Sandusky could keep $59,000 pension despite conviction

By Vignesh Ramachandran

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse, could still profit from his public pension.

Sandusky stands to collect $58,898 each year, according to PennLive.com, because the crimes he committed are not included on the list of 22 that would force him to give up his benefits.

Pennsylvania's public officials or retirees are required to forfeit their pensions under the State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) if they commit "certain crimes that breach the member's duty of faithful and honest public service." The list does not include sex crimes.

---

"I think it is nauseating that a convicted pedophile like Sandusky will be collecting a pension while sitting behind bars," Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle said in a statement. "He certainly doesn't deserve to continue to enjoy the benefit of a taxpayer-funded pension."

Upon his death, Sandusky's wife, Dottie, would be able to get half of the annual payout, PennLive.com reported.

Nicholas Maiale, chairman of the SERS board, told PennLive.com that he will get a legal review of the board's options in this case.?"I am a Penn Stater and I am a citizen of Pennsylvania, and we are all morally outraged about this case and what happened to those kids,? he said, though he is not optimistic?about a forfeiture.

Retired Penn State Vice President Gary Schultz, meanwhile, could lose his pension after being accused of perjury, PennLive.com reported.

Rep. Boyle introduced a bill in 2011, before Sandusky was charged, that is now one of six bills that could broaden the list of crimes that require public workers to give up their pensions, PennLive.com reported.

Sandusky?s sentencing is expected in about three months.

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Recommend an affiliate or Internet marketing training program ...

I received an interesting letter via a colleague on Facebook:Hi Dave! I?ve been following you for a couple years and I?ve always been interested in online business but until now haven?t been ready to make the commitment. Now that I have the time and resources I wanted to ask your advice for either a course or training I can sign up to learn starting up an online business. I think I would be most interested in learning affiliate or product creation. Can you make a recommendation on where I should go?This is a bit of a tricky question because I have a number of friends and colleagues in this space, some of whom have packages and training courses that they sell. Still, to me the question is always about the ?replicability? of their offering, and it?s why I stopped hawking my own ?make money blogging? courses at conferences too: if you can?t duplicate it, it?s not worth buying.Here?s what I decided to say in my response:Nice to hear from you. Not sure how I can help as I think that the majority (to say the least) of what?s out there in terms of internet marketing and online marketing training is a scam and consists of someone who has ?stumbled across a secret formula? that turns out not to be easily duplicated, though they?re happy to sell you their $999, $1999, whatever training course and coaching calls.?One thought, though: join meetup.com and search through it to see what kind of internet and marketing meetings happen in your area. You?ll meet folk and won?t have to pay $$ to do so.Wasn?t sure how that would be received because, well, isn?t this guy asking me to help him attain his dream and here I am shooting down most of the squadron before we even go further on what exactly he wants??Not so! Here?s his response:Wow thanks Dave! What you advise is exactly why I asked you. I don?t want to be swindled and I thought of spending about that much on learning how this online marketing works. Your advice just saved me 2k. Can I just write you a check for half that? Thank you again.I opted not to take his $1000, though it?s tempting, but what I do want to ask all of you faithful readers is: what?s your take on how to learn marketing, internet marketing, affiliate marketing, etc? Are there reputable programs and instructors out there, or is it so polluted with scams and hustles that it?s better to keep your day job? ?(just kidding about that last bit!)

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Video: McDonald's CEO Skinner: The Exit Interview

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Sport Fishing in Hawaii: When to go and What to Expect ...

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Pure radio - Go Electrical Help Celebrate 2012 With New Union ...

With 2012 a bumper year for patriotic events, Go Electrical are stocking a new range of red, white and blue products, including Union Jack branded digital radios from Pure.

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More Details about Pure radio here.

With 2012 a bumper year for patriotic events, Go Electrical are stocking a new range of red, white and blue products, including Union Jack branded digital radios from Pure.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee has already whetted our appetite for all things British, but 2012 still has so much to offer the patriotic Brit. Wimbledon, Euro 2012 and the Olympics are still to come, and what better way to listen to the action than on a Union Jack radio?

The Pure Evoke Mio digital radio has a stylish, smart design, and although it is available in a range of colours, the limited edition Union Jack version is bang on trend. Being from Pure, the radio is fantastic quality. After all, the Evoke series has won the 'Best Portable DAB Radio' award from What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision. A brilliant addition to any picnic, the Evoke Mio runs on batteries or mains power for maximum flexibility. You can even plug your iPod in.

For even more portability, Go Electrical are stocking the Pure ONE Mini Series II. This is a compact radio, again with a bold, Union Jack design. The optional ChargePAK rechargeable battery gives up to 20 hours of listening time and the sound quality is crisp and clear, despite the radio's dinky size.

However, radios are not the only way to celebrate. Go Electrical also have a Union Jack vacuum cleaner in the limited edition Sebo Felix Royale. Its name sounds like something from James Bond and it has the charm, good-looks and power to match.

For those who want to be more subtle about their patriotism, Go Electrical have a large range of red, white and blue products, such as Le Creuset ?Britain Celebrates' gift sets. These feature a trio of red, white and blue mugs or casserole dishes. Given that these don't have a flag on, they are suitable even if you happen to be -- ahem -- French or American.

Go Electrical specialise in quality electrical goods and appliances. They are a company that like to keep up with current trends, and have a wide variety of retro and vintage-style pieces, as well as offering cutting edge technologies as they emerge. Visit the website for the full range of 2012 commemorative items.

Company: Go Electrical Contact Name: John Garnett Street: The Market Place City: Settle State: North Yorkshire Zip Code: BD24 9EF Country: United Kingdom Phone: 0844 249 1001 Email: John.garnett@jwgarnett.co.uk Website: http://www.go-electrical.co.uk/

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Ecuador studying asylum bid by WikiLeaks founder

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) ? Ecuador's foreign minister says lawyers convened by the government are studying the political and legal implications of granting exile to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Minister Ricardo Patino did not indicate when a decision might come. Ecuador's ambassador to Britain returned to Quito over the weekend and discussed the case Monday with Patino and President Rafael Correa.

Assange took refuge in Ecuador's London Embassy last Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning in the alleged sexual assault of two women.

Assange claims he's being persecuted politically.

The site he runs published tens of thousands of leaked, sensitive U.S. documents before his legal troubles began in late 2010. Assange says he fears the United States will seek his extradition from Sweden.

Associated Press

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Film Review: Woody Allen?s ?Rome With Love? (de Roma con Amor)

Film Review: Woody Allen?s ?Rome With Love? (de Roma con Amor)

Woody Allen comes off of the magic of Midnight in Paris to contemplate love, fame and longing in the Eternal City.

The cast is large for a director who favors ensembles, and each role carries a lot of weight on this holiday in Roma.

The cast headlines: Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Pen?lope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig and Ellen Page.

And there is a list of co-stars, including the fabulous tenor Fabio Armiliato steals the show.

The film begins in confusion a traffic jam and a traffic cop who serves as an occasional narrator and finishes with a standing ovation from the audience.

In ?To Rome with Love? Woody Allen returns to acting putting himself in good company, with everyone putting in really good performances.

Woody Allen?s films have always felt autobiographical to me reflecting and exploring of his intellectual questions of and in his personal life.

This film feels especially close as it is really a story of an aging man working to remain relevant. As Jerry, Haley?s father, he wears his years in his face, his fragility, his vulnerability and impatience.

Since he is the filmmaker he gives Jerry shot at relevance after retirement. It involves Giancarlo, a mortician by trade, and virtuoso in the shower at night. In this, Armiliato shows exactly why he is loved in Opera circles for his voice and charisma.

In the beginning we find Hayley, Alison Pill, on the sidewalk, the typical college graduate from the US, new to the Eternal City and lost. Soon she is found, swept by Michelangelos, Flavio Parenti. But the couple are really the directors lead into the lives of the parents.

Hayley?s father is Jerry, Woody Allen, a retired classical music and opera impresario/director, her mother is Phyllis, Judy Davis, a psychiatrist.

In Michelangelo?s family, his father, Giancarlo, Armiliato, a mortician. The relationship brings the families together and sets the stage for one of the film?s 4 separate set pieces.

Early on the film shifts to a caf? and a 50ish architect, John, Baldwin, who excuses himself to search for the apartment where he lived 30 yrs earlier. On his way to his old neighborhood, John meets Jack, Eisenberg, a younger version of himself.

Jack is a career driven student architect in love with Sally, Gerwig, but conflicted; should he stay steady or make a play for Sally?s best friend, Monica, Page, an actress on-the-verge, who has unexpectedly turned up on their doorstep for a hiatus? John, is Jack?s voice of reason.

While Jack?s love life is twisting and turning Milly, Alessandra Mastronardi, the provincial Italian newlywed school teacher gets lost and caught up a moral crises, including a brush her matinee idol, Antonio Albanese. Milly?s virgin husband Antonio, Alessandro Tiberi, gets into a pickle with high-end hooker named Anna, Cruz, who opens him up to ambition, expectation and sexual prowess

One of the film?s most delightful section keys on a office clerk, Leopoldo, played by the ebullient Oscar winning Benigni, a family man of no distinction outside his home that finds himself for no good reason at the center of a media storm that gives him a taste of fame for the sake of fame.

You do not need a map to follow the themes of ?To Rome With Love? because the flow is of the film is virtually seamless and fluid, including the imagined and real. Thoroughly enjoyable, I recommend it.

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Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr. writes and publishes The Red Roadmaster?s Technical Report on the US Major Market Indices, a weekly, highly-regarded financial market letter, read by opinion makers, business leaders and organizations around the world.

Paul A. Ebeling, Jnr has studied the global financial and stock markets since 1984, following a successful business career that included investment banking, and market and business analysis. He is a specialist in equities/commodities, and an accomplished chart reader who advises technicians with regard to Major Indices Resistance/Support Levels.

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US foetus? cancer removed in womb

London: An unborn baby girl in the US was detected with an extremely rare cancerous tumour in the mouth, but doctors successfully removed it in one of the world's first such surgeries in the womb.

Leyna Gonzalez was born healthy five months later, The Sun reported.

She is now nearly two years old, and the only sign of cancer is a tiny scar on her mouth.

Her mother Tammy's pregnancy scan at 17 weeks showed Leyna had an aggressive mouth tumour. It looked like the baby was blowing a bubble, the daily said.

Article continues below

Doctors said it was a rare tumour called an oral teratoma, and that there was little chance Leyna would survive.

Surgeons used a laser to cut the tumour from Leyna's lips after pushing a super-fine needle into Tammy's womb for the hour-long operation at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida.

Details of the case has been published in US medical journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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Bank downgrades could hurt loans, credit cards

FILE -- An April 19, 2012 file photo shows Bank of America's corporate headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. Moody's Investors Service Thursday June 21, 2012 has lowered the credit ratings on some of the world's biggest banks, including Bank of America. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

FILE -- An April 19, 2012 file photo shows Bank of America's corporate headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. Moody's Investors Service Thursday June 21, 2012 has lowered the credit ratings on some of the world's biggest banks, including Bank of America. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

FILE - In a March 15, 2012 file photo a trader works in the Goldman Sachs booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Moody's Investors Service has lowered the credit ratings on some of the world's biggest banks, including Goldman Sachs. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)

FILE - In this May 11, 2012 file photo, people stand in the lobby of JPMorgan Chase headquarters in New York. Moody's Investors Service on Thursday, June 21, 2012 lowered the credit ratings of 15 the world's largest banks late Thursday, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs, saying their long-term prospects for profitability and growth are shrinking. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? When a major bank's credit rating is cut, it deals a psychological blow ? to customers, the public and financial markets.

So Thursday's downgrading of 15 of the world's largest banks is almost sure to cause wide concern. Most deposits are perfectly safe, but the downgrades could hurt people in more subtle ways: Banks may jack up fees and might be reluctant to lend, which could affect mortgages, credit cards and even the job market.

"It is normal that the first thing that people worry about is whether their money is safe," said Jim Nadler, chief operating officer at Kroll Bond Ratings Agency. "But the real costs may be hidden."

Bank deposits up to $250,000 are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

But the downgrades come at a tenuous time for banks. An avalanche of new regulations adopted after the financial crisis has wiped out many of the fees they charged on credit cards and checking accounts. Banks are also barred from making lucrative bets in the stock and bond markets, eliminating billions of dollars in trading income.

So banks are now squeezing income from any place they can. Basic services that were once free now cost money. Checking accounts can cost $8, a bank statement $3, canceling a check $2. The list goes on.

In light of the lower ratings, existing fees might climb further and new ones could appear.

"Banks are going to figure out a way to extract revenue from the customer in any way, shape or form," said Stanley J.G. Crouch, chief investment officer at money manager Aegis Capital.

The top ratings agencies ? Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch ? hold immense sway over how much every company and state or local government pays to borrow money. They assign ratings on a scale that determines the ability of those entities to pay down their debt.

The downgrades could eventually increase the banks' cost of borrowing in financial markets because investors will demand more interest when they lend the banks money. With interest rates hovering near record lows, most analysts say the cost of borrowing won't be affected immediately. However, if the ratings remain at these levels and interest rates rise, banks will pay dearly.

For now, investors aren't worried. The stocks of downgraded banks rose Friday. Bank of America gained 1.5 percent, while JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley each rose 1.3 percent.

The downgrades also suck capital out of banks. That's because all the large banks sell insurance to investors to protect them from losses on bonds in case of a default.

The downgrades will force banks to set aside billions of dollars in additional reserves because the debt they are insuring has suddenly become riskier. Each notch in the ratings scale triggers automatic requirements for additional money a bank must set aside in reserves.

Because of those requirements, the downgrades will funnel money into reserves and reduce the amount of capital that banks have to lend.

Americans will experience it when they go to their banks for home mortgages, car loans and credit cards.

Already those lending markets are extremely tight.

Since the financial crisis and the bursting of the real estate bubble, banks have become very choosy about lending. During the real estate boom, banks gave out mortgages without checking if people held jobs, whether their income was real and without taking any upfront money.

Today, millions of first-time home buyers are finding it hard to qualify for home loans unless they have stellar credit, a steady employment history and at least 20 percent of the home loan in cash. Experts say the downgrades will make it difficult for banks to provide much relief to less-qualified home buyers.

The number of credit cards issued by banks has also dropped dramatically because they won't issue cards to people with poor credit. Credit reporting agency TransUnion estimated that more than 8 million people left the credit card market between 2009 and 2010.

"Banks are a good source of many low-cost loans, like car loans, and I worry that these avenues will get narrower," Nadler said.

Small and medium-size businesses, which typically account for a large portion of hiring in this country, will feel the effects even more. They rely heavily on banks for loans to finance their operations, because they don't have access to financial markets to raise debt in the same way as large, well-known corporations such as McDonald's or Coca-Cola.

Since the financial crisis, smaller businesses have been complaining about difficulty getting bank loans. Now there will be even fewer loans to tap and fewer jobs to add.

Americans who invest in bond funds will feel the effects of the downgrades in their quarterly statements. Many pension funds and large mutual funds have rules that don't allow them to invest in bonds that are rated below a certain level. They will be forced to sell those bonds even if it means a loss.

Ultimately, this takes away all the advantages that banks have over other financial companies, said Andrew Ang, a finance professor at Columbia Business School.

"Banks have less capital to get the best innovations," Ang said. "So if you have a large amount of money, why even go to a bank?"

Associated Press

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'Dredd' Trailer: Five Key Scenes

Karl Urban makes his debut as the helmeted arbiter of justice in the first official trailer for 'Dredd,' in theaters September 21.
By Josh Wigler

A scene from "Dredd"
Photo:

He says he's the law — but do you believe him? Longtime "Judge Dredd" fans (heck, anyone old enough to have seen an R-rated movie in the 1990s) have plenty of reasons to be skeptical about "Dredd," the Pete Travis-directed adaptation of the "2000 AD" comic book, judging purely on how the Sylvester Stallone film of 1995 was handled. By all accounts, "Dredd" is not that film. It takes its inspiration from sources much closer to the original text and has a leading man — Karl Urban — who takes his job very seriously.

So did the "Dredd" trailer do it for you? It did it for us ... mostly. Here are five key elements from the "Dredd" trailer that informed our verdict.

Welcome to Mega City One
Gritty, impossibly huge and absolutely the last place on the planet you would ever want to live: that's Mega City One, and from the opening moments of the trailer, all of those points are clearly established. Hooligans run amok fueled by all kinds of illicit drugs, with one in particular gaining new traction: Slo-Mo, a dangerous product that "makes the brain feel as though time is passing at 1 percent of the normal speed." Why anyone would want to be on such a drug in the middle of Mega City One is beyond us, but it's certain to pave the way for some fantastic action, based on the trailer alone.

Big Ma-Ma's House
A hero is only as worthy as his villain, and in the case of "Dredd," the quality of the nemesis won't be a problem. Lena Headey of "Game of Thrones" fame is the bad guy here as Ma-Ma Madrigal, ruling the roost of a drug empire with enough ruthless efficiency to make Queen Cersei Lannister blush. Her scarred visage and crystal-clear goals — "If we play this right, we can take the whole city," she tells her underlings — make her a force to be reckoned with, and Headey seems to be having a ball in the role.

Judge and Be Judged
We'll get to Urban specifically in a second. In the meantime, look at all of the judges! Dredd explains their role in Mega City One thusly: "800 million people living in the ruin of the old world, and only one thing fighting for order in the chaos: the men and women of the Hall of Justice." Though "Dredd" will center mostly on the titular judge and his new trainee Cassandra Anderson (played by a bleach-blond Olivia Thirlby), it's nice to see some attention paid to the greater gaggle of law enforcers.

Fifty Shades of "Raid"
If you thought the plot of "Dredd" seemed a little familiar after watching the trailer, you're not losing it. There are undeniable similarities between this and "The Raid," the incredible Indonesian martial arts film from Gareth Evans that debuted this past spring. Ma-Ma Madrigal has her drug operation holed up in one massive tower that she has full control over, not unlike "The Raid" drug kingpin Tama. Also not unlike Tama, Madrigal commands all the tenants of her building to seek and destroy Dredd and Anderson. So, yes, the similarities are there, but there are more than enough differences in the setting, genre and characters — not to mention the action-dictating Slo-Mo — that we're more than happy to look the other way. (Besides, we'll take another "Raid" movie however we can get it, even if it's called "Dredd.")

Is He the Law?
That's the big question, isn't it? On paper, Karl Urban is a fantastic choice for Judge Dredd. In motion? That might be another story. His Dredd spits out a few too many one-liners for some folks' tastes — "negotiations are over," "the sentence is death," etc. — but he's got the look, the voice and the attitude down by our estimation. Whether or not that all adds up to a fully formed Dredd remains to be seen, but the trailer leaves us cautiously optimistic, if not fully sold, on Urban's performance.

"Dredd" is set to hit theaters on September 21.

What do you think of the "Dredd" trailer? Tell us in the comments below!

Check out everything we've got on "Dredd."

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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• 'Dredd' Key Scenes

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Organic Ginger-Orange Cocktail Made with Bourbon and Sake ...

? jerry James Stone

I had the pleasure of recently eating and drinking my way through all of California, all while road testing a Chevy Volt. I put some 2,000 miles on the car in just a three week period, visiting everything from sustainable food producers to backyard beekeepers. It was such an amazing and eye-opening trip. One of my many stops included the eco-friendly winery, Medlock Ames.

I'd been there numerous times, it's quite a fun space to drink and mingle. But this time I got to mix drinks instead of just ordering them. The tasting room is a renovated bar and gas station from the early 1900s. When wine tasting shuts down at 5pm, the adjacent bar conveniently opens up. Here you will find fresh garden-inspired cocktails and quite a few locals. It's like a hipster version of Cheers.

? jerry James Stone

The best part, I was even able to plug in my hybrid while we made this very tasty cocktail.

This garden-inspired cocktail uses fresh ginger which they organically grow at the tasting room. This is just one of the many tasty things you will find on site. Jalapenos, lavender, pineapple sage, chocolate mint, various citrus fruits and many, many more make up the landscape. Picture below is winemaker Ames Morrison with his fresh lavender. Be sure to check out their Lavender and Rum cocktail too and also their wine.

? jerry James Stone

But let's get to making the cocktails! Here is what you will need:

• Fresh ginger
• 2 ounces rye bourbon
• 3/4 ounce sake
• 1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
• Dash of simple syrup
• Ginger beer for finishing
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Using a pint glass, add a couple shavings of fresh ginger.

2. Add the sake, and the rye bourbon.

? jerry James Stone

3. Add 1/2 ounce of fresh orange juice.

? jerry James Stone

4. Add the simple syrup, ice and shake well.

5. Serve in a bucket glass and top with ginger beer.

6. Garnish with an orange peel and enjoy!

? jerry James Stone

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Moody's cuts Lloyds TSB Bank rating

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HBT: Baker declines comment on Lowe feud

Dusty Baker and Derek Lowe had a war of words last week that culminated in Lowe saying ?I have zero respect for the guy? and Baker saying ?there was a good chance he was drinking at the ballpark.?

Not surprisingly last night?s rematch series between the Reds and Indians drew a ton of media coverage from reporters looking to delve back into the feud, but both Baker and Lowe took the high road by declining to comment.

And then Baker?s hitters smacked Lowe around for seven runs on 11 hits, causing his ERA to balloon to 4.30 after being 2.15 as recently as May 25. Last week?s back-and-forth all started because Lowe believes Baker instructs pitchers to plunk him, but last night?s game featured no incidents. Well, except for Reds starter Mat Latos accusing the Indians of stealing his signs.

So much drama!

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IDES: Shattered Phase [Timeline]

This is the timeline for my newest roleplay: IDES: Shattered Phase

2180- German astronaughts encounter possible extraterrestrial life on Jupiter after capturing video recordings of the planet's surface. United States and South America engage in Borders War. Italy and Greece sign Vitoria Unification Compact; "Spartan Warrior" program disbanded.

2196- Space exploration is expanded upon as German scientists develop prototype "Jump-Gates" capable of transporting shuttles many lightyears through space in a matter of minutes.

2199- South America becomes United States territory after the Borders War. Russia suffers worst ice storm in history, casualties climbing. Andorra claims Spain after political fallout.

2200- Tensions between China and the United Kingdom escalate; war seems imminent. African arcology improves in major cities, prompting rebellion for improper use of government funds. American biologists discover new virus in rats.

2202- Australian military sent to Kenya to help quell rebellions. Americans succumb to Neurophage, which rapidly burns out brain cells of afflicted individuals. United Kingdom and China resolve issues diplomatically.

2207- Australia pulls out of Kenya. German scientists expand on Jump-Gate technology. Eastern European countries flee west after strange earthquake activity. Japan advances in medical technology. Children in America experience hyper-susceptibility to Neurophage.

2219- Medieval methods used to quell African rebellions, dubbed "African Inquisition." Chinese prime minister assassinated, Chinese government blames United Kingdom. Chinese invade London, casualties in the thousands. European allies respond to Britain's pleas for assistance.

2224- German scientists perfect Jump-Space technology, send astronauts into deep space. Alien life discovered, new planets colonized. America suffers from Neurophage, deaths climbing into the hundred-thousands. South American Resistence initiates assault on afflicted United States. Australia experiences typhoons.

2230- Swedish scientists perfect cure for AIDS virus. Eastern Europe recovers from cataclysmic earthquakes. Europe experiencing tensions amongst neighboring countries. Australia finally able to assist a suffering Britain. Neurophage spreads to southern American colonies and towards Europe. Sentient alien beings welcome human commerce and exploration. Artificial alien species known as "Borgs" assault Xelta Galaxy, human colonies prime targets.

2232- United Kingdom miraculously hold out and impact Chinese military, bombing raids on major Chinese cities cause surrender, Chinese economy impacted. Asian countries refuse to aid China. Human colony "Phalanx" withstand Borg attack. African rebellions ended. American astronuts assist in colonization

2237- Tensions between China and other Asian countries intensify. Japan unites with Eastern Asian countries. South American rebels crushed by final assault from a Marine Corps. tactical front. Neurophage continues to ravage. Earth colonists encounter hostile species, extraterrestrial war looms.

2245- China and Russia ally, along with Eastern European countries. Western Europe develops strong bonds with newly established "Grand America" and the UK.

2250- Africa develops bonds with Middle East. Global relations depend on faction-based alliances. Grand America offers Eastern Europe a place in their alliance with the rest of Europe, declined. Russia sets sights on Grand America. British government launches space colonization expedition.

2260- Russia attempts alliance with Grand America, refused because of ties to Communist China. China and Russia join Eastern Asia Union after invitation from Japan.

2263- Africa and Middle East sever trade with West World Covenant, causing turmoil amongst Grand America and African-Asian Alliance.

2271- Eastern Asia Union send delegates to establish alliance with Africa-Asian Alliance, delegates slaughtered, Eastern Asian Union retaliates. West World Covenant inducts Australia. Eastern Asian Union decimate trading ships from Europe to Grand America, sparking conflict. African-Asian Alliance incite campaign of world and galactic domination. Colonists on human colony "Praetoria" suffer casualties. Military forces evacuate planet. Earth alliances cause complications for colonization.

2272- African-Asian Alliance colonists assault colonies occupied by other alliances, galactic civil war erupts. Affected alien species feel drawbacks, ready to take up arms against hostile humans. Borgs enter Caduceus Sphere, attacking unwary human colonies. Friendly alien species assist.

2278- World War III finally erupts.

2283- Humans take to the stars to better obtain war resources as well as set up galactic military strength, assaulting rival colonists. Civilian spacecrafts developed.

2284- Space privateering becomes popular source of income for many. Humans recruit alien species for their galactic exploits. Treasure heard of in the Serpentine Galaxy. Gunslingers Union formed as counter-measure to galactic crime. Humans bring Neurophage into space.

2288- Earth taking a toll from war, bombs decimate landforms and slaughter thousands. Borgs pushed back from human colonies. Mercenary work popular amongst military-trained colonists. Aliens species encounter new life form on planet Vegos.

2293- Aliens afflicted with a sentient virus known as "The Herras Virus," which transforms victims into bloodthirsty beast-like beings, replacing limbs with tentacle-like appendages capable of tearing flesh. Colonists fight for dominance.

2295- Neurophage spreads to Borg.

2296- Earth military forces continue to destroy each other. Earth's life forms dying out. Neurophage mutates, afflicted experience hightened brain activity. Arctic wildlife become extinct from global heat wave.

2297- African-Asian Alliance colonists attacked by Threshians, AAA-Threshian War commenced. Herras Virus spreads to planet "Igo," victims attack unwary civilians. Military retalliation too late. Planet goes dark. Earth's water begins to dissipate.

2299- Civilians begin evacuate Earth daily, fleeing to open-armed colonies. Gunslingers Union establish galactic Bounty Board for Union members. Mercenaries assault Thresians on AAA colony "New Egypt." Intergalactic currency established, called "Tears."

2302- Western World Covenant completes construction of secret Galactic Flag Ship "Behemoth." Borgs advance on human colonies. Neurophage-persons experience minor telekinetic abilities.

2307- Earth becomes completely inhospitable. World leaders evacuated. Military strength of the alliances dwindle, leaving few forces to defend the dying planet. Thresians defeat AAA colonists and ally with WWC who wish for peaceful settlement of galactic colonies. EAU colonists discover derelect prison ship, GES Ouroboros drifting in deep space.

2308- Forces in the dark begin to stir....

2310- Earth is now a deadzone for all remaining individuals. Nuclear warheads removed from Earth. WWC establishes embassy on Threshian home planet "Vagan'na."

2311- Earth is completely void of life. All surviving humans become colonists, alien species prove either accepting or hostile. The Neurophage has mutated extensively, earning the new name "Telephage." Gunslingers Union becomes large industry. Pirating and treasure hunting increase. WWC and EAU skirmish on the colony "Ascention." Threshians encounter new life form underground.........The shadows conspire, and the cosmos hide the inner workings behind a veil of stars.

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The weight of nations: An estimation of adult human biomass

ScienceDaily (June 18, 2012) ? The world population is over seven billion and all of these people need feeding. However, the energy requirement of a species depends not only on numbers but on its average mass. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Public Health has estimated the total mass of the human population, defined its distribution by region, and the proportion of this biomass due to the overweight and obesity.

Up to half of all food eaten is burned up in physical activity. Increasing mass means higher energy requirements, because it takes more energy to move a heavy body. Even at rest a bigger body burns more energy.

Using data from the United Nations and World Health Organization, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated that the adult human population weights in at 287 million tonnes. 15 millions of which is due to the overweight and 3.5 million due to obesity.

While the average body mass globally was 62kg, North America, which has the highest body mass of any continent, with an average body mass of 80.7kg. North America has only 6% of the world's population but 34% of the world's biomass mass due to obesity. In contrast Asia has 61% of the world's population but only 13% of the world's biomass due to obesity.

If all countries had the same average BMI as the USA the total human biomass would increase by 58 million tonnes -- this is the equivalent of an additional 935 million people of world average body mass.

Explaining the implications of this study Sarah Walpole said, "Our results emphasize the importance of looking at biomass rather than just population numbers when considering the ecological impact of a species, especially humans."

This study was based on the 2005 WHO SURF report so it is an underestimate of the current situation. The world's population is continuing to increase in size -- the UN predicts that by 2050 there could be 8.9 billion people on the planet.

Prof Ian Roberts, continued, "Everyone accepts that population growth threatens global environmental sustainability -- our study shows that population fatness is also a major threat. Unless we tackle both population and fatness -- our chances are slim."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BioMed Central.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Sarah C Walpole, David Prieto-Merino, Phil Edwards, John Cleland, Gretchen Stevens and Ian Roberts. The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass. BMC Public Health, 2012 [link]

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.

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Rick Scott Plans to Change Florida Voter Registration : Will Your ? ? PolicyMic

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Nantsune meat slicer scans in 3D to get the perfect cut, bring home the bacon in record time (video)

Bacon, our old friend. We've missed you. Japan's Nantsune must have missed it too, as its new Libra 165C meat slicer is using some mighty advanced technology to cut pork quickly. Beating a Nikko creation to the punch by about a year, it uses a displacement sensor to scan the shape of a slab of meat and make cuts that are the exact same weight, regardless of their shape or thickness. By knowing as much as it does in advance, the Libra can cut as many as 6,000 slices every hour; they're not ready-made bacon slices, but they'll certainly get to those cuts much faster than earlier methods that only weighed in mid-chop. You might not want to get visions of setting up Nantsune's meat machine in the kitchen: it'll be ready by the end of June, but the $160,000 price could mean sacrificing a whole lot of other food to avoid breaking out the cleaver.

Continue reading Nantsune meat slicer scans in 3D to get the perfect cut, bring home the bacon in record time (video)

Nantsune meat slicer scans in 3D to get the perfect cut, bring home the bacon in record time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With or without foreigners, tourism grows in Tibet

BEIJING (AP) ? Tibet is seeing a boom in Chinese visitors, meaning that the government's latest ban on foreigners following self-immolation protests against Beijing's rule has barely dented the region's tourism industry.

The Chinese government typically closes Tibet to foreigners during periods of unrest, and tourism of any kind plummeted after riots against ethnic Chinese in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in 2008. But domestic tourists are still allowed, and the government has wooed them in recent years with deep price cuts, direct flights and more train services.

Hotels catering to Chinese tourists in Lhasa are doing brisk business. With its pristine, yak-grazed grasslands and snowcapped mountains, the Tibetan plateau provides a stunning getaway for many urban-dwellers.

"I was attracted by the natural environment here. The blue sky, clean air and water make me feel like I am really enjoying life here," said Feng Junyuan, 26, a freelance editor from the southern Chinese megacity of Guangzhou who was reached by phone at a hostel in Lhasa.

Staff from restaurants around the Potala Palace, once home to the long-exiled Dalai Lama, say their tables have been filling up with Chinese tourists, chatting and snapping photos during their feasts.

"The pace of life is slow and the people are pure and it is totally different from what we see in big cities like Beijing and Guangzhou," Feng said, adding that he visited several monasteries during his trip. "Some days, I can spend three hours just sitting quietly on the corner of a street here."

A Tibet tourism policy targeting domestic travelers who are less likely to sympathize with anti-Beijing sentiment reflects China's desire to both develop the region economically in hopes of winning over its ethnic Tibetan population and keep a lid on embarrassing reports of unrest.

The most recent ban on foreigners came after a wave of self-immolation protests reached the Tibetan capital late last month, although the government has not publicly acknowledged the restrictions.

"I suppose that they don't want any presence in the case of protests or more self-immolations," said Andrew Fischer, a China expert at the Institute of Social Studies at the Hague in the Netherlands. "They're going back to old-school, old-style control over foreigners to control information. I suppose they don't feel the same threat from the Chinese public."

State media has said international travelers are continuing to visit Tibet each day while the Tibet Tourism Bureau says foreign tourists are still welcome.

However, tour companies and hotel operators in Lhasa said Chinese authorities imposed a ban on travel permits for foreign tourists starting this month.

"We were told by company management not to receive foreign tourists since June 1, no matter whether they are coming individually or in groups," said a man surnamed Liu who works at the China International Travel Service in Lhasa.

Though the foreign tourists are missed by some businesses ? especially high-end ones ? they now amount to a tiny portion of the overall visits, given the surge of Chinese tourists.

Foreigners accounted for just 30,000 of the 1.45 million visitors to Tibet in the first five months of this year ? or around 2 percent of all tourists, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the Tibet Tourism Bureau.

"I don't think that small, very marginal loss (from foreign tourists) would be of any importance to them in the larger strategic picture of what they're trying to do," Fischer said.

The past year's wave of more than three dozen self-immolation protests against Chinese rule did not erupt inside heavily policed Tibet itself, but in ethnic Tibetan parts of other provinces in China. It finally reached Lhasa in late May when two men set themselves on fire in the popular Barkhor market.

Photos later posted online showed a Western-looking foreigner watching one of the men in a cloud of smoke as others extinguished the flames. The latest foreigner ban started days later.

Such bans are usually delivered orally to tourism industry leaders, apparently to avoid issuing documents that could embarrass officials eager to project a sense of calm and control.

Foreign tourists trying to book Tibet trips over the border from Nepal have been denied permits since May 28, according to travel agent Pradip Pandit in the Nepalese capital, Katmandu.

The Chinese government sees tourism as a key way of bringing money into the chronically poor region. A signature project inaugurated in 2006 ? a $4.2 billion high-speed rail project that zips over mountain passes ? can whisk travelers from Beijing or Shanghai to Lhasa in about two days.

But after violent riots in 2008 in which Tibetans attacked Chinese migrants and shops, torching parts of Lhasa's commercial district, the government sealed off the region. Overall tourism that year fell by nearly half, while the number of foreign tourists fell by 80 percent. To try to draw the crowds back, authorities halved prices for tours, hotel rooms and entry tickets for the Potala.

Last year, the number of Chinese tourists jumped 27 percent to 8.4 million while that of foreign tourists grew 19 percent to 270,800, raking in 9.7 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) in tourism revenues, official statistics show.

The foreigner ban is hurting Tibet's handful of luxury hotels, including Lhasa's Jardin Secret Hotel where rooms go for up to $335 a night. "Our occupancy rate is relatively low at the moment because we don't have many domestic guests," said a staffer who gave only his surname, Xu.

But many establishments are thriving. All but a fifth of the 80 rooms at the three-star Tibet Mansion in Lhasa are occupied, said an employee surnamed Liu. The hotel's guests are mostly domestic travelers.

___

Associated Press writer Binaj Gurubacharya in Katmandu contributed to the report.

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"Scream" star Arquette has bar mitzvah in Israel

JERUSALEM -- David Arquette got more than he bargained for during his first trip to Israel.

The "Scream" star came to shoot a segment for his travel show and ended up having a bar mitzvah ceremony, too.

The 40-year-old Arquette completed the Jewish rite of passage Monday in Jerusalem at the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jews to pray.

Arquette, who recently split with former "Friends" star Courtney Cox, is the youngest of the five acting Arquette siblings: Rosanna, Richmond, Patricia and Alexis (who was born Robert).

While their father became a Muslim, their mother was born Jewish, making the children Jewish under religious law.

Jewish boys typically celebrate their bar mitzvah at 13, the age when they are obligated to perform Jewish commandments.

While filming an episode in Jerusalem of his "Mile High" show, which airs on the Travel Channel, Arquette attended a ceremony and was then asked whether he would like to have one as well.

Dressed in an all-white outfit, Arquette read his first Torah portion ever and placed phylacteries on his head and tattooed arm in front of the Western Wall, the lone retaining wall left from the second Jewish Temple compound.

"He was very emotional, saying he was happy to be part of the chain of the Jewish people," said Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall, who conducted the ceremony. "I'm very pleased to see a man who is returning to his roots."

Arquette, who has been elusive during his visit, later posted on his Twitter account: "I had my bar mitzvah today at the wall. Finally I'm a man."

Rabinowitz said Arquette was ashamed by his lack of Jewish knowledge. Born on a commune in Virginia, he had little to do with Judaism. His maternal grandmother was a refugee of the Nazi Holocaust of World War II, but his own mother turned away from religion.

Arquette later went on to appear in TV series such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and in movies like "Never Been Kissed." His best-known role was as Dewey Riley in the horror/slasher film franchise "Scream," where he starred alongside his ex-wife.

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Happy birthday, Peter Dinklage!

HBO

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

George R.R. Martin?created one of modern literature's great characters when he invented Tyrion Lannister.?Tyrion is?a dwarf in a world where strength and size mean survival, and in a family where power and appearance is everything.

HBO's "Game of Thrones" TV series?had to?rise and fall on whether Tyrion onscreen?could be the witty, intelligent charmer he is in the book series, all while managing to remind viewers that he's someone who's had to struggle from birth against a condition he has no control over.

The show succeeded because of the great talents of Peter Dinklage, who turns 43 today.

You may know Dinklage from "The Station Agent," "Elf," or other appearances, but it was as Tyrion that he became known to a wider audience.

Dinklage was born with achondroplasia, a common cause of dwarfism. He stands 4 feet 5 inches tall, and?naturally, he had trouble dealing with his size growing up, he told the New York Times. But thanks to a strong family (all are regular height), he persevered in a field that's difficult for anyone, but especially for someone Hollywood wanted to cast as a leprechaun wearing curled-up shoes and a long beard.

The Times profile notes that Dinklage was wary even of the Tyrion role, but soon realized that his character was by far the fans' favorite, and not?because he is?in any way a?cute mascot or stereotype. Tyrion is, the Times notes, "the only modern man in a muddy, violent, primal world."

He's also a lone?American in a world of British actors, and he stands toe-to-toe with them, his proper diction?and accent?never letting you know he was born in New Jersey, not Nottingham.

Tyrion gets all the best lines, and Dinklage knows how to deliver them. "I chopped wood once," he says, then rethinks. "No, I watched my brother chopping wood."

And he and he alone gets to stand in for the viewer and deliver a smackdown to horrendous child king Joffrey Baratheon, storming, "We've had vicious kings, and we've had idiot kings, but I don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a?king!"

Dinklage doesn't dwell on his size, he doesn't need to -- it can't ever be changed. But he chooses his moments to address it carefully. After winning a Golden Globe, he delivered a brief but touching mention of Martin Henderson, a British man who was?injured?by a bar idiot who thought he'd do some dwarf-tossing.

It's the perfect melding of role and actor, and both are outstanding. Peter Dinklage and Tyrion Lannister both fight against those who judge them on their looks every day.?If the land of Westeros is a tough place for those who look different, perhaps only Hollywood could be seen as tougher.

Happy birthday, Peter Dinklage!

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Facebashing: Twitter's Non-IPO Vs. Facebook's IPO

"Reality is what we take to be true. What we take to be true is what we believe. What we believe is based upon our perceptions. What we perceive depends upon what we look for. What we look for depends upon what we think. What we think depends upon what we perceive. What we perceive determines what we believe. What we believe determines what we take to be true. What we take to be true is our reality." Gary Zukav

Facebook bashing has entered the realm of the utterly absurd. This morning I came across an article comparing Facebook (FB) to Twitter, and arguing that a future Twitter IPO would blow the Facebook IPO away. Then in the afternoon I read an article from Wall Street Cheat Sheet that argued for a Facebook comparable Apple (AAPL)/Google (GOOG) valuation of six to seven dollars; a pretty amusing argument when you consider that Facebook is sitting on almost five dollars a share in cash on hand. And let's not forget the ridiculous Reuters survey which seemed to be almost commissioned to have something negative to report. Yep, tearing something down is a lot more fun than building it up.

That is no surprise, but you'd think with something this big that at least some people would have a nice grasp of what is going on and get the message out. Sadly, that has not happened yet, so I have taken it upon myself to weigh in with an article or two that offers what I think is a more accurate assessment of the 'Facebook Fiasco'.

For this note I will focus on the misconception that Facebook's IPO was somehow a failure, and more specifically on a TheStreet.com article which compared how Facebook has been managed to Twitter. An article which, by the way, I was surprised to discover was written by SA regular contributor and fellow Netflix (NFLX) bear Rocco Pendola.

In his article, Rocco, who admittedly is bullish on Facebook, makes an argument that somehow implies Twitter has executed better than Facebook. To be specific, Rocco writes, "everything Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook have done well, Dick Costolo and Twitter have done better." Really? With all due respect to Rocco, that is a ridiculous statement and very typical of the type of stuff Facebook is getting hammered with on a daily basis. And let's be clear I am saying this despite the fact that there is no web property that has caught my eye more than Twitter over the past couple of years. It is in fact the only stock I have ever personally purchased on a secondary market, and also one that I professionally lobbied for acquiring a position in at a valuation closer to $2.5 billion. Suffice to say, I know a thing or two about the company.

I can also tell you that my interest in Twitter carried over into other microblogging sites like Sina's (SINA) Weibo (a much better bargain valuation wise) before they became mainstream market stories. So why was Twitter so interesting to me? Simple: It was and still is a web property acquisition candidate the likes of which you rarely come across in markets. To me a Twitter Google marriage was a no-brainer from day one. (The same argument goes for Baidu (BIDU) and Weibo.) The problem with this view is that Twitter knows this and so do Facebook, Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo (YHOO), and Apple. That is what has always appealed to me about this stock, the near certainty of a nice fat premium from an acquirer was always too tempting to pass up.

But let's be clear, knowing you are an attractive piece of web real estate isn't a measure of execution. Twitter is by no means executing better than Facebook. In fact, odds are Costolo and co. will never come close to accomplishing 10% of what Zuckerberg has accomplished. This is because Twitter's path to comparable monetization is 1000x harder than Facebook's. Twitter for me is like having Bloomberg Anywhere except I don't pay $3000+ a month for it and the array of information is much more diversified.

It is an incredible feed of data, but completely lacking in valuable display real estate or a clear subscription revenue model capable of justifying the current valuation. This is why Twitter recorded revenue of less than $150 million last year versus $3.8 billion for Facebook. So, for all the criticism about mobile, at least Facebook actually has valuable display real estate to fall back on.

See, I am of the belief that mobile is not going to be an advertising rainmaker for anyone of the big internet companies. I think the real money in mobile will go to the network operators, the transaction/payment processors, and the premium branded hardware sellers. Mobile from an ad standpoint is just not valuable display real estate, and odds are it may never be. It is similar to what has transpired in television with sporting events as on demand killed the captive live TV audience. If you control the valuable piece of a shrinking pie, you will retain pricing power. The NFL, NBA, and the likes have figured that out. The same philosophy will apply to online advertising. Basically, if Facebook owns the most valuable real estate you are checking into via a non-mobile device, they will continue to prosper even as mobile web usage rates continue to rise.

Yep, mobile monetization is a challenge for all the major content players on the web, so I am not going to lose a lot of sleep over it right now. This is also why when I hear Twitter's Costolo touting how well they are doing on mobile now that this has become a hot topic, I can do nothing but smirk. Twitter doesn't have a real display business, and thus no cash cow to milk while they experiment with ways to milk the mobile web. Their strength is also on the go news which makes them more suited for mobile as far as engagement, but that doesn't mean mobile monetization will be any easier for them than it is for Google or Facebook. Honestly, if you cornered Dick Costolo I am sure you could get him to admit that he wished he had Facebook's 'mobile problem' because as things stand he still hasn't figured out how to generate significant revenue, let alone profits, out of the entire Twitter platform.

This monetization problem has been what has held back the Twitter and Weibo IPOs, not some sort of management steady as she goes philosophy. That was the case before Facebook, which contrary to popular belief, timed its IPO to perfection. Yes, in the land of going public, raising a $7 billion war chest and providing insiders a fat $10 billion single day cash out at a $100 billion valuation is the definition of perfection.

Understand that Facebook not only raised enough cash to do as they see fit for the next decade, but they also guaranteed themselves that they hit the top of a cycle. This is pretty good news if your future business model is hiring talent and acquiring smaller start- ups. When the perception in the capital markets is that there is no more easy money in your sector, valuations start to fall and jobs disappear. If you are Facebook, you couldn't ask for a better environment to execute your strategy.

This is why I have a hard time understanding how anyone could argue that Costolo has done a better job of positioning Twitter for its seminal market moment. Twitter didn't have what it took to IPO before Facebook rang the bell, and after Facebook they have almost no chance of coming to market without disappointing a bunch of their current investors. Their last major round was north of $8 billion. Run the numbers and you will realize that this is over 50x trailing revenue or 3x where Facebook is at today. Oh, and at this valuation the last VC guys who put in the capital Twitter is burning through while it tries to figure out its model get to break even. So explain to me how such an IPO will blow the Facebook IPO away when the last major round Facebook raised was at $50 billion, and those investors got a partial exit at $100 billion in under two years?

As things stand, the Twitter story is all about having a good poker face as a private sale is the only realistic exit that will satisfy all Twitter investors at this point in time. If they try to go the IPO route (which I still think is not an option because of de minimus relative revenue), they will have to do a managed IPO in which they float a tiny slice and play the artificial demand game and try to facilitate their exit.

This is also assuming Twitter's revenue growth - which has been a major challenge - really comes through and hits this $1 billion by 2014 mark that has been loosely tossed around. And let's not even bother with a profitability conversation right now let alone make comparisons to Facebook's pre-IPO EBITDA margins.

See, if you consider how intricately Twitter has woven itself into our daily lives, its revenue at this point in time is very disappointing. You can't say the same thing for Facebook, and that my friends, is what you call execution.

Disclosure: I am long FB via call options.

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2012 Top Stocks Market, Best Stocks Investment In 2012, Top ...

Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ? Stock investors no longer have doubts about dividends, and that?s reason for some doubt.

Shares of high-quality, cash-rich, large-cap companies that yield more than the Standard & Poor?s 500-stock index SPX are the new favorites in many portfolios. But many of these success stories have been discovered, boosting share prices and trimming yields.

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At this point, investors might do better scouring the S&P 500 for companies that wouldn?t show up on a screen for above-average yielders, but which still enjoy dominant, ?wide moat? positions in their business.

?It?s kind of a crowded trade,? said Paul Nolte, managing director at investment firm Dearborn Partners, about the popularity of the high-quality dividend strategy. ?Valuations on high-dividend payers are at the upper-end of their historical ranges.?

Indeed, money has cascaded into dividend-focused mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Dow Jones Select Dividend Index Fund DVY , for example, saw assets grow to around $10 billion from $6 billion a year earlier, according to the ETF Industry Association. Similarly robust asset growth was seen at Vanguard Dividend Appreciation VIG ?and SPDR S&P Dividend SDY .

It?s easy to see why dividends are in demand. They?re an alternative to bonds? paltry payouts, and cushion volatility. Plus, these stocks offer potential for capital appreciation.

Without dividends, the S&P 500 was flat in 2011; including dividends the market returned 2.1%. The yield-rich Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA ?fared even better, up 5.5%. And the 10 highest-yielding Dow components, the so-called Dogs of the Dow, returned 12.2%.

?Any time we see a big surge in the popularity of dividends in the market, that means prices have been marked up and it?s tough to find bargains,? said Josh Peters, editor of Morningstar?s DividendInvestor newsletter.

Off the beaten path

Owning financially healthy companies that reward shareholders with meaningful income is certainly still a viable investment idea. Large-cap stocks with little or no debt, that pay consistent dividends, and which grow those payouts over time, have been excellent decisions. And 3% or 4% in cash payments every year is nothing to ignore. Read more: How to elude the Fed's attack on savers.

Last year, for example, the average S&P 500 dividend payer gained 1.4%, compared to the average 7.6% decline for non-payers, according to S&P. Performance was even better for S&P?s ?Dividend Aristocrats? ? companies with that have boosted payouts for at least 25 consecutive years, such as AT&T Inc. T , Johnson & Johnson JNJ , McDonald?s Corp. MCD and Procter & Gamble Co. PG . Research S&P's Dividend Aristocrats.

Many investors now are hoping such dividend magic will apply to Apple Inc. AAPL , which earlier this week reported blowout earnings. Apple?s chief financial officer said the company is considering ways to be proactive with a cash hoard approaching $100 billion. Read more: Apple's growth rate will not last.

Apple isn?t paying a dividend, but if it did, the dividend world would spin. ?If Apple came out with a policy that was going to give the stock a yield of 4%, you bet I would look at it,? said Morningstar?s Peters. Read more: Is Apple the cheapest growth stock?

But investing in a company that might pay a dividend isn?t a solid approach; nor is buying the highest yield. Companies in financial trouble often sport unusually fat yields after the shares have taken a beating, and their ability to maintain the dividend is questionable.

Click to Play Big zero for deposit accounts

The Federal Reserve's decision to keep short-term interest rates near zero through 2014 may result in still lower interest rates on bank accounts. AnnaMaria Andriotis has details on Lunch Break.

Better to focus on dividend-paying companies in robust financial health, and then consider how that quarterly payment could grow. The dividend might not be terrific now, but a well-run operation with a high return on investment is often the kind of company given to dividend hikes. And dividend investing is a long-term strategy; the goal is to ?clip coupons? year after year.

?Think in terms of what the yield could be, rather than what it is,? said Don Taylor, manager of Franklin Rising Dividends Fund FRDPX .

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Creflo Dollar, Megachurch Televangelist, Arrested for Fight with Daughter

Creflo Dollar, the Megachurch pastor and televangelist who has faced criticism over the years for his flamboyant lifestyle, was arrested today after allegedly injuring his 15-year old daughter in a fight.

Creflo Dollar Sermon

Authorities from the Fayette County Sheriff's department responded to a call of domestic violence at approximately 1 a.m., according to investigator Brent Rowan, who added that the religious man and his daughter were arguing over whether the latter could go to a party when Dollar "got physical" with her, resulting in "superficial injuries" on the teenager.

Dollar - faces misdemeanor counts of simple battery and cruelty to children - left jail this morning on bail and said in a statement:

"As a father I love my children and I always have their best interest at heart at all times, and I would never use my hand to ever cause bodily harm to my children. The facts in this case will be handled privately to further protect my children. My family thanks you for your prayers and continued support."

Dollar is the pastor for World Changers Church International in the Atlanta suburb of College Park and preaches inside of an 8,500-seat sanctuary called the World Dome. He has five children and has published over 30 books.

He was investigated a few years ago for his use of church-owned luxuries such as airplanes homes and credit cards.

Questions also arose in 1999 after 100 local police officers were given $1,000 each by Dollar, who did so, he said merely to acknowledge their community service.

However, the move came just weeks after a pair of traffic tickets Dollar had received were downgraded to warnings.

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