8 Social Security Myths Exposed

8 Social Security Myths Exposed

By Renee Morad | Money Talks News – Tue, Oct 2, 2012

Will Social Security be around when I retire?
That’s a question lots of Americans are probably asking themselves, though it’s certainly not the only thing we might be wondering when it comes to Social Security. Given our national retirement program’s handbook of 2,728 rules and countless interpretations, few participants are likely to thoroughly understand it.
To help shed light on Social Security, we recently set out to separate fact from fiction. Below are some of the most common Social Security myths, along with explanations:
Myth: Social Security funds are running dry, so I should collect as soon as possible

good news:US jobless rate

US jobless rate falls to 7.8 pct., 44-month low

US unemployment rate falls to 7.8 pct. in September, lowest since Jan. 2009; hiring increases
By Christopher s. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | Associated Press Fri, Oct 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent last month, dropping below 8 percent for the first time in nearly four years. The rate fell because more people found work, a trend that could impact the presidential election.
The Labor Department says employers added 114,000 jobs in September. The economy also created 86,000 more jobs in July and August than first estimated. Wages rose in September and more people

Samsung Expected to Reach End of Record Run

Samsung Expected to Reach End of Record Run

By REUTERS
Published: October 5, 2012

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit of 8.1 trillion South Korean won, nearly double the figure of last year, as strong sales of high-end televisions and Galaxy smartphones more than offset reduced orders for chips and screens from Apple, its main rival and leading customer.

Most analysts, however, expect a run of four record quarters — the most recent worth $7.3 billion — to end in December, as the South Korean group, one of the world’s leading makers of smartphones, televisions and memory chips, increases its marketing, countering the new Apple iPhone 5 and other products in a crowded smartphone market, valued at $200 billion globally.

Time-travel fantasy ‘Looper’ may be most creative of its genre

Time-travel fantasy ‘Looper’ may be most creative of its genre

Posted: Friday, October 5, 2012
By Michael Huckaby / movie reviews

“Looper” is a gripping and stylish time-travel fantasy, perhaps the most creative of this genre ever made. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (“Brick”), the futuristic storyline is cleverly contrived, explaining just enough to make the narrow concept plausible.
Unlike most thrillers, the compelling movie includes romance and an emotionally powerful thread exploring flawed characters fighting to regain their humanity.
The opening introduces Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) standing in a Kansas cornfield. He checks his antique pocket watch and then stares at a tarp spread out before him. Suddenly, a hooded and hog-tied man materializes on the tarp. Joe coolly blows him away, removes several silver ingots (his pay) taped to the body, wraps the corpse in the tarp and dumps it in a nearby incinerator.

Hawaiian tourism office launches promotional campaign in Taiwan

Hawaiian tourism office launches promotional campaign in Taiwan

Oct 04, 2012

The Hawaiian tourism office in Taiwan launched a promotional tour package on Wednesday in cooperation with local travel agencies to take advantage of a potential tourism boost from Taiwan’s inclusion in the US’ Visa-Waiver Program.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau’s office in Taipei said the seven-day tour would depart from Taiwan on Nov. 1 — the day Taiwan’s US visa-waiver status takes effect — and will cost under NT$70,000 (US$2,380) per person.

Bizarre Species of Miniature Dinosaur Identified

Bizarre Species of Miniature Dinosaur Identified

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
Published: October 3, 2012

Not every dinosaur grew up to be a mighty predator like Tyrannosaurus rex or a hulking vegan like Apatosaurus. A few stayed small, and some of the smallest dinosaurs that ever lived — tiny enough to nip at your heels — were among the first to spread across the planet more than 200 million years ago
Fossils of these miniature, fanged plant-eaters known as heterodontosaurs, or “different toothed reptiles,” have turned up as far apart as England and China. Now, in a discovery that has been at least 50 years in the making, a new and especially bizarre species of these dwarf herbivores has been identified in a slab of red rock that was collected in the early 1960s by scientists working in South Africa.

In a report published Wednesday in the online journal ZooKeys, Paul C. Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and a dinosaur specialist, described the strange anatomy of the newfound member of the heterodontosaur family and gave the new species the name Pegomastax africanus, or “thick jaw from Africa.” He also apologized in an interview for not getting around sooner to this piece of research.

Look for travel deals from Southwest Airlines soon

Look for travel deals from Southwest Airlines soon

If you have travel plans this fall or winter, especially between Thanksgiving or Christmas or right after New Year’s through mid-February, look for a big sale soon from Southwest Airlines.

Tom Parsons
Published: 04 October 2012

If you have travel plans this fall or winter, especially between Thanksgiving or Christmas or right after New Year’s through mid-February, look for a big sale soon from Southwest Airlines.
If it follows last year’s pattern, the sale will happen on a Tuesday and others will match — but it will only last a few days.
Travel demand drops dramatically during the two weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the week after New Year’s, around Jan. 8, through Feb. 14, which are some of the weakest travel periods of the year. This is because most people burn through their vacation time during the holidays.
Over the past few years, Southwest has cut those fares dramatically during its October sale because it’s the only way to fill up planes. For all of you who will be flying short-haul this holiday season, you will be paying much more than last year.

Romney: ‘47 percent’ remarks were ‘completely wrong’

Romney: ‘47 percent’ remarks were ‘completely wrong’

By Philip Rucker and Vanessa Williams, Friday, October 5

FISHERSVILLE, Va. – Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is disavowing his controversial remarks dismissing “the 47 percent” of Americans who don’t pay federal income taxes, saying in an interview Thursday night that the comments were “just completely wrong.”

“My life has shown that I care about 100 percent, and that’s been demonstrated throughout my life,” Romney told conservative commentator Sean Hannity on Fox News. “And this whole campaign is about the 100 percent.”

Tigers' Cabrera wins Triple Crown

Tigers' Cabrera wins Triple Crown

OCT 4, 2012
KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP)
Miguel Cabrera had just achieved baseball immortality, and everyone around him knew it.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland had tears welling in his eyes. General manager Dave Dombrowski kept trying to remind people to stop and enjoy the moment. Prince Fielder simply shook his head in disbelief at the history that had unfolded.

Less than an hour earlier, in the midst of Detroit's otherwise meaningless 1-0 victory over Kansas City, it had finally become official: Cabrera had won the Triple Crown.

Julianne Moore Victim of $127K Jewelry Theft at NYC Brownstown

Oct 4, 2012 

Julianne Moore Victim of $127K Jewelry Theft at NYC Brownstown

By Richard Esposito

Actress Julianne Moore had more than $127,000 worth of jewelry stolen from her New York City apartment, according to police officials.
The jewelry was swiped from Moore’s Manhattan brownstone between June 6 and Aug. 28, when her residence was being renovated, officials said Wednesday.
During that time, 15 to 25 construction workers had access to the entire house, according to the police

Credit card delinquencies drop to 11-year low

Credit card delinquencies drop to 11-year low

By Blake Ellis @CNNMoney October 4, 2012

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Credit card customers are more responsible than they've been in over a decade.
Delinquencies on credit cards issued by banks dropped to the lowest level since 2001 during the second quarter, according to a report from the American Bankers Association released Thursday.

Only 2.93% of all bank card accounts were considered delinquent, meaning they were 30 days or more overdue. That's down from 3.08% in the first quarter and significantly lower than the 15-year average of 3.91%.

World food prices rose 1.4% in Sept

Oct. 4, 2012, 7:40 a.m. EDT

World food prices rose 1.4% in Sept

By Michael Haddon

LONDON (MarketWatch) — World food prices increased by 1.4% in September, the United Nations’ food body said Thursday, rising slightly after two months of stability mostly due to strengthening dairy and meat prices.

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s food price index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, rose by three points in September to a new level of 216 points.

It currently stands 9.2% below its peak of 238 points in February 2011 and 4% below its level of 225 points in the same month last year.

H-P tanks as Whitman sees more pain ahead

H-P tanks as Whitman sees more pain ahead

Shares fall 13% to its lowest level in 10 years in big selloff
October 03, 2012|Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Hewlett-Packard Co. on Wednesday fell to their lowest level in a decade as Chief Executive Meg Whitman warned that it will take longer to turn around the beleaguered tech powerhouse.

Travel guide: How to save on holiday season airfares

Travel guide: How to save on holiday season airfares

By Emily Brennan
10/03/2012

New York Times
With oil prices rising and flight capacities shrinking, airlines will be charging more for fares around the holidays. "For Thanksgiving, right now, fares are an average $24 higher than they were last year," said Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir.com. But, he added, there are ways to find deals and avoid undue expenses. Here's an edited chat with him:
What's the best way to save on airfare during the holidays?

Six reasons Mitt Romney won the first debate

Six reasons Mitt Romney won the first debate

Posted by Aaron Blake on October 4, 2012
Most everyone agrees: Mitt Romney won the first debate of the 2012 presidential election on Wednesday.
A CNN/Opinion Research poll released after the debate showed 67 percent of viewers thought Romney won, while just 25 percent said the same of President Obama. And a CBS poll showed 46 percent of undecided voters said Romney won, compared to 22 percent who said Obama won.
While Romney’s workman-like performance may have lacked one single big moment, there were a lot of reasons he came out ahead.
Below, we expound upon six of them:

1. He controlled the format: For better or worse, moderator Jim Lehrer largely let the candidates sort out the debate themselves, essentially broaching broad topics and letting the candidates duke it out on their own terms — with almost-endless rebuttals. This format favored Romney. Romney’s campaign went into the debate with an attack mindset (as most candidates who are behind do), and by allowing all those rebuttals, Lehrer gave Romney a chance to execute. He did. Obama wasn’t as focused on attacking, which works less

Leap Left in Lurch as MetroPCS Picks T-Mobile Merger

Leap Left in Lurch as MetroPCS Picks T-Mobile Merger

By Tara Lachapelle and Olga Kharif - Oct 3, 2012
Leap Wireless International Inc. (LEAP) is now left to fend for itself as the combination of MetroPCS Communications Inc. and T-Mobile USA damps takeover prospects for the unprofitable wireless carrier.
Leap, which Chief Financial Officer Jerry Elliott said in August was considering options including a sale, has lost money every year since 2006 and analysts estimate it will keep posting deficits until 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Investors are giving little value to its operations, pushing Leap’s price-sales ratio to 0.15, the lowest among similar-sized U.S. wireless carriers, the data show.

Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE)’s deal to merge T-Mobile USA with MetroPCS to create a bigger No. 4 player in the U.S. wireless market drove Leap down 18 percent yesterday. Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. said Leap is left without a buyer right now because the most logical acquirer was MetroPCS, which also targets prepaid customers using the same network technology. A deal is unlikely soon because T-Mobile will need time to integrate the new assets and Leap’s $3.2 billion in long-term debt may deter Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), JPMorgan Chase & Co. said.

Apple Suppliers Begin Mass Production on Smaller Tablet

Apple Suppliers Begin Mass Production on Smaller Tablet

October 3, 2012
By LORRAINE LUK
TAIPEI—Apple Inc.'s AAPL +0.29% Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. GOOG -0.63% and Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.56% that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.

Two of the people said the smaller tablet will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution compared with the latest iPad model that came out in March.

South Korea's LG Display Co. 034220.SE +0.88% and Taiwan's AU Optronics Corp. 2409.TW -0.47% last month began mass production of the LCD screens for the new device, they said.

MP Bob Katter calls for starfish bounty to save Great Barrier Reef

MP Bob Katter calls for starfish bounty to save Great Barrier Reef

• Townsville Bulletin
• October 03, 2012

CROWN-of-thorns starfish beware: Bob Katter wants to place a bounty on your head. The Kennedy MP has called for scuba divers to be paid $10 for every pest starfish they kill.

It comes after a report found coral cover throughout the Great Barrier Reef has been declining rapidly each year, with the starfish accounting for 42 per cent of the damage.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke, however, says there is no way he would place a bounty on the coral-consuming creatures, whose poisonous spines pose a danger to divers. He said the way to control the starfish was through further research and government-assisted culling programs.

New Mumford & Sons album Babel is fastest seller of 2012 in UK and US

New Mumford & Sons album Babel is fastest seller of 2012 in UK and US

Band also smash Spotify streaming record, confounding critics of the service

Guardian music
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 3 October 2012
Fast folk ... Mumford & Sons' second album, Babel, has stormed to the top of the UK and US charts. Photograph: Matt Kent/WireImage
Mumford & Sons' Babel has become the fastest selling album of the year in both the UK and the US.

The group's second album sold 159,000 copies in its first week in the UK to hit No 1 on Sunday, and 600,000 copies in the US to secure them their first US chart topper.

Euro Steady as Expectations of Spanish Aid Deal Persist

Euro Steady as Expectations of Spanish Aid Deal Persist

Published: Wednesday, 3 Oct 2012
By: Reuters

The euro steadied against the dollar on Wednesday and was underpinned by the belief that Spain will eventually request financial aid, helping soothe concerns around the biggest hotspot in the euro zone's debt crisis.
Such a move would be likely to spark demand for perceived riskier currencies, although on Tuesday Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy quashed speculation the country could apply for a bailout as soon as this weekend.

Strategists said while Rajoy's words had knocked demand for the euro, losses were limited by expectations Spain will ask for international assistance at some point in coming weeks. That would allow the European Central Bank to activate its bond-buying program and bring down Madrid's borrowing costs.

The single currency was close to flat at $1.2920, but remained above the three-week low of $1.28035 hit on Monday.

Iran to enrich uranium to 60 percent if nuclear talks fail

Iran to enrich uranium to 60 percent if nuclear talks fail

DUBAI | Tue Oct 2, 2012
(Reuters) - Iran would enrich uranium up to 60 percent purity if negotiations with major powers over its nuclear program fail, an Iranian lawmaker said on Tuesday, in comments that may add to Western alarm about Iranian intentions.

Mansour Haqiqatpour, deputy head of parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, said 60 percent enrichment would be to yield fuel for nuclear submarines, which often require uranium refined to high levels.

But it would also take Iran another significant step closer to the 90 percent enrichment level needed to make atomic bombs, which the West suspects is the Islamic state's ultimate aim. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful energy only.

Raul Ibanez delivers when it matters most in Yankees' 4-3 win vs. Red Sox

Raul Ibanez delivers when it matters most in Yankees' 4-3 win vs. Red Sox

Ibanez merely delivered the biggest hit of the season, a game-tying, two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Red Sox when the Yankees were about to fall back into a first-place tie with the Orioles.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012

Way back in spring training, I was making the case to Yankees GM Brian Cashman that he had signed the wrong guy to be the Yankees’ DH.
Raul Ibanez? But what about Johnny Damon? He was the one who had proven he could deliver in October for the Yankees, and really, isn’t that all that counts for this ballclub?
Cashman said he preferred the 40-year-old Ibanez in part for his defense, believing he would need him to play some outfield this season. But then he added the clincher:

Gold Is Seen Advancing as Bernanke Renews Stimulus Pledge

Gold Is Seen Advancing as Bernanke Renews Stimulus Pledge

By Nicholas Larkin on October 02, 2012
Gold was seen falling in New York on speculation some investors will sell the metal and physical demand will slow after prices climbed to a 10-month high.

Gold rallied last month as central banks from Europe to Japan pledged more action and as miners went on strike in South Africa. The Fed will continue record stimulus even after economic expansion gains strength, Bernanke said in Indianapolis yesterday. It will publish on Oct. 4 minutes of its Sept. 13 meeting when it announced a third round of quantitative easing.

“Bullion investors might take a breather here,” Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London, wrote today in a report. “Investors will be overly cautious about committing to new longs at highs for the year, while physical demand at these levels will only remerge on price dips.” Long positions are bets on higher prices.

Taylor Swift: John Mayer's so 'presumptuous'

Taylor Swift: John Mayer's so 'presumptuous'

7:48AM EST October 2. 2012 - Taylor Swift doesn't mind singing about romance and its heartache. But ask her to 'fess up about her beaus, current and former, and you get bupkis.

ABC's Cynthia McFadden did double duty as she interviewed Swift for Glamour mag and Nightline.

McFadden brought up Swift's Dear John song, saying the singer never identified who it was about, but John Mayer recently told Rolling Stone that it was him.

Thieves armed with pickaxes rob California museum of $2 million in precious gems

AP/ October 2, 2012, 6:26 AM

Thieves armed with pickaxes rob California museum of $2 million in precious gems

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. California investigators searched Monday for thieves who made off with an estimated $2 million in precious gems and gold from a mining museum in the Sierra Nevada foothills during a brazen daytime robbery.

But they didn't get away with the biggest prize of all - the nearly 14-pound Fricot Nugget, a giant crystalline gold mass unearthed in the Gold Rush era.

During their attempt to grab the massive nugget, the robbers triggered an alarm that alerted authorities who swarmed the museum but were unable to nab the thieves.

Rooftop pool, wine bar: Hotels building in Africa

Rooftop pool, wine bar: Hotels building in Africa

By JASON STRAZIUSO

Associated Press / October 1, 2012

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The rooftop pool at Nairobi’s newest high-rise hotel juts out over the edge so swimmers can peer through the glass bottom eight stories down. A new champagne bar sits nearby. IPads with detailed wine descriptions serve as menus.

This is the face of new, high-end hotels in Africa. Nairobi has seen the construction of several upscale properties in recent years, as developers eye an increase in business travel to a continent with rising business prospects.

American Airlines inspecting jets for loose seats

American Airlines inspecting jets for loose seats

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer / October 1, 2012

DALLAS (AP) — The federal government is examining two separate incidents in which passenger seats came loose midflight on American Airlines planes in the last three days.

American said Monday that it would inspect those and six other Boeing 757 jets overnight.

The Federal Aviation Administration said both planes had recently undergone maintenance work that required seats to be removed and reinstalled. American spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said an initial review found that there could be a problem with the way the seats fit into tracks on the floor.

5 great travel deals in ‘next door’ cities

5 great travel deals in ‘next door’ cities

Save up to $71 a night by lodging outside a city you’re visiting
October 01, 2012|Charles Passy

For travelers headed to any number of major U.S. cities, it’s a tempting offer: a hotel room for up to 40% off the regular rate, no coupon or loyalty-club membership required.

The only catch? The room isn’t exactly in the heart of the city. In fact, it’s not in the city at all. Think Marietta, Ga., instead of Atlanta. Or Tacoma, Wash., instead of Seattle. Even New Jersey in place of New York.

Schwarzenegger kept many secrets from wife Maria

Schwarzenegger kept many secrets from wife Maria

October 1, 2012

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Arnold Schwarzenegger says his lifelong penchant for secrecy and ability to put his emotions "on deep freeze" led him to keep many secrets from his wife Maria Shriver, eventually causing the dissolution of their marriage when he was forced to admit he fathered a child with the family's housekeeper years earlier.

Throughout their strained 25-year marriage, Schwarzenegger says he did not want to tell Shriver about crucial life decisions such as major heart surgery and running for California governor because he feared she would overreact and tell her well-connected family and friends.

Justin Bieber threw up on stage during concert

Justin Bieber threw up on stage during concert

IANS | Oct 1, 2012

Teen sensation Justin Bieber has apologised to fans after he threw up on stage while performing.

He was performing in Glendale, Arizona, on the first stop of his Believe tour, Saturday night. He ran off the stage while dancers and a DJ continued to perform, before re-emerging and apologising to the audience.

"I am sorry, I am going to slow things down," digitalspy.co.uk quoted Bieber, 18, as saying.

European Stocks Advance After Spanish Stress-Test Results

European Stocks Advance After Spanish Stress-Test Results

Bloomberg News
By Tom Stoukas on October 01, 2012
European stocks advanced the most in two weeks as test results showed the stress to the Spanish banking system was less than estimated, outweighing weakening economic data from Asia. U.S. index futures climbed, while Asian shares fell.

Credit Agricole SA (ACA) rose 3.7 percent after starting talks to sell its unprofitable Greek unit. International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (IAG) climbed 1.7 percent after the International Air Transport Association raised its 2012 global airline-profit forecast. Banco Popular Espanol SA slumped the most in almost 15 years after announcing a capital-increase plan.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) gained 0.9 percent to 270.85 at 11:35 a.m. in London. The benchmark gauge rallied 6.9 percent in the quarter ended Sept. 30 as the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank started bond-buying programs. The measure slid 1.2 percent on Sept. 28. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures added 0.4 percent today, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index retreated 0.4 percent.

Lindsay Lohan scuffles with man in New York hotel

Lindsay Lohan scuffles with man in New York hotel

Sun Sep 30, 2012

(Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan was involved in a scuffle with a man at a New York hotel on Sunday, police said, over what media reports described as her demand that photos of her be deleted from his cellphone.

Investigators took reports from both Lohan, 26, and the man, but charges appeared unlikely, said a spokeswoman for the New York City Police Department. A misdemeanor assault charge filed earlier in the day against the man was dropped, the spokeswoman said.

Police declined to confirm local media reports identifying the man as Christian LaBella, 25, of California, a staffer with Congressman John Shimkus, an Illinois Republican.

"Nobody's been arrested, there's no assault," the police spokeswoman told Reuters. "Reports were taken and both parties were able to give their account of what took place."

European media hail ‘Miracle of Medinah’ after historic Ryder Cup win

European media hail ‘Miracle of Medinah’ after historic Ryder Cup win

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, October 1
LONDON — The Miracle of Medinah.

That summed up the reaction in the European media to Europe’s improbable victory in the Ryder Cup.
Europe’s historic comeback to beat the United States 14½-13½ at Medinah was celebrated on the front and back pages of European newspapers on Monday.

Nowhere was the win more special than in Spain, the home of European captain Jose Maria Olazabal and the late Ryder Cup stalwart Seve Ballesteros.

Spanish sports daily Marca ran a front-page headline: “This one is for you, Seve.”

New Travel Channel show goes behind the scenes at Miami International Airport

New Travel Channel show goes behind the scenes at Miami International Airport

By Associated Press, Published: September 30,2012

MIAMI — The Travel Channel has spent years telling stories about where people go, but now they’re doing a show on how people get there.

“Airport 24/7: Miami” offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to move more than 100,000 travelers each day through Miami International Airport.

“We host a Super Bowl every day at MIA,” security director Lauren Stover said, comparing the number of travelers to attendance at the championship football game.

With thousands of employees running what can easily be compared to a small city, the show follows workers as they deal with terrorist threats, intercept drug smugglers, attend to medical emergencies, repair aircraft and secure an Air Force One landing, all the while trying to get the passengers to their flights and the planes in the sky on time.