely unrelated to the fuel economy standards rulemaking."
The committee was set to hold a subcommittee hearing on the issue Wednesday. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the report ahead of its official release.
In an email Tuesday, NHTSA spokeswoman Lynda Tran said that following the June fire, the agency needed to determine through careful forensic analysis whether the Volt was the actual cause ? and if so, what the implications were for safety ? and that took time.
"If at any time during this process we had reason to believe that vehicle owners faced any imminent safety risk we would have made that point known to the public right away," she said.
NHTSA began studying the Volt last June after a fire broke out in one of the cars three weeks after it was crashed as part of safety testing. Two other fires related to separate safety tests occurred later, and NHTSA opened an official investigation into the vehicle on Nov. 25. The government ended its investigation last week, concluding that the Volt and other electric cars don't pose a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered cars. The agency and General Motors Co. know of no fires in real-world crashes.
But some critics have criticized the government's response, accusing it of having a conflict of interest because the government still owns 26.5 percent of the company's shares, and because the administration has touted electric cars. Wednesday's subcommittee hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform was titled, "Volt Vehicle Fire: What Did NHTSA Know and When Did They Know It?"
"Questions have been raised as to whether or not GM receives special deference from the administration because of its status as a ward of the state," the committee report states, adding, "the Obama administration has tied the political reputation of the president closely to the success of GM generally, and to the Chevy Volt specifically." The report also accuses NHTSA officials of not cooperating with its investigation, and of being unprepared to respond to car battery risks.
Both Strickland and GM chairman and CEO Daniel F. Akerson were scheduled to testify at Wednesday's hearing.
In written testimony, Akerson said that testing by government regulators resulted in fires "after putting the battery through lab conditions that no driver would experience in the real world."
The company advised Volt owners to return their cars to dealers for repairs that will lower the risk of battery fires. GM hopes that, by adding steel to the plates protecting the batteries, it will ease worries about the car's safety. The cars are covered by a "customer satisfaction program" run by GM, which is similar to a safety recall but allows the carmaker to avoid the bad publicity and federal monitoring that come with a recall.
"The Volt is safe," Akerson said.
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বুধবার, ২৫ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
'Open for business': Ind. House OKs right-to-work (AP)
INDIANAPOLIS ? Indiana is poised to become the first right-to-work state in more than a decade after the Republican-controlled House passed legislation on Wednesday banning unions from collecting mandatory fees from workers.
It is yet another blow to organized labor in the heavily unionized Midwest, which is home to many of the country's manufacturing jobs. Wisconsin last year stripped unions of collective bargaining rights.
The vote came after weeks of protest by minority Democrats who tried various tactics to stop the bill. They refused to show up to debate despite the threat of fines that totaled $1,000 per day and introduced dozens of amendments aimed at delaying a vote. But conceding their tactics could not last forever because they were outnumbered, they finally agreed to allow the vote to take place.
The House voted 54-44 Wednesday to make Indiana the nation's 23rd right-to-work state. The measure is expected to face little opposition in Indiana's Republican-controlled Senate and could reach Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk shortly before the Feb. 5 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
"This announces especially in the Rust Belt, that we are open for business here," Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said of the right-to-work proposal that would ban unions from collecting mandatory representation fees from workers.
Republicans recently attempted similar anti-union measures in other Rust-Belt states like Wisconsin and Ohio where they have faced massive backlash. Ohio voters overturned Gov. John Kasich's labor measures last November and union activists delivered roughly 1 million petitions last week in an effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Indiana would mark the first win in 10 years for national right-to-work advocates who have pushed unsuccessfully for the measure in other states following a Republican sweep of statehouses in 2010. But few right-work states boast Indiana's union clout, borne of a long manufacturing legacy.
Oklahoma, with its rural-based economy that produces comparatively fewer union jobs than Indiana, passed right-to-work legislation in 2001.
Hundreds of union protesters packed the halls of the Statehouse again Wednesday, chanting "Kill the Bill!" and cheering Democrats who had stalled the measure since the start of the year.
House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer said the legislative battle has been an "unusual fight" from the beginning, but Democrats waged a noble effort against majority Republicans determined to pass the bill.
"What did they fight for? They fought for less pay, less workplace safety and less health care. This is their only job plank: job creation for less pay with the so-called right to work for less bill."
Republicans foreshadowed their strong showing Monday when they shot down a series of Democratic amendments to the measure in strict party-line votes. Democrats boycotted again for an eighth day
Republicans handily outnumber Democrats in the House 60-40, but Democrats have just enough members to deny the Republicans the 67 votes needed to achieve a quorum and conduct any business. Bosma began fining boycotting Democrats $1,000 a day last week, but a Marion County judge has blocked the collection of those fines.
The measure now moves to the Indiana Senate which approved its own right-to-work measure earlier in the week. Gov. Mitch Daniels has campaigned extensively for the bill and said he would sign it into law.
___
Tom LoBianco can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/tomlobianco
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Boat Insurance Tips from Stafford Marine Insurance | BoatingLocal ...
Boaters should check their insurance policies carefully to make sure they're covered in case of a catastrophic event like this. Photo/USCG
When it comes to insuring boats, few companies have a longer history than Stafford Insurance. Founded in 1881 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Stafford is wrapping up its 130th year in the marine insurance business.
Stafford Insurance's Fall River offices, c. 1900. Photo/Stafford Insurance
In the early days, the company insured the trading vessels that sailed and steamed in and out of Fall River, as well as their cargoes of lace and other textile goods. As local manufacturing fell on hard times and recreational boating began to blossom, Stafford made the switch to handling individual boat policies. From commuter boats and Chris Crafts to carbon-fiber sailboats and hybrid-powered cruisers, Stafford has been there from the beginning of recreational boating in New England.
Stafford Insurance founder J.F. Stafford. Photo/Stafford Insurance
Today, that tradition continues, with company president Jay Kay?whose grandfather started at Stafford in 1919?and his team providing a deep understanding of the unique needs and concerns of the region?s boaters. Indeed, Kay is a longtime boater himself, having sailed and fished the waters off Martha?s Vineyard and the Massachusetts Southcoast since he was 4. He currently owns a 28? Albin powerboat and a 19? Vineyard Gem sloop built on-island in 1962.
BoatingLocal recently caught up with Kay, who explained some of the benefits of choosing an agent that specializes in marine insurance.
Underwriter Connections:
One is that few mainstream agencies have direct contact with the underwriters who specialize in boats. ?There used to be over 100 marine underwriters to choose from; now that?s down to 3 or 4 serious companies,? says Kay. ?We have deep ties with the right underwriters, and we?re able to negotiate the best rate due to the volume of policies we hold.?
One of the biggest drawbacks to using a non-marine insurance company is that the policy terms can vary widely from one underwriter to another. ?You could get 10 totally different policies for the same price,? Kay notes. ?It?s not like a homeowner?s policy, which is very standardized. Boat insurance policies are extremely varied.?
Valuation Terms:
Jay Kay, president of Stafford Insurance. Photo/Stafford Insurance.
One potential stumbling block is the ?valuation clause?. In the event of a complete loss, many boaters are unaware that insurers will subtract the depreciation of the boat based upon its age and condition. In other words, they may only issue a check for the value of the boat based on the current market value listed in the so-called ?BUC Book? (the marine version of the Blue Book for cars). Subsequently, many boaters end up paying too much on their policy as the boat depreciates over the years, and do not receive the replacement value they expect if their boat sinks, is stolen or catches fire in a total loss.
For example, if you paid $100K to purchase a boat 5 years ago, the insurance company is not going to give you $100K if the boat is totaled. They use the age and condition to determine the current value, and that?s the amount you might receive a check for, less your policy deductible. ?Consequently, there are a lot of people who overpay on their insurance policies, or think they will receive full replacement value if something happens to their boat,? says Kay. ?We advise our clients on these things, whereas many companies do not. Re-evaluate the policy every year to make sure you?re not overpaying.? On a partial loss, like a theft of electronics, most good policies provide replacement cost without depreciation. But be careful, as not all policies do. Read the fine print, or ask.
If you own a classic boat, a restored boat, or a boat with a lot of sentimental value that would take a lot of money to replace, you may need an ?agreed-value? policy. With this type of policy, you and the insurance company agree on the value of the boat and what it would cost to replace in the case of a total loss.
Coverage of Engines, Equipment:
Kay recommends digging deeper into the valuation terms of your policy. Check the value assessed for partial losses on big-ticket items beyond the hull, such as electronics, the engine, the generator and the trailer. Also, be aware that the repair or replacement of sails, curtains and canvas will rarely be at replacement cost, as most companies will deduct depreciation on these items.
?Unlike a car, each part of the boat needs to be covered. You need to consider cost and depreciation on the engine, safety gear, sails, canvas?you name it,? Kay explains. ?Most boaters neglect to consider the value and depreciation of expensive electronics when insuring their vessels. Some insurance companies will not pay the full cost to replace your chart plotter, radar and fishfinder. Others will.?
Contractual Concerns
Be sure to stay within the waters dictated by your policy's navigational limits or you may void the policy. Photo/USCG
Another major area of concern is the contractual terms of the policy. For example, if your policy has a standard ?layup warranty?, common in the Northeast, you have agreed that the boat will not be used between the dates of November 1 and April 1. If you use the boat during the layup period and have a mishap, the policy is automatically void?something to think about on those unseasonably warm days late or early in the season. ?If you think you might use your boat later or earlier than the dates specified in your policy, contact your agent, as it?s usually pretty easy and inexpensive to extend the navigation period,? says Kay.
Similarly, if your boat is only insured for use in coastal waters, or a certain area of travel, you need to stay within the boundaries outlined by your policy or you risk violating the policy warranty. For example, if your coverage only extends to ?coastal waters,? you will not be covered if an accident occurs beyond the 3-mile state-waters limit. On the plus side, it is very easy to get a rider or endorsement if you plan to occasionally travel beyond those limits. You can usually get something in writing (an email will suffice) within 24 hours of making the request.
Liability Concerns
Liability should also be considered when choosing your policy, says Kay, especially if you have guests on your boat. ?Get the maximum amount of liability you can afford, as there?s not that big a difference in premium between a $100,000 policy and a $500,000 policy. Also, you may want to consider getting a $1 million umbrella policy via your homeowner?s insurance, which will cover you if something happens on your boat, over and above the amount you have on your boat policy.?
Racing & For-Hire Coverage
A major area of concern for sailors is racing coverage. ?You definitely need to watch out if you do any sort of racing. And I?m talking about even laidback Thursday-night-after-work racing with your buddies,? says Kay. You need to make your underwriter aware of any competitive usage of your boat, so you can get a racing rider or endorsement on your policy.
Also, if you charge people to ride on your boat or pay someone to serve as mate or crewman, even for a day, you will usually void your policy. ?Whenever money is changing hands, you need to be careful,? warns Kay. This applies even if you?re simply hiring someone to serve food or drinks on your boat during an onboard party.
What About the Kids?
Consider an umbrella policy if you often have guests and their families aboard your vessel. Photo/USCG
Similarly, you should let your underwriter know if your spouse or children will be driving the boat, even when you?re onboard?and especially if you?re not. If your kids damage the boat in your absence, you may not be covered. The best plan is to list any operators on your insurance policy.
Lowering Your Premium:
Kay explains that many boaters fail to realize that their driving record can affect their boat-insurance policy, so one way to lower your premium is to avoid any motor vehicle violations. ?Your driving record is very important,? says Kay. ?A clean record will result in a lower premium.?
Depending on your underwriter, taking an approved safe-boating course or earning your captain?s license may also lower your premium, but only if you bring it to the attention of your agent and have all the necessary documentation.
The above are just a few bit of good advice from Jay Kay and Stafford Insurance. Be on the lookout for more tips in the coming months.
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Source: http://boatinglocal.com/news/boat-insurance-tips-from-stafford-marine-insurance.html
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মঙ্গলবার, ২৪ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Which team will win Super Bowl XLVI?
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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46095841/ns/sports-nfl/
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'Workaholics' Stars School Us On Backbreaking Comedy
'It's weird when people say it's an accident, 'cause I kinda meant to do it,' Blake Anderson says of stunt gone wrong in MTV's 'First Date.'
By Rya Backer
Cast of "Workaholics"
Photo: MTV News
As one of the co-stars of Comedy Central's "Workaholics," Blake Anderson has made his way into the hearts and televisions of many an American as Blake Henderson, the goofy member of the show's trio who's not above spending his week's paycheck on a coat that looks like a bear, or talking his friends into foregoing their Thanksgiving plans to spend a weekend at a Hedonism resort in Jamaica.
So when we sat down with Anderson following the castmembers' "First Date" shoot, which premieres Tuesday on MTV.com, it was refreshing to know that his quirks and sense of humor — and those of his fellow Workaholics — are not just a stage persona. We asked for details on how he recently made headlines jumping off a roof and landing (not especially gracefully) onto a Comedy Central-branded beer pong table, reportedly fracturing his spine in the process. Oh, and Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator was there too — having a good laugh at Anderson's expense.
"It's weird when people say it's an accident, 'cause I kinda meant to do it," he explained about the fall.
"I was drunk and it was stupid. Don't jump off roofs into hard surface areas."
His castmates (they are all good friends in real life), however, had a different perspective on the situation: "It was all CGI, it was a ploy to get more viewers. Thank you for viewing," explained Adam DeVine, whose "Workaholics" character, Adam Demamp, was named one of MTV News' Top 50 TV Characters of 2011.
The carnage, however, appears to be very real, with Anderson sporting a fresh scar from the incident on the left side of his back. Though DeVine once again refutes its veracity, asking, "... or is it CGI'd?"
So exactly what was recent VMA winner Tyler, the Creator doing at his place? "We have those little rugrats runnin' around at our parties sometimes," Anderson said of his friendship with Odd Future. Fellow member Taco appeared in the show's second-season premiere.
Despite their ups and downs, so to speak, the groups remain friendly — despite some fighting words from the cast. "You're not invited anymore, Tyler. And that's on you, bro," DeVine exclaimed. "Yeah, go 'create' some sh--," added Anders Holm.
You can see more with the cast of "Workaholics" on Tuesday when their episode of "First Date" goes live on MTV.com!
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677672/workaholics-stunt-odd-future.jhtml
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সোমবার, ২৩ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Web music revenue growth stuck in single figures (AP)
LONDON ? Legitimate music downloads still aren't growing quickly enough.
A report published Monday by the recording industry's main lobby group showed that digital revenue has grown 8 percent over the past year to about $5.2 billion ? a solid figure for some industries, but not one where overall receipts have fallen by nearly two-thirds amid a shift toward online ? and in many cases illegal ? music downloads.
"The 8 percent figure should be much higher," said Frances Moore, the chief executive of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. "That's part of our task in 2012."
Moore blamed music piracy for starving online retailers and music subscription services of custom, saying the legitimate music business was working in an "extremely challenging" environment.
"It's very difficult to turn things around overnight," she said.
The IFPI's report highlighted many of those turnaround efforts, noting for example that there are around 500 legitimate music services worldwide offering up to 20 million tracks.
It said subscription services were doing particularly well in Scandinavia, the home of popular music service Spotify, whereas in France the number of subscribers nearly doubled in the first 11 months of 2011.
Music pirates remain the IFPI's No. 1 enemy, and the group's report congratulated several countries on their efforts to crack down on illegal file sharing.
It said French authorities had sent out more than 700,000 warnings to suspected copyright violators, an act it said had helped drive down file sharing on peer-to-peer networks by 26 percent since October 2010.
In the United States, the group said most major American Internet service providers had signed up to a "copyright alert system" aimed at issuing similar warnings to suspected file sharers.
Even in China, where piracy rates approached 100 percent, the IFPI said progress was being made. In June record companies joined hands with search engine Baidu to fight pirated content and create authorized digital music service Ting.
But the fight against infringement has seen some high-profile reverses, including last week's shelving of the Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S., which was originally intended to block access to pirate websites. Critics accused the law's backers of installing a regime of Internet censorship, and Google and Wikipedia partially obscured or entirely blacked out their websites in a dramatic and ultimately successful protest.
Moore described the bill's demise as a setback and said that the technology community "has come out a bit hysterically against this."
But she said her organization would continue to lobby internationally for website-blocking, arguing that the measure was "efficient, effective, and proportionate."
There's much at stake as the music industry struggles to build its online presence. Worldwide sales of physical music ? such as CDs ? have dropped from $28.1 billion in 2000 to $10 billion in 2011.
Independent media analyst Mark Mulligan said in the U.S. the music industry has "already lost half of the music market in the past 10 years."
He said there was no realistic hope digital music would make up for the shortfall in the near term.
"What we're talking about is: 'How much of a burning building can we save from the flames?'" he said.
___
Online:
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry: http://www.ifpi.org/
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John King Ignores Ron Paul, Gets Booed By Crowd at S.C. Debate
John King did not have a good night Thursday.
At last night's CNN debate in Charleston, S.C., the network's moderator was absolutely eviscerated by Newt Gingrich after King brought up his ex-wife's recent interview in undoubtedly the event's most memorable exchange.
Not only that, he seemed to skip over Ron Paul - a doctor by trade - more than once, most notably during an exchange about the candidates abortion positions:
Following a back-and-forth between Republican presidential candidates Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, King changed the topic, only to be booed by the crowd.
Because he had completely ignored the fourth candidate on stage, Paul.
Paul laughed off the oversight, noting “John, once again, it’s a medical subject and I’m a doctor!” Paul, an obstetrician, went on to weigh in on the subject.
The Texas Congressman voiced concerns about federal funding of institutions providing abortions, saying such decisions should be made on a state-by-state basis.
South Carolina's crucial primary takes place tomorrow.
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রবিবার, ২২ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Zynga mulls online gambling market
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Zynga, the social game company known for "FarmVille" and "Zynga Poker," is mulling a new market ? online gambling.
Zynga Inc. confirmed Friday that it is in active talks with potential partners. San Francisco-based Zynga says it is speaking to the potential partners in order to "better understand and explore" the opportunity in online gambling involving real money.
The company's "Zynga Poker" title is the world's largest online poker game. Zynga says seven million people play every day and 30 million do so each month. That game, however, is played with fake money.
The talks come in the heels of a recent ruling by the U.S. Justice Department, which found that in-state Internet gambling does not violate federal law. Zynga's talks were first reported by the tech blog AllThingsD.
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Investors like the back-to-basics Bank of America (AP)
NEW YORK ? Bank of America is back to basics ? slimmed down, stripped of its swagger and no longer the biggest bank in the country. And investors, after pummeling the company for two years, finally like what they see.
The stock jumped 2.4 percent Thursday after Bank of America reported that it made $2 billion from October through December, reversing a $1.2 billion loss from a year earlier. The stock is up 25 percent this year.
Almost none of the profit came from improvements in Bank of America's basic businesses. In fact, it lost money in the fourth quarter in real estate and investment banking.
But the bank raised $2.9 billion by selling its stake in China Construction Bank and $2.4 billion more by selling debt and issuing common stock to replace its higher-cost preferred stock, which paid out annual dividends as high as 8 percent.
"We enter 2012 stronger and more efficient after two years of simplifying and streamlining our company," CEO Brian Moynihan said.
The cash has strengthened Bank of America's balance sheet, a key factor as it undergoes a Federal Reserve "stress test" and tries to meet international regulatory standards that demand banks hold more cash against risky loans.
"It would be a big step if Bank of America can prove to the Street it doesn't need to raise additional capital," said Shannon Stemm, a banking analyst at Edward Jones, a financial advice company.
After the stock dropped 63 percent drop in 2010 and 2011, Bank of America is eager to start over. But it won't be easy.
Paying $4 billion for Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest subprime mortgage lender, in 2008 seemed like a bargain but has cost Bank of America tens of billions in mortgage losses, fines and litigation.
"The biggest problem with Bank of America is that you never know what litigation expense lurks around the corner," Stemm said.
The bank has also been forced to buy billions of dollars' worth of mortgages from the government-sponsored mortgage financing companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In 2011, the bank lost about $14 billion just on legal settlements tied to mortgages issued in years past. On Thursday, the bank said it put aside an additional $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter for future litigation, most of it tied to mortgages.
In addition to the legal costs, the Federal Reserve last year refused to let Bank of America increase its stock dividend, citing uncertainty about the depth of its mortgage problems.
It was the only denial issued to any of the four largest U.S. banks by the Fed, which is closely monitoring how the largest banks use their cash since the bailouts of 2008.
This year, Bank of America hasn't asked the Fed to raise its dividend.
As the U.S. economy slowly comes back, investors are betting Bank of America is poised to capture some of that growth. But that won't be easy, either.
Loans to people and businesses aren't as profitable as they were before the financial crisis. Not only are interest rates at historic lows, but regulators have limited the fees banks can collect for overdrafts and late credit card payments. The government has also reduced the fees banks can ollect from stores on debit-card transactions.
Bank of America knows something about debit card fees. Last fall, it caused a public uproar when it announced it would charge customers $5 a month to use debit cards. The bank quickly backed off.
Bank of America serves about half of American households, and its results showed that housing continues remains a concern in the economy. The bank's real estate business lost $1.5 billion after a 74 percent decline in new home loans. The bank lost some market share and closed a division that helped third-party home lenders.
But Americans seemed to be getting their financial houses in order by paying off more debt on time.
Bank of America, one of the largest credit card issuers, said customers who paid bills a month late declined for the 11th consecutive quarter. New credit card accounts also grew 53 percent, and the division posted a profit of $1 billion.
Bank of America's investment banking business reported a loss of $433 million due to lower investment banking fees and lower sales and trading driven by the rocky stock and bond markets in the last three months of the year.
The bank's quarterly earnings came to 15 cents per share, which was less than the 22 cents expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet, a provider of financial data. The earnings were in line with other estimates.
The bank reported fourth quarter revenue rose 11 percent to $25.1 billion from last year. For the year, the bank made $1.4 billion. It lost $2.2 billion in 2010.
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শনিবার, ২১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১২
Kristen Bell: How I Learned to Stop Taking "Myself Too Seriously" (omg!)
Kristen Bell is known for her bubbly personality, but according to the House of Lies star, it isn't in her nature to be so positive.
"I love my therapist. When I have an issue that I need to work through, going to therapy gives me a bigger toolbox to do so," Bell tells the February issue of Self. "Talking with friends helps, too."
PHOTO: Kristen and other stars go burlesque
"I can say crazy things to my friends, things I'm embarrassed to admit, like, 'I feel so ugly or worthless today,'" Bell explains. "They say, 'What? You're nuts!' Having good, real friends builds your self-esteem exponentially."
Bell believes she's become a stronger person thanks to her therapist. "If I'm feeling down, I have someone who I trust to help me guide my feelings and help me distinguish the real from the imaginary."
VIDEO: Kristen flirts with fiance Dax Shepard
The Veronica Mars alum admits it took some time for her to lighten up. "I did take myself too seriously in my twenties," Bell says, "but you have a series of experiences when you grow up and you have mini epiphanies where you realize you're not the most important person on the planet and life is short. I think that's really healthy."
The actress -- currently engaged to her When in Rome costar Dax Shepard -- says she's still a work in progress. "I've worked really hard to curb my natural impatience by realizing that everyone is doing the best they can."
PHOTOS: Kristen and other stasr' TV comebacks
"I'm least proud of my ability to be lazy and procrastinate by spending time on my computer or in front of the TV, watching America's Funniest Home Videos, the greatest show on television," Bell tells Self. "To anybody who pooh-poohs it, I say, 'Just give it 30 minutes.'"
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