Pro-EU Niinisto wins Finnish presidency: early results (Reuters)

HELSINKI (Reuters) ? Pro-Europe politician Sauli Niinisto won Finland's presidency, according to early results in Sunday's run-off election, showing voters want to keep the country in the euro zone despite their misgivings over European Union bailouts.

The former finance minister won the symbolic leadership post with 63 percent support with 98 percent of the vote counted, defeating pro-euro Greens Party candidate Pekka Haavisto.

The two had beaten anti-euro candidates, Paavo Vayrynen of the Center party and Timo Soini of the Finns Party, in an earlier round last month.

The weak showing by the euro skeptics was a relief for Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, who like Niinisto is a member of the National Coalition party which supports conservative economic policy and liberal social values.

As president, Niinisto will have little executive power beyond military and foreign affairs and must suspend his party affiliation, but his role is high-profile and he has potential influence over public opinion.

An anti-EU president may have put pressure on Katainen to take a harder line on the bloc's bailout of member states.

Niinisto is also supportive of tough fiscal reforms that Katainen is pushing in order to plug its deficit and make sure it retains its triple-A debt rating.

Niinisto - a former lawyer and banker - is credited with leading the small Nordic economy toward growth following the collapse of the Soviet Union during his tenure as finance minister from 1996 to 2001.

Some analysts had expected a stronger showing by anti-euro candidates after Soini's Finns Party made strong gains in parliamentary elections last April. The party is now the biggest opposition group.

Analysts said economic concerns may have persuaded voters to choose a steady and pragmatic pair of hands.

"In tough times people want to believe that somebody is in control of the economy," said University of Helsinki professor Tuomo Martikainen.

Niinisto may have also benefited from a backlash against euro skeptic politicians after some Finns Party candidates made highly publicized racist and homophobic remarks.

While Haavisto, the first openly gay presidential candidate, conceded with 37 percent, his success in the first round was a triumph for his party, a minor member of government with only 10 out of 200 seats in parliament.

President Tarja Halonen was elected as the country's first female president in 2000 and re-elected in 2006. She steps down having served the maximum 12 years in office.

(Reporting by Ritsuko Ando and Terhi Kinnunen)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120205/wl_nm/us_finland

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The Other Us: Women and the Gaming Community - addicted ...

girl_gamer_img

For as long as the human race has existed, our vast and wonderful dissimilarities have always divided us, and even thousands of years of enlightenment have failed to completely erase that instinctive impulse to mentally differentiate ourselves from others.? The gaming community has long been a target of blatant and unwarranted stereotyping by the bulk of society.? Of course, as gamers we all know that we are not a collective of socially inept basement dwellers.? We are a lively, diverse, and proud group of people united not by age, occupation, or social aptitude, but by our shared passion.? We are all unique.? We are all different.

But do our differences divide us against each other?

There is a long-standing, widely accepted preconception that the gaming world is, for the most part, male dominated.? I suppose this could be at least partly attributed to the socially accepted gender roles instilled into us from childhood, but what really drives this idea of correlation between video games and 18-24 year old males into the minds of both gamers and the general public?? The video game industry itself is probably the most significant contributor; their marketing campaigns are almost always designed to target this very specific audience.? Though it is not intended to be offensive or discriminatory, such marketing techniques tend to leave the uninformed mind with the suggestion that young men do indeed dominate the gaming world.? Similar exhibitions of gender bias can also be observed in the field of video game journalism, with relevant examples being Spike TV?s frequent use of female sex appeal in its coverage of gaming events and Game Informer magazine?s all male editing staff.

While the professional industry does have a significant impact on the mentality of the gaming community, it is the members themselves (male and female alike) who perpetuate the segregation of female gamers.? Online harassment, for example, is an issue many women feel that they have commonly faced while playing games.? Alexis, 19, says, ?I feel like it should stop.? I am not an Xbox owner, however, I do hear from my galpals that whenever they?re playing, it?s typically this little brat or?sleazeball?on the other end asking, ?Are you a girl? Are you hot?? What does physical appearance have to do with being a good gamer??? Her friend, Shea, 19, shared a similar sentiment:? ?Certain games like Halo and Call of Duty are fun to play with friends, but I have been harassed by online players in the past because of my gender.?

Though I can?t deny that my inbox has seen quite a few rather distasteful and, in many cases, obscene messages from fellow Xbox Live players, gender is not necessarily to blame.? Online anonymity and the lack of real-world consequences to one?s actions have resulted in a pandemic of harassment and chronic misbehavior in the online gaming world.? This phenomenon has been studied by psychologists and officially been named the ?Online Disinhibition Effect,? more colloquially known as John Gabriel?s ?Greater Internet F**kwad Theory.?

If a person is inclined to practice antisocial and inappropriate behavior on the Internet, gender is unlikely to make them more or less likely to do so.? It may, however, put a bigger bulls-eye on a player?s back if she happens to be a woman, as these people apparently tend to target players who are different, especially those belonging to groups which have been historically oppressed.? Besides women, other common victims of online harassment include homosexuals, racial minorities, and members of the Jewish faith.? Many words associated with these groups have been so abused by players that they have been banned on Xbox Live.? The Online Disinhibition Effect and its association with online gaming have led to controversy regarding how serious a problem harassment really is and how it should be handled.? Are these people truly sexist, racist, anti-Semitic homophobes?? Or are they just socially misguided individuals who have been spoiled by (and, in turn, spoiled) the concept of online anonymity?? As with many issues plaguing the gaming community and inherent in society itself, there is no clear or fair answer.

Women, like other gamers, have different reactions to online harassment.? Some simply do not partake in online gameplay.? Some will fight fire with fire and insult the perpetrators right back.? But probably the most common and effective method for any gamers who encounter this nuisance is to accept that it is part of online gaming, deal with it maturely and appropriately when it happens, and not take anything personally.? This should not be a problem for any woman with a thick enough skin to identify themselves with a title that is normally thought to be reserved for men.? As the Assistant Community Manager at Bungie, the developers of the popular Marathon and Halo series, put it, ?Female gamers are brave to stake out territory in a landscape where they are in the severe minority. Ironically enough, the best tailgunner who has ever ?manned? the gun platform of my Warthog is a female gamer. She is also the best sniper on my team. She would break your heart, if she wasn?t busy sending a bullet through it.?

Have some lead with that sandwich.

That quote seems to contradict one of the two major stereotypes that I?ve discovered targeted at female gamers:? That they suck.

?I have been told by my guy friends that cause I am a girl I must suck at playing games,? recalls Kari, 19.

I?ll be the first to admit that I?m not the best person to have on the team in a game of Slayer.? But let?s all be honest with ourselves.? We?ve all seen guys who just can?t play Call of Duty worth a damn, despite the fact that they have the ?correct? set of genitalia to do so. All of us are practically unbeatable at some games and completely inept at others, regardless of gender.? We all have our talents.? We all have our shortcomings.? Practice, dedication, and personal gaming preferences are certainly relevant factors used to determine a player?s likely skill, but there is no rational explanation for why some men seem to feel that their female counterparts will fail to live up to their standards of ability in online multiplayer games.? So why are the ladies, as a whole, prejudged to be bad at games?? Emily, 17, offers her opinion:? ?We are? treated unfairly. ?Also, the guys feel like [gaming] is their territory and I think that they are a little territorial over their video games and don?t like us interfering.?? It is worth noting that women have historically faced harsh resistance and intolerance from men when trying to push into fields that were traditionally their territory, such as the workplace and the military.? Change is simply not easily accepted.

The other common stereotype branded upon female gamers is that their presence in the gaming world signifies that they are somehow inadequate as women.? Accusations of being overweight or otherwise physically unappealing are common online insults hurled at female players.? These accusations are usually laughable due to the utter irrationality of insulting the appearance of someone without ever seeing her.? In fact, there is a website (appropriately called fatuglyorslutty.com) where women are encouraged to share these experiences.? The idea that female gamers are ?sluts? stems from the misconception that women enter the gaming world looking to attract men or flaunt their sexuality.? Many adolescent and even adult males perceive the depiction of attractive women associated with video games as being sexually appealing.? But when they accuse female gamers of being ?sluts? or assume they are seeking out opportunities for intimacy, they are obviously viewing reality through a media-induced fog of unrealistic eroticism. ?Men will blame the women for trying to entice them, but who really assigns the concept of sexuality to women in gaming?

Some women will use their gender to garner attention or take advantage of the guys who find their interest in gaming attractive.? And, for the most part, they will be looked down upon for it. ??I have no problem with female gamers in general,? says forum-goer Antony, ?although it gets annoying when they look for attention just due to the fact they are a girl.? ?That kind of behavior makes all female gamers look bad, and the majority will not endorse or condone it.? To conclude that all the women in the gaming world are ?sluts? or ?looking for a man? because a few have so little integrity and self-respect that they would use their femininity to gain an advantage is simply unfair and quite frustrating.

In the same way that all groups of people are distinguished by their differences, the gaming world?s diversity invariably leads to disagreement and uninformed judgments.? The gaming world is a subdivision of society as a whole, and is therefore susceptible to all of the trials, conflicts, and prejudices inherent in it.? However, I believe that the overwhelming majority has reached the stage where differences matter less than similarities.? The only times when our differences become problematic and start to divide us is when we allow them to do so.? Gamers, as a community, have found a near-perfect balance between embracing their differences and clinging to traditional societal expectations.? There are the exceptions: ?when people hiding behind a false mask of online invulnerability make offensive comments, when women are prejudged for their ability, and when they are stereotyped to be looking for attention.? It is time we all made the balance perfect and each learned to accept and respect the ?other us.?

We are not guy gamers.? We are not girl gamers.? We are gamers.

from your own site.

Source: http://addicted-gamers.com/2012/02/04/the-other-us-women-and-the-gaming-community/

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Private Finance Suggestions Which Are Easy To Recognize ...

It requires a bit time and effort to understand good individual finance habits. When considered next to the time and income that may be wasted through poor financial management, however, putting some work into private finance education is a true bargain. This write-up gives some ideas which can help anyone manage their cash better.

Taxes

Once you invest inside a home there are many new elements that you need to know concerning your taxes. You might be going to get that you are now eligible for some deductions that you have been hardly ever eligible for in the past. It is possible to deduct the rate of interest on your mortgage and also your property taxes as an example.

A good personal finance tip will be to make sure you keep all of your receipts. You should hold on to the receipts so you can balance your checkbook. Receipts are also very important when it?s time to do your taxes as the IRS will at all times demand proof.

When it comes to filing income taxes, think of itemizing your deductions. To itemize it is a lot more paperwork, upkeep and organization to maintain, and prepare the paperwork needed for itemizing. Doing the paperwork required for itemizing is all well worth it in the event your regular deduction is lower than your itemized deduction.

Use an internet based digital calendar to track your individual finances. You may make note of when you should pay bills, do taxes, look at your credit score, and many other significant monetary matters. The calendar may be set to send you email alerts, so that you can remind you of when you have to get action.

Now you possibly can see just how much individual finance definitely affects almost every aspect in your life. Use this post so that you can have an easier time receiving your personal finances in order, and create your life a little much less stressful. Get your time and energy searching through the help and advice so you don?t make any big errors when it comes to your income.

If you would like extra facts about tax free savings, drop by Eura Q Corippo?s internet site immediately.

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Tags: finance, Taxes

Source: http://www.buzzblogger.info/health-news/private-finance-suggestions-which-are-easy-to-recognize.html

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Can US and Russia cut a deal on Syria action? Both sides to give it a try.

With Russia balking at even a watered down Syria resolution and the Arab League concerned by the UN text's weakening, Hillary Clinton is set to meet with Sergei Lavrov in Germany.

United Nations Security Council members contemplated a watered-down resolution on Syria Friday, with Russia balking at any wording that could be construed as support for ?regime change? targeting President Bashar al-Assad.

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But with Western powers anxious for some Syria action, and with Arab League supporters unhappy with the changes already made in the text and insisting they will accept no further weakening, prospects were growing for a last-ditch, high-level diplomatic encounter to salvage the resolution.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are set to meet on the margins of the weekend?s annual Munich Security Conference in Germany. The two will meet to discuss the Syria resolution among other issues, State Department officials said. Late Friday the Security Council scheduled a meeting for Saturday, but it was uncertain whether a vote would be taken.

The US wants a resolution on Syria, and thus the?support of the veto-wielding Russia, but it also wants any resolution?to contain the international community's demand for a political?transition in Syria, officials said.

"We want to see the Security Council speak in a unified and strong?fashion in support of the Syrian people," State Department spokesman?Mark Toner told reporters in Washington Friday. He said the resolution?must inform "the Syrian government that the violence needs to end and?a political transition needs to take place."

The week had started with widespread optimism that the Security Council was on the verge of passing something meaningful on Syria, aimed at quelling the country?s escalating violence. But by Thursday, Russian objections had stripped a Morocco-sponsored, Arab-backed resolution of two key elements: a call for Mr. Assad to step down to make way for a caretaker government and elections; and a ban on arms sales to any actor in the Syrian conflict.

Western diplomats said they were not happy to see the resolution ?defanged? of two important provisions, as one said, but that getting a resolution with Russian support would still send a strong message to Assad.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/YYHGQ-Zvndc/Can-US-and-Russia-cut-a-deal-on-Syria-action-Both-sides-to-give-it-a-try

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car insurance in florida . Flood Damage and Car Insurance | Ad ...

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Source: http://www.adweightloss.com/car-insurance-in-florida-flood-damage-and-car-insurance/

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Connie Arrigo, longtime stage-door guard, is fondly remembered ...

For years, Connie Arrigo was a fixture at the stage door of Orange County's most famous theater. The longtime Segerstrom Center for the Arts employee died Monday. She worked at the Center for 22 years, from one year after its 1986 opening until she was laid off with nine other staff members as a result of an early 2009 budget cut.

Many performers came to know and love Arrigo, whose salty personality and ready wit were as recognizable as her oversize spectacles and pulled-back white hair. She was the first person they encountered after entering Segerstom Hall's stage door on Avenue of the Arts.

Arrigo's nasally accent betrayed her East Coast roots. She was introduced to theater in her early teens. The daughter of a house painter, she was raised by her paternal grandmother in Asbury Park, N.J. She fell in love with the arts when she saw her first play, "The Member of the Wedding."

"After that, you couldn't keep me out of New York City," Arrigo told the Register in a 2005 profile. "I would get to Broadway somehow. It became a refuge. I never had any dreams of performing. Somehow, it was my cathedral, and I didn't want anything to interfere with that sanctuary. That's how personal it was ? and still is."

At 16, Arrigo got a full-time job for the phone company, moved to Long Branch and spent her spare time and change at big-band concerts, community theater performances, jazz clubs and Broadway shows.

In 1962, with her husband and two young children, she left the Jersey shore forever for California.

She got a divorce, a real-estate license and two triplexes on Balboa Peninsula in the mid-1970s. And after decades of attending the theater, she finally went to work for one ? first South Coast Repertory, then its 3,000-seat neighbor, known at the time as the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The late Charles Nelson Reilly bonded with her. The comedian would bring her frog-shaped jewelry whenever he visited the Center, and she got to sit in the front row at the opening night of his one-man autobiographical play at the Laguna Playhouse.

She once stopped Irvine native Will Ferrell as he tried to enter her sanctum. The actor-comedian wanted to see Jerry Seinfeld backstage. She wasn't having any of it.

"Hi, I'm Will Ferrell," he said.

"Yeah? I'm Lucy Arnaz," she responded.

Not missing a beat, Ferrell asked, "How's Desi?"

Arrigo couldn't resist a good one-liner. She let Ferrell backstage.

"Connie's positive energy and delightful sense of humor will be deeply missed," said Segerstrom Center president Terrence W. Dwyer. "She was absolutely passionate about the arts. Her love embraced all styles and disciplines, and that translated into a devotion to the artists who performed here. They became her extended family, and she gained many fans among performers."

Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com


Source: http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/arrigo-338788-center-arts.html

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The Correlation Between Workplace Safety And Profit Generation ...

Workplace injuries, according to studies, were responsible for the hospitalization or emergency medical treatment of over 40 million American workers. This is a staggering number when one considers the efforts most companies have put into maintaining a safe workplace. The past few years have seen a rise in the number of companies legally mandated to pay financial restitution to victims of workplace-related injuries. Workplace safety and profitability make strange bedfellows, but in business parlance they are bedfellows nonetheless.

Every company, especially those involved in industrial manufacturing, is constantly looking at ways to continuously improve their products and processes. These companies realize the congruence between high profits and effective and efficient means in creating products. Unfortunately, too many companies get caught up in drive for higher profits and tend to allow workplace safety to become an afterthought.

One cannot help but be dumbfounded by the staggering costs of operating a sizeable manufacturing facility in America. The effect of workplace injuries is crippling in more ways than one ? it also cripples the budget of a company and their productivity. By being detail-oriented and focused on preventative measures, a lot of these injuries can be precluded. It is, after all, possible to prevent many workplace injuries. The safety and spick-and-span condition of a workplace is probably the best possible way a company can prevent injuries from occurring, though the factors in avoiding injurious accidents are not limited to this. Workers are also culpable for their own safety at the end of the day.

For medical facilities and insurance companies, workplace injuries can be quite a burden to deal with. With companies paying more and more on employee health care premiums, one of the more prevalent ways of recouping costs hitherto spent would be to increase the prices of commodities and services. This places the burden of expense on the consumer, and allows companies to ignore the root cause of their workplace injuries. Veteran economists such as ourselves are ruing the current business paradigm wherein business organizations are more concerned about currying the favor of shareholders rather than remaining in favor with the rank and file by caring for their health and safety.

It is quite fascinating and in a way disconcerting that there are more jobs than ever before, especially industrial jobs, outsourced to foreign countries. There are actually a few reasons why this is so even up to now. By inexpensively acquiring labor from mostly third world countries, American companies are thus able to significantly cut down on the costs of operation, costing a mere percentage of what they would normally be paying for domestic assistance. The foreign governments, on the other hand, are all too happy to invest, and as a result, giddily accommodate the interest invested by corporate America. Invariably, workplace safety is compromised, thus making such a deal appear Faustian in nature.

In order to generate greater profit over a long term period of time, big companies need a paradigm shift in terms of workplace safety and their workers? overall health. With the number of foreign countries offering inexpensive labor and a lax labor code still numerous, American companies still outsource their jobs overseas. Nonetheless, a confluence of safety and profit is possible for American business entities. Through directed education campaigns and preemptive planning, workplace injuries can be reduced in a significant way. Remember: a safe worker is a happy worker, and a happy worker is a productive worker.

Making a well informed office chair decision has never been more important to you and your health. Find the most extensive collection of leather office chairs and other office seating available.

Source: http://articlesshed.com/self-improvement/leadership/the-correlation-between-workplace-safety-and-profit-generation

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Jobless rate at three-year low as payrolls surge (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The United States created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to a near three-year low, giving a boost to President Barack Obama.

Nonfarm payrolls jumped 243,000, the Labor Department said on Friday, as factory jobs grew by the most in a year. The jobless rate fell to 8.3 percent - the lowest since February 2009 - from 8.5 percent in December.

The gain in employment was the largest since April and it far outstripped the 150,000 predicted in a Reuters poll of economists. It hinted at underlying economic strength and lessened chances of further stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

"More pistons in the economic engine have begun to fire, pointing to accelerating economic growth. One of the happiest persons reading this job report is President Obama," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University Channel Islands.

The payroll gains were widespread - from retail to temporary help, and from construction to manufacturing - an indication the recovery was becoming more durable.

A survey of households showed the unemployment rate declined even as new job seekers flooded into the labor force. Economists had expected the jobless rate, which has now fallen 0.8 percentage point since August, to hold steady.

"I think this is a sign that maybe the economy is reaching that holy grail of a self-sustaining economic expansion," Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh, told Reuters Insider.

The outlook was further brightened by a separate report showing service sector activity quickened last month to a near one-year high. A gauge of service sector employment touched a six-year high.

Stocks on Wall Street were up more than 1 percent at midday, while U.S. Treasury debt prices fell sharply as investors dialed back expectations on Fed easing. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies.

The employment report contrasted with a fairly glum assessment of the economy offered by the Fed last week.

Officials at the central bank have been debating whether to buy more bonds - a program dubbed QE3 - to drive interest rates lower. It also raised doubts about the Fed's expectation that it could hold interest rates near zero at least through late 2014.

"At the very least this scales back QE3 (quantitative easing) odds. The surprisingly persistent decline in the unemployment rate also calls into question how firmly wedded the Fed is to the late-2014 rate guidance," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

Interest rate futures indicated that at least some traders were beginning to lay bets the Fed could move interest rates up in early 2014.

Fed fund futures were pricing in a 38 percent chance of a January 2014 rate hike, up from 29 percent before the report, and the first better than even chance of a rate hike was in April 2014, according to CME Group, where the contracts are traded.

DON'T MUCK IT UP

Obama welcomed the strong jobs report and urged Congress to extend a payroll tax cut and benefits for long-term unemployed, which expire at the end of this month.

"Now is not is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy. I want to send a clear message for Congress. Do not slow down the recovery that we are on, don't muck it up," he said at a firehouse in Arlington, Virginia.

Republicans acknowledged the improvement in the labor market, but said the jobless rate was still too high.

"Our economy still isn't creating jobs the way it should be and that's why we need a new approach," said House Speaker John Boehner.

While employment growth has quickened there are no jobs for three out of every four unemployed people and 19.3 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed. The level of employment is still 5.57 million from its pre-recession level.

But steady progress is being made. The economy added 60,000 more jobs in November and December than previously reported.

In addition, average hourly earnings rose four cents, which should help to support spending. The report suggested that expectations of a slowdown in U.S. economic growth in the first quarter were not yet impacting on companies' hiring decisions.

Employment in the private sector surged 257,000 - the largest gain since April. Government payrolls fell 14,000, the least since September.

U.S. economic growth accelerated to a 2.8 percent annual rate in the final three months of 2011, but it was widely expected to slow as businesses ease back on efforts to rebuild inventories and exports slip amid a likely recession in Europe.

Some economists cautioned that January's jobs figures could overstate the pulse of the recovery, citing still lackluster consumer confidence, income and spending growth.

While some said the jobless rate could drop below 8 percent by year end, others warned it would likely move up in the near-term as people who had given up the search for a job re-enter the workforce.

"For this to mark an upturn in the labor market, then businesses will have to continue to hire on this scale throughout the winter," said Kathy Bostjancic, director of macroeconomic analysis at the Conference Board in New York.

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM

The unemployment rate has now declined for five straight months, although part of the drop reflects discouraged Americans giving up the hunt for work.

A broad measure of unemployment, which includes people who want to work but have stopped looking and those working only part time but who want more work, slipped to a near three-year low of 15.1 percent in January from 15.2 percent in December.

Revisions to the payrolls figures showed 180,000 more jobs were created last year than previously believed.

Mild winter weather boosted employment last month in construction, which added 21,000 jobs after a 31,000 increase in December. Manufacturing payrolls surged 50,000, the largest gain in a year, after rising 32,000 the prior month.

Overall, the goods-producing sector added 81,000 jobs last month, the most since January 2006.

Transportation and warehousing employment increased 13,100 and courier jobs only fell 1,500. Last month, the Labor Department reported a large increase in courier jobs in December, but revisions showed they actually declined.

Retail employment rose 10,500 after gaining 6,200 in December. Temporary help services jumped 20,100 after rising 8,300, a potentially good sign for future permanent hiring.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Additional reporting by Ann Saphir in Chicago; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Tim Ahmann)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120203/bs_nm/us_usa_economy

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Mother of killed actress settles suit with Spector (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? A lawyer says the mother of the actress Phil Spector was convicted of killing has settled her wrongful death suit against the legendary music producer.

Attorney John Taylor tells the Los Angeles Times ( http://lat.ms/yXWf34) the terms of Friday's settlement were confidential, but says his client, Donna Clarkson, is pleased and relieved the suit is over.

Lana Clarkson was shot and killed in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra mansion nine years ago.

Donna Clarkson attended the 2009 trial daily, and testified that her daughter was upbeat and not at all suicidal, as Spector's defense alleged.

Spector was convicted in the death and is serving a 19 years-to-life sentence.

Taylor says he signed off on the settlement.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120204/ap_en_mu/us_phil_spector

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