European stocks rose early on Thursday after results from bellwethers Societe Generale and France Telecom reassured investors, but a sharp rise in Spain's borrowing costs at a bond auction dampened the mood.
Shares in Societe Generale climbed 2.8 percent after a surprise surge in the French bank's trading revenues from its bond, currency and commodity desks helped soothe the effect of a series of one-off charges.
Other banks gained ground, with French investment bank Natixis up 1.6 percent, Spain's Bankinter up 1.5 percent and Italian lender Intesa SanPaolo up 0.9 percent.
At 0856 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was up 0.5 percent at 1,049.62
World powers urge North Korea to refrain from nuclear test
5/3/2012
(Reuters) - The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council urged North Korea on Thursday to refrain from any new nuclear tests amid speculation Pyongyang may soon carry out such an explosion.
North Korea, which tested plutonium devices in 2006 and 2009, has almost completed preparations for a third nuclear test, a senior source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing told Reuters last month.
"We...call on (North Korea) to refrain from further actions which may cause grave security concerns in the region, including any nuclear tests," said a joint statement by the United States, France, Russia, China and Britain delivered at a nuclear meeting in Vienna.
The isolated state sacrificed the chance of closer ties with the United States after it tried to test-launch a
Munch’s The Scream nabbed for a record $119.9-million in New York auction
from theglobeandmail.com5/3/2012 One of the art world's most recognizable images — Edvard Munch's The Scream — sold Wednesday for a record $119,922,500 at auction in New York City.
The 1895 artwork — a modern symbol of human anxiety — was sold at Sotheby's. Neither the buyer's name nor any details about the buyer was released.
The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust, sold by Christie's in 2010.
Munch's image of a man holding his head and screaming under a streaked, blood-red sky is one of four versions by the Norwegian expressionist painter. The auctioned piece at Sotheby's is the only one left in private hands.
The image has become part of pop culture, “used by everyone from Warhol to Hollywood to cartoons
Former NFL star Junior Seau found dead in California home
From theglobeandmail.com5/3/2012 Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the last year — died last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits.
Seau, however, is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussion litigation.
When Humphries joined the Chargers in a 1992 trade, he said it was obvious Seau was “the person who had the most energy, the most excited, the guy who tried to rally everybody.” Humphries said Seau “brought out a lot of youngness” in older players.
He also helped younger players.
“So sad to hear about Jr Seau,” tweeted New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was with
Dow, S&P 500 fall as private-sector hiring spurs worry
By Edward Krudy 5/2/2012
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and the Dow edged lower on Wednesday as data showed that private sector hiring fell far more than expected in April, sparking concerns that Friday's U.S. jobs report will also disappoint investors.
Private employers added 119,000 jobs in April, well short of the 177,000 expected, the ADP report showed. That sparked market rumors that Friday's payrolls data will show the economy added just 125,000 to 150,000 jobs last month, well below a Reuters consensus forecast of 170,000.
"If fewer and fewer people are participating in this recovery it suggests underlying weakness that we
The Chen Guangcheng Affair: U.S. Denies China Dissident’s Account of Coercion
By JAY NEWTON-SMALL 5/2/2012 U.S. EMBASSY BEIJING / REUTERS
Blind activist Chen Guangcheng, right, makes a phone call as he is accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke in a car on the way to a hospital in Beijing, May 2, 2012.
U.S.officials and friends of Chen Guangcheng were stunned by reports Wednesday morning that the blind Chinese human rights activist said he was coerced into leaving the protection of the U.S. embassy in Beijing and is seeking asylum in the U.S. with his family.
Chen told the Associated Press that U.S. officials relayed threats from the Chinese government that his wife would be beaten to death if he did not leave the embassy – an account the State Department vehemently disputes. “At no time did any U.S. official speak to Chen about physical or legal threats to his wife and children,” State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. “Nor did Chinese officials make any such threats to us.”
15 million of world's babies are born prematurely: U.S rate far higher than similar countries
5/2/2012
In the U.S are half a million babies born too soon
Half a million babies are born too soon in the US - and at a rate far higher than in Europe or other similar countries.
A new report finds some 15 million premature babies are born every year - more than 1 in 10 of the world's births and a bigger problem than previously estimated.
The first country-by-country count of the problem shows most preemies are born in Africa and Asia. But it's a problem for the U.S., too, where half a million babies are born too soon - and at a rate far higher than in Europe or other similar countries.
The toll: some 1.1 million of the world's preemies die.
The report estimates that three-quarters of the deaths could be prevented by spreading some simple, inexpensive treatments to low-income countries - including teaching "kangaroo care," in which moms carry their tiny babies nestled skin-to-skin on their bare chests for warmth when there are no incubators.
BY JOSÉ BAYONA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Cinco de Mayo on May 13? Sounds like a joke, but it’s happening this year.
The 11th edition of the popular Cinco de Mayo Festival in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park will take place Sunday, May 13, instead of the usual first Sunday of May.
Organizers are making the most of it, deciding to celebrate not only the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla but also Mother’s Day, two themes they call dear to the Mexican community.
“This weekend, the Mets play at the Flushing stadium and the city moved our festival for the weekend
Tyler Perry Studios catch fire; blaze under investigation
By Sarah Anne Hughes 5/2/2012
A large fire broke out at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta Tuesday evening, requiring more than 100 firefighters to respond to the scene, according to the Associated Press.
The four-alarm blaze was contained to one building on the 60-acre complex, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to the paper. No injuries were reported and the extent of the damage is not known.
Kind thoughts and well wishes poured into the section of Perry’s Web site devoted to the studio, as news of the fire spread.
Tyler Perry Studios was moved into the 200,000-square-foot Atlanta facility in 2008, according to the “Madea” director’s Web site. The site houses five soundstages, a theater, a post-production facility and a back lot, as well as a chapel, pond and gym.
Perry, who was at the complex at the time of the fire, has not publicly commented on the blaze.
The facade of a building at Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta, shows damage caused by a fire, May 1, 2012. (Curtis Compton - AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
By CHUCK BARTELS | Associated Press 5/2/2012 SEARCY, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas woman who cashed a $1 million lottery ticket may have to give up the winnings to a woman who threw away the ticket after she bought it, according to a judge's ruling Tuesday.
The judge decided that Sharon Duncan was entitled to the prize money, not Sharon Jones, who claimed the prize money after she took the ticket from a trash can of discarded lottery tickets at a convenience store in Beebe, a city about 40 miles northeast of Little Rock.
Jones' attorney, James Simpson, said he plans to appeal. Jones had testified that she already spent some of the money on a new truck and cash gifts to her children.
Simpson noted that Duncan testified she threw away the ticket after the read-out on a ticket scanner said, "Sorry. Not a winner." The attorney argued that people shouldn't be allowed to throw items away and then say, "'ooh, I want to un-abandon it.'"
"We'd have garage-sale law all over the place," he said. "It became trash when someone threw it away."
White County judge Thomas Hughes, however, said Jones never met the burden of proof that Duncan abandoned her right to claim $1 million.
"The $1 million was never found money," Hughes said.
Earlier Tuesday, Jones testified that she gathered a handful of discarded tickets from the trash can — as she had done many times before — and said there was no sign alerting customers not to take tickets.
Jessica Simpson's Baby Name Choice Stirs the Web
By Claudine Zap | Yahoo! TV 5/2/2012
For months, fans have followed Jessica Simpson’s baby bump, baby shower, baby shopping. Is it any wonder then -- now that the star has welcomed her daughter -- that attention has turned to the newborn’s name? Simpson announced the arrival of one Maxwell Drew Johnson, and a storm of comments hit the Web.
The name Maxwell has a family history from dad Eric Johnson's side -- it's his middle name and his grandmother's surname. Drew is the maiden name of Jessica's mother, Tina Simpson.
And Life & Style was first to report that the parents plan to call their baby Maxi for short.
Back in April, Simpson talked baby names to Elle magazine and promised "It's nothing shocking and nothing you'll have to add to the dictionary. Still, when people hear it they'll know … why."
Well, if the hundreds of comments on Yahoo! are any guide, J-Simp couldn’t have been more wrong.
While wishing the new mother and child well, some couldn’t help but weigh in on the choice of the name. One wrote, “Maxwell? That's like naming a boy Julie. You can call her Maxi but her license will always say MAXWELL and that is just wrong. Poor thing.”
Another wrote, “Cute name but they are going to go round and round at the school over being called Maxi pad all of her school days.”
Annie81 worried, “What is it with these people and baby names? Maxwell? It's not enough that sounds like a BOY'S name... it's going to be the source of 1000's of jokes and kids making fun of her.”
CZL noted, “Not fond of Maxwell for a girl, but since it is a family name I can see where it makes some sense.”
Commenter Allen wrote, “Maxwell? May as well named it Bob.”
Others liked it: As one wrote, “Maxwell, smart.” Loretta added, “It's still better than Blue Ivory, Apple, Rumor,etc.”
For their part, the happy parents are thrilled with baby Maxwell. Writing on Simpson's website, the couple exclaimed, “We are so grateful for the love, support and prayers we've received. This has been the greatest experience of our lives!!"
Wealthy Americans Queue to Give Up Their Passports
By Giles Broom | Bloomberg 5/2/2012
Rich Americans renouncing U.S. citizenship rose sevenfold since UBS AG (UBSN) whistle-blower Bradley Birkenfeld triggered a crackdown on tax evasion four years ago.
About 1,780 expatriates gave up their nationality at U.S. embassies last year, up from 235 in 2008, according to Andy Sundberg, secretary of Geneva's Overseas American Academy, citing figures from the government's Federal Register. The embassy in Bern, the Swiss capital, redeployed staff to clear a backlog as Americans queued to relinquish their passports.
The U.S., the only nation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that taxes
By Suzanne Vranica | The Wall Street Journal 5/2/2012
The doubt lingers as bankers and prospective investors decide how to value Facebook for an initial public offering planned for May 18, said people familiar with the matter. Facebook executives will be pitching the company to investors in an IPO roadshow starting Monday, these people said.
"The question with Facebook and many of the social media sites is, 'What are we getting for our dollars?'" said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing at Kia Motors Corp.'s North American division.
The automaker has advertised on Facebook since 2009 and plans to increase its ad spending on the site. While building brand awareness on a site with 900 million users is valuable, Mr. Sprague said he's unclear if "a consumer sees my ad, and does that ultimately lead to a new vehicle sale?"
'Dancing With the Stars' results recap: A duel to the finish
May 2, 2012 Well, that was as close to a surprise elimination as we’ve seen this “Dancing With the Stars” season. Ultimately, “Family Matters” star and erstwhile Steve Urkel, Jaleel White, and his pro partner Kym Johnson were ousted after a nail-bitingly close Dance Duel rumba in this seventh week of competition.
Once again, the decision came down to the judges, in the final Dance Duel of the season. And the judges unanimously opted for fellow bottom-dwellers Roshon Fegan and Chelsie Hightower to stay overJaleel and Kym (the low-scoring team of Melissa Gilbert and Maks Chmerkovskiy were saved by viewer votes). The judges thought Jaleel had started off strong but lost confidence and connection as the routine wore on. Roshon, however, maintained a laser-like focus on the rumba and his partner.
Though it didn’t help that just before the dreaded dance duel Jaleel deemed Len “the old guy outside the grocery store who won’t give you any money for candy.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have bit the hand that feeds him. At least not right before he decided his fate on the show. And although he did have dancing talent, Jaleel seemed a little too slick and intense to really
Roundup: Bryant’s 38 points lift Lakers past Nuggets
ASSOCIATED PRESS MAY 02, 2012
Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers weathered Denver’s late rally for a 104-100 victory over the Nuggets Tuesday night in Los Angeles, taking a 2-0 series lead.
Pau Gasol had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists for the third-seeded Lakers, who still haven’t trailed in this series despite nearly crumbling against a much-improved effort by the Nuggets and Ty Lawson, who scored 25 points.
Los Angeles’s 19-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to 4 with 3 minutes to play, but Ramon Sessions scored 4 key points in the final 1:14 before Bryant’s icing free throws with 9.4 seconds left.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Occupy May Day went global on Tuesday, as demonstrations stretched from California to New York and from Europe to the Caribbean.
Occupy San Francisco got an early start to the traditional May Day workers' protest, kicking off its organized rally at 8 p.m. local time on Monday.
"San Francisco, once a stronghold of the dispossessed, has become a playground for the rich and a living hell for those of us who can't keep up or have no interest in capitalist relations," Bay Area protest organizers said in a statement.
On Tuesday, rush hour traffic was flowing on the Golden Gate Bridge, despite protesters' threats to shut it down.
In Southern California, protesters scheduled a rally against allegedly unfair labor practices at Los Angeles International Airport, according to Occupywallst.org.
An airport police spokeswoman said the gathering proceeded without any disruption to airport operations.
France's Hollande urges ECB to lend to states via bailout fund
5/2/2012
* Says ECB should lend to ESM fund rather than banks
* ECB, Germany would reject such a plan
* Has sparred with Sarkozy over economy ahead of runoff
PARIS, May 2 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank should more actively help struggling euro zone states by lending them money via the region's bailout fund, the man on course to be France's next president said on Wednesday.
In comments likely to raise hackles among ECB policymakers and in Berlin, Socialist Francois Hollande said that, since the central bank was not inclined to offer loans to governments, it should instead lend to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).
Tipped to easily beat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday's election runoff, Hollande said in an
By Ben Rooney @CNNMoneyInvest May 2, 2012 NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As recession spreads across Europe, Germany may not be able to avoid being dragged down.
In the past week, Spain and the United Kingdom revealed that they had slipped back into recession, with two straight quarters of economic contraction.
In all, 12 European economies are now officially in recession.
Germany, the largest euro economy and the fourth largest worldwide, could be next: Its economy shrank 0.2% in the last three months of 2011, and it is expected to show another contraction when it releases data for the first quarter in mid-May.
"It's quite likely the German economy also contracted at very modest pace in the first quarter, which would technically fulfill the recession criteria," said Christian Schulz, a London-based economist at Berenberg Bank, the oldest private bank in Germany.
Published May 02, 2012
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA – No Ilya Kovalchuk, no problem for New Jersey.
With the injured Devils forward out for Game 2, Adam Larsson traded his seat in the rafters for an up-close look at postseason play.
He might get to stick around.
Larsson scored the first playoff goal of his career off a wrist shot in the third, igniting a four-goal outburst in the period that rallied the Devils to a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night and tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1.
"I'm not a goal scorer so I was happy for that," he said. "I was happy for that and I think you can see that we get everybody going after that. We score two, three, four there, so it was very important."
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty of the old saw, “sell in May and go away.” Basically, it is a quick way to remember that the summer half of the year is not often kind to investors.
With a year’s worth of gains already logged in the first quarter and technical deterioration across the board it does look like the bears are poised to take control.
Stocks logged one of their best first quarters on record this year but the fun ended when the Federal Reserve took their T-bird away. By hinting that it would no longer flood the market with cheap money — a new round of quantitative easing — it gave the market’s natural forces a chance to reassert themselves. And they did.
As last month ended, major market indexes had broken down below respective rising trendlines and smaller capitalization indexes were below 50-day moving averages. The bears were back.
The question is whether May will see downside follow through and the evidence suggests that it will.
By Lucy Hornby
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to a 13-month high in April, signaling the economy has found a footing and may be recovering from a first-quarter trough, but smaller factories are still struggling.
The pick-up in the PMI to 53.3 from 53.1 in March indicated a further expansion in the vast factory sector, although it was slightly below market expectations of 53.6. Readings above 50 signal expansion while those below 50 point to contraction.
The manufacturing output sub-index rose to 57.2 from 55.2 in March. However, the National Bureau of Statistics noted many important industries remained weak with index readings below 50, among them chemicals, equipment, autos and oil refining.
Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates by 50 basis points
From imeigu.com 2012-05-01
Sina Finance SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday the cash rate down 0.5 percentage points to 3.75 percent, the market had expected the rate cut of 25 basis points.
Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement, "We consider the rate cut at today's meeting that the current financial environment should be more relaxed than in December."
Stevens said, "We believe it is necessary to cut interest rates by 50 basis points, because only in this way, the loan interest rate also reached a more reasonable level."
Cut interest rates after the Reserve Bank of Australia announced that the Australian dollar exchange rate fell to $ 1.0334 from $ 1.0398. Australia's S & P / ASX 200 index rose 0.9 percent to 4437.00 points.
The U.S. Treasury is expected to issue bonds within six months of $ 447 billion
imeigu.com 2012-05-01 08:36:01 Source: Sina Finance original link
WASHINGTON, April 30 (reporter Jiang Xufeng Fan Yu) The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on April 30, April to September this year, the Ministry of Finance plans to issue $ 447 billion of net merchantability debt.
The statement said that between April and June this year, the U.S. Treasury plans to issue $ 182 billion of net merchantability debt. The issuance size than the predicted value in January this year decreased by $ 19 billion.
The U.S. Treasury Department pointed out that during July 2012 to September, plans to issue $ 265
The Markit/CIPS Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 50.5 in April from a downwardly revised 51.9 in March
by Phillip Inman guardian.co.uk1 May 2012
UK manufacturing PMI, up to April 2012. Photograph: Markit
UK manufacturing growth slowed to a virtual standstill last month after a drop in new orders from the eurozone hit confidence across the sector.
The Markit/CIPS Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropped to 50.5 in April from a downwardly revised 51.9 in March, keeping the sector just above the 50 level which separates growth from contraction.
The reading, the lowest since December, will disappoint the chancellor, George Osborne, who is already reeling from news last week that the UK has entered a double-dip recession after two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
Economists had forecast only a small dip in growth to 51.5 after a string of positive surveys through February and March had raised hopes of a recovery. The weak data could force the Bank of England's
The Gingrich Legacy: With Politics and Profiteering Behind Him, What’s Next for Newt?
By ALEX ALTMAN5/1/2012
On Wednesday in Washington, Newt Gingrich will bury a campaign that has been dead so long it’s begun to smell. It’s tempting to view the narrative arc of Gingrich’s last 90 days as a tragedy: the wily antihero who rose from the ashes (twice!), only to fall victim to his own hubris. “Newt, there’s still time, man!” President Obama jeered at his erstwhile rival on Saturday night. Obama isn’t the only one snickering.
UK report says News Corp showed willful blindness on hacking
(Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp showed "willful blindness" about the scale of phone-hacking at its News of the World tabloid, for which Murdoch and his son James should take responsibility, a British parliamentary report said on Tuesday.
The long-awaited report by a committee of lawmakers said Rupert Murdoch was not fit to run a major international company, which had shown "huge failings" of corporate governance, and it raised questions about James Murdoch's competence.
"News International and its parent News Corporation exhibited willful blindness, for which the companies' directors - including Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch - should ultimately take responsibility," it said.
"Their instinct throughout, until it was too late, was to cover up rather than seek out wrongdoing and discipline the perpetrators," the lawmakers said in an 85 page report.
"Even if there were a 'don't ask, don't tell' culture at News International, the whole affair demonstrates huge failings of corporate governance," they concluded.
(Reporting by Kate Holton and Georgina Prodhan; editing by Paul Hoskins)
By HOOPSWORLDBasketball News & NBA Rumors 5/1/2012
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder protected its home court.
Barely.
Despite a second poor shooting night from Kevin Durant, the Thunder notched a 102-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night inside Chesapeake Energy Arena to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Durant scored 26 points on 5-of-17 shooting and had a game-high seven turnovers. However, he made 14 of 16 free throws to help the Thunder go 37-for-39 at the foul line and eke out the win.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Dallas.
“It has become a rivalry,” Mavericks guard Jason Terry said after seeing the first two games of this Western Conference finals rematch get decided by a combined four points.
Russell Westbrook scored a team-high 29 points for the Thunder. James Harden had 15 points, Kendrick Perkins scored 13 and Derek Fisher had 11.
SAN DIEGO (WTW) — Petco Park caved in to Ryan Braun.
Braun had his first three-homer game and added a two-run triple to tie his career high with six RBIs, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
"It's definitely special," Braun said. "It's an extremely challenging game we play. You're going to deal with a lot of failure, a lot of adversity, and when you have a special night like that you try to enjoy it and it's that much more fun and enjoyable when your team wins the game. It was definitely a pretty cool night."
The reigning NL MVP became the first player to hit three home runs in a game at spacious Petco Park since it opened in 2004. It came several days after the Padres said they are studying bringing in the fences at the downtown ballpark to make it more fair.
"It was just one night," Braun said. "There's no doubt this is one of the more challenging if not the most challenging place to hit home runs in the league. I think for fans, you want to see offense. Offense is exciting when teams are scoring runs. It's a lot of fun for the fans to watch. So I think if they did do that, it would make it more of a neutral ballpark. As of right now it certainly favors pitchers pretty substantially."
Scientists polish rover skills as Curiosity lander nears Mars
5/1/2012
LOS ANGELES - The Curiosity rover is within 100 days of landing on Mars, and scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are jazzed about the coming adventures of the biggest rover yet sent to the red planet.
The Mini Cooper-size vehicle, ensconced within the Mars Science Laboratory, is speeding toward the red planet, rapidly whittling away the 352 million-mile journey.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a handful of journalists gathered in the California desert for a confab with Caltech's John Grotzinger, project scientist for Curiosity. In an area where the terrain resembles Mars,
‘Opening Act,’ from ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe, will surprise unknowns with high-profile gigs
BY DAVID HINCKLEY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, April 30, 2012
'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe is launching 'Opening Act,' which will air on E! beginning July 9.
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It's more official than ever; if you can upload, you can become a star.
"American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe is launching a TV talent show called "Opening Act" that will
Krugman: How To Fix The Economy? Do The Exact Opposite Of What We’re Doing
4/30/2012
By Henry Blodget | Daily Ticker
Over the past five years since the Great Recession began, economists have been waging a religious war over the best way to fix our problems.
On one side are so-called "austerians" who argue that the problem is a lack of confidence caused by runaway government spending and deficits and, therefore, the best way to revitalize the economy is to radically cut government spending.
On the other side are Keynesians, who argue that the problem is lack of demand, and, therefore, the best medicine is for the government to radically increase spending to drive the economy until the private
In a dour housing market, wouldn't it be nice to know that your remodeling project would pay off when you went to sell the property? Remodeling Magazine evaluated the top remodeling projects, how the cost-to-value has changed since the housing market implosion, and which projects are still worth the investment. Using the magazine's "Cost Vs. Value Report for 2008-2009," let's look at some of the best projects you can undertake and recoup the majority of your cost.
Upscale Projects
Siding Replacement (fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl). With the economic slump, home buyers aren't being dazzled by bells and whistles as much as they are improvements that will ensure lower repair and
Microsoft Moves to Stay Relevant Ahead of Windows 8 Launch
By Matt Nesto | Breakout 4/30/2012
In headline value and raw percentage terms, Microsoft's (MSFT) $300 million lifeline to Barnes & Noble (BKS) in exchange for a chunk of its NOOK e-book business would seem to be all about David pulling one over on Goliath. And in some ways it is, with Barnes & Noble shares nearly doubling to a three-year high. But truth be told, aside from one incredibly savvy and/or lucky New York—based hedge fund (Jana Partners, which became the largest shareholder in Barnes & Noble a week ago), very few investors had anything nice to say about this stock, let alone wanted to own it.
For its part, the $300 million transaction skims a nearly-invisible 0.5% from Microsoft's $60 billion cash pile, but gives it something far more valuable than a minority stake in the soon-to-be spun off and renamed
The UK's High Court has ordered local internet service providers to block popular filesharing site The Pirate Bay, which would prevent users in the country from accessing the piracy hub.
While there are countless filesharing websites on the internet, The Pirate Bay is one of the most visible. Since 2003, the Swedish site has hosted BitTorrent files that enable users to share and download pirated video games, among other digital media.
BitTorrent files were to blame for nearly 4 million unauthorized downloads of Electronic Arts and Crytek's Crysis 2 last year -- many of which occurred a month before the game even shipped. Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and EA's Battlefield 3 were both downloaded around 3.5 million times each from BitTorrent files hosted on The Pirate Bay and similar sites in 2011.
Now users in Britain will have one less site to download BitTorrent files from, as local ISPs are
Angry Birds Space: 50 million downloads in 35 days
According to Rovio, the game's developer, Angry Birds Space is its "fastest-growing mobile game" ever released, beating records set by other Angry Birds titles.
by Don Reisinger April 30, 2012
Rovio's success with the Angry Birds franchise continues to impress.
The development firm announced today that Angry Birds Space, which is currently sitting atop Apple's App Store, has hit 50 million downloads in just 35 days of availability. According to Rovio, the feat has made the game the "fastest-growing mobile game" ever released, and has broken all sales records set by previous Angry Birds iterations.
"We extend our deepest gratitude to all fans of Angry Birds everywhere," the company wrote in a blog post today. "While numbers like this certainly say something about the popularity of Angry Birds, for us the main goal is to keep creating fun new experiences that everybody can enjoy!"
Angry Birds Space, which launched last month, delivers the same slingshotting, pig-hating fun found in previous games in the franchise, but adds a space element that includes gravitational pull. The app launched with 60 levels, and Rovio recently added 10 new levels to the iOS and Android versions. The application is also available to PC and Mac owners.
Wind farms can cause climate change, finds new study
Wind farms can cause climate change, according to new research, that shows for the first time the new technology is already pushing up temperatures.
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent 29 Apr 2012
Usually at night the air closer to the ground becomes colder when the sun goes down and the earth cools.
But on huge wind farms the motion of the turbines mixes the air higher in the atmosphere that is warmer, pushing up the overall temperature.
Satellite data over a large area in Texas, that is now covered by four of the world's largest wind farms, found that over a decade the local temperature went up by almost 1C as more turbines are built.
This could have long term effects on wildlife living in the immediate areas of larger wind farms.
NEW YORK - Soon - perhaps as early as Monday - the iconic Empire State Building no longer will be king of the Big Apple's skyline.
Weather permitting, the rising steel frame of One World Trade Center is expected to surpass 1,250 feet in height, overtaking the roof of the observation deck of the 1930s vintage skyscraper and claiming the title of New York City's tallest building, says Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
The title of tallest building in New York City was held by the World Trade Center's twin towers from the early 1970s until they were destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — China experts don’t expect high-level talks between Washington and Beijing this week to yield major progress on big issues, given a stymied policy backdrop, a fresh diplomatic row, and upcoming changes in Chinese and possibly U.S. leadership.
Some progress, however, could be forthcoming on issues involving further opening China’s market to U.S. companies, with banking and financial services cited by experts as a key sector to watch, analysts said.
One reason for U.S. optimism is recent statements by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, in which he urged
EU Preparing E200 Bln Investment Plan To Boost Growth: Press
4/30/2012
French Presidential Candidate Hollande Hails Stimulus Projects
MADRID (MNI) – The European Commission is preparing a “kind of
Marshall Plan” of E200 billion to stimulate growth in Europe via public
and private investment in infrastructure, renewable energies and high
technology, the Spanish daily El Pais reported over the weekend.
The most likely financing strategy would mobilize E12 billion in
unused funds of the European Financial Stability Mechanism to attract
private funds for the European Investment Bank (EIB) as guarantees for
public-private infrastructure projects, the paper said, citing “European
sources.”
Clippers, Grizzlies live up to hype as Los Angeles stages Game 1 rally
April 30, 2012
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter and Chris Paul was already in Vinny Del Negro's ear. Let me go back in, it's not over. Del Negro was not inclined to leave his prized point guard and his still sore groin out on the floor much longer, not with his team down 21 and playing like the Washington Generals. Let me go back in, it's not over, Paul said, knowing that stinking out the joint for three quarters was "just how we play," knowing his team had a rally left in them. Let me go back in, it's not over, Paul said, and Del Negro listened, opening the door for one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA playoff history.
This is why Paul was a Clipper, why he forced his way out of the chaos in New Orleans and into Blake Griffin's backyard. Not even Paul could have predicted how the Clippers were going to come back, that Nick Young would can three 3-pointers, that Eric Bledsoe would score seven points, that a white hot Grizzlies team that shot 50 percent through the first three quarters would miss 12 consecutive shots and hand Los Angeles a 99-98 win. It didn't matter how, though. Playoff games are precious, and Paul wanted this one.
"In these situations," Paul said, "you always have to believe."
Paul believed, his team believed, and now the Clippers took home court and a 1-0 lead in the most anticipated first-round series. These Clippers, so young, so inexperienced, going up against a Memphis
APR 30, 2012 Forward Caron Butler fractured his left hand during the Los Angeles Clippers' incredible 99-98 win Sunday in Game 1 at Memphis, and he is expected to miss a month.
"It happened early in the third quarter, my hand got caught in Rudy Gay's jersey coming off a pindown screen," Butler said during a televised postgame interview. "I was able to keep playing but once I got subbed out, I felt the throbbing. I went and got the X-ray and noticed I got a fracture."
He left the game with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter and did not return, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting.
The Clippers trailed 81-55 at the time, but rallied to stage an epic win. Chris Paul hit two free throws with 23.7 seconds left to secure the victory, which saw the Clippers close on a 28-3 run to overturn a 27-point deficit.
BEIRUT (AP) – Two powerful bombs exploded near a military compound in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday, killing at least eight people, and causing heavy damage, Syrian state media and opposition activists said.
One activist group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, put the death toll at more than 20, but the figure could not be confirmed.
Syria's pro-government al-Ekhbariya TV aired footage of the aftermath, showing torn flesh, smashed cars, twisted debris and blood stains on the pavement at the sites. The force of the explosions shattered windows in the area and sent debris flying for hundreds of meters.
An astrological rarity: Venus moving across the sun in May
By Blaine P. Friedlander Jr., Published
April 28,1012
It’s a setup of cosmic proportions. May starts with super bright Venus extraordinarily high in the western sky, but the planet falls out of view by month’s end, leaving us earthlings positioned for one of nature’s rarest of events: A transit of Venus across the sun on June 5 and 6.
Venus is high in the western sky at sunset. The negative fourth magnitude object is bright enough to fool airplane pilots into thinking it’s another plane. Right now, it sets around 11:30 p.m.
The young, crescent moon approaches Venus on May 21. It creeps closer to Venus on May 22 and then moves away May 23.
On May 24, Venus hangs low in the western sky, and it sets around 10 p.m. Enjoy the bright evening
Magnetic fields light up 'GPS neurons', scientists say
By Jason Palmer
Science and technology reporter, BBC News
4/29/2012
Researchers have spotted a group of 53 cells within pigeons' brains that respond to the direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field.
The question of how birds navigate using - among other signals - magnetic fields is the subject of much debate.
These new "GPS neurons" seem to show how magnetic information is represented in birds' brains.
However, the study reported by Science leaves open the question of how they actually sense the magnetic field.
David Dickman of the Baylor College of Medicine in the US set up an experiment in which pigeons were held in place, while the magnetic field around them was varied in its strength and direction.
Prof Dickman and his colleague Le-Qing Wu believed that the 53 neurons were candidates for sensors, so they measured the electrical signals from each one as the field was changed.
Every neuron had its own characteristic response to the magnetic field, with each giving a sort of 3-D compass reading along the familiar north-south directions as well as pointing directly upward or downward.
In life, this could help the bird determine not only its heading just as a compass does, but would also reveal its approximate position.
Each cell also showed a sensitivity to field strength, with the maximum sensitivity corresponding to the strength of the Earth's natural field.
And just like a compass, the neurons had opposite responses to different field "polarity" - the magnetic north and south of a field, which surprised the researchers most of all.
"People had reported in the past, in a 1972 paper in Science, establishing that birds do not seem to
FILE - In this April 23, 2012, file photo, former U.S. Sen. and presidential candidate John Edwards arrives at federal court in Greensboro, N.C. for his criminal trial for allegedly violating campaign finance laws. Andrew Young, once an aide and good friend to Edwards, testified on Wednesday, April 25, that the former senator stopped returning his calls in January 2008, as Edwards was ending his White House bid. The next month, Edwards' child, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born to his mistress, Reille Hunter. (Gerry Broome / AP)
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — John Edwards' former aide acknowledged Thursday that much of nearly $1 million in campaign supporters' cash went to build his North Carolina dream house, not to buy the silence of the presidential candidate's pregnant mistress.
Andrew Young testified for a fourth straight day at Edwards' campaign finance fraud trial, peppered with questions from Edwards attorney Abbe Lowell about the money from two donors that flowed into
LOS ANGELES – Bryce Harper couldn't say enough about Matt Kemp, the guy who had just spoiled his major league debut.
Someday, that's the kind of player the Washington Nationals rookie might become.
Hardly fazed by playing in front of a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium, the 19-year-old Harper showed some of the eye-popping talent that made him the first player picked in the 2010 draft, singling in his third at-bat, hitting a sacrifice fly and nearly nailing a runner at the plate with a perfect throw from left field.
That wasn't enough to avoid the Nationals' third consecutive loss, as interim closer Henry Rodriguez blew a two-run lead in the ninth. Kemp led off the 10th with the fifth game-ending home run of his career as the Los Angeles Dodgers roared back for a 4-3 win Saturday night.
"Seeing him hit a bomb, that's just terrible. But he's a great player, great hitter,'' Harper said before
