Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Ocean Conservancy. The food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink... the ocean sustains us every day. And it is up to us to sustain the ocean. I know we can. Your daily choices and the actions you take, alongside the thousands of other Ocean Conservancy supporters, have shown me that we can start a sea change. Indeed, we already have. So, today, I'm grateful that you're giving back to the ocean, and I hope that you'll see and share this video as a way of saying thanks, and to remind you why fighting for a healthy and diverse ocean - our very life force - matters today and every day.  For a sea change, Vikki N. Spruill President and CEO Ocean Conservancy           Photo: Rachel's Network

NEW YORK—With pension funds dwindling as retirees enjoy longer, more capable lives, many businesses have opted to freeze their workers' employment status and keep them on the job through their sunset years.

 "Under the new approach, our employees gain the advantage of lifelong job security," Hewlett-Packard CEO and president Mark Hurd said. "Even though our workers will no longer be able to collect a pension, they will receive checks as long as they are able to be wheeled into work and punch the clock."

Hewlett-Packard, Verizon, and IBM are just a few of the Fortune 500 companies that are phasing out the retirement option in favor of "indefinite-employment" plans, under which thousands of qualified workers will continue to earn yearly stipends in exchange for work.

"To the list of outmoded and costly business practices such as health insurance, overtime pay, and lunch breaks, add age-based quitting," corporate management consultant Robert Hopgood said. "Post-retirement-age labor is great for companies, and it's a great way for seniors to stay active."

American companies are following the model set by General Electric, which in the 1970s began requiring departing employees to give 45 years' notice.

Although the paradigm shift is highly admired among cost-conscious managers in the business world, employees question its practicality.

"I don't need to support my family anymore," said 93-year-old Alfred Nuzzo, who has worked as a products inspector for GE's small-appliance division for 68 years. "I have a dead wife and three dead kids."

Multitasking while dying on the job can take its toll. GE customer-service representative Esther Fischbeck, 88, is juggling career, widowhood, and early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

"What is this?" said Fischbeck, clawing at her phone headset. "When do I go home?"

Responding to critics who say that phasing out retirement shows a lack of concern for workers, IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano argued that if companies didn't care about their elderly employees, they would not keep them on the payroll.

"We frequently honor their birthdays with celebrations, and our going-away parties are always respectful and appropriately somber affairs," Palmisano said. "IBM is like a family—you don't leave a family."

Lawrence Babbio Jr., president of Verizon, defended his company's newly enstated non-retirement plan.

"We believe in our workers," Babbio said. "Everyone is valuable and has something to offer, and we're not going to phase them out just because they only have a few years left to live. Even vegetative employees can serve the company by donating valuable, hard-to-find organs to our younger executives. And our comatose employees are very useful as product testers."

Saying that an older person in a wheelchair "shouldn't be pushed into a corner, but in front of a desk," Hewlett-Packard's Hurd said lifetime employment will make his company more inclusive.

"There's a place at our organization for everyone—the young, the old, the mentally incapacitated, the moribund," Hurd said. "All we ask of them is to work a regular 40-hour shift and honor our 'no mercy killing' policy."

He added, "We pride ourselves on the fact that, even after death, our employees can continue to contribute to the company's growth. In an uncertain world, we offer real job security—from training to the grave."

Supervisor Gladys Schiele, 93, inspects the work of data-entry clerk Jack Vandenbogen, 87.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/44679

LOWELL, MA–Jeremy Novato, a recent graduate of a well-respected Lowell high school, has secured a position with the McDonald's Corporation, a high-ranking Fortune 500 company.

Recent McDonald's hire Jeremy Novato at the Fortune 500 company's Exeter Road branch.

"I'm tremendously excited to have this opportunity to work with the world's number-one restaurant chain," said Novato, 18, pouring ketchup into a large metallic pump dispenser at the $41 billion company's Exeter Road branch Monday. "I am determined to prove that their difficult decision to go with me over Dashanté Simmons was not a mistake."

According to Novato, it was McDonald's impressive Fortune 500 rank of 132–along with the fact that a branch office is located just down the street from his parents' house, where he resides--that convinced him to sign with the company.

"I had competing offers from both Dairy-Freez and Lube-In-10, but neither of those companies makes the list of top-grossing Massachusetts businesses, much less the Fortune 500," Novato said. "Dairy-Freez actually offered me a compensation package that was slightly better than the one I stood to receive at McDonald's, with a base salary of $6.25 an hour and a 50-cent raise after the first month, plus a $25 signing bonus. But in the final analysis, I felt it was in my long-term best interest to go with a global leader."

Guaranteed at least 32 hours a week in his new post, Novato said he is "extremely enthused by the numbers [he's] seen" in McDonald's financial summaries.

"For the six months ending June 6, total revenues for the company rose 7 percent to $6.9 billion," Novato said. "Net income rose 6 percent to $976.8 million. That's healthy growth."

Even more encouraging, Novato said, is the company's aggressive expansion into overseas markets.

"Earlier this year, McDonald's opened a restaurant in French Guiana, bringing the total number of nations in which it operates to 119," Novato said. "And, as John Ivankoe of J.P. Morgan recently noted, McDonald's stands to be one of the major U.S. players in the Asian Pacific region and Latin America in the coming decade. That's very exciting for a new member of the brain trust like myself."

Despite Novato's tender age, McDonald's executives are confident that he can bring a new dimension to the company.

"We're very happy to have Jeremy on board," said Gabe Diaz, manager of the Exeter Road location. "I saw a lot of extra-curricular activities on his application, and that's always a good sign."

In his first days on the job, Novato has already shown great promise. He has absorbed vital information about how the Exeter Road link in McDonald's chain of stores works, including where the brooms are kept and how to break down the cardboard boxes for recycling pick-up.

"Right now, I'm just trying to take in as much as I can, watching everything that goes on around me," said Novato, who, as a drive-thru cashier, will directly handle a portion of the company's projected year-2001 revenue of $14 billion. "But hopefully soon, I can get in there and begin to effect some real changes of my own."

Novato's plans include a full-scale restructuring of the walk-in freezer to get the chicken-patty bags off the floor and the installation of a paper-towel dispenser above the sink in the grill area.

"I can't tell you how energizing it is to be part of a dynamic company that controls a whopping 16 percent of the U.S. fast-food market," Novato said. "There's just so much to look forward to."

McDonald's CEO Jack Greenberg agreed.

"We just won a competitive bid with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to open 11 new food-service plazas," said Greenberg, speaking from the company's Oak Brook, IL, headquarters. "Those outlets should translate to an additional $50 million in annual sales. In addition, we recently reached an exclusive agreement with Hasbro to sell Hello Kitty and Transformers Beast Machines figures."

Novato has already been tabbed to play a role in the multimillion-dollar Hasbro deal, assigned the important task of folding the specially designed Hello Kitty Happy Meal boxes.

"If handled correctly, this in-store promotion could be as successful as the one for Teenie Beanie Babies, which resulted in mile-long lines out the door," Novato said. "That would mean a strong final quarter heading into 2001 and plenty of extra weekend hours for me."

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/38690

The obvious answer to “Now what?”  is “Who the hell knows?”  
 
But I made a wish list.
 
Barack Obama:  You’ve excited this country.  Thank you.   You’ve given a new generation of voters the exhilarating feeling that they matter. That’s invaluable.  So, from this point forward your job is pretty clear – do your best to make good on the promises you’ve made.  They excited us, so we remember them all.  And if you find that you’re unable to keep a promise, talk to us.  You’re welcome to do so without any pre-conditions.  You’ve gained our enthusiastic trust.  You’ll keep every bit of it if your actions continue to earn it.
 
John McCain:  Try to remember the best of who you used to be, then go back to the Senate and be that way again.  Those you disappointed with your “low road” presidential campaign will forgive you.  They’ll forgive you for the eye-rolls, the inappropriate grins and for rendering the “thumbs-up” gesture totally meaningless.  They might even forgive you for Sarah Palin.  Though that’s going to be a tough one.  Do you really think she’s the foremost expert on energy issues in the entire United States?  Did you honestly think she was ready to lead this nation?  Please, Senator McCain, be honest with yourself. Then, my friend, if anyone ever seeks your opinion on anything again, try being honest with all of us.
 
Sarah Palin: Go back to Alaska and get some well-deserved rest.  Then once the dust has settled, take a look at footage of yourself on the campaign trail.  I think you’ll see why people were so worried.  And if the stars misalign and you do somehow remain a national political figure, it might be very helpful for you to have at least a cursory understanding of the Constitution and world political and economic issues.  You might be a nice person, but you were in way over your head. You see, we don’t want our leaders to be “just like us.”  We want them to be much better.  In your heart of hearts, don’t you?
 
Joe Biden:  Take a deep breath.  In fact, take one before answering every single question that’s ever posed to you.  That way you’ll have a better chance of reminding us all how smart and caring you are.  As you’ve pointed out many times, the world is balancing on a dangerous precipice.  You’re a brilliant foreign policy expert and your president will need your counsel.  We all will. 
 
George Bush:  Be ashamed of yourself.  Be very ashamed at what you’ve done and have allowed to be done to this country. You’re fond of saying that history will judge you “in the future.”  I think you’re right.  And, even though it’s hard to believe, I think that the harshness of that judgment will grow with each passing year.  Now that your strings have been cut, look up and join the rest of us as we take a very fearful look at your puppeteers.  You’re all complicit in the moral and economic bankruptcy of our great country.   
 
Dick Cheney:  Please go away.  Would that the number of years you’ve served your country eclipsed the number of lives you’ve helped to ruin.  But, alas, that’s not the case.  If you ever were a good man, you’ve lost your way.  In fact, at this point those who refer to you as Darth Vader are demeaning the good name of the evil lord from the dark side the Force.
 
Hillary Clinton:  Thank you for being so smart.  Your campaign helped to open up national politics in an exciting way.   And not just for women -- for everyone.   So please go back to the Senate and continue to make a difference. No, your desk’s not going to be in the Oval Office, but hopefully President Obama will ask you to visit him there often and give him your wise council. 
 
Bill Clinton:  Please continue to be available.  Our new President will need you to share your uncanny ability to navigate the roiling waters of our imperfect governmental process.  And please continue your work around the world for those less fortunate.  People need to know that they’re cared about.  And you seem to understand that in these troubled times there is no currency more highly valued than kindness.
 
Sean Hannity:  Quit spreading hate.  Yes, you do.  It’s your right to disagree with whomever you please, but I’ve got to tell you – the way you do it makes you seem kind of smarmy.  Yes, it does.  You tell your listeners that objective journalism has died.  If that’s true, you’re one of its primary assassins.  You see, Sean, it’s just not objective to present lies as questions and then answer them yourself.  Otherwise it would be okay to say something horrible like, “I’m not saying Sean Hannity is a racist, anti-Semitic bully, but if he were – wouldn’t we all like to know?”  You employ that tactic all the time.  Yes, you do.  Oh, by the way – you say that even if we disagree with our President we have to respect the office and not make “derisive” comments about him. I’ll expect you to hold yourself to that standard when it comes to President Obama.  Let not your heart be troubled – he’s going to do a great job…even for you. 
 
Keith Olberman:  Thank you for fighting the good fight.  You’ve been an island in a sea of insanity.  So please stay right where you are.  Fox isn’t going away so we need you.  But maybe take it down just a notch. Let those on the extreme right sell crazy to their minions.  All yours need is the truth.  And, time and time again, you’ve proven to be a great salesman for that rare product.  Rant on. 
 
Bill O’Reilly:  When you take up the cause of abused children you can honestly claim that “you’re looking out for us.”  And for that, we thank you.  But when you attack people just because they choose to disagree with you, you’re only looking out for you. So how about trying to be more tolerant and less smug? Remember, all that money that Rupert Murdoch pays you makes you a richer man – not a better one. 
 
Rush Limbaugh:  Call Dick Cheney.  Find out where he’s going and go there with him.  You can have a money-counting contest and then go hunting.  Then at night you can sit by the fire and read to each other from the Bill Of Rights.  It’s always exciting to learn something new.
 
ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, CNBC, and MSNBC:  Be even better at what you do.  Find a higher standard and hold yourselves to it.
 
FOX:  I know you won’t go away, so how about this?  Quit using the phrase “fair and balanced.”   You’re not.  And quit calling yourself Fox “News.”  Except with rare exception – perhaps Shepard Smith -- you don’t deliver any news.  You deliver the right wing talking points that you say you don’t receive. Yes, you do.
 
The rest of us:  Thanks to our recent election, we’ve got a toehold into a better democracy. So let’s just keep climbing. Yes, we can.

by Dave Hackel

US elected officials scored abysmally on a test measuring their civic knowledge, with an average grade of just 44 percent, the group that organized the exam said Thursday.

Ordinary citizens did not fare much better, scoring just 49 percent correct on the 33 exam questions compiled by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

"It is disturbing enough that the general public failed ISI's civic literacy test, but when you consider the even more dismal scores of elected officials, you have to be concerned," said Josiah Bunting, chairman of the National Civic Literacy Board at ISI.

"How can political leaders make informed decisions if they don't understand the American experience?" he added.

The exam questions covered American history, the workings of the US government and economics.

Among the questions asked of some 2,500 people who were randomly selected to take the test, including "self-identified elected officials," was one which asked respondents to "name two countries that were our enemies during World War II."

Sixty-nine percent of respondents correctly identified Germany and Japan. Among the incorrect answers were Britain, China, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Spain.

Forty percent of respondents, meanwhile, incorrectly believed that the US president has the power to declare war, while 54 percent correctly answered that that power rests with Congress.

Asked about the electoral college, 20 percent of elected officials incorrectly said it was established to "supervise the first televised presidential debates."

In fact, the system of choosing the US president via an indirect electoral college vote dates back some 220 years, to the US Constitution.

The question that received the fewest correct responses, just 16 percent, tested respondents' basic understanding of economic principles, asking why "free markets typically secure more economic prosperity than government's centralized planning?"

Activities that dull Americans' civic knowledge include talking on the phone and watching movies or television -- even news shows and documentaries, ISI said.

Meanwhile, civic knowledge is enhanced by discussing public affairs, taking part in civic activities and reading about current events and history, the group said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081120/od_afp/ushistoryeducationoffbeat

Here is a link to the old test, how did you do?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13442226/

The Gift giving season is around the corner, if you are planning on giving gift cards, around the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will be honored after the holidays.

Several retail companies are going out of business, many are closing stores after the end of the year, but they are still selling gift cards, eventhough  the cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing them from doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'Bankrupcy Planning ' .

Below is a partial list of stores that you need to be cautious about.

Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)

Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide

Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January

Cache will close all stores

Talbots closing down specialty stores

J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)

Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)

GAP closing 85 stores

Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January

Wickes Furniture closing down

Levitz closing down remaining stores

Bombay closing remaining stores

Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January

Whitehall closing all stores

Piercing Pagoda closing all stores

Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.

Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )

Macys to close 9 stores after January

Linens and Things closing all stores

Movie Galley Closing all stores

Pep Boys Closing 33 stores

Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores

JC Penney closing a number of stores after January

Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.

Wilson Leather closing down all stores

Sharper Image closing down all stor~s

K B Toys closing 356 stores

Loews to close down some stores

Dillard's to close some stores

 

 

Sign our letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service today to help protect the Hawaiian monk seal. The Hawaiian monk seal has called the Hawaiian Island chain its home for millions of years but the population of this magnificent marine animal is falling. It’s up to us to protect the places this animal calls home and hunts for food if it’s going to have a fighting chance and vibrant future. Please sign our letter urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to expand the critical habitat of the monk seal so it includes the main Hawaiian Islands. Most monk seals are found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the numbers of seals in these remote islands are falling. Scientists, however, have recorded more and more monk seals using the beaches of the main Hawaiian Islands - which is why these areas need to be designated as “critical habitat.” Designating these areas as critical habitat lets people know how important they are to the survival of monk seals. It can also encourage everyone to work together for the sake of the monk seal. Don’t delay, sign our letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service today! It’s time to recognize that protecting habitat for sea creatures like the Hawaiian monk seal is a win-win for all, helping ensure the survival of sea animals and enriching our own lives as we live together in delicate balance. Let’s start a sea change. Aloha, Vicki Cornish Vice President, Marine Wildlife Conservation Ocean Conservancy PS - Learn more about Hawaiian monk seals and the places they call home, get the facts!

Peer into any family's closets and you'll find the Gifts of Christmas Past. Scented candles. Reindeer sweaters. A stuffed bass that sings Don't Worry, Be Happy.

Gift cards are designed to reduce closet clutter. They're always the right color, and they're never too large or too small. While the National Retail Federation estimates that gift card sales will drop about 6% this year — reflecting a slowdown in overall spending this holiday season — nearly two-thirds of consumers plan to buy them, according to a survey by Deloitte. And 55% of consumers say they would like to receive a gift card, according to the NRF.

TELL US: As retailers struggle to survive, are you worried about buying gift cards this year?

But the warm feelings generated by a gift card could turn cold in a hurry if the retailer that issued the card goes out of business. Gift card holders have few rights when a retailer files for bankruptcy. And with retail bankruptcies expected to rise next year, that's a real concern.

Some consumers have already been burned. When Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, gift card holders were informed they could no longer use their cards. The company later asked the court to allow it to accept gift cards if holders spent twice the value of the gift card on a single purchase. Consumers Union estimates that unused Sharper Image gift cards totaled $20 million.

Consumers who held gift cards for Bombay Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, didn't fare much better. In August, the retailer won approval from the bankruptcy court to pay off gift card holders 25 cents on the dollar.

Tweeter, a consumer electronics chain that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early November, originally planned to stop accepting gift cards on Nov. 15. After several state attorney generals intervened, the company agreed to accept gift cards through Dec. 31, or until its stores close.

When a retailer files for bankruptcy-court protection, gift card holders are considered unsecured creditors, says Michelle Jun, attorney for Consumers Union, an advocacy group. It's up to the retailer to ask the bankruptcy court to allow it to continue accepting gift cards. If the retailer doesn't make that request, or the court denies it, gift card holders have to get in line with all the businesses and individuals that have claims against the retailer. "If you have a $50 gift (card), it's pretty burdensome" to file a claim for relief, Jun says.

In September, Consumers Union and several other consumer groups petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to improve consumer protections for gift card holders. The groups asked the FTC to require retailers to segregate funds from gift card sales in a trust account, and use that money to honor gift cards as long as the stores remained open, unless ordered to do otherwise by a bankruptcy court. So far, the FTC hasn't responded to the petition, Jun says.

Consumers Union recommends that consumers give cash this year instead of gift cards. "It's hard to know what retailer will sink tomorrow," Jun says.

For some givers, though, sticking a couple of twenties in an envelope seems awfully cold. If you're determined to give gift cards this year, choose wisely. Some tips:

Consider the financial health of the retailer

Last week, Circuit City joined the growing number of retailers seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing will allow the electronics giant to secure more financing and get out of some lease commitments.

In announcing the filing, Circuit City said it will continue to honor outstanding gift cards, and will continue to sell them. But Circuit City also announced that it's closing 155 stores, which means some card holders will have a harder time finding a place to redeem them. And if the company's efforts to reorganize fail, the cards could become worthless.

When Linens 'n Things filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, it said it would continue to honor gift cards in all of its stores. But consumers who still have gift cards for the retailer will have a hard time redeeming them: After failing to find a buyer, Linens 'n Things announced that it's liquidating its merchandise and closing its stores.

"If you read about a retail store teetering on the brink, you probably shouldn't buy a gift card from them," says Bill Hardekopf, chief executive of LowCards.com.

Opt for 'open loop' gift cards

The major credit card issuers — American Express, MasterCard, Discover and Visa — all offer gift cards. Most mall operators also offer gift cards that can be used in all of their stores.

These cards can be used anywhere, eliminating the need to gauge the financial health of a specific retailer. But they also contain more restrictions than gift cards issued by individual retailers. Visa gift cards expire after one year, MasterCard gift cards after 24 months, according to Bankrate.com's annual survey of gift cards. American Express gift cards have no expiration date but impose a $2 monthly service fee after 12 months (the service fee is deducted from the balance on the card). None of the gift cards from the nation's 25 largest retailers have expiration dates, according to the National Retail Federation.

Most open-loop issuers also charge a fee to buy their cards. Fees range from $3.95 to $4.95 per card, depending on the bank that's issuing the card, according to Bankrate.com. If you're buying gift cards for a large number of people, those fees can add up.

Give gift cards for necessities

In Deloitte's annual holiday shopping survey, 17% of consumers surveyed said they planned to buy gift cards for gasoline, up from 13% last year.

A gift card for gas "isn't exactly an exciting gift, but it's very practical, and in these economic times, probably very much appreciated by the people getting it," says Stacy Janiak, vice chairman and U.S. retail leader for Deloitte. Most grocery stores and drugstores also offer gift cards.

Give gift cards that can be redeemed online

Hilco Appraisal Services, a large liquidation firm, projected last week that 14,000 retail stores, ranging from mom and pop businesses to big chain outlets, will close next year. That means consumers in some parts of the country will have a harder time finding a place to redeem their gift cards.

This year, though, a majority of retailers allow consumers to redeem their gift cards in stores or online, according to Bankrate.com. In its survey of 20 large retailers, only five — CVS, Walgreens, Home Depot, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx — didn't allow their gift cards to be redeemed online.

And what if you receive gift cards this holiday season? Don't let them gather dust, says Ellen Cannon of Bankrate.com. "Spend them by New Year's."

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/block/2008-11-17-gift-cards-cash-block_N.htm

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars. Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.

There have been "hundreds" of incidents since the election, many more than usual, said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate crimes.

One was in Snellville, Ga., where Denene Millner said a boy on the school bus told her 9-year-old daughter the day after the election: "I hope Obama gets assassinated." That night, someone trashed her sister-in-law's front lawn, mangled the Obama lawn signs, and left two pizza boxes filled with human feces outside the front door, Millner said.

She described her emotions as a combination of anger and fear.

"I can't say that every white person in Snellville is evil and anti-Obama and willing to desecrate my property because one or two idiots did it," said Millner, who is black. "But it definitely makes you look a little different at the people who you live with, and makes you wonder what they're capable of and what they're really thinking."

Potok, who is white, said he believes there is "a large subset of white people in this country who feel that they are losing everything they know, that the country their forefathers built has somehow been stolen from them." Grant Griffin, a 46-year-old white Georgia native, expressed similar sentiments: "I believe our nation is ruined and has been for several decades and the election of Obama is merely the culmination of the change.

"If you had real change it would involve all the members of (Obama's) church being deported," he said.

Change in whatever form does not come easy, and a black president is "the most profound change in the field of race this country has experienced since the Civil War," said William Ferris, senior associate director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina. "It's shaking the foundations on which the country has existed for centuries." "Someone once said racism is like cancer," Ferris said. "It's never totally wiped out, it's in remission." If so, America's remission lasted until the morning of Nov. 5.

The day after the vote hailed as a sign of a nation changed, black high school student Barbara Tyler of Marietta, Ga., said she heard hateful Obama comments from white students, and that teachers cut off discussion about Obama's victory.

Tyler spoke at a press conference by the Georgia chapter of the NAACP calling for a town hall meeting to address complaints from across the state about hostility and resentment. Another student, from a Covington middle school, said he was suspended for wearing an Obama shirt to school Nov. 5 after the principal told students not to wear political paraphernalia.

The student's mother, Eshe Riviears, said the principal told her: "Whether you like it or not, we're in the South, and there are a lot of people who are not happy with this decision." Other incidents include: —Four North Carolina State University students admitted writing anti-Obama comments in a tunnel designated for free speech expression, including one that said: "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head." Obama has received more threats than any other president-elect, authorities say.

— At Standish, Maine, a sign inside the Oak Hill General Store read: "Osama Obama Shotgun Pool." Customers could sign up to bet $1 on a date when Obama would be killed. "Stabbing, shooting, roadside bombs, they all count," the sign said. At the bottom of the marker board was written "Let's hope someone wins." - — Racist graffiti was found in places including New York's Long Island, where two dozen cars were spray-painted; Kilgore, Texas, where the local high school and skate park were defaced; and the Los Angeles area, where swastikas, racial slurs and "Go Back To Africa" were spray painted on sidewalks, houses and cars.

— Second- and third-grade students on a school bus in Rexburg, Idaho, chanted "assassinate Obama," a district official said.

— University of Alabama professor Marsha L. Houston said a poster of the Obama family was ripped off her office door. A replacement poster was defaced with a death threat and a racial slur. "It seems the election brought the racist rats out of the woodwork," Houston said.

— Black figures were hanged by nooses from trees on Mount Desert Island, Maine, the Bangor Daily News reported. The president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas said a rope found hanging from a campus tree was apparently an abandoned swing and not a noose.

— Crosses were burned in yards of Obama supporters in Hardwick, N.J., and Apolacan Township, Pa.

— A black teenager in New York City said he was attacked with a bat on election night by four white men who shouted 'Obama.'

— In the Pittsburgh suburb of Forest Hills, a black man said he found a note with a racial slur on his car windshield, saying "now that you voted for Obama, just watch out for your house." Emotions are often raw after a hard-fought political campaign, but now those on the losing side have an easy target for their anger.

"The principle is very simple," said BJ Gallagher, a sociologist and co-author of the diversity book "A Peacock in the Land of Penguins." "If I can't hurt the person I'm angry at, then I'll vent my anger on a substitute, i.e., someone of the same race." "We saw the same thing happen after the 9-11 attacks, as a wave of anti-Muslim violence swept the country. We saw it happen after the Rodney King verdict, when Los Angeles blacks erupted in rage at the injustice perpetrated by 'the white man."' "It's as stupid and ineffectual as kicking your dog when you've had a bad day at the office," Gallagher said. "But it happens a lot."
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10993398

If you read the front page  story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female  humpback whale who had become entangled in a  spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was weighted down by hundreds  of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat.  She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body,  her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.

A fisherman spotted her just east  of the Farralone Islands (outside  the Golden  Gate ) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue  team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save  her was to dive in and untangle her...  a very dangerous  proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a  rescuer. 
They worked for hours with  curved knives and eventually freed her.
When she was free, the divers  say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each and  every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushed gently around-she thanked  them.

Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their  lives.  The man who cut the rope out  of her mouth says her eye was following him the whole time, and  he will never be the same. May you, and all those you love, be  so blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by people who will  swim with you in the deep waters that may engulf you, and who will help you become  untangled from the things that bind you. And, may you always know the joy of  giving and receiving gratitude. I pass this on to you in the same  spirit.

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few
reasons why: 

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask,
'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think. 

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit
around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's
usually more interesting. 

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you
at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if
you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can
get away with it. 

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what
it's like to be unappreciated. 

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a
woman over 40. 

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than
her younger counterpart. 

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you
are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder
where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately,
it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman
over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of
himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize. 

For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk
for free?   here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against
marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig
just to get a little sausage! 

Andy Rooney

Ocean Conservancy

They outlived the dinosaurs by 35 million years, but today Pacific leatherback and loggerhead turtle populations have declined by 90%. And they aren't the only ones in trouble... Did you know that decades ago manatees used to be mistaken for mermaids by lonely sailors? Majestic North Atlantic right whales once numbered in the hundreds of thousands... Sea turtles have been on Earth for more than 100 million years... Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered ocean animals in the world...   Ocean Partners are the best friends of Ocean Conservancy. By donating monthly, they provide much needed, reliable, support so we may act quickly in times of crisis and continue to protect all ocean wildlife. If you aren't already an Ocean Partner, I hope you will join today and help assure that manatees, whales, sea turtles, and all ocean wildlife will thrive for generations to come!

Tips and Data

 

LinkedIn wasn't always one of the social networks known for having all the bells and whistles. In fact, only until recently, it didn't have an applications platform, an ad network, or other features that make sites like Facebook and MySpace so popular.

Yet LinkedIn has still had a strong subscriber-base. In fact, it is often cited as the network of choice for business professionals. Perhaps the lack of the aforementioned features played to LinkedIn's advantage in that respect, alienating a potential reputation for being a haven for teenagers and adolescent goofery. The fact is that LinkedIn users make money. Last week, Mike Sachoff reported on a study looking at the correlation between LinkedIn use and personal wealth. He wrote:

The study found a direct relationship between the number of connections and high personal income. Those members with personal incomes between $200K-$350K were seven times more likely than others to have over 150 connections.

The survey found that senior executives, who make up about 8.4 million members, have the highest average personal income with $104,000. Savvy networkers, also described as consultants have the second highest averaged income with $93,500 and consist of 9 million LinkedIn members.

Business Owners Prefer LinkedIn

Another study I reported on a couple weeks ago from FaceTime Communications showed that 62% of business owners consider LinkedIn to be their preferred network. "Over 30 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities," reads the tagline on LinkedIn's home page, and such data appears to confirm LinkedIn's reputation as the "professional" social network.

A Potential Outlet for Business News Coverage

Social media content has been working its way more and more into mainstream news coverage, and LinkedIn is no exception. Business news establishments see LinkedIn as a potentially relevant information source. A couple months back, LinkedIn struck a deal with CNBC that sees LinkedIn content on CNBC's site. Janet Meiners notes that it makes for a good source of quotes from business professionals to use in feature stories as is often done on news television, radio, or (of course) the web.

 

 "CNBC.com could run a feature article on how the recession is affecting workers and quote from some of the best answers," says Meiners. "If you were featured in the article, it should show up somewhere on your LinkedIn profile with a link and recognition that you were quoted in a story. In could help build the reputation of members of LinkedIn, which could in turn help their job searches and careers."

Benefiting From the Network

To benefit from LinkedIn, you're going to have to "develop a network that lasts," and LinkedIn VP of Marketing and Advertising, Patrick Crane has shared some tips on how to do just that:

1. Upload your address book.

2. Focus on nurturing your network by seeing what questions their asking and helping them when you can.

3. Check your network updates frequently.

4. When you find someone you want to work with, pick the strongest connection you have to introduce you. (try advanced search).

5. Write recommendations for the people you trust and respect.

"The great thing about only connecting to people you know, trust, and have experience working with, is that when you need to find that expert, get that answer, reference check a potentially great hire, get that introduction, then the trusted network of people you’ve proactively created on LinkedIn can help you out," writes Crane. "I find that a simple but useful analogy is a tapestry.  The stronger and tighter the individual threads, the stronger the overall piece of cloth becomes."

This is likely the strategy that all of these wealthy LinkedIn users are applying. When it comes down to it, it's just good old-fashioned networking. LinkedIn is just a convenient tool that eases the process. The fact that LinkedIn is geared toward business professionals, makes it an attractive network for those looking to enhance their professional relationships.

 

http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/11/10/why-and-how-linkedin-works-for-business-professionals

Realtors struggle to convince people that their home price has fallen, too

The housing market may have gone bust, but many homeowners are still living in a bubble.

Despite dismal housing headlines and reports showing falling prices nationwide, owners in some once-hot areas still believe their home is gaining value or at least holding its own. And by hanging onto too-high expectations, sellers are unwittingly keeping the market from finding a bottom.

Real estate professionals across the country are reporting difficulty convincing sellers the true market value of their homes.

"It's like pulling teeth in this market," said Twyla Rist of Reece & Nichols Realtors in Kansas City, where prices are off between 7 percent and 15 percent. "Even with everything being said, you still have people that think my house is better than everybody else's."

A recent Coldwell Banker report showed that more than three-quarters of its real estate agents surveyed said most sellers have unrealistic initial listing prices for their homes.

Likewise, an unscientific study released last week by real-estate Web site Zillow.com found that half of homeowners polled think their home's price has increased or stayed the same in the past year.

"We expected people to get a little more in touch with reality especially over the summer, because you couldn't turn on the TV or read the newspapers without seeing that home prices are falling," said Amy Bohutinsky, a spokeswoman for Zillow.com. "It was very surprising to see this kind of disconnect."

In fact, the median sales price of an existing home dropped 9 percent to $191,600 in September from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

It took John Cicero and his wife an appraisal, some convincing by their real estate agent and some hard-to-swallow facts to get them to lower the $525,000 listing price on their five-bedroom home in Valrico, Fla. They closed two weeks ago for about $380,000.

"We didn't really understand the severity of the market," Cicero said. "We lost close to $100,000 in equity so we were walking away from real money."

They built the stucco home four years ago for $380,000 and poured more than $80,000 into it, putting in hardwood floors, granite countertops, ceiling fans, blinds, drapes and a built-in surround-sound stereo system. They also expanded the deck by the pool, turning it into what Cicero called an "executive entertainment area."

"You think you have this wonderful home and people will want to buy it," he said, "but you're wrong."

Dan Ariely, a behavioral Economics professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and author of "Predictably Irrational," said the "better-than-average" effect is at play. And knowing your next-door neighbors sold their house for $500,000 makes it even more imperative for a homeowner to top that price.

"We feel that we're better than other people. We're unique. We're special," he said. "It stands to reason that our houses are also special."

The attachment to a house only intensifies the more a homeowner personalizes it, creating an extension of themselves.

"The moment we invest in something, we fall in love with it," Ariely said, which applies to something as sentimental as children or as trivial as origami.

That puts real estate agents in a precarious position of pricing a house to sell, but not insulting the homeowner by recommending a lower asking price. To a homeowner, a low, but realistic, listing price is "like someone calling your kids ugly," Ariely said with a laugh.

Nancy Batchelor, a real estate agent at Esslinger Woooten & Maxwell Realtors in Miami, says she usually agrees to list the owner's asking price as long as they can reevaluate the price in 30 days if the house doesn't sell.

"I would like to believe their house is different, but I also don't want to do them a disservice," Batchelor said.

Joni Herndon, an appraiser in Tampa, Fla., said real estate agents are calling her in to help homeowners grasp the reality of their home's value. Herndon frequently fields questions from disappointed homeowners after an appraisal, and has to explain how broadly the market is declining and why what a neighbor got two months before for his house doesn't apply anymore.

"But sometimes you just can't get through to people," she said.

She said homeowners who bought newly built homes at the height of the boom are the most stubborn because they're trying to get back every penny they spent on customized changes.

One homeowner Herndon did an appraisal for refused to lower her listing price for the third time, insisting that such features like a raised roof and more space between two windows in an upstairs bonus room set her house apart from others just like it.

"It's the mine is better than yours mentality," Herndon said.

The homeowner originally asked the builder to move the windows another foot apart and raise the roof by 12 inches so the wall could fit her big-screen television. She also spent $15,000 in extra landscaping and exterior lighting, and $2,900 on designer fans, Herndon said.

"You could have put $1,000 worth of fans in the house and blown just as much air," Herndon said. "Owners are very concerned about how much they paid for particular changes, but buyers out there don't value them."

Herndon appraised the house, also in Valrico, Fla., at $430,000. The seller put it on the market in April at $500,000, and cut the asking price to $469,5000 in July. The home is still on the market, and the seller declined to be interviewed.

The market would bottom out sooner if sellers weren't so stubborn and didn't keep prices artificially high, Arielly said.

Homeowners can't stand taking a loss on their properties, yet keeping their home on the market at an inflated price could wind up costing them more. Homeowners need to look at the larger financial picture, Ariely said, and determine how much there is to gain or lose by keeping a home on the sales block longer.

Real estate agents press this point on their clients, saying no one wants to buy the most expensive house on the block. After the first reduction in listing price, a psychological barrier, subsequent cuts come easier, most agents say.

"Like any type of loss, there's a grieving process," Batchelor said. "First, they're in denial, then angry, then depressed and hopeless. But then they eventually move on if they want to sell it."

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27648884/page/2/