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Friday, February 3, 2012
Beware the ATM Gangster of Taiwan — He Uses English as a Weapon [Wtf]
Thursday, February 2, 2012
New Hampshire Primary By the Numbers (ContributorNetwork)
It is a common misconception that the New Hampshire primary focuses solely on GOP candidates competing for the Republican nomination. While it is true President Barack Obama is the official nominee of the Democratic Party, he nevertheless has some competition. Here are the facts and figures for the primary.
30: Republican candidates on the Ballot. The Secretary of State's office highlights that the order of 30 Republican candidates features Joe Story, Linden Swift, James Vestermark, Vern Wuensche, Michele Bachmann, Bear Betzler, Timothy Brewer, Herman Cain, Mark Callahan, Hugh Cort, Randy Crow, L. John Davis, Jr., Keith Drummond, Newt Gingrich, Stewart Greenleaf, Christopher Hill, John Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Fred Karger, Jeff Lawman, Benjamin Linn, Andy Martin, Michael Meehan, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Joe Robinson, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney, Kevin Rubah and Rick Santorum.
14: Democratic candidates on the ballot. The Secretary of State identifies them as Randall Terry, Aldous Tyler, John Wolfe, Jr., Ed Cowan, Bob Ely, Craig "Tax Freeze" Freis, Bob Greene, John Haywood, Robert Jordan, Barack Obama, Cornelius O'Connor, Edward O'Donnell, Jr., Darcy Richardson, and Vermin Supreme.
767,383: registered voters as of Dec. 14. The Secretary of State's office explains that this figure consists of 223,151 registered Democrats, 231,611 registered Republicans and 312,621 undeclared voters.
529,711: Ballots cast in the Jan. 8, 2008, presidential primary. Of these ballots, 241,039 votes were cast in favor of Republican candidates, while 288,672 voters opted for a Democratic candidate.
10: Counties in New Hampshire. Each county has more undeclared voters than registered Democrats or Republicans.
75,675: Voters who favored Mitt Romney in the 2008 primary. Ron Paul came in with 18,346 votes, while candidate John McCain garnered 88,713 votes and became the front-runner.
104,815: Ballots cast in favor of Barack Obama, while Hillary Clinton walked away with 112,404 votes.
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Why You Think Your Team Is Better Than It Really Is [Science]
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Home prices drop, consumers turn gloomier (Reuters)
NEW YORK (Reuters) ? Home prices fell more steeply than expected in November, and consumers turned less optimistic in January, highlighting the hurdles still facing the bumpy economic recovery.
After accelerating at its fastest pace in 1-1/2 years at the end of 2011, the U.S. economy is expected slow in early 2012.
The S&P/Case-Shiller composite index of single-family home prices in 20 metropolitan areas, released on Tuesday, declined 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, a bigger drop than the 0.5 percent economists expected.
The decrease added on to the 0.7 percent decline in October from September.
Separately, an index of consumer attitudes fell to 61.1 in January from 64.8 the month before, as Americans turned gloomy about the job market and income prospects, said the Conference Board, representing private companies.
The data frustrated expectations for an increase after sharp gains in consumer confidence in November and December.
"We are braced for a more bumpy picture over the next few months. A lot of expectations probably ran away or got a little too lofty coming into the end of the year," said Sean Incremona, economist at 4Cast Ltd in New York.
"We are still in a very modest recovery, and we do see consumption slowing this quarter, and data like this supports that picture."
Some improving housing data in late 2011 had raised hopes the recovery was finding its footing. But weaker numbers this month have underscored how lengthy the healing process will be.
"I'm absolutely of the opinion we've bottomed out. The debate now is whether the recovery begins, and I'm not sure that recovery is earnestly underway," said Eric Lascelles, chief economist at RBC Global Asset Management in Toronto.
"The reality is the housing market is so far from normal that it will take years to get back to its normal state. Similarly it will take a while before it really is contributing properly to economic growth."
U.S. housing prices have plunged by about a third from their peak before the financial crisis, and a combination of high unemployment, tight mortgage lending conditions and more foreclosures in the pipeline are holding back a recovery.
Would-be homeowners have also shied away and data from the Commerce Department on Tuesday showed the homeownership rate dipped in the fourth quarter to 66.0 percent from 66.3 percent.
Aside from the second quarter of 2011 when the rate was at 65.9 percent, homeownership is at its lowest level since the second quarter of 1998.
The day's disappointing data took Wall Street lower, undermining earlier optimism over a possible Greek debt deal.
Also weighing on the market was a report that showed business activity in the U.S. Midwest grew more slowly than expected in January - the index fell to 60.2 compared with a forecast of 63 - hurt by a weaker labor market.
A wider reading of the U.S. factory sector is due on Wednesday with the release of the Institute for Supply Management national manufacturing survey.
Last week, the Federal Reserve showed the extent of its concern about the uncertain U.S. economic recovery by signaling it would keep interest rates near zero for nearly three more years. That gloomy assessment was echoed on Tuesday by a Congressional Budget Office report that saw U.S. unemployment above 8 percent this year and in 2013.
Companies are feeling the pinch too. Growth expectations for
first-quarter earnings are declining sharply, due to worries about slowing growth and weak revenue trends at major U.S. firms, according to Thomson Reuters data.
A report released on Monday showed spending was flat in December as Americans focused more on saving.
Once a key pillar of the U.S. economy, Americans have taken a more frugal tack as many struggle with hefty debt burdens.
"With the global economy slowing and domestic fiscal policy a drag on growth, the wellbeing of the U.S. consumer is crucial to the recovery," Alistair Bentley, economist at TD Bank Group, wrote in a note.
"Today's number, coupled with yesterday's disappointing personal spending data, offers a reminder that underlying demand is still too soft to absorb the economy's excess slack."
On a seasonally adjusted basis, 17 of 20 cities racked up monthly home price declines, and average national prices were around levels seen in mid-2003, according to S&P/Case-Shiller.
Prices in the 20 cities also steepened their year-over-year decline, falling 3.7 percent compared to a 3.4 percent decline in October.
Last week, the Obama administration took steps to head off a new foreclosure crisis but critics and even some supporters said it was unlikely to prove much more successful than other government programs to date.
Some Federal Reserve officials have said the central bank should consider buying more mortgage-backed securities to help boost the struggling sector, though some economists question how effective that would be with borrowing costs already so low.
(Additional reporting by Chris Reese; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store (AP)
iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending Jan. 30, 2012:
Top Songs:
1. "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," Kelly Clarkson
2. "Set Fire to the Rain," ADELE
3. "Turn Me On (feat. Nicki Minaj)," Nicki Minaj, David Guetta
4. "Rack City," Tyga
5. "Young, Wild & Free (feat. Bruno Mars)," Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg
6. "Good Feeling," Flo Rida
7. "Domino," Jessie J
8. "We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)," Rihanna
9. "International Love (feat. Chris Brown)," Pitbull
10. "Sexy and I Know It," LMFAO
___
Top Albums:
1. "21", ADELE
2. "Human Again," Ingrid Michaelson
3. "Emotional Traffic," Tim McGraw
4. "Resolution," Lamb of God
5. "Where I Find You," Kari Jobe
6. "Take Care," Drake
7. "Bangarang," Skrillex
8. "Soul 2," Seal
9. "El Camino," The Black Keys
10. "Sigh No More," Mumford & Sons
___
(copyright) 2012 Apple, Inc.
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China boosts police presence in restless Xinjiang (AP)
BEIJING ? Thousands of additional police officers are being dispatched to combat religious extremism and other security concerns in China's volatile, heavily Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang, state media reported Monday.
Officials plan to recruit 8,000 officers to ensure every village in Xinjiang has at least one on patrol, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Their primary tasks will be "security patrols, management of the migrant population and cracking down on illegal religious activities," it said. The officers will be joined in their tasks by security guards and local militia, who are typically unarmed, Xinhua said.
The beefing up of the police force is a sign of Beijing's concern over unrest in Xinjiang, where long-simmering resentment against Chinese rule boiled over in 2009, when nearly 200 people were killed in fighting between native Uighurs and Han Chinese in the regional capital, Urumqi, according to the government.
Dozens have been killed or wounded in recent months, and authorities have increasingly relied on overwhelming force and heavy-handed policing to control the situation. China has blamed overseas activists for what it described as organized terrorist attacks, specifically Pakistan-based militants affiliated with al-Qaida.
Violence has also worsened in Tibetan areas to the south, following the self-immolations of Buddhist monks, nuns and former clergy. Police have fired into crowds of protesters, killing and wounding dozens, while barring outsiders from traveling to the area.
Xinjiang regional spokeswoman Hou Hanmin confirmed to The Associated Press that the 8,000 officers were being recruited under a "one village, one officer" campaign. She said their main job would be to improve public services.
The deployment also appears aimed at avoiding a Xinjiang crisis during a year that will see the start of a generational leadership transition in Beijing.
Leading Xinjiang security official Xiong Xuanguo pledged earlier this month to strictly guard against "violent terrorism" and create a "harmonious social environment" ahead of the ruling Communist Party's national congress due this fall, an event held once every five years.
"Local authorities must further improve their capabilities for maintaining social stability and amplify the crackdown on religious extremist activities," Xiong said.
As with Tibetans, Xinjiang's Uighurs have been angered by restrictions on cultural and religious life, as well as an influx of Han migrants they feel has left them economically marginalized in their own homelands.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
WATCH: David Beckham Strips Down for Sexy Super Bowl Ad
We know you're already planning to watch the Super Bowl, but here's some extra motivation: David Beckham stripping down in your living room! The 36-year-old soccer star and fashion icon shows off his famous body in this short but memorable teaser for a new ad, set to air during the big game. Watch the video below!
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