‘Walking Dead’ Producers Preview Season Three

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

‘You haven’t seen anything yet,’ Robert Kirkman tells MTV News about show’s future.
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Kara Warner


Andrew Lincoln in “The Walking Dead”
Photo: AMC

“We’re all infected,” former cop Rick Grimes told his fellow group of survivors in the “Walking Dead” season finale — and boy, is that an understatement.

In an action-packed episode that killed off multiple characters in brutal fashion, left the divisive farm completely in ruins, introduced a fan-favorite sword-wielding wanderer and teased the promise of a prison to come, it’s safe to say that the “Walking Dead” season two finale left fans feverish for more.

The AMC zombie series, which returns for its third season in October, answered long-term mythological questions (The content of the CDC’s Dr. Jenner’s whisper? No longer a secret!) and pushed the characters into new places, both physically and emotionally. Perhaps most importantly for fans of the comic books, “The Walking Dead” has left the farm behind, with the prison very much in the near future.

Between that change of scenery and the introduction of iconic character Michonne (with chained zombies in tow no less), season three is shaping up to be the best of the lot — a notion that executive producers Glen Mazzara and Robert Kirkman certainly agree with, of course.

“When I think of ‘The Walking Dead’ book, I think about the prison. I think about the Governor. I think about Rick. I think about Michonne. That, to me, is the heart of that story,” Mazzara told MTV News about the future of the survival horror series. “That’s what I’m excited about writing and seeing come to life. I think that this has been a great chapter one. But now we’re moving into our best material. I’m really excited to see what the actors, the writers and the directors can do with that material.”

Kirkman, who created the comic books upon which the TV show is based, is equally excited, if not more so, to revisit “the best material” of the original “Walking Dead” story.

“When the camera rises over the trees and the prison comes into view, I did get a little choked up,” Kirkman confessed. “It’s a really cool, very bold promise to the audience. To show that and to say, just wait until you see what we’re going to do with season three. I’m intimately involved with this show. So knowing what we’ve already discussed and knowing the different things that we want to do, I can say that we are at the very beginning of this show. We haven’t quite gotten to a lot of the big things we’ve been building to just yet. If you’re a big fan of ‘The Walking Dead’ and you enjoyed season one and season two, then you haven’t seen anything yet.”

“We’re just getting started,” Mazzara agreed. After the season two finale, we’re inclined to agree.

What did you think of the “Walking Dead” season finale? Are you looking forward to what comes next in season three? Tell us what you think in the comments section!

Related Photos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1681293/walking-dead-season-3.jhtml

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Iraq’s Sadr stages Shi’ite show of force before summit

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

BASRA (Reuters) – Up to a million followers of Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr took to the streets on Monday in a massive show of force before an Arab League summit which Iraq‘s long-oppressed Shi’ite majority view as their debut on the regional stage.

The protest in the southern city of Basra marked the anniversary of the start of the U.S. invasion in 2003. Slogans were mainly directed at the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for failing to improve the lives of Iraq’s poor.

But the main context appears to be the March 27-29 Arab League summit, the first in Iraq in more than 20 years and the first ever hosted by a mainstream Shi’ite Arab ruler.

Basra police estimated the size of the crowd at between 700,000 and 1 million. A Reuters correspondent on the scene said it was clear at least several hundred thousand were there.

Sadr’s followers frequently hold demonstrations denouncing Sunni rulers of other Arab states, especially Bahrain and its ally Saudi Arabia, for cracking down on Shi’ite protesters last year. The last demonstration on March 9 saw Saudi flags burned.

Monday’s demonstration, by contrast, seemed to show a deliberate effort to avoid antagonizing Arab neighbors by channeling protesters’ anger into domestic grievances.

There is no shortage of such outrage in a country where oil wealth has yet to alleviate dire poverty. Nine years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein – a Sunni who oppressed Shi’ites – most Iraqis have electricity only a few hours a day.

Men and women travelled from across Iraq to protest bearing Iraqi flags and portraits of Sadr. They carried black caskets labeled “Electricity”, “Education” and “Democracy”.

“We came to call for the removal of injustice against Iraqis … There are no jobs. We are living in bad conditions without services,” said Latiaf Kadhim, who came hundreds of miles from Kerbala to participate in the demonstration in Basra.

Muttashar Saeed, who had travelled from Baghdad‘s Sadr City neighborhood, said: “Lawmakers are looking out for themselves while the state ignores the poor. We want the attention of officials who are busy with their own affairs in their comfortable chairs and armored vehicles.”

SECURITY TIGHT IN BAGHDAD

Although the rhetoric has an internal target, such a massive show of Shi’ite power highlights the awkwardness for some Sunni Arab neighbors in embracing Baghdad, which after Saddam’s fall became the Arab world’s only mainstream Shi’ite-led state.

All the leaders at next week’s summit will be Sunni Muslims except Maliki. Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, a member of the small Alawite minority sect, is not invited because the Arab League suspended the membership of Damascus.

Sadr, who led uprisings against the U.S. presence before American troops withdrew last year but is now a key member of Maliki’s ruling coalition, has banned protests during the summit to show “hospitality” to the guests.

Holding Monday’s protest in Basra rather than Baghdad helps Maliki’s assertion that the capital is safe for the summit.

Authorities in Baghdad took no chances on Monday, imposing a security operation with checkpoints conducting thorough searches that snarled morning rush-hour traffic for hours.

Most of the world’s Muslims are Sunnis, but Shi’ites are the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and in pockets throughout the Middle East, including parts of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

The Middle East’s Sunni-Shi’a divide, which led to sectarian civil war that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis in 2006-07, has intensified in other parts of the region, notably Bahrain, where a Sunni royal family rules a Shi’ite majority, and Syria.

Iraq has been more reluctant than other Arab states to support the mainly Sunni opposition groups fighting Syria’s Assad, and has been one of the few Arab states to criticize the crackdown on Shi’ite protests in Bahrain.

(Writing by Suadad al-Salhy and Peter Graff in Baghdad; editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqs-sadr-stages-shiite-show-force-summit-113604857.html

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Understand advancements in pen stun gun technologies

Posted on March 19, 2012 by











Of all self defense tools that have been created over the past decade, pen stun guns have gained the widest popularity. Not only is a pen stun gun handy and small, but it is also highly functional and effective, making it the number one consumer choice around the world.

Pen stun guns have always been the favorites of people seeking ultimate protection in their daily lives. This is due to their ability to provide exceptional self defense while being highly concealable and mistaken for small flashlights.

But that’s not all. Advancements in self defense technologies have enabled pen stun guns to now come with a safety switch. This means that the safety switch button must be turned on before using the device, and then the trigger should be pressed down in order to operate the pen stun gun. Therefore, this is an added safety measure that will ensure that the pen stun gun is only used against the assaulter, and not against the victim.

On another note, pen stun guns are now available in the smallest varieties possible, and are offered in the most lightweight designs. This ensures that your pen stun gun is highly concealable, and able to fool anyone into thinking that you are carrying a small flashlight. This will offer you the optimal protection possible should you need it.

Moreover, in the past, pen stun guns were not powerful and effective enough to be deemed as proper self defense tools. Fortunately, the past few years have brought about major advancements in pen stun gun technologies, empowering the devices to ensure that they emit more than 800,000 volts.

Furthermore, the pen stun guns offered nowadays are even smaller than the older versions, making them absolutely lightweight and concealable. This makes it even harder to believe that they emit such high electric currents at their rather tiny size. As a matter of fact, they are so small and lightweight that they can be taken with you while jogging, walking you dog, going to the gym, and going out with your friends in the evenings.

Moreover, some pen stun guns are capable of emitting more than 1,200,000 volts, and come with a built-in flashlight to make them multifunctional. Some of them are also offered with rechargeable batteries, making them highly cost-efficient. Surprisingly enough, advancements in self defense technologies have enabled pen stun guns to be used without the need for batteries. They simply need to be electrically recharged whenever needed. Moreover, since they come with a built-in flashlight, they can also function as a flashlight to assist you in finding your way around dim streets, finding a keyhole at your doorstep or car, and so on.

The strongest pen stun guns available are so powerful that they emit around 1.5 million volts. Therefore, test firing such stun guns is enough to scare away potential attackers. And if this is not the case, then the extremely powerful jolt coming from those stun guns should be enough to destabilize the attackers. Protect yourself well today!

So having said all these, it should come as no surprise that the pen stun gun is considered one of the best selling self defense products around the world!

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Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3082894

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Cxion Seeks to Make New Connections in (and for) the Online Gaming

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

16th March 2012 ????? 0 Comments

International Social Network Gaming Company Ready to Play for Higher Stakes

A duo of U.S. and Spanish entrepreneurs is bringing a uniquely global spin to the world of social network-based gaming.

Under the leadership of President Michael Smith and CEO Carlos Tercero, Cxion has already made its realtime multi-player game Connexion, a fixture on Tuenti, a major social network platform popular throughout Spain and other European countries. The company?s origins date back to 2009, when Smith ?met? his Spanish business partner while paying an online game. ?They decided to create a better game spanning multiple social network platforms, bringing players from both Tuenti and Facebook together not only through game play but also through real-time interactive chat,? explains CTO Sean Denton.

Cxion currently seeks a $1 million round of investment funding. ?This will allow us to create a second game,? says Denton. ?Your first game gets you in the door, but you also need? leverage to dig dip into the marketplace, grab the markets, collect knowledge and build your user base. Once you have all that in place, you can use cross-promotion between two games to launch the second game.?

Denton adds that while Cxion currently has a passive presence on Facebook, the company would like to promote itself actively on that platform as it has done on Tuenti. ?We need a large marketing investment to get onto Facebook, though the cross-platform nature of the game helps. When users enter the game through Facebook they?re interacting with players from the Twenty network as well.?

?We?re passionate about our projects, which are created for gamers by gamers, says Denton. ?We have an experienced team in place, and a product that?s already running on Tuenti and tested on Facebook. We?re on track to make money!?

In the photo, Michael Smith, and Sean Denton (right)

Source: http://texasenetworks.com/2012/03/16/cxion-seeks-to-make-new-connections-in-and-for-the-online-gaming-community/

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An Alternative Future Healthcare Solution From Fidel | Online …

Posted on March 18, 2012 by

Some years ago during ? time ?f personal stress, I decided t? tak? ? thre? month sabbatical to Cuba (three months ?s th? maximum allowed with ? normal visa). When I arrived, I w?? searched th?roughl? b? customs ?nd relieved of ??veral boxes ?f shop bought painkillers n?rmally reserved f?r hangovers. Brand n?w to th? country ?nd aware that to ?ause a fuss of ?n? kind would ?e? m? on th? n?xt plane home at best, I decided to smile and move on t? the good life that I hoped awaited me.

As ?ver?on? kn?ws Fidel Castro?s revolution left th? country isolated from ?ts form?r best friend, The United States ?f America, t? b? welcomed by th? USSR.

With time ?nd th? slow demise of th??r communist allies, Cuba found them?elv?s ?n short supply of ev?rything ?x???t tobacco ?nd sugar beet.

The medical services of Cuba wer? of course n? exception t? th? country?s plight. Something had to b? done ?nd quickly. The wh?le system h?d to b? revamped ? ?n alternative health care wa? needed.

Nursing care was, however, n?t a problem. Any young woman without employment was virtually press-ganged ?nt? th? nursing profession. There wer? mor? nurses th?n patients in th? land th?t boasts full employment. Doctors too were abundant; hundreds ?f competent medical professionals bolstered the service.

The massive problem w?s that sanctions imposed b? th? USA after the successful communist revolution stopped imports of drugs t? the island state. None ?f th? companies fr?m virtually an?wh?re ?n America ?r Europe did business with Cuba.

The country decided t? take a n?w approach t? th? rest ?f the world. Firstly it wa? decided that if the people didn?t get ill, the? wouldn?t need the drugs to make th?m better. Physical fitness be?am? alm??t obligatory, no matter what th? age ?f the citizen. Early diagnosis was promoted ? th? sooner th?t ??u knew about ? problem, then th? smaller th?t problem ?nd therefore, the easier ?t would b? to cure.

Old remedies for illness wer? resurrected; herbs ?nd homeopathic treatments w?re us?d to great effect. Specialists from Asia wer? drafted ?n to teach th? art ?f acupuncture (still looked upon ?s on? of the black arts ?t th?t time in th? USA ?nd Europe). Soon major surgery w?? being performed with?ut the products ?f ? single drug company b??ng involved. Many simpler drugs w?r? copied ?nd manufactured, but alternative health care was the main thrust f?r Cuba.

Recently, as time h?s healed man? of th? wounds ?f th? past, groups of medical professionals fr?m ar?und th? world hav? be?n invited ?nto Cuba ?nd hav? b?en ?bl? t? learn ? diff?r?nt method of patient treatment. It is n?t ?lway? n??es?ary t? use expensive drugs to facilitate ? medical solution; ?ther methods c?n b? employed t? achieve the same, ?r a bett?r result.

Source: http://caldg.org/an-alternative-future-healthcare-solution-from-fidel.html

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BPW Career Center: Real Estate/Property Management jobs, Fort …

Posted on March 17, 2012 by





Leasing Consultant POSTED: Mar 16
Salary: Open Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Employer: Large National Management Company Type: Full Time – Experienced
Category: Real Estate/Property Management ? ?




About Large National Management Company

Large national management company.

View all our jobs




Experienced Leasing Consultant needed for apartment community in Fort Worth.? Must have tax credit experience.? Bilingual in Spanish preferred.? Competitive pay and benefits.




Qualified applicants must have apartment leasing experience and a history of being a strong closer. Tax credit experience required. Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.



Large National Management Company

Fort Worth TX

“); febox .html(”) .addClass(‘featured-employer-box’) .appendTo($(‘body’)) .css({ “height”:fWin.height() – 50, “width”:980 }) .overlay({ top: 20, closeOnClick:true, load: false }); feframe = $(‘#featured-employer-frame’); }); $(‘body’).delegate(‘.fe-popup’,'click’,function(e) { var el = $(this); feframe.contents().find(‘body’).html(“”); feframe.attr(‘src’,el.data(‘url’)); febox.overlay().load(); }); })(jQuery);

Source: http://careers.bpwusa.org/jobs/4704693/leasing-consultant

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Ways to Ensure a More Satisfying Home Improvement Endeavor

Posted on March 17, 2012 by

It can be tough when you are reading about some marketing strategy, and a lot of the details are left out because of an operating assumption that everybody knows those little details. We remember learning about, lawsuit loan, and it took a while plus gaining first-hand experience before we really felt comfortable with it.

There are certain advertising and marketing methods that so many have the wrong idea about due to people spreading rumors and false information on the net.

What we will talk about in this article assumes a certain level of previous learning. If you like learning and discovering, then you can find a nice home in IM because those two aspects are a natural part of it. That is one reason why people hire mentors or become a part of a marketing group where you can ask those who do have more experience than you.

Repairing home, or doing a easy remodel, might normally take some sort of planning with work correctly. Before you start, you need to understand cursory things like the expense, the time it takes, and you may be certain objectives or goals. You also have to consider selecting the appropriate contractor or worker to help you in the event you cannot work on your. In this particular article, you?ll read some necessary tips and tips you are able to use for your home improvement project.

You need to check into the necessary permits that may be necessary to complete your job. There is no standard permit or price, just make sure to check the needs in your area. There are always those places where a certain sort of architecture is necessary and it is essential to comply accordingly. When you pay a licensed builder with do the labor for you, they might mostly take care of this, but when you do the improvement on your own, it happens to be your job. You don?t wish To start working on your house without getting the required permit, as this can result difficulties for you, and potentially significant fines, later on. If you?re objective is with better the look of the house, you should take an objective look at it within the outside. Even if you are not planning on selling your house, the renovations that you make could undoubtedly improve how it looks from the outside or what is called ?curb appeal?. You would wish To consider improving the appearance of the front yard. It requirements a great deal of function, you need to begin on it early in the week or receive somebody to aid you with what should be completed. Is the entrance with your home or the front porch cluttered or messy? If so, take the time to wash it up. Replacing your front door may be anything you should consider, particularly if it does not look good at all. Regardless of what alternative home improvements you?re going with create, ensure the front of the house looks the greatest.

It is not suggested to do any kind of renovation that will likely not add a amount of value to your house. If you wish To invest in a fresh kitchen, swimming pool or addition because you actually wish it, that?s fine, but think carefully before making such decisions with future home customers in mind. You can not know what kind of improvement will be fulfilling to the next owner of the home. A new swimming pool is an addition that might not gain positive attention with somebody interested in ordering your home. Especially if you have no direct plans for listing your property on the market; have some fun, do what you will with your spot. Using these pre settlement loans methods as outlined in this article will require you to have a solid understanding of the overall process. Obviously there is tremendous variation among small web business owners when it comes to knowledge base about marketing techniques. If you have had your business for just a few months, you may not know all you need to know especially if your time is very limited. Our articles are designed to be an introduction, and of course we cannot go into great detail when presenting multiple methods or ideas in a single article. You will read something, and it make ring true or resonate with you; pay particular attention to those moments as they can lead you to something profitable.

Planning is absolutely imperative, particularly when it comes with house improvement projects that have to be completed right. Getting the job completed is something that is much simpler, especially if you take the time to write out what you want to do for your home improvement project. The above tips on planning for your home improvements may enable you get the greatest possible results.

So now that you have read this, how does it look in your business? There are a finite number of internet marketing methods, but each one has such a variety of applications that things begin to multiply very quickly. We tend to think the majority of small business owners become complacent and especially once they begin earning decent profits. All we can ever do is alert people to dangers and best practices that are designed to actually help protect them. The fabled ?autopilot? internet business based on lawsuit financing or anything else is a myth, number one, and it is also playing with fire for reasons we have just talked about. There is massive competition on the net, and you take that plus the unknowns such as the climate changing or policy changes and that should get your attention.

Source: http://www.urbanteruel.com/2012/03/ways-to-ensure-a-more-satisfying-home-improvement-endeavor/

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Real Estate Charlotte NC News You Can Use! | Charlotte Real …

Posted on March 16, 2012 by

Real Estate Charlotte NC: Design Ideas How to tips: Installing a LED lighting to brighten up your Charlotte?Kitchen.

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Real Estate Charlotte NC News You Can Use!

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Real Estate Charlotte NC News is updated every week with a variety of information that you can use in and around your home. In the Real Estate Charlotte NC News, we share home decorating and home improvement ideas, as well as information on senior living, green living and much more.

Make Real Estate Charlotte NC News your exclusive source for information and ideas related to your home!

Plus, be sure to check out all of the wonderful local Charlotte businesses here on our website! They stand ready to serve you today! Please don?t forget to mention to the merchant that you saw their information here in the Real Estate Charlotte NC News.

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Here are some other real estate related sites that we found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Charlotte Real Estate News.

Tips for Selling Your Charlotte NC Home
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Charlotte Court House Virginia real estate and housing …
Bank of America could get bargain on Countrywide – ABC News

Source: http://charlottehomeinspectionnews.com/charlotte-design-ideas-you-could-use/

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Blog chronicles joy of kids

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

Teachers of the Sint Lambertusschool in Heverlee, Belgium, attach drawings of pupils at the gate of the school, Wednesday March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning in a horrific accident that killed 22 Belgian 12-year-old students returning from a joyous ski vacation as well as the six adults who were accompanying them, police said Wednesday. Children from the school were involved in the bus crash in Switzerland. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Teachers of the Sint Lambertusschool in Heverlee, Belgium, attach drawings of pupils at the gate of the school, Wednesday March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning in a horrific accident that killed 22 Belgian 12-year-old students returning from a joyous ski vacation as well as the six adults who were accompanying them, police said Wednesday. Children from the school were involved in the bus crash in Switzerland. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Belgium’s Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo reacts, as he arrives to meet relatives of victims of a bus crash at the military airport Melsbroek, near Brussels, Wednesday, March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps in a horrific accident that killed 22 school children and six adults returning to Belgium from a joyous ski vacation, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

A relative of a student places his hand on the window of a bus in which other family members will be transported to the airport to fly to Switzerland at the Sint Lambertusschool in Heverlee, Belgium, Wednesday March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning in a horrific accident that killed 22 Belgian 12-year-old students returning from a joyous ski vacation as well as the six adults who were accompanying them, police said Wednesday. Children from the school were involved in the bus crash in Switzerland. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

A relative of a student cries as she waits for a bus to the airport, which will fly relatives to Switzeralnd at the Sint Lambertusschool in Heverlee, Belgium, Wednesday March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning in a horrific accident that killed 22 Belgian 12-year-old students returning from a joyous ski vacation as well as the six adults who were accompanying them, police said Wednesday. Children from the school were involved in the bus crash in Switzerland (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

A woman places flowers at the Sint Lambertusschool in Heverlee, Belgium, Wednesday March 14, 2012. A tour bus slammed into a tunnel wall in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning in a horrific accident that killed 22 Belgian 12-year-old students returning from a joyous ski vacation as well as the six adults who were accompanying them, police said Wednesday. Children from the school were involved in the bus crash in Switzerland(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

HEVERLEE, Belgium ? A torch-light march. Ravioli and meatball dinners. Rides in a funicular railway. A sing-a-long and a dress-up casino evening.

Those were some of the thing that made last week “mega-cool” for 24 sixth graders at the St. Lambertus school in a hotel in Saint-Luc, high in the Swiss Alps.

But the good times turned tragic Tuesday when their bus, which also carried kids from a second Belgian school, crashed inside a Swiss tunnel on its way home. Twenty-two youngsters and six adults died.

The dead included “teacher Frank,” who set up a blog that had kept parents and schoolchildren who stayed home informed about all the fun.

Instead, on Wednesday parents were flown to Switzerland to find out whether their children were still alive. Sixteen were confirmed safe, but the fate of eight St. Lambertus students was unknown.

Nine days earlier, they had left for the holiday of their school lives in the snow-covered Alps of Switzerland, an annual highlight for St. Lambertus kids.

The week began flawlessly.

“This our first blog posting,” wrote Frank Van Kerckhove, the teacher who set up the blog.

“The bus trip was very smooth. There was little traffic. We watched the movie Avatar (and) no one became car sick on the climb” into the Alps, he added.

In the days that followed, the youngsters posted about their vacation with the youthful excitement experienced by almost every 11- or 12-year-old away on a class trip.

“This afternoon we had soup and ravioli, very delicious,” one girl wrote on March 6.

“The blog was incredible. It had so many great pictures,” said Anne De Roo, who had three of her kids at the school. The fate of a daughter of her brother was now uncertain.

“He constantly gave us news about what happened, the sked of the day,” she said of Van Kerckhove. His last words came down to ‘we see you back soon,’” she said.

The kids would blog under his tutelage.

“Today was totally the best. The adventurous walk was tiring, but mega-cool,” one girl wrote. “We won first prize for cleanest room. Tomorrow it’s going to be colder. Byyyeeee!”

On March 10, another boy wrote: “Things are super here in Saint-Luc. The skiing, the weather, the food. It’s not bad at all. Tomorrow I play in the Muppet Show. … I have seen quite a few dogs. I’m now reading the book ‘Why Dogs Have Wet Noses.’ Very interesting! I miss you all.”

Toward week’s end, the postings revealed early signs of homesickness.

“Dear mama and papa. I like it here a lot, but I miss you. Love you. Kisses.” And: “Hey, mama, papa … It is super here and the sun shines the whole day. But I do miss you! XXX.”

The posts came with scores of photos the youngsters made during their trip.

Outside St. Lambertus school in the town of Heverlee, parents spoke highly of Van Kerckhove. Teary-eyed, some recalled his last post, dated March 11 ? the eve of the return trip.

“Tomorrow will be a busy day and I do not know if I can write a blog posting,” Van Kerckhove wrote. “But on Wednesday we’ll be back, all of us.”

School deacon Dirk De Gendt said Van Kerckhove was a much loved and able teacher.

“He’ll be badly missed,” De Gendt said. “The ski trips were an annual tradition.”

On the school gate Wednesday, staff put up drawings made by students to honor the teacher. “I’ll never forget you, Teacher Frank,” one read. “You are the greatest ever!”

_____

Robert Wielaard contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-03-14-EU-Belgium-Bus-Crash-Blog/id-5536d369b02f4355b70cb7748bdb571d

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Jobless rates in some swing states at 3-year lows

Posted on March 15, 2012 by

(Reuters) – Ahead of a presidential election widely considered a referendum on President Barack Obama‘s job creation efforts, all but two states reported improving jobless rates in January from a year ago, with some swing states hitting the lowest rates in three years.

The Labor Department also said on Tuesday that 45 out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia had drops in their jobless rates in January from December.

The improvements encompassed all swing states where neither President Barack Obama nor his future Republican opponent have a clear overwhelming majority.

Because of the unique U.S. electoral system where states cast votes for President, the employment situations of some areas could influence the presidential election more than others. Ten states in particular are considered toss-ups representing 130 electoral votes. A candidate must collect 270 electoral votes to win.

Coming into office at the height of the financial crisis, Obama quickly bailed out banks and automobile companies and enacted a package of spending and tax measures intended to create thousands of jobs.

Only recently has the national unemployment rate edged down, however, reaching a three-year low of 8.3 percent in February and January. In January, 35 states fell to that rate or lower.

Of the 10 swing states, only three had rates higher than the national one. The rate in Nevada was 12.7 percent. In North Carolina it was 10.2 percent and in Florida 9.6 percent.

The fight over job creation could be particularly tough in Nevada, which flourished during the housing boom, leaving it vulnerable to the real estate collapse. The recession also kept many Americans away from entertainment cities Las Vegas and Reno. Nevada has had the highest unemployment rate in the nation for at least a year and a half.

Still, its January rate was the lowest since September 2008 and well below the state’s record high of 14 percent reached in October 2010, nearly two years after Obama won the election.

Over the three years Obama has been in office, North Carolina and Florida also hit record high jobless rates, both reaching 11.4 percent two years ago. But in January 2012, North Carolina’s rate was the lowest since April 2009 and Florida’s the lowest since March 2009.

In Colorado, another swing state, the jobless rate climbed to a record 9 percent at the end of 2010. By January, it had fallen to 7.8 percent, the lowest since March 2009.

Swing state Iowa’s rate of 5.4 percent in January was the lowest since December 2008, as was Missouri’s 7.5 percent. New Hampshire’s January rate of 5.2 percent and Virginia’s 5.8 percent were the lowest since January 2009.

Ohio, a swing state that proved crucial to President George W. Bush’s win in 2004, registered its lowest rate since November 2008, 7.7 percent. After Texas and New York, the manufacturing-heavy state also added the most jobs in the month, 32,800.

Even though its unemployment rate fell in January, Florida lost the most jobs of all the states that month, 38,600. Pennsylvania, another swing state, followed, shedding 9,000 jobs.

After the fight over which candidate won Florida in the 2000 presidential election went all the way to the Supreme Court, the country has closely watched the state’s politics.

Its governor, Rick Scott, is a Republican who came to power as part of a wave of conservative anger that pushed Democrats out of office across the nation in 2010, but the state’s 29 electoral votes, the most of any swing state’s, are still considered up for grabs in 2012.

Four years ago, the story of how politics and economics connect was centered in one state: Michigan.

Throughout the 2008 primaries and general election, it had the highest jobless rate in the nation, as massive financial struggles at the three leading U.S. automobile companies took a heavy toll on factory jobs.

For the last year, the state has experienced a radical turnaround. According to its labor department, its January jobless rate of 8.9 percent was the lowest since September 2008 and marked the fourth straight month of an unemployment rate under 10 percent. The state gained 16,000 jobs in January.

“With the rate decline in January, Michigan’s unemployment rate has fallen by around five full percentage points since the end of the national recession in mid-2009,” said Rick Waclawek, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives.

The state and its 16 electoral votes are in play in the 2012 election, but currently are counted as leaning toward Obama.

In January, North Dakota again had the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent. Texas gained the most jobs, 67,200.

Among the 50 states, only New York’s unemployment rate rose in January, to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in January 2011, while the rate in Illinois was the same as last year, 9.4 percent.

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jobless-rates-swing-states-3-lows-014718685.html

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