Holiday shopping has begun! And the awesome Pod Beds from Hepper Home are on sale! Two styles, Earth and Sky and Racetrack Grey, are both only $99, now through November 30 or until they run out.
And the other good news, Spring Bud Green is now back in stock (although this one isn’t on sale).
There is a great need for TV content online. The sheer amount of illegal ways of getting to it is evidence enough, but in recent years, companies are starting to realize that rather than just spend millions on trying to prevent piracy it would be much easier and more profitable to meet the needs of the consumer. In the US, Hulu has been a huge success and is now the second biggest video in the country. In the UK, there’s the BBC’s iPlayer which has seen, arguably, the same level of success though there are some major differences between the two services.
UK business news site, CXO met with BBC’s CTO John Linwood, a former Yahoo exec, to get some details on the project and has also provided some interesting stats wrapped up in a very stylish and overwhelmingly pink chart graph. The chart is full of big numbers like 12.5 gigabytes of data transferred every second adding up to seven petabytes every month. In total over 400 hours of content are encoded every week either from taped shows or live events.
But, there are also some relevant stats in there as well. For example, the player served 70 million streams in October, 53.2 million of which were for TV programming. Radio is very popular in the UK but the big number of radio programming streams, 26.1 million, comes from the fact that usi… (read more)
The California housing market was supposed to have started crashing again by now, according to those who have ridiculed the uptick of the past few months as a head fake.
As of October, however, California appears to be hanging in there.
Daniel Taub, Bloomberg: Single-family home prices in California rose for the eighth consecutive month in October. The median cost of an existing, detached house gained 0.3 percent from the previous month to $297,500. Prices dropped about 3.2 percent from a year earlier, compared with annual declines of 7.3 percent in September and 17 percent in August…
Sales of existing houses climbed 1 percent in October from a year earlier, the Realtors group said. The state is on pace to record 562,400 sales in 2009, based on the rate of transactions last month. Foreclosures represented 41 percent of sales, down from a peak of 59 percent in February, research company MDA DataQuick said on Nov. 19.
Home sales throughout the U.S. are being boosted by a drop in interest rates and a federal tax credit for homebuyers. Fixed 30-year mortgage rates dropped for a fourth consecutive week to 4.78 percent, matching a record low set in April, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac of McLean, Virginia, said today in a statement.
The median single-family house price in California is 50 percent below the peak of $594,530 reached in May 2007, the state Realtors group said.
Here’s the release:
C.A.R. reports October home sales increased 1 percent; median home price declined 3.2 percent
Multimedia:
· Click here to view Unsold Inventory by price point
· Click here to view a data table comparing peak prices and current prices in areas throughout the state
Quick Facts:
· Existing, single-family home sales increased 1 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted rate of 562,400 units on an annualized basis.
· The statewide median price of an existing single-family home increased 0.3 percent in October to
$297,500, compared with September 2009.
· C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index fell to 4 months in October, compared with 6.1 months in October 2008.
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 25) – Home sales increased 1 percent in October in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home declined 3.2 percent, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today.
“Home sales historically trail off during the fall and winter months as we move to the off-peak season for the housing market,” said C.A.R. President Steve Goddard. “However, with affordable home prices, mortgage rates hovering around 5 percent, and the extension and expansion of the federal tax credit, we expect first-time and move-up home buyers to drive home sales through the end of this year and into early 2010.”
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 562,400 in October at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity increased 1 percent from the revised 557,050 sales pace recorded in October 2008. Sales in October 2009 increased 5.9 percent compared with the previous month.
The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 2009 would be if sales maintained the October pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during October 2009 was $297,500, a 3.2 percent decrease from the revised $307,210 median for October 2008, C.A.R. reported. The October 2009 median price rose 0.3 percent compared with September’s $296,610 median price.
“California’s median price rose for the eighth consecutive month in October and sales continued to show strength, signs that California has hit and passed the bottom of this real estate cycle,” said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie-Appleton-Young. “The number of distressed sales as a share of total sales has shown considerable improvement since the beginning of the year, as a result of loan modifications and other efforts to prevent troubled mortgages from going into foreclosure. This has led to a decline in inventory levels since the start of the year that is more consistent with the price gains we have seen in recent months.
“For the first-time since July 2007, sales of homes priced $1 million or more rose in year-to-year comparisons,” said Appleton-Young. “While this is a welcome sign, the high end continues to be constrained by the lack of available financing in this sector.”
Highlights of C.A.R.’s resale housing figures for October 2009:
. C.A.R.’s Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes in October 2009 was 4 months, compared with 6.1 months (revised) for the same period a year ago. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.
. Thirty-year fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.95 percent during October 2009, compared with 6.20 percent in October 2008, according to Freddie Mac. Adjustable-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.55 percent in October 2009, compared with 5.21 percent in October 2008.
. The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 34.1 days in October 2009, compared with 45.5 days (revised) for the same period a year ago.
Regional MLS sales and price information are contained in the tables that accompany this press release. Regional sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums are based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes and condominiums represents closed escrow sales.
In a separate report covering more localized statistics generated by C.A.R. and DataQuick Information Systems, 78 of the 391 cities and communities reporting showed an increase in their respective median home prices from a year ago. DataQuick statistics are based on county records data rather than MLS information. DataQuick Information Systems is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates. (The lists are generated for incorporated cities with a minimum of 30 recorded sales in the month.)
Note: Large changes in local median home prices typically indicate both local home price appreciation, and often, large shifts in the composition of housing market activity. Some of the variations in median home prices for October may be exaggerated due to compositional changes in housing demand. The DataQuick tables listing median home prices in California cities and counties are accessible through C.A.R. Online at
http://www.car.org/economics/historicalprices/2009medianprices/oct2009medianprices.
. Statewide, the 10 cities with the highest median home prices in California during October 2009 were: Palo Alto, $1,639,550; Los Altos, $1,592,550; Manhattan Beach, $1,037,500; Cupertino, $1,030,000; Newport Beach, $935,000; Los Gatos, $920,000; Rancho Palos Verdes, $900,000; Santa Barbara, $897,500; Lafayette, $867,500; and Santa Monica, $786,000.
. Statewide, the cities with the greatest median home price increases in October 2009 compared with the same period a year ago were: Palo Alto, 49.1 percent; Atascadero, 33.3 percent; Cupertino, 24.2 percent; San Rafael, 24 percent; Emeryville, 22.2 percent, Livermore, 20.5 percent; Culver City, 19.4 percent; Pleasant Hill, 17 percent; La Habra, 16.2 percent, and Novato, 15.4 percent.
Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 163,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
October 2009 Regional Sales and Price Activity*
Regional and Condo Sales Data Not Seasonally Adjusted
|
|
Median Price |
Percent Change in Price from Prior Month |
Percent Change in Price from Prior Year |
Percent Change in Sales from Prior Month |
Percent Change in Sales from Prior Year |
||
|
|
Oct-09 |
Sep-09 |
|
Oct-08 |
|
Sep-09 |
Oct-08 |
|
Statewide |
|
|
|||||
|
Calif. (sf) |
$297,500 |
0.3% |
-3.2% |
5.9% |
1.0% |
||
|
Calif. (condo) |
$267,520 |
-1.0% |
-3.6% |
5.5% |
9.4% |
||
|
|
|
||||||
|
C.A.R. Region |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
High Desert |
$118,580 |
0.6% |
-23.3% |
-3.0% |
-1.1% |
||
|
Los Angeles |
$346,030 |
-1.6% |
-5.6% |
-5.6% |
1.8% |
||
|
Monterey Region |
$300,860 |
-2.0% |
-10.6% |
19.0% |
11.6% |
||
|
Monterey County |
$240,000 |
4.3% |
-15.8% |
20.9% |
5.9% |
||
|
Santa Cruz County |
$515,000 |
-3.6% |
3.0% |
15.1% |
26.8% |
||
|
Northern California |
$264,220 |
0.2% |
-6.3% |
11.1% |
16.5% |
||
|
Northern Wine Country |
$366,260 |
6.9% |
-1.0% |
4.7% |
-11.6% |
||
|
Orange County |
$490,290 |
-1.3% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
4.0% |
||
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
$164,390 |
2.9% |
-20.2% |
8.7% |
3.5% |
||
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
$171,600 |
-0.5% |
-18.3% |
4.5% |
-14.7% |
||
|
Sacramento |
$188,110 |
2.1% |
-4.5% |
5.2% |
-18.4% |
||
|
San Diego |
$378,540 |
-1.9% |
3.5% |
4.9% |
-4.3% |
||
|
San Francisco Bay |
$551,090 |
2.8% |
5.8% |
-0.1% |
13.1% |
||
|
San Luis Obispo |
$372,090 |
-4.5% |
-4.7% |
24.3% |
7.8% |
||
|
Santa Barbara County |
$418,750 |
-1.1% |
26.4% |
-2.2% |
-9.2% |
||
|
Santa Barbara South Coast |
$970,000 |
29.3% |
12.5% |
-5.9% |
11.1% |
||
|
North Santa Barbara County |
$240,220 |
-2.7% |
-3.0% |
0.0% |
-21.1% |
||
|
Santa Clara |
$590,000 |
6.7% |
7.3% |
-4.7% |
24.6% |
||
|
Ventura |
$441,740 |
0.0% |
3.3% |
19.8% |
10.4% |
||
na – not available
* Based on closed escrow sales of single‑family, detached homes only (no condos). Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as measuring changes in the cost of a standard home. Prices are influenced by changes in cost and changes in the characteristics and size of homes actually sold.
sf = single‑family, detached home
Source: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
Median Prices By Region – Current Month vs. Year Ago
|
|
Oct-09 |
Sep-09 |
|
Oct-08 |
|
|
Statewide |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Calif. (sf) |
$297,500 |
$296,610 |
r |
$307,210 |
r |
|
Calif. (condo) |
$267,520 |
$270,170 |
$277,590 |
r |
|
|
|
|||||
|
C.A.R. Region |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
High Desert |
$118,580 |
$117,820 |
$154,660 |
||
|
Los Angeles |
$346,030 |
$351,680 |
$366,520 |
||
|
Monterey Region |
$300,860 |
$307,140 |
$336,630 |
||
|
Monterey County |
$240,000 |
$230,000 |
$285,000 |
||
|
Santa Cruz County |
$515,000 |
$534,000 |
$500,000 |
||
|
Northern California |
$264,220 |
$263,620 |
r |
$281,910 |
r |
|
Northern Wine Country |
$366,260 |
$342,620 |
$369,890 |
||
|
Orange County |
$490,290 |
$496,790 |
$490,360 |
||
|
Palm Springs/Lower Desert |
$164,390 |
$159,810 |
$206,050 |
||
|
Riverside/San Bernardino |
$171,600 |
$172,420 |
$209,990 |
||
|
Sacramento |
$188,110 |
$184,200 |
$196,920 |
||
|
San Diego |
$378,540 |
$386,050 |
$365,580 |
r |
|
|
San Francisco Bay |
$551,090 |
$536,080 |
$520,920 |
||
|
San Luis Obispo |
$372,090 |
$389,530 |
$390,480 |
r |
|
|
Santa Barbara County |
$418,750 |
$423,330 |
$331,250 |
r |
|
|
Santa Barbara South Coast |
$970,000 |
$750,000 |
$862,500 |
r |
|
|
North Santa Barbara County |
$240,220 |
$246,870 |
$247,660 |
||
|
Santa Clara |
$590,000 |
$553,000 |
$549,940 |
||
|
Ventura |
$441,740 |
$441,670 |
$427,650 |
na – not available
r – revised
Source: CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
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David Rosenberg comments on the latest turmoil:
Quite the turkey fest in the markets with the debt situation at Dubai World (not to
mention the devaluation in Vietnam — shades of Thailand circa 1997? — and the
Fitch credit downgrade of Mexico; and keep an eye on Greece as its bond spreads
default risks have surged too). After being clobbered more than 3% yesterday,
European equities are down another 0.7% so far today and Asia is in the red right
across the board — the Nikkei off 301 points, or 3.2%, to 9,081; the Hang Seng
lost 1,075 points, or 4.8%, to 21,134; China’s stock market is down 2.4% and
Korea shedding 4.7%. This is bad news for the financials (especially U.K. banks
who have the most exposure — $50bln of the total $87bln that Europe has on the
books with the UAE) — the group that led the rebound may well be the catalyst for
the long-awaited reversal.
Commodities are taking a hit too as are the commodity-based currencies (the New
Zealand Kiwi just sagged to a 4-month low) as a renewed shift to U.S. dollars, at
least for the time being, has taken the DXY index back from the abyss and is up
around 50bps today, to 75.34. (The yen is also on fire — classic signpost of risk
aversion.) Crude oil has traded down to a six-week low of below $73/bbl — we feel
that in several areas, including commodities and credit, a fresh buying opportunity
awaits (gold has corrected 4.0%, to $1,138, but it has so much technical support
that no trendline is broken until it tests $960/oz). Retail demand for bullion has
been so strong that the U.S. government has completely run out of American Eagle
gold coins (see the front page story on this in today’s FT).
We also see in today’s FT that even after the latest surge in gold, the fund
holdings in ETFs ballooned to a record 1,766 tons (up 48% for the year). We
have been gold bulls for about 90% of the time over the past decade (we
skipped the 2007 bubble period) but like many other risk assets, bullion is a
crowded trade for now. Don’t mistake this for a bearish call, but more like a
near-term tactical view: we still see gold approaching $3,000/oz before the
secular bull market runs its course.
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So it’s finally Black Friday and retailers across America are slashing their prices and welcoming hordes of hysterical shoppers. The question, of course, is how generous is Apple being this year? Is it – as it teased earlier in the week – a “happy” Friday for the Apple-buying public?
The answer is (not unsurprisingly) No. Not if you buy from Apple it isn’t.
While Apple observes the Black Friday custom, it never really embraces it. It’s been said before, Apple unashamedly sets higher-than-average prices on its products (particularly when MacBooks are compared to run-of-the-mill Windows computers) and just isn’t interested in doing bargain-basement deals. I guess that’s why they have sixty bajillion in the bank.
Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of some of the more noteworthy price-cuts among the meager discounts Apple has on offer just for today.
Apple TV
This’ll rock your world (not); save $21 on an Apple TV, now only $208. I bet that has you reaching for your credit card…
iPods
The iPod Nano starts at $138 today, a saving of $11.
The iPod Touch enjoys a $41 discount, cost today: $178.
iMacs
The 21.5 and 27 inch iMacs start at $1098, a saving of $101.
MacBook Pros
13, 15 and 17 inch MacBook Pros also get a $101 discount and so also start at $1098. No savings on the MacBook or MacBook Air, sadly.
All manner of Apple accessories and software get moderate discounts. If you’re interested in picking up the latest edition of iWork, Apple’s productivity software suite, a single user license will cost only $49 today, a saving of $30. (Actually, this isn’t a bad discount, given how sophisticated iWork is.)
The new Magic Mouse gets a measly $5 shaved off the asking price (today’s cost to you – $64 – is still way too much for this mouse).
The 1TB Time Capsule, Airport Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple In-Ear Headphones all get a little of the Black Friday treatment. Not to mention a whole lot of stuff nobody cares about. And there’s no discount on a MobileMe subscription, which is what I was hoping to see happen.
Altogether now… “Meh.”
The same percentage discounts have been rolled-out to Apple’s international stores, but ultimately equate to the same small-time savings. None of this is new — Apple just doesn’t “do” discounts. It’s not in its DNA.
If you want a genuine discount that makes a real difference to your bank balance, you need to leave Apple’s stores behind and go to its authorized resellers. That’s where the real action is this Black Friday. AppleInsider has a great roundup (including side by side comparisons) of the top Apple-approved resellers and their best one-day-discounts.
If you’re out shopping for an Apple bargain today and stumble across a fantastic deal, why not share the news in the comments below? But only after you’ve helped yourself, naturally. No one expects retail-altruism on a day like this…
As part of our ongoing Primal Blueprint Fitness Video Contest Mark’s Daily Apple reader and competitive CrossFitter Blair Morrison submitted his interpretation of a Primal Blueprint Bodyweight Routine (the new contest theme is Creative Sprint Routines). He’s in the running for a cash and Primal prize package and has a one in four shot of winning.
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and you could probably use a little activity, so try out this Primal routine to get your heart pumping.
5 rounds for time:
If you’d like to be featured on Mark’s Daily Apple for a chance to win Primal gear read the Primal Blueprint contest details and submit your video (fitness or recipe), real life Primal story or Primal recipe today!
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LXE Inc. has extended its industryleading line of vehicle-mount computing solutions with the new VX8 and VX9 rugged mobile computers. The VX8 and VX9 computers are rugged, wirelessly enabled Windows XP-based mobile PC’s with 10.4” and 12.1” touch-screen displays that are designed for vehicle-mounted use in tough environments.
“With these new Windows XP vehicle-mounted computers, LXE offers a broad product line to meet customers’ specific rugged computing requirements. The VX8 and VX9 enable
organisations to run more advanced applications, but still leverage existing computer support resources. That, combined with LXE’s industry-leading customer service and support network,
can equate to greater cost savings, flexibility and reliability.” Recent LXE customer research has revealed that a greater number of customers now have a preference for Windows XP over Windows CE as the operating system platform for vehiclemount computers. The growing interest in Windows XP among LXE’s current customer base was attributed to several factors, including the ability of the operating system to handle a wider range of mobile applications and to simplify network administration. “As warehouses and port facilities become more operationally complex, so too is the information required by employees at the point of interaction or activity,” said David Krebs, mobile & wireless director, VDC Research. “To support more advanced data collection and communication applications, VDC is seeing increased demand for vehicle mounted computers supported by a full OS – such as XP – in these environments. Moreover, additional benefits in the form of cost savings are expected as organisations adopt a single OS platform strategy.” The compact VX8 computer is ideal for applications where users need high-performance computing in a small package. The slim-line VX9 computer, which is available with an XGA display option, is targeted at users that need a larger screen area. Available with WWAN, WLAN and Bluetooth radios, both the VX8 and VX9 computers are suitable for a range of vehicle-mounted applications in challenging deployment environments, including those on forklift trucks, container handling machinery, forestry and construction equipment, and emergency service vehicles.
The newest addition to the EVERSWITCH customized switch family is an aircraft lavatory switch. The EVERSWITCH switch is designed to meet the latest requirements in lavatory design and is made of aviation grade Aluminum or Stainless Steel, with non-removable marking.
Baran Advanced Technologies (1986) Ltd. had been supplying Piezo electric switches to the aviation industry for various interior and exterior functions.
The EVERSWITCH lavatory switch can be cleaned with any known detergent, and is the ultimate solution for cabin systems in unmanned high traffic areas.
The 0-28V 2A switch connects to a wide range of cabin systems, aircraft water systems, vacuum waste systems, galley waste systems, trash compactors and recirculation lavatory systems.
The switch is light weight, easy to mount, and offered with optional LED illumination or audio feed back.
With no moving parts, the EVERSWITCH has the longest life cycle in the industry. Its firm, rugged structure guarantees long operation, and we guarantee its function for 5 years.
As the battle over government-controlled health care continues, many Americans simply want out of the whole mess. They instead seek a plan of wellness based on healthy eating and natural supplements.
That approach, however, is the opposite of the health care agenda of the American Medical Association and the Pharmaceutical industry. Those forces, which literally control America’s health industry, are based on sickness. The sicker you are, the more drugs you will buy.
In addition, insurance companies, working hand in hand with the AMA and the drug companies, refuse to provide coverage for the wellness approach. Most won’t pay for natural supplements nor will they pay for visits to homeopaths or chiropractors. The only thing most Americans can do when sick (and unable to afford to pay for natural treatment out of their pockets) is to stick with the big pharma/AMA game plan. In short, it is cheaper to be sick than to try to stay well.
However, in spite of a stacked deck in favor of the sickness agenda, more Americans are going for wellness and the natural supplement industry is growing. In response, and to preserve their dominance over health care, big pharma is lobbying hard to get the Food and Drug Administration to make many natural supplements available only by prescriptions issued by AMA licensed doctors. In other efforts, they seek to drastically reduce the dosage of natural supplements sold over the counter, making them useless. Again, only a prescription would allow a workable dosage. Read more…
LittleBigPlanet’s upcoming “Leerdammer” patch will finally free players from having to stick to offline level creation. Yep, they’ve finally slapped o…
Check out the Moderncat picks in the Martha Stewart Gift Guide! There’s something for every moderncat on your list!
The iPhone is set to arrive soon in South Korea, where it will debut on KT, a smaller carrier, after failing to convince the industry incumbent SK Telecom to carry the device.
Despite this its arrival is still expected to bring competitive pressure to bear on the cell phone market there, where smartphones have been traditionally sold without contract and at pretty high prices.
KT will be offering the 32 GB iPhone 3GS for $317 for buyers signing up for a $38 per month contract, and free for buyers on a $113 per month contract.
SK Telecom is responding with both better advertising and by reducing the price of their flagship device, the Samsung T-Omnia, which previously sold for around $796 for the 4 GB model and $833 for the 8 GB one. The two devices have now seen a drop to $758 and $768 respectively.
SK Telecom is also set to double its handset subsidies and offer discounts to entice users into buying data plans, and even offering the phone for free to buyers who sign up for a $80 per month contract.
LG Electronics, who will be launching the SU210 Windows Mobile smartphone, is also set to introduce the device at the unprecedented low price of $516. Other companies like HTC and Sony Ericsson are likely to follow suite too.
“Mobile operators are now increasing their spending on handset subsidies on smart phones. Although the increasing costs are a concern, there is a reason to think that consumers will benefit,” said an official from the Korea Communications Commission (KCC)’s policy bureau.
While lower prices are in general good news for consumers and smartphone adoption, Apple has been able to achieve this largely at the expense of larger carrier subsidies, while other smartphone companies have been forced instead to reduce their margins, resulting in lower revenue and less ability to produce competitive products.
Read more at KoreanTimes here.
Filed under: Convertible, Buick, Chevrolet
Ever look for something high and low only to find it hiding in plain sight? That’s how we’d sum up the latest announcement from General Motors. The company has announced that the new Buick Regal – based on 2009’s European Car of the Year, the Opel Insignia – will enter production at the beginning of 2011 at its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario. There it will join the existing assembly line for the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers and the Chevy Camaro.
The kicker? General Motors subtly slipped in the announcement that the Camaro Convertible will begin production there as well around the same time. The drop-top pony car was first mooted with the concept unveiled at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, and GM has been hemming and hawing about its production prospects ever since. Well, apparently they’ve made up their minds, and told all of us about it in the most understated way they could think of. Follow the jump to read the official press release.
Gallery: Chevy Camaro Convertible Concept
[Source: General Motors]
GM confims Chevy Camaro Convertible for Oshawa production alongside 2011 Buick Regal originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Dow instantly opened over 200 points downward, which is it where it sits about 10 minutes into the trading day.
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ are both down a steep 2.3%.
Oil is getting clobbered, down around 5% to $74/barrel.
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Public speaking, spiders and heights are some of our most common fears. They can be embarrassing, occasionally make us squeal like a little girl in public, and potentially give your friends something to tease you about for years to come.
Phobias though, are a completely different matter. A phobia is a fear so strong and compelling that no matter how illogical, it transforms its victim into a fearful and anxious bundle of nerves; willing to do anything they can to avoid the source of their terror.
If you flip the picture its “999”. There, problem solved.
There are several phobias involving numbers, but this one takes the cake both for being impossible to pronounce and being straight up strange. It is the fear of the number 666, in Christian believes this is the “Number of the Beast” and has satanic connotations. Those who suffer from this phobia will go to great lengths to avoid any situation where a 6 appears three times out of fear that any exposure will bring terrible consequences.
Gravity is everywhere, affecting everything. It’s a constant force that works to keep your feet on the ground, the moon in its orbit and skydivers hurtling at a consistent speed towards the earth’s surface. It is as inescapable as death, taxes and a mother’s nagging.
For some though, gravity is a thing to be feared, a terrifying force that could change at any moment and crush them to death. Often this terror is made worse when barophobes are riding escalators, elevators or midway rides like Ferris wheels and roller coasters, anything that alters g-forces by even the slightest amount can trigger a feeling of panic and dread
Mirrors are everywhere, bouncing our reflections off buildings, bathroom walls and change rooms. We use them to fix our hair, straighten our ties and find out who is the fairest of them all.
For eisoptrophobics every mirror is a threat, and faced with their own reflection they spiral into panic. For some it is a belief that looking at their reflection will drag them into a supernatural world that exists on the other side of the glass, for others it is a deep horror that stemmed from low self-esteem and a desire to avoid seeing themselves that grew into a crippling fear.
Silicone, make-up applied with a trowel & teeth so white they’re blinding. No wonder people fear them
Fashion and film rely heavily on the iconic beauty of their stars, stunningly beautiful women whose features are touted as a physical ideal.
What most would consider a dream, some phobia suffers consider a nightmare, their deepest terrors triggered by the appearance of a beautiful woman. For some this pervading dread of a femme fatale haunts their every waking moment, for others it is only when they are exposed to a bombshell of a babe that the anxiety and fears kick in. Either way, I’m betting there are not many caligynephobics living in Hollywood.
And its covered with germs too
Money is the lifeblood of the modern world, earning it, spending it, diving into vaults of sparkly gold coins like Scrooge McDuck, we are all in its thrall to some extent.
For the Chrometophobe though, money is a plague of fears and worries that never stop. This phobia takes on different flavours; for some it is a deep terror they will mismanage money and wind up destitute. For others it is a voice that whispers that money is the root of all evil, convincing them that it will destroy them utterly.
Anthophobics’ idea if hell has a pollen count
The expression “Say it with flowers” takes on a whole new meaning for those who suffer from this phobia. Anthophobics are afflicted with a deep and irrational fear of all things budding and beautiful. Despite their awareness that this is illogical, sufferers of this aliment can be terrorized by a posey, its petals or stem.
Doctor’s office or check out line, no one really likes to wait. We all have places we’d rather be, doing things far more fun than perusing ancient magazines or standing in long lineups scanning the tabloid headlines.
When you are afflicted with macrophobia though, a long wait is much more than an inconvenience, it is a trigger to anxiety attacks and all out terror. One of the more mysterious phobias, the reasons for its development is often not known, but the fear and anxiety any sort of wait causes are very real.
If Colonel Saunders had suffered from this phobia we’d have never known the tasty joy of his 11 herbs and spices.
Alektorophobia is the medical term for being chicken about chickens. Sufferers of this condition constantly worry that these peaceful poultry may become aggressive, swooping down to startle and peck them, spreading their avian diseases and threatening the victim’s well being. With the discovery of avian flu, I can only imagine many sufferers of this ailment screamed “I knew it all along.”
Laughter isn’t always the best medicine; in fact if you have geliophobia it is about the worst thing in the world.
People suffering from this aliment often live in terror that they will laugh or smile at the wrong moment, or find the sound of laughter to be gutbustingly horrifying. Comedians and class clowns are these people’s worst enemies, and for them a sitcom laugh-track is more like the soundtrack of Hell.
On theck, I haff somving sthuck to the roof of my mouff
Whether you like it crunchy, smooth or as part of a Fluffernutter sandwich, most people enjoy this sticky treat from time to time and never suffer a single qualm.
For others though, the thought of eating peanut butter can send them into a paroxysm of panic. Arachibutyrophobes cannot cope with the idea of getting this goo stuck inside their mouth, and this fear can build until not only are they afraid of peanut butter, but any and all peanut products and even glass jars.
There is nothing so welcome as a soft pillow and warm quilt at the end of a long day; most of us look forward to burrowing under the covers and letting the world slip away for a few blissful hours of sleep.
Unless you suffer from this phobia, in which case sleep is not welcome at all. Stemming from a fear of losing control, Somniphobics are convinced that if they sleep they will not be able to wake up again, not even if they world around them was being shredded like protons in the Large Haldron Collider. Another common fear is that while they sleep they are vunerable, and could be attacked or even killed while they visit the land of dreams.
The only ones who really like wet weather are ducks and other waterproof critters, but most of us can cope with a rainy day with an umbrella and a pair of rubber boots.
Ombrophobics need more than an umbrella though, as their deep fear of precipitation means they will never be caught singing in the rain. This phobia of getting rained on can get so bad that just hearing the soothing pitter patter of rain on a rooftop can bring up feelings of dread and anxiety.
A hot shower is part of morning rituals all around the world, as needed as that first cup of coffee. If you offer a hot bubble bath to an overworked Mom and she’ll be in the suds before you can say “spa.” But not everyone feels that way about getting clean.
Ablutophobia is the fear of bathing, and those afflicted with this disorder can suffer paralyzing levels of fear just thinking about washing up. It is most commonly seen in children, women and anyone named “Pigpen.”
World’s most adorable ablutophobe
The victim cannot bear the idea of cleaning themselves, reacting to the idea like they’d just witnessed the shower scene from Hitchcock’s movie Psycho.
The battle against “illegal file-sharing” is heating up, especially in Europe where it looks like the media lobbyists are well worth their fees. Several countries are planning or debating whether to introduce a ‘three-strikes’ system for file sharers, and recently, the UK has been the hotbed of activity. With talks of making the system mandatory by law, some ISPs are making some compromises in the hopes it will deter lawmakers. Virgin Media, one of the biggest ISPs in the country, has announced it will test a system to monitor file-sharing on its network. The trial will affect some 40 percent of its subscribers and will use technology from Detica, a technology company which builds specialized networking solutions.
“Understanding how consumer behaviour is changing will be an important requirement of Virgin Media’s upcoming music offering and, should they become law, the Government’s legislative proposals will also require measurement of the level of copyright infringement on ISPs’ networks. Detica’s CView technology potentially offers a non-intrusive solution which enhances our understanding of aggregate customer behaviour without identifying or storing individual customers’ data,” Jon James, executive director of Broadband at Virgin Media, said.
The company claims t… (read more)
At first impression, the story is very familiar: two American-born sisters of Vietnamese American immigrants – one the high-achieving ‘good’ daughter with her law degree, the other the ‘lost’ daughter with fast friends and temporary jobs that never last long.
But in Bich Minh Nguyen’s heart-string-pulling first novel, Van and Linny Luong are anything but stereotypes, living complicated inner lives filled with searching and rarely enough understanding. Their distant father, camped out in the basement of their childhood home, considers himself an inventor. His Luong Arm is a promising tool for short people trying to reach too-high places … a metaphor that fits all four members of the petite Luong family. Because of their short stature, he constantly tells his girls they must work that much harder to achieve success, often quoting a mistaken version of Randy Newman’s 1970s pop hit: “short people are no reason to live.”
The girls’ no-nonsense mother who managed to keep the family together, has been gone for nine years, reduced to an Olan Mills portrait and a box of ashes. Both could use some maternal guidance. Van’s near-perfect life disappears overnight when her husband walks out without explanation. Ironically, Linny’s playing the ‘other woman’ with a married man she met delivering ready-made meals to wealthy Chicago families with no time to cook – but plenty of time to step out.
As young girls, the sisters thought of themselves as the invincible Trung Sisters from first-century Vietnam. But as they grew up and their priorities took vastly divergent turns, their communication devolved into barbs and sarcasm. With Mom gone, and Dad buried in his basement, Van and Linny have no other family left except each other … and cautiously, they begin to rebuild their neglected sisterhood, shedding long-hidden secrets one by one to finally reveal their true selves.
Following the success of her delicious debut memoir, Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, Nguyen’s first foray into fiction is a quiet, resonating portrait of family lost and found …
Readers: Adult
Published: 2009
Here’s more grist for oil bears who argue that regardless of the long-term situation, for now the world is awash with oil, at a time when end-demand is ho-hum.
———-
New York – November 27, 2009
United States crude oil production for 2009 is on target to have its biggest one-year jump since 1970, according to a Platts analysis of industry data.
With U.S. oil production averaging 5.268 barrels per day (b/d) through October, the gain in U.S. output will be the most since the country produced 9.637-million b/d in 1970, which turned out to be the peak year of U.S. crude output, according to Platts’ analysis of data published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). If that 5.268 million b/d figure holds through December, this year would show a 6.4% boost from the 4.95 million b/d average of 2008 and rank as the best U.S. oil production year since 2004, when output averaged 5.419 million b/d.
For comparison, in the 40 years since U.S. oil production peaked annual output has jumped only eight times. Seven of those increases were minimal; only in 1978 was there a jump of significant magnitude, an increase of 5.6%, to 8.7 million b/d.
Last year’s hurricane curtailments distorted the production numbers somewhat for the 2008 comparison, given that 183,000 b/d of Gulf of Mexico output was still offline at the end of that year. However, 2009 is still expected to post increases of 3% and 4% from the relatively storm-free years of 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Projections from the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) indicate that the primary driver for this year’s U.S. oil production resurgence is actually just getting started. That driver is the Gulf of Mexico, where operators have begun launching a group of new fields, fulfilling what has been a decade-long focus on unlocking the promise of deepwater exploration there.
In its reporting, Platts concluded that with the jump in the Gulf of Mexico, combined with the emergence of two other new oil-production trends, it appears the U.S. has a chance of at least maintaining oil output in the range of five million to six million b/d for some years to come. “We see it above five million barrels per day for the next 10 years or so,” Platts quoted Peter Jackson, senior director for IHS CERA, as saying. “There is still a tremendous amount of exploration potential in the U.S. and that plateau could be sustained.”
The Gulf posted its biggest oil production year in 2002 with 1.556 million b/d, but only 61% of that total came from deepwater. In contrast, this year the MMS projects oil output of 1.213 million b/d with 76% from deepwater as the Gulf ramps toward an expected new oil production record of 1.635 million b/d by 2011
Besides growth in the Gulf, those other trends involve further development of the Bakken Shale oil play in North Dakota and success by a group of operators now training their onshore exploration sights toward new oil targets at the expense of natural gas.
The development of the Bakken into a robust, new oil province is well under way, according to data from EIA. Bakken oil output has already elevated North Dakota into fifth place among U.S. states for oil production with average daily output of 202,000 b/d at the end of 2008. But that number already appears to be old, even though is was 50% more than 2007 figures. For example, in June of this year, production in North Dakota had climbed to 215,000 b/d.
As for companies shifting their strategies, that group includes large Houston independent and Bakken pioneer EOG Resources, which has set a goal of shifting from a 70% gas production share to a 50:50 oil and gas mix by 2011 with a comprehensive review of additional potential North American shale oil targets.
This rise in output has helped the U.S. reduce its net imports — defined as imports less exports, both crude and petroleum products — by a substantial amount. While there are many factors that go into the United States’ net import figure, the decline has been striking, according to EIA data.
For the final three months of 2008, net imports – reported weekly by EIA — were never less than 10.5 million b/d, and were as high as 12.68 million b/d. This year, the EIA is reporting that net imports in the first week of October were 10.1 million b/d, have not been higher since, and have been as low as 8.84 million b/d..
And while the drop in U.S. consumption can be seen as accounting for much of that decline, the U.S. also has put more than 140 million barrels of crude oil and products into inventory since the beginning of October 2008, something made possible in part by the rise in crude oil output.
For more information on crude oil, visit the Platts website.
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Para ir cerrando la semanita, nada mejor que dar por terminado un tema y terminar de englobarlo no?. Que lindo que son los Viernes, aunque si uno llega muy cansado a veces se hacen más eterno que los Lunes ( y miren que comparación!!) En conclusión, me voy a dejar de hablar pavadas un rato y por lo pronto les deseo un muy feliz fin de semana. Mientras tanto actualizo mi blog web site (jaja) con la segunda parte sobre la Articulación Temporo Mandibular. Espero que les sea de mucha utilidad a todos y en especial a Cynthia que me lo pidió, igual sabés que si necesitas mas info voy a hacer lo posible dentro de mi alcance para seguir ayudandote.
La A.T.M es la articulación que une a la mandíbula con el cráneo. Constituida por una cavidad o fosa articular en el hueso temporal del cráneo, la parte superior del hueso de la mandíbula o cóndilo, el cual tiene forma de balón de rugby, y un disco interarticular dispuesto entre ambas. Vale mencionar que también se incluyen en esta articulación, ligamentos, nervios, y vasos. El disco interarticular le da una amortiguación adecuada y la estabiliza.
Sin duda esta articulación es de vital importancia en la deglución, y a mi entender se encuentra ubicada en un punto crítico y a la vez estratégico, debido a que tanto la mandíbula, como el cráneo y cuello se encuentran interrelacionados entre si por un perfecto equilibrio muscular de sus masas. Si por alguna causa “x” se logra un desequilibrio alguno en este sistema, pongamosle la firma con aclaración inclusive que esto va a repercutir directamente sobre la A.T.M.
Con esta breve reseña, ya podemos entonces citar a la D.T.M.…. QUE ES ESTO???…. La d.t.m son un conjunto de patologías o situaciones clínicas que pueden presentar en su sintomatología signos relacionados a la A.T.M, los músculos de la masticación o de la musculatura cráneo-cervical.
Su etiología no es sumamente clara, es demasiado subjetiva pero podemos nombrar entre los orígenes mas didácticos a estas siguientes causas:
Hay factores que nos van a predisponer a sufrir una D.T.M ya sea relacionados a nuestra vida cotidiana, o por una patología que haya adquirido. Dichos factores son:
La afectación de la D.T.M puede darse de dos maneras diferentes:
Los síntomas que trae aparejada dicha disfunción son:
Como toda patología que nos toque tratar en nuestra larga u dichosa vida profesional, como regla de hora, tenemos que diagnosticar basándonos en fuentes sólidas y confiables, y que mejor fuente que nuestra propia exploración fisica y una entrevista adecuada… no habrá mejor que eso… para luego, como segundo lugar, utilizar la ayuda de imágenes que puedan confirmar sin refutaciones nuestro diagnóstico presunto de antemano.
Con respecto al tratamiento, debemos identificar como primer lugar cual fue la causa que provocó esa Disfunción, ya que sólo de esa forma vamos a tener más posibilidades de eliminarlo de base. También tenemos que plantearnos como fin, lograr una articulación sin dolor, flexible, sin postura viciosa, sin tensión muscular, en otras palabras, saludable. Es esencial no olvidarnos de el paisaje anatómico con que gozamos alrederor de dicha artilación, tanto cráneo como cervicales, sin querer… éstas inmediaciones pueden echar a perder nuestro tratamiento quitándole eficacia.
Dado que en la nota anterior cite algo en el archivo descargable sobre la aplicación de Medios Físicos, voy a pasar por alto, dirigiendome directamente a otras alternativas: Físicas, Farmacológicas, etc.
TRATAMIENTO FÍSICO:
OTROS TRATAMIENTOS:
Podemos acompañarlas con tratamientos psicológicos, farmacológicos y tilizar férulas de descarga para asi lograr una mejor posición anatómica. Depende de cual es la causa que originó la D.T.M, es si vamos a trabajar con equipo multidisciplincario o no, Odontólogos, Pscicólogos, etc.
AUTOCUIDADOS:
En síntesis, no es una patología dificil de tratar, ni tampoco que sea de gran impacto en nuestra salud, pero hay que tratarla a tiempo y nuestro paciente tiene que poner empeño en su tratamiento mostrándose predispuesto y colaborador antes los ejercicios y autocuidados cotidianos. De esa forma el buen camino estaría trazado, solo haría falta empezar a circularlo
Bobby Woods is scheduled to be executed in Texas on Thursday. This is the case despite two important facts:
— His IQ hovers at or below 70 — the accepted border of mental impairment.
— The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that it is unconstitutional to execute someone with a mental disability.
Woods was sentenced to death for his role in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl. He disputes the facts, saying his cousin killed the girl. But the facts are beside the point now. Why is Texas ignoring the clear directive of the Supreme Court?
Woods was represented for years by an incompetent attorney, appointed by the state, who squandered any chance of Woods seeking to fight his sentence based on his mental disability. His new attorney is seeking clemency from Gov. Rick Perry. But we know how Perry handles these things.
Woods’ new attorney Maurie Levin is fighting for her client’s life with every tool available.
“For the state of Texas to appoint a lawyer who they then removed from the list — who was being taken to task in a federal court at the very same time he’s being appointed to represent Bobby in his federal proceedings, and then for Bobby — a mentally retarded man — to suffer the consequences of that appointment is atrocious. It infuriates me,” she told the Texas Observer this week.
Levin is trying to get the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles to watch a video of Woods speaking so they can see the capacity of the man the state is planning to execute. Watch the video after the jump.
