| Labour finally admits Scotland 'could survive independently'
LABOUR will today signal a change of approach to the challenge posed by the Nationalists, accepting it must speak for people's hopes as well as fears and admitting Scotland would not "wither and die" as an independent country. The party was criticised during the Holyrood election for running a negative campaign, based on warnings of the risks of economic turmoil if the SNP took power at Holyrood. .
Federal teacher quality measure doesn't tell all
Tennessee schools have nine months to meet a federal requirement they narrowly missed last school year: confirming all teachers in academic courses are licensed and otherwise qualified to teach them. Close to 98 percent of classes in Tennessee such as math, English and social studies were taught by teachers deemed "highly qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind law last school year. That's up from 80.9 percent two years ago but should be 100 percent. If it isn't by August, schools risk sanctions, although state official say it isn't clear what those are. .
Waterford Park neighbors say post office not delivering
Some residents in the Waterford Trail neighborhood say they are still not getting their mail.John Clifton said since he moved into the neighborhood more than two years ago, he has had problems with his mail delivery."It has been since I moved in," he said, "but not to this level."He said at first he would get mail for a different address, but then he began noticing he was missing mail such as credit card statements."When we got the bill, it was a couple of months old. There were interest charges and late fees all piled up on the thing," Clifton said.Although his wife was able to rectify the charges with the credit card company, Clifton said he remains concerned. "It's just one of the examples of how the post office here is failing the community," he said.Cindy Schipper, editor of Waterford Park newsletter and a resident, said the mail delivery in the area "has always been an opportunity.""Since taking on the newsletter, it has become more and more apparent to me that it is an issue out here," she said.According to Schipper, the newsletters for September and October were never delivered and she decided to hand-deliver this month's to be certain they got to the homes.Clifton said he did not contact the post office about previous problems, but he did send an e-mail to the post master general after his credit card statement and a few other bills went missing.Another Waterford park resident, Brook DeVore, agreed with Clifton saying she had several important pieces of mail never arrive.
Escondido working to repair park used as firefighting command post
ESCONDIDO -- Many of the grass fields in Kit Carson Park were severely trampled and torn up last month when the 258-acre park served as a campground and command post for 2,000 firefighters who were brought in to help to suppress the devastating wildfires.City maintenance crews and some volunteers have been scrambling to repair the fields since the park re-opened to the public Nov. 6, but some of the largest fields will have to be re-seeded next month, said Robin Bettin, the city's recreation superintendent. "The grass is really worn out from the heavy equipment and the human traffic," said Bettin. "All that machinery and 2,000 firefighters really takes its toll." The park became a small city of its own for nearly two weeks during last month's wildfires, with firefighters eating meals together and waiting to be deployed.
RF Micro Devices to Present at the 2007 Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference on Tuesday, November 27, 2007
GREENSBORO, N.C. (Map) - GREENSBORO, N.C., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD), global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency systems and solutions, today announced that Company executives will present at the 2007 Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tuesday, November 27, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time (12:00 p.m. Eastern Time). A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available via the RFMD(R) Investor Relations web page at the following URL: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95468&p=irol-IRHome. About RFMD: RF Micro Devices (Nasdaq GS: RFMD) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance radio frequency systems and solutions for applications that drive wireless and broadband communications.
Turned Down for an Auto Loan? There are Options
(ARA) - In the current climate of declining property values, higher interest rates, and changes in available mortgage products, more and more homeowners are becoming delinquent or going into foreclosure. Many folks are losing their hat, their home and their good credit, through no fault of their own.In addition, as a result of these challenges, many Americans also face the difficulty of getting approved for a car loan. Crawling out of the hole that a bad credit score creates can take years of persistence and patience. So, what can Americans in that predicament do until their score goes up? And what can they do to help get their scores up?There are many lenders out there who understand this dilemma and offer an excellent way to start the long process of credit recovery. An auto loan with a trend of on-time payments is a great way to reestablish credit.
'Tis the season to be aware of scams
As the holiday season rolls forth, law enforcement officials say to secure not only purses and packages from lurking predators, but computers, mailboxes and phones from persistent scammers. Officials say the criminal mind has adapted to the latest technology. Scams are not only letter stamped or dialed over phone lines but have run rampant on the Internet zeroing in on personal computers and laptops where e-mails are commonplace. Opelika police Capt. Allan Elkins said eight common scams to watch out for include, the Pigeon Drop, Canadian Lottery Scam, Nigerian Money Scam, Nigerian Inheritance Money Scam, IRS Return Scam, Drive-Way Paving Scam, Roofing Scam and FLIM FLAM. "Unfortunately these types of criminals prey on the elderly or people who live on fixed incomes who often times become confused and fall victim to these predators," said Elkins, of FLIM FLAM scams.
Porn's lost sex appeal amid constant exposure
It's been a tough couple of weeks for porn. On Oct. 12, two Arizona men were sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for generating pornographic e-mail spam, a venture in which they'd sent out millions of e-mails and earned more than a million dollars. That's justice well served, but the same day, a jury awarded a Nashville, Tennessee woman US$85,000 in damages after her children were inadvertently exposed to hard-core pornography in a California motel room. It seems that in August 2006, Edwina McCombs and her two daughters, ages 7 and 8, checked into a Value Lodge in Artesia. While McCombs was taking a bath, her children channel surfed and, according to the lawsuit, eventually stumbled on close-up, explicit images of sex acts. The award was based on McCombs' claim of "negligence and emotional distress." Notwithstanding the fact that offering free porn is probably the best marketing tool an economy hotel chain could hope for (during the trial, an investigator said that Value Lodge does not block porn channels from rooms unless guests request it), McCombs' lawsuit is sure to elicit smirks from several corners.
|
