Thursday, April 28, 2011
What Is Your Objective?
Key Features of Leased Lines
Internet Laptop Sales Growing
There is a Different Way Then MLM
Now many people have been introduced to Residual Income through mlm or network marketing.
What Does My Home Insurance Cover in the Event of a Fire?
What In The World Is Web 2.0 And How Can I Use It To Make Money?
Don’t Buy a Vending Machine Business Until You Read This
Responsibilities Of A Home Based Business Opportunity Seeker
The Richest People in China
How to Start an EBay Business: Revealed!
Local Portland Office Space Reviews
Practical Tips When Getting Into A Home-Based Business Opportunity
Selling Benefits - How Would You Answer - Why Should I do Business With You?
Reason Why Choose a Tungsten Wedding Rings
Careers Requiring Additional Training
Finally - A Legitimate Program Shows How to Work at Home and Make Money Online - FAST!
I've been working at home, making good money online since 1998, primarily with e-commerce (creating websites and selling products), but after years of working hard at it, I got pretty burned out, so I sold that business.
Keep Your Eyes Protected In A Sporty Set Of Spy Goggles
Sales on EBay - How to Profit on EBay in Hard Times
5 Tips For Beginners to Make Money Online
Financial Freedom Has Its Price
For those of you that are starting (or thinking about) a home-based-business, there are some basic truths that you're not going to hear from the people that are trying to recruit you for THEIR program.
The Visa Merchant Account
The monopoly of China's textile industry gradually disappeared - medical arm crutch Manufacturer
Gorgon Secures and Creates Jobs as it Goes Down in Australias History as One of the Worlds Largest Natural Gas Projects
Work At Home And Make 6-Figures Per Year
Just like a Doctor or Lawyer has to study to be successful in their field, a person looking to be successful in a home business must do the same.
Secure Your Parcels And Your Reputation With Good Packing
Is It Easy To Start Your Own Home Business?
Home Business, Passion Or Science?
Being Your Own Boss is Not Limited to the Rich and Elite (read my Story)
Different Types of Printing Options For Businesses
The Basic Marketing Plan
Starting Your Own E-commerce Business
4 Elements Of A Great Fundraising Event
Do You Want to Know About Outdoor Banner Signs?
Digital Signage and Ad Agencies: Can They Get Along?
A Review of the Talk Fusion Income Opportunity
Should You Sell a Business Via a Business Broker
Spice Up Your Time
The Truth About Voiceover Demos
Personal Development Plan
Tips to Find Best Deals on House of Dereon Clothing Online
The #1 Missed Marketing Opportunity For Home Businesses
Choosing A Niche Market For Expertise-Based Entrepreneurs - Part I
Use Free Online Classified Ads to Your Advantage
You can buy Omega Replica Watches at discout on Christmas Day
Accrual Accounting The Facts Issues And Resolutions
Attention PR Shoppers!
Publicity that delivers newspaper
Why Hire A Junk Removal Company In Vancouver?
Make Millions Being a Middleman. Its Easy!
The Right Way To Write
Is Your Business Debt A Bottomless Pit?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
5 Tips For Cheaper Home Insurance
Be The Way You Want To Be With Cameron Reverse Mortgage
Travel Insurance – Don’t Leave Home Without It!
How To Buy Affordable Car Insurance In Colorado
Losing Everything is Not an Option For Bankrupt Individuals
Mortgage Lead Companies Can Help the Housing Market
Best Buys in the World of Money
How To Calculate How Much Home Insurance You Need
Whole Life Insurance| The Ideal Place For Life Insurance Necessities
How To Surely Avoid Debt
Freedom Debt Relief USA Can Help on Medical Debts
What To Look For When You Buy Auto Insurance
Consolidating Debt - Investing In Debt Management
Why You Should Consider A Bad Credit Home Mortgage
Current Account Fees
How To Do Forex Trading
Factors to Ponder on When Applying For a Loan
Cheap Life Insurance – Some Facts Regarding Life Insurance
Ideas You Can Utilize to Get a Commercial Mortgage on the Internet
Top 10 Reasons To Use A Mortgage Broker vs. A Bank Lender
Advantages and Disadvantages For Internet Banking
Immaculate Credit Scores Using Credit Repair
Home Buyers’ Guide
Tips on Getting Out of Debt
Business At Ease - Secured Business Loan
Keep it Smart and Simple to Preserve Your Money!
Learning Forex Trading With EToro – the Innovative Forex Platform
Making Shopping Lists
Student Loans Can Take Thirty Years to Pay Off
What To Look For In A Full Coverage Automobile Insurance Quote In Alabama
Basic Steps Needed For Obtaining A Cosmetic Loan For Surgery
Easily Own A Property At Low Cost Finance With Bridging Loans
Wedding Insurance Or a Trip to the Casino?
Business Banking Basics
Mortgage Products: The Adjustable Rate Mortgage
Car Loans For Those With Poor Credit: 5 Tips
Secured Loans With Bad Credit Provide Opportunities For Many
What Are Adverse Credit Debt Consolidation Loans
Why Reward Your Studious Child With a Car?
Help, Im in Mortgage Arrears!
How To Get A Good Rewards Credit Card
Term Life Insurance | Save and Invest Wisely For Your Future in the Life Insurance Policy
Credit Card Debt Management
A Beginners Guide To Trading E Minis
Helping Your Huge Investment: Real Estate Secured Loan
Fleet Insurance For All!
Stop Paying High Interest On Your Credit Cards And Start Eliminating The Debt.
Cash Back Credit Cards: Three To Consider
Debt Consolidation Program : Overview
Pros and Cons With a Low Interest Credit Card
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Unsecured Loans Bad Credit - Access to Affordable Funds With no Collateral
Corporate Wrap - Future of Employee Benefits?
QROPS Pension Rules
The Treasury has released some more information and guidance on how these rules will work for expats and overseas workers with QROPS pensions,
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The three changes are:
Anti-avoidance rules affecting non-UK tax residents taking flexible draw down for UK registered pensions mean individuals will have to pay tax if they return to the UK within five tax years of withdrawing the benefit
A similar rule for QROPS investors who draw down pension benefits and then return to the UK within five tax years.
Low Interest Rate Kept Low by Feds to Avoid Another Banking Correction
Bad Credit Home Loans - Pre-approval Is Still Possible With Adverse Credit History
Text Loans - Send a Message to Avail Funds
Bad Credit Cash Loans-Get Salvation
IFRS 7 Financial Instruments- Disclosures
a) The significance of financial instruments for the entity's financial position and performance; and
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How can you regain consumer trust? a new organization funded by the ford foundation has set out to establish super-strict rules on mortgage lending practices for its members in exchange for getting a fair and safe lender seal of approval. the fair mortgage collaborative bans certain products and monitors market pricing to try and guarantee safe lending by its members.
b) The nature and extent of risks arising from financial instruments to which the entity is exposed during the period and at the reporting date, and how the entity manages those risks.
Is 10 persent Enough?
Debt Consolidation - Is It Really The Best Option For You?
Online Savings Sites And Shopbots
Auto Loan Borrowers Cheat Sheet
• Make a list of different auto loan lenders and their interest rates and terms, before you go to the dealer (the web is usually the easiest way to do that).
Pay Less & Get the Best Deals
Harris James Associates Portfolio Optimization And Management
Mortgage Loan Information - Know The Basics When You Refinance Or Purchase A Home
Credit Card Debt Management - Few Things to Consider When Availing
Sending Cash to Inmates The Right Way
Expert Guidance Key to Entering Indian Market
Home Mortgage Loans For People With Bad Credit
Find A Good Real Estate Deal - If you can find a property that has some equity in it when you purchase it, you may have an easier time getting financing on that property.
Cash Advance Loans Online - A Great Way To Make It Until Your Next Pay Day
Need A Copy Of Your Tax Return Information?
Don’t Get Scammed When Repairing Your Credit!
Watch Out for These Estimating Mistakes
3 Tips To Help You Sell Your Timeshare - For More
AU Trading Demand Of Coins
Payment21 White Label Solution Offers Banks And Payment Service Providers Flexibility.
First Time Buyer Mortgages – Transforming Homeless Into Property Owners
Remortgage – When Monthly Mortgage Payments Are Touching New Heights
Earn a Risk Free Return With a Certificate of Deposit
Christmas Loans – A Gift On The Occasion Of Christmas
Reduce Your Debt Get Control of Your Debt
Home Equity Loans - How To Use Your Homes Equity To Consolidate Debt
More Developers Turning to Eb-5 Visa Program For Construction Funding
How Trademark Registration is Important For Business Trademark?
Which is Better to Accept - PayPal Or Credit Cards
Buying A Home With No Money Down Or Bad Credit - PMI Can Make It Easier
Second Chance Bank Account - Get out of your credit troubles
Fast Profit Pages
Home Mortgage Loan Information - Which Type Of Home Loan Is Best For You?
Home Equity Loans Online
Fast Cash Loans- Meet Your Requirement Instant
Approaching a Merchant Cash Advance Provider
Stretching your salary
First-time House Buyers: To Buy Or Not To Buy That Is The Question.
No Fax Payday Loans Online For A Fast Cash Advance Loan
Payday Loans no Fees Get Cash Without Paying Any Fee
Panchsheel Greens Announced 2/3/4 BHK Apartments
Home Equity Release Earn From Your Property Assets.
Pitfalls to Avoid in Applying for a Venture Capital
Car Loans- Just The Funds That You Needed
Monday, April 25, 2011
Credit Rewards Cards: Are They Right For You?
Deducting Points On Home Refinances
Salary For an Account Executive
Auto Loans – The Reasons To Have One And The Places To Get One
What Everyone Should Know About CD Bank Rates
Payday Advance-Alternative Arrangement For Extra Cash
Raise Credit Ranking - Avail of Skilled Professional Credit Repair Assistance
Home Equity Loan Vs. 401(k) Loan -- Which Should You Choose
Bad Is The Opposite Of Good. Is It? Not With Bad Debt Personal Loans
Insure Your Second Home With Holiday Home Insurance
How Much Is That House In The Window?
Payroll Much More Than Just Salary Thing
Home Refinancing Is More Than Just About Interest Rates
Fraud Would You Credit It?
Get Advised On Truck Finance And Truck Financing
Value Your Old Phone And Buy a Brand New Using Recycling Mobile Trade- In
Home Equity Loan – A Reverse Mortgage Could Provide A Comfortable Retirement!
Organizing Your Finances Thinking Outside Shoe Box
The Importance Of Rims Financing
Car wheels have always been known to be expensive. In the past, if you are in dire need of replacing your car wheels after experiencing accidents or encountering flat tires, you can easily buy the wheels without blinking an eye.
Have You Considered Loan Cover To Protect Your Repayments?
College Savings Plans
So you have just carried your newborn into the house for the first time, placed him or her down into the freshly-purchased crib that you just obtained, and watched him or her drift into their first sleep under your roof.
Are You Running The Risk Of An Uninsured Business? Beware Get A “Business Insurance
Credit Score: The Brightest Feather In Your Financial Cap
Small Business Tax Credit - Americans With Disabilities Act
Work Compensation - Whenever Time Isn't In Your Corner
Capitalize Property With Equity Release in House
Buying Auto Insurance Online – Some Important Points
With every one heading online for purchases ranging from apparels to groceries, internet shopping is fast becoming synonymous with the term 'shopping.' Nowadays, people spontaneously check the suppliers website prior to getting into any sort of business arrangement with them.
Obtaining Bad Credit Debt Consolidation In The Uk
Being a resident in the UK is a great experience for both people born here and those that visit from other countries.
Cheap Annual Family Travel Insurance: Travel Without Tensions!
Loan Insurance Can Work If Care Is Taken When Buying
Tax Reduction Tips
Gearing Up For Bad Credit Mortgages
Ekn Financial Services Launches Enhanced Banking And Syndicate Departments
Melville N.
5 Reasons Why SMEs Benefit From Invoice Finance
Car Finance Companies in Australia..
Protect Your Outgoings With Redundancy Cover
Can People Really Get Rich By Spread Betting?
Marketing And Business Success
Auto Loans – How To Avail The Best Ones Online?
Credit Report – Check Yours Regularly… And For Free
Buy Iraqi Currency Without Any Hassles
Cheap Car Insurance Policy: Feel Safe On The Drive!
Multi Family Property Living
What to Look For in a Bank CD
Apply For A Loan If You Need Financial Help
Home Equity to Upscale Your Home
Cheap Loan Cover Can Be Found Online Independently
Consumer Debt Solutions-Top 5 Ways To Eliminate Your Debt
Car Insurance Gearing Up To Drive Down Costs
How You Are Able to Turn Into a Millionaire Through Spread Betting
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Canadian Travel Insurance - Why Its Important
CFD Trading - When The Prices Move Up Or Down
Car loan UK: Affordable Finance for your Stylish Car
Auto Insurance Cheap - How to Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes Today
Group Insurance Canada - Three Key Options For Canadian Businesses!
Benefits of Receiving Consumer Credit Counseling Online
Instant Payday Loans a Solutions to Your Money Crises
Debt Consolidation Loans: For Raising the Credit Score
Equity release plan– go for the better option
Instant Cash Loans-Reasonable Option For Your Difficulties
Debt Settlement Companies - How to Find the Best Performing Debt Settlement Companies
Buy Life Insurance Quotes Online
CHEAP UNSECURED LOANS- cheap financial aid for all!
can now solve all your issues without any hassles.
Equity Release Schemes – choose your scheme
Canadian Motorcycle Insurance - A Valid Policy Throughout the US With Added Liability Coverage
Cheap Bike Insurance: Securing Your Life
Car Finance Options for Drivers
Equity release – the best option for your property
Cash Loans-Meet Your Financial Requirements
Choose Debt Consolidation Loans to Secure Yourself
Easy Way To Trade In Stocks
Best Debt Solution Tips
Car Insurance Exclusions
Why Some Debt Relief Programs Fail To Work
An Overview of Fixed Percent Money Management
Antique Car Insurance - How to Look Out For One
Bad Credit Unsecured Loans - Needful Cash Help Minus Unnecessary Trouble
Instant Payday Loans - Avail instant cash for quick needs!
Cash Loans-A Remedy for Your Small Needs
Doorstep loans – Fast funds at the time of emergencies!
Cash Loan Till Payday!
Instant Loans- Achieve Your Pecuniary Wishes Immediately
Cash Flow Loans-An Efficient Way for Your Business
Equity release plan – go for the better option
FAST CASH LOANS– EASY MONEY INSTANTLY
Commercial Car Insurance
DOOR TO DOOR LOANS: FINANCE AT YOUR DOORSTEP
Auto Insurance Cheap Through the Internet
You Have Two Kinds of Car Insurance
Instant cash loans-Financial help to overcome your necessities
Benefit From The Positive Trends Shown In Mortgage Market!
Insurance Quotes by Online Companies
Cheap unsecured loans: Derive Fund its reliable source
Business Start up Loans- Everybody Can Be a Businessman Now
Cheap Loans-To Tackle With Your Unforeseen Problems
A Solid Approach to Software Assisted Day Trading
Car loan UK: buying a car is now possible
Oregon Commercial Auto Insurance Guide - How to Find the Best OR Commercial Car Insurance Rates
All About Faxless Paycheck Loans
Instant Cash Loans- A Feasible Opportunity for You
Saturday, April 23, 2011
What is an individual voluntary arrangement?
Small Loans UK: very small loans for unexpected needs
Wedding Loans: Finance for Wedding
Wedding loans –Can Help You to Get Good Expenses for Your Weddings
Unsecured Tenant Loans-Planned for Your Financial Crisis
Bad Credit Payday Loans-Assemble Suitable and Quick Cash
What Financial Reform Would Mean to Debt Relief
How To Safeguard Your Credit Card Against Fraud
Small Cash Loans - Easy Risk Free Funds For Short Term Needs
Why Debt Settlement With Greenshield Financial is Better Than Filing for Bankruptcy
Things You Should Know About Venture Capital Companies
Cash advance loans the right way to get cash easily
Things you must know before buying an Insurance Plan
Understanding the Differences Between Debt Settlement and Debt Consolidation
Unsecured Bad Credit Loans - Beneficial Monetary Alternative for Every Need
The importance of the medigap plans in human life
Unsecured Loans for Bad Credit-For Your Distressing Worries
The benefits of the Medicare supplement insurance plans
Fast Loan UK-Condense the Troublesome Procedures
Investment Property Mortgages
Tenant Loans- Fulfill All Your Needs With Collateral Free Credit
Bad Credit Home Mortgage Refinancing- How To Avail Them!
Text Loans – Money arrangement through SMS
Unsecured Personal Loans- Avail Finance without Any Collateral
Insurance tips you should know for hurricane season
Unsecured Loans Vs Secured Loans: Which is better?
Unemployed Christmas Loans: Supporting the Unemployed for Christmas Festival
Small Cash Loans - Fast Finance assistance for Unwanted Expenses
Stephane Malhomme, Financial Post
PAYDAY ADVANCE LOANS- quick solution to acquire swift cash!
Immediate Payday Loans Boon for Bad Credit Holders
Very bad credit personal loans – Meet your Necessary Wants
Unclaimed Funds Remain in State Treasury
Wealth Management and Islamic Banking
Unsecured Loans–Obtain Cash in a Reliable Manner
The Greenest Government Ever?
Payday Loans
Why bankers are the essential part in the economic sector of a nation?
Small Quick Loans - Because Time is Money
Bad Credit Loans – Loans for People with Bad Credit
Some Effective CFD Trading Techniques
CFD is a short form for "contract for difference." A CFD is basically a financial derivative product which is traded to get profits from a decrease or increase in the stock markets.
Laptop Financing: Buy a New Laptop with No Worries!!
Where You Can Get a Car Loan Pre Approval without Annoy
What are the qualities of Forex Consultant?
ARE YOU MOVING TO U.S.? GET YOUR STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE DONE!
Unclaimed Money Vault Hits All-Time High
Small Cash Loans – Avail the Money for Emergency Purposes
One day loan approved in minutes
Using Dealer Finance Options to Purchase a Car
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Friday, April 22, 2011
Remortgage Equity Release - Effective and Efficient Use of the Rebuilt Equities
Payday Loans UK- Cash For Daily Needs
Risk Control Method no-2 Proper Account Sizing in stock market
Plastic Surgery Loans: Makes you Charming
Same Day Cash: Made to Meet Instant Needs
Qualify For Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Means Test And Get Discharge Faster!
Quick Advance Cash Loans-Overcome your Financial Crisis
Personal Installment Loans: Fast Finance to Meet Urgent Demands
SAFE Loan Broker Training and Exam
Read This before Refinancing Your Mortgage Loans
Quick Unsecured Loans-A Proficient Source of Finance
Plastic Surgery Loans: Necessary Corrections
ARG Personal Loans -Quick Credit to Complete your Dreams!
Same Day Cash – Prompt Access to Urgent Monetary Help
Payday Loans-Determine Your Small As Well As Your Urgent Wants
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Avail Loans Quickly!
Popular FAQs On Fixed Rate Mortgages!
Run The Business Of Your Dreams With Help From Loans!
Personal Loans for Tenants- A Ultimate Key for Your Obstacles
S660 the New Income Shifting Proposals Author
Proposals have just been published by the Government to negate income shifting between individuals.
Personal loans no credit check – Fastest loans without credit
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Prevent Unclaimed Money in the Future.
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Thursday, April 21, 2011
No Fax Payday Advance
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Complete Online Payday Loans - No Physical Presence Required
Advantages of No Faxing Payday Advances
Online Payday Loans - Its All About Convenience & Privacy!
No Credit Check Loans - Easy Finance for People Without Credit Check
Overnight Payday Advances, Do You Need One?
Payday Loans - Many Reasons For Many to Take it Up
An Immediate Solution to Your Urgent Financial Needs, Online Payday Loans
Applying For a Completely Instant Payday Loan Online
Get Cash Fast With an Online Payday Loan
Cheap Online Payday Loan - Make Use Of Internet To Smoothen Your Financial Life
Absolutely No Fax, No Credit Check Payday Loans
Retail Payday Loans Versus Online Payday Loans - What is Better For Getting Fast Cash?
No Fax Payday Advance - Deal to Get Immediate Funds
Are you out of money? Have some pending bills to pay off? Scared of faxing hassles? To get applied with no fax payday advance, you are just few clicks away from its application and approval.
Instant No Faxing Payday Loan - What Is This Paperless Advance?
No Fax Cash Advance - Fast Way to Quick Money
No Credit Check Loans - Quick Fiscal Support For All
Instant No Fax Payday Loan - Hassle-Free Loans
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Gavin Newsom reportedly eyeing run for governor
A city insider who asked not to be named tells us the new lieutenant governor approached him at a charity fundraiser the other day with a request for help to start raising money for a renewed gubernatorial bid.
Newsom's inability to compete with the much-better-financed Jerry Brown was one of the reasons he withdrew from last year's Democratic race and ran instead for lieutenant governor.
Newsom has opened a re-election campaign committee for 2014 - but there's nothing to stop him from transferring any money he might raise to an exploratory gubernatorial run.
No one from Camp Newsom wanted to comment for the record, but we're told the lieutenant governor will support Brown for as long as he intends to be governor.
Slip-slap: That $3 million that the state Public Utilities Commission is thinking about fining Pacific Gas and Electric Co. over the utility's inability to vouch for the safety of its gas lines might sound like a lot.
Then you compare it with the more than $45 million that the company spent last year on its state and federal lobbying and political efforts - and it doesn't seem like so much.
Chances are it wouldn't cause too much pain for PG&E Corp. CEO Peter Darbee if it came straight out of his pocket. After all, Darbee's pay package in 2009 was worth $10 million.
And it really looks small compared with PG&E's $1.1 billion in revenue last year.
"Calling it a slap on the wrist would be an overstatement," Mindy Spatt of the consumer watchdog group The Utility Reform Network said of the proposed $3 million fine.
The biggest chunk of PG&E influence-peddling money last year - $42.5 million - went into the company's ill-fated effort to pass Proposition 16, a constitutional amendment aimed at making it more difficult for cities to buy and sell green power.
The remaining $2.5 million went for lobbying state and federal lawmakers and regulators - like the Public Utilities Commission, which may vote on the proposed $3 million fine as early as April 11.
"This is about equal to giving someone who makes over $100,000 a parking ticket," said Assemblyman and PG&E critic Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo.
PG&E, which has signed off on the proposed fine, is promising it can do a better job than it has lately.
"We take the issue very seriously, and we are committed to enhancing the safety of our system," said spokesman Brian Hertzog.
Hot job: If, as expected, Oakland City Attorney John Russo signs on as Alameda's new city manager, he must really want a new job - because the island town is every bit as wacky as Oakland.
First up: SunCal Cos., which spent $17 million in a lost bid to develop the old Alameda Naval Air Station, has three lawsuits pending against the city.
Then there's the matter of the previous interim city manager, Ann Marie Gallant. She has filed a legal claim saying she was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for blowing the whistle on City Councilwoman Lena Tam, whom she accused of leaking sensitive documents to SunCal. The D.A. decided not to file charges.
And on top of that, former Alameda City Attorney Teresa Highsmith has filed a legal claim against the city for having fired her as well. City Council members said Highsmith took a moonlighting job as city attorney in Barstow without alerting them - although she says she did.
And city officials are still bracing for a legal claim from former Fire Chief David Kapler, who resigned after being photographed tanking up his BMW at the city pump.
On deck: Josh Pulliam has a bit of advice for Giants fans headed to Thursday's opener in Los Angeles - if you're bent on taunting the boys in blue, watch your backs.
Pulliam, who recently signed on as a consultant to Board of Supervisors President David Chiu's mayoral campaign, touched off one of the biggest bench-clearing brawls in baseball history.
It happened back in 2000 in Chicago when something possessed him to reach into the Dodgers bullpen late in the game and pluck the cap off backup catcher Chad Kreuter.
"The next thing I know the guy was lifting me up by the neck and strangling me," Pulliam recalled.
Fans jumped in to rescue him - touching off a fist-throwing, beer-tossing melee that ended with 16 Dodgers players being suspended.
"It was a stupid prank that just completely got out of hand," said Pulliam, though he insisted the stupidity wasn't fueled by alcohol.
The Dodgers, by the way, won that game.
EXTRA! Catch our blog at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.
This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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Geithner strikes confident tone on deficit deal
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday reassured investors that the White House and Republican lawmakers will reach a deal to control the nation's finances, downplaying an unprecedented warning that the government risks losing its coveted debt rating if it fails to do so.
In an interview on CNBC, Geithner said he disagrees with Standard & Poor's decision to lower its long-term outlook for the federal government's fiscal health. The credit agency on Monday warned the government could lose its top credit rating in the next two years if lawmakers fail to come up with a long-term plan to bring down the federal deficit.
"We are not going to get behind this problem; we're going to get ahead of it," Geithner said.
The U.S. government is projected to run a record $1.5 trillion deficit this year, marking the third straight year that the deficit topped $1 trillion.
Obama and Republicans in Congress have proposed cutting $4 trillion from future deficits over the next 10 to 12 years. However, they disagree on how to do it. The White House wants to cut the deficit by ending tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans reject that approach. Instead, they want to reduce the deficit largely by overhauling Medicare and cutting spending elsewhere.
The clash over how to cut future deficits has put a critical decision — whether to raise the nation's borrowing ability — in limbo.
Geithner on Sunday said Republican leaders have privately assured the Obama administration that Congress will raise the government's $14.3 trillion debt limit in time to prevent an unprecedented default.
But Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said there was no guarantee Republicans would agree to increase the debt ceiling without further limits on federal spending.
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New-home construction increases 7.2 pct. in March
Builders broke ground on more new homes last month, giving the weak housing market a slight boost at the start of the spring buying season.
Home construction rose 7.2 percent in March from February to a seasonally adjusted 549,000 units, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Building permits, an indicator of future construction, rose 11.2 percent after hitting a five-decade low in February.
Still, the building pace is far below the 1.2 million units a year that economists consider healthy. And March's improvement came after construction fell in February to its second-lowest level on records dating back more than a half-century.
Millions of foreclosures have forced home prices down. In some cities, prices are half of what they were before the housing market collapsed in 2006 and 2007. And more foreclosures are expected this year. Tight credit has made mortgage loans tough to get. Many would-be buyers who could qualify for loans are reluctant to shop, fearing that prices will fall even further.
A sign of the battered industry is the number of new homes finished and ready to sell dropped in March to a seasonally adjusted 509,000 units, the lowest level on records dating back to 1968. And the number of homes now under construction has fallen to a four-decade low.
"Housing starts remain at an extraordinarily depressed level," said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak + Co. "To put this in further perspective, a doubling of (new homes) from here would still put starts at the lowest level of any other recession." During previous housing recessions, in the early 1980s and 90s, new home construction fell to more than 1 million homes per year. This year's pace is slightly more than half those levels.
And the lack of any meaningful rebound in housing is stunting the broader economic recovery. In past modern-day recessions, housing accounted for 15 to 20 percent of overall economic growth. In the first post-recession year, between 2009 and 2010, housing only contributed 4 percent to economic growth.
Since the mid-part of last year, home construction and sales have instead detracted from the economy. Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc., said that's a "large reason for the sub-par nature" of the rebound. New-home construction is down 6 percent since the recession ended nearly two years ago.
Single-family homes, which make up roughly 80 percent of home construction, rose 7.7 percent in March. Apartment and condominium construction rose 14.7 percent. Building permits increased to its highest level since December, spurred by a more than 28 percent jump in permits granted for apartment and condo buildings.
That increase in permits could signal a turnaround in the coming months, said Steven A. Wood, chief economist with Insight Economics. New homes typically take six months to build and the number of new permits is higher than the number of homes starting construction.
The increase in home construction activity was felt in most regions of the country. It rose 32.3 percent in the Midwest, 27.6 percent in the West and 5.4 percent in the Northeast. Construction fell 3.3 percent in the South.
New homes can spur job growth. Each new home built creates the equivalent of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
The trade group said Monday that its index of industry sentiment for April fell one notch, to 16. That followed a one-point increase in March and four straight months of 16 readings. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market's future and the index hasn't been above that level since April 2006.
Most economists expect home prices — and by extension home sales and construction — to slip even further in 2011 before a modest recovery takes hold.
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Poll: Students grade high school down, college up
Young adults say high schools are failing to give students a solid footing for the working world or strong guidance toward college, at a time when many fear graduation means tumbling into an economic black hole. Students who make it to college are happy with the education they get there, an Associated Press-Viacom poll says.
Most of the 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed gave high schools low grades for things that would ease the way to college: A majority say their school wasn't good at helping them choose a field of study, aiding them in finding the right college or vocational school or assisting them in coming up with ways to pay for more schooling.
If schools did these things better, it could make a significant difference, because young people already are enthusiastic about higher education. Two-thirds say students should aim for college, even if they aren't sure yet what career they want to pursue. Almost as many say they want to get at least a four-year degree themselves.
The majority of high school students probably won't end up with a college degree, however. Among those a few years ahead of them — today's 25- to 34-year-olds — only about a third hold a bachelor's or higher degree, according to the Census Bureau. Less than 10 percent get an associate's degree.
So getting students ready for work remains central to high schools' mission. And most young people say their school didn't do a good job of preparing them for work or helping them choose a future career. They also give high schools low marks on exposing them to the latest technology in their field and helping them get work experience, according to the poll conducted in partnership with Stanford University.
Learning real-life job skills is important to students such as Mary Margaret Rice, 18, who likes her regional vocational high school in Wakefield, Mass. "I'm getting training to weld," she said.
Rice is interested in joining the military, but not in more schooling after graduation. "Money is a reason," she said, "but the main reason is I can't really focus on classwork and homework."
Overall, only 4 in 10 young people voice strong satisfaction with their high school education. About as many are "somewhat satisfied." Almost a fifth are unsatisfied — twice as many as expressed unhappiness with college.
Lovina Dill says she wishes the two high schools she attended in California had taught her how to deal with the ups and downs of the real world. She could have used a class in "what happens if you can't get a job, and the unemployment rate rises and nobody can find a job." Dill said she was briefly homeless when she was laid off and unable to find a job using her certification in massage therapy.
Dill, now 21, self-employed and living with her father in Arcadia, La., thinks high schools should offer juniors and seniors workshops on how to get a job, how to build a career and the many educational options besides a four-year degree.
The one category where young people rated high schools best was preparing them for further education: 56 percent say their school did a good or excellent job at that. Those who went on to college or trade school gave their high schools better marks than those who didn't.
The bulk of college students — 6 in 10 — declare themselves either "very" or "extremely" pleased with their higher education.
Most say a career-focused college education is a high priority, and students feel their schools are providing it. A strong majority of students and recent grads give their college high marks for preparing them for the work force, helping them choose a field of study, exposing them to the latest technology and helping them get internships.
Six in 10 even say their college was "excellent" or "good" at helping them find money to pay for their education.
Young adults' opinions are mixed on whether the nation's education system understands their goals and values. Almost half of college attendees feel that the schools "get" them. That's significantly more than among those whose education stopped at high school; just 3 in 10 say the school system could identify with them.
Young people credit their own ambition and abilities most for their progress in life, followed by parents, family and friends. But beyond that tight-knit circle, teachers are the heroes, with 4 in 10 saying high school teachers helped a lot. College teachers earn similar praise.
High school and college counselors are a step behind. Most students give them some credit, but less than one-fourth say their counselors were a lot of help, and about 3 in 10 think they didn't help at all.
Nonwhite students were more likely than whites to say their high school counselors helped them, and also gave their high schools better ratings for helping find money for college.
Young adults overall see brighter days ahead for education. About half think kids entering elementary school today will get a better education than they did, more than double the number who predict schools will get worse.
The AP-Viacom telephone survey of 1,104 adults ages 18-24 was conducted Feb. 18-March 6 by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Stanford University's participation in this project was made possible by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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AP writer Stacy A. Anderson, AP Polling Director Trevor Tompson, Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report.
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Former aide set to publish unflattering book about Sarah Palin
A former aide to ex-Alaska governor Sarah Palin is reportedly set to publish a tell-all book about the 2012 Presidential hopeful.
The book, to be called "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," is being written by Frank Bailey and will be published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster.
Howard Books is calling "Blind Allegiance" a "chilling expose."
Ken Morris, an author, and Jeanne Devon, an Alaska political blogger, also helped write the book.
Reportedly, the book depicts Palin in a very unflattering light and shows her intense interest in how she was covered by the media.
Critics of Bailey, who worked with Pain from 2006 to 2008, paint him as a disgruntled former employee of Palin who was embittered about being shunted by the Palin campaign team.
Bailey has reportedly been shopping the book since 2009.
The book is reportedly 500 pages long and is based on thousands emails Bailey exchanged with Palin, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
The New York Daily News reported that Bailey alleged that Palin once wrote in an email, “I hate this damn job,” while she was governor of Alaska. (She resigned from that post in 2009).
The book is scheduled to be released on May 24.
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Line drawn in Kuban “beating” scandal
A police investigation has found no proof to the claims of Montenegrin footballer Nikola Nikezic, who said he was beaten up in order to persuade him to terminate his contract with Russian Premier League side Kuban.
“The Krasnodar police were unable to confirm the fact of violence,” Alu Alkhanov, the head of the Ethics Committee of the Russian Football Union, told Sportbox.ru.
But Kuban were still unable to escape punishment as Nikezic’s contract was annulled with “significant violations”.
The club will be fined for 2 million rubles ($ 600,000). Kuban’s general director Suren Mkrtchyan will also have two pay 1 million rubles, while two other officials from the Krasnodar side received year-long bans from football.
“If Nikezic’s words that physical violence was used against him are indeed false, I would strongly recommend that Kuban sue him for defamation. What he did threw a shadow over the club and Russian football as a whole,” Alkhanov added.
Nikola Nikezic, 29, has written to UEFA and FIFA claiming he was beaten up on March 7 by two men in an office at the club's headquarters in Krasnodar in southern Russia.
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Uralsvyazinform posts FY 2010 net profit of 7.237 billion roubles
Urals region telecoms provider, Uralsvyazinform, has posted a FY 2010 net profit of 7.237 billion roubles under IFRS.
The net result compares with the FY 2009 net profit of 3.654 billion roubles, with OIBDA rising 15% year on year to 18.634 billion roubles as revenues rose 7% year on year to 43.105 billion roubles.
The company said the figures represented a 5% increase in local call revenues offsetting an 8% fall in interzonal call revenues, with internet service revenues increasing by 15%and cellular service by 13%.
Uralsvyazinform is expected to become merged into Rostelecom in April.
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Friday, April 15, 2011
Films running for Cannes festival top prize
Here is the list of the 19 films in competition for the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or. The festival runs May 11-22 on the French Riviera. Dozens of other films are also showing out of competition, or in competition for other prizes:
- Pedro Almodovar: "La Piel que habito" ("The Skin I Live in")
- Bertrand Bonello: "L'apollonide - Souvenirs de la maison close"
- Alain Cavalier: "Pater"
- Joseph Cedar: "Hearat Shulayim" ("Footnote")
- Nuri Bilge Ceylan: "Bir Zamanlar Anadolu" ("Once upon a Time in Anatolia")
- Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne: "Le gamin au velo" ("Set Me Free")
- Aki Kaurismaki: "Le Havre"
- Naomi Kawase: "Hanezu no Tsuki"
- Julia Leigh: "Sleeping Beauty"
- Maiwenn: "Polisse"
- Terrence Malick: "The Tree of Life"
- Radu Mihaileanu: "La source des femmes" ("The Source")
- Takashi Miike: "Ishimei" (Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai)
- Nanni Moretti: "Habemus Papam"
- Lynne Ramsay: "We Need to Talk about Kevin"
- Markus Schleinzer: "Michael"
- Paolo Sorrentino: "This Must Be a Place"
- Lars Von Trier: "Melancholia"
- Nicolas Winding Refn: "Drive"
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BART maintenance suffers despite budget surplus
BART expects a $10 million to $28 million surplus next year, and there is talk of using the extra cash for such things as running trains later at night.
Meanwhile, the transit agency, which averages 350,000 rides a day, can't seem to find the money to clean trains or repair escalators.
"Non-safety maintenance has, for lack of a better word, been deferred," said BART spokesman Linton Johnson.
BART board member Joel Keller said infighting over how to spend district dollars has been a problem. Now, however, Keller said, "the general consensus is that we have to make sure the core system is taken care of."
In the meantime, years of cutbacks have taken a toll.
Take the Daly City Station, for example. For the last six months, one of its three escalators has been closed for repairs.
Last week, officials issued an update, saying the escalator would be out of service through April in part because of a "shortage of manpower."
A spot check of the entire transit system showed that as of Friday, seven escalators were broken.
The trains aren't faring much better. This year, directors spent $750,000 for "deep cleaning," but it only covered 50 of the system's nearly 700 railcars.
Another common complaint from riders is noisy rides, which is largely due to rough tracks.
BART spent $9 million to buy a pair of grinders to smooth the rails, but they are only using one. The second grinder has sat largely unused due to a lack of staff - another victim of "deferred maintenance."
BART also needs $600 million (and that's just the local share) to replace all of its aging train cars. So far, however, there is no plan for how to raise the money.
Giant hand: Giants CEO Bill Neukom, team President Larry Baer and broadcasters Jon Miller, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow all visited Bryan Stow at the Los Angeles hospital where he is in critical condition after being severely beaten last week by two Dodgers fans.
They brought along a jersey signed by the team and the lineup card from the previous night's game.
"It's not a happy story," Baer said. "But hopefully we can help give it a happier ending."
Countdown: A piece of East Bay history will disappear in seconds this Friday when Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid pushes a button and sets off 800 pounds of dynamite to bring down the 11-story former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital.
Southern California-based SunCal Cos. paid a mind-boggling $100 million at the height of the building boom for the 167-acre site in the hills of East Oakland.
SunCal had been planning a major mixed-use development there until its chief partner and lender, Lehman Brothers, filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
The project has since stalled, but City Hall and locals have pressed the developers to get the property cleaned up in the meantime.
The hospital first served wounded soldiers returning from the Pacific during World War II, and later treated patients from the Korean and Vietnam wars before closing in 2006 as part of the national base realignment effort.
Port call: Port Commission nominee Doreen Woo Ho comes from the same political pool as Mayor Ed Lee, who appointed her.
For years, the administrations of mayors Art Agnos and Willie Brown drew heavily from the ranks of the Chinese Hospital and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce when looking for commissioners - often at the recommendation of chamber head Rose Pak.
After Pak helped elect Agnos, she persuaded the mayor to name her friend James Ho as a high-ranking member of his economic development staff.
And now it looks like Pak also had a hand in getting his wife a political appointment of her own.
Surprise package: As vehicle tows go, it was pretty normal: a plain white van hauled away for parking in a Tenderloin yellow zone without commercial plates.
That is, until they found the body in the back.
It turns out the van was owned by a local funeral home and its driver had been headed back to work when he made a stop and illegally parked.
The cops were called and then the funeral home, which arrived a little later to discreetly move the cadaver to one of its other vehicles.
But only after completing the proper paperwork - and paying the $473 tow and ticket charge.
EXTRA! Catch our blog at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.
Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Phil can be seen on CBS-5 morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815 or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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US doing limited airstrikes for NATO in Libya
Amid complaints from allies that the U.S. military should be doing more in the Libya operation, Pentagon officials disclosed Wednesday that American fighter jets have continued airstrikes inside the country even after the United States turned the mission over to NATO last week.
The revelation came as Pentagon officials laid out U.S. participation in the Libya conflict over the past 10 days, including that Americans have flown 35 percent of all air missions.
Those missions, they said, include bombing attacks against Libyan surface-to-air missile launchers, as well as surveillance and refueling operations. It was the first time the Pentagon acknowledged that airstrikes continued after the U.S. handed over control of the Libya mission to NATO on April 4.
According to Pentagon officials, eleven U.S. fighter jets were assigned to NATO to look for and take out the air defense systems.
The revelation triggered questions because U.S. military officials have said consistently that American fighter jets would only conduct strikes in Libya if NATO makes a special request and it is approved by top Pentagon leaders.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told reporters Wednesday that NATO has made no such requests for U.S. airstrikes since taking over the lead role in Libya.
But Lapan said that approval process applies only to airstrikes meant to protect civilians from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces. Such strikes could target regime tanks or forces moving against Libyan citizens.
The fighter jets assigned to NATO, Lapan said, are used solely for a separate mission to take out enemy air defenses, such as the truck-mounted surface-to-air missile launchers. The 11 jets are considered NATO aircraft, under separate leadership and committed to making the U.N.-approved no fly zone over Libya safer and more effective.
The distinction is slim, since the purpose of the no-fly zone is to protect civilians.
According to military officials, six F-16 fighter jets and five Navy EA-18G Growler electronic attack planes have been assigned to NATO. They dropped bombs on three separate days — April 4, 6 and 7, defense officials said. The targets included mobile surface-to-air missile targets in Libya.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide operational details, said the 11 U.S. aircraft have flown 97 of the 134 air defense mission sorties since April 4. Italy and other nations are also participating, but defense officials said such missions are considered a unique capability that the U.S. can perform.
The 11 fighter jets, officials said, are based in Italy.
In a stark acknowledgement that NATO had not yet accomplished its U.N.-mandated mission of protecting Libyan civilians from attacks by Libyan government forces, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday said the U.S. is receiving disturbing reports of "renewed atrocities" by pro-Gadhafi troops.
"Regime militias and mercenaries have continued their attacks on civilians in Misrata, indiscriminately firing mortar and artillery rounds into residential areas of the city," Clinton said in a statement. "The regime has reportedly destroyed crucial food supply warehouses and cut off water and power to the city, laying siege to the Libyan people in an apparent attempt to starve them into submission. Snipers have targeted civilians seeking medical attention, and thousands of civilians are being forced out of their homes by regime attacks with tanks and artillery."
Asked why U.S. officials did not disclose the recent strikes against Libya air defenses until Wednesday, a senior defense official said the military considers them defense, not "offensive strike operations" because they are targeting missile sites in an effort to protect allied planes patrolling the no-fly zone over Libya. The official said the Pentagon does not believe it has been deceitful by not disclosing the strikes until now.
"It is completely consistent with how we have described our support role ever since the transition to NATO," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. "We weren't just going to be flying around and doing jamming. If these guys want to show themselves, we're going to take them out."
The U.S. has done 77 percent of all the refueling missions and 27 percent of the surveillance flights, Lapan said. The U.S. has provided 22 tanker aircraft and 13 surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to NATO for use in Libya operations, including two Predator drones, a high-altitude unmanned Global Hawk, and an array of planes that have sophisticated jamming, radar, communications and spying capabilities.
U.S. officials have emphasized on repeated occasions that the American military would step back into a supporting role in the Libyan conflict after taking the lead early on in the operation.
But in recent days Western diplomats and Libyan rebels have complained about the reduced U.S. role in the conflict, saying that the loss of American aircraft in the combat has had a significant impact. Lack of U.S. fighters, they said, has made it difficult for the opposition forces to gain any ground — and at times even sustain their positions — against the regime forces.
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AP Broadcast correspondent Sagar Meghani contributed to this report.
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Heavyweight directors at 2011 Cannes festival
PARIS —
Pedro Almodovar's story of a plastic surgeon bent on exacting vigilante justice and Terrence Malick's period piece about three Midwestern brothers, starring Brad Pitt, are among 19 movies vying for the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
The lineup announced Thursday for the 64th edition of the festival is exceptionally strong, with much-anticipated new films by the creme de la creme of auteur filmmakers.
They include Denmark's Lars von Trier, with "Melancholia," Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan, with "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia," and Belgium's Dardenne brothers, with "Set Me Free." Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki's "Le Havre," Italian Nanni Moretti's "Habemus Papam" and French-Romanian filmmaker Radu Mihaileanu's "La source des femmes" also looked like early strong contenders for the coveted Palme d'Or.
Festival managing director Thierry Fremaux told a news conference Thursday he expected this year to be "quite a rich and fruitful edition" of the famed festival. Submissions for the festival, which fell last year to 1,665 films, were back up to 1,715 this year, he added.
Gilles Jacob, the festival's president, said this edition aimed to explore the future of filmmaking in the age of the i-Pod, the i-Pad and other mobile devices.
It's about "asking questions about cinema's future - particularly the future of movie theaters - at this time when people are consuming more and more images on small screens, computer screens, laptops," he told Thursday's news conference, held at a gilded Paris hotel. With the new technology, "we're going to have an ever-increasing need for content."
Rumor has it that Malick's "The Tree of Life" was initially meant to premiere at last year's edition of the festival but that it wasn't finished in time. The latest film by the acclaimed "The Thin Red Line" director is billed as a story of the loss of innocence, and also stars Sean Penn. Malick won Cannes best director prize in 1979 for "Days of Heaven."
Festival regular Almodovar's "The Skin I Live In," starring Antonio Banderas as the plastic surgeon, follows on the director's 2009 melodrama "Broken Embraces," which screened at the Riviera festival. The salt-and-pepper haired director won Cannes' best director award in 1999 for "All About My Mother" and took best screenplay in 2006 for "Volver."
Jodie Foster's "The Beaver" is to be screened out of competition, as will the latest installment in the blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, and Rob Marshall's "On Stranger Tides."
The festival's opening film, "Midnight in Paris," is also showing out of competition. Set in the City of Light, the latest Woody Allen movie includes French first lady and former supermodel Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in a bit part. Hopes are high that Bruni-Sarkozy and her husband, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, will turn out for the inaugural screening to add an extra dollop of glamor to the high-wattage festivities.
American actor Robert De Niro presides the jury for this year's main competition, with other jury members to be announced shortly, organizers said.
Serbian director Emir Kusterica has been appointed to preside the "Un Certain Regard" jury, which showcases lesser-known filmmakers than the main competition. Gus Van Sant's "Restless" is the selection's opening film. Other top entries include Frenchman Robert Guediguian's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and South Korea's Hong Sangsoo, with "The Day He Arrives." Hong's "Hahaha" took the "Un Certain Regard" selection's top prize last year.
Michel Gondry, the French director of 2004 hit "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," is to preside over the short film competition.
The Riviera festival runs May 11-22.
Last year, the hypnotic Thai film "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" won Palme d'Or, while Academy Award winners Juliette Binoche and Javier Bardem earned acting honors.
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The i-Pod and i-Pad are made by Apple Inc.
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Associated Press writers Camille Rustici in Paris and Jenny Barchfield in Vienna contributed to this report.
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Combet assures households compensation through tax system
Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has assured voters they will pay less to cut carbon discharges under Labor than the Coalition as he suggested that carbon tax compensation will be paid through the tax transfer system.
Combet said today that households are expected to be $720 worse off a year under Tony Abbott's direct action plan to confront climate change.
Low and middle-income would receive a 50 per cent hand back of the money raised through the carbon tax from Labor. This is much more in reimbursement than they would outlay under the tax, declared Combet.
Combet explained that one of the most efficient ways to deliver the billions of dollars in assistance is through the tax and transfer system as he points to tax cuts or welfare changes.
Despite Opposition warnings that households would only gain in the short term, Combet assured compensation to households would be permanent.
A future Coalition government would find unwinding the system of paying compensation through the tax system more difficult than if it was paid in an annual lump sum.
Combet will release the specifications of Labor's carbon tax today. This would sharpen the government’s offer to households to reduce their fears about energy bill price increases.
Selling the carbon tax is the ideal way to confront climate change, while leaving millions of families at an advantage.
During an interview Combet told ABC radio, "The sorts of scare campaigns that Tony Abbott has been engaging in are completely unfounded and irresponsible and against the national interest."
"They obscure the fact that his sort of silly climate change policy is going to take money from taxpayers, take money from households, to the tune of $720 a year, and pay it to polluters," Combet added.
According to Abbott action plan, which includes tree planting and storing carbon in soil, would cost only $3.2 billion over four years, but Labor articulates that the strategy would cost up to $19.5 billion.
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