Hair attacks force Ohio Amish to seek outside help

Leaders within Ohio's Amish community faced a soul-searching question after what they say were hair-cutting attacks against several followers of their faith. Should they cooperate with authorities or adhere to their beliefs of forgiving one another and keeping disputes private?

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In the end, church bishops decided to seek help from the outside.

"They didn't feel they could get it stopped any other way," said Timothy Zimmerly, a sheriff in Holmes County where authorities say an Amish bishop and his son were held down while men from a breakaway Amish group used scissors and a clipper to cut their beards.

Five men were arrested and accused of cutting the hair of several people, offensive acts to the Amish, who believe the Bible instructs women to let their hair grow long and men to grow beards and stop shaving once they marry.

While the attacks in recent weeks might seem bizarre to outsiders, they have struck at the core of the Amish identity and tested their principles. They strongly believe that they must be forgiving in order for God to forgive them. Often that means handing out their own punishment and not reporting crimes to law enforcement.

One couple refused to press charges even after acknowledging that their two sons and another man came into their house last month, held them down, and cut the father's beard and the mother's hair.

The husband and wife who live near the village of Mesopotamia didn't report the attack and only talked after authorities said they had received a tip, said Trumbull County sheriff Thomas Altiere.

"They want to turn the other cheek, let God take care of it," said Altiere, who lacked enough evidence on his own to make an arrest.

'Not for revenge'
The wife of an Amish bishop who said her husband's beard was cut by members of the same splinter group last week said they decided to press charges so that his attackers would get help and to prevent anyone else from getting hurt.

"This is not for revenge," said Arlene Miller, who recounted how several men came to their farmhouse near Carrollton in eastern Ohio and tried to get at her husband's beard while he struggled with them.

"We don't believe in fighting," she said. "We do believe in turning the other cheek, but in this case there's nothing wrong with struggling to get away."

Two of those arrested a week ago are the sons of the breakaway group's leader, Sam Mullet. He has denied ordering the beard-cuttings but says they were in response to criticism he has received from other Amish religious leaders about his leadership practices, including excommunicating people in his own group.

He lashed out at those who asked law enforcement to get involved.

"One thing for sure is, I'm not calling the law in against one of the other Amish people or against you people," Mullet said at his farm outside Bergholz, a village where he established his community in 1995. "I don't do that. I have no right to call the sheriff to defend myself."

Ohio's Amish communities are centered in rural counties south and east of Cleveland. They have a modest lifestyle and are deeply religious. Their traditions of traveling by horse and buggy and forgoing most modern conveniences distance themselves from the outside world and symbolize a yielding to a collective order.

While it's uncommon for the Amish to take their disputes public and enlist authorities, there is no central authority to decide so it usually falls to the church leaders or those involved.

Culture of forgiveness
This year, members of Amish communities in Ohio who federal prosecutors say lost millions in an investment deal operated by a fellow Amish man asked a judge to let them settle the matter out of court. The judge rejected the request.

Authorities in Missouri prosecuted an Amish man a year ago on sexual assault charges after Amish family members of the victims and bishops came to authorities. The prosecution of an Amish individual was very rare in the rural county, said prosecuting attorney Mark Fisher.

"If it weren't for Amish coming forward, we would not even have known about it," he said.

It's more typical for police to get involved if the Amish feel they are in danger or when they're involved in a high-profile crime and have no other choice, said David Weaver-Zercher, a professor of American religious history at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.

He co-wrote a book, "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy," after a gunman shot 10 schoolgirls, killing five, inside a one-room schoolhouse five years ago in Nickel Mines, Pa.

The Amish were widely praised for their immediate forgiveness after the shooting and reaching out to comfort the gunman's widow.

Interacting with police after the shooting changed some perceptions among the Amish about dealing with law enforcement and created friendships that continue, Weaver-Zercher said.

"Many people gained an increase level of regard or comfort after what happened," he said. "There's often cases where Amish people become close to authorities, and in some ways those walls are lowered."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44915054/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Chris Weigant: Friday Talking Points -- I Am A 99 Percenter

The Occupy Wall Street protest continues. So far, its staying power has surprised and enthused a large swath of America, and surprised and bemused much of the media. Solidarity "Occupy" protests have sprung up all across the land, for those without the means to travel to the main one in New York. This is all very encouraging, to say the least.

Lest I be misinterpreted, allow me to state up front that I have not participated in Occupy Wall Street, and therefore have no real right to make any sort of suggestion to the protesters. They have already been inundated with suggestions about what they should focus their protest on, by people who (like me) haven't been to Zuccotti Park. And I can certainly understand why the people camping out would get a little resentful at such outside interference in their protest aims. Also, allow me to state that I am not trying to co-opt their energy in any way at all (there have been plenty of others trying to do so, I realize).

But, having said all of that, I'm going to make a suggestion anyway, on one particular facet of the movement: its name. Because I truly think that if the protest wants to grow and expand into a forceful movement for change, it should consider a bit of rebranding.

My suggestion is actually a mild and unoriginal one: start calling yourselves "99 Percenters." Use this term constantly when addressing the media, and they will soon catch on and start using it as well. This will help facilitate exponential growth of the movement, and the continuation of the cause beyond one demonstration in lower Manhattan.

Allow me to explain my reasoning. In the first place, it is currently hard to easily personify the protesters themselves. Are they "Occupy Wall Streeters"? Or the more generic "Occupiers"? The most technically-correct would be "the Occupy Wall Street protesters," but that is quite a mouthful for the media to use in every sentence. The only real alternative is to use the acronym, but "OWS-ers" doesn't exactly have any kind of ring to it, either.

From a sheer branding perspective alone, "Occupy Wall Street" has two problems. The first is geographic in nature. For the sister protests springing up organically in other cities, they have a choice of something like: "Occupy Wall Street Albuquerque," or perhaps the more concise: "Occupy Topeka" (both of these were mere random geographic examples, I should mention, as I have no idea if such groups exist in these towns, and don't wish to cause any offense one way or the other). Either way, the brand gets diluted. You are left with one thread tying them together -- the word "Occupy" -- which is the second problem. Occupy is a pretty negative word, when you get right down to it. It is vaguely threatening, and might explain why the media has bought into the "hostage" scenario, by asking for "your list of demands" from the protesters. Remember the Bush administration vehemently denying America was "occupying" Iraq? There's a reason they fought back against this term -- because of its negative connotations.

"But Chris," you say, "the protesters want to have this negative connotation -- that's why they chose the term in the first place!" Which is a good and valid point, I have to admit. But that's when you have to examine closely what the overall goal of the protest is. If it is merely an attempt at street theater, to get America to think hard about the role of Wall Street in all of our lives, then this works just fine. But where does it end? What is such a protest's ultimate goal? This is where the lack of focus comes into play. Think about it -- the protesters are saying, in essence, "We are going to stay here until you change the way things are," but they are also saying at the same time, "We are not going to tell you exactly what has to change in order to convince us to stop protesting." But this seems to cross the border into protesting-for-protesting's-sake. If the goal remains completely undefined, then you can never claim any sort of victory whatsoever, in other words -- because there will always be something about Wall Street which will continue to annoy. No matter how successful the protests ultimately are in getting anything tangible changed, there will always be a further reason to continue the protest. Call it a "perpetual motion" protest, if you will -- because it will always regenerate the energy to continue, even if large changes are actually made as a result of the protest.

Which is why I'm suggesting slightly altering the brand itself. Feel free to call it crass capitalistic media manipulation if you will -- but that's kind of what we do here at this column, so you'll just have to excuse the overtones of terms like "branding."

I've said before (and I will continue to say) that the slogan "We are the 99 percent" is one of the most brilliant political slogans I have ever heard. It truly is a masterpiece. Who, after all, is going to self-identify with the other side in that debate? Politicians -- even Republican ones -- have already realized that "Well, I'm going to stand with the one percent" is not exactly a winning position to take. As a standalone bit of sloganeering, it is both brilliant and beautiful at the same time.

This is where the protest-versus-movement question can be solved, at least in my humble opinion. Because by self-identifying as a "99 Percenter" it widens the perspective to the point where anyone can join in support, whether they've been to an "Occupy" protest or not. It allows for instant expansion to every American who agrees with the purpose of the demonstrations. And it allows for a movement that can have larger goals than just occupying one piece of ground for as long as humanly possible.

The two terms are not at all incompatible, it bears pointing out. One can be a "99 Percenter" and an "Occupier" at the same time, because on the level of the people at the protests, they can truly be interchangeable. But for all the people who can't "Occupy Wall Street" with you, it shows inclusiveness to a much wider audience -- a base of support that can run into the millions. By giving the long-distance supporters a proud title as well, you open up the movement to massive growth from everyone. Well, at least 99 percent of everyone, I should say. "I am a 99 Percenter" can be proudly said by anyone, anywhere. To a pollster on the telephone, for instance. It resonates because the "I am" part of that statement isn't open to question (in the way that "I am an Occupy Wall Street protester" would come down to whether you actually were in Zuccotti Park or not). Whether you've been to a rally or not, to put it another way, you can still honestly proclaim: "I am a 99 Percenter!" It also makes for a much easier logo. Wearing a button with a simple "99%" on it can easily become shorthand for "I am a 99 Percenter." The collective term can even be later shortened to the much-snappier "99-er" -- which dovetails nicely with another group, the folks who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.

Being a 99 Percenter means the movement can have just as long a future as it needs. There is no closure on the situation of being a 99 Percenter, because no matter what the politicians do in support or against the movement's goals, there will still remain a 99 Percent at the end of the day. It is just as self-perpetuating -- but it is not dependent upon that one piece of ground at the same time.

Since the movement itself is as decentralized as possible, what this means is that it is free to interpretation by anyone. The protesters have so far been all-inclusive and open to ideas from all and sundry. So, all by myself, I am going to start calling the protesters the "99 Percenters" in the hopes that it catches on. I would love to see the spokespersons for the demonstrators start using this term themselves, as I truly think the media would latch onto it in a big way, given half a chance. They're already having problems with the correctness of "Occupy Wall Streeters" versus "Occupiers" so with a small nudge from the protesters themselves, they will quickly adopt the "99 Percenter" label. Doing so would do a number of things at the same time: it would give the media a snappier term to use, it would differentiate between one protest in New York and the movement at large, it would allow for inclusiveness on the millions who sympathize with the movement but can't make it to a protest, and it would allow the movement to continue in a much wider fashion if-and-when the very rich folks who own the park decide they've had enough, and that it's time to kick the protesters out. It would make the movement more mobile, and give it room to grow in the future and expand on the central theme of the Occupy Wall Street protest, without being tied to one spot of land.

I am not currently occupying Wall Street. But I am a 99 Percenter. See how easy this works?

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Most Impressive Democrat of the Week

Every so often here, we are impressed by an entity which is not exactly a person. Sometimes, they're not exactly Democrats, either. Since we arbitrarily make these rules, however, we always reserve the right to ignore them at will, and just hand an award out to whomever we feel like. This is one of those times.

For the first time ever, we are have created a Most Impressive Progressive Corporation Of The Week award, for a corporate entity (we refuse to say "corporate person," for what should be obvious reasons). While we have handed out a disappointing MDPCOTW award previously, in [FTP?119], this is the first time we've had to create one on the "impressive" side.

Our very first MIPCOTW award goes to none other than the Ben & Jerry's ice cream company. This week, Ben & Jerry's released a statement of support for Occupy Wall Street, and today they reportedly handed out some free ice cream to the 99 Percenters in New York. The Ben & Jerry's board of directors posted a message of support on their company website which clearly shows that they "get it" about the protests:

We know the media will either ignore you or frame the issue as to who may be getting pepper sprayed rather than addressing the despair and hardships borne by so many, or accurately conveying what this movement is about. All this goes on while corporate profits continue to soar and millionaires whine about paying a bit more in taxes. And we have not even mentioned the environment.

We know that words are relatively easy but we wanted to act quickly to demonstrate our support. As a board and as a company we have actively been involved with these issues for years but your efforts have put them out front in a way we have not been able to do. We have provided support to citizens' efforts to rein in corporate money in politics, we pay a livable wage to our employees, we directly support family farms and we are working to source fairly traded ingredients for all our products. But we realize that Occupy Wall Street is calling for systemic change. We support this call to action and are honored to join you in this call to take back our nation and democracy.

They even include a list of the protesters' goals which is as succinct and far-reaching as any I've seen yet. The whole statement is worth reading, for an example of how a corporate entity should act in this day and age.

Stepping up to the plate in such an admirable fashion (not to mention the free ice cream), we salute Ben & Jerry's this week, with our first-ever Most Impressive Progressive Corporation Of The Week award. Keep up the good work, guys!

[Congratulate the Ben & Jerry's corporation on their official company contact page, to let them know you appreciate their efforts.]

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Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week

We have two Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week awards to hand out this week. Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana both voted with every single Republican in the Senate this week not to proceed on debate on President Obama's American Jobs Act.

This was not a final vote on the bill itself, it was merely a show of strength against Republicans. It was destined to fail anyway, because no Republican was going to vote for it. Even if it had been a final vote, and even if it was going to somehow succeed, the bill would never have even gotten a vote in the Republican House at all. Meaning the entire issue was one of politics.

And, even on a party-line political vote, two Democrats broke ranks. That, in a 53-47 Senate, is highly disappointing.

The final vote was actually only 50-49, because Harry Reid had to switch his vote to "Nay" to keep the bill alive for future tinkering. If Reid hadn't extended the floor voting and held it open longer than usual, one errant Democratic senator wouldn't have gotten the chance to vote (as she was busy accepting an award, instead of doing her job). In other words, it was always going to be close. But two Democrats voted to continue debate even though they didn't fully support the bill -- to show party unity.

Unfortunately, two didn't. Which means we'll be sending out two MDDOTW awards this week, to Senators Nelson and Tester. Thanks for nothing, guys.

[Contact Senator Ben Nelson on his Senate contact page, and Senator Jon Tester on his Senate contact page, to let them know what you think of their actions.]

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Friday Talking Points

Volume 185 (10/14/11)

This week, we're going to turn our talking points over to Bob Cesca, because the column he wrote yesterday had seven beautiful points to make on the failure of the American Jobs Act. But we'll get to that in a moment.

Before we get there, I'd just like to take this time to point out to the 99 Percenters that there are no shortage of current and specific political issues which could use some active support. Democratic politicians are notoriously bad at pushing this sort of thing, which is why they could use your help. If Democratic politicians were better at this stuff, we wouldn't have to write one of these columns every week, after all.

The issue that dovetails perfectly with the 99 Percent movement at the current moment would have to be breaking the logjam over getting President Obama's choice to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau confirmed by the Senate. The Republicans are on record stating that they won't vote for anyone for this job, because they hate the fact that the job -- and the bureau -- even exist. This is tailor-made for the theme of Occupy Wall Street. It is crystal-clear: how can anyone be against protecting consumers from Wall Street? Pick up the ball and run with it! Demand an up-or-down vote!

Or perhaps the news that the Republicans in the House just passed a bill which the Environmental Protection Agency estimates will cause 20,000 deaths -- all so corporations can pollute the air without the "onerous government regulations on their backs." This is a 99 Percenter issue if ever there was one -- either you're on the side of the corporations, or you're for saving 20,000 lives. That's a pretty stark difference, and one that's easy for everyone to understand. So where is the specific outrage over H.R. 2550?

And, finally, the American Jobs Act. While not perfect (no bill is), as you can see from Bob Cesca's points below, you are either on the side of the 99 Percent, or you are for filibustering the idea of trying to make things better. Which side are you on?

I'm not trying to limit the scope of the 99 Percent movement, mind you. I'm trying to expand it, by addition. But I realize this is touchy ground to tread within the movement, so I'll just shut up about it, and continue on with Cesca's talking points.

[I should note, before we begin, that I have not contacted Bob Cesca about this homage to his column (which sounds so much better than "ripping his column off," don't you think?), and sincerely hope he won't take offense. I thought his column was brilliant and forceful -- the whole thing is well worth reading -- and he came up with much snappier talking points that I usually manage here. Also, his have links embedded in the talking points, with more information for those interested. Bob, if you have any problem with this in any way, contact me via my website and let me know. All the introductory comments below are mine, and all the text of the talking points are Cesca's.]

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1
???GOP filibusters deficit reduction

Cesca leads into his list of talking points with the question: "What would the American Jobs Act have accomplished?" The answers are things Republicans are usually on the record as supporting -- when Obama doesn't suggest them, that is. The first of these is the current Holy Grail in RepublicanLand, deficit reduction.

The bill would have reduced the deficit by $6 billion over ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Republicans filibustered deficit reduction.

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2
???GOP filibusters two million new jobs

This figure needs to be repeated over and over again: "nearly two million jobs." This defines the debate more than even the name of the bill itself. Which side are you on, in the jobs debate?

The bill would have created nearly two million new jobs. The Republicans filibustered the creation of two million new jobs.

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3
???GOP filibusters America's economic growth

Another supposedly-holy Republican goal: growth. You're either for growth, or you're for a double-dip recession.

The bill would have increased the gross domestic product (GDP) by two points. The Republicans filibustered increasing the GDP.

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4
???GOP filibusters a business tax cut

Yet again, an idea Republicans usually support in knee-jerk fashion: lowering taxes (especially business taxes).

The bill would have cut taxes for 98 percent of businesses. The Republicans filibustered a tax cut for businesses.

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5
???GOP filibusters helping the troops

This one is just odious. You either support the troops, or you don't. Republicans like to loudly proclaim such support, but when it comes to voting for it, they are often absent-without-leave. Democrats need to make this a bigger deal than they normally do.

The bill would have offered a tax credit for military veterans returning from war. The Republicans filibustered a tax credit for the troops.

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6
???GOP filibusters reducing unemployment

This one is an easy answer every time the unemployment rate comes up for discussion, from this point on.

The bill would have reduced unemployment by a full percentage point. The Republicans filibustered a reduction in unemployment.

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7
???GOP filibusters fiscal responsibility

This one is a harder case to make, because Republicans haven't supported such a concept since the days of Ronald Reagan (a fact which would cause most Republicans' heads to explode today, were they forced to confront it). But the effort should be made nonetheless -- Republicans are against fiscal responsibility.

The bill would have been paid for by a 5.6 percent surtax on millionaires -- a surtax that, again, a majority of Republican voters support. The Republicans filibustered paying for the bill.

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Chris Weigant blogs at:
ChrisWeigant.com

Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
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Full archives of FTP columns: FridayTalkingPoints.com
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/friday-talking-points-185_b_1011848.html

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Russia's Medvedev rallies disappointed supporters (AP)

MOSCOW ? President Dmitry Medvedev urged supporters to stick with him despite his decision not to seek re-election, and insisted Saturday that Russia would eventually develop its own brand of democracy.

Medvedev announced last month that he was moving aside to let Vladimir Putin return to the presidency and would take over Putin's post as prime minister. The decision raises the possibility of a Putin presidency that lasts through 2024, and adds to fears that Putin will expand his authoritarian hold on the state.

Although Putin has remained the more powerful leader in the nominally No. 2 post, Medvedev's stint as president had given hope to some who want to see Russia develop into a modern, democratic country governed by the rule of law.

To reach out to those who were disappointed, Medvedev held a televised meeting with bloggers, cultural figures and others, including a decorated tank commander and steel worker.

"If I understand well, everyone who is gathered here wants to see our country change, wants our society and our state to be modernized, so in other words you are my supporters," he said.

The meeting appeared aimed at nailing down votes for Putin and Medvedev's party in December's parliamentary election and for Putin in the presidential election in March.

Medvedev said a victory in both was needed for Russia to move forward. Although Putin's victory is all but certain, the United Russia party has seen its ratings plummet and fears dipping below the two-thirds majority in parliament that gives it the power to amend the constitution.

Medvedev stressed his 20-year friendship with Putin, to whom he acknowledged he owed his political career, and again defended the decision for them to swap jobs. Putin has a higher popularity rating and "we are pragmatic politicians, not dreamers," Medvedev said.

Some of Putin's opponents, however, have welcomed his decision to reclaim the presidency, saying it destroyed any remaining illusions that Medvedev could break free from his mentor and lead Russia down a different path.

Medvedev on Saturday addressed the criticism that his promises to open up the political system, fight corruption and attract investment had remained just words, saying those goals could not be accomplished quickly.

He insisted that Russia remained committed to building a democratic system, but that it would not be a copy of democracy as practiced in the United States or other countries.

Prompted by words of gratitude from the steel worker in the audience, Medvedev criticized Russia's centralized system of power in which actions are taken only following a decision from the top. Dmitry Chervyakov told him that following their meeting in April, the trams in his industrial town now ran late enough to allow those working the second shift to get home and the steel mill's cafeteria also was open into the evening.

"To resolve a basic problem, like with the tram or cafeteria, you had to visit the president," Medvedev said. "That's how it is here, and the name of the president makes no difference, by the way. You have to go to the top for something to budge. We must try to destroy this system of decision-making."

Putin demonstrated this top-down control earlier in the day when he ordered the head of Russia's railways, Vladimir Yakunin, to travel to Siberia and sort out a shortage of rail cars for shipping coal.

"I hope that next time you won't wait to be told but will stay on top of the situation yourself and make the necessary decisions," Putin said during a televised meeting.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111015/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_medvedev

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A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world Friday:

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LONDON ? Stocks pushed higher Friday, as better than expected U.S. retail sales data and positive corporate news overshadowed fears from Europe's debt crisis.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares closed up 1.2 percent, while Germany's DAX 30 rose 0.9 percent. France's CAC 40 ended 1 percent higher.

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TOKYO ? In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 1.4 percent.

The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China slipped 0.3 percent

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BEIJING ? China has made one of its biggest-ever purchases of corn on overseas markets, buying 900,000 metric tons of U.S. corn, showing that growing Chinese demand will play an ever larger role in global grain prices.

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ROME ? Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi survived a confidence vote in Parliament, but his narrow majority raises doubts over his ability to govern effectively during his country's economic crisis.

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MADRID ? Spain is blaming its latest credit rating downgrade on financial turbulence in the wider eurozone.

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ATHENS, Greece ? Buses, metro trains, trams and taxis were not running in the Greek capital, snarling traffic as public transport workers walked off the job for a second day in an unrelenting barrage of protests against government austerity measures.

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SINGAPORE ? Singapore cut its 2011 GDP forecast and warned that economic growth may slow further next year, prompting the city-state to slow the appreciation of its currency in a bid to boost export competitiveness.

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NEW DELHI ? The leaders of India and Myanmar agreed Friday to expand cooperation in oil and gas exploration, open up border trade and speed up the construction of natural gas pipelines.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan ? An official says Taiwan is seeking to sign investment agreements with the U.S. and European Union to head off competition from South Korea after its biggest trade competitor completed a free-trade deal with the U.S.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111014/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_countries_glance

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Emergency hearing set on Harrisburg filing (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? An emergency hearing on the bankruptcy filing by the city of Harrisburg was set for Monday after the city's mayor late on Thursday submitted a petition to have the filing dismissed.

Harrisburg filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy on Wednesday after a 4-3 vote by the City Council. Mayor Linda Thompson opposed the filing and has challenged its legality.

In Thursday's court documents, the mayor asserted the bankruptcy petition was invalid. The bankruptcy court granted the request for an emergency conference to address the matter and a hearing to dismiss the case. The mayor's petition said pleadings to the court would be filed shortly.

The hearing was set for 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

The filing has stirred up a host of conflicting views and debate about the legality of the council's move. Thompson has said she is "ashamed" of the council's behavior.

Pennsylvania's governor, Tom Corbett, has said the city would be better off if it agreed to a rescue plan under a state program for distressed cities, which has seen Philadelphia and other cities through crises.

The state filed on Friday its objection to Harrisburg's bankruptcy. The state said it did not dispute that the city faced "serious financial difficulties" but said state law prohibits a bankruptcy filing by the city.

Harrisburg's crisis has been a year in the making. The city of about 50,000 is hampered by $300 million in debt incurred from an expensive revamp of its incinerator and is struggling to fund key city services.

Harrisburg is one of a handful of municipalities that has flirted with bankruptcy in the wake of the recession of 2008 that devastated budgets in state and local communities. Some say it could become a touchstone for whether other cities will follow this path to extract concessions from creditors and others.

Mark Schwartz, an attorney for the city council, in an interview with Reuters Insider on Thursday, said the Chapter 9 filing was "absolutely" legal, rejecting charges from the mayor and Harrisburg's surrounding Dauphin County that the council did not have the authority for the filing.

City Controller Dan Miller told Reuters Insider that the filing was the right move for the debt-strapped city.

On Thursday, Charles Zwally, special council for Dauphin County, said the county was weighing its options, saying that "we don't believe that they are authorized to file."

Bond insurer Assured Guaranty also questioned the legality of the filing.

At the root of Harrisburg's troubles is a financing scheme used to fund a state-of-the-art renovation of its trash-burning plant that left the city deeply in debt.

The incinerator is owned by the Harrisburg Authority, a separate municipal entity, but the city and Dauphin County guarantee much of that debt.

In December 2010, with Harrisburg facing the prospect of bond defaults, deep service cuts, or worse, Pennsylvania officials put the city under its Act 47 law, which obliges faltering cities to implement plans to ward off Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filings.

In July, the City Council rejected a state-approved rescue plan, which called on the city to renegotiate labor deals, cut jobs, and sell or lease the city's major assets -- its parking garages and the incinerator. In August, the council again rejected a similar plan.

(Reporting by Chip Barnett, David Gaffen and Edith Honan in New York, Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware, and Jessica Hall in Harrisburg; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111014/us_nm/us_harrisburg_mayor_bankruptcy

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Get A lot additional Details About Pest Control London
The bustling city of London, the biggest in England, has just about 8 million residents within the city center alone, and over 12 million within the metro place. With such a considerable human population comes the inevitable pest population, which thrives amongst its human hosts. These pests trigger property harm, are a nuisance and pose health hazards. Totally nothing at all is quite a bit more vital for human safety and wellness than appropriately managed pest control remedies.

For pest control London, it may be critical to extremely very first know your enemies, each hidden and out within the open. In common, you name it, and London has it. There?s a cause why indicators all through London?s tubes warn individuals not to feed the pigeons ? they are flying rats, which carry illnesses. Then, obviously, you?ll find mice and rats, which result in home harm and spread condition. Insects abound, very a number of of that are wellness hazards, like cockroaches, fleas, bedbugs, carpet beetles and mites. Pest control London ought to mitigate these nuisance pests.

The primary step in pest control London is normally to quit infestations. The reality is, this could be extremely tough. Most property owners tend not to understand that they?ve a challenge right up until it definitely is full-blown, and by then, it may be time to extinguish pests and appear to future methods of control. Uncomplicated, prophylactic pest control London tactics are very very best for household insects and rodents, and take away their food sources. Retaining counters clean and food-stuffs in sealed, airtight containers is typically an outstanding thought for pest control London. But, this will not operate for fleas, bedbugs, mites and textile pests. When you may be infested, it is time to call in authorities.

Professionals in pest control London know their enemies, why they may be there, how you can learn them, how it is possible to eradicate them and the approach to avert future infestations. Any skilled ought to be a member with the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), and genuinely really should be able to give you, the client, in depth plans of attack, job estimates in addition to testimonials from shoppers. This really is how you know that your pest control London skilled can get the job completed, and do it suitable.

Pest control London

specialists will scour your residence and home for tell-tale signs of infestation. As an example, a superb pest control London skilled will find indicators of rats and mice, and their entry-paths to your house. They?re going to then seal tiny holes and give advice on the way to seal bigger holes. Pest control London specialists understand that rodents breed, and will present up to 4 poison bait remedies, above 4-6 weeks. This eliminates existing infestations and controls long term ones.

There is certainly no doubt that distinct insecticides, typically sprayed in to the air, are toxic. The top rated pest control London pros use reduced effect, high kill-rate, poisons, and also use organic pesticides anytime doable. They frequently let the client opt for which they would like to be sprayed in their property or workplace. Pest control London is about protecting one?s environment, not substituting one particular harm for a distinct.

With human populations come pests. It?s inevitable.
Pest control London is important to control these animal and insect nuisances, and make safer and healthier living and functioning environments. Pest control London is critical towards the city and your nicely becoming and safety.

The article creator had been in the Pest Control London industry for over 25 years. The writer now makes use of the services of Terminex Ltd on a regular basis when dealing with insect difficulties in their business properties within london.

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Source: http://webmasterarticles.net/london-pests-and-how-to-deal-with-them/

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Keith Urban takes flight with Phoenix, Faith and family (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Keith Urban is in the middle of his Get Closer 2011 World Tour, but that didn't stop him from taking a most unusual step for a country singer -- launching a new fragrance for men, Phoenix by Keith Urban.

The singer took some time to talk to Reuters about the cologne, his two kids with wife Nicole Kidman -- Sunday and Faith -- and why you'll likely never see him act in movies.

Q: What made you decide to create a cologne?

A: "I grew up with a father that had a real appreciation for specific things -- certain leathers and fabrics and the way they felt, the way they smelled. It's inherent in what I do musically because I'm very particular about the way I write songs and put a tune together. So the cologne was an organic extension of that creativity. I loved the process of creating it because it was almost like a self-discovery thing."

Q: How so?

A: "I'm a romantic at heart and there's certain woods and leathers and fragrances I love because they make me feel a certain way. I'd never really stopped to think about the way something made me feel. I started thinking about why I choose one smell over another. The process opened me up a lot."

Q: Why did you call it Phoenix?

A: "I have a tattoo on my forearm which is technically a thunderbird but most people think it's a phoenix. When I was thinking of a logo for the bottle, the name Phoenix seemed to be a right sounding name. I wanted something that was easy for people to say and especially comfortable for most men to say."

Q: Why not just use your own name?

A: "That was brought up and I said, 'no way.' Some poor guy is going to have a girl say, 'Oh you smell great, what are you wearing?' And the guy has to say 'I'm wearing Keith Urban.' (laughs) Phoenix is a nice name he can say instead."

Q: Did you enlist your wife's help in creating it?

A: "Oh yeah. Nic was very much involved. Even though I'm making a men's cologne, it's predominantly so that women would enjoy it. I wanted a female take on what this cologne was like, so of course I asked my wife. Good luck finding a guy that doesn't listen to his wife at the end of the day!" (laughs)

Q: Speaking of family, you welcomed a second daughter on December 28 last year. How is Faith doing and how is Sunday enjoying being a big sister?

A: "Faith is doing great and Sunday is as normal as it gets with regard to recognizing that there is this new entity in the house. We keep reminding Sunday she's got a very important job as a big sister. She's been taking to that and realizing that Faith really needs her to be her big sister."

Q: Was having more than one child always part of the plan?

A: "It felt very complete with Sunday and had she been the only girl we'd be thrilled. But it's nice that Sunday's got a sibling. Nic grew up with a sister and I grew up with a brother. There's something comforting for both Nic and I to know they've got each other."

Q: How do you balance work and family?

A: "I go out for three or four days and then come home for two or three days. It makes for an enormous amount of travel, but it means that I'm not gone for weeks at a time. It also means I don't have to have my family out on the road because it's not the ideal environment for a family. I prefer being able to go home to be with them."

Q: With mom and dad being performers, do you see any of those traits in the kids?

A: "Sunday sings all the time in the car. Her pitch is really good. She sings better than I did at 3-years-old! So whether that's a sign of someone that's got a good ear and loves singing or something deeper. I hope it is because we'd be thrilled if that's the path she wanted to take."

Q: Country stars like Tim McGraw also work in film, and you're married to a pretty good actress. Any plans for you to try your hand at acting?

A: "If I thought I would be good at it, I'd love to do it. But if I think I might suck at something, then I'm terrified to even attempt it. So that's the real answer. What I love about my job is I get to follow my creative vision all the way to the end. With actors, they can do some amazing scenes that never get used in the final film. That would drive me nuts as a creative person -- to not be able to follow through all the way to the end."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111013/music_nm/us_keithurban

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Guide To Natural Energy | AutoRoll - News and Society

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AutoRoll ? News and SocietyYour automated source for all things News and Society online. Home · About. Subscribe: Posts | Comments. Add. Guide To Natural Energy. Posted: October 12, 2011 at 4:02 am | Tags: energy, Homemade ...

Source: http://newsandsociety.therefinedgeek.com.au/index.php/2011/10/guide-to-natural-energy/

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