Oklahoma Police Officer and Fire Chief Involved in Shooting

Oklahoma Police Officer and Fire Chief Involved in Shooting: "Oklahoma State Investigators are looking into a shooting and possible suicide involving a Mangum police officer."

Business events and economic reports scheduled for the coming ...

Business events and economic reports scheduled for the coming ...: "Business events and economic reports scheduled for the coming month. By: The Associated Press Associated Press 11/27/09 2:00 PM EST. TUESDAY, Dec. 1. WASHINGTON — National Association of Realtors releases pending home sales index for ...



Economy/AP - http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/economy/ap/"

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones sues over lost elections

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones sues over lost elections: "

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — State Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones has filed a lawsuit that claims he was cheated out of election as state auditor and inspector in 2002 and 2006.

Jones filed the lawsuit Monday in Logan County.

"

Texas authorities seized record crop of marijuana this growing season

Texas authorities seized record crop of marijuana this growing season: "By STEVE CAMPBELL

The growing season is over, and Texas officials say they reaped a record crop in at least one agricultural area: marijuana.

Law enforcement agencies seized nearly 62,000 pot plants in 2009, the most ever eradicated in Texas, said Duane Steen of the Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. The biggest operations were uncovered in North Texas.

In 2008, the eradication program, funded by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, seized 36,280 plants. In 2007, 40,172 plants were seized.

Oklahoma officials seized 65,444 plants from 145 plots, said Mark Woodard of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. More than 30,000 of those were from one operation spread out over miles of the Kaimichi Mountains in eastern Oklahoma. It was one of the largest marijuana operations ever found in the state, he said.

What stands out about the pot fields discovered this year is the growers’ increasing sophistication, officials said.

"These were big organized grows," Steen said. "These weren’t just people growing a little marijuana. These were highly organized with somebody finding the property and then setting up growing and distribution operations.

"We’ve had several different types of groups behind these grows. We’ve had an Asian group in Dallas and some others related to cartels in Mexico. Some others are still under investigation, but we know these were organized groups," Steen said.

Woodard said the big Oklahoma operation was the work of one well-organized group. Two illegal immigrants from Mexico were arrested, and they admitted that crews took turns working the marijuana fields, he said.

A big part of the record seizure in Texas was uncovered just south of Dallas in Ellis and Navarro counties in September when law enforcement agencies destroyed more than 16,000 plants. The marijuana was grown in well-cared-for plots secreted away in heavily wooded areas with reliable water sources, police said.

In one grow, the pot farmers had built 10-foot-tall platforms to elevate large water containers used in elaborate drip-irrigation systems utilizing hundreds of yards of irrigation hoses.

"It’s relatively high-intensity gardening . . . but the plants are very well-cared for" and highly potent, said Mike Cox, chief deputy of the Navarro County Sheriff’s Department.

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the Navarro County operations, he said.

"They were basically the poor farmhands working the fields. The real money, we haven’t gotten to them yet, but we are still trying," Cox said.

Most of the pot found in recent years in Navarro County was on property owned by absentee landlords, he said. People need to stay abreast of what is going on at their property, he said.

Cox said he can understand why Mexican drug cartels would shift into 'homegrown' marijuana.

"They’ve figured out that it’s safer up here. They aren’t killing everyone here like they are in Mexico — that gang war is scary. But they are importing their expertise to where they might not get killed.

'But we probably hurt their profit lines this year,' Cox said.

In the Oklahoma raids, Woodard said 18 people were arrested and 29 guns seized. 'These are people growing with a purpose, and they are willing to protect it,' he said.

Steen, a veteran DPS drug investigator, said he was staggered by the size of this year’s grows.

"To see it creep up to this level is mind-boggling," he said. "I am very interested in seeing what all is behind this. Is it higher demand? Is it the economy? Is it the drug cartels? You also wonder about the effect of the crackdown on the border and all the violence in Mexico. It’s so many factors that you hate to say it’s one reason."

"

Masked gunmen break in and shoot two in apparent drug-related robbery in southwest Oklahoma City

Masked gunmen break in and shoot two in apparent drug-related robbery in southwest Oklahoma City: "

Police are looking for four masked gunmen who reportedly broke into a home on SW 61 near Pennsylvania early this morning and shot two men multiple times.

Investigators said the gunmen entered the house about 12:30 a.m.

"

Bedlam football tickets available Friday

Bedlam football tickets available Friday: "

A limited number of tickets for the Bedlam football game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Nov.

"

Oklahoma Senate Republicans ask Brad Henry for December special session

Oklahoma Senate Republicans ask Brad Henry for December special session: "

Senate Republicans today called on Gov. Brad Henry to bring legislators back next month into special session to deal with the state's budget crisis.

The governor earlier this week suggested a special session in January to deal with this fiscal year's revenue shortfall.

"It's very clear that more reductions in spending are inevitable," said Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, "and agency heads are awaiting our direction as to how much their budgets will be reduced.

"We have a good feel for the direction revenues are heading, so why wait any longer," he asked.

Coffee released a statement after Senate Republicans met in a closed caucus gathering at the state Capitol.

"

Apartment fire leaves four people without homes

Apartment fire leaves four people without homes: "

Four people lost their homes after a fire broke out about 2 p.m. today at an Oklahoma City apartment complex.

Battalion Chief Larry Rusher said the fire at Whitby Courts, 7504 Knight Lake Drive, left most of the eight apartments uninhabitable.

"

Sen. John Kerry's daughter arrested in Hollywood

Sen. John Kerry's daughter arrested in Hollywood: "LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Senator John Kerry's elder daughter, Alexandra, who made a red-carpet splash at the Cannes film festival five years ago in a see-through dress, was arrested in Hollywood on Thursday on suspicion of drunken driving.

"

President Obama Establishes Interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force

U.S. Department of Justice For Immediate Release November 17, 2009

PAO (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 www.usdoj.gov

President Obama Establishes Interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Eric Holder, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairwoman Mary Schapiro today announced that President Barack Obama has established by Executive Order an interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to strengthen efforts to combat financial crime. The Department of Justice will lead the task force and the Department of Treasury, HUD, and the SEC will serve on the steering committee. The task force’s leadership, along with representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities and inspectors general, will work with state and local partners to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, address discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims.

The task force, which replaces the Corporate Fraud Task Force established in 2002, will build upon efforts already underway to combat mortgage, securities and corporate fraud by increasing coordination and fully utilizing the resources and expertise of the government’s law enforcement and regulatory apparatus. The attorney general will convene the first meeting of the Task Force in the next 30 days.

“This task force’s mission is not just to hold accountable those who helped bring about the last financial meltdown, but to prevent another meltdown from happening,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “We will be relentless in our investigation of corporate and financial wrongdoing, and will not hesitate to bring charges, where appropriate, for criminal misconduct on the part of businesses and business executives.”

“Through the Financial Fraud Task Force, we are making clear that the Obama Administration is going to act aggressively and proactively in a coordinated effort to combat financial fraud,” said Treasury Secretary Geithner. “It’s not enough to prosecute fraud only after it’s become widespread. We can’t wait for problems to peak before we respond. We’re seeking comprehensive financial reform to create a more stable, safer financial system and stepping up our enforcement strategy. Doing so will help to stop emerging trends in financial fraud before they’re able to cause extensive, system-wide damage to our economy.”

“To give American families the protection and peace-of-mind they need, it’s clear the federal response must be as interconnected and multi-dimensional as the challenges we face,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “No one agency is going to be able to stop financial fraud. This Task force will build upon many of the inter-agency collaborations already underway to protect consumers and restore confidence.”

“Many financial frauds are complicated puzzles that require painstaking efforts to piece together. By formally coordinating our efforts, we will be better able to identify the pieces, assemble the puzzle and put an end to the fraud,” said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro.

The task force is composed of senior-level officials from the following departments, agencies and offices:

• the Department of Justice;
• the Department of the Treasury;
• the Department of Commerce;
• the Department of Labor;
• the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
• the Department of Education;
• the Department of Homeland Security;
• the Securities and Exchange Commission;
• the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;
• the Federal Trade Commission;
• the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
• the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
• the Federal Housing Finance Agency;
• the Office of Thrift Supervision;
• the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency;
• the Small Business Administration;
• the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
• the Social Security Administration;
• the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations;
• the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network;
• the United States Postal Inspection Service;
• the United States Secret Service;
• the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
• relevant Offices of Inspectors General and related Federal entities, including without limitation the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program; and
• such other executive branch departments, agencies, or offices as the President may, from time to time, designate or that the Attorney General may invite.

In addition, the attorney general will invite representatives of the National Association of Attorneys General, the National District Attorneys Association and other state, local, tribal, and territorial representatives to participate in the task force through its Enforcement Committee.

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ACTA -- A Patriot Act For the Internet

ACTA -- A Patriot Act For the Internet: "This week 40 or so countries are meeting in South Korea to consider text for a new international agreement on the enforcement of intellectual property rights. It is called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The term 'counterfeiting' is designed to demonize the agreement critics as friends of organized crime, much like the name of the Patriot Act seemed better than the 'Elimination of Civil Liberties Act.' It is really an agreement that addresses a wide range of intellectual property enforcement issues -- involving patents, copyrights, trademarks and other IPR. (Details here)

If you are a lowly member of the public, the text is secret. The names of persons who attend the meetings are secret. The titles of the documents are secret. If you represent a big firm or law firm -- pretty much any big firm it seems, the U.S. government will show you documents after you sign a non-disclosure agreement - curbing your right to speak out on the contents of the documents you see."

11 Kinds of Therapy to Help You Grieve a Loss

11 Kinds of Therapy to Help You Grieve a Loss: "

Many readers are grieving loved ones, and the grief certainly contributes to their depression. A fantastic book I just came across is Solace: Finding Your Way Through Grief and Learning to Live Again by Roberta Temes, Ph.D., a noted psychotherapist and the author of “Living with an Empty Chair” and “The Tapping Cure.” I have reprinted with permission of her publisher 11 ways kinds of therapies, or activities, to help you grieve a loss.

What can you do to feel better? Sometimes you need to take action. When you do something to relieve your feelings and to give yourself a sense of achievement, you are accomplishing your journey through bereavement. Here are some activities–and some behaviors you can do–that are therapeutic for you during your bereavement.

1. Work is therapy.

If you are lucky enough to have a job, return to it even if just on a part-time schedule. The structure of getting up and out, the obligation to greet fellow workers, and the need to keep yourself together for a requisite number of hours is good for you.

2. Socializing is therapy.

It’s important for you to be among people. Lack of contact with friends and acquaintances is a predictor of difficulty in bereavement. There are probably folks who do not want to intrude in your life at this time and are deliberately staying away. If you are feeling isolated, then it’s wise to get in touch with those folks who are being too polite. Set up a lunch date, a weekend walk, or a shopping trip. Adopt a new social policy and say “yes” whenever you are invited anywhere.

3. Organizing is therapy.

When life threatens to overwhelm you, it feels good to have control over something–even if that something is just a room, a desk drawer, a closet, or a shelf. Get yourself back under control by organizing one area of your home at a time. This is a good opportunity to figure out what to do with your loved one’s belongings. Many people are helped when they bring all the loved one’s items, objects, and clothes into one room.

4. Taking action is therapy.

This can be your time to take action. Maybe you want to inform people about health insurance issues that were an obstacle for you. Maybe you want to persuade your political representatives to advocate for legalization of a particular drug or treatment. Or, perhaps you’d like to create a place to meet with others who suffered a loss similar to yours. There are folks who begin websites, chat rooms, or organizations and foundations to highlight a cause that needs consideration.

5. Food is therapy.

Nourish your body properly and it will be good to you. Use mealtime as a social event and invite neighbors and friends to join you. Plan ahead so that you will have company at meals. Get together with others for Sunday brunch, for Wednesday dinner, or for a midweek lunch at a restaurant.

6. Planning is therapy.

Use a calendar to make your plans. Plan when you will go somewhere new. Plan when you will buy yourself a new outfit. Plan to learn to knit and decide when you’ll go to the yarn store. Plan to go fishing and call a buddy who likes to fish. Or, learn how to frame a favorite photo and plan when you will venture to a craft shop or to an art supply store. Plan to repair something in your house and plan to go to Home Depot or to Lowe’s or to your local hardware store. Planning activities for your future will help you reach that future.

7. Religion is therapy.

There are many useful aspects of religion for the bereaved. There’s the joining of voices in song, the praying, the person of authority telling you that you will be helped, the regularity of meeting times, the social component to the service, and the comforting words in religious readings. A believer will find solace in religion.

8. Writing is therapy.

Putting your thoughts and your feelings into words will help you. Writer Sherri Mandell says that daily writing helped her get through that first terrible year after her son was killed. She remembers, “I would just write and cry and write and cry. It was my therapy.”

9. Art is therapy.

If you are interested in expressing yourself artistically, you are in good company. Some mourners do not speak in words but express their feelings in creative ways by painting, sculpting, writing poetry, writing songs, essays, plays, and more. You don’t have to be an accomplished artist or poet. You simply need to sit down and express your feelings. Novices and professional artists alike find artistic expression during bereavement therapeutic.

10. Learning is therapy.

There is a reciprocal relationship between competence and a good adjustment to the loss of a loved one. Take a one-day class or a full-term class. Attend a one-hour lecture or a summer school session. Learn how to do a magic trick or learn how to grow orchids. Learn, learn, learn.

11. Reading is therapy.

Reading can be your great escape to other lands and to other centuries. Novels may intrigue you and take your mind away from sadness. Memoirs may engage you in someone else’s life. Mysteries may compel you to use your brain to ponder a dilemma belong to someone else, not you–a welcome relief.

Want to learn more?

Check out the book on Amazon.com: Solace: Finding Your Way Through Grief and Learning to Live Again by Roberta Temes, Ph.D.

Much of this article is © 2009 Roberta Temes. All rights reserved. Published by AMACOM Books. www.amacombooks.org. Reprinted here with permission

"

California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, or Alaska coastNO tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas

To: U.S. West Coast, Alaska, and British Columbia coastal regions
From: NOAA/NWS/West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
Subject: Tsunami Information Statement #1 issued 11/8/2009 at 11:56AM PST

A strong earthquake has occurred, but a tsunami IS NOT expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, or Alaska coast. NO tsunami warning, watch or advisory is in effect for these areas.

Based on the location of the event being outside the Pacific Basin, the earthquake was not sufficient to generate a tsunami damaging to California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts. Residents in the Indian Ocean region should refer to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center message.

At 11:42 AM Pacific Standard Time on November 8, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 6.9 occurred in the Sumbawa region, Indonesia. (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.)

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center will issue messages for Indian Ocean countries and other areas of the Pacific outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska.

This will be the only statement issued for this event by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center unless conditions warrant. See the WCATWC web site for basic tsunami information, safety rules, and a tsunami travel time map and table. (NOTE: Travel time maps and tables indicate forecasted times only, not that a wave was generated.)

Tulsa man dies in accident

Tulsa man dies in accident: "JAY – A Tulsa man died in a Saturday afternoon motorcycle accident.

Kyle Herren, 22, was driving west on Summerfield road west of Jay at 12:14 p.m"

Network Card & its uses

Network Card & its uses: "

A network card, also referred to as a network interface card or network adapter, is an expansion card that acts as the physical interface between the cable and computer. It is called an expansion card because it is inserted into an expansion slot. It prepares, transforms, sends, and controls data on the network. It converts data coming from the cable into bytes in order for the central processing unit to read it. Network cards can be used in homes and offices. At home, if you have two or more computers, a network card will allow you to do things including but not limited to sharing files, printers, scanners, Internet access, and playing network games. The following items describe the roles of network cards and how to use them.



1. Using a network card will allow peer-to-peer networking or two or more computers to connect and share resources without the need to go through a separate server. To establish a peer-to-peer network, you have to check first that the card is properly installed into the expansion slot. The gold contacts you see on the card must be entirely inserted into the expansion slot on the motherboard. Secure the card in place using a screw, and after affixing the network card and connecting the cables into their proper places, verify if it is properly installed in the device manager. Installation and configuration of the network card may vary depending on the operating system you use. Connect the computers to each other and locate ‘network properties’ from the control panel. Verify if your network card is listed as a network component. Click the ‘file and print sharing’ under the network window if you want to allow file and print sharing on your computer. Enable the same settings on the other computer. Highlight the TCP/IP protocol by clicking the ‘properties’ button in order to set it up for your network adapter. Specify the IP address and note that the other computer must have a different IP address with the same subnet mask.

2. Basic network with file sharing is possible with Ethernet network cards with speeds of 10/100 mbps, a network switch, and standard network cables, and of course two or more computers. Basic configuration to connect the computers to each other is similar to peer-to-peer settings, and again, dependent on the computer’s operating system.

3. Basic network with file and broadband modem sharing will enable all computers in the house to share one modem connection. However, with multiple users in the house accessing the Internet at one time, browsing speed will be sluggish due to the slow connection.

4. Basic network with file and Internet sharing allows computer users in the house to share one Internet connection. It requires additional hardware, Ethernet network cards, a network hub, switch or router. Do the same configuration done with a peer-to-peer network. Your broadband Internet connection must be connected to the WAN port on the router. Connect the network switch to the router and affix each of the computers to the switch. The broadband Internet provider will provide you with network settings that you have to specify in your network router.

Related posts:

1. Steps to connect 2 computers
2. Steps to install a video card
3. AT&T’s Universal Card details

"

Sesame Street 40th Anniversary

Sesame Street 40th Anniversary: "

This week Sesame Street is going to celebrate their 40th Anniversary, the children’s show was first aired on 10th November, 1969 on PBS. But the news is this that the Google has decided to celebrate with them. It is a well known generosity of Google that they celebrate the birth days and anniversaries of different renowned and famous personalities, tv shows, inventions and many other things by giving them a tribute and that tribute is generally in the shape of Google logo. The show airs on PBS since 1969.

Yesterday, they made Cookie Monster as their logo and Big Bird was featured on the day before yesterday. Now, this time too, they are going to make a new logo featuring, Bert and Ernie. These two folks are pretty close to each other having close relations as a friend and always eager to play games and read books together. Ernie also likes his Rubber Ducky as he makes bath time funny.

Like other characters of Sesame Street, Jim Henderson is the creator of Bert and Ernie. Sesame Street is children’s show which is famous all over the world. There are different characters in the show with different shapes (not like the beings). Ernie, Big Bird and Cookie Monster are the most favorite ones of the children. It is a puppet show in which characters provide the basic knowledge to little children like how to read, how to open the door, how to cross the road and many more.

Related posts:

1. Google celebrates its 11th birthday
2. Google to delete street images…
3. Shalom Sesame’s big stars in new season

"

Alleged Fort Hood shooter’s motive still unknown

Alleged Fort Hood shooter’s motive still unknown: "

Initial search finds no exchanges with 'known extremists'

Investigators on Saturday worked to uncover the motives of a Muslim army doctor suspected of killing 13 people and wounding 30 others in a shooting rampage at a US military base.

An initial search of Major Nidal Malik Hasan's computer revealed no direct exchanges with known extremists, but US Army and FBI officials had yet to rule out possible links to terrorist groups, US media reported.

Earlier this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned of Internet postings by a man calling himself Nidal Hasan that expressed support for suicide bombings.

Investigators were not able to determine yet whether the writer and Major Hasan were the same person, but the details fueled concerns that authorities may have missed warning signs prior to the attack at Fort Hood, Texas.

Story continues below...

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Witnesses tell of chaos and carnage

Neighbors reportedly said Hasan, 39, was in a rush when he gave away his belongings -- including a Koran -- shortly before Thursday's bloody shooting spree.

'I'm not going to need them,' he told one neighbor, Patricia Villa, according to The New York Times, handing over bags of vegetables, a mattress and clothing.

A US-born Muslim of Palestinian heritage, Hasan, 39, had voiced dismay over US wars in Islamic countries and was distraught that he was about to be deployed to Afghanistan.

He reportedly said the US struggle against terror threats was a 'war on Muslims,' while his family alleged he was the target of prejudice and harassment over his Islamic faith.

Criminal investigators were poring over evidence to determine if the alleged shooter -- who was under guard at a hospital -- was motivated by Islamist political ideology or had snapped under the pressure of his job counseling soldiers traumatized by combat.

Shooting deals harsh blow to exhausted troops

In Texas, poignant details of each of those killed in the rampage drove home the scale of the tragedy.

The victims included a 21-year-old mother-to-be Private Francheska Velez, who was due to return home to Chicago for maternity leave after a tour in Iraq; 56-year-old John Gaffaney, a psychiatric nurse who had just persuaded the military to let him return to active duty for deployment in Iraq; Private First Class Kham Xiong, 23, a father of three whose own father had fought communist forces in Laos during the Vietnam war.

President Barack Obama led the nation in mourning Saturday, and sought to reassure a stunned military.

'Thursday's shooting was one of the most devastating ever committed on an American military base,' he said. 'And yet, even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America.'

The president hailed the soldiers and civilians who rushed to help victims, tearing off bullet-riddled clothes to treat the injured and using blouses as tourniquets.

Obama ordered flags to fly at half-staff at the White House and federal buildings, as troops at home and abroad held a minute's silence to mourn the dead.

The bodies of those killed were taken to the same mortuary at Dover Air Base in Delaware that handles fallen soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Hasan was moved meanwhile from a civilian to a military hospital, in part for security reasons, Fort Hood deputy commander Colonel John Rossi told reporters.

Hasan was shot and seriously wounded by a female civilian police officer who was being hailed as a heroine for ending his deadly rampage.

Witnesses reportedly heard Hasan shout 'Allahu Akbar!' (God is greatest) as he opened fire in a troop processing center with a semiautomatic weapon and a handgun.

Rossi said investigators believe Hasan fired more than 100 rounds during the incident.

US Army chief of staff General George Casey said the attack was 'a kick in the gut, not only for the Fort Hood community but for the entire army.'

Fort Hood, by area the world's largest US military base, has borne the brunt of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Troops based here have suffered the highest number of casualties and have undertaken multiple tours of duty.

"

New 'smart' electrical meters raise fresh privacy issues for consumers

New 'smart' electrical meters raise fresh privacy issues for consumers: "New 'smart' electrical meters raise fresh privacy issues for consumers: 'Madrid - The new ''smart meters'' utilities are installing in homes around the world to reduce energy use raise fresh privacy issues because of the wealth of information about consumer habits they reveal, experts said Friday.

The devices send data on household energy consumption directly to utilities on a regular basis, allowing the firms to manage demand more efficiently and advise households when it is cheaper to turn on appliances.

But privacy experts gathered in Madrid for a three-day conference which wraps up Friday warned that the meters can also reveal intimate details about customers' habits such as when they eat, what time they go to sleep or how much television they watch.

With cars expected to be fuelled increasingly by electricity in the coming years, the new meters could soon be used to gather information on consumer behaviour beyond the home, they added.'

"

Mind over matter

Mind over matter: "Stressed? Depressed? Or worse? You wouldn't be alone. Unstable economic times can lead to unstable states of mind. 'As life becomes more unpredictable, levels of toxic....."

Obama leaning toward 34,000 more troops for Afghanistan

Obama leaning toward 34,000 more troops for Afghanistan: "WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it until after he consults with key allies and completes a trip to Asia later this month, administration and military officials have told McClatchy."

True US unemployment rate stands at 17.5%

True US unemployment rate stands at 17.5%: "

According to figures released by the Department of Labor, the real marker of American unemployment stands at 17.5 percent -- a figure which takes into account under-employed workers and those who have not sought work in the last four weeks, according to a published report.

'If statistics went back so far, the measure would almost certainly be at its highest level since the Great Depression,' reporter David Leonhardt wrote in Friday's edition of The New York Times.

The report continued: 'In all, more than one out of every six workers — 17.5 percent — were unemployed or underemployed in October. The previous recorded high was 17.1 percent, in December 1982.'

While official unemployment statistics were not available during the Great Depression, Department of Labor economists working with the Times estimated that some 30 percent of the U.S. workforce was put out during that period, the report added.

President Barack Obama called the figures 'sobering,' responding to widespread media accounts that placed the figure just over 10 percent, noting the department's calculation of workers who are actively searching for jobs.

Story continues below...

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'To that end, my economic team is looking at ideas such as additional investments in our aging roads and bridges, incentives to create jobs and steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses,' the president said.

Fred Dickson at DA Davidson & Co. said the report "continues to point to an economy that is struggling, but the picture is not nearly as dire as seen at the beginning of the year."

'Slowly, the trajectory is improving, but, given the huge number of unemployed and underemployed, our view of a very slow economic recovery in 2010 and 2011 remains very much in place,' he added. 'This report will not do much to encourage the Fed to raise rates anytime soon.'

The number of unemployed persons increased to 15.7 million. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed has risen by 8.2 million, the Labor Department said.

The world's largest economy grew at a seasonally adjusted 3.5 percent annual rate in the July-September period. The increase was the first since the second quarter of 2008.

For the US economic community, the recession will not be over until it is declared by a research panel, National Bureau of Economic Research, recognized as the official arbiter of business cycles.

President Obama on Friday signed a measure to extend unemployment benefits and enact a new tax credit for home buyers.

With AFP.

"

Rep. Barney Frank Present at Marijuana Bust

Rep. Barney Frank Present at Marijuana Bust: "

Fox News Boston reports Rep. Barney Frank was present at the home of James Ready, his long-time companion, when it was raided for marijuana. Rep. Frank did not live at the house:

According to a police report, police charged Ready with marijuana possession, cultivation and use of drug paraphernalia in August of 2007. Ready admitted to civil possession and paid a fine. The remaining charges were dismissed in 2008. Sources tell FOX25 that when Frank was questioned he told police that he did not live in the house and that he only smoked cigars.

Here's Barney, in his own words, explaining. [More...]

"