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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) –
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate in 2008, said on Friday she will resign this month, an unexpected move that could signal a run for higher office.

Palin took no questions after a brief news conference in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, members of her state Cabinet by her side. She gave no indication of her future plans.

"I'm not seeking re-election" in 2010, Palin said, adding she would transfer authority to Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell on July 26.

"We are not retreating, we are advancing in a different direction," she said. "We know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time."

Palin, Arizona Senator John McCain's surprise pick as his running-mate in the 2008 presidential race, rallied the party's conservative base but alienated others who believed she did not have the experience to be vice president.

She has been mentioned as one of the top three Republicans who could vie for the party's presidential nomination in 2012. Those mentioned most often include Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

"I plan on talking to Governor Palin very soon. She is an important and galvanizing voice in the Republican Party. I believe she will be very helpful to the party this year as we wage critical campaigns in Virginia and New Jersey," Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement.

Palin, 45, said she did not want to waste time on "political blood sport" and cited public criticism of her actions and her family since the 2008 campaign.

"You are naive if you don't see a full-court press right now on the national level picking apart a good point guard," Palin said, using a basketball analogy.

"She closed a chapter in Alaska politics on a very weird and bizarre note," former Alaska Governor Tony Knowles, a Democrat who served two terms, said in a telephone interview.

"Friends or foes alike would have never thought that she would be a quitter, but that's what she did today."

WHAT LIES AHEAD

The announcement at the beginning of a three-day holiday weekend, with little Washington news expected, gave Palin wide access to the airwaves and could make for a strong start at gaining public attention.

Republican strategist Sophia Nelson said in the online publication Huffington Post that Palin vowing to work for change "from outside government" was "code for 'I'm running for president.'"

Other analysts wondered if it was a smart political move.

Andrew Halcro, a Republican who ran against Palin in 2006, said he did not think resigning would help her chances.

"If she was trying to transition to the national stage, there was a much better way to do it," he said.

Princeton University professor Julian Zelizer said Palin's future in public life depends on the reason she stepped down.

"If there is any evidence that the decision was a result of political problems or looming scandals, she is done," he said.

"The Republican Party already feels to be in a moment of crisis," after losing the presidency and control of Congress to the Democrats. He noted that in 2008 "she revealed many weaknesses ... limited policy knowledge, association with fringe groups, weak performances on television and more."

Palin faced criticism and ridicule from Republicans and Democrats alike during the 2008 campaign after embarrassing television interviews that raised questions about her knowledge and experience.

During the campaign, the mother of five revealed her unmarried 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant but planned to marry the baby's father. The couple split in March.

Palin was cleared of wrongdoing in an abuse-of-power probe into the firing of Alaska's public safety commissioner.

In May, Palin signed a book deal to tell her own story, for an undisclosed sum, with News Corp's HarperCollins.

Palin established herself as a party outsider by promoting a natural gas pipeline project opposed by Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski. She ran against the governor in 2006, defeated him in the primary, and then won the general election.

The project to ship abundant North Slope gas reserves to U.S. markets has been dimmed by the economic recession and a sharp dip in natural gas prices.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York, Robert Campbell in Mexico, Andrea Shalal-Esa, Chris Wilson, Jeff Mason in Washington; writing by Doina Chiacu, editing by Jackie Frank and Todd Eastham)

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Terrified residents canceled Fourth of July plans and holed up in their homes Friday as investigators hunted a serial killer believed to have shot four people to death.
Tanya Phillips had been looking forward to a backyard barbecue at her brother's house but instead planned to stay home with her doors locked.
"I'm not taking any chances," said Phillips, 32, a mother of two who works in a day-care center. "I'll go out during the day, but not at night. I just don't feel safe."
Plenty of evidence links the killings, though officials have not yet determined how the victims are connected or if they knew whoever shot them, said Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton.
"Yes, we have a serial killer," he said at a news conference in this rural community 50 miles south of Charlotte, N.C.
So far, all investigators have to go on is a sketch of a suspect and a description of a possible getaway vehicle, though police would not say who provided that information.
The latest victims were found in their family's small furniture and appliance shop near downtown Gaffney around closing time Thursday. Stephen Tyler, 45, was killed, and his 15-year-old daughter was shot and seriously injured. Tyler's wife, his older daughter and an employee found them in Tyler Home Center, County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.
A day earlier and about seven miles away, family members found the bodies of 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot in Linder's home. Blanton would not say if Tyler and his daughter were also bound.
The killing spree began last Saturday about 10 miles from Tyler Home Center, where peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was found shot in his living room. Blanton said the killer may have first spoken with Cash's wife about buying hay. She left and came home a few hours later to find her husband's body. Investigators said it appears he was robbed, but they have not determined if anything was taken in the other killings.
Cherokee County, home to about 54,000 people, had just six homicides in all of 2008, and half that the year before.
Residents have "their guard up and their gun handy," said state Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, who recalled the area being terrorized once before, in the 1960s, by a serial killer dubbed the Gaffney Strangler. Otherwise, Gaffney is most famous for a giant water tank shaped like a peach that can be seen from Interstate 85.
"There is no greater fear than the fear of the unknown and nobody knows. You can cut the tension with a knife," Peeler said. "People are locking their doors, even in broad daylight."
The Fourth of July is a busy weekend, with thousands of people expected to attend fireworks displays in several communities.
"You want to live a normal life," Phillips said as she stood outside a grocery store. "But you just can't."
Every available police officer will work the weekend, Blanton said, acknowledging that there is "real fear in the county." He urged people to take precautions such as going out in groups and calling 911 if their cars break down and they are stuck on the side of the road.
"If someone breaks into my house, I'm armed and ready," said Mike Daniels, 53, a retired Army sergeant. "And I won't hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later."
Hazel Smith, 47, said neighbors feel vulnerable.
"If he killed once, he'll kill again," she said sitting on the front porch with her friends. "Tonight, I'm going to stay inside and pray, pray a little harder that he gets caught."

The latest shootings happened less than a half-mile from the sheriff's office, where at least 30 investigators were already working on the case. Blanton said a profiler has suggested Tyler and his daughter might have been shot to taunt investigators, but he said his only concern is solving the case.

"We had a 15-year-old girl shot; he killed an 83-year-old woman," Blanton said. "The good people of this community don't deserve that."

The sheriff reminded people they have a right to protect themselves and advised salesmen and others to avoid knocking on strangers' doors with so many on heightened alert.

"People are going to start shooting at shadows," Blanton said.

___

Associated Press Writers Jim Davenport and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report from Columbia.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't know when he'll end his winless streak, or how long it will take to turn around his horrendous season.
The only thing NASCAR's most popular driver — winless in 38 races — is certain of is that he's not strong enough to withstand another year like this one.
Earnhardt heads into Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway ranked 19th in the standings and still adjusting to a crew chief change six weeks ago that brought an emotional end to his long working relationship with cousin Tony Eury Jr.
As his struggles snowballed through April and May, it affected everyone in the tight-knit Earnhardt and Eury families.
"I can't have another year like this. I can't mentally. I can't physically. I don't want to put the people around me through this," Earnhardt said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press.
"When we were really, really struggling, everybody in the family was upset. Crying and carrying on. All the women were crying, the men we're cussing. I'm serious. This is our family, Eurys and Earnhardts, racing is our life and it wears on all of them. We can't put anybody through this (stuff) again. We've got to get this right."
Stoic through the aftermath of his father's fatal accident in the 2001 Daytona 500, and steady as his popularity pushed him into rock star status, Earnhardt rarely gives a glimpse of any inner turmoil.
So when cracks in his armor began to show in late April, it slowly became clear to team owner Rick Hendrick he'd have to make the split that Earnhardt and Eury were too emotionally invested to recognize how badly it was needed. Hendrick pulled the trigger following a 40th-place finish at Charlotte, replacing Eury with interim crew chief Lance McGrew and assigning additional personnel to Earnhardt's No. 88 team.
"I feel like we've let him down, maybe I've let him down, by not pulling the trigger earlier," Hendrick said. "For maybe his sake and Tony's sake. Both of those guys are going to be better off."
That's been evident for Earnhardt, who admits his confidence was shaken during the rocky first four months of the season. As Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin raced their way into Victory Lane and contention for the Chase for the championship, Earnhardt couldn't keep pace.
He made rookie-like mistakes, struggled with his cars and led just 84 laps — the bulk coming at Phoenix when Eury used pit strategy to put Earnhardt out front for 63 laps. Through 12 races with Eury, Earnhardt had just three top-10s, and his season-best finish was second at Talladega, where he's "supposed" to be good.
"I know that I am good enough to drive the car as fast as I need to go. I know how to make the right decisions, I know how to win a race, I know how a championship is won," he said. "I am not making ignorant mistakes every week to the point where I'm going `Wow, what the ... is up with my focus?' But I did lose a lot of confidence if I would ever get back.
"Not `Can I get it done?' but `Am I ever going to run good again, ever? What if this is it?' And you're still wondering until you get it turned around."
So Earnhardt, often criticized for lackadaisical effort, is putting 100 percent into his race team. Those close to him say his commitment has never been greater, and the other three Hendrick drivers have found him to be an engaged, dedicated teammate.
For Hendrick, working with Earnhardt has been far easier than he ever imagined it would be when he signed him to a 5-year deal after Earnhardt had decided to leave his late father's race team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., at the end of the 2007 season.
"When I first thought about him coming over, a lot of people in this garage said `Good luck handling a superstar,' " Hendrick said. "But everything I've asked him to do — whether working out, eating better, or showing up at the shop — he's all over it. He wants to do his part. He's much easier than I thought he would be.
"I couldn't ask him to work any harder than he's working. I don't care what anybody says. He's committed. He's dedicated. And he's showing up and he's trying. That's all I can ask him to do."
Earnhardt had this current three-race stretch leading into NASCAR's off weekend circled as his time to click with McGrew and really turn things around. He was an improved 13th last week at New Hampshire, is always a threat to win at Daytona, and a recent tire test at Chicago has him encouraged about next weekend's race.

And he's vowed not to let up until he's back on the right track, racing for wins and his first Sprint Cup title.

"I could work out more than Mark, I could ride a mountain bike farther than Jimmie and I could try to invent a new international language for explaining how a race car drives. There's all kinds of things I can do differently," he said. "Making the Chase is going to be (really) hard. I know it. But we've still got a shot until they say we don't. If that doesn't happen, I need to end this year saying `We have repaired it, we have fixed it, this is the direction we're going and it's going to be fine.' "

LONDON (AFP) –
Six people including a newborn baby died Friday in a massive fire at a tower block in London, the city's emergency services said.

"There were six fatalities -- three adults and three children," a London Fire Brigade spokesman said after the blaze in Camberwell.

Witnesses gave distressing accounts of how those trapped by the fire pressed their faces up against the windows and screamed as they battled to escape the flames and smoke.

The Metropolitan Police said that those who died were a three week old baby, two children aged about six and seven, a woman in her 30s and two other adults.

A further 12 people were taken to hospital, many suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.

Some 30 people who had been in "immediate peril" trapped inside were rescued safely, the fire service said, adding the blaze was under control and there were no reports of people still in the block.

Around 100 firefighters were sent to the scene of the fire, which started on the fourth floor of the local authority-owned block and spread to the 11th.

Witnesses spoke of harrowing scenes as the fire, which was reported just before 4:30 pm (1530 GMT), took hold.

"There were kids screaming, there was all sorts of stuff going on," Rob Atthill told BBC television.

"The people I was with, they climbed on the roof to see what was happening and they could see faces of people in the windows, people were trying to smash windows, it didn't look very good."

Michael Thompson, 17, who lives in the tower block, added: "There was a big bang that sounded like an explosion.

"People were screaming. I heard people shouting: 'Fire, fire'.

"I called 999 when I saw the flames and they said they were already on their way. I could smell the smoke from inside my flat so I closed the windows.

"This black smoke was pouring out of the windows."

Paul Glenny, a firefighter who battled the blaze, said: "I've been in the job for 30 years, and I've never seen anything like it.

"The hot weather and the fact that people's windows were open made the fire what it was."

An investigation will now be held into the cause of the blaze, although the fire service has warned it could take "weeks if not months" to find out what happened.

"It is too early to say what led to the fire and police officers are working with the London Fire Brigade investigation team to establish the cause of the fire," the Metropolitan Police said.

The bodies of three people were found at the scene and three others died later in hospital. Uninjured survivors were being taken to an emergency centre set up at a nearby church hall.

The 1960s building contains 108 flats and is owned and managed by the local council, with residents living there on a leasehold or tenant basis.

The local lawmaker for the area, Harriet Harman -- deputy leader of Britain's ruling Labour party -- said it was a "very tragic situation".

"I have been keeping number 10 (Downing Street) informed and I am sure the prime minister (Gordon Brown) will be thanking the emergency services shortly," she added.

GENEVA – Governments are failing to stem a rapid decline in biodiversity that is now threatening extinction for almost half the world's coral reef species, a third of amphibians and a quarter of mammals, a leading environmental group warned Thursday.
"Life on Earth is under serious threat," the International Union for Conservation of Nature said in a 155-page report that describes the past five years of a losing battle to protect species, natural habitats and geographical regions from the devastating effects of man.
IUCN, the producer of the world's Red List of endangered animals, analyzed over 44,000 species to test government pledges earlier this decade to halt a global loss in biodiversity by 2010.
That target will not be met, the Gland, Switzerland-based body said, describing the prospects of coral reefs as the most alarming. It also said slightly more amphibians, mammals and birds were in peril compared to five years ago, with species most prized by humans for food or medicine as disproportionately threatened.
"Biodiversity continues to decline and next year no one will dispute that," said Jean-Christophe Vie, the report's senior editor. "It's happening everywhere."
Vie told The Associated Press that biodiversity threats need to be highlighted and combatted, even at a time when many world leaders are preoccupied by economic recession and financial instability. Unlike markets and debts, animal extinction is an irreversible element of today's "wildlife crisis."
He urged governments to usher in major changes to society, such as reducing energy and overall consumption, redesigning cities and reassessing the environmental consequences of globalization — producing goods in one part of the world and sending them thousands of miles to be sold.
Vie said climate change only threatened to make the situation worse.
Governments pledged in 2002 at a meeting of the U.N. Biodiversity Convention and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to halt biodiversity decline by the end of the decade. European governments have set a similar goal among themselves.
In Europe, "about 50 percent of species are under threat or vulnerable," said Barbara Helfferich, a European Union spokeswoman. "Habitats are shrinking and a lot needs to be done. We are doing a lot, but it's not enough as promised to halt biodiversity loss."
Helfferich said a report last year suggested a number of steps for European governments to better protect biodiversity. They included expanding conservation sites, cutting down on overfishing, expanding protection to marine environments and better incorporating ecological concerns in government decisions.

GENEVA – Governments are failing to stem a rapid decline in biodiversity that is now threatening extinction for almost half the world's coral reef species, a third of amphibians and a quarter of mammals, a leading environmental group warned Thursday.
"Life on Earth is under serious threat," the International Union for Conservation of Nature said in a 155-page report that describes the past five years of a losing battle to protect species, natural habitats and geographical regions from the devastating effects of man.
IUCN, the producer of the world's Red List of endangered animals, analyzed over 44,000 species to test government pledges earlier this decade to halt a global loss in biodiversity by 2010.
That target will not be met, the Gland, Switzerland-based body said, describing the prospects of coral reefs as the most alarming. It also said slightly more amphibians, mammals and birds were in peril compared to five years ago, with species most prized by humans for food or medicine as disproportionately threatened.
"Biodiversity continues to decline and next year no one will dispute that," said Jean-Christophe Vie, the report's senior editor. "It's happening everywhere."
Vie told The Associated Press that biodiversity threats need to be highlighted and combatted, even at a time when many world leaders are preoccupied by economic recession and financial instability. Unlike markets and debts, animal extinction is an irreversible element of today's "wildlife crisis."
He urged governments to usher in major changes to society, such as reducing energy and overall consumption, redesigning cities and reassessing the environmental consequences of globalization — producing goods in one part of the world and sending them thousands of miles to be sold.
Vie said climate change only threatened to make the situation worse.
Governments pledged in 2002 at a meeting of the U.N. Biodiversity Convention and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to halt biodiversity decline by the end of the decade. European governments have set a similar goal among themselves.
In Europe, "about 50 percent of species are under threat or vulnerable," said Barbara Helfferich, a European Union spokeswoman. "Habitats are shrinking and a lot needs to be done. We are doing a lot, but it's not enough as promised to halt biodiversity loss."
Helfferich said a report last year suggested a number of steps for European governments to better protect biodiversity. They included expanding conservation sites, cutting down on overfishing, expanding protection to marine environments and better incorporating ecological concerns in government decisions.

Some car seat systems are set up with an battery-powered automatic control to adjust how the seat sits in the car.

In suitably equipped cars, seats and mirrors can be adjusted using electric controls. Some vehicles let the driver(s) save the adjustments in memory for later recall, with the push of a button. Most systems allow users to store more than one set of adjustments. This allows multiple drivers to store their comfort settings, or a single driver to store several different occupant positions. Some vehicles associate memorized settings with a specifically numbered, remotely operated key fob, resetting a seat to the position associated with that fob when the vehicle is unlocked (e.g. key fob #1 sets seats to memory position #1, #2 to #2, etc.)

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LOS ANGELES – Rafael Furcal had a pinch hit RBI single in the eighth inning Wednesday, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 1-0 in the final game of Manny Ramirez's 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.
The Dodgers were 29-21 during Ramirez's absence. The 12-time All-Star, who needs three home runs to tie Mickey Mantle for 15th place on the career list at 536, will return to the lineup Friday night for the start of a three-game series at San Diego.
Brad Ausmus led off the eighth with a single against Rockies starter Jason Hammel (5-4) and advanced on Juan Castro's sacrifice. Russell Martin ran for Ausmus and scored when Furcal stroked a single to right field on the right-hander's 100th pitch while batting for reliever Ramon Troncoso (2-0).
Troncoso pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win and Jonathan Broxton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 19th save in 20 attempts.
The defending NL West champions got off to a 21-8 start and had were on a seven-game winning streak with a 6 1/2-game lead in the division when Ramirez was suspended on May 7 for using a banned substance.
The Dodgers lost four of their next five, then went on a 12-3 run and increased their division lead to a season-best 9 1/2 games with a 1-0 win against Arizona on June 3 at Los Angeles. They've leveled off since then, going 13-11, But they still entered Wednesday with a six-game lead over San Francisco.
Clayton Kershaw allowed just one hit over five innings and threw 97 pitches. Kershaw struck out five and issues a season-high five walks — the ninth time in 16 starts this season that he's given up at least four bases on balls. In his last 12 outings, however, his ERA is only 2.29.
Casey Blake pinch hit for Kershaw in the bottom of the fifth with runners at the corners, but struck out after James Loney doubled with one out for the Dodgers' first hit and was held at third by coach Larry Bowa on Ausmus' line-drive single to center fielder Dexter Fowler.
Brad Hawpe's two-out double in the first inning was Colorado's only hit until Ian Stewart doubled with two outs in the seventh against Ronald Belisario. Paul Phillips was intentionally walked to bring up Hammel, whose bid for a tiebreaking RBI double was caught by right fielder Andre Ethier at the edge of the warning track in right-center after a long run.
Hammel pitched a career-high eight innings for his first complete game in the majors. It came in his 41st big league start and first against the Dodgers. He allowed five hits and struck out five.
Juan Pierre, who has started every game in left field during Manny's absence, will return to being a part-time player despite hitting .318 with 21 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 15 walks and 21 stolen bases. Pierre caught the last out Wednesday.
NOTES: San Diego's starting pitchers this weekend against the Dodgers will be Chad Gaudin, Josh Geer and Josh Banks. Ramirez is 5 for 11 with a home run against Gaudin, and 2 for 3 with a homer against Geer. He has never faced Banks in the regular season. ... Dodgers pitchers struck out 39 Colorado batters during the three games. ... The Rockies have played more road games than any team in the majors (46). ... Hammel made two previous relief appearances against the Dodgers. ... The Dodgers are 10-2 against Colorado and have clinched the season series with six games remaining. It's the third time in four seasons that they've beaten the Rockies at least 10 times, and they're 41-26 against them since the start of 2006.

WASHINGTON – Animal research facilities will be required to disclosee more information online about their experiments under a court settlement signed Wednesday by the Humane Society of the United States and the Agriculture Department.
According to the Humane Society, the settlement will require the Agriculture Department to post annual reports from those facilities, including what they call "pain and distress information," on its Web site. The two parties settled in a lawsuit filed by the advocacy group four years ago after the group were unable to obtain information they requested.
The settlement will now be submitted to the federal district court for the District of Columbia for final approval.
"While it became apparent during the suit that the USDA might be acting to shield animal research facilities from public scrutiny, we are pleased that the settlement will ensure public access to animal research information, and shed light on whether USDA is doing its job," said Kathleen Conlee of the Humane Society.
The Bush administration stopped posting some animal testing information in 2002, according to the group, and then began posting the annual reports in 2005 in response to the lawsuit. Conlee said the court-approved settlement is important so future administrations don't further abuse the policy.
Caleb Weaver, a spokesman for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, confirmed the settlement.
The Animal Welfare Act, signed into law in 1966 and enforced by USDA, governs the care and handling of most warm-blooded animals at registered research facilities and licensed animal dealer facilities around the country. Birds, mice and rats bred for research are exempt from the law.
A 1970 amendment to the law requires those facilities to submit annual reports on its activities. According to the Humane Society, these reports should include information on how many and what kind of animals are used in research, whether pain relief was used and a justification if such relief was not provided.
The group's 2005 lawsuit charged that the Department of Agriculture violated the Freedom of Information Act by denying them access to reports and redacting large amounts of information in reports they did provide.

Halloween Costume

The telling of ghost stories and viewing of horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of TV series and specials with Halloween themes (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before the holiday while new horror films, like the popular Saw films, are often released theatrically before the holiday to take advantage of the atmosphere.

On Halloween night in present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (e.g., ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches and goblins), light bonfires, and enjoy spectacular fireworks displays – in particular, the city of Derry is home to the largest organised Halloween celebration on the island, in the form of a street carnival and fireworks display. It is also common for fireworks to be set off for the entire month preceding Halloween, as well as a few days after.

WASHINGTON – The economic downturn appears to be bringing out the worst in some people.
The Federal Trade Commission announced a major crackdown Wednesday on scammers trying to take advantage of people worried about the tough economy by promising jobs that don't exist, get-rich-quick schemes, debt-reduction scams and other phony services.
The biggest case involved a California company called Family Products that marketed alleged get-rich schemes such as "John Beck's Free & Clear Real Estate System." The FTC says the company made bogus claims through DVDs, brochures and national infomercials about the ability to raise cash fast.
In all, more than 600,000 people were duped out of about $300 million, said the agency.
The law enforcement sweep — dubbed "Operation Short Change" — was announced jointly with the Justice Department. The operation included 15 cases from the FTC, and dozens of additional cases brought by Justice and at least 13 states.
These scams, said David Vladeck, head of the commission's consumer protection bureau, "raise people's hopes and then drive them deeper into a hole."
Beverly Steward, 46, fell for one of the scams alleged by the FTC. In her case, the single mother of two in Washington said she was bilked by a company — identified as Job Safety USA — that promised people certifications for a cleaning job.
"I wanted a job," says Steward. "I was desperate."
She answered a newspaper ad and forked over $89. The certifications never came, she said. Neither did a job.
Steward wasn't alone. The FTC says more than 4,000 people fell prey to the scam.
Messages were left for Family Products and Job Safety USA, but not immediately returned.
The government is going to court in many of the cases to halt the operations and seek return of victims' money.
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said complaints to his office about these kinds of scams are up 27 percent.
"In the down economy," said Cooper, "the scam artists crawl out from under rocks."
His number-one rule: never pay money up-front.
"If they want money up-front, then they're up to no good," said Cooper.
___
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) –
Lawyers for Michael Jackson filed the pop star's 2002 will in court on Wednesday that puts his multimillion-dollar estate in a family trust for his three children and his mother, but were denied a bid to take immediate control of his music fortune.

Funeral plans remained undetermined, and Jackson's family said in a statement that no public or private ceremony would be held at the singer's Neverland Valley ranch in central California.

The will, signed in 2002, values Jackson's estate at more than $500 million and puts his assets in the Michael Jackson Family Trust, which ultimately benefits his three children, his mother and unnamed charities.

The will names Jackson's mother, Katherine, 79, as guardian of the children: Prince Michael Jackson Jr. 12, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11, and Prince Michael Joseph Jackson, II, 7. If she cannot fulfill the guardianship duties, pop singer Diana Ross, formerly of the Supremes and a long-time Jackson friend, is nominated to be guardian of the children.

The five-page document said "I have intentionally omitted to provide for my former wife, Deborah Rowe Jackson."

On Monday, before the will was filed, Katherine Jackson was named temporary guardian of the children and administrator of the estate by a Los Angeles court until a hearing on July 6.

The 2002 document names Los Angeles-based attorney John Branca, a long-time Jackson lawyer, and music industry executive John McClain as co-executors. A third co-executor named in the will has since resigned.

Lawyers for Branca and McClain asked a judge on Wednesday to immediately appoint them executors and overturn Katherine Jackson's temporary administration of the estate, but the judge denied their request.

"I understand your argument that there was a race to the court house. It seems to me that we should know by Monday if there's another will out there,"' said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff.

NO NEVERLAND FUNERAL

Since his death last week, speculation has run rampant that there would be multiple wills and a legal battle over Jackson's estate, which includes part ownership in a Beatles music catalog and Jackson's own music company.

Jackson was said to be $500 million in debt when he died, but his assets have been reported to be worth as much as $1 billion, which would roughly approximate the will's estimated value of Jackson's estate that "exceeds $500 million."

But immediately unclear is whether Branca and McClain based the value of the estate in the will at the time of the singer's death in 2002 or in current, 2009 dollars.

That value could rise over time if his popularity in death grows, as with other entertainers like Elvis Presley. Jackson remains among the best-selling pop stars ever, and his 1982 hit "Thriller" is the top-selling album of all time.

Attorney David Seeley, general counsel for the Marlon Brando Living Trust, said people came "out of the woodwork making all sorts of claims" after the legendary actor died.

"I assume that there will be all sorts of claims with Michael Jackson as well, due to the nature of his celebrity, and the amount of people that were around and the amount of money that's involved," Seeley said.

Already one person has surfaced. London resident Nona Paris Lola A. Jackson filed a petition in a Los Angeles court Wednesday saying she was Jackson's wife and his estate and kids should belong to her. Her past claims have been widely dismissed by legal experts and others, who have said there was no evidence she ever had a relationship with the pop star.

Meanwhile, Jackson's family issued a statement that refuted speculation of a funeral at Neverland, which is located near Santa Barbara, California, about a four-hour drive from Los Angeles.

"Contrary to previous news reports, the Jackson family is officially stating there will be no public or private viewing at Neverland," the statement said.

Other reports surfaced citing plans for a public memorial service and private family funeral at various locations around Los Angeles, but none could be confirmed and spokespersons for Jackson's family did not return calls or e-mails for comment.

(Additional reporting by Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb, Editing by Sandra Maler)

MILWAUKEE – Mike Pelfrey bailed the New York Mets out of a season-worst losing streak, overcoming a career-high 12 strikeouts by young Milwaukee Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo in a 1-0 victory Wednesday.
Pelfrey (6-3) gave up six hits and two walks in 7 2-3 innings, and Ryan Church came through with an RBI single in the sixth as the Mets stopped a five-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep by the Brewers.
Gallardo (8-5) gave up five hits in seven innings. The Brewers completed a 5-4 homestand and will travel to Chicago for a four-game series against the Cubs beginning Thursday.
Pelfrey allowed a single and a walk with two outs in the eighth, but Sean Green got J.J Hardy to ground into a forceout at third. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth, allowing a leadoff single to Ryan Braun before retiring the side for his 21st save.
New York (38-39), which backed Pelfrey with a pair of double plays, was coming off a 9-18 record in June, its worst month in nearly six years. The Mets are without injured stars Carlos Beltran (knee), Jose Reyes (calf, hamstring) and Carlos Delgado (hip).
Gallardo's 12 strikeouts were the most by a pitcher against the Mets since John Smoltz struck out 15 for the Braves on April 10, 2005, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Mets also won that game, 6-1.
Gallardo had six strikeouts in first three innings — including a pair by David Wright in his first two at-bats, on his way to three strikeouts against Gallardo on an 0 for 4 afternoon.
It was a frustrating afternoon all around for Wright, who slammed his glove into the bench after making a throwing error in the second inning, then flung his helmet to the ground after taking a called strike three from Gallardo in the third.
But the Mets finally broke through in the sixth when Luis Castillo led off with a ground-rule double, losing a shot at a triple when a woman wearing a Hardy T-shirt fell onto the field trying to reach for the ball.
Gallardo then struck out Wright — Gallardo's 10th of the game and Wright's third in three at-bats. But Church sent a grounder past the outstretched glove of second baseman Craig Counsell for a single, scoring Castillo.
Church was thrown out trying to steal, but Gallardo walked Nick Evans before getting Daniel Murphy to fly out to the warning track in right field.
Prince Fielder led off the seventh with a single, then went to second on a balk by Pelfrey — Pelfrey's fifth balk of the season. But Fielder was thrown out trying to take third base on a missed bunt by Corey Hart. Pelfrey then got Hart to ground out, then struck out Gamel to end the inning.
NOTES: Plate umpire Brian O'Nora went to the dugout in the bottom of the fourth to have his eye looked at by a trainer but quickly returned. ... Gallardo struck out 11 in a victory over Pittsburgh on April 29.

Federal Debt Relief System Complaints

Borrowing and repayment arrangements linked to inflation-indexed units of account are possible and are used in some countries. For example, the US government issues two types of inflation-indexed bonds, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and I-bonds. These are one of the safest forms of investment available, since the only major source of risk — that of inflation — is eliminated. A number of other governments issue similar bonds, and some did so for many years before the US government.

In countries with consistently high inflation, ordinary borrowings at banks may also be inflation indexed.

NEW YORK (Reuters) –
Pfizer Inc said a late stage trial testing its cancer drug Sutent in advanced colon cancer was discontinued after it was deemed to be no more effective than standard chemotherapy.

An independent Data Monitoring Committee found that adding Sutent to a chemotherapy regimen as an initial treatment for colon cancer that has spread would be unable to show a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared with the chemotherapy alone, Pfizer said.

The world's largest drugmaker said no new safety issues were identified with Sutent, known chemically as sunitinib.

The setback comes just days after Sutent proved effective against a rare form of pancreatic cancer in another Phase III trial.

"We are disappointed with this result, but trial successes and failures are an integral part of cancer drug development and contribute to a growing body of knowledge on improving patient care," Mace Rothenberg, head of clinical development and medical affairs for Pfizer's oncology unit, said in a statement.

Sutent is currently approved to treat advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumor, a cancer of the digestive system. The disappointment in metastatic colon cancer does not impact the approved uses of the drug.

Pfizer said it would continue to study Sutent in late-stage trials as a potential treatment for various other types of cancer and work to develop other colon cancer treatments.

Its shares were off just 1 cent to $14.98 in extended trading.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

In some instances, it could be argued that this is as a natural professional evolution and recognition of the outstanding clinical expertise some nurses have attained over the course of their careers in areas such as wound management.

Similarly the NCNZ caused minor controversy when they gave the title nurse practitioner, thus preventing those with the title from using it. As a nurse practitioner, the nurse must undertake an approved course of study and present a portfolio of evidence to NCNZ for approval. There are now approximately 20 NP's in New Zealand with a smaller number of granted prescribing rights.

Forensic Nursing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded receiver Dennis Northcutt to the Detroit Lions for safety Gerald Alexander.
The deal was finalized Tuesday after both players passed physicals.
Northcutt gives the Lions a veteran receiver opposite rising star Calvin Johnson.
Alexander, a second-round pick in 2007, gives Jacksonville depth in the secondary. He started 16 games as a rookie, but missed most of last year following a neck injury.
Northcutt, who has 364 receptions for 4,584 yards and 17 touchdowns, has been projected to start this season. But Jacksonville's three rookie receivers were impressive enough during offseason drills that Northcutt became expendable.

In utilizing the Loan Modification option to bring an asset current, can the mortgagee include all fees and corporate advances? Mortgagee Letter 2008-21 states in part: Legal fees and related foreclosure costs for work actually completed and applicable to the current default episode may be capitalized into the modified principal balance.

A mortgage loan modification is when the mortgage lender agrees to modify your existing mortgage in order to keep you in your home in lieu of your hardship. The mortgage note modification purpose was designed to help make your current loan more affordable. Usually it is accomplished by simply reducing the interest rate that lowers the monthly payment for a few years. Years ago this was only available when a borrower was seriously delinquent and suffered a hardship such as a job loss, divorce or illness. Now, homeowners can obtain loan aid from their mortgage lender for better solutions to combat unaffordable rate adjustments on adjustable rate mortgages.

http://www.modificaciones.net/

Time Clocks

Clockmakers developed their art in various ways. Building smaller clocks was a technical challenge, as was improving accuracy and reliability. Clocks could be impressive showpieces to demonstrate skilled craftsmanship, or less expensive, mass-produced items for domestic use. The escapement in particular was an important factor affecting the clock's accuracy, so many different mechanisms were tried. Spring-driven clocks appeared during the 1400s, although they are often erroneously credited to Nürnberg watchmaker Peter Henlein (or Henle, or Hele) around 1511. The earliest existing spring driven clock is the chamber clock given to Peter the Good, Duke of Burgundy, around 1430, now in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum. Spring power presented clockmakers with a new problem; how to keep the clock movement running at a constant rate as the spring ran down. This resulted in the invention of the stackfreed and the fusee in the 1400s, and many other innovations, down to the invention of the modern going barrel in 1760.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, clockmaking flourished, particularly in the metalworking towns of Nuremberg and Augsburg, and in France, Blois. Some of the more basic table clocks have only one time-keeping hand, with the dial between the hour markers being divided into four equal parts making the clocks readable to the nearest 15 minutes. Other clocks were exhibitions of craftsmanship and skill, incorporating astronomical indicators and musical movements. The cross-beat escapement[citation needed] was developed in 1585 by Jost Burgi, who also developed the remontoire. Burgi's accurate clocks helped Tycho Brahe to observe astronomical events with much greater precision than before.

NEW YORK – Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans circled the block around Harlem's famed Apollo Theater Tuesday for a public tribute to the pop star, some spontaneously singing their favorite songs and dancing in the street.
"I thought that in my time I'd have the opportunity to see him in concert," said Victoria Campomames, who did a brief moonwalk on the sidewalk as "Rock With You" played from a nearby store. "This is about the closest I'm gonna get."
Campomames, wearing a Jackson-style spangled black jacket, fedora and white gloves, took the day off from her job at a grocery store in Morrisville, Vt., for the all-day tribute to Jackson at the fabled venue that helped make him a star.
Thousands were expected to pay their respects at the theater, which planned to let them in 600 at a time to listen to his music, watch a video tribute and leave flowers and memorabilia.
The event was set to start at 2 p.m., but many people were already waiting Tuesday morning, dancing as they lined up with T-shirts, posters, album covers and other mementoes.
Ebony Johnson, 19, arrived at midnight to secure a spot near the front of the line, clutching a Jackson scrapbook she started when she was 14. An image of the star was tattooed on her left arm. She said she got the tattoo last month in anticipation of his planned comeback shows in London.
"I love him so much — I can't explain that in words," she said. "I felt like Michael was my family."
Fans wrote messages on a wall of remembrance outside the 125th street theater. "God bless and be with you M. Jackson," wrote one fan. "We all share your grief. Love always," read a message to his family.
Fans began converging on the Apollo soon after Jackson died Thursday in Los Angeles. It has continued to serve as an impromptu memorial site in the days since.
The pop icon's ties to the theater go back to 1967, when The Jackson 5 won the Apollo's Amateur Night contest. The appearance is credited with helping to launch the brother act's career, which later propelled Jackson to solo stardom.
Jackson last appeared at the Apollo in 2002, invited by former President Bill Clinton for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.
Tuesday's salute was to begin with a eulogy by the Rev. Al Sharpton. A moment of silence was planned for 5:26 p.m., the time East Coast fans learned that Jackson had died.
The Apollo also played a role in remembrances for James Brown after his death in 2006, hosting a public viewing of the "Godfather of Soul" for thousands of fans.

Site

A sample of notable puzzle authors includes Sam Loyd, Henry Dudeney, Boris Kordemsky and, more recently, David J. Bodycombe, Will Shortz and Martin Gardner.

The Rubik's Cube and other magic polyhedrons are toys based on puzzles that can be stimulating toys for kids and are a recreational activity for adults. Puzzles can be used to hide or obscure objects. A good example is a puzzle box used to hide jewelry.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department said Tuesday that it has approved three more firms for its mortgage relief program.
The new approvals brought the number of companies participating in the mortgage effort to 23 with the total amount authorized for all of the firms rising to $17.98 billion out of a maximum of $50 billion the government has said it could spend on this program.
The money is being provided to support the government's effort to combat a wave of mortgage foreclosures by giving incentives for homeowners to modify their existing mortgages.
The new approvals for this program included National City Bank of Miamisburg, Ohio; Technology Credit Union of San Jose, Calif., and Citizens First Wholesale Mortgage Co. of The Villages, Fla.
The government also confirmed Tuesday that Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. had become the first among a group of six major life insurers to get assistance from the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund.
Hartford won approval in May from the government to gain access to the bailout program. The six companies had sought federal aid in the wake of major investment losses resulting from the financial market turmoil of last fall.
Hartford announced the federal support on Friday, but under the rules that govern the bailout program, Treasury has two business days to acknowledge transactions involving the fund.
The $3.4 billion in support provided to Hartford was by far the largest award on Tuesday. In addition, a group of 15 smaller banks received $226 million from the rescue fund bringing the total in support to $203.2 billion.
Last week, Treasury established a process for pricing billions of dollars worth of warrants that banks much repurchase from the government to exit the bailout program. Treasury said that the banks can make the first offer of a purchase price and then Treasury will decide whether to accept that offer or make a counteroffer.

The word "money" is believed to originate from a temple of Hera, located on Capitoline, one of Rome's seven hills. In the ancient world Hera was often associated with money. The temple of Juno Moneta at Rome was the place where the mint of Ancient Rome was located. The name "Juno" may derive from the Etruscan goddess Uni (which means "the one", "unique", "unit", "union", "united") and "Moneta" either from the Latin word "monere" (remind, warn, or instruct) or the Greek word "moneres" (alone, unique).

Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The main uses of money are as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and a store of value. Some authors explicitly require money to be a standard of deferred payment. The dominant form of money is currency[counterfactual].

Fast Cash

LONDON – The promoter who booked Michael Jackson for a sold-out comeback tour says a tribute show based on his canceled concerts is likely.
Randy Phillips, chief executive of promoter AEG Live, told Britain's Sky News television on Tuesday that the "world needs to see" the production Jackson had been working on.
He says members of the Jackson family, and other world music stars, could take part in a tribute show using routines and sets already created for the scrapped tour.
Phillips says he believes Jackson's comeback would have been one of the best arena shows ever produced. He says a video of Jackson's rehearsals for the tour does exist.
He says Jackson said he believed he was ready for the 50 sold-out performances at London's O2 arena.

Matryoshkas date from 1890, and are said to have been inspired by souvenir dolls from Japan. However, the concept of nested objects was familiar in Russia, having been applied to carved wooden apples and Easter eggs; the first Fabergé egg, in 1885, had a nesting of egg, yolk, hen, and chick.

Modern artists create many new styles of nesting dolls. The most common themes feature animal collections, portraits and caricatures of famous politicians, musicians and popular movie stars. Matryoshka dolls that feature communist leaders of Russia became very popular among Russian people in the early 90's, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, many talented Russian artists specialize in painting themed matryoshka dolls that feature specific categories of subjects, people or nature.

Go

MADRID (Reuters) –
Spanish police have arrested a man whom they suspect hired a contract killer to murder his boss in a desperate bid to avoid being laid off, newspaper El Pais reported on Tuesday.

The head of audiovisual services at the Barcelona International Convention Centre contracted a Colombian man who shot and killed the director of the convention centre on Feb 9, according to police.

The director had planned to lay off the arrested man as part of a restructuring project, police said.

In fear of losing his job, the head of services, through his sister, contracted a team of six Colombians who planned and carried out the killing, El Pais reported.

Police have also detained the sister and six Colombians.

The shooting marks one of the most extreme actions by Spaniards who fear losing jobs, homes and businesses during a recession in which unemployment is rising faster than in any other developed country.

Other cases include an indebted Spanish builder who kidnapped his bank manager at gunpoint and the head of a construction firm who threatened to set himself on fire unless debts he was owed were paid.

(Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Sales Tax Consulting

Periodic review of procedures relating to Sales & Use Tax data gathering and retention so that proper supporting documentation, including exemption and resale certificates, are available in the event of a State audit.

A related type of tax is the value-added tax or VAT. It is a system in which all businesses remit taxes on their sales but they are also refunded the amount of VAT remitted by their suppliers. In addition to avoiding cascading, under VAT there is no need for government to determine which sales are taxable and which are not, since all sales--retail, wholesale and intermediate--are taxed.

BEIJING (Reuters) –
What do Johnny Depp, Garfield, Paris Hilton and roast pork have in common? In China, the answer is that a new government-mandated Internet filter rates some pictures of all four of them as bad for your moral health.

Beijing has ordered all personal computers sold in China from July 1 to be preinstalled with the Green Dam software, which it says is designed to block pornographic and violent images, and which critics fear will be used to extend censorship.

But a trial of the programme, which is available online for free download (http://www.skycn.com/soft/46657.html), suggested

its filters may be of limited use to worried parents.

When the software is installed, and an image scanner activated, it blocks even harmless images of a film poster for cartoon cat Garfield, dishes of flesh-colour cooked pork and on one search engine a close-up of film star Johnny Depp's face.

With the image filter off, even though searches with words like "nude" are blocked, a hunt for adult websites throws up links to soft and hardcore pornography sites including one with a video of full penetrative sex playing on its front page.

Green Dam has not detailed how it scans images for obscene content, but computer experts have said it likely uses colour and form recognition to zoom in on potential expanses of naked flesh.

Programme settings allow users to chose how tightly they want images scanned. When too much skin is detected, Green Dam closes all internet browsers with no warning, sometimes flashing up a notice that the viewer is looking at "harmful" content.

But the interpretation of obscene is apparently generous enough to include the orange hue of Garfield's fur and, on the highest security settings, prevent viewers clicking through to any illustrated story on one English language news website.

A programme to scan written content appears less sensitive, with a string of explicit words typed into a word document triggering no response, although some users have complained in online forums of shut-downs similar to those of web browsers.

SEX OR POLITICS?

The software also allows users to choose what they want to filter for, and besides adult websites and violence, categories include "gay" and "illegal activities."

Gay and health activists fear the blanket ban on "gay content," in a country where homosexuality is not criminalised, could damage projects including sexual health and AIDS education.

And government critics worry the "illegal activities" section will cover political and social activities Beijing objects to, tightening access to non-approved information, already filtered by censors and a firewall.

Another setting allows Green Dam to take regular snapshots of a user's screen and store them for up to two weeks -- ostensibly so parents can monitor computer use by minors.

But it could also potentially leave security officials a track of computer use by a suspected dissident, or be a gift to fraudsters hunting online bank details and private information.

Researchers in the U.S. have already said they are concerned Green Dam leaves users vulnerable to malicious sites that might steal personal data or install code on the personal computer.

Western governments and trade groups have also asked China to reconsider, based on concerns ranging from cyber-security and performance of the software to Internet freedoms.

"People say the software is not very stable and has many technological problems," said Joerg Wuttke, the president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, which has dubbed the introduction of Green Dam "hasty."

China's foreign ministry on Tuesday declined to respond to criticisms of the software.

(Additional reporting by Maxim Duncan, Kirby Chien and Alan Wheatley; Editing by Jerry Norton)

http://www.croatiannaiveart.com/

Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science". Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.

The nature of art has been described by Richard Wollheim as "one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture". It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as mimesis or representation. Leo Tolstoy identified art as a use of indirect means to communicate from one person to another. Benedetto Croce and R.G. Collingwood advanced the idealist view that art expresses emotions, and that the work of art therefore essentially exists in the mind of the creator. The theory of art as form has its roots in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and was developed in the early twentieth century by Roger Fry and Clive Bell. Art as mimesis or representation has deep roots in the philosophy of Aristotle.

site

Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. Dance is also used to describe methods of non-verbal communication (see body language) between humans or animals (bee dance, patterns of behaviour such as a mating dance), motion in inanimate objects (the leaves danced in the wind), and certain musical forms or genres. In sports, gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are dance disciplines while martial arts kata are often compared to dances.

Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Dance can be participatory, social or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story.