| Mass. consumer confidence takes dive
U.S. retail sales at stores open at least a year rose just 0.5 percent in January, the weakest performance for that month since at least 1970, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Guenther said a number of factors are contributing to Bay State residents' pessimistic outlook, including the hard hit that Massachusetts took when the Internet bubble burst earlier in this decade, the state's slow recovery since then, a drop in home prices, and ``a steady drumbeat of concerning news'' from the media about the national credit crunch. ``People are now seeing both the local conditions and the overlay of the credit crisis nationally, and the kind of impact that has here at home,'' Guenther said. Massachusetts residents are also now less likely to make big-ticket purchases: In July, 47 percent of Mass Insight's respondents said it was a good time to buy major household items, with 30 percent saying it was a bad time.
Kia Shine Responds To TMI Boyz, Wendy Day
And she should have got dissed. TMI Boys is wack for running from skinny ass Kia Shine. And Kia had all right to diss her cause she ain't no emcee and she shouldn't have rappers names in her mouth exept to big them up.
And by the way Who the fuck are the TMI boys. .
Gas That Need Not Pass Unused
Most German homes are heated sparingly, while Georg heats his house with hot water piped in from the generator's cooling system. It's so warm that the kitchen window is propped open despite the winter weather. He laughs about the waste of warm air seeping from his kitchen. "Like in America," Georg says, he's got energy to burn. Chris Frasier visited Georg Sturm's farm in 2007, 20 years after working as an exchange student on a neighboring farm. Frasier ranches with his family near Limon, Colo. He wrote this comment for the Land Institute's Prairie Writers Circle, Salina, Kan. .
Fashion, economics drive new trends for homeowners
WENGE, it's been good to know you. Sunken Jacuzzis, we had some good times. Blue and brown, I can't believe it's over. After a couple of years of same-old, same-old on the home front, winds of change are blowing in. Some are driven by fashion, others by economic conditions and lifestyle shifts. 2008 will see waves of mainstream homeowners going green to save green, according to Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT, a New York advertising firm. What Mack describes as a desire for "Prius homes" is being driven in part by financial incentives. "Major banks are offering energy-efficient mortgages for homeowners," Mack said. Some changes are product-based (installing solar panels), while others are behavioral (holding out longer in summer before turning on the AC).
A Different Perspective
Yogi Bear stood at the entrance to Jellystone National Park. He scouted unattended picnic baskets while awaiting Boo Boo Bears arrival home on the school bus. Yogi and Boo Boo were co-owners of a playoff fantasy team. As Yogi considered himself smarter than the average bear, he figured his team had a decided advantage, but he needed Boo Boos help in researching and deciphering the most recent data before submitting teams for the next round of games. So he waited anxiously and kept a look out for Ranger Smith. The school bus screeched to a halt at the entrance and Boo Boo climbed down the steps, dragging his back pack behind him. The bus roared off in a cloud of dust and rubble. Hey, Boo Boo! Were still in first place in our fantasy league. Lets go look at the stats and make our picks. I dont want to play anymore, Yogi.
Long March 3B in 2nd stage mission
China is studying the feasibility of using the Long March 3B carrier rocket for the country's second-stage moon mission of lunar landing, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration said yesterday.
The Long March 3B carrier rocket is from the same family as the Long March 3A on which Chang'e I was launched. It boasts "strong thrust power", Pei Zhaoyu, the spokesman, told a press conference.
Long March 3B is the most powerful carrier rocket developed by China. It can send 5.1 tons of payload into the geosynchronous orbit.
The 3B rockets have successfully launched large satellites, including Mabuhay, ChinaStar-1 and SinoSat-1.
Pei said the next generation Long March 5 rockets, which use pollution-free fuels, will not be ready for launch until after 2012.
Justin Timberlake Smacks Into A Car; Missy, Busta Have 'A Ball': Super ...
More than 93 million people watched last year's Super Bowl, and with this year's contest only a few days away, will it be the game itself or the ads that get viewers talking the most? "People who aren't even sports fans watch the Super Bowl, just to watch the commercials," Derek Jeter, shortstop for the New York Yankees, said in a press video hyping the ads. With that in mind, 26 brands have gone all out this year to provide star-packed ads involving celebs like Jeter, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Shakira, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes and LL Cool J. The stars are making appearances via their images and/or music, most of them for Pepsi. "PepsiCo is the second-biggest advertiser in the Super Bowl this year," after Anheuser-Busch, USA Today advertising reporter Theresa Howard said.
Wrong Call on Telecoms
All other things being equal, it seems likely she will be rolled again when Congress reconvenes in another week. After all, as the director of national intelligence, Vice Adm. Mike McConnell, observed on the "Fox Sunday Morning" program last weekend: "We cannot do this mission without help and support from the private sector. ... [I]f you think about the private sector global communications, many people think the government operates that. Ninety-eight percent of it is owned and operated by the private sector." Therefore, cooperation of the telecoms with U.S. intelligence is not simply nice to have; it is essential. The problem is that, even if Mrs. Pelosi is forced to relent relatively soon, our intelligence agencies" "situational awareness" of terrorist activities may suffer lasting harm.
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