Do you really need that deep freezer? Really?

The distinction between wanting an item and needing it is a key one. If you don't need something right away, it pays to be patient with your shopping.

When we were first considering a move into our current home, my wife and I made a list of things that we wanted to have in our home that we just didn?t have room for in our small apartment. One of the big items on that list was a deep freezer.

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

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We wanted one primarily because we often had offers of buying shares of venison or beef, where entire animals had been processed at a meat locker and the person was hoping to get back some of their investment by selling a quarter of the meat. Per pound, this was an incredible deal, but you would often have to deal with thirty or forty pounds (or more ? sometimes much more) of wrapped and processed meat.

We also wanted to take advantage of specific sales at the grocery store. For example, if a store has a sale on flash-frozen vegetables, we?ll often stock up on them.

As we moved into our current home, we had money set aside for buying a deep freezer, an amount based on the prices we could easily find at the time. We knew some of the specific models we wanted that had a good ?bang for the buck,? and we had the cash in hand. Time to buy, right?

Wrong.

The thing was that we didn?t immediately need that deep freezer. Yes, we wanted one and it was clear that over the long run such a freezer would save us money, but we weren?t pinned up against the wall with regards to the purchase.

This distinction between want and need is a key one. It is incredibly easy for people to decide that something useful that they merely want is actually more of a need ? something that they have to go out and purchase right away. I see it all the time with people in my social circle, and I even see it uncomfortably often in myself.

Holding back on those ?wants that seem kind of like needs? is essential for saving money.

What are you holding back for? The sale. There are many ways where you can find that item that you?re looking for at a much lower price than what you?ll see at your local department store or appliance store.

All we did is sit on this idea of buying a deep freezer for about two months. We watched the ads from the local hardware and appliance stores, waiting for a great price on one of the models we wanted. Eventually, we found it on sale at about a 35% discount, saving us quite a bit of money.

Even better, during that period, a friend of ours came up with a used deep freezer that he offered to give to us. We were strongly considering taking the item, even though we were a bit concerned about the fan motor in it, but we went for the discounted one instead.

We didn?t lose anything by waiting, but we gained about the third of the cost of our deep freezer.

This type of story repeats itself time and time again when you?re making any major purchase. The price you find today is likely to be easily topped if you exhibit a little bit of patience, and considering that the items that you?d do this with aren?t really essential to your day-to-day life, there?s no real drawback to waiting.

What kind of threshold should you have for pulling the trigger? For me, I usually try to wait for a price that?s at least 20% lower than the lowest regular price I found when I was initially searching for the item.

How long should you wait? This is really up to you. What I typically do is wait until I notice a continuous stream of possible uses for the item I was considering buying. Whenever I notice a use, I bump my threshold for buying closer to the lowest regular price until it becomes clear that the item is nearly a ?need? in terms of how we live our lives, then I?ll just go for the lowest-priced version I can find.

Patience is the key, and patience pays off time and time again.

This post is part of a yearlong series called ?365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),? in which I?m revisiting the entries from my book ?365 Ways to Live Cheap,? which is available at Amazon and at bookstores everywhere.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on www.thesimpledollar.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/8qdFOMzQ9jI/Do-you-really-need-that-deep-freezer-Really

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Obama's 'striking' assault on rising college tuition (The Week)

New York ? The president wants to give less federal money to schools when they hike fees. Is that the key to bringing costs down?

President Obama wants to slow the rise in higher education costs by steering federal money to colleges that keep tuition down. Obama said last week that schools have a responsibility to lower costs because higher education "is not a luxury; it's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford." Colleges can't "just jack up tuition every single year," the president said. "If you can't stop tuition from going up, your funding from taxpayers will go down." Will Obama's attempt to rein in runaway tuition work?

This stance is long overdue: How "striking," says Kevin Carey at?The New Republic. "For the first time, a Democratic president is threatening the funding of his bedrock liberal constituency in traditional higher education." The president's proposal is "welcome and necessary" ? and only someone with Obama's liberal credentials could even try to take on such a sacred cow. But it won't be easy. "The higher education lobby is one of the best in the business," and you can bet it will work hard to "scuttle any meaningful reforms."
"Obama vs. colleges: It's about time!"

But Obama might hurt struggling schools: Higher ed costs are rising twice as fast as inflation,?says Kayla Webley at TIME. So of course, giving colleges an incentive to lower tuition "sounds like a great thing on its face."?But at the same time, state universities have "just sustained record-high cutbacks," and some state schools won't be able to make ends meet if they don't make students pay more. Denying universities a share of billions in federal aid will only compound financial problems that many colleges can't control.
"Obama wants to force colleges to reduce tuition, but at what cost?"

It won't happen with this Congress: There's a deal-breaking "catch" here, says California's?Santa Cruz Sentinel in an editorial. Most of what Obama wants to do would require approval from Congress. Obama is hoping to boost federal funding in the Perkins student loan program from $1 billion to $8 billion, and then dish that extra money out to universities that keep tuitions low. But House Republicans aren't on board, arguing that Obama's plan would "just add spending when the national debt of $1.2 trillion is a looming disaster." So much for reform.
"Big flaw with Obama college plan"

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politicsopinion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20120130/cm_theweek/223841

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Caltrans wants to abandon cliff-hanging Highway 39

In a standoff with federal forest officials, Caltrans is proposing to abandon a popular, cliff-hanging highway in the San Gabriel Mountains because it is too expensive to maintain.

Caltrans' proposal to walk away from California Highway 39, enjoyed by an estimated 3 million people a year, comes as the state struggles to close a $9.2-billion budget shortfall.

To avoid closure, Caltrans is trying to persuade the U.S. Forest Service or Los Angeles County to take over the roadway, which runs 27 miles from the city of Azusa nearly to the crest of the San Gabriels. Neither agency wants it.

"So far, they have gracefully declined to take on this responsibility, and Caltrans is stuck with the costs," said Ronald J. Kosinski, Caltrans' deputy district director for environmental planning. "I hope people don't start digging in their heels over this matter."

L.A. County needs the highway to access three dams critical to flood control. But Tony Bell, spokesman for county Supervisor Michael Antonovich, whose district includes the San Gabriels, said the county has no desire to assume responsibility. "Why would it?" he asked.

The Forest Service's interest is access to Angeles National Forest by the public and, at times, by firefighters. The agency spent $6 million improving a spacious campground at Crystal Lake, where the highway now ends after winding along the San Gabriel River past the Morris and San Gabriel reservoirs.

"We met with Caltrans and told them we do not have the resources or funds to maintain that state highway," said Forest Service engineer Sonja Bergeahl.

The issue led to a bout of brinkmanship in recent days.

Kosinski told The Times that Caltrans is operating the road under a special permit dating to the 1920s, when the highway was built. "According to the agreement, the only way we can extricate ourselves from it is to abandon the highway," he said.

The Forest Service says it has a different interpretation, one that would cost Caltrans dearly. "The permit does say that if Caltrans abandons the highway, they have to remove their improvements ? meaning the road ? and return the area to the natural landscape," Bergeahl said.

Caltrans spends $1.5 million a year maintaining the two-lane paved roadway, which is damaged regularly by landslides, flooding, falling rocks and forest fires. The agency said that abandonment is a rare step, possibly unprecedented. Caltrans could not immediately cite another instance in which it walked away from a state route.

Abandoning the highway to save $1.5 million a year is not significant for an agency that spends $13 billion a year to manage 50,000 miles of road statewide. But Caltrans said the proposal is consistent with its efforts to cut costs wherever it can ? and Highway 39 presents a unique situation.

A landslide swept away the highest part of the road in 1978, cutting it off from Angeles Crest Highway. Since then, that last stretch of asphalt has been roamed by Nelson's bighorn sheep, creatures fully protected under state law. Caltrans concluded that it would be cost-prohibitive to re-engineer that 4.4-mile gap and legally risky to try because it cannot guarantee that the sheep would not be killed in the process.

As a result, the highway has become what Caltrans spokesman Patrick Chandler described as "essentially a 27-mile-long cul-de-sac."

Kosinski said he was waiting for more guidance from agency attorneys. Caltrans might be able to sweeten the offer to the county or Forest Service by providing money to cover several years of maintenance, he said. "Putting up a gate at the southern end of the highway and simply handing over the keys to the Forest Service is another option."

About 500 people rely on the highway to reach their homes, said Barret Wetherby, former president of the San Gabriel Canyon Homeowners Assn. Wetherby said he does not believe the road will ever be abandoned.

"I think Caltrans is bluffing, and it's not going to work," he said. "It's the gateway to the San Gabriel Mountains and we need it open every day and night so that flatlanders can recreate up there, and folks can evacuate in the event of an emergency."

Adam Samrah, 54, bought the Crystal Lake Snack Bar Trading Post in 2002, shortly before the area was closed for nine years because of damage from a forest fire. He finally opened for business in March after spending about $107,000 in renovations.

Closing California 39, the only road that accesses the store, "would destroy me," Samrah said. "I'm sick over this. It doesn't make sense."

Caltrans spokesman Chandler visited the rustic cafe this week and tried to reassure Samrah. "All we want to do is abandon the highway," Chandler said. But that doesn't necessarily mean the highway will be closed, he said.

Samrah, a Turkish immigrant who speaks broken English, had trouble understanding the difference.

"What if nobody else wants the highway?" Samrah asked. "What if you shut it down? I'm not a rich guy. I can't afford to sue a giant like Caltrans."

"We'll be in touch," Chandler said before heading down the mountain.

louis.sahagun@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/UEEB2BzqzlM/la-me-caltrans-highway39-20120129,0,518532.story

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Thousands greet veterans at St. Louis parade (Reuters)

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) ? Thousands of people lined the streets of downtown St. Louis on Saturday cheering on marchers in a parade honoring veterans of America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the nation's first major welcome to soldiers since the end of the Iraq War.

Crowds of parade-goers stretched a mile through the center of the city on a crisp winter's day, many waving American flags, with the metallic Gateway Arch glistening in the background in an event reminiscent of parades following World War One and World War Two.

"I'm just loving it," said Staff Sergeant Chris Green, 35, who volunteered for the Missouri National Guard two months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington and was part of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

"When I heard this was happening I was choked up to say the least," Green said. "With the president cutting back (on the military), for Missouri to pull this together despite everything is just outstanding, absolutely outstanding."

While the invasion of Iraq quickly toppled Saddam Hussein, the country descended into sectarian violence and an occupation that dragged on for nearly nine years before the last U.S. forces pulled out in December.

For President Barack Obama, the military pullout fulfilled an election promise to bring troops home from a conflict he inherited from his predecessor that evolved into the most unpopular U.S. war since Vietnam.

There have been no major pomp-and-circumstance homecoming events for the returning veterans save for scattered small events since the last U.S. troops left Iraq, including a speech by Obama at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, thanking veterans for their service.

Some have been hesitant to hold parades while troops remain in Afghanistan.

OUTPOURING OF VOLUNTEERS

Saturday's parade was organized through social media by a coalition of veteran groups, private citizens and local officials.

"We got an outpouring of volunteers who wanted to do something for all the vets," organizer Chris Kuban said.

St. Louis police did not provide a crowd estimate, but the streets appeared crowded with thousands of marchers and spectators.

Thousands of marchers participated in the parade itself, which had 93 floats, 500 motorcycles, veterans from the most recent Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the 1991 invasion of Iraq, and Vietnam, as well as family members, high school bands and the hometown Budweiser Clydesdales.

Along the parade route, the crowd clapped and cheered, standing eight or more deep in spots, shouting "Welcome home," "Thank you" and "We love you."

About 4,500 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq, and the occupation was marred by the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the killing of civilians by troops or private security contractors.

Thousands of Iraqi troops also died in the war as did thousands of Iraqi security forces in the chaotic years following the invasion, along with more than 100,000 civilians.

Many of the spectators on Saturday were Vietnam vets, including James Beaumont, 61, of St. Louis, who said he would have liked to have had a parade when he returned home.

"A parade would have been nice but right now I'm a Vietnam vet who needs a job," he said. "The VA ( U.S. Veterans Administration) is no good and I'm living with my damn uncle until I can get on Social Security."

Richard Pfeifer, 62, of Ballwin, Missouri, said that while not a veteran, he wanted to show his appreciation of the Iraq War vets.

"I'm very proud of what we have accomplished and I know how hard it was for the Vietnam vets," he said.

The ceremonies began Friday night at the Soldiers' Memorial near the Gateway Arch. There, volunteers read through the cold night the names of more than 6,000 U.S. service men and women killed in the wars since the September 11 attacks.

Supporters of the Iraq invasion cited in part a threat that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. But none were recovered, leading to increasing criticism of the war.

(Editing by David Bailey and Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/us_nm/us_missouri_parade

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Vignettes from Iraq War veterans (AP)

ST. LOUIS ? They speak of their service matter-of-factly. Yes, the danger was always there. Yes, they saw horrific things. But they had a job to do, and they did it.

Even though the end of the Iraq War was celebrated Saturday with a parade that drew thousands to downtown St. Louis, many of the veterans who participated expect they may be redeployed to Afghanistan or somewhere else in the war on terror. Still, they appreciated the welcome-home

Here are a few of their stories.

___

Army Maj. Rich Radford had two long tours of duty in Iraq under almost constant threat of violence.

Radford, a combat engineer, spent 15 months on his first tour starting in January 2004, then about 10 months when he went back in September 2009. He earned the Bronze Star for his service.

"Every day we were in danger," Radford, 40, said, "because the Iraqis didn't like us, didn't want us in their country. They would sell out our positions, our missions."

Radford, a 23-year military veteran, marched in the parade with his two children, Aimee, 8, and Warren, 12. An image of the father and daughter upon his return home from the second tour of duty is emblazoned on T-shirts and posters associated with the parade, fashioned from a photo taken by Radford's sister of Aimee, then 6, reaching up for her father's hand as family greeting him at Lambert Airport in St. Louis.

"She grabbed my hand and said, `I missed you, Daddy,'" Radford recalled. "That's been my Facebook page picture ever since."

___

Air Force veteran Kevin Jackson got a nice welcome-home with Saturday's parade, something his father never got for his service.

Don Jackson, 63, served in Vietnam. America still stings from the treatment of Vietnam veterans. There was no parade, no rally, when that conflict ended in the mid-1970s. Not that Don Jackson is complaining.

"I didn't need a parade. I was just glad to be home. This is for them," he said, nodding to his son and other young veterans.

Kevin Jackson, 33, is glad to be home, too. He has lost track of how many times he was sent overseas ? three or four tours of duty in Iraq, four or five in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, Jackson's job was to teach Iraqis how to fly three C-130s planes that the U.S. donated to the Iraqi Air Force.

It wasn't easy. First, they had to teach them English. And turnover was constant.

"They'd be there for a couple of weeks then go home on break and not come back," Jackson said. "The bad guys would find out they were working with the Americans and threaten their families. So they wouldn't come back."

___

Gayla Gibson didn't know much about improvised explosive devices before the Air Force sent her to Iraq in July 2003. She spent the next four months as part of the first line of help for soldiers wounded by IED attacks.

"We saw some horrible things," she said. "Amputations. Broken bones. Severe burns from IEDs. It was pretty much every day."

Gibson and other medical technicians helped mend the wounded best they could before they were moved to hospitals in Germany.

"We'd talk to them, try to comfort them," she said. "Mostly we wanted to stabilize them."

Gibson, 38, was thrilled that her hometown of St. Louis was the site of the first big parade to welcome home those who gave much for their country.

"I think it's great when people come out to support those who gave their lives and put their lives on the line for this country," Gibson said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_us/us_iraq_war_parade_vignettes

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Michigan Voters Don't Favor Legalizing Marijuana (ContributorNetwork)

Michigan voters passed the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act in 2008 with nearly 63 percent of the vote. On the November ballot, Michigan voters might be asked to consider legalizing marijuana for general use. According to a recent poll, residents are far more cautious about that type of law, reports the Detroit Free Press. Here are details about the legalized marijuana petition drive and how residents are responding to it.

* The Committee for a Safer Michigan (Detroit News. Abel said in light of enforcement issues and confusion about its parameters, legalization advocates want to scrap the law. The repeal would make cultivation, manufacture and distribution of marijuana available for anyone over 21 years old who is not incarcerated. Driving or operating machinery under the influence of marijuana would be subject to the same laws as drunk driving.

* According to Michigan's Licensing and Regulatory Affairs office there are about 130,000 registered medical marijuana users. According to Repeal Today , the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program has only made matters worse for those who are suffering and need the drug. Marijuana restrictions haven't prevented children from accessing, have created expensive legal battles and have made it only accessible by drug cartels.

* The petition drive will need 322,609 signatures by July 9 to get it on the November ballot. Supporters say though no state has completely legalized marijuana, presidential candidate Ron Paul has introduced a bill that would allow states to make their own laws about it.

* A poll by EPIC-MRA of Lansing shows more conservative numbers of support, says the Detroit Free Press. 45 percent of respondents said they would favor legalizing pot and 50 percent were against it. The rest was undecided. 43 percent of voters younger than 40 supported decriminalizing marijuana; 55 percent of voters ages 50 to 55 favored it; among voters older than 65, 40 percent agreed.

* In all Michigan counties but Wayne, voters oppose legalizing marijuana.

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about people, places, events and issues in her home state of "Pure Michigan."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120128/hl_ac/10885915_michigan_voters_dont_favor_legalizing_marijuana

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Stocks move lower after new growth figures

By msnbc.com news services

Stocks moved lower Friday after data showed gross domestic product for the fourth quarter was slightly below Wall Street expectations.

Investors were also looking ahead to an anticipated an imminent conclusion to Greek debt talks.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said talks with private creditors on restructuring Greek debt are "very close" to closing. Athens needs a deal to secure further international aid and so avert a disorderly default when a major bond redemption falls due in March.

In earnings news, Ford reported a lower-than-expected fourth-quarter profit due to higher commodity costs and losses in its automotive operations in Europe and Asia.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10250307-stocks-move-lower-after-new-growth-figures

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The Gamesville Blog: Best Pets: Lahotsauce's Adorable King Ransom

Written by felixturtle / January 26, 2012 9:07 am / 5 Comments

This week?s Best Pets comes to us from Gamesviller lahotsauce of Lake Charles, Louisiana!

Distinguishing Personality Traits

Lahotsauce shared with us why King Ransom is so special to her. ?I have a 12 week old German Sheppard, his name is King Ransom. He is a handful but brings joy to my life everyday.

My husband got him for me to replace my American Eskimo that we had for 14 years. Our pets become our children and I would do anything for them. I also have a toy poodle and a cat and they all play together like they are best friends.? Just wanted to share!?

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Want to share photos of your own favorite pet with the Gamesville community?

Send photos to: members@gamesville.com

In addition to your pet?s picture, please be sure to include:

• Your Gamesville member name ? I can?t award you GVs without it!
• Your pet?s most distinguishing personality trait, their name and a little bit about them!

If we publish your pet as a ?Best Pet,? we?ll give you 5,000 GV Rewards. Submit your pet today!

Keep In Touch!

Subscribe to our email digest to receive future updates. Also make sure you?re subscribed to The Gamesville Times for exclusive content and contests!
Be sure to join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep the discussion going!

Source: http://blog.gamesville.com/6237/best-pets-lahotsauces-adorable-king-ransom

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Chael Sonnen: Great promoter or greatest promoter?

CHICAGO -- "Chael's nuts."

UFC president Dana White started off the press conference with the statement that everyone in MMA has thought, but not said. Sonnen, who walked out with a UFC championship belt and the words, "Undisputed, undefeated!" flowing from his mouth, showed again he is the best promoter in MMA.

White barely had to say anything to promote Saturday's bouts on Fox, because the Sonnen Show took center stage. His opponent on Saturday, Michael Bisping, tried to keep up with Sonnen, but his attempts were futile.

He explained where he picked up the belt ... kind of.

"Well, for those of you who can't see, this is the championship belt that I took from Anderson Silva. In this country, possession is nine tenths of the law. Finders keepers, losers weepers. If he wants it back, he knows where he can find it."

"I think you can get it on eBay for $29.99!" Bisping said.

Sonnen even broke into rhyme.

"You're looking at the reflection of perfection. You're looking at the man who gets all your attention. You're looking at the man with the biggest arm. At the man, with the greatest charm, the man in Chicago who will do harm to the guy three doors down."

White, standing between Sonnen and Bisping, couldn't help but smile as Sonnen spit out rhyme after rhyme. He was particularly happy as Sonnen added the time and station of the fights to each exclamation.

"Whatcha gonna do, when you know who? Howya gonna deal, with the man of steel? How ya gonna react to Sonnen's attack? Tune in on the 28th! 8 p.m. Eastern Time! You'll find out who the real champion is."

If Sonnen keeps the act up -- and there's no reason to believe he won't -- White won't have to work to promote a single Sonnen card. Why would he, when the "champ" does the work for him?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chael-sonnen-great-promoter-greatest-promoter-233050678.html

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Sergio Mendes says 'Rio' sequel likely (AP)

NEW YORK ? Sergio Mendes, who scored an Oscar nomination for his song "Real In Rio," says the animated film will most likely have a sequel.

Mendes said "Rio" director Carlos Saldanha may want to tie the sequel to the 2014 World Cup, which will take place in Brazil.

"I think the plan is for the movie to come three or four months before the World Cup," Mendes said Tuesday afternoon.

"Fox has been talking about (it) and it looks like it's going to happen," he continued. "We're going to have a meeting I think next week and Carlos is coming to town to tell us the story, and it looks like it's a go."

Fox didn't immediately respond to an email request seeking comment on the possibility of a sequel.

Mendes and Saldanha are from Brazil. Mendes said creating music for the film ? about birds adventuring to Rio de Janeiro with the voices of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway ? was special "because that's my hometown."

Mendes shares his nomination with Siedah Garrett and Carlinhos Brown. He said he's not feeling pressure to create new music for the "Rio" sequel following his Oscar nod.

"I take one thing at a time," he said. "Right now I'm celebrating."

____

Mesfin Fekadu covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/musicmesfin

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_mu/us_film_rio

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The Wonder of Wuggle Pets

As Seen on TV, ?Wuggle Pets? are a fun way for a child to make their very own friend they will cherish for years to come!

Wuggle Pets are easy and fun to make. They are collectable and tradable and each Wuggle has its own mark, so that the purchaser can be sure that they have the original and not a fake.

The idea with this stuffed animal is that as the child fills it with stuffing it seems to come to life.? The child can then name it with the adoption certificate, and give it a personality with the choice of 12 personality charms.? In addition, a magic voice box is available for purchase in addition to the set.

When a child makes his own stuffed animal, there is a sense of pride and ownership that does not come with a purchased pre-stuffed, stuffed animal. Also there is the fun of getting to make a stuffed animal and make it as fluffy as is individually preferred.?? One thing that raises confusion is that the magic voice box feature which is optional and additional, it is hard to figure out where to get this or how much it costs.? A special feature like this should be easy to find, one would think.? There were even questions regarding this on the site, but nobody had answered the question, so it remains a mystery.

You can buy Wuggle Pets in a two pack, which comes with Playful Puppy and Magical Unicorn. Each animal comes with a clip so a child can attach it to their backpack, suitcase or anywhere they want to travel with them.?? This is considered the starter pack and comes with the two characters named, two birth certificates, 1 fun filled factory, two bags of stuffing fluff, 12 charms, two bags of magic dust, and one zipper-up tool. And you can make them talk with the optional voice box.? With the two birth certificates, a child can name his or her own Wuggle Pets!

The Wuggle Pets, party pack is made especially for a child?s party or if a child wants to collect them all.? The Party Pack comes with Cuddle Puppy, Magical Unicorn, Funny Monkey, Sunny Bunny, Earful Elephant, Playful Pony, Clever Raccoon, and Bashful Bear. Each animal comes with a clip so the child can clip it to their backpack, suitcase, belt, purse or anywhere they want to travel with them. All eight pets in the Party Pack come with their own adoption papers for personalization, fluff, 12 charms per animal, magic dust, and two zipper-up tools.? Only one fun fill factory comes with this set of eight. If a person decides to purchase the Party Pack, there is a discount in price, which could make this an ideal craft for a slumber party or as a pastime for children.

And you can follow along with Wuggle Pets via Twitter, Facebook, or see them on You Tube. This toy is meant for children ages 4 and up.

Source: http://sequelnews.com/the-wonder-of-wuggle-pets/

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Italy extends rating agencies probe to Fitch (Reuters)

MILAN (Reuters) ? Italian police seized documents at Fitch's Milan offices on Tuesday as the rating agency was drawn into an investigation of alleged market manipulation already involving its two bigger rivals Standard & Poor's and Moody's (MCO.N).

The investigation follows a raft of sovereign downgrades for debt-laden Italy, the last one by S&P on January 13 -- part of its much-criticized mass downgrade of nine euro zone countries.

Fitch analysts have said they expect to cut their rating on Italy by up to two notches this month.

Financial police seized documents and emails at Fitch's offices, an investigative source said, less than a week after a similar operation at S&P's in Milan.

"Men from the financial police are at Fitch in Milan," Carlo Maria Capristo, chief prosecutor in Trani, told Reuters.

Trani prosecutor Michele Ruggiero, who is leading the investigation and was in Milan for the police operation, declined to comment when asked whether any documents had been seized.

An investigative source said that, after placing S&P and Moody's under investigation last year, the prosecutors had extended their probe to Fitch for alleged market manipulation and abuse of privileged information.

There was no immediate comment from Fitch.

A Fitch employee said: "It doesn't look serious to me."

European policymakers struggling to contain a debt crisis have grown increasingly critical of rating agencies, saying they have been too quick to downgrade indebted EU states despite bailouts and austerity programs.

U.S. authorities also reacted angrily when S&P stripped the United States of its cherished triple-A rating last August.

MARKET LOSSES

The Trani prosecutors began their investigation last year, alleging that reports by Standard & Poor's and Moody's on Italy and its banking system provoked sharp losses on the Milan stock market.

The probe was extended to S&P's decision to downgrade Italy earlier this month, and now to Fitch's threatened ratings cut.

S&P's Milan offices were searched on January 19 and visited again by prosecutor Ruggiero on Tuesday.

Last week's search order for S&P's offices, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said S&P's downgrade of Italy's sovereign rating on January 13 was based on "untruthful, tendentious, incoherent and unfair" assessments and data.

It also said news of the imminent downgrade was leaked when markets were still open, adding the agencies' actions and reports on Italy caused "real damage to the financial market, with a slump in the share price of banks and/or of public debt."

S&P rejected the allegations.

"S&P did not divulge any of its own ratings decisions on the sovereign debt of European countries before the official release of January 13," it said, adding that none of the agency's controlling shareholders had had access to its data or reports before they were released in the public domain.

It also dismissed as groundless the prosecutors' assertion that its ratings decisions were based on incorrect information.

"The statement that S&P could have a political or economic agenda on Italy or on the euro zone is unfounded," it said.

Moody's has said it takes the dissemination of market sensitive information very seriously and is cooperating with authorities.

The probe in Trani, a small town in southern Italy, was opened after a complaint by two consumer groups over the market impact of S&P and Moody's reports about Italy.

The consumer groups have said they had first contacted prosecutors in Milan and Rome but had been turned down.

Judicial sources said Milan's chief prosecutor, who on Monday put out a statement to say his office was not investigating S&P in relation to its rating assessments, believed there was not enough information to warrant a probe.

An investigative source said the Trani prosecutors hoped to conclude their probe by the end of January.

(Additional reporting by Antonella Ciancio, Stephen Jewkes and Giulio Piovaccari; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter and David Cowell)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/bs_nm/us_italy_fitch

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Lana Del Rey's Born To Die Leaks

A quick listen to her much-discussed major-label debut finds an artist going big, often.
By James Montgomery

Lana Del Rey in "Born To Die"
Photo: Interscope

You remember that meme from a couple years back about how everything seems more epic when it's set to Sigur Rós music? That's a pretty nice way of summing up how I feel about Lana Del Rey's Born to Die album, which leaked Tuesday (January 24) and which you may very well be listening to on your computer/ mobile device at this very moment.

Simply put, it is a record that is positively brimming with atmospherics — soaring, sonorous strings, echoing electronic boom-bap, morose, maudlin guitar crescendos — all of which imbue it with a truly epic (if not unnecessarily dramatic) scope. Del Rey's critics will undoubtedly point out that scope as nothing more than cover for her perceived shortcomings as a performer, but it still makes Born to Die a rather thrilling headphones experience. This is an album that sounds like it cost a million bucks to make — mostly because it probably did.

This is not to say that Born to Die is a bad album — far from it. In fact, it's certainly w-a-a-y better than most would've expected (tellingly, even less will admit to that fact), and Del Rey does showcase some rather deft songwriting prowess — or at least a knack for penning a catchy chorus — particularly on the album's few bright moments, like "Off to the Races," "Diet MTN Dew" and "Radio."

The majority of the tracks you've already heard — "Born to Die," "Blue Jeans," "Video Games" — are prominently placed at the front of the album, and the back half does tend to drag a bit, though, aside from all the additional ephemera (which does leave the album sounding a bit same-y, not to mention cribbed from the Portishead playbook, circa 1997), those are perhaps my biggest criticisms about the album.

Other folks, of course, may have a different opinion. The biggest dart fired at Del Rey seems to be her perceived lack of authenticity, and it's admittedly difficult not to think of criticism like that when she's cooing lines like "Every time I close my eyes/ It's like a dark paradise." Particularly on an album where she spends so much time singing about material excesses (top-shelf booze, glimmering swimming pools, fashion, etc.). Still, no matter how you view her, you've got to give Del Rey and her team credit for creating an album that fills the room and the headphones. Regardless of how they got to this point, it's been a pretty compelling thing to watch come together.

Have you checked out Lana Del Rey's debut album yet? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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• Lana Del Rey

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677852/lana-del-rey-born-to-die-leaks.jhtml

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LA detective in Simpson-Goldman murders dies at 70 (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Philip Vannatter, the Los Angeles police detective who served as a lead investigator in the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, has died.

His brother, Joe, says Vannatter died Friday in Southern California of complications from cancer. He was 70.

Vannatter spent 28 years with the LAPD, mostly as a homicide detective. He later consulted on cold-case murders.

He was among the first detectives on the scene at former football star O.J. Simpson's mansion in June 1994, following the stabbing deaths of Simpson's wife Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. Vannatter testified at the murder trial, at which Simpson was acquitted.

In 1977, Vannatter conducted the investigation that led to the arrest of film director Roman Polanski on charges of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obits/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120122/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_philip_vannatter

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Five lessons learned from the South Carolina primary (Washington Post)

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

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Paula Deen Abdicated Personal Responsibility (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | When Paula Deen, self-proclaimed queen of all food Southern-style, announced Jan. 18 that not only does she have Type 2 diabetes but she is going to be a spokeswoman for the pharmaceutical company that produces the diabetes medication she takes, the public was only partially surprised. After all, the recipes she cheerfully shared with her audience never lacked in calories or cholesterol.

Perhaps to soften the blow that felt a lot like being duped by this woman who so many have cheerfully invited into their homes via television and Deen's cookbooks, she announced she would be donating some of her compensation from her new business partner to the American Diabetes Association, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

There was little surprise the food Deen has touted could lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes. The surprise, as I see it, was she had been diagnosed with the condition three years earlier and not only had not disclosed it but continued without change to promote the high-fat, high-calorie foods and recipes to her audiences.

Susan Levin, dietitian and director of nutrition education with the organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, writing for TheProvince.com, finds a kernel of hope in Deen's future and her ability to do right by her viewers by changing the previously heavily meat-and-fat laden recipes with more vegetable and whole grain ingredients. Any positive attention brought to the topic of the association between diet and the development of type 2 diabetes can only bring good things.

But it would have also been helpful if Deen had explained how the food she regales and cooks is part of the reason she developed diabetes. I could hold the woman in some positive esteem if she would explain why she hid her diagnosis until it was financially lucrative to let the cat out of the bag.

Maybe if there weren't three more years of food and recipes touted to her audiences, without any serious caveats or concern for the health of her viewers, maybe then I could feel as if Deen were accepting some personal responsibility for her inactions. As it stands, I can only see a person driven by greed.

Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/meds/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120122/hl_ac/10868233_paula_deen_abdicated_personal_responsibility

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Hollywood body parts identified as retiree

By msnbc.com staff

?

Updated 12:10 a.m. ET Saturday:? The man whose head, hands and feet were found in the Hollywood Hills was identified by police as 67-year-old retiree Hervey Medellin. Medellin was a resident of a Hollywood apartment building investigators searched earlier in the day. Sources told the Los Angeles Times that Medellin was a former Mexicana Airlines employee.

Original story

LOS ANGELES -- Authorities have identified the man whose head, hands and feet were found in the Hollywood Hills, but have not yet released his name, officials said Friday.

Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter told NBCLosAngeles.com that the name was being withheld at the request of the Los Angeles police detectives who are continuing to investigate the crime.?Officials?also want to notify?the man's family before releasing the information to the public, the television website reported.??

On Thursday evening, police?served a search warrant?in an apartment complex in Hollywood, close to Sunset Boulevard and Vine Streets, according to the Los Angeles Times. They towed a silver Honda from the building, the Times reported.

Although no arrests have been made in the case, the Times is reporting that at least one person was questioned by detectives Thursday. Sources close to the investigation said police were also looking to?talk to at least one other man.

Meanwhile, investigators in California were downplaying any possible connection between the body parts case in Los Angeles and a dismembered body found earlier this month in a rural area of Tuscon, Ariz.

Read more about the Hollywood case on NBCLosAngeles.com

"It's fairly implausible that somebody would drive parts of a dead body five hours from Arizona to our Griffith Park," Los Angeles Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith told Reuters.

Smith added?there was also no evidence that the?man in California was the victim of organized crime or a serial killer.

Arizona sheriff?officials say they are are awaiting DNA results, expected Tuesday, to try to definitively rule out any connection between the two cases. ?

Pima County Sheriff's Deputy Dawn Barkman said two men were cutting grass along the side of?a rural road on Jan. 6 found?a body?without a head, hands or feet. Investigators determined the body had been in that location for only 24 hours, and a search turned up none of the missing body parts, she said.

Los Angeles police?believe their victim was killed elsewhere and the body parts were buried?or hidden to deter identification, according to NBCLosAngeles.com.

?They may have been disturbed by animals, but initially they were left off trail and not intended to be found,?? Smith told the NBC website.

By early afternoon?Thursday, police ended their search in the Hollywood Hills area for the parts, after determining that major portions of the remains ? the torso, the arms and the legs ? were not in the park, NBC reported.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/20/10199808-hollywood-body-parts-identified-name-withheld

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Obama Kills the Pipeline and Stalls America (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Not only Republicans are outraged over Obama's decision to once more, stall the XL Pipeline, unions are too. Yet, undeterred by the pleas of job-hungry Americans the Obama administration has said no. Citing concerns for the environment, the president has once more placed his political agenda over the needs of our country.

Let's face it, America runs on oil. We all like the idea of getting away from dependence on fossil fuels, but we are not there yet. Society is not ready to give up everything it has and embrace the Chevy Volt. Even if we were, the need for oil still exists. There are factories, power companies, military needs and an entire nation of people that depend on the black gold. For the near future, America will rely on oil. It makes good sense to get it from a friendly neighbor instead of depending on oil from volatile nations.

America needs jobs. It has been reported the pipeline would bring 20,000 new jobs to the U.S. Obama's decision to stall the project has directly caused thousands of Americans to suffer. Logic and common sense clearly dictates the positive effects the pipeline would bring. Putting people to work, less dependence on oil from the middle east, a more substantial tax base, just to name a few.

Canada took considerable steps to ensure the environmental sanctity of the areas the pipeline would run through. Our northern neighbor has bent over backwards in its attempts to satisfy the needs of everyone involved. With Obama's rejection of the pipeline, Canada will probably sell the oil to China. That would insure our continued dependence on Middle East oil, and that would be ironic and foolish.

President Obama has thrown opportunity for our country out the window in favor of his own selfish ideals. It is unconscionable to forsake the needs of the many to pursue one's own desire, but this is exactly what Obama has done. His mind is living in a fantasy world of green that cannot be accomplished, and he does not care. He has abandoned his oath of office, and ignored the pleas of the entire nation in hopes that it all will somehow be OK.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120120/us_ac/10861125_obama_kills_the_pipeline_and_stalls_america

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Silva: Breaking down AFC, NFC championship games

The strengths, weaknesses and X-factors for Pats-Ravens, 49ers-Giants

Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Can Patriots quarterback Tom Brady pick apart the Ravens' defense?

ANALYSIS

updated 12:41 a.m. ET Jan. 19, 2012

Evan Silva

The NFL's crucial weekend has arrived. Four teams, two title games and the winners advance to Super Bowl XLVI.

Here's breakdown of the divisional games this weekend, which focuses on each team's strengths, weaknesses, X-factors and the keys to winning.

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (CBS)

Ravens must: Get big-time throws from Joe Flacco.

In terms of physical skills, Flacco is plenty capable of shouldering an offensive load and pouring points on an opponent with the pass game. Flacco's stumbling blocks have been deliberate in-pocket decision making and a receiver corps that struggles to create separation.

No defense this season has shown the ability to stop New England's passing attack; double teaming Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker has resulted in monster games for Aaron Hernandez. The Ravens will have to rack up yards and points to keep pace, and the best way to do it against New England's porous secondary will be via Flacco's arm.

Patriots must: Take away Ray Rice.

The Ravens make it no secret that the rushing attack is their offensive foundation, and that Flacco is most effective managing games. Including the playoffs, Flacco has averaged just 26 pass attempts in his last eight contests while Rice has been Baltimore's offensive centerpiece.

New England's run defense has stiffened lately, holding a Broncos rushing offense that ranked first in the league during the regular season to 144 yards on 40 divisional-round carries (3.6 YPC). The Pats were stuffing the run late in the game, even up by several touchdowns. Stopping Rice would effectively remove the Ravens from their comfort zone.

X-Factor: Patriots defensive tackle Kyle Love.

A 310-pound fire hydrant, Love has emerged as arguably New England's top run defender a year removed from going undrafted out of Mississippi State. Teaming with more well-known Vince Wilfork, Love gives the Patriots two immovable big-bellied pluggers on the interior. Generating push against Ravens linemen Marshal Yanda, Matt Birk, and Ben Grubbs will be vital for New England's chances of containing Rice. When Rice gets to the perimeter, weak-side 'backer Jerod Mayo and safety Pat Chung must be there to clean up.

Prediction: Patriots 27, Ravens 23

N.Y. Giants at San Francisco 49ers
When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

Giants must: Make Alex Smith beat them without Vernon Davis.

Assigning safety Kenny Phillips to Davis may be coordinator Perry Fewell's best bet. While they've gotten better in the playoffs, it's worth noting that New York struggled mightily in tight end coverage to end the regular season. In their final nine games, the Giants allowed league highs in receptions (63) and touchdowns (8) to opponents at position, along with a weekly average of over 76 yards and seven catches.

The stats suggest Davis will have a very big night if the Giants defend as they did for much of 2011, and loudmouthed Antrel Rolle did team no service by lashing out at Davis in the media this week.

49ers must: Continue to create takeaways.

The Niners set the tone in last week's divisional-round upset, as safety Donte Whitner delivered a fumble-causing blow to tailback Pierre Thomas to kill a promising Saints first drive. All told, San Francisco created five turnovers against New Orleans.

The 49ers can't count on Smith to repeat his career-best performance, but they can control the game with their physical, aggressive defense. Individual matchups to watch include Tarell Brown on Hakeem Nicks, Carlos Rogers versus Victor Cruz in the slot, and Mario Manningham against rookie Chris Culliver. As a unit, the Niners' secondary played its best game of the year last week.

X-Factor: Giants center David Baas.

49ers defensive end Justin Smith was a one-man wrecking crew throughout the regular season, and finally caught national attention with a dominant showing against the Saints. Credited with a sack, tackle for loss, and five hurries, Smith was the most ferocious lineman of the divisional round.

On passing downs, Smith often rushes from the interior, where he'll attempt to split double teams from Baas and left guard Kevin Boothe. A former 49er, Baas lined up against Smith in practice for three seasons before defecting to New York in 2011. More so than any center in the league, Baas is familiar with Smith's moves and bull rush.

Prediction: Giants 20, 49ers 17

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46046699/ns/sports-nfl/

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GOP leaders slow to embrace Romney _ or his rivals

Republican presidential candidates, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, participate in the Republican presidential candidate debate at the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Republican presidential candidates, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, participate in the Republican presidential candidate debate at the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Mitt Romney may be the front-runner for the GOP nomination for president, but he has yet to win over most of the national party leaders whose help he will need to defeat President Barack Obama in November.

The upside for Romney: They aren't supporting anyone else either.

The Associated Press has polled 87 members of the Republican National Committee who are to attend the party's national convention this summer as free agent delegates, able to support any candidate for president they choose, regardless of what happens in the primaries.

The results: Romney got support from 14, far more than anyone else but hardly a stampede of endorsements. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry got two each, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum each got one. The poll was completed before Perry dropped out of the race Thursday.

Sixty-seven of the RNC members contacted by the AP said they were undecided or simply waiting to see how the race plays out before making a public endorsement.

"If I thought there was someone who stood head and shoulders above everyone else, I would have endorsed," said Jeff Johnson, an RNC member and county commissioner from Minnesota. "I see pluses in all of them, but I decided not to come out in favor of anybody."

Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Robert Gleason said he saw no reason to endorse anyone because a competitive primary is good for the party and the eventual nominee by vetting the candidate while generating publicity and excitement about the race.

"It's working out great for us, and one of these people that is competing with (Romney) could end up being vice president," Gleason said. "I'm pleased with the way things are developing. We're getting all the publicity. It's been pretty favorable for us."

Romney appeared to finish slightly ahead of Santorum in the hours after the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3. However, the Iowa GOP certified vote totals Thursday showing Santorum ahead of Romney. The party decided not to declare a winner because of problems with a few precinct reports.

Romney won handily in New Hampshire last week, and he leads his Republican rivals in the polls nationally and in South Carolina, which votes Saturday. Still, the former Massachusetts governor has been unable to solidify support from many Republicans, some of whom question his conservative credentials.

Stephen Scheffler, an RNC member from Iowa, said he would support Romney if he were the nominee, but he's not excited about the prospect, despite Romney's finish in Iowa.

"He doesn't want to talk to certain segments of the Republican Party," Scheffler said of Romney. "If he's the nominee and they open all these victory offices across Iowa, it's going to be pretty challenging to find volunteers."

Each state plus the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories gets three members on the Republican National Committee. All of them are automatically invited to attend the party's national convention in Tampa, Fla., in August, with a few exceptions. The RNC members from New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan and Arizona have been excluded ? for now ? as part of the penalties they received for holding primaries earlier than party rules allowed.

In many states, RNC members must support the winner of primaries or caucuses in their states. The AP identified 37 states and territories in which the RNC members will be free to support any candidate they choose.

AP reporters started contacting the 111 RNC delegates from these states after Romney won the New Hampshire primary. They were able to reach nearly 80 percent of them.

The RNC delegates make up less than 5 percent of the 2,286 delegates slated to attend the GOP convention, giving them little power to determine the nominee. But these party leaders will be expected to provide manpower, money, local connections and expertise this fall, when the GOP nominee will rely on the party faithful to help defeat Obama.

It will take 1,144 delegates to win the GOP nomination. Romney now has 33 delegates, including those won in primaries and caucuses as well as endorsements from RNC members. Santorum is next with 13.

Joseph Trillo, a state lawmaker and RNC member from Rhode Island, said his support for Romney comes down to political pragmatism.

"He's the only one who I know can beat Obama," Trillo said.

Herbert Schoenbohm, the GOP chairman in the Virgin Islands, said that beating Obama is important, but his support for Romney goes much deeper.

"I'm for (Romney) because he has the best leadership skills," Schoenbohm said in a phone interview. "He made it work in Massachusetts, and that was hard to do in a Democratic state."

Lawrence Kadish, an RNC member from Long Island, N.Y., challenged that assessment, saying Gingrich "towers head and shoulders over those other candidates. I don't view Mr. Romney as having a deep rudder, but he's OK."

___

Lauren Johnert, Associated Press deputy manager for election research and quality control, contributed to this report, along with AP writers Pat Condon in St. Paul, Minn., Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., Mike Glover in Des Moines, Iowa, David Klepper in Providence, R.I., and George M. Walsh in Albany, N.Y.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-20-GOP%20Superdelegates/id-b69188d4adc942e59805572219faa158

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Latest homeless victim feared he was being stalked (AP)

SANTA ANA, Calif. ? The latest homeless victim of a suspected serial killer filed a police report the day before he died, saying he feared he was being stalked.

It was one of nearly 600 leads and tips that officers received, but police didn't have a chance to follow up.

"It is unfortunate that we didn't get to him before the suspect did," Anaheim Police Chief John Welter said.

Itzcoatl Ocampo was arrested Friday night when witnesses chased him down after a man was stabbed to death outside a fast-food restaurant in Anaheim, about 26 miles southeast of Los Angeles, authorities said. He was caught with blood on his hands and face, authorities say.

The Iraq War veteran was charged Tuesday with four counts of murder and special allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait and use of a deadly weapon. Three victims were stabbed more than 40 times each with a single-edged blade at least 7-inches long.

Ocampo was due to appear in court on Wednesday, but his attorney said his arraignment would likely be postponed since he was not allowed inside the jail to speak with his client over the weekend and has met with him only briefly.

Defense attorney Randall Longwith declined to comment on the allegations. He said Ocampo is being held in a mental ward.

"I walked in, he was curled up in a blanket," Longwith said. "He looked like a wet puppy dog."

Ocampo selected the last victim, 64-year-old John Berry, after he was featured in a Los Angeles Times story about the killing spree, prosecutors said.

"He was a monster," Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said at a news conference. "He was a terrible threat, particularly to the homeless people in our community."

Ocampo would stalk each of his victims, then stab them repeatedly with a knife that could cut through bone, authorities said.

Authorities declined to say whether they had identified a motive. Rackauckas said he had no indication that Ocampo was mentally ill.

Ocampo's family said the 23-year-old was a troubled man after he returned from Iraq in 2008.

If convicted, Ocampo faces a minimum sentence of life in prison without parole. Authorities have not decided whether to seek the death penalty.

The killing spree began in December, prompting police and advocates to fan out across the county, which is known as the home to Disneyland and multimillion-dollar beachfront homes, to urge the homeless to sleep in groups or in one of two wintertime shelters.

Ocampo's arrest was the latest violent crime involving a veteran. This month, an Iraq War veteran fatally shot a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park and died later as he fled police across the mountain's snow-covered slopes.

Veterans Affairs officials say such high-profile violence can paint an inaccurate picture of returning veterans. The cases, however, raise the issue of veterans having a difficult time adjusting back into civilian life.

To help, the VA created a program to assist veterans in readjusting to their lives and avoid repeated brushes with the law. "We've seen over and over again that once they access those services, we can help them," VA spokesman Josh Taylor said.

A neighbor who is a Vietnam veteran and Ocampo's father both tried to push him to get treatment at a VA hospital, but he refused. His father, Refugio Ocampo, said, his son came back from his deployment a changed man.

He said his son expressed disillusionment and became ever darker as he struggled to find his way.

After Ocampo was discharged in 2010 and returned home, his parents separated. The same month, one of his friends, a corporal, was killed during combat in Afghanistan. His brother said Ocampo visited his friend's grave twice a week.

Like the men Ocampo is accused of preying on, his father is homeless. His father lost his job and ended up living under a bridge before finding shelter in the cab of a broken-down big-rig he is helping to repair.

Days before his arrest, Ocampo visited his father, warning him of the danger of being homeless. He showed him a picture of one of the slain men, his father said.

"He was very worried about me," his father said. "I told him, `Don't worry. I'm a survivor. Nothing will happen to me.'"

As fear spread through the homeless community, police last week set up road blockades to seek help from members of the public in tracking down a suspect. Ocampo, who appeared to relish the media spotlight, passed through the checkpoints twice but did not draw attention to himself, Rackauckas said.

In addition to Berry, James Patrick McGillivray, 53, was killed near a shopping center in Placentia on Dec. 20. The body of Lloyd Middaugh, 42, was found near a riverbed trail in Anaheim on Dec. 28. The third victim, Paulus Smit, 57, was stabbed to death outside a library in Yorba Linda on Dec. 30.

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_us/us_homeless_homicides

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The Brawl

The South Carolina primary is 36 hours away, and the debate capped one of the nuttiest campaign days in recent memory. Mitt Romney's lead is slipping, but we don't know by how much. Iowa Republicans declared Santorum the new winner of their caucuses, overturning Romney?s eight-vote victory.? Rick Perry quit his campaign (perhaps just to avoid another debate) and endorsed Gingrich. Gingrich, the candidate of the moment, suddenly faced accusations from his ex-wife, who claimed he had advocated for an "open marriage," when he was having an affair with the woman who sat in the debate audience as his current wife.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4ad8d08bd9ed3b5ac0f38444bc9b261f

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BAFTA 2012 Nominations: 'The Artist,' 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' Lead Nominees

LONDON -- It's spry versus spy as frothy silent movie "The Artist" and moody thriller "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" lead the race for the British Academy Film Awards, Britain's equivalent of the Oscars.

"The Artist" received 12 nominations and "Tinker Tailor" 11, with each film up for best picture and director, and best actor nominations for leading men Jean Dujardin and Gary Oldman.

The other best-film nominees announced Tuesday were "The Descendants," "Drive" and "The Help."

In a diverse field not dominated by any single film, there are also multiple nominations for "Hugo," "My Week With Marilyn," "The Iron Lady" and "The Help."

The nominations are another feather in the cap of "The Artist," a black and white French film about a silent film actor's fall with the rise of talkies.

And they are a boost for "Tinker Tailor," an atmospheric adaptation of John le Carre's espionage classic that has received rave reviews but has so far been snubbed during the U.S. awards season.

The best actor contest pits Oldman and Dujardin against Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," George Clooney for "The Descendants" and Michael Fassbender for "Shame."

The best actress category includes two performers playing real-life icons ? Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn" and Meryl Streep as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

The other nominees are Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Viola Davis for "The Help."

The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony at London's Royal Opera House on Feb. 12. They are considered an important indicator of prospects at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles two weeks later.

In recent years, the awards, known as BAFTAs, have helped small British films gain momentum for Hollywood success.

In 2010, Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" won seven BAFTAs, including best film; it went on to take eight Oscars. Last year "The King's Speech" won seven BAFTAs and four Oscars, including best picture.

"My Week With Marilyn," the story of the movie legend's time shooting an ill-starred comedy in England, received six BAFTA nominations, including a supporting-actor nod for Kenneth Branagh, who plays Laurence Olivier.

He is up against Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Jim Broadbent for "The Iron Lady," Jonah Hill for "Moneyball" and Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Ides of March."

The supporting actress category features Carey Mulligan for "Drive," Jessica Chastain for "The Help," Judi Dench for "My Week With Marilyn," Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids" and Olivia Spencer for "The Help."

The multinational best-director contest pits Denmark's Nicholas Winding Refn, for the turbocharged "Drive," against France's Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Sweden's Tomas Alfredson for "Tinker Tailor," Britain's Lynne Ramsay for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Martin Scorsese of the United States for "Hugo."

The best British film category contains "My Week With Marilyn," racing documentary "Senna," sex-addiction drama "Shame," family tragedy "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."

Steven Spielberg's equine adventure "War Horse" was overlooked in the major categories but gained five nominations including cinematography, visual effects and music.

FULL LIST:

BEST FILM

THE ARTIST Thomas Langmann
THE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
DRIVE Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
THE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo,
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno,
Rory Stewart Kinnear

LEADING ACTOR

BRAD PITT Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY The Descendants
JEAN DUJARDIN The Artist
MICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame

LEADING ACTRESS

B?R?NICE BEJO The Artist
MERYL STREEP The Iron Lady
MICHELLE WILLIAMS My Week with Marilyn
TILDA SWINTON We Need to Talk About Kevin
VIOLA DAVIS The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Beginners
JIM BROADBENT The Iron Lady
JONAH HILL Moneyball
KENNETH BRANAGH My Week with Marilyn
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

CAREY MULLIGAN Drive
JESSICA CHASTAIN The Help
JUDI DENCH My Week with Marilyn
MELISSA MCCARTHY Bridesmaids
OCTAVIA SPENCER The Help

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ATTACK THE BLOCK Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)
BLACK POND Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst
(Producer)
CORIOLANUS Ralph Fiennes (Director)
SUBMARINE Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer)
TYRANNOSAUR Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
INCENDIES Denis Villeneuve, Luc Dery, Kim McGraw
PINA Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
POTICHE Francois Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
A SEPARATION Asghar Farhadi
THE SKIN I LIVE IN Pedro Almodovar, Agustin Almodovar

DOCUMENTARY

GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD Martin Scorsese
PROJECT NIM James Marsh, Simon Chinn
SENNA Asif Kapadia

ANIMATED FILM

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Steven Spielberg
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Sarah Smith
RANGO Gore Verbinski

DIRECTOR

THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE Nicolas Winding Refn
HUGO Martin Scorsese
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius
BRIDESMAIDS Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
THE GUARD John Michael McDonagh
THE IRON LADY Abi Morgan
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE DESCENDANTS Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
THE HELP Tate Taylor
THE IDES OF MARCH George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
MONEYBALL Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

ORIGINAL MUSIC

THE ARTIST Ludovic Bource
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
HUGO Howard Shore
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Alberto Iglesias
WAR HORSE John Williams

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE ARTIST Guillaume Schiffman
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Jeff Cronenweth
HUGO Robert Richardson
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Hoyte van Hoytema
WAR HORSE Janusz Kaminski

EDITING

THE ARTIST Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE Mat Newman
HUGO Thelma Schoonmaker
SENNA Gregers Sall, Chris King
TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY Dino Jonsater

PRODUCTION DESIGN

THE ARTIST Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
HUGO Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
WAR HORSE Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN

THE ARTIST Mark Bridges
HUGO Sandy Powell
JANE EYRE Michael O'Connor
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jill Taylor
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Jacqueline Durran

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE ARTIST Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
HUGO Morag Ross, Jan Archibald
THE IRON LADY Marese Langan
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jenny Shircore

SOUND

THE ARTIST Nadine Muse, Gerard Lamps, Michael Krikorian
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker,
Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener
HUGO Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths,
Andy Shelley
WAR HORSE Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Joe Letteri
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler,
David Vickery
HUGO Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White
WAR HORSE Ben Morris, Neil Corbould

SHORT ANIMATION

ABUELAS Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner
BOBBY YEAH Robert Morgan
A MORNING STROLL Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM

CHALK Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini
MWANSA THE GREAT Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet
ONLY SOUND REMAINS Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar
PITCH BLACK HEIST John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn
TWO AND TWO Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen

THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

ADAM DEACON
CHRIS HEMSWORTH
CHRIS O'DOWD
EDDIE REDMAYNE
TOM HIDDLESTON

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/bafta-awards-2012-nominations_n_1209947.html

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