Even Debt Collectors Are Struggling In This Economy

You won?t likely shed any tears over this: Being a debt collector is harder than ever.

While most Americans want to get out of debt using a debt management plan or debt consolidation, many can?t afford the payments right now. This complicates the debt collection process.

Debt collectors aren?t dealing with deadbeats ducking obligations?they?re trying to get blood from a stone at a time of record debt.

Debt Collection Agencies in Hard Times

Originally reported by the Associated Press, debt collectors have more work than ever. They also have fewer opportunities to actually collect.

Some firms are satisfied with a debt management plan including payments as low as $5 or $10 per month. While this might allow the collection agency to report payments, it does little to help Americans get out of debt.

Further, Americans are less capable than ever of getting out of debt. With unemployment high and salaries low, the old ?I don?t have the money? line isn?t an excuse?it?s a hard reality for millions of Americans.

Debt consolidation and a debt management plan won?t do any good if the debtor simply doesn?t have any spare cash. For the growing debt collection industry, this is a case of ?water, water everywhere / but not a drop to drink.?

More Complaints About the Debt Collection Process

In addition to a harder collection environment, the debt collection process itself is under attack. The Federal Trade Commission gets more complaints about debt collectors than any other industry.
In tough economic times, debt collectors, who work on commission, are forced to engage in more and more desperate means to collect outstanding debt.

Changes in the Debt Collection Process

According to the AP article, some decades ago debt collectors averaged 30 percent recovery on outstanding debt. Now the number hovers closer to 20.

Perhaps most striking is the change in types of debt collected. In times past, debt collectors called either from the original debtor or from a single third-party collection agency. Now there?s a booming industry dedicated to acquiring debt third- or fourth-hand for pennies on the dollar, often after the customer?s legal obligation to repay the debt has long since lapsed.

Common Consumer Complaints Against Debt Collectors

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act outlines rights for consumers trying to get out of debt. The law forbids a number of unfair and harassing practices by aggressive debt collectors, but three are particularly heinous:

• Not information a debtor of his rights in writing.
• Calling repeatedly.
• Providing false information regarding the debt.

Debtors can turn the tables on creditors, collecting $1,000 for every infraction of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Still, with debt collection a lucrative business, many third-party collection agencies can afford to play fast and loose with the law. Especially when times are hard and so is collection, the market might actually incentivize some of the worst practices of debt collection.

How to Handle Debt Collector Calls

Anyone being harassed by abusive debt collectors should begin all conversations with ?This call is being recorded,? record the call, take notes and report the infractions to the Federal Trade Commission. Every time debt collectors violate collection law, you owe them $1,000 less.

This post originally appeared at GoBankingRates.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/even-the-debt-collectors-are-struggling-in-this-economy-2011-10

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Say Anything ? ND Democrats Want Unemployment Insurance For ...

A group of North Dakota Democrats, lead by state Senator Tim Mathern, have proposed legislation for the upcoming special session that would extend unemployment benefits to locked out union workers. A copy of the bill, as proposed, is embedded below.

Thinking of this as insurance for unemployed workers is wrong. That?s not what this is. In reality, it?s a subsidy for locked out workers. By allowing these workers to collect unemployment benefits after they reject a contract, the taxpayers (specifically the businesses that pay the unemployment taxes) are basically subsidizing their contract dispute.

Unemployment benefits exist as a safety net for people after they lose their job and before they find their next one. They don?t exist to subsidize protracted labor disputes. If the unions want to take care of their workers during these lockouts or strikes let them use some of the millions they collect in dues to pay for it.

Of course, that?s money they usually contribute to Demcorats like the ones sponsoring this bill, so I guess they can?t do that.

Really, it?s not even appropriate to introduce this sort of legislation in a special session that is, by definition, supposed to be limited in scope. This session was called to address redistricting issues. It will also address flooding issues, which is appropriate, and the Sioux nickname opponents will likely force a bill in too. But other more routine business really ought to be left to the regular session.

I?d be surprised if this bill were even let in. It shouldn?t be, if it is.

UPDATE: Here?s Senator Mathern?s email to legislators announcing the bill. Note that House Majority Leader Al Carlson said it must go through the Delayed Bills Committee. That?s a tough committee to get through, which again makes me think the bill probably won?t even get a vote.

Senators and Representatives,

Attached find a bill draft clarifying that persons in a lockout situation, as opposed to a strike, would be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. I have discussed this with Job Service and Attorney General office officials in hopes they could have done this before asking for this bill draft. In summary I believe there are persons who at no control of their own are unemployed and need these benefits. In lieu of these benefits their families need social service assistance programs which are a cost to general government. Eligibility for unemployment benefits for locked out workers until they find other work is provided for in Minnesota and other states.

Attached find the bill draft which I have discussed with Chairman of Legislative Management Rep. Carlson, he suggested I get it out to gauge support as it will come to the Delayed Bills Committee. Please review it and if any of you would like to sponsor or cosponsor please so indicate. My hope is there would be 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats on the bill. I do not need to be on the bill if that is a preference on any ones part.

I see it as important to clarify this do matter what the American Crystal outcome may be. By this email I am also giving permission to Legislative Council release any notes or bill draft information about this topic to anyone. I understand that there are persons calling legislators about this and hope having a copy of the bill will be helpful to you.

Thank you for your consideration.

Tim

Unemployment Lockout Bill Tags: american crystal, North Dakota News, Tim Mathern, unemployment benefits

Source: http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/nd-democrats-want-unemployment-insurance-for-locked-out-union-workers/

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TV's undead battle: Zombies vs. vampires

By Susan C. Young, TODAY.com contributor

AMC and HBO

"Walking Dead" or "True Blood"? Which do you prefer?

There?s something about the dead that makes people feel alive.

?True Blood? has been sucking viewers in since the steamy HBO series debuted in 2008. The Bon Temps drama features telepathic waitress Sookie, who has trouble deciding between which undead boyfriend she?s most drawn: the courtly Bill or the Viking Eric. There's also newbie vamp Jessica, who loves and is loved by two human men.

But while vampires have a certain allure, there?s nothing seductive about a zombie. It?s the polar opposite when the living look at those creatures stumbling around in the dead zone.

AMC snuck in "The Walking Dead" last year with slim expectations for the series geared mainly toward the Comic-Con fanboys. Then ?Dead? became a sleeper hit with a miserly six-episode season.? Zombie fans rejoiced when the series came back for 13 episodes this season?on Oct. 16,?even?though the season is?split into seven installments this fall, with the final six starting Feb. 12.

The 90-minute premiere broke basic cable ratings records with 7.3 million viewers?--?trumping the?season four premiere of "True Blood,"?which drew 5.4 million this summer. So what does ?Dead? have that makes zombies even more enticing than vampires to viewers?

Glad you asked.

1. The dead may be slow walkers, but the series provides viewers with an action movie every week. While "True Blood" tells a rather leisurely tale, you can bet "The Walking Dead" will set your heart pounding as the group of survivors?blasts its way through the zombie herds.

2. While we'll never forget some of the gorier scenes from "True Blood" --?including crispy fried vamps and?oozing innards --?"The Walking Dead" turns the grotesque into an art form, sure to make sure you stay on that diet. (Seriously, don't watch the show while you're eating. Zombie brains and intestines?aren't pretty.)

3.?"The Walking Dead" is?like living in a Western fantasy. The days of Marshal Dillon doling out justice every week on "Gunsmoke" may be over, but Sheriff Rick in his cowboy hat stands for truth and justice in a world losing all semblance of civilization. On "True Blood," where the vampires are the heroes, it's hard to forget that some of them have done some pretty ghastly things to innocents.??(Remember Eric torturing the beloved Lafayette, or not helping Tara in her time of need?)

4. Nothing says escapism like a show that can scare you right out of reality. "The Walking Dead" comes up with at least one scream-worthy scene every week. (Who wasn?t digging their fingernails into the armrests as Andrea realized she was on her own when the zombie entered the RV?) It's been a while since "TB" got the juices flowing from pure fear.

5. Even in fantasy land, you need to have believable characters. While the beleaguered band of humans is facing the undead 24/7, they also do battle with their own demons, from shaky marriages to losing loved ones. As for "True Blood," the number of pure humans with normal, non-supernatural problems seems to drop with every season. (Thank goodness Jason Stackhouse didn't go werepanther!)

Which show do you prefer and why? Tell us on our Facebook page!

?

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/28/8524278-undead-battle-walking-deads-zombies-vs-true-bloods-vamps

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Assessing the wildfire damage (Offthekuff)

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GOP senators, Lieberman press for Iraq hearing (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Twelve members of the Senate Armed Services Committee are pressing for a hearing on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by year's end.

In a letter to Chairman Carl Levin on Wednesday, the lawmakers said the complete withdrawal of American troops likely will be seen as a "strategic victory by our enemies in the Middle East," especially Iran. They said military commanders have told them of the need for a U.S. presence in Iraq beyond this year. They asked for a hearing with administration officials.

Signing the letter was the panel's top Republican, Sen. John McCain, 10 other Republicans and independent Joe Lieberman.

President Barack Obama has announced that the long and costly war will be over by year's end, with some 40,000 U.S. troops returning home.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111026/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_iraq

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Here's Facebook's Massive Arctic Server Farm [Image Cache]

What do you get when you spend over $700 million on a new Swedish party house for your servers? This. 300,000 feet of buzzing, scalding Facebook servers in a spot so cold, they can just let the air in. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FYBaGYJHEBU/heres-facebooks-massive-arctic-server-farm

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St Paul's to reopen, but protest standoff goes on (AP)

LONDON ? The senior St. Paul's Cathedral priest who welcomed anti-capitalist demonstrators to camp outside the London landmark resigned Thursday, saying he feared moves to evict the protesters could end in violence.

Other senior clergy and politicians urged the campers to leave peacefully, as the cathedral announced it would reopen to the public Friday after a weeklong closure triggered by the demonstrators' tents.

"In the name of God and mammon, go," London Mayor Boris Johnson said, using a Biblical turn of phrase to evoke the conflict between the spiritual and the material.

Resigning Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser said on Twitter that he had handed in his notice "with great regret and sadness."

He told The Guardian newspaper that he had quit because he believed cathedral officials had "set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church."

"I cannot support using violence to ask people to clear off the land," said Fraser, adding that he would have preferred to have "negotiated down the size of the camp" with the protesters.

Fraser's departure reveals divisions among cathedral clergy over how to handle the protest on their doorstep. Dean of St. Paul's Graeme Knowles said he was sorry to see Fraser go and regretted that he "is not able to continue to his work ... during these challenging days."

Several hundred protesters have been camped outside the building since Oct. 15. When police tried to move them the next day, Fraser said the demonstrators were welcome to stay and asked police officers to move instead.

He later issued a statement stressing that "the Christian gospel is profoundly committed to the needs of the poor and the dispossessed. Financial justice is a gospel imperative."

Days later, cathedral officials shut the building to the public, saying the campsite was a health and safety hazard. It was the first time the 300-year-old church, one of London's best-known buildings, had closed since World War II.

On Thursday, the cathedral said it would reopen after changes to the layout of the protesters' tents.

In a statement, St. Paul's said the church would open to worshippers and visitors with a special midday Eucharist service on Friday ? though the soaring dome and galleries will stay shut for now amid concerns about how long it would take to evacuate them.

Rev. Michael Colclough, Canon Pastor of St. Paul's, said Friday's service would "be remembering all those involved in the events of the past week and praying for a peaceful outcome."

The protesters say they plan to stay put, but senior church officials and politicians repeated calls Thursday for them to go. Bishop of London Richard Chartres promised to take up the demonstrators' cause if they left.

Writing in the Evening Standard newspaper, he asked them to "pack up your tents voluntarily and let us make you heard."

Similar camps have sprung up across the U.S. and around the world since activists took over a plaza near New York's Wall Street last month to protest corporate greed and social inequality. Many have withered or been dismantled, sometimes by force.

The cathedral and the protest tent city lie within London's traditional financial center, which is called the City.

The local governing authority, the City of London Corporation, says it is taking legal advice on the best way to evict the protesters ? but that could be a long process, complicated by the tangled ownership of the medieval patch of London on which the cathedral stands.

The cathedral has said it is considering all its options in response to the protest ? including legal action.

The protesters say they will fight eviction and have hired high-profile lawyer John Cooper, who has said he will defend the group for free.

In a statement, the Occupy London protesters called Fraser a "man of great personal integrity."

The protesters said Fraser had "ensured that St. Paul's could be a sanctuary for us and that no violence could take place against peaceful protesters with a legitimate cause challenging and tackling social and economic injustice in London, the U.K. and beyond."

Fraser, 46, a high-profile and liberal Anglican clergyman, was appointed chancellor of the cathedral in 2009. The role involves overseeing the work of the St. Paul's Institute, which "seeks to bring Christian ethics to bear on our understanding of finance and economics."

Fraser, a former Vicar of Putney in south London whose father came from a prominent London Jewish family, is well known through his newspaper and magazine columns and frequent appearances on BBC radio.

He has criticized the effects of the government's austerity measures.

"Should the church get stuck into the mucky world of politics? How ridiculous, of course it should," he wrote in the Guardian in June, going on to quote the late Brazilian bishop Helder Camara: "When I give to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."

___

Robert Barr contributed to this report. Jill Lawless can be reached at: http://twitter.com/JillLawless

___

Online:

St. Paul's Cathedral: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/

Occupy London: http://occupylondon.org.uk/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_wall_street_protests

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Video: Daniel Burke, former ABC president, dies

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/45054341#45054341

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Woman stands trial in disputed '01 Iowa killing

ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, OCT. 23, 2011 AND THEREAFTER - This photo released July 27, 2011, by the Iowa Department of Public Safety shows Tracey Ann Richter-Roberts. In 2001, Roberts fired 9 shots from two guns into Dustin Wehde, a 20-year-old neighbor who died on the floor of her bedroom. A jury will be asked to decide if she was a heroic mother who used self-defense to protect herself and her three young children from Wehde and another man who she says invaded the home, or was she a master manipulator who planned the killing and an elaborate cover story. (AP Photo/Iowa Department of Public Safety)

ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, OCT. 23, 2011 AND THEREAFTER - This photo released July 27, 2011, by the Iowa Department of Public Safety shows Tracey Ann Richter-Roberts. In 2001, Roberts fired 9 shots from two guns into Dustin Wehde, a 20-year-old neighbor who died on the floor of her bedroom. A jury will be asked to decide if she was a heroic mother who used self-defense to protect herself and her three young children from Wehde and another man who she says invaded the home, or was she a master manipulator who planned the killing and an elaborate cover story. (AP Photo/Iowa Department of Public Safety)

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) ? Attorneys have begun whittling down the pool of potential jurors in the trial of a woman accused of murdering a man as part of a plot to frame her first husband.

Prosecutors and attorneys for Tracy Richter picked 32 of the 100 possible jurors to begin questioning Tuesday at the outset of her trial.

Richter says she fatally shot 20-year-old Dustin Wehde in 2001 after he and another man broke into her former Iowa home and assaulted her.

Prosecutors contend that Richter killed Wehde and planted a notebook in his car meant to implicate her first husband in a murder-for-hire plot.

She has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and would face a mandatory life prison term if convicted.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-25-Hero%20Mom%20or%20Killer?/id-059c90e6b53b490fae9da7cff47f0a27

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Jaguars shut down Ravens, win 12-7 in prime time

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32), right, fumbles a handoff from quarterback Blaine Gabbert during the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, Oct. 24, 2011. The Jaguars retained possession on the play. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) throws a pass during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee reacts after kicking a 54-yard, second-quarter field goal against the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis celebrates a stop against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ? As Maurice Jones-Drew walked off the field, his white pants had a mix of grass, dirt and blood stains. They might be worth keeping that way.

After all, few players have had that much success against that defense.

Jones-Drew ran for 105 yards, Josh Scobee kicked four field goals and the Jacksonville Jaguars snapped a five-game slide with a 12-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.

"It finally feels good to win one after all those losses," said Jones-Drew, the first player to run for 100 yards against the Ravens since last December. "It was nice to show the world what we're about. We beat a very good team."

Stepping into the national spotlight for a few hours, the Jaguars used their best defensive effort in seven years to slow down Ray Rice, Joe Flacco and Co.

"You've got to give them credit. They played like it was their Super Bowl," Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin said.

The victory could be a turning point for a young team trying to create confidence after losing eight of its previous nine games. Instead of talk about coach Jack Del Rio's job security, the Jaguars (2-5) got back in the mix in the wide-open AFC South.

"We knew this was an opportunity to right things and gain a little respect," Del Rio said.

They relied on Jones-Drew and the defense to get it done.

Jacksonville didn't allow a first down until the 5:26 mark of the third quarter, a mix of stout defense and inept offense. Flacco finally got the Ravens (4-2) on the scoreboard with a little more than two minutes remaining. He capped a 90-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Boldin.

The Ravens failed to recover an onside kick when the ball bounced inches short of going the required 10 yards. Scobee followed with his third field goal of at least 50 yards, tying an NFL record held by many.

"As long as I'm getting those opportunities, I will gladly take them," Scobee said. "Given that we haven't scored a lot of points this season, I know that every time I'm out there it's very important."

Baltimore had a final possession, but in fitting fashion, Jacksonville's defense came up big. Drew Coleman stepped in front of Ed Dickson and intercepted Flacco's final pass.

The Ravens finished with 146 total yards, the fewest yards the Jaguars have allowed since 2004.

"They basically beat us with their defense," coach John Harbaugh said. "I don't think it was any one thing. It was a lack of execution. It's almost as bad as you can play on offense."

The Jaguars set a franchise record by allowing only 16 yards in the first half, including 1 yard passing by Flacco, who was under relentless pressure for much of the night.

"We need to make sure when we're not on our 'A' game, we're not this," said Flacco, who completed 21 of 38 passes for 137 yards.

Baltimore finally got a first down on its 28th play of the game when Rice broke off a 12-yard run. That was only the second play longer than 10 yards for the Ravens.

"We were confident about this game," Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. "We knew we had to outplay them. The difference between this and the other weeks is that we started fast. Our defense is capable of that. That's why we hold ourselves to a high standard. We just needed to taste victory. Now that we have, we're going to keep it rolling."

The teams combined to go 0 of 16 on third-down conversions in the opening half. The Jaguars began the third quarter with six first downs, only for the Ravens defense to stiffen after yet another mistake.

The Ravens stopped Jacksonville, but Brendon Ayanbadejo was called for a personal foul and ejected from the game when he punched Guy Whimper in the facemask after the play. That gave the Jaguars first-and-goal from the 3, but Blaine Gabbert failed to complete two passes in the end zone and Scobee kicked a 22-yard field goal.

An earlier field goal was set up by another Baltimore blunder.

After Gabbert completed passes of 24 and 11 yards to the Ravens 38, Gabbert was sacked on third-and-8 at the 40. The Jaguars chose to punt, but Paul Kruger was penalized for running into the kicker. The 5-yard penalty put Scobee in field goal range, putting the Jaguars up 6-0 with a 54-yard kick.

Scobee, who extended his franchise record with a field goal for the 15th straight game, kicked two 54-yarders.

Jacksonville needed every yard and point it could muster. The NFL's worst offense put the game on Jones-Drew's shoulders. He carried 30 times, most of them right into the middle of Baltimore's revered defense.

"We just grinded them," Gabbert said. "Mojo's a beast back there."

NOTES: Ravens S Ed Reed had his shoulder popped back into place in the fourth quarter, but returned after a few plays off. ... Houston's Arian Foster was the last player to run for at least 100 yards against Baltimore. ... The Jaguars, who snapped a six-game losing streak in prime time, improved to 7-3 on Monday night. ... Rice ran eight times for 28 yards. ... Baltimore's star was Sam Koch, who punted nine times for a 52.2 yard average.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-25-FBN-Ravens-Jaguars/id-36ecf23335444af8ad7c396c31392f4c

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Ringers (Balloon Juice)

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Linux kernel hits 3.1, adds support for NFC and Wiimotes

In May Linux finally saw the release of kernel version 3.0, an evolutionary update to the popular open-source platform that was nearly 15 years in the making. Today, version 3.1 is making its debut, once again primarily offering small tweaks like better support for Intel's Ivy Bridge and Cedar Trail chips and improved power management. But there are some new features getting baked in, including support for NFC and drivers for Wiimotes. The brave amongst you can download the sources from Git now (it hasn't been posted to Kernel.org just yet), but we suggest you hold out until your distro of choice releases an official update.

Linux kernel hits 3.1, adds support for NFC and Wiimotes originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Softpedia  |  Linux Kernel Newbies  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/24/linux-kernel-hits-3-1-adds-support-for-nfc-and-wiimotes/

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OU, Wisconsin fall, LSU-Bama set for 1 vs. 2 game

LSU head coach Les Miles, center, sings the LSU fight song with safety Eric Reid (1), wide receiver Armand Williams (81) and others after their NCAA college football game against Auburn in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. LSU won 45-10 to remain undefeated. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

LSU head coach Les Miles, center, sings the LSU fight song with safety Eric Reid (1), wide receiver Armand Williams (81) and others after their NCAA college football game against Auburn in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. LSU won 45-10 to remain undefeated. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Alabama running back Trent Richardson (3) leaps across the goal line past Tennessee defensive back Brent Brewer (17) and linebacker Austin Johnson (40) to score a touchdown in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct, 22, 2011, in Tuscaloosa Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

NEW YORK (AP) ? No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama have locked in their spots for the biggest regular-season game in Southeastern Conference history.

The Tigers and Crimson Tide held the first two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday after huge victories a day earlier. With both heading into an off week, LSU and Alabama are virtually assured of meeting on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa as the top two teams in the country.

It'll be the second 1 vs. 2 matchup involving SEC teams, but the first time came in the conference championship game.

"It is going to be one of the best games ever," LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery said. "Basketball, football, video games, whatever ? it is going to be the most competitive thing that I have ever been a part of. These guys (Alabama) are just like us. They are big, fast and strong. Two great teams are going to be facing each other in two weeks."

Oklahoma, the preseason No. 1, dropped eight spots to No. 11 after its first loss of the season. The Sooners fell 41-38 to Texas Tech on Saturday night, snapping a 39-game home winning streak. The Red Raiders moved into the ranking for the first time this season at No. 19.

Wisconsin also dropped eight spots after its first loss of the season, falling to No. 12 following a 37-31 loss to Michigan State on the final play of the game. The Spartans moved up six spots to No. 9.

LSU received 49 first-place votes from the media panel. Alabama got nine and No. 5 Boise State had one.

Oklahoma State is No. 3, followed by fellow unbeatens Stanford, Boise State and Clemson. The Cowboys have their best ranking since Nov. 19, 1984, when they were also No. 3.

In the USA Today coaches' poll, LSU replaced Oklahoma as No. 1, followed by Alabama at No. 2, Stanford at No. 3, Oklahoma State at No. 4 and Boise State at No. 5.

The Harris poll top five was LSU, Alabama, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Boise State.

Those two polls are used in the BCS standings, which were due out Sunday night.

In the AP rankings, No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 7 Oregon, Michigan State, Arkansas and undefeated Kansas State round out the top 10.

Moving into the rankings this week along with Texas Tech were No. 20 Southern California, No. 21 Penn State and No. 24 Cincinnati, which is ranked for the first time this season.

Falling out after losses were Washington, Georgia Tech, Illinois and defending national champion Auburn.

Nos. 13-18 were Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Houston, which has its best ranking since 2009.

Joining the four teams moving into the rankings at the bottom were No. 22 Georgia, No. 23 Arizona State and No. 25 West Virginia.

For Alabama and LSU, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup likely will decide which of the SEC West rivals plays in the conference championship and could ultimately determine which teams plays for the national title in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

LSU's only appearance in a 1-2 game was in the BCS title game in 2008. This will be Alabama's sixth No. 1 vs. No. 2 game, but first in the regular season.

The last time there was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in college football not played in a bowl or conference title game was 2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan on the final weekend of the Big Ten's regular season and went on to lose the BCS championship game to Florida. Earlier that season, top-ranked Ohio State also played No. 2 Texas.

____

AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-23-FBC-T25-College-FB-Poll/id-6cb93a8e8c82489388b4aabd5ea93c0f

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US residents say Hawaii's coral reef ecosystems worth $33.57 billion per year

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) ? A peer-reviewed study commissioned by NOAA shows the American people assign an estimated total economic value of $33.57 billion for the coral reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands.

"The study shows that people from across the United States treasure Hawaii's coral reefs, even though many never get to visit them," said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "It illustrates the economic value of coral reefs to all Americans, and how important it is to conserve these ecosystems for future generations."

"We are pleased that research is being done to look at the value of Hawaii's coral reefs, but before we consider any potential applications of the study we will consult closely with local communities," said William J. Aila, Jr., chairperson of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The study employed a scientifically developed national Internet survey of more than 3,200 households -- a representative sample of all U.S. residents, not just Hawaii or coastal residents. From June through October 2009, the survey allowed the public to express its preferences and values for protection and restoration of the coral reef ecosystems around the main Hawaiian Islands. In this study, total economic value includes so-called passive use values, such as the willingness to pay to protect the coral reef ecosystem for future generations, as well as direct use values, such as snorkeling over a coral reef or consuming fish supported by coral reef ecosystems.

A panel of independent university and private scientists, from both Hawaii and the continental U.S., provided facts to the survey design team about the Hawaiian coral reef ecosystems and provided estimates of how the coral reef ecosystems would change in response to the two possible management options. The descriptions, including illustrations, of improvement to coral ecosystems gave survey respondents a clear understanding of what they were being asked to value and how the ecosystems would change as a result of the protection measures.

To estimate underlying values the public places on coral reef ecosystems, the study team presented survey participants with two specific measures to protect and restore coral reef ecosystems. One measure aimed at reducing effects to coral ecosystems from fishing, and another to repair reefs damaged by ships.

The main Hawaiian Islands consist of eight volcanic islands that range in age from active lava flows on the east side of the Big Island to seven million-year-old Kauai. Despite their economic significance, reefs near urbanized areas, such as Honolulu, Wailuku, and Kahului, have experienced increasing stress from ever-increasing population and other pressures.

The national survey was funded by NOAA and the National Science Foundation, and was designed to address the issue of Internet bias. The survey was conducted through two Internet panels; one recruited participants using controlled random digit dialing telephone surveys and the other using standard U.S. Bureau of the Census methods of randomly selecting households and going to each household to recruit participants via face-to-face interviewing.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021135014.htm

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Chatbots fail to convince judges that they're human

Paul Marks, senior technology correspondent

Hugh Loebner with the bronze award, picturing Alan Turing (Image: Paul Marks)

A chatbot called Rosette won the $4000 annual Loebner Prize in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Exeter yesterday - but once again none of the four chatbots that were competing managed to convince any of the judges that they were human.

After computer pioneer Alan Turing in 1950 posited the notion that machines might one day be thought of as "thinking", the competition attempts to find a computer program whose chat responses are indistinguishable from a human's. They are nowhere near it.

Every year since 1991, the prize's founder, Hugh Loebner, has asked four judges to sit at computer terminals where they can talk to a both a human (who's hiding in another room) and a chatbot - but they are not told which is which. It's up to the judges to decide which is the person and which is the software and then rate the chatbots on how good they are at human mimicry. A chatbot has only seemed more human than a human once in the competition's history - but that, says Loebner, only occured when one human volunteer decided to behave like an early chatbot, skewing the results.

This year I was one of the judges, alongside Exeter computer scientist Anthony Galton, University of Sheffield AI expert Noel Sharkey and How It Works technology writer Jonny O'Callaghan. I found all the entrants to be extremely disappointing: the chatbot's identity was evident after only three or four lines of chat (sometimes less) and they often came up with irrelevant, off-the-wall responses. First place went to Rosette by Bruce Wilcox, second went to Adeena Mignona's Zoe, third to ChipVivant by Mohan Embar and finally Tutor, by Ron Lee, came last. All the programmers are based in the US.?

Conspicuous by its absence in the final was the increasingly impressive CleverBot, a chatbot which is learning how to converse like a human from crowdsourced online conversations.

Developer Rollo Carpenter, of Dawlish in the UK, rues entering a less-capable, cut-down version of Cleverbot (which was easier to download) in the Loebner prize's selection round, which saw it finish outside the top four headed for the final. The cutdown version, he says, could not cope with a certain unexpected style of question that the full version could easily have handled.

It may be time to move on from the traditional text-based, linguistics-centred Turing test in any case, says Galton. He's proposing a computer intelligence test that takes into account the contribution the human vision system makes to intelligence. You can try it out here.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/196d41ab/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Conepercent0C20A110C10A0Cturing0Etest0Echatbots0Ekneel0Ebef0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Venezuela's Chavez says he's cancer-free (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he is cancer-free, citing a series of medical exams in Cuba that showed no recurrence of the illness following two months of chemotherapy treatments.

The 57-year-old leader announced the test results on live television Thursday after returning from Cuba, saying thorough exams found no sign of any malignant cells in his body.

"I'm free of illness," Chavez said on state television, wearing military fatigues as he arrived in the southwestern town of La Fria.

Crowds of supporters cheered for Chavez as he rode in a caravan to the town of La Grita, where he visited a church that is home to a famed image of Christ, whom Chavez referred to as "the comandante of comandantes."

Chavez said he came to give thanks for his recovery.

"It's like a miracle that I'm standing here," he said, speaking to red-clad supporters who filled a square and waved excitedly to him.

"Thanks to God there is no presence of malignant cells in my body after four months of battle," Chavez said.

The crowd chanted: "Onward, commander!"

Chavez underwent surgery in Cuba in June to remove a cancerous tumor from his pelvic region. He has not revealed where the tumor was located nor the type of cancer with which he was diagnosed.

Chavez received four rounds of chemotherapy, both in Cuba and in Venezuela, between July and September. He said that from now on he expects to undergo regular medical checks and repeat the exams every four months.

The leftist president, who was first elected in 1998, is up for re-election in October 2012 and he vowed to win.

He said that in the coming months he will begin "a new cycle of more accelerated physical recuperation."

Dr. Javier Cebrian, chief of surgery at the University Hospital of Caracas, told The Associated Press that any cancer patient will need periodic evaluation, but "if the chemotherapy is effective, you don't have to do anything more with the patient." Cebrian has not been involved in treating Chavez.

Chavez has said cancer led him to drastically change his lifestyle, cutting back sharply on his late-night meetings with aides and the dozens of cups of coffee he used to drink every day.

He also said he has become more religious. "Every day, I'm more deeply Christian," Chavez said.

"From today on... a new phase of my life begins," Chavez said. "The new Chavez is starting out today."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez

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Hilary Duff on Pregnancy: These Boobs Are New!

"These are new and different so that can be a good and bad thing," she told Chelsea Handler Monday on her talk show.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/TWVQzpMPRA0/

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Older Americans hit hardest by recession

A Government Accountability Office report shows that, since 2007, unemployment rates doubled and remained higher than before the recession for workers aged 55 and older. These workers also have a tougher time finding a new job. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

By Allison Linn

The recession and weak recovery have been difficult for all Americans, but a new government report suggests that older people may be particularly vulnerable to the downturn?s worrisome effects on long-term economic security.

That?s partly because Americans 55 and older have less time to catch up on retirement savings and recover from housing market losses before they stop working, the Government Accountability Office report found.

In addition, although older workers haven?t been as hard-hit by unemployment, government data show that when they do lose a job, they?have a much tougher time finding a new one.

For many older Americans, the most immediate effect of the economic downturn has been the hit to their nest egg. The report noted that many older?Americans simply don?t have time to wait for the stock market to recover and home values to start rising again.

That means they may?have to delay retirement or resign themselves to living on much less in their golden years.

Meanwhile they?have to grapple with how to pay for rising health care costs and may have to make difficult choices between covering medical costs and?other expenses.

The report also noted that it has been extremely difficult for older workers who lose jobs to find new ones.

The unemployment rate for Americans 55 and over was 6.7 percent in September, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That?s far lower than the overall unemployment rate of 9.1 percent.

But for workers 55 to 64 years old, the median duration of unemployment is 43 weeks. That compares to an overall median duration of 22 weeks, according to the most recent BLS data.

The report found that in some ways, Americans ages 55 to 64 were hit worse than those who are 65 and older. Household income for 55- to 64-year-olds fell 6 percent from 2007 to?2010, the report found, and poverty rates increased.

For adults 65 and older?household income rose?5 percent?and the poverty rate declined.

The report also shows that?Social Security is a?lifeline and safety net for many older Americans.?Testimony associated with the GAO report noted that Social Security provides a little more than one-third of aggregate income for households that include someone?65 or older. Not surprisingly, low- and middle-income households are likely to lean much more heavily on Social Security to cover expenses.

Related:

Out of work options, into retirement

Older workers face long, frustrating job search

{"contentId":"8384856","totalVotes":"16031"}

Are you worried about having enough money for retirement?

?

?

Source: http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/18/8384856-older-americans-challenge-no-time-to-recover-from-recession

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Using new technique, scientists uncover a delicate magnetic balance for superconductivity

Public release date: 19-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: James Cohen
cohen@kavlifoundation.org
The Kavli Foundation

Probing the workings of heavy fermion compounds, researchers find that rather than hindering superconductivity, magnetism is an essential ingredient -- and if controlled, may be a key for future advances in the field

A new imaging technology is giving scientists unprecedented views of the processes that affect the flow of electrons through materials.

By modifying a familiar tool in nanoscience the Scanning Tunneling Microscope a team at Cornell University's Laboratory for Atomic and Solid State Physics have been able to visualize what happens when they change the electronic structure of a "heavy fermion" compound made of uranium, ruthenium and silicon. What they learned sheds light on superconductivity the movement of electrons without resistance which typically occurs at extremely low temperatures and that researchers hope one day to achieve at something close to room temperature, which would revolutionize electronics.

The researchers found that, while at higher-temperatures magnetism is detrimental to superconductivity, at low temperatures in heavy fermion materials, magnetic atoms are a necessity. "We found that removing the magnetic atoms proved detrimental to the flow [of electrons]," said researcher Mohammad Hamidian. This is important, Hamidian explains, because "if we can resolve how superconductivity can co-exist with magnetism, then we have a whole new understanding of superconductivity, which could be applied toward creating high-temperature superconductors. In fact, magnetism at the atomic scale could become a new tuning parameter of how you can change the behavior of new superconducting materials that we make."

To make these findings, the researchers modified a scanning microscope that lets you pull or push electrons into a material. With the modification, the microscope could also measure how hard it was to push and pull a development that Hamidian explains is also significant. "By doing this, we actually learn a lot about the material's electronic structure. Then by mapping that structure out over a wide area, we can start seeing variations in those electronic states, which come about for quantum-mechanical reasons. Our newest advance, crucial to this paper, was the ability to see at each atom the strength of the interactions that make the electrons 'heavy.'"

###

The Cornell experiment and its results are presented this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (See PNAS, available online). The research team included J.C. Samus Davis, a member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science and developer of the SI-STM technique. Working with synthesized samples created by Graeme Luke from McMaster University (Canada), the experiment was designed by Hamidian, a post-doctoral fellow in Davis' research group, along with Andrew R. Schmidt, a former student of Davis at Cornell and now a post-doctoral fellow in physics at UC Berkeley. This research was supported by the DOE's Office of Science, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Additional collaborators included Ines Firmo of Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell, and Andy Schmidt now at the University of California, Berkeley.

For the complete interview with Hamidian, visit: http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/Cornell-disturbing-nanosphere-superconductivity

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 19-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: James Cohen
cohen@kavlifoundation.org
The Kavli Foundation

Probing the workings of heavy fermion compounds, researchers find that rather than hindering superconductivity, magnetism is an essential ingredient -- and if controlled, may be a key for future advances in the field

A new imaging technology is giving scientists unprecedented views of the processes that affect the flow of electrons through materials.

By modifying a familiar tool in nanoscience the Scanning Tunneling Microscope a team at Cornell University's Laboratory for Atomic and Solid State Physics have been able to visualize what happens when they change the electronic structure of a "heavy fermion" compound made of uranium, ruthenium and silicon. What they learned sheds light on superconductivity the movement of electrons without resistance which typically occurs at extremely low temperatures and that researchers hope one day to achieve at something close to room temperature, which would revolutionize electronics.

The researchers found that, while at higher-temperatures magnetism is detrimental to superconductivity, at low temperatures in heavy fermion materials, magnetic atoms are a necessity. "We found that removing the magnetic atoms proved detrimental to the flow [of electrons]," said researcher Mohammad Hamidian. This is important, Hamidian explains, because "if we can resolve how superconductivity can co-exist with magnetism, then we have a whole new understanding of superconductivity, which could be applied toward creating high-temperature superconductors. In fact, magnetism at the atomic scale could become a new tuning parameter of how you can change the behavior of new superconducting materials that we make."

To make these findings, the researchers modified a scanning microscope that lets you pull or push electrons into a material. With the modification, the microscope could also measure how hard it was to push and pull a development that Hamidian explains is also significant. "By doing this, we actually learn a lot about the material's electronic structure. Then by mapping that structure out over a wide area, we can start seeing variations in those electronic states, which come about for quantum-mechanical reasons. Our newest advance, crucial to this paper, was the ability to see at each atom the strength of the interactions that make the electrons 'heavy.'"

###

The Cornell experiment and its results are presented this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (See PNAS, available online). The research team included J.C. Samus Davis, a member of the Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science and developer of the SI-STM technique. Working with synthesized samples created by Graeme Luke from McMaster University (Canada), the experiment was designed by Hamidian, a post-doctoral fellow in Davis' research group, along with Andrew R. Schmidt, a former student of Davis at Cornell and now a post-doctoral fellow in physics at UC Berkeley. This research was supported by the DOE's Office of Science, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Additional collaborators included Ines Firmo of Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell, and Andy Schmidt now at the University of California, Berkeley.

For the complete interview with Hamidian, visit: http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/Cornell-disturbing-nanosphere-superconductivity

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/tkf-unt101911.php

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T-Mobile G2 gets an OTA update to Android 2.3.4, brings better battery life and more

While tons of news has been kicking around about Ice Cream Sandwich, the rest of us are hoping and praying that our devices won't be left behind in terms of updates. The T-Mobile G2 has not been forgotten, yet instead there is an OTA that started rolling out yesterday. Included in this update to Android 2.3.4 are the following improvements:

•     Google Security Patch
•     Google Skymap improvements
•     Battery life improvements
•     Data connection while roaming domestically

So, if you are a G2 owner and have yet to receive the update prompt, head into your settings then about phone and check for your update. Be sure to hop in the forums and let us know how the update goes for you, and any improvements you notice!

Source: T-Mobile; Thanks, Stacy!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/A4oQrd2XBPo/t-mobile-g2-gets-ota-update-android-234-brings-better-battery-life-and-more

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Samsung Galaxy Nexus: The Greatest Android's Got a 720p Super AMOLED Display [Android]

Here they are, the first confirmed specs of the Galaxy Nexus, straight from the press event that's going to start soon in Hong Kong. I am like, omega-level excited about that screen, even if I'm not crazy about the giant size. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/pw-vkL-rukM/samsung-galaxy-nexus-the-greatest-androids-got-a-720p-super-amoled-display

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