Stricken liner being towed through pirate zone

Conditions on the Costa Allegra are deteriorating. With no electricity, passengers and crew have taken to sleeping on deck.? A woman whose son escaped the Costa Concordia, ?and whose daughter is now stuck on the Costa Allegra says all she wants to do is see her daughter. Carl Dinnen Channel Four Europe reports.

By msnbc.com news services

Helicopters brought food and flashlights Tuesday to more than 1,000 passengers and crew stuck aboard a crippled cruise ship that was being towed to the Seychelles Islands through waters prowled by pirates.

Those aboard the Costa Allegra, a sister ship of the cruise liner that capsized off Italy last month, faced more stifling days and nights on the Indian Ocean before the vessel arrives at port.?

The stricken liner was expected to reach the main Seychelles island of Mahe on Thursday, the Italian cruise operator Costa Crociere SpA said.

"The speed of the ship, despite the hot and humid climate, creates a slight breeze that helps make the situation more comfortable," a company statement said.?

It said fresh bread would be brought in Wednesday since cooking was impossible, but added there was "no lack of food and other comfort items."?

Two tugboats arrived?on Tuesday?to assist a French fishing vessel towing the Costa Allegra, which was being escorted by the Seychelles coast guard ship Andromache and an air force plane.

The Costa Allegra lost power Monday after a fire in its generator room only six weeks after one of its sister ships, the Costa Concordia, hit a reef and capsized off Italy. No one was injured in the fire Monday, but the blaze set the cruise-liner adrift at sea in a region where Somali pirates prey on ships.

Cruise officials initially said the stranded travelers would be taken by Wednesday to Desroches, a small, exclusive coral-lined island in the Seychelles. But they changed the destination to the larger island of Mahe, citing safety and logistical reasons.

Photos released by the Seychelles on Tuesday showed hundreds of people milling outside on the decks of the Costa Allegra. Taken by an Indian navy plane, the photos showed calm seas and an upright ship.?

The Costa Allegra has 636 passengers and 413 crew members on board. The fire knocked out power to the ship's engines as well as to its lights and air conditioning.

The incident came six weeks after the Costa Concordia capsized, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead. Both ships are operated by Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by the Florida-based Carnival Corp.

However, company officials rushed to play down concerns.

The Costa Allegra is adrift "and being pushed by the current. It is stable and upright," Giorgio Moretti, the director of nautical operations for Costa Crociere SpA, told reporters in a conference call late Monday from company headquarters in Genoa, Italy.

"It's a big ship and to tow it, to move it across the waters, is a heavy task," said Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic. She said that everything is calm on board the cruise ship and that no one is hurt.

Italian Coast Guard officials said emergency generators were keeping the ship's control room illuminated and communications equipment such as radios running. Officials said the cruise liner was holding steady, despite 5-foot waves in the area and passengers were being kept in the ship's big communal rooms, not in their cabins.

Moretti, a longtime Costa captain, said he expected the 636 passengers aboard would spend the night on outside decks. Among them were 212 Italian, 31 British and eight U.S. passengers, he said. Four of the passengers were children ages 3 or younger.

An Italian cruise ship is being towed Tuesday after being left powerless and adrift with more than 1,000 passengers and crew on board in the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean. The ship NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

The Allegra, whose Italian name means "merry," or "happy," had left northern Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast, on Saturday and was cruising toward Port Victoria when the fire erupted. Costa said the Allegra had been due in Port Victoria on Tuesday.

The general region where the cruise ship was adrift ? off the coast of Tanzania ? has seen a rash of attacks by Somali pirates. In 2009, an Italian cruise ship with 1,500 people aboard fended off a pirate attack in the Indian Ocean far off the coast of Somalia.

Moretti said an armed nine-member Italian military team on anti-pirate duty was aboard the Allegra, but he insisted the maritime region where the ship was now "isn't a high risk area for pirates."

"If pirates attack, the armed guards on board will respond. But as far as I am aware, no pirates have been sighted in the area," said Janosevic.

Moretti said 15 Costa engineers, technicians and other officials were flying to Mahe in hope of reaching the Allegra by air to repair its generators.?

Handout / Reuters

The Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 passengers, ran aground Jan. 13 off the coast of Italy. At least 17 people died in the accident, and rescuers continue to search for others missing.

NBC News, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related stories:

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46551512/ns/travel-news/

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Home Improvement Created Easy With One Of These Effortless Ideas

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The guidelines under may help you enhance your home improvement knowledge. Try laying ... Select a material which fits your own home there is certainly cement, clay tile, tarmac, natural stone, and brick that can be used.

Source: http://articlethecw.info/home-improvement-created-easy-with-one-of-these-effortless-ideas/

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Tallahassee Is The Finest Location On Earth To Retire | Articles ...

There are millions of baby boomers around the world trying to settle on where to retire, and if most of us who have grown up in Tallahassee have anything to with it, they are going to select Tallahassee.

Tallahassee needs population growth to help the housing market recovery, and courting retirees could be a very sensible part of this answer.

Tallahassee is ?sorta just like home? for many who come here, so getting Tallahassee into the running for ?where to retire? should not be difficult to do.

According to Google, the prevalent search engine is asked ?where to retire? 22,126 times each day in the United states alone. It seems as if finding where to retire is a very trendy issue right now, and we need to get the word out that Tallahassee is a very suitable answer.

There are so many rational motives that Tallahassee could become a top destination for people who are looking for ?where to retire.? As one Tallahassee transplant recently pointed out, Tallahassee is

* not South Florida
* hilly
* blessed with four seasons
* seasonal, but with benign winters
* oozing ?home town feel?
* not prone to storm surge
* not provincial
* relatively sophisticated due to government and the universities
* where to retire

Last August, we shared an article from the Democrat, written by Elizabeth M. Mack, that announced the new choose Tallahassee campaign. This marketing program was designed to lure more baby boomers to the Tallahassee area as where to retire.

Here we are six months later and that promotion apparently died. There is a choose Tallahassee website that shows little, if any traffic (website rating on Alexa). As a matter of fact, the article I wrote about the initiative is the #1 search result on Google for ?select Tallahassee.? Our whole community must do a better job of spreading the word that Tallahassee is the ?where to retire? capital of the world!

This means that many of us understand the need to broadcast about Tallahassee, but there is no collective effort to make it happen.

This part is simple, and we all play a part in the getting the word out about Tallahassee.

Help spread the message, ?Tallahassee is where to go when you retire.? When you see encouraging articles on Tallahassee, share them!

Put them on Facebook and any other social media applications that you use. The viral effect of all of us spreading the word about the benefits of living in Tallahassee could help restore our local economy, as well as the slumping housing market.

You can be part of a great support system for go for Tallahassee, so help spread the word! Look to the top left margin on the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog and the social sharing buttons are all there. Spread the word in your network, and ask them to do the same.

And the next time you are asked about where to retire, remember to tell them to check out Tallahassee, Florida.

Joe Manausa, MBA was born and raised in Tallahassee, and his Century 21 real estate company has helped many people choose Tallahassee when it came time to pick out where to retire.

Source: http://articlesbeloved.com/home-family/tallahassee-is-the-finest-location-on-earth-to-retire

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What Are Your Options for iPad Insurance

There are several ipad insurance options available depending on the customer?s needs. All iPads come with a limited 1-year manufacturer?s warranty, which only covers technical support and some basic usage issues. Having additional ipad insurance will help cover the gaps lefts from the original 1-year limited manufactures warranty, such as replacing or repairing the damaged iPad due to dropping, which is not covered under the manufactures warranty. Having additional insurance will also protect the iPad once the original manufactures warranty [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/what-are-your-options-for-ipad-insurance/

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Upper class more likely to be scofflaws

Public release date: 27-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Yasmin Anwar
yanwar@berkeley.edu
510-643-7944
University of California - Berkeley

UC Berkeley study finds unethical behavior motivated by positive attitudes to greed

The upper class has a higher propensity for unethical behavior, being more likely to believe as did Gordon Gekko in the movie "Wall Street" that "greed is good," according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.

"The increased unethical tendencies of upper-class individuals are driven, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed," said Paul Piff, a doctoral student in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper published today (Monday, Feb. 27) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Piff's study is the latest in a series of UC Berkeley scholarly investigations into the relationship between socio-economic class and prosocial and antisocial emotions and behaviors, revealing new information about class differences during a time of rising economic tension.

"As these issues come to the fore, our research and that by others helps shed light on the role of inequality in shaping patterns of ethical conduct and selfish behavior, and points to certain ways in which these patterns might also be changed," Piff said.

To investigate how class relates to ethical conduct, the researchers surveyed the ethical tendencies of more than 1,000 individuals of lower-, middle- and upper-class backgrounds. Volunteers reported their social class using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Socioeconomic Status and filled out surveys revealing their attitudes about unprincipled behaviors and greed. They also took part in tasks designed to measure their actual unethical behavior.

In two field studies on driving behavior, upper-class motorists were found to be four times more likely than the other drivers to cut off other vehicles at a busy four-way intersection and three times more likely to cut off a pedestrian waiting to enter a crosswalk. Another study found that upper-class participants presented with scenarios of unscrupulous behavior were more likely than the individuals in the other socio-economic classes to report replicating this type of behavior themselves.

Participants in the fourth study were assigned tasks in a laboratory where a jar of candy, reserved for visiting children, was on hand, and were invited to take a candy or two. Upper-class participants helped themselves to twice as much candy as did their counterparts in other classes.

In the fifth study, participants each were assigned the role of an employer negotiating a salary with a job candidate seeking long-term employment. Among other things, they were told that the job would soon be eliminated, and that they were free to convey that information to the candidate. Upper-class participants were more likely to deceive job candidates by withholding this information, the study found.

In the sixth study, participants played a computerized dice game, with each player getting five rolls of the dice and then reporting his or her scores. The player with the highest score would receive a cash prize. The players did not know that the game was rigged so that each player would receive no more than 12 points for the five rolls. Upper-class participants were more likely to report higher scores than would be possible, indicating a higher rate of cheating, according to the study.

The last study found attitudes about greed to be the most significant predictor of unethical behavior. Participants were primed to think about the advantages of greed and then presented with bad behavior-in-the-workplace scenarios, such as stealing cash, accepting bribes and overcharging customers. It turned out that even those participants not in the upper class were just as likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical behavior as the upper-class cohort once they had been primed to see the benefits of greed, researchers said.

"These findings have very clear implications for how increased wealth and status in society shapes patterns of ethical behavior, and suggest that the different social values among the haves and the have-nots help drive these tendencies," Piff said of the cumulative findings.

###

Other coauthors of the study are UC Berkeley psychologists Dacher Keltner, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton and Daniel Stancato, and Stphane Ct of the University of Toronto. The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 27-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Yasmin Anwar
yanwar@berkeley.edu
510-643-7944
University of California - Berkeley

UC Berkeley study finds unethical behavior motivated by positive attitudes to greed

The upper class has a higher propensity for unethical behavior, being more likely to believe as did Gordon Gekko in the movie "Wall Street" that "greed is good," according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley.

"The increased unethical tendencies of upper-class individuals are driven, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed," said Paul Piff, a doctoral student in psychology at UC Berkeley and lead author of the paper published today (Monday, Feb. 27) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Piff's study is the latest in a series of UC Berkeley scholarly investigations into the relationship between socio-economic class and prosocial and antisocial emotions and behaviors, revealing new information about class differences during a time of rising economic tension.

"As these issues come to the fore, our research and that by others helps shed light on the role of inequality in shaping patterns of ethical conduct and selfish behavior, and points to certain ways in which these patterns might also be changed," Piff said.

To investigate how class relates to ethical conduct, the researchers surveyed the ethical tendencies of more than 1,000 individuals of lower-, middle- and upper-class backgrounds. Volunteers reported their social class using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Socioeconomic Status and filled out surveys revealing their attitudes about unprincipled behaviors and greed. They also took part in tasks designed to measure their actual unethical behavior.

In two field studies on driving behavior, upper-class motorists were found to be four times more likely than the other drivers to cut off other vehicles at a busy four-way intersection and three times more likely to cut off a pedestrian waiting to enter a crosswalk. Another study found that upper-class participants presented with scenarios of unscrupulous behavior were more likely than the individuals in the other socio-economic classes to report replicating this type of behavior themselves.

Participants in the fourth study were assigned tasks in a laboratory where a jar of candy, reserved for visiting children, was on hand, and were invited to take a candy or two. Upper-class participants helped themselves to twice as much candy as did their counterparts in other classes.

In the fifth study, participants each were assigned the role of an employer negotiating a salary with a job candidate seeking long-term employment. Among other things, they were told that the job would soon be eliminated, and that they were free to convey that information to the candidate. Upper-class participants were more likely to deceive job candidates by withholding this information, the study found.

In the sixth study, participants played a computerized dice game, with each player getting five rolls of the dice and then reporting his or her scores. The player with the highest score would receive a cash prize. The players did not know that the game was rigged so that each player would receive no more than 12 points for the five rolls. Upper-class participants were more likely to report higher scores than would be possible, indicating a higher rate of cheating, according to the study.

The last study found attitudes about greed to be the most significant predictor of unethical behavior. Participants were primed to think about the advantages of greed and then presented with bad behavior-in-the-workplace scenarios, such as stealing cash, accepting bribes and overcharging customers. It turned out that even those participants not in the upper class were just as likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical behavior as the upper-class cohort once they had been primed to see the benefits of greed, researchers said.

"These findings have very clear implications for how increased wealth and status in society shapes patterns of ethical behavior, and suggest that the different social values among the haves and the have-nots help drive these tendencies," Piff said of the cumulative findings.

###

Other coauthors of the study are UC Berkeley psychologists Dacher Keltner, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton and Daniel Stancato, and Stphane Ct of the University of Toronto. The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/uoc--ucm022712.php

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Albuquerque Personal Injury Lawyer | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Great reasons to Seek the services of a Personal Injury Legal representative

Why get an Albuquerque Personal Injury Legal professional ? Firstly you have to understand just what an Albuquerque personal injury lawyer does just before you can understand why you need to use a personal injury legal representative. This certain legal professional helps you handle insurance claims if are involved in any sort of accident, normally its public transport accidents.

Here are a few reasons as to why you should get a personal injury legal professional. Even though you may have been involved in a major accident you may have no claim to make. The legal representative would enable you to determine this. An insurance company may say don?t have a claim yet you do and you would be none the cleverer. With a lawyer?s help you should definitely be able to affirm this detail for certain. Insurance agencies often times have numerous clauses in their compensation claims which you may not fully understand and may utilize them against you to not pay an insurance claim.

There are instances when you may be under-compensated for an injury, reason being, you do not fully know the compensation due to you. Or maybe the insurance company is wanting to cut its losses. The money could seem much to you when truly you are being cheated. After you settle for it, you can?t go back immediately after realizing you were taken for a ride. Well then that would be why you should get a personal injury legal professional.

It?s true personal attorney services are expensive. There are actually 2 methods of handling this. You could agree with your attorney to get paid by the party you are searching for a compensation claim from. That is, once you have reached an arrangement, the other party together with having to pay you will be the one to pay out your lawyer?s fees. Another situation which is quite typical is the legal professional only gets paid if you win the case. The attorney will only take on the case if she or he is quite sure of a win. That way, you kill two birds with just one stone; get compensated, and have your lawyer?s fee cleared too.

One more reason as to why you need to make use of a personal injury lawyer is if you need to go to court to get a settlement. Professional lawyers are more acquainted with the in and out of the law which you?re really improbable to understand. In court, it unfortunately is not about whom shows the truth, its more about who can best fight their case before the judge. Hence, even though you?re legally entitled to compensation, you could easily walk out of court empty-handed. And a whole lot worse still, must pay costs for the court case. A personal injury attorney will come in handy in this situation.

A few cases are very complicated, and take some time to resolve specially when there are a great deal of legalities involved. You could conveniently get lost in this labyrinth. This is why you ought to employ a personal injury legal professional for it is actually their day to day work and it won?t be a hassle to them. Find a very good lawyer in your community right away and get him to legally represent you .

Source: http://cfrd.net/legal/albuquerque-personal-injury-lawyer/

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Kings appoint Shane Heal as new coach

The Sydney Kings have installed Shane Heal, one of their greatest-ever players, to coach the team for the remaining six games of the NBL season.

Heal will take over the role immediately, replacing Ian Robilliard who has recently been appointed as the club's interim chief executive, and will be in charge for his first game when the Kings host Townsville on Sunday.

Heal, a former point guard known for his aggressive play, loud haircuts and three-point shooting, captained the Kings to their first championship in 2003, has his No.23 jersey retired and is still highly regarded at the club.

The Kings have endured a mixed season under Robilliard, missing out on landing Boomers superstar Andrew Bogut during the NBA lockout due to unresolvable insurance issues while overcoming a series of injuries to hover mid-table with an 8-14 record.

The Kings are on a five-game losing streak but Heal, who at this stage does not have a deal for next season, said he would not be doing anything drastic and simply hoped to bring his own touch to the team for the final six games of the year.

"I will really be working on getting their mindset right and belief in themselves," he said.

"I am looking forward to sitting down with the team to talk about philosophies and expectations."

Robilliard said he expected Heal to use his experience to instil a championship-winning mentality into the young Kings squad.

"It is a great feeling to have secured Shane Heal for the role of head coach," Robilliard said.

"The club definitely considers him a Sydney Kings legend.

"Having played in the purple and gold, he knows first hand what it means to wear in our colours, to win a championship, and to play at the Kingdome.

"If he can instil half of his Sydney Kings personal experience into our roster, it could help our team of committed professionals become a champion team."

Source: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8425101

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'Harry Potter' Leaves Oscars With Nothing But A Tax Joke

Despite being nominated 12 times, the children's series has never won an Academy Award.
By Terri Schwartz

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros.

The only thing "Harry Potter" got during the Oscars ceremony was a joke from host Billy Crystal saying that, despite how much money the series has made in the box office, it's only had to pay 14 percent in income taxes. It certainly was a poor send-off for one of the most beloved and highest-grossing movie franchises in film history.

The series has never been honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sunday night's (February 26) three losses — for art direction, makeup and visual effects — brought the total number of losses to 12 for the eight films.

"Potter" star Evanna Lynch took to Twitter to express her frustration, writing, "Agggghhhh this is infuriating... Bloody muggles. #oscarfail"

Agggghhhh this is infuriating... Bloody muggles. #oscarfail

— Evanna Lynch (@Evy_Lynch) February 27, 2012

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" lost twice to "Hugo" (a fellow children's film) and once to "The Iron Lady." "Harry Potter" leading man Daniel Radcliffe gave his take on the lack of respect for the big-screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling's franchise in a recent interview.

"There's a certain amount of snobbery [in the Academy]," Radcliffe said. "It's kind of disheartening. I never thought I'd care. But it would've been nice to have some recognition, just for the hours put in."

He added, "I don't think the Oscars like commercial films, or kids' films, unless they're directed by Martin Scorsese. I was watching 'Hugo' the other day and going, 'Why was this nominated and we're not?' I was slightly miffed."

The Academy didn't even offer "Harry Potter" a series achievement award like the BAFTAs did last year. Some "Potter" fans had expected the series to be rewarded by the Academy for its many years of financial and critical acclaim the same way Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was. Unfortunately, that did not end up being the case.

Despite a lack of love from the Academy, we at MTV News decided to honor the series in this week's edition of Talk Nerdy.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com all night and beyond for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion. Join the live conversation by tweeting @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.

Related Videos

• Scenes From 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2'

Related Photos

• 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2' World Premiere In London

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679969/harry-potter-oscar-snub.jhtml

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Obama says no quick fixes to energy squeeze, derides GOP drilling plan as a gimmick (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/204510055?client_source=feed&format=rss

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The Actual Variations On The Specific Price Levels Of Gold And Silver

Silver and gold are definitely the most effective investment strategies you may make. Contemplate exploring precious metals to improve your portfolio, to plan ahead of time regarding your future. Together with the variations in the economic system, gold and silver continue being safe. Bullion most notably silver and gold, are incredibly popular for investment. Of course, one is quite a bit more treasured in comparison to the other. By August 2011, every single gold oz. is approximately 45 times higher in price as compared to every ounce of silver.

General trends in gold and silver prices

Over the years, both gold and silver have been used as a kind of money fashioned into gold and silver coins and as a store of value shaped into bars. The London gold fixing procedure ascertains the ever-changing cost of gold twice on each working day. Prices are governed by way of the London Gold Market Fixing Ltd. whose participants are 5 bullion-trading corporations. Within the 1980s, the cumulative average value of gold was $612 each troy ounce (ozt). During the time, silver was worth $16.39 per ozt. During the nineties, valuation on gold reduced to about one half its value from the 1980s at $383. Alternatively, silver at the same time experienced this particular disaster which plunged right down to as far as $4.06. In the early portion of 2000, gold price ranges continued to depreciate to as far as $279, while silver price ranges demonstrated minor increase in value at $4.95.

By 2005, gold and silver valuations were able to recover at $444 and $7.31, respectively. 4 years down the road in ?09, these rates approximately doubled, having gold at $972 and additionally silver at $14.67, and went on to appreciate right up until 2010 through the first half of 2011. Each and every year since 2009, the cost coefficient of gold to silver was slowly but surely decreasing. In 2009, gold was in fact 66 times more expensive compared to silver. In 2010, this particular rate decreased right down to 60 and right down to 44 in 2011. By examining this pattern around the pricing of gold and silver, one may well deduce that right this moment stands out as the high time to invest in these kind of precious metals with additional personal preference placed on silver. Undoubtedly, gold continues to be a lot more highly-priced when compared to the other.

Conditions which will impact their particular price ranges

As with most various products exchanged in the market, price tags of precious metals happen to be affected by demand and supply. In addition to this simple relation to rising and falling prices, market supposition of course plays a role because making an investment in silver and gold in addition includes the same dangers, as with other sorts of merchandise. Regarding gold, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also a range of central banks, possess a great influence around its costs. This unique impact can be spelled out from the amount of gold in which central banks have got. Central banks together with their affiliate institutions, hold somewhere around one-fifth of the all around established gold reserves. The jewelry industry, which places very much importance in gold also, influences its price through governing the need for the product.

Due to the fact silver is really a lot less valuable as compared with gold, its price ended up being a great deal more promptly dictated by large traders and investors. This specific foul play, however, is regulated by way of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to allow for competitive and fair trading all around different shareholders. The Cost of silver is in addition influenced by the actual need from manufacturing market sectors, since the metal demonstrates top-quality attributes for digital purposes. Gold and silver purchases are usually strongly recommended for broadening a trader?s profile. The dependable development of the economy will make sure the steady appreciation of gold and silver.

Before buying something on the net, you should definitely look at this excellent blog related to the value of gold and silver, and investing in gold bullion.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 10:08 pm by Guest Author and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://centired.com/2012/02/the-actual-variations-on-the-specific-price-levels-of-gold-and-silver-bullion-and-investments/

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Girls' verbal skills make them better at arithmetic, study finds

ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2012) ? While boys generally do better than girls in science and math, some studies have found that girls do better in arithmetic. A new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, finds that the advantage comes from girls' superior verbal skills.

"People have always thought that males' advantage is in math and spatial skills, and girls' advantage is in language," says Xinlin Zhou of Beijing Normal University, who cowrote the study with Wei Wei, Hao Lu, Hui Zhao, and Qi Dong of Beijing Normal University and Chuansheng Chen of the University of California-Irvine. "However, some parents and teachers in China say girls do arithmetic better than boys in primary school."

Zhou and his colleagues did a series of tests with children ages 8 to 11 at 12 primary schools in and around Beijing. Indeed, girls outperformed boys in many math skills. They were better at arithmetic, including tasks like simple subtraction and complex multiplication. Girls were also better at numerosity comparison -- making a quick estimate of which of two arrays had more dots in it. Girls outperformed boys at quickly recognizing the larger of two numbers and at completing a series of numbers (like "2 4 6 8"). Boys performed better at mentally rotating three-dimensional images.

Girls were also better at judging whether two words rhymed, and Zhou and his colleagues think this is the key to their better math performance. "Arithmetic and even advanced math needs verbal processing," Zhou says. Counting is verbal; the multiplication table is memorized verbally, and when people are doing multiple-digit calculations, they hold the intermediate results in their memory as words.

"Better language skills could lead to more efficient verbal processing in arithmetic," Zhou says. He thinks it might be possible to use these results to help both boys and girls learn math better. Boys could use more help with verbal strategies for learning math terms, while girls might benefit from more practice with spatial skills.

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Journal Reference:

1. Xinlin Zhou, Wei Wei, Hao Lu, Hui Zhao, Qi Dong and Chuansheng Chen. Gender differences in children?s arithmetic performance are accounted for by gender differences in language abilities. Psychological Science, 2012

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223133012.htm

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Interest Check: Unicorns and forests

Hello,

My name is spirit and I'm looking forward to starting a new roleplay. One with adventure, fantasy, romance, and drama. I have afew ideas for roleplays. Any of these can be tweaked and fixed. Are any of these of interest to you?

The first one deals with a unicorn. We are trying to save a unicorn we found in a forest that has been captured by a powerful sorcerer. The group will gather for their own reasons, and we will go on a journey to save the unicorn from this sorcerer. There can be side romance, there will be adventure, and there will be drama. I would prefer we have atleast one female character in the party, so this female character can be the maiden which the unicorn will embrace (Like in the tales, the unicorns bow their heads to pure maidens, etc. )

Another roleplay deals with a forest again as well. I've been rethinking about opening up the "Medieval Fantasy Roleplay" again but this time changing the story and making it more friendly for players.
The story goes like this: There is a myth that a forest harbors a great treasure, but it is only a tale in legends. Those who have come to the forest have not come back. Creatures guard the forest treasure, or source of magic within the forest.

The roleplay will not be epic. Afew rules that must be said though:

1) NO God modding
2) NO hogging the lime light, any one.
3) If you're part of a party, do not ignore players in your party. It's very rude. If your character doesn't like someone, say so but state why.
4) When there's too many people, things go wrong. In the last major roleplay I GMed, we attempted to split the party into 2 groups because there were so many people. This time however, I'm only allowing a certain amount of people to join. The max I'm allowing to join is 6-8.
5) The story must flow and be in sync with everyone
6) I COME up with the treasure. Well, with a consenus on everyone's part, I lastly choose what the treasure will be.

Any questions or concerns? Go ahead and ask, and I'll answer. :)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/OHm1yTI6KUc/viewtopic.php

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Dr. Geek: The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles ...

What was the first video game console system you played on?? Was it a PlayStation 2?? A Sega Dreamcast?? A Super Nintendo Entertainment System?? An Atari 2600?? A Magnavox Odyssey?

In 1972, Magnavox released the Odyssey as the first computer system built to connect to a television set in order to allow people to play digital games in the comfort of their homes.? The video arcades that would dominate youth and pop culture during the 1980s saw their foundation at the same time, and Magnavox had hoped to be at the front of the wave that would bring highly abstract pixels and sounds into people?s homes as the future of entertainment.

This first generation of consoles would become dominated by Atari, who capitalized on the success of their wildly popular game Pong.? Atari?s first system was simply the arcade game of Pong in a smaller package, playable at home.? Atari learned early the lesson Amazon would later capitalize on with their Kindle series: if you have content that people want, then you can sell the technology to give them that content.

Since the early days of Magnavox and Atari, throughout a forty year span, video game consoles have gone through seven generations.? What typifies one generation from another usually rests on the processing power of the system: as the system?s microprocessors improved, so did their graphics, their sound, their complexness, their controls, and their capability to become more than just a video game system.? Earlier systems are renowned for being 8bit or 16bit, with an aesthetic quality that became ingrained in their players? consciousness and has since become ensconced in the pop culture products of those young gamers grown-up.

Hence the whole milieu of Scott Pilgrim.

The most recent generation of consoles has been the seventh, consisting of the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Ninendo Wii.? The additions to the PlayStation 3 of the Move and to the Xbox 360 of the Kinect does not qualify them as eighth generation systems because the consoles did not receive a substantial upgrade to processors to accommodate the new controls, which may have caused problems with how well the controls are integrated with the systems.

The eighth generation of systems will begin arriving this Christmas when Nintendo releases their new console, the Wii U. ?Current speculation says Microsoft may release their system, the next Xbox, by the fall of 2013, with PlayStation expected to follow suit, with a date unknown.? With the Wii U coming out first, we know more details on what to expect from that system than the other two, but what follows is the most up-to-date information, and speculation, on what we can expect to see in the eighth generation systems.

The Nintendo Wii U had its big unveil in June, 2011, at E3.? The Wii U is a combination of new console and new controller, and it is a step up in terms of graphics and memory from what the Wii has, which has been a constant complaint from hard core gamers who really like realistic graphics.? This is all due to Nintendo finally releasing an 1080p HD HDMI system for the modern HD television, making the new console more competitive with the PS3 and the 360 as they currently stand.

And this is just the new controller.

However, the most innovative aspect of the Wii U is the new controller.? As Slashfilm describes it, this controller is ?half iPad, half Nintendo DS?: it has a 6.2 inch touch screen, integrated camera and microphone, built in motion control sensors, plus the standard Nintendo control buttons. ?When you see it in someone?s hands, it does look like a bulky, over-sized DS that really wants to grow up to be a sleek iPad. ?According to the trailer that introduces with remote control, Nintendo envisions a variety of ways in which it can be integrated into game play, as well as other special features.

The new Nintendo system is expected to be released for the Christmas 2012 shopping season.? So, if the world doesn?t end, you could be unwrapping one of these under the tree come Christmas morning.

Currently, the next generation Xbox console is generating more speculation and rumor than confirmed specs.? On the specs side, rumors have involved Xbox incorporating a touchscreen into its remote control, augmented reality, a BluRay player, enhanced Kinect tracking skills, and a central processor that would permit 3D display. ?Other rumors have included the name of the system being Xbox 720 and the potential of a lock-out that would prohibit people from playing used games. ?What seems to be more reliable are the predictions that the next-gen Xbox will premiere at this summer?s E3 and that it will most likely rollout in Fall 2013 for that shopping season.

With Wii U confirmed to have a touchscreen remote, and Xbox next-gen rumored to have one, it?s hard not to think that Sony may be considering something similar, given that their new portable, the Vita, has a touchscreen.? Thus far, of the three next-gen consoles, less is known about what Sony is releasing, although people have been dubbing it PlayStation 4.? Speculation may be common for the year as Sony has announced they will not be giving a presentation on a new console at this year?s E3.

Most likely a new PlayStation would feature advances in processors to continue the trend for realistic graphics and 3D display that Sony has been developing.? As to when it may be released?well, seeing as PlayStation wants to further develop the still profitable PS3 (such as with the aforementioned expansion of 3D display) and seek to have their console on a 10 year life cycle of use, and that they recently rolled out the Vita, it may be that they are not too eager to compete head-to-head with Microsoft and would instead wait to see what Microsoft unveils for their next-gen before revealing more of their plans.

Of the current 7^th gen systems, although it peaked and sales have been dropping, Nintendo still retains global market dominance, with Microsoft and PlayStation at a comparable equal level.? Nintendo?s Wii targets younger and more casual players, while PlayStation and Microsoft both compete for more hardcore gamers, teenagers and up.? With Wii U, Nintendo is on track to maintain their focus on their specific segment of the marketplace.

Could Sony cede their marketshare of hardcore gaming to Microsoft in order to focus on the success of their portables, which Microsoft has not been able to match? ?While doubtful, it would would leave Nintendo to continue to capitalize on the casual gamers market, which has been increasing in recent years?but that increase has been fueled by the rise of social games on Facebook and mobile gaming apps on tablets and smartphones; an increase that has led Nintendo to develop the tablet-esque controller for the Wii U. Meanwhile, Sony and Microsoft face competition from MMORPGs.

It may be that the eighth?generation of video games already upon us. ?Processors have gotten so small and so fast that they haven given rise to portable gaming. ?Meanwhile, bandwidth has gotten strong enough to accommodate faster and more realistic synchronous multiplayer online gameplay. All of this leaves console gaming in a position that the arcades of the 1980s were when the consoles arose: facing stiff competition from new technology introducing new ways of playing digital games.

The question is, will video game consoles go the route of the arcade, or will they find a way to adapt and retain their relevance as external units hooked up to our television sets?

The one device to rule them all...

My answer: the more they can become multifunctional devices ? permitting web surfing and video streaming or downloading in addition to gameplay ? will probably be more predictive of the presence and power of the 8^th generation systems in peoples? home than what controls they offer or how realistic their graphics are. ?I think we?ve finally reached the point of technological convergence where people will increasingly want one device to rule all of their entertainment and information needs. ?The more an eighth generation console can accommodate those wants, then the better it will perform in the marketplace.

Source: http://clearancebinreview.com/2012/02/17/dr-geek-the-next-generation-of-video-game-consoles/

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Thai police: 2 more suspects in terror case

BANGKOK (AP) ? Thai police say they are searching for two more suspects in a botched terror plot against Israeli diplomats that has been blamed on Iran.

Bangkok police commissioner Lt. Gen. Winai Thongson says one of the two new suspects may have been providing training in the use of explosives to three Iranian men who were detained in Thailand and Malaysia this week.

Winai said Friday that a 52-year-old man was seen early Tuesday on closed circuit camera footage leaving a house used by the Iranians in Bangkok where explosives detonated accidentally later in the day.

Winai says police are looking for an additional suspect who had rented the destroyed house with an Iranian woman who is now believed to be back in Tehran.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-02-17-AS-Thailand-Terror-Plot/id-d5f870137bf34d4989b9d5223c6a5850

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Biology Jobs: Marine Biology Conference 2005

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Their discovery and breakthroughs enhances man's knowledge and appreciation of biology. One factor that contributes to the marine biology institute a number of parents choosing to homeschool their children are rising. Besides being a very economical option, it allows you the marine biology conference 2005 a Biology guide with you for your research or hobby.

Source: http://blackandgoldpatrol.blogspot.com/2012/02/marine-biology-conference-2005.html

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Fergie?s Shocking Orange Grammy Dress: Caption This Photo

If you watched the Grammy red carpet there is no way you could have missed the disastrous orange see through dress wore by Fergie. It was something to see which is why the singer and her dress have been chosen for this week?s Right Celebrity Caption This photo contest, perfect choice I think. I have so much to say about Fergie?s chose of dresses for the 2012 Grammy Awards, which I am so going to share with you in just a second. First though I want to give you all the deats on our Caption This photo contest. I am sure most of you know the drill already but just in case we have some newcomers out there here is the deal. Take a glance at the above pic of the Black Eyed Peas beauty in her outfit of choice for music?s big night and caption it by leaving your witty remarks in the below comments section. Then next Tuesday when a new hot topic and photo are posted check back here to see if your name is in print as the big winner. It is fun, easy and lets be real who doesn?t have something to say about the [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/Qi4PnVj5j-Q/

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Chris Brown to Haters: F--k Off!

Come on, Chris Brown.

The singer has, for reasons unknown, fired back at those who took aim at Grammy Awards producers for inviting him to perform at music’s big night on Sunday.

Brown did nothing at all controversial during the show, and has been a model citizen of late. It's understandably frustrating that people won't let him move on.

Outbursts like this make it impossible to, however, because they fuel the perception that he's a temperamental hothead who shows no remorse or respect:

The R&B star performed twice and picked up a Best R&B Album prize, but many industry executives, fans and celebs felt he shouldn’t have been there at all.

The Grammy Awards were, of course the scene of his infamous attack on ex-girlfriend Rihanna, which landed him in court on assault charges three years ago.

Tuesday, he Tweeted: “Hate all u want becuz I got a Grammy now! That’s the ultimate f--k off! Watch my back as I walk away from all this negativity.”

Those remarks have since been deleted, but the negativity he seeks to walk away from has only been fostered by his own inability to calm the hell down.

Seriously. Just take a deep breath, pull yourself together and put the iPhone down. Think it through. Maybe then you'll deserve to be called a role model.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/02/chris-brown-to-haters-f-k-off/

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8 ways to use BBB Standards of Trust to build business ...

February 14, 2012 ? 4:01 pm

BBB Standards of Trust represent sound advertising, selling and customer service practices that will help you enhance customer trust and confidence in your business. Your BBB Business Review is a valuable tool potential customers can use to verify the trustworthiness of your business. However, it may not be the first impression they receive.

By following BBB?s eight Standards of Trust, you can communicate to your customers your commitment to honesty and transparency and help build your business.

1. Build Trust
Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace. Make sure you fulfill all licensing and bonding requirements in all cities, counties and states where you do business. Continue to promote voluntary self-regulation in your industry.

2. Advertise Honesty
Before you create any advertising, be prepared to substantiate any claims, such as sales pricing, guarantees or customer testimonials. Be truthful in all advertising efforts and include the BBB Seal to enhance the trustworthiness of your brand.

3. Tell the Truth
Make sure all terms and conditions of your product and service offerings are clear and conspicuous.

4. Be Transparent
Include all physical addresses, email addresses, phone and fax numbers in your communications, both offline and online. Clearly disclosing all policies, guarantees and procedures help your potential customers make an informed buying decision. Include written confirmations, contracts and receipts for all transactions, no matter how small. Encourage your customers to review and confirm their transactions before sales are complete.

5. Honor Promises
Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations and honor them by correcting mistakes as quickly as possible.

6. Be Responsive
Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally and in good faith. Promptly responding to questions and concerns will help promote open communication and build a positive image for your business.

7. Safeguard Privacy
If collecting payment, personal history or other sensitive information, it must be transmitted securely. Research the different secure socket layer certificates available to determine which one best fits your online business needs. Honor customer preferences regarding contact by telephone, fax and email.

8. Embody Integrity
Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity. Keep a positive public image and be proud of who you are and what you do.

For a list of BBB Standards of Trust, visit?www.bbb.org/us/bbb-accreditation-standards.

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Source: http://snakeriverbbb.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/8-ways-to-use-bbb-standards-of-trust-to-build-business/

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How important is business ethics and social responsibility to a ...

Question by Jozeph : How important is business ethics and social responsibility to a
How important is business ethics and social responsibility to acompanies success?Do you think Walmart responsibilty given it acts as the largest sizeretailer in the world?What actions can companies take to demons trate local good business ethics? Best answer:
Answer by

Shizam
Walmart is successful in the sense that it is able to capitalize on our need to get the bigger better deal. Walmart?s advertising Focuses entirely on the deal you?re getting, but the trick is that only Certain things are sold below that of other retailers, and everything else in the store is of the same price as another retailer (for example, target or Zellers) . But, the store is a superstore, Which gives the buyer the impression that all the deals can be found there, that it is ?one stop shopping? which appeals to people because people are often overworked and do not want to spend time on shopping . It?s a clever idea, really.And because people fall for this, other smaller retailers lose out and often go into bankruptcy. Market so, in my opinion, Walmart is a big blue beast, a huge corporation that is eating up the opportunities of smaller businesses in the laboratory.Additionally, I rarely shop at the big blue beast. If I do shop there, I have a specific list in mind, so I only buy what actually is a good bargain.

know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Source: http://www.lovefinanceinfo.com/2012/02/how-important-is-business-ethics-and-social-responsibility-to-a/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-important-is-business-ethics-and-social-responsibility-to-a

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Late payments on mortgages rise again in 4th qtr (AP)

NEW YORK ? Late payments on mortgages ticked up in the last three months of 2011, the second straight quarter-to-quarter increase after nearly two years of steady decline.

Credit reporting agency TransUnion said 6.01 percent of mortgage holders were behind on their payments by 60 days or more in the October-to-December period. That compared with 5.88 percent for the third quarter of 2011.

To be sure, the rate is down significantly from the fourth quarter of 2010, when 6.41 percent of mortgage holders were behind by two or more months. But the uptick is still unwelcome news.

"We were hoping for better, because delinquencies remain very high," said Tim Martin, group vice president of U.S. Housing in TransUnion's financial services business unit. Prior to the housing bust, the mortgage delinquency rate typically hovered around 2 percent.

What's more, while the national rate fell from the prior year, 18 states showed delinquency increases from the 2010 period. Leading the increases was a big jump in New Jersey, where the rate went to 8.32 percent from 7.43 percent.

While the national rate is still far above normal, however, Martin said the increase in the fourth quarter may in part reflect a return to seasonal patterns that disappeared during the economic downturn. Historically, delinquencies rose in the fourth quarter as some homeowners directed their funds elsewhere.

"We were certainly off pattern for the last couple of years," Martin said.

He added that while the increase was not good news, the year-over-year decline is encouraging, and points to a continued, if slow, recovery in the housing market.

Of note were sharp declines in delinquency in Arizona, where the rate plunged to 7.5 percent from 9.7 percent a year ago, and California, to 7.14 percent from 9.14 percent in the 2010 fourth quarter.

These two states are among the four hardest hit by the housing and foreclosure crisis.

Nevada, where the housing market has also been hit hard, saw delinquencies decline sharply as well, to 12.08 percent from 14.76. Florida, which remains the state with the highest delinquency rate, saw a far smaller decline, to 14.27 percent from 14.5 percent.

Martin said the statistics were not unexpected, in part because of the apparent return to seasonal swings in delinquency. He also noted that housing prices continued to decline during the quarter, a key factor for homeowners who are struggling to keep up with their payments.

Indeed, prices dropped in November from October in 19 of the 20 cities tracked by the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home-price index. Only Phoenix showed an increase for the month. And with a large number of vacant homes sitting idle on the market, prices are not expected to rise for several years.

TransUnion expects the rate of late mortgage payments to tick up again in the current quarter, and then resume their decline.

The news last week of a deal with the nation's five largest mortgage lenders will likely result in many suspended foreclosures being cleared off the books. And roughly 1 million homeowners are expected to see the size of their mortgage reduced through that deal with 49 state attorneys general, which should help reduce delinquency as well.

But until home prices stabilize and unemployment rebounds, Martin said many homeowners will continue to struggle with their payments. "Delinquencies won't get better until that other stuff works its way through the pipeline," and the economy also improves, he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120214/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgages_late_payments

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China tells banks to roll over local government loans: FT (Reuters)

SYDNEY (Reuters) ? China has instructed its banks to embark on a huge roll-over of loans to local governments, the Financial Times reported, aiming to give itself more time to deal with a debt hangover from the global financial crisis.

China encouraged banks to lend to local governments for new projects during the financial crisis to buoy the economy, but its provinces and cities now face $1.7 trillion in debts. More than half those loans were scheduled to come due over the next three years, the newspaper said.

Banks had started extending maturities for local governments to avoid a wave of defaults, the paper said, citing bankers and analysts familiar with the matter. One person briefed on the plan said in some cases the maturities would be extended by as much as four years, it said.

Not all local government loans would be rolled over, the paper said, citing a person with knowledge of the plan.

Banks would determine if there was real demand for the investment. Continued funding for the construction of highways would be approved but massive city squares might be cut off.

Banks would also consider whether investments were consistent with the government's five-year plan for industrial upgrading and cleaner growth.

(Reporting by Richard Pullin, Editing by Dean Yates)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120212/bs_nm/us_china_debt

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kent - All About Auto Car Insurance | Bbeapa.Com

[unable to retrieve full-text content]An auto insurance insurance policy is an arrangement between individuals and the insurer for cars. The person who is insured pays a particular premium as insurance and the insurance company, and in return he recieves ...

Source: http://motdigu.livejournal.com/24057.html

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Maine gets high marks for low car insurance rates ? Business ...

GARDINER, Maine ? A new report says Maine had the sixth lowest automobile insurance premiums in the nation in 2009, the latest year for which national figures are available.

Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa said Maine moved up from the No. 7 spot from the previous year in the annual report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The report tracks average costs associated with personal automobile insurance nationwide. It says Maine?s average yearly auto insurance premium in 2009 was $682, the lowest figure in New England.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/11/business/maine-gets-high-marks-for-low-car-insurance-rates/

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