Thursday, December 27, 2012

Birdsong study pecks theory that music is uniquely human

Dec. 27, 2012 ? A bird listening to birdsong may experience some of the same emotions as a human listening to music, suggests a new study on white-throated sparrows, published in Frontiers of Evolutionary Neuroscience.

"We found that the same neural reward system is activated in female birds in the breeding state that are listening to male birdsong, and in people listening to music that they like," says Sarah Earp, who led the research as an undergraduate at Emory University.

For male birds listening to another male's song, it was a different story: They had an amygdala response that looks similar to that of people when they hear discordant, unpleasant music.

The study, co-authored by Emory neuroscientist Donna Maney, is the first to compare neural responses of listeners in the long-standing debate over whether birdsong is music.

"Scientists since the time of Darwin have wondered whether birdsong and music may serve similar purposes, or have the same evolutionary precursors," Earp notes. "But most attempts to compare the two have focused on the qualities of the sound themselves, such as melody and rhythm."

Earp's curiosity was sparked while an honors student at Emory, majoring in both neuroscience and music. She took "The Musical Brain" course developed by Paul Lennard, director of Emory's Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology program, which brought in guest lecturers from the fields of neuroscience and music.

"During one class, the guest speaker was a composer and he said that he thought that birdsong is like music, but Dr. Lennard thought it was not," Earp recalls. "It turned into this huge debate, and each of them seemed to define music differently. I thought it was interesting that you could take one question and have two conflicting answers that are both right, in a way, depending on your perspective and how you approach the question."

As a senior last year, Earp received a grant from the Scholars Program for Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research (SPINR), and a position in the lab of Maney, who uses songbirds as a model to study the neural basis of complex learned behavior.

When Earp proposed using the lab's data to investigate the birdsong-music debate, Maney thought it was a great idea. "Birdsong is a signal," Maney says. "And the definition of a signal is that it elicits a response in the receiver. Previous studies hadn't approached the question from that angle, and it's an important one."

Earp reviewed studies that mapped human neural responses to music through brain imaging.

She also analyzed data from the Maney lab on white-throated sparrows. The lab maps brain responses in the birds by measuring Egr-1, part of a major biochemical pathway activated in cells that are responding to a stimulus.

The study used Egr-1 as a marker to map and quantify neural responses in the mesolimbic reward system in male and female white-throated sparrows listening to a male bird's song. Some of the listening birds had been treated with hormones, to push them into the breeding state, while the control group had low levels of estradiol and testosterone.

During the non-breeding season, both sexes of sparrows use song to establish and maintain dominance in relationships. During the breeding season, however, a male singing to a female is almost certainly courting her, while a male singing to another male is challenging an interloper.

For the females in the breeding state every region of the mesolimbic reward pathway that has been reported to respond to music in humans, and that has a clear avian counterpart, responded to the male birdsong. Females in the non-breeding state, however, did not show a heightened response.

And the testosterone-treated males listening to another male sing showed an amygdala response, which may correlate to the amygdala response typical of humans listening to the kind of music used in the scary scenes of horror movies.

"The neural response to birdsong appears to depend on social context, which can be the case with humans as well," Earp says. "Both birdsong and music elicit responses not only in brain regions associated directly with reward, but also in interconnected regions that are thought to regulate emotion. That suggests that they both may activate evolutionarily ancient mechanisms that are necessary for reproduction and survival."

A major limitation of the study, Earp adds, is that many of the regions that respond to music in humans are cortical, and they do not have clear counterparts in birds. "Perhaps techniques will someday be developed to image neural responses in baleen whales, whose songs are both musical and learned, and whose brain anatomy is more easily compared with humans," she says.

Earp, who played the viola in the Emory orchestra and graduated last May, is now a medical student at the Cleveland Clinic.

So what music makes her brain light up? "Stravinsky's 'Firebird' suite," Earp says.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Emory University. The original article was written by Carol Clark.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Sarah E. Earp, Donna L. Maney. Birdsong: Is It Music to Their Ears? Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience, 2012; 4 DOI: 10.3389/fnevo.2012.00014

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/NQfpAL3gUUg/121227080110.htm

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Storm delays thousands of fliers; tips to get home

NEW YORK (AP) ? A massive winter storm is disrupting travel plans for fliers trying to get home after Christmas. Snow, thunderstorms, sleet, tornados and high winds have grounded planes in the nation's midsection and are expected to slow operations on the East Coast.

Delays racked up from Dallas to New York. By 9 a.m. Wednesday, more than 400 flights nationwide had been scrapped with more cancelations likely throughout the day.

Passengers are pretty much at the mercy of Mother Nature and the airlines. But there are a few things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.

? If you miss your connection, the airlines will automatically rebook you on the next available flight. However, with flights at near capacity, the next open seat could be several days away. Two years ago, some Christmas fliers had to wait nearly a week to get home.

? If you're unhappy with your rebooked flight, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. But also, pick up the phone and call the airline directly, go onto the airline's website and even consider sending a Tweet.

? Consider buying a one-day pass to the airline lounge. It's a nice place to relax away from the crowd and there are usually free drinks and small snacks. But the real secret to the lounges is that the airline staffs them with some of its best ? and friendliest ? ticket agents. The lines inside will be much shorter and these agents are magically able to find empty seats where nobody else can. One-day passes typically cost $50.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-delays-thousands-fliers-tips-home-150746546--finance.html

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Gmail phone calls remain free of charge in 2013 for US and Canada

Gmail phone calls remain free of charge in 2013 for US and Canada

It may be an expected holiday gift, but it's still a nice one: Google's VoIP service in Gmail will remain free of charge for calls within the United States and Canada in 2013. A note on the Gmail Blog announced as much today; the news ushers in a thrilling third year of free Google Voice service for US and Canadian customers, right through the standard Gmail interface. Of course, we prefer the retro-inspired phone booth that Google showed off back in 2010 when the service was first announced, but free is free. Now, what to get for the megacorporation that has everything. We're thinking ... Furby? Probably a Furby.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/26/gmail-google-voice-free-2013/

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7 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies

This is a guest post by Tim at HostPapa.

Social media gives businesses large and small an unprecedented opportunity to build community around their business. Learn to leverage these tools to maximum effect with these 7 advanced social media marketing strategies. Advanced strategies go a step (or several) beyond simply showing up in the social media sphere to introduce and then reinforce marketing messages that prompt users to take desired actions.

social-media-campaign

Photo Credit: Laurel Papworth and Gary Hayes on Flickr

#1 Defining Your SMM Philosophy

It?s incredible how many SMM managers will leap to advanced strategies before tackling the basics, which is why we?ve placed one of the fundamental and most overlooked basics of SMM first in this list of advanced SMM strategies.

Just as your business operates around a focused, defined mission, so too must your social media marketing revolve around a centralized SMM philosophy. To define this philosophy, take a look first at your market, your audience. Most often, this audience will actually be comprised of many smaller, sometimes overlapping market niches, or segments. Identify these segments and divide your audience accordingly, so that you may tailor your messages to each of these segments individually.

Next place yourself in empathy with each of these market segments, identifying each of their needs, desires, fears, hopes, dreams, etc. And ask yourself how you can add insight and promote action toward fulfilling their desires, abating their fears, and above all prompting action. Finally, make sure that your SMM philosophy authentically represents you and promotes honesty and transparency in all your SMM messages.

#2 Optimizing Platforms

Social media platforms are the different networks where social interaction occurs (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). The audiences for each of these platforms is different, as are the interfaces and the methods or types of interactions taking place on those platforms. This means your Facebook messages and your LinkedIn messages, for example, should not be the same, but rather custom tailored for maximum visibility and positive effect on each respective platform.

Once you post a message in social media, that?s not the end of it; on the contrary, your work on that message is only just beginning. Optimizing platforms means adapting your messages to best suit 1) each market segment, and 2) each social media platform. It also means staying on top of the performance of your messages. To accomplish this, determine your key performance indicators (KPI) for determining this positive effectiveness of your messages and then track each message accordingly. Likewise, track new and evolving platforms to see which ones could benefit you or your market.

#3 Refining Your Voice

You are not your business. And your business is not like every other business in your industry. That means the way that you speak about your business should be unique to your specific business. Your voice should reflect your mission and your SMM philosophy, and build rapport with your audience.

Start by listening to how your audience speaks and listens to each other. Then refine your voice to sound sweetest to their ears. Make sure the words you use, the syntax and cadences, are relevant to their expectations. And be consistent in how you present yourself.

Determine whether your business would best be served by utilizing a single voice or multiple voices. And minimize the amount of automated posting and cross-posting that you do in order to avoid sounding like a robot. Rather than being an evangelist for your business, try being a brand manager instead.

#4 Using Multimedia

When they say ?Content is King? they?re not kidding; but don?t fooled into believing that content is purely textual. An original, unique and high-value article based on your observations and analysis of goals and trends that incorporates relevant references is worth its weight in?kilobytes(??) But so is an equally stellar audio podcast, YouTube video, or Powerpoint presentation. Look at the near-instant popularity of the relatively recent arrival on the SMM scene ? Pinterest ? to see just what we mean. Truly, an image these days is worth 1,000 MB.

What to create multimedia about? Besides your products and services (360 degree images, tutorials, troubleshooters, etc.), you might also benefit from giving your audience insight into your company culture. Give a video tour of your office. Post photos of office events (and if you don?t have any office events, create some for just this purpose).

#5 Integrating Online & Offline Advertising

One of the greatest and most underused assets for online marketing is offline marketing. All too often, marketing managers segregate their online efforts from their offline efforts, and never the ?twain shall meet. But with social media comes an effortless way to merge these efforts seamlessly. Why? Because social media is all about community. And community building existed LONG before the advent of the Internet.

So how do you do this? Integrating online advertising with your offline advertising is as simple as including the URL for your blog or Facebook page, for example, to your print, radio and cable ads. You can even add incentives for people to visit those sites (see more on Incentivizing below). This provides what?s called ?social proof? for your business; that is, it shows people up front that you indeed have a sizable community surrounding your business already. People always want to hop aboard a hot, fast and forward-moving bandwagon, and this presents them with just that opportunity.

Consider that SMM isn?t all about making sales or conversions. Sure, that?s the ultimate goal, but perhaps not always the initial one. Wouldn?t it be even better than making a sale right now to get a new member to join your community first who then later on makes multiple sales?

#6 Incentivizing Messages

We just mentioned incentivizing your SMM efforts, so we might as well get into it next. By incentivizing we mean giving back to your customers as a Thank You for taking some sort of simple (usually free) action. A person may not be so quick to send you money for a product or service, but they may have no aversion to Liking your Facebook page, subscribing to your YouTube channel, Following you on Twitter, etc. Especially if they get a reward for it.

All these actions cost your audience nothing, and unlike in the rest of the consumer world, with incentivized SMM they actually can get something for nothing. What do we mean by incentives? Discounts on products and services or contest/raffle entries, to name just two.

Other actions you can incentivize in this manner include Sharing posts or articles, or even commenting on them. If you can manage to hit on the right incentive rightly presented at the right time, your incentive itself can go viral.

#7 Going Local

The Internet bestows all users with a global reach, but some of your best leads and business opportunities exist right in your own backyard (or front!). And the fact of the matter is, the Internet can help you reach out to those leads closest to you just as easily as it can help you reach across the planet.

What are your geographic demographics? Even if you don?t have a brick-and-mortar element of your business, that doesn?t mean you don?t still have specific geographic locales where your business is most relevant, most needed. Typically, this area is right where you run your business from: in the same area as your headquarters.

You already know to find groups, communities, forums and other such social networks online that are focused on your specific areas of expertise; now do the same for your specific geographic areas of influence. Join these communities, and if they don?t exist, consider starting your own. Discover the online directories that your competitors use and link yourself up with them too.

And if there is a brick-and-mortar component to your business, then make sure you?re listed as well in Google Maps and other popular mapping/GPS sites. Maximize your visibility on these sites by providing all your contact information and a direct link to your own website (or Facebook page, etc.).

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Insurance Scare Tactics

One of the most ill-advised promises President Obama made during the health care reform debate was this: ?If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.?

He should have known better. First, insurance companies and employers are far more in control of determining whether or not you can keep your health plan than the government. That was true before ObamaCare was passed, and it?s true today.

Second, ObamaCare will indeed mean that some health plans will no longer be available a year from now. That?s a good thing, despite what you?ll be hearing from companies that make huge profits selling inadequate coverage.

A few insurers have for years used slick brochures and sales pitches to persuade people to buy policies that will not come close to shielding them from financial ruin if they get sick or injured. ?Many people who have bought these policies undoubtedly believe they have a health plan worth keeping, especially since premiums for inadequate coverage are usually lower than premiums for real insurance. You can be certain that many of those folks will complain loudly when junk health insurance is banned in 2014 and, in so doing, become unwitting soldiers in the insurance industry?s ongoing battle to gut the consumer protections in ObamaCare.

Back to that first point for a moment. I remember shaking my head when I first heard the President assure me back in 2009 that I could keep my plan if I liked it. To deliver on that promise, the law would have to require employers and insurers to keep offering plans they want to get rid of, and that was never going to happen. A few years before I left my job in the insurance industry I was forced out of a plan I liked?a PPO?because my employer decided to stop offering PPOs to its workers and to move all of us into a high-deductible plan.

Now back to junk insurance. Starting in 2014, health insurance plans must offer a minimal level of coverage, and they cannot have sky-high deductibles and caps on covered benefits.? Big insurance companies like Aetna and Cigna are not at all happy about that because they make millions selling policies with very limited benefits that cover nothing after a paltry annual cap is reached.

To make us all want to petition Congress to change ObamaCare to allow them to keep selling these policies, insurance company executives have come up with a term to scare the bejesus out of us if they don?t get their way: premium shock.

At a meeting with Wall Street financial analysts a few days ago, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini used that term in his warning that in some cases, premium hikes could soon be ?as high as 100 percent.?

?Premium rate shock for 2014, absent subsidies and everything else, is going to be in the neighborhood of 20 to 50 percent,? Bertolini said. ?And we?re going to see some markets?go as high as 100 percent.?

Note Bertolini excluded subsidies from his math. If he hadn?t his arithmetic wouldn?t have had the same impact.? Most people who have bought limited benefit plans are low-income individuals and families who currently can?t afford anything else. Under ObamaCare, starting in 2014 people up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for subsidies from the government to help them buy decent coverage.

Some background: In 2005, Aetna paid $250 million for Strategic Resources Co., a company that specializes in limited benefit plans. I found one such Aetna plan online that pays no more than $10,000 a year for inpatient hospital care and doesn?t cover pre-existing conditions during the first year of the policy. Under ObamaCare, not only will annual caps be unlawful, but insurers will also no longer be able to refuse to cover preexisting conditions.

Not to be outdone, Cigna in 2006 paid $175 million to buy Star HRG to compete with Aetna in the limited-benefits marketplace. ?Aetna and Cigna and the other companies that sell limited benefit plans want to protect those investments. That?s why they want us to worry about premium shock.

They?re also using that term?and its cousin, rate shock?to get us to go to bat for them to get Congress to allow them to continue charging their older customers five times or more than what they charge their younger policyholders.? In 2014 they won?t be able to charge older folks more than three times as much as younger people.

As part of their ?premium shock? campaign, insurance executives and their allies will remind us of Obama?s 2009 promise, and they?ll blame any rate increases a year from now on ObamaCare. Some increases are inevitable, but in return we?ll be spared from paying good money for coverage that is anything but good.

Wendell is a Senior Analyst at The Center for Public Integrity where this first appeared on 12/24/2012.

Source: http://wendellpotter.com/2012/12/insurance-scare-tactics/

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23 Dec

I installed some speed reading apps and tested them. I?ve so far notices a few ?categories? or groups of equals:

  • One kind exists mostly from showing a text word by word in the middle of the screen. Showing each word a very short time and so you can read at a high wpm because you never need to move your eyes.
  • Another kind is merely a speed reading article disguised as app.
  • Another kind is no speed reading app but just a reading app with a fancy name.
  • Yet another kind is training in the form of news/actually.
  • And the last kind is a training app, not for your own stuff but purely for training.

I only tested them quickly and unions talked the non-interesting. But they aren?t quite what I?m looking for. Maybe I should write one myself for training and guided reading.

This entry was posted in Other and tagged Android, Self Improvement, Speed Reading. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.tjenwellens.eu/other/speed-reading-apps-for-android/

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Monday, December 24, 2012

GLHFCasting ? Trustworthy Automobile Repairs

Visiting a shop for Automotive Experts is something everyone must have done from time to time and it is critically important that you use a place where you can find quality workmanship, reliable customer service, and affordable prices. Some people worry about going to a mechanic, as there are many places with a reputation for poor service and high prices. But there are many respectable repair shops who take this job seriously and are genuinely concerned about the safety and performance of your vehicle. These mechanics use the highest quality tools and are familiar with the procedures that find problem areas and fix them as efficiently as possible. They also focus on providing customer service and will make sure you understand what is happening to your car and the complete costs to you. Find your trusted auto repair shop today and you will never have to worry about fixing your car again. Transmission Rebuild Austin

Source: http://www.glhfcasting.com/trustworthy-automobile-repairs-3/

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Military Academy Sexual Assaults Mostly Go Unreported

WASHINGTON -- New details in a Pentagon report show that military academy students report just a fraction of the sexual assaults they say occurred in the past school year, signaling a continued reluctance by victims to seek criminal investigations.

As reported earlier this week, the report shows that reported sexual assaults at the nation's three military academies jumped by 23 percent overall this year. But officials say that at least some of the increase is the result of ongoing efforts to encourage military members and students to report unwelcome sexual contact.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a memo released Friday that he's concerned there hasn't been greater progress in preventing sexual assault and harassment at the academies. He has asked officials to beef up prevention programs.

According to an anonymous survey of academy students, more than 50 percent of women and 10 percent of men said they experienced sexual harassment during the last school year. At the same time, a bit more than 12 percent of women and 2 percent of men enrolled in the three military academies said they experienced "unwanted sexual contact."

Those percentages are largely the same as previous years, but they indicate that far more students experience either sexual harassment or assault than the 80 who reported it in the past year. There were 65 reported sexual assaults in the 2010-2011 academic year, and 41 the previous year.

Of the 80 reported assaults, 42 victims provided information to law enforcement or their commands for an investigation, while 38 accessed medical care and other services but declined to seek an investigation.

According to Maj. Gen. Gary Patton, director of the sexual assault prevention and response office, sexual assault "continues to be a persistent problem" at the academies. But he noted that based on the survey, as much as 84 percent of the crimes go unreported.

That number is a concern, he said, and noted that sexual assaults are a problem in society more broadly. Still, he said, the military must be held to a higher standard.

Of the cases investigated this year, just eight people have been sent to court martial. Five cases have been completed and four were convicted of at least one charge. Three cases are continuing. In some cases the person being investigated was not a member of the military and thus did not fall under the jurisdiction of the department.

The documents also show that cadets and midshipmen are three times as likely to be victims of assault as active-duty troops.

Navy officials expressed concerns that the data suggests there is the perception among some Naval Academy students that a culture persists that discourages the reporting of these crimes.

"I am disappointed that we have apparently not instilled in each and every midshipman the sense that being loyal to one another means first being loyal to the service and to the uniform," said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

Mabus said he has asked Navy leaders to take steps to "deglamorize the use of alcohol" and foster a command climate that is more conducive to the reporting of sex crimes.

Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group for military personnel who have been sexually assaulted, said the report shows a continuing need for changes in the command structure and the culture of the military.

"Victims are afraid to come forward because of the retaliation they face, including victim-blaming, isolation and bad performance reviews, to being kicked out with errant medical discharge like personality disorders," said the group's president, Nancy Parrish. "It's a shameful blight on our nation."

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, co-chairman of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, said that while the statistics are troubling, "the increased rate of reporting is in response to efforts combating this issue, both by leadership at the Defense Department, and by Congress." Those efforts, he said, will continue.

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Lawmakers look to restrict gun magazine capacity

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Lawmakers from both parties voiced their willingness Sunday to pursue some changes to the nation's gun laws, but adamant opposition from the National Rifle Association has made clear than any such effort will face significant obstacles.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre dismissed efforts to revive a ban on assault weapons as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies.

Democratic lawmakers in Congress have become more adamant about the need for stricter gun laws since the shooting of 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is promising to push for a renewal of expired legislation that banned certain weapons and limited the number of bullets a gun magazine could hold to 10.

"I think we ought to be looking at where the real danger is, like those large clips," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

"I think we need a comprehensive approach," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a longtime gun rights supporter. "I'll look at all the proposals. . I think it looks at mental health, I think it looks at protecting our schools but I also think it looks at these high-volume magazines, you know, that can fire off so many rounds."

Both lawmakers appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation," where NRA President David Keene said lawmakers were asking the wrong question when discussing how many rounds a gun magazine should have.

The right question, he said: "Can we keep guns out of the hands of people who are potential killers?"

LaPierre made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.

"You want one more law on top of 20,000 laws, when most of the federal gun laws we don't even enforce?" he said.

Instead, LaPierre reiterated the group's support for putting police officers in every school.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said he found the NRA's statements in recent days to be "really disheartening." Still, he said he agrees with some of the points the group has made about the causes behind violence in America.

"But it's obviously also true that the easy availability of guns, including military-style assault weapons, is a contributing factor, and you can't keep that off the table. I had hoped they'd come to the table and say, everything is on the table," Lieberman said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said LaPierre was "so extreme and so tone deaf" that he was making it easier to pass gun legislation.

"Look, he blames everything but guns: movies, the media, President Obama, gun-free school zones, you name it. And the video games, he blames them," Schumer said.

Lieberman said the NRA's stand on new gun rules means passing legislation next year won't happen easily.

"It's going to be a battle. But the president, I think, and vice president, are really ready to lead the fight," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-look-restrict-gun-magazine-capacity-082617451.html

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Foreclosures in Roselle IL - What's on the market now?

Roselle IL Foreclosures

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Once you have found a Roselle home that you are interested in, please give me a call for a showing appointment. I would love to be your 'buyers agent' representing only your interests on buying a Roselle foreclosure.

Source: http://realestateconsumerinfo.com/post/3562112/foreclosures-in-roselle-il-what-s-on-the-market-now-

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The Best Ideas You Should Look At When It Comes To These Loans

it never ever pleasurable to have bad credit, especially during rough financial intervals. Should you have bad credit therefore you are in need of a dollars progress even though, there exists this kind of a thing as being a bad credit payday financial loan ? factors just perform a little bit in a different way than they generally would. There was once a time when bad credit avoided persons from finding any sort of funding, but luckily for us points are transforming and folks like by yourself at the moment are in a position to obtain a payday personal loan when they have to have arises. There are many discrepancies price noting with regards to these loans.

Payday loans are hassle-free and creditors are lenient however, you spend the cost for the two of those. Interest rates and penalties over a bad credit might be by means of the roof if you don?t select cautiously. They believe that desperate folks will register with the financial loan without looking at the good print, however, you can confirm them completely wrong by looking through and locating out exactly what the expenses and rates are and purchasing all around to the ones that realistically match your spending plan and ability.

The explanation why they charge far more is to offset their possibility in lending to you personally, so by making very good on your personal loan you could possibly qualify on your own for greater payday bank loan premiums down the road. Should you have great credit, payday loans do not care if you function should they know they can get their money back. Bad credit income progress loan creditors typically contact and verify work, plus they may produce other specifications that they make phone calls to demonstrate at the same time. For most persons this is not easy to verify and if you happen to be considered one of these you?re a shoo-in for a bad credit payday loans.

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Source: http://www.juaab.org/457-the-best-ideas-you-should-look-at-when-it-comes-to-these-loans.html

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Video: Eep! Three more days to shop

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50280479/

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As Christmas nears, Obama and family fly to Hawaii for annual holiday vacation (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/272459397?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Movie Review: JACK REACHER - Assignment X Assignment X

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Contributing Writer

Posted: December 22nd, 2012 / 08:56 AM

Rating: PG-13
Stars:
Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo, Robert Duvall, Joseph Sikora, Jai Courtney
Writer:
Christopher McQuarrie, based on Lee Child?s novel ONE SHOT
Director:
Christopher McQuarrie
Distributor:
Paramount
Release Date:
December 21, 2012

As modern star-driven thrillers go, JACK REACHER is pretty good. Tom Cruise stars as the title character, a former military policeman who went off the grid after leaving the army, only to surface when a fellow former soldier is believed to have gone on a shooting rampage

The opening of JACK REACHER creates some stomach-churning tension, as it involves a sniper (Jai Courtney) shooting and killing five unconnected people. With great forensic expertise, Detective Emerson (David Oyelowo) finds tiny clues that point unerringly to ? the wrong man, Barr (Joseph Sikora). While being interrogated by Emerson and district attorney Rodin (Richard Jenkins), Barr writes on a piece of paper that they should get Jack Reacher.

Barr is soon in a coma, but Reacher arrives on the scene, having seen Barr?s arrest on the news. Reacher is not exactly a friend of Barr?s, but he winds up delving into the case nonetheless. Reacher and Barr?s idealistic attorney, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) ? yes, she?s the d.a.?s daughter ? find there?s much more to the situation that is originally apparent.

Most of the twists are intriguing and surprising, starting with the one concerning why Reacher is so interested in what Barr has or hasn?t done. As long as the movie is concerned with Reacher and Helen?s efforts to find out what?s really happened and why, we?re fairly engrossed. However, once the truth is known, JACK REACHER turns into a relatively standard action movie.

Director/writer Christopher McQuarrie (who penned the original screenplay for THE USUAL SUSPECTS), working from Lee Child?s novel ONE SHOT, does a crisp good job in the opening sequences and never lets the pace lag. For some reason ? and perhaps this is something mandated by forces above McQuarrie?s head ? there are a number of shots that have Reacher gazing meaningfully just past camera, and close-ups of Helen staring adoringly up at this mysterious, powerful stranger, to the point where this borders on self-parody. We can see that Reacher is a great investigator ? we don?t need it underscored, nor do we need to see the man savoring his own mythos.

There?s also a strangeness in the way Helen is presented. Even if the movie, along with Reacher?s character, doesn?t agree with what it is that defense attorneys do, surely Helen ought to be able to do a better job of articulating her own motives.

In other ways, though, JACK REACHER is pretty delightful. It?s hard to complain about a movie that gives Robert Duvall such a swell, fun supporting role or uses director Werner Herzog(!) as a scary bad guy. Jenkins and Oyelowo are both excellent.

The sniping scene at the top is unnervingly well done, and it?s book-ended by a less resonant, more exciting shootout. There?s fun action throughout and a solidly constructed puzzle to solve. It?s not great, but it?s sufficiently entertaining?as it goes.

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Westboro Baptist Church Web Security Provider To Donate Proceeds To Charity

Anonymous, in its continuing battle with ?God Hates Fags? group Westboro Baptist Church, has managed to convince the security provider who was protecting the church from online attacks to donate proceeds to charity.

The hacktivist collective attacked the anti-gay organisation after it said it would picket the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, preaching its anti-gay message to the grieving families of 20 children and six adults killed there last Friday.

Whilst certain hacktivists were able to leak details of Westboro Baptist Church members, and hack their Twitter accounts, Anonymous came up against solid protection of the group?s websites in the form of Black Lotus, a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection vendor.

Anonymous called on them to remove their protection, having organised a campaign against those providing services to Westboro Baptist Church.

But as tension grew between the two sides, Black Lotus offered an olive branch, saying it would donate all the proceeds it receives from the Westboro Baptist Church to charity. The money will be going to various groups supporting the Newtown community.

?Our social commitments shall be long term, some now and some later,? Black Lotus said over its Twitter feed. It said it was asking opinions on who to donate to before talking more publicly about the issue.

?[We] will give very serious consideration in ensuring that our donations have a strong impact,? Jeffrey Lyon, information systems security professional at Black Lotus, told Wikinews. The United Way organisation looks likely to receive donations from Black Lotus soon.

Anonymous has had a turbulent month. Yesterday, one of its key Twitter accounts, @YourAnonNews, was suspended from Twitter, with some reporting it was due to the battle with Westboro Baptist Church.

The account has hundreds of thousands of followers and is used to relay news to members of the hacktivist collective. Twitter told TechWeekEurope it would not comment on specific accounts.

When the account came back online, a tweet claimed Twitter had suspended @YourAnonNews for sharing personal information. It appeared the personal information that was shared belonged to Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokesperson of the Westboro Baptist Church, whose Twitter account was hacked earlier this week.

Are you a security pro??Try our quiz!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/eweekeurope/uk/~3/gXJqXO-vN08/story01.htm

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Friday, December 21, 2012

Michelle Obama Tells Newtown the Nation Is With Them

As the country watches the town of Newtown Conn. bury 26 of its residents, the First Lady Michelle Obama has words of comfort for the grieving community.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/michelle-obama-tells-newtown-country-holding-you-our-hearts/1-a-510444?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Amichelle-obama-tells-newtown-country-holding-you-our-hearts-510444

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Polaroid CEO: Android-powered interchangeable-lens camera will launch at CES

It looks like that Russian Polaroid social media advert may not be far-fetched, after all. In an email to Imaging Resource, Polaroid CEO Scott Hardy confirmed that "there will be an Android-powered, interchangeable-lens camera introduced by Polaroid at CES 2013." He didn't elaborate on specs, pricing or availability, but the earlier leak lists an 18-megapixel sensor, 3.5-inch touchscreen, 10-30mm lens and built-in WiFi -- all of which seem like reasonable inclusions for an entry-level mirrorless camera. The company's chief executive added that specifications would be confirmed at CES, at which point we'd also hope to see the new compact ILC in the flesh. The practicality of an Android-powered mirrorless model remains up for debate, but curious early adopters eager to open their wallets may now have but weeks to wait to add the world's first such device to their camera collection.

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Comments

Via: SlashGear

Source: Imaging Resource

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/20/polaroid-ceo-android-camera/

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Colombian lawmakers approve controversial tax reform

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's Congress gave the green light on Wednesday to a controversial bill that aims to streamline the country's complicated tax system but at the cost of reducing government tax receipts going forward.

Adjustments to President Juan Manuel Santos' tax proposal were seen as a bitter pill for his administration, which had wanted a reform that was revenue neutral for Latin America's fourth-largest economy.

To get the tax reforms passed, Santos' government was forced to call extra sessions of Congress and the president interrupted regular television programming twice in the last month to explain the reform to Colombians.

Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas said that modifications to the original government bill would cut annual tax collections by about $280 million.

Despite the changes introduced by lawmakers, the government welcomed the bill's passage.

"This reform will allow us to stop being one of the most unequal countries on this continent ... it's a reform that will allow Colombia to move formal employment generation forward," Cardenas said after the reform was approved.

"There'll be a reduction (of tax receipts), that is the cost of the reform, but we believe that it's a cost that's worth incurring because there are big benefits."

Much of the specifics of how the new law will turn out are still up in the air since the Senate and House must now reconcile their texts before it goes to Santos to sign into law.

Santos' government said the original bill's purpose was not to change the amount of revenue the state takes in, but to simplify taxes.

Critics said that the reform did not go far enough and that large corporations should pay more taxes to help fund social spending and reduce inequality in the Andean country.

"The more I think about it, the more sure I am that Santos is imposing the worst tax reform in the history of Colombia. None had dared to something as plutocratic," leftist Senator Jorge Robledo said in a message on Twitter.

The bill is part of a range reforms pushed through Congress since Santos came to power in 2010, including a fiscal rule to make it a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget and a change to the way oil and mining revenues are distributed.

Colombia is attracting record investment inflows, its economy is expanding strongly and tax receipts are at historic highs thanks to a U.S.-backed military offensive against leftist guerrillas and drug gangs.

But it remains one of the countries in the region with the greatest social and economic inequalities.

(Reporting by Carlos Vargas, Nelson Bocanegra and Jack Kimball; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colombian-lawmakers-approve-controversial-tax-reform-034707484--sector.html

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Radio IP Announces Android Support on Enterprise Mobile VPN ...

Montreal, QC ?Radio IP Software Inc., a leading developer of advanced Mobile Virtual Private Network (MVPN) software solutions, announced today support for Android applications and devices on its enterprise mobile VPN solution.? The industry?s only mobile VPN built on open Mobile IP and IPsec standards, Radio IP?s enterprise mobile VPN solution goes beyond traditional wireline VPN software offerings to provide uninterrupted data and voice connectivity for Android or Windows smartphones, PDAs, laptops and tablets operating over wireless IP networks.

As the BYOD (bring your own device) trend continues to gain footing and wireless broadband technologies such as 4G LTE and WiMAX become more ubiquitous, IT administrators must provide quick, reliable and secure access to critical voice and data applications whether employees are roaming between floors, working from a public access network, driving to a different office location, or working from home.? Radio IP?s enterprise mobile VPN is a device-agnostic solution that enables transparent roaming between wireless IP networks without interrupting application sessions, and leverages industry-leading security policies, encryption and authentication to control access to network resources.? Comprehensive Network Access Control (NAC) allows Administrators to control guest access to network resources, and use of the industry?s highest FIPS 140-2 AES, 256 bit encryption standard and 2-factor authentication ensures the highest level of device and user verification and authentication.

?Support for Android-based devices and applications is no longer a luxury,? said Frank Draper, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Radio IP. ?The growing mobility of workforces in the corporate world is not slowing down, and more and more employees want to use their own personal devices.? Radio IP?s enterprise mobile VPN solution gives IT Administrators the ability to secure any type of device on their network according to corporate policies and ensure seamless roaming over both corporate and public networks, both wired and wireless.?

About Radio IP Software Inc.
Radio IP Software (www.radio-ip.com) delivers innovative mobile virtual private network (MVPN) solutions that provide mobile workforces with secure, real-time access to a wide range of applications and networks. Users of Radio IP?s award-winning mobile VPN solutions include small and large enterprises, as well as military, public safety, utilities, transportation and government agencies with mission critical or business critical communication requirements.

Source: http://psc.apcointl.org/2012/12/19/radio-ip-announces-android-support-on-enterprise-mobile-vpn-solution/

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American Greetings Announces Third Quarter Earnings

CLEVELAND, Dec. 20, 2012 /CNW/ - American Greetings Corporation (NYSE:AM - News) today announced its results for the third fiscal quarter ended November 23, 2012.

Third Quarter Results

For the third quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company reported total revenue of $506.8 million, a pre-tax loss of $2.1 million, and a net loss of $0.8 million or 3 cents per share (all per-share amounts assume dilution).

The Company announced, on June 7, 2012, the acquisition of certain assets of United Kingdom-based Clinton Cards, including approximately 400 stores and related overhead as well as the Clinton Cards and related brands. As a result of the acquisition, the Company recognized during the third quarter of fiscal 2013 a revenue increase of approximately $67.6 million from the operations of the Clintons retail stores, reflected in the Company's new Retail Operations segment. This revenue increase was partially offset by the revenue reduction of approximately $25.5 million from inter-segment sales eliminations, reflected in the Company's International Social Expressions segment, resulting in a net increase in consolidated revenue of approximately $42.1 million in the quarter. The revenue being eliminated would have been third party sales in the prior year quarter.

The Company recognized a loss of $11.5 million (after-tax of approximately $7.0 million or 22 cents per share) from the operation of its Retail Operations segment. The Company also recognized a reduction in pre-tax income of approximately $4.1 million (after-tax of approximately $2.5 million or 8 cents per share) as a result of inter-segment items within the International Social Expressions segment. The total consolidated net reduction in pre-tax income associated with the operation of the Clintons retail stores during the third fiscal quarter was approximately $15.6 million (after-tax of approximately $9.5 million or 30 cents per share).

During the quarter, consolidated revenue was also reduced by $0.6 million as a result of scan-based trading conversions that occurred during the current year's third quarter while the impact of scan-based trading conversions on pre-tax income was $0.6 million (after-tax of approximately $0.4 million or 1 cent per share).

Also impacting the consolidated results was a pre-tax non-operating income benefit of $1.1 million (after-tax of approximately $0.7 million or 2 cents per share) from a gain on the sale of a portion of a legacy minority investment. A separate but related gain from this minority investment was previously recognized during our second fiscal quarter of 2013.

In the prior year's third quarter, the Company reported total revenue of $465.0 million, pre-tax income of $29.7 million, and net income of $20.2 million or 50 cents per share. Scan-based trading conversions reduced revenue by approximately $1.2 million during the quarter and reduced pre-tax income by approximately $1.1 million (after-tax of approximately $0.7 million or 2 cents per share).

Financing Activities

During the third quarter of fiscal 2013, under the Company's $75 million share repurchase program announced July 2012, the Company purchased approximately 1.1 million shares of its common stock for approximately $15.9 million. Purchases under this share repurchase program were suspended as of September 26, 2012.

Conference Call on the Web

American Greetings will broadcast its conference call live on the Internet at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time today. The conference call will be accessible through the Investors section of the American Greetings Web site at http://investors.americangreetings.com. A replay of the call will also be available on the site.

About American Greetings Corporation

For more than 100 years, American Greetings Corporation (NYSE:AM - News) has been a creator and manufacturer of innovative social expression products that assist consumers in enhancing their relationships to create happiness, laughter and love. The Company's major greeting card lines are American Greetings, Carlton Cards, Gibson, Recycled Paper Greetings and Papyrus, and other paper product offerings include DesignWare party goods and American Greetings and Plus Mark gift-packaging and boxed cards. American Greetings also has one of the largest collections of greetings on the Web, including greeting cards available at Cardstore.com and electronic greeting cards available at AmericanGreetings.com. In addition to its product lines, American Greetings creates and licenses popular character brands through the American Greetings Properties group. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual revenue of approximately $1.7 billion, and its products can be found in retail outlets worldwide. For more information on the Company, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.

Non-GAAP Measures

Certain after-tax amounts included in the earnings release may be considered non-GAAP measures under the Securities and Exchange Commission's Regulation G. The after-tax amounts were calculated based on the Company's statutory tax rate of approximately 38.9% for U.S. based items and the appropriate rates for international jurisdictions. Management believes that after-tax information is useful in analyzing the Company's results.

Factors That May Affect Future Results

Certain statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. They use such words as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available information, but are subject to a variety of uncertainties, unknown risks and other factors concerning the Company's operations and business environment, which are difficult to predict and may be beyond the control of the Company. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements, and that could adversely affect the Company's future performance, include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • a weak retail environment and general economic conditions;
  • the loss of one or more retail customers and/or retail consolidations, acquisitions and bankruptcies, including the possibility of resulting adverse changes to retail contract terms;
  • competitive terms of sale offered to customers, including costs and other terms associated with new and expanded customer relationships;
  • the ability to successfully integrate Clinton Cards and achieve the anticipated revenue and operating profits, together with the outcome of negotiations with landlords and the ultimate number of stores acquired;
  • the ability of the administrators to generate sufficient proceeds from the liquidation of the remaining Clinton Cards business to repay the remaining secured debt owed to American Greetings;
  • the timing and impact of expenses incurred and investments made to support new retail or product strategies, including increased marketing expenses, as well as new product introductions and achieving the desired benefits from those investments;
  • the timing of investments in, together with the ability to successfully implement or achieve the desired benefits and cost savings associated with, any information technology systems refresh the Company may implement;
  • the timing and amount of expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the non-binding proposal dated September 25, 2012 from Zev Weiss, its Chief Executive Officer, and Jeffrey Weiss, its President and Chief Operating Officer, on behalf of themselves and certain other members of the Weiss family and related parties to acquire all of the outstanding Class A and Class B common shares of the Company not currently owned by the them;
  • the timing and impact of converting customers to a scan-based trading model;
  • the ability to achieve the desired benefits associated with the Company's cost reduction efforts;
  • Schurman Fine Papers' ability to successfully operate its retail operations and satisfy its obligations to the Company;
  • consumer demand for social expression products generally, shifts in consumer shopping behavior, and consumer acceptance of products as priced and marketed including the success of new and expanded advertising and marketing efforts, such as the Company's on-line efforts through Cardstore.com;
  • the impact and availability of technology, including social media, on product sales;
  • escalation in the cost of providing employee health care;
  • the Company's ability to achieve the desired accretive effect from any share repurchase programs;
  • the Company's ability to comply with its debt covenants;
  • fluctuations in the value of currencies in major areas where the Company operates, including the U.S. Dollar, Euro, U.K. Pound Sterling, and Canadian Dollar; and
  • the outcome of any legal claims known or unknown.

Risks pertaining specifically to AG Interactive include the viability of online advertising, subscriptions as revenue generators, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing social media and the digital photo sharing space.

In addition, this release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best analysis as of the date of this release; however the risks and uncertainties identified above are not the only risks the Company faces. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the Company believes to be immaterial also may adversely affect American Greetings. Should any known or unknown risks or uncertainties develop into actual events, or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. American Greetings does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. Further information concerning issues that could materially affect performance related to forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation the risk factors described in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in each of its subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.













AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION

THIRD QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2013

























(In thousands of dollars except share and per share amounts)


















(Unaudited)






Three Months Ended


Nine Months Ended






November 23,
2012


November 25,
2011


November 23,
2012


November 25,
2011













Net sales



$ 499,368


$ 458,535


$ 1,275,139


$ 1,217,800

Other revenue



7,446


6,472


18,617


21,097

Total revenue



506,814


465,007


1,293,756


1,238,897













Material, labor and other production costs



244,071


230,572


584,667


546,699

Selling, distribution and marketing expenses



190,041


141,501


466,199


392,630

Administrative and general expenses



74,483


60,510


225,521


186,734

Other operating income - net



(2,217)


(813)


(1,421)


(6,858)













Operating income



436


33,237


18,790


119,692













Interest expense



4,504


5,821


13,314


17,708

Interest income



(65)


(207)


(297)


(838)

Other non-operating (income) expense - net



(1,904)


(2,077)


3,523


(2,621)













(Loss) income before income tax (benefit) expense



(2,099)


29,700


2,250


105,443

Income tax (benefit) expense



(1,290)


9,454


63


38,128













Net (loss) income



$ (809)


$ 20,246


$ 2,187


$ 67,315

























(Loss) earnings per share - basic





$ (0.03)


$ 0.51


$ 0.06


$ 1.67

























(Loss) earnings per share - assuming dilution



$ (0.03)


$ 0.50


$ 0.06


$ 1.63

























Average number of common shares outstanding



31,877,088


39,480,798


33,712,073


40,226,039













Average number of common shares outstanding -










assuming dilution



31,877,088


40,436,865


34,478,737


41,381,157













Dividends declared per share



$ 0.15


$ 0.15


$ 0.45


$ 0.45




































AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION

THIRD QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2013












(In thousands of dollars)
















(Unaudited)





Three Months Ended


Nine Months Ended





November 23,
2012


November 25,
2011


November 23,
2012


November 25,
2011












Net (loss) income


$ (809)


$ 20,246


$ 2,187


$ 67,315












Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:









Foreign currency translation adjustments


2,680


(15,592)


(91)


(12,554)

Pension and postretirement benefit adjustments


145


536


643


607

Unrealized loss on securities


-


(1)


(1)


-

Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:


2,825


(15,057)


551


(11,947)

Comprehensive income


$ 2,016


$ 5,189


$ 2,738


$ 55,368












AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION


THIRD QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION


FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2013














(In thousands of dollars)










(Unaudited)










November 23,
2012


November 25,
2011














ASSETS










CURRENT ASSETS










Cash and cash equivalents




$ 63,291


$ 85,661



Trade accounts receivable, net



197,844


235,318



Inventories






264,330


214,412



Deferred and refundable income taxes



80,502


57,400



Prepaid expenses and other



155,543


123,481




Total current assets




761,510


716,272














GOODWILL






-


27,713


OTHER ASSETS





460,647


417,479


DEFERRED AND REFUNDABLE INCOME TAXES


120,870


128,595














Property, plant and equipment - at cost



1,004,686


904,555


Less accumulated depreciation




642,994


637,334


PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT - NET


361,692


267,221










$ 1,704,719


$ 1,557,280


























LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY






CURRENT LIABILITIES









Accounts payable




$ 194,945


$ 108,254



Accrued liabilities




82,893


67,596



Accrued compensation and benefits



60,702


58,411



Income taxes payable




14,641


26,626



Deferred revenue




26,404


29,477



Other current liabilities




44,287


60,963




Total current liabilities




423,872


351,327














LONG-TERM DEBT





356,832


234,642


OTHER LIABILITIES





259,787


182,565


DEFERRED INCOME TAXES AND







NONCURRENT INCOME TAXES PAYABLE


21,008


21,769














SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY









Common shares - Class A




28,849


35,562



Common shares - Class B




2,860


2,778



Capital in excess of par value



520,119


509,999



Treasury stock





(1,093,789)


(995,338)



Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(11,279)


(14,293)



Retained earnings




1,196,460


1,228,269




Total shareholders' equity



643,220


766,977










$ 1,704,719


$ 1,557,280














AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION

THIRD QUARTER CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2013

(In thousands of dollars)


















(Unaudited)








Nine Months Ended








November 23, 2012


November 25, 2011











OPERATING ACTIVITIES:







Net income




$ 2,187


$ 67,315


Adjustments to reconcile net income

to cash flows from operating activities:







Stock-based compensation


7,806


8,038



Gain on dispositions



-


(4,500)



Net loss (gain) on disposal of fixed assets


394


(807)



Depreciation and intangible assets amortization

36,095


32,993



Provision for doubtful accounts


17,771


4,879



Impairment of Clinton Cards debt


10,043


-



Deferred income taxes



809


6,412



Gain on sale of Party City investment


(4,293)


-



Other non-cash charges



892


2,747



Changes in operating assets and liabilities,








net of acquisitions:









Trade accounts receivable


(101,363)


(122,298)




Inventories



(39,105)


(30,939)




Other current assets



(17,877)


6,470




Income taxes



(15,336)


3,362




Deferred costs - net



23,702


(3,838)




Accounts payable and other liabilities


112,283


3,528




Other - net



(1,913)


98



Total Cash Flows From Operating Activities


32,095


(26,540)











INVESTING ACTIVITIES:







Property, plant and equipment additions


(87,408)


(48,956)


Cash payments for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired

621


(5,899)


Proceeds from sale of fixed assets


559


9,046


Proceeds from sale of intellectual properties


-


4,500


Proceeds from sale of Party City investment


4,920


-


Purchase of Clinton Cards debt


(56,560)


-



Total Cash Flows From Investing Activities


(137,868)


(41,309)











FINANCING ACTIVITIES:







Net increase in long-term debt


131,651


-


Issuance or exercise of share-based payment awards

(496)


12,293


Tax (deficiency) benefit from share-based payment awards

(376)


2,380


Purchase of treasury shares



(78,742)


(55,304)


Dividends to shareholders



(15,182)


(18,146)



Total Cash Flows From Financing Activities


36,855


(58,777)











EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH

(229)


(3,551)











DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS


(69,147)


(130,177)













Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year

132,438


215,838



Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period


$ 63,291


$ 85,661











AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION

THIRD QUARTER CONSOLIDATED SEGMENT DISCLOSURES

FISCAL YEAR ENDING FEBRUARY 28, 2013

(In thousands of dollars)


















(Unaudited)






Three Months Ended


Nine Months Ended






November 23, 2012


November 25, 2011


November 23, 2012


November 25, 2011

Total Revenue:











North American Social Expression Products

$ 333,852


$ 333,305


$ 908,267


$ 902,333













International Social Expression Products

101,972

http://news.yahoo.com/american-greetings-announces-third-quarter-123800485.html

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