Thunder send sixth man Harden to Rockets

Unable to work out an extension with James Harden, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded the Sixth Man of the Year to the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, breaking up the young core of the Western Conference champions.

The Thunder acquired guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick in the surprising deal. Oklahoma City also sent center Cole Aldrich and forwards Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to Houston.

The Oct. 31 deadline to extend Harden or allow him to become a restricted free agent next July had been hanging over the Thunder from the moment they reported to training camp.

"We wanted to sign James to an extension, but at the end of the day, these situations have to work for all those involved. Our ownership group again showed their commitment to the organization with several significant offers," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement.

"We were unable to reach a mutual agreement, and therefore executed a trade that capitalized on the opportunity to bring in a player of Kevin's caliber, a young talent like Jeremy and draft picks, which will be important to our organizational goal of a sustainable team."

The small-market Thunder had already signed Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka to long-term deals, and apparently realized Harden was going to want a bigger salary than they would offer.

The Thunder got back a good scorer in Martin, who has averaged 18.4 points in his eight NBA seasons, and a promising young player in Lamb, the No. 12 pick in the draft who helped Connecticut win the 2011 NCAA championship. He led Houston's summer league team in scoring with 20 points per game.

But Harden was a huge part of Oklahoma City's success and had said he might even be open to sacrifice dollars in order to stay with the Thunder. But they've been unwilling to climb into the luxury tax, which will only become harsher under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Harden averaged 16.8 points and 3.7 assists last season, and joined Durant and Westbrook on the U.S. men's Olympic team. He struggled badly in Oklahoma City's loss to Miami in the NBA Finals, but the Thunder felt good about their chances of getting back there with another year of experience for their young stars, all 24 or younger.

However, Yahoo Sports reported that Harden turned down a four-year contract worth about $52 million, and the Thunder moved quickly to trade him after that.

The Rockets rebuilt their roster in the offseason and hoped to land Dwight Howard. Houston traded or released just about every veteran except Martin, who was in the final year of his contract and due about $13 million this season.

Martin averaged 17.1 points and 2.8 assists last season, his eighth in the NBA and third in Houston. He missed the last 26 games last season with a shoulder injury, though he also developed a rift with Houston coach Kevin McHale late in the season.

The Rockets have until Wednesday to sign Harden to the extension that Oklahoma City couldn't.

"While I never like having to send out quality players like Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, this trade gives us a chance to make an immediate impact on the future of our franchise moving forward," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said.

"James Harden was part of Team USA's gold medal team at the London Olympics and is one of the most skilled shooting guards in the NBA."

New Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin also chimed in about the trade on Twitter.

"Really sad to see Kmart and JLamb go," Lin wrote. "...both class acts and great teammates. Welcome Harden, Cook, Aldrich and Hayward to Houston!!"

Houston collected draft picks while it was making a flurry of deals, part of a package to offer Orlando for Howard. The Rockets traded point guard Kyle Lowry to Toronto for a lottery-protected first-round pick, one of Oklahoma City's acquisitions on Saturday night.

The other first-round pick was acquired by Houston when it traded Jordan Hill to the Los Angeles Lakers last March. The second-round pick came to the Rockets in a deal that sent guard Courtney Lee to Boston.

___

AP Sports Writer Chris Duncan in Houston contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thunder-send-sixth-man-harden-rockets-031251957--spt.html

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Insure Classic and Antique Cars

Nothing turns heads quite like a well-restored classic car. Sometimes, all it takes is an eye-full of a candy-colored fin or a Dagmar light to convert a person to a lifetime of collecting these life-sized Hot Wheels. With all the time and money poured into this hobby, it only makes sense to find the right insurance policy for these antiques. Because vintage cars are so eye-catching, you will unfortunately need to insure them against theft and vandalism, as well as accidents. There are many insurance providers with special coverage plans aimed at classic cars, but if you have something truly special, you might have a hard time finding coverage. Keep shopping around; if you ask around at car shows, someone is bound to be able to point you in the right direction sooner or later. However, make sure you sign on with a reputable company, as you don?t want to find yourself a victim of fraud when it comes time to call in a claim.

You should take a little time to assess just the type of insurance you need for your driving habits: the amount of coverage you choose will vary based on whether you take your car out hot-rodding on the weekends, or whether you only drive to car shows and in parades. Maybe the thing is just a heap in your garage! If either of the latter two scenarios are the case, you might be able to get by with comprehensive insurance. This way you will be covered in case of theft, vandalism, or natural disaster, but you won?t have to pay extra for bodily injury and property damage. If you need additional coverage you can get that, too. Some policies will even make provisions to protect your workshop and tools.

While the personal service you will get from a small insurance company is hard to beat, remember how much of your money is tied up in your car. If the place doesn?t have an impeccable reputation for reliability, take your business elsewhere.

Most of the major insurance companies carry policies for antique and classic cars, and you can save yourself the legwork by searching them online first. This way you can get a quote, read all about the coverage, and read consumer reviews before you decide on anything. Likewise, a major insurance provider might not give you the personal service you?re looking for and you may end up paying a higher premium. What you choose will simply depend on what you?re looking for and what is available in your area. You might even find that your regular auto insurance provider will make a provision for your hobby cars. The task of locating the right policy for your classic car seems like a hassle, but when you think about the time, love, and money you put into rebuilding it, protecting your investment just makes sense.

After all, it?s better to tolerate a small inconvenience upfront than to find yourself without a safety net in the event of an accident.

Find out more from VirginiaInsurance.com about car insurance here.

Find out more from http://www.virginiainsurance.com about car insurance http://www.virginiainsurance.com/our-services/auto-insurance.shtml

Source: http://www.articlesbd.com/articles/263156/1/Insure-Classic-and-Antique-Cars/Page1.html

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Skinny Minnie: Disney fave gets Barneys makeover

NEW YORK (AP) ? Did Minnie Mouse do a catwalk cleanse?

For a brief moment in Barneys New York's upcoming holiday window display, Minnie becomes a long, lean high-fashion model ? and the skinny Minnie is drawing some criticism.

The Barneys display puts Disney characters on the runway in front of animated versions of industry bigwigs in a short film that features Minnie's daydream sequence strutting her stuff in Paris in a hot-pink, ruffle-covered Lanvin dress.

Runway Minnie gets only a few seconds of face time, but when she does, she transforms into a model who is tall and thin with longer legs, leaner arms and daintier gloved hands than the polkadot-loving character who typically embraces her curves from head to toe. Daisy Duck, Cruella De Vil and Goofy get similar insta-slim treatments.

For most of the film, however, Minnie and crew look their usual selves. Minnie has her big bows, round face and signature wide-width pumps.

"Viewers will recognize the Minnie they know and love, as she takes a turn on the runways of Paris and in her own mirror, wearing a custom creation from one of the world's greatest designers," Barneys said in a statement to The Associated Press. "Some of the early highly stylized fashion illustrations have garnered significant attention, however the reality is Disney's Minnie Mouse proves that true fashion lovers come in all styles and sizes."

Still, the makeover has prompted several online petitions targeting Barneys and Disney for perpetuating the skinny-model image that the fashion industry has been criticized for many times over.

One of the louder voices is Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, executive director and founder of SumofUs.org, a consumer watchdog group. In just over a week, the SumofUs.org petition has attracted close to 80,000 online "signatures." There are a half-dozen additional petitions up on Change.org, including one with more than 135,000 supporters. It was launched by Ragen Chastain, who self-published the book "Fat: The Owners Manual ? Navigating a Thin-Obsessed World with Your Health, Happiness and a Sense of Humor Intact."

Stinebrickner-Kauffman said she took this issue on after a friend of hers ? a mother to a grade-school daughter ? posted about it on Facebook. "Girls have seen Minnie Mouse as a healthy character in their lives ... to have her image subverted like that is troubling."

Girls are "bombarded" by impossible physical figures in the media, says Stinebrickner-Kauffmann, and to have such a familiar face ? and shape ? be turned into such a skinny Minnie seems like it could fuel the insecurities young women often have about themselves and their bodies.

Models are indeed taller and thinner than most women, and those features are further exaggerated in fashion illustrations used by designers ? and by Barneys in its promotional material for the Nov. 14 launch of its displays, says Steven Stipelman, assistant chair of fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Those are the images that are being protested, as the film short has not been released beyond the trailer provided to The Associated Press. The film does not feature the drawing that has been the focus of criticism, though Minnie does undergo a transformation as soon as she steps onto the catwalk in front of Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, International Herald Tribune reporter Suzy Menkes and Harper's Bazaar global fashion director Carine Roitfeld, among other recognizable faces. Runway Minnie even masters the straight-ahead stare and bouncy strut that real-life models aim to master.

She then comes quickly back to reality and her everyday appearance, and the film ends with her just as happy as herself window-shopping on Madison Avenue as she was in Paris.

"Fashion drawing is a fantasy," said Stipelman, who teaches illustration. "They are conveying a mood, a feeling and attitude. It's supposed to make you feel like you want the attitude of this person, not like you're going on a diet so you can look like this person."

He adds, "It looks exaggerated because you know what you're comparing it to. If you didn't know what Minnie looked like, you probably wouldn't even notice."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/skinny-minnie-disney-fave-gets-barneys-makeover-162550000--finance.html

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Payroll-Accounts Payable Assistant ? Rivier University (Nashua, NH)

This is a syndicated post from CatholicJobs.com. [Read the original article...]

PAYROLL-ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ASSISTANT
Education: University/College, FT Employee
Rivier University (Nashua, NH)

PAYROLL/ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ASSISTANT
BUSINESS OFFICE
(40 hours per week, from mid-August through mid-June, with the possibility of becoming a 12 month position)

OBJECTIVE: Provide back up to Payroll Manager and Accounts Payable Specialist. Support business office functions and assist in special projects.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Payroll function
? Compile, verify, clarify and compute complex payroll having numerous pay codes and deductions.
? Review, code, and input timesheet data with a high degree of accuracy into internal payroll module.
? Modify and enter pay for rate changes, deduction changes, new hires, and terminations.
? Calculate wages, overtime, and deductions to ensure accuracy of system generated payroll for compliance with internal policies and procedures, federal and state laws.
? Assist in maintaining the employee database.
? Research and resolve payroll-related problems and issues as assigned.
? Help maintain a high rate of employee satisfaction through professional quality service.
? Maintain a current status in processing payroll for adjuncts, faculty, staff and work study students; Serve as backup to Payroll manager
? Related duties as assigned

Accounts payable function
? Process incoming invoices for payment & route for final approval.
? Enter data on approved invoices into Great Plains A/P system
? Maintain University purchase requisition system; pay invoices from A/P system; disburse checks
? Investigate and resolve various problems related to billings, referring unusual problems to supervisor.
? Help maintain a high rate of employee, vendor and student satisfaction through professional quality service.
? Serve as backup to AP Specialist.
? Related duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:
? Minimum bachelor?s degree in accounting with three to five years of hands on payroll experience in complex internal payroll systems preferably using Great Plains software.
? Requires excellent attendance, a high degree of accuracy with attention to detail, the ability to meet deadlines, and good problem solving skills.
? Ability to analyze payroll processing to verify accuracy and completeness of software calculations and reports.
? Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
? Ability to work independently and coordinate tasks between several departments
? Current on IRS, state, and federal regulations as they relate to payroll.
? The ability and willingness to support the mission of the University, in all daily activities.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Submit a cover letter stating pay expectations, resume and the names and contact information for 3 professional references to: Human Resources, RIVIER UNIVERSITY, 420 South Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060, or email to [email?protected] No agencies please. EOE (7)


Source: http://www.dfwcatholic.org/payroll-accounts-payable-assistant-rivier-university-nashua-nh-55440/.html

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Gish Bac Gets Oaxacan Food Just Right - Page 1 - Eat Drink - Los ...

See more of Anne Fishbein's stunning photography.

Memela con queso y cesina at Gish Bac

PHOTO BY ANNE FISHBEIN

Memela con queso y cesina at Gish Bac

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Here's a prediction, for those of you with a soft spot for culinary fortune-telling: 2013 will be the Year of the Goat. Of course, goat is a staple in many parts of the world, but it's been uncommon on menus catering to white-bread American tastes. Not for much longer.

The buzz is already starting ? goat is creeping onto menus that never would have featured it in the past. In Santa Monica, Tar & Roses offers an entire meal of wood-fired goat. Dining clubs this summer in L.A. roasted whole goats for delighted participants. In other parts of the country, too, taste-makers are organizing goat dinners, hoping to bring this underappreciated meat to their customers.

Diners and cooks looking to get a jump start on the impending Age of Goat ought to head to Gish Bac, a modest Oaxacan restaurant in Mid-City, and partake of the goat barbacoa, which is served on weekends only. Owners David Padilla and Maria Ramos cook goat in the Oaxacan style: chili-roasted for hours and hours in a pit. It comes to the table swimming in meaty juices, red from chili and tomato. After trying it wrapped in warm, fresh tortillas with a little cabbage slaw, you'll see that American chefs are late to the goat game.

Padilla and Ramos are continuing a tradition of barbacoa that began in their hometown of Tlacolula, Oaxaca. "Maria is the third generation of the family who made one of the best goat barbecues in Tlalcolua," Padilla says. After moving to L.A. 20 years ago, they began cooking for family and friends ? "barbecue, because that's our specialty" ? and, at the urging of folks who wanted access to their barbacoa more regularly, they opened Gish Bac in 2010.

It's a small, sunny space with yellow walls, tables in front and a lunch counter in back, facing the kitchen. While the restaurant is known for its weekend barbecue items, throughout the week it has plenty of other offerings that are also a step above those at other Oaxacan restaurants.

Come in for breakfast and have eggs scrambled with the fantastic house-made chorizo, or try one of the memelas con carne ? a thick, soft masa pancake spread with musky black beans and topped with your choice of meat; the cesina, or thin slices of pork, which have been marinated and cooked, is particularly satisfying. In fact, just because this dish is on the breakfast menu doesn't mean you shouldn't order it for lunch as well; the one time I had it at dinner, the masa seemed a touch dried out, but I gobbled it up nonetheless.

There's a fantastic black mole, a swarthy, complex version that's both wicked and soothing. And a "red sauce" that I loved just as much, served over the salsa de chorizo con cesina, a slab of pork with orbs of chorizo on top. The sauce was mellow, lightly spicy and aggressively fruity, thanks to long-cooked fresh tomatoes and the light, almost citrus notes of epazote, a Oaxacan herb.

It's things like that ? a ramp-up of flavors, an unexpected ingredient ? that make Gish Bac exceptional. In the yellow mole empanada with chicken, an empanada that was more like a cheeseless quesadilla, a pert yellow sauce gets an extra kick from hoja santa, which Padilla describes as "Oaxacan mint." The leaf, layered between the tortilla and the meat, gave a pleasantly bitter sting every few bites.

The mole tamales (listed on the weekend-only part of the menu but available all the time) are intensely aromatic; the redolence of the masa paired with that dark mole is a lovely study in the concept of bittersweet.

And on weekends, there's that barbacoa. Go with a friend, and get both the goat and the lamb, which is cooked in avocado leaf and chiles and comes with a bowl of juices for dipping the meat. If you order the lamb, you'll get a plate ahead of the main course, a mixture made of all the lamb offal, deeply spiced and with a kick of dark heat. With a flavor much like a spicy black sausage, it's fantastic scooped up on corn chips.

Seated at a table near the front windows of Gish Bac, the sun setting and the remnants of goat and lamb barbacoa strewn across the table in front of us, a friend reached for another bite of the black beans that come with the tender hunks of lamb.

"There's something about everything here," she said. "Even the beans. They're just special."

When a family brings generations of tradition, craft and expertise to the table, the results are pretty special indeed.

Daina Beth Solomon contributed to this story.

GISH BAC | 4163 W. Washington Blvd. | (323) 737-5050 | gishbacrestaurant.com | Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 8 a.m.-9 p.m. | Entrees, $5.50- $18.99 | No alcohol | Street parking

See more of Anne Fishbein's stunning photography.

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Source: http://www.laweekly.com/2012-10-25/eat-drink/gish-bac-oaxacan-mid-city/

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Movie review: 'Cloud Atlas' | Advocate Magazine

 Movie review: Cloud Atlas

Tom Hanks and Halle Berry navigate past, present, and future lives in ?Cloud Atlas?.

Layered, ambitious, steeped in symbolism and philosophy, Cloud Atlas is almost everything you?d expect from a movie directed (or in this instance, co-directed) by the Wachowskis. ?Almost? is a good thing in this instance, as the movie (based on David Mitchell?s novel) sheds most of the didacticism and visual excess that made the Matrix sequels and Speed Racer such slogging bores.

Lana and Andy Wachowski teamed with Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) to pull off a cinematic feat that?s as much of a stunt as is a work of creativity. It?s a complex story, or rather six separate but thematically linked stories spread across six different eras and involving a score of characters.

The seemingly disparate stories ? a slavery expedition circa 1849; a tense working relationship between an aging composer (Jim Broadbent) and his scheming amanuensis (Ben Whishaw) in Scotland, 1936; a journalist (Halle Berry) investigating a nuclear power plant in California, 1973; a vanity press publisher (Broadbent again) who flees mobsters only to become confined in a nursing home in contemporary London; a genetically engineered employee (Doona Bae) of a fast food chain (a whole new spin on the term ?wage slave?) rebels against her totalitarian world in a dystopic NeoSeoul, Korea, 2144; and a tribesman (Tom Hanks) sought out by the last vestiges of technologically advanced humans in a post-apocalyptic, far future earth ? are united by simple notion that we;re all connected by the need for freedom, love, and self-expression, and that striving for such requires standing against cruelty and corruption in all their forms, no matter the cost or sacrifice.

 Movie review: Cloud AtlasWhereas the novel used a sort of nesting doll structure to connect the episodes, the film version relies on that uniquely cinematic tool of cross-cutting between them. It also goes a step further in uniting them by casting its lead actors in multiple roles (sometimes as many as half-dozen), often?requiring them (via some impressive makeup work) to perform outside their age, race, gender, and sometimes all of the above, with Hanks, Hugh Grant, and Hugo Weaving giving some especially chameleonic performances. (Be sure to stay for the closing credits, which provide some surprising unmaskings.)

It?s visually stunning, with each section lavishly shot according to the demands of the sub-genres they represent, but with a willingness to push the boundaries. The bright oceanscapes of the 19th-century setting contrast sharply with the Blade Runner-esque cityscapes of the NeoSeoul scenes (which pair well with shots of modern London), yet dovetail nicely with the post-apocalyptic Hawaiian setting of the far-flung future. The story is so dedicated to its themes that the characters, their stories, and even their environs all parallel, influence, and echo one another across time.

It?s the sort of thing that is easily dismissed as pretentious or self-indulgent, and it certainly has its flaws; but to focus solely on them ?would mean dismissing Cloud Atlas too quickly. The pieces of the mosaic story line don?t always fit perfectly, but it would feel contrived if they did, and bitching about the amount of patience and engagement it demands of its audience only reveals a lazy viewer.

Tykwer and the Wachowskis have created a lavish and carefully orchestrated epic that few other filmmakers could pull off quite as well, one that is occasionally naive and messy, often unconventional and insightful, and always stirring and challenging.

0 Movie review: Cloud Atlas

Source: http://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2012/10/movie-review-cloud-atlas/

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Toronto stocks fall for fourth straight day as economic worries weigh ...

TORONTO ? The Toronto stock market closed lower Wednesday despite a wave of positive Canadian earnings reports and indications that China?s manufacturing slump may have bottomed out.

Here are the closing numbers

TSX ? 12,195.02 -30.82 -0.25%

S&P 500 ? 1,408.75 -4.36 -0.31%

Dow ? 13,077.34 -25.19 -0.19%

Nasdaq ? 2,981.70 -8.76 -0.29%

The S&P/TSX composite index fell for a fourth day, down 30.81 points to 12,195.02 with traders still focused on a slowing global economy. The TSX Venture Exchange was off 0.76 of a point at 1,288.75.

The Canadian dollar shed early gains to move down 0.23 of a cent to 100.51 cents US amid weak commodity prices. It had earlier traded as high as 101.22 cents US, a day after the Bank of Canada maintained its bias towards future interest rate hikes and mentioned the possibility of high household debt levels playing a role in raising rates.

U.S. indexes were also lower on top of steep losses Tuesday after earnings disappointments from DuPont chemical and conglomerate 3M Inc. reinforced a gloomy view of global economic prospects.

The Dow Jones industrials declined 25.19 points to 13,077.34, the Nasdaq composite index was down 8.76 points to 2,981.7 and the S&P 500 index slipped 4.36 points to 1,408.75.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Reserve took no new action during its two-day policy meeting.

Having announced a third round of economic stimulus in September, it wants time to assess whether those aggressive steps will boost growth and job creation.

There was a further sign of a revival in the U.S. housing sector as data showed that new home sales for September rose 5.7% to an annualized rate of 389,000, well above consensus estimates of 382,000 and the highest level since April, 2010.

The TSX found some lift from positive news from China, the world?s second-biggest economy.

A preliminary version of HSBC?s monthly purchasing managers? index rose to a three-month high of 49.1 points. That still was below the 50-point level that would indicate expansion, but nevertheless a strong improvement from September?s 47.9 reading.

The base metals sector was up 1.32% as December copper was unchanged at US$3.56 a pound. Worries about deteriorating economic conditions pushed copper down 18 cents over the previous four sessions.

Teck Resources Ltd. shares were 85 cents higher at $31.39 as the Vancouver-based producer of copper, coal and other minerals announced plans to severely slash capital spending this year and next in the face of a slowing global economy. Teck also reported net income attributable to shareholders of $180-million or 31 cents per diluted share, compared with $814-million or $1.37 is the same 2011 period. Revenue was $2.5-billion, down from $3.38-billion.

The industrials sector rose 1.36% as Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. said its third-quarter net income was $224-million, an increase of $37-million or 20%, and diluted earnings per share were $1.30, up 18% compared with a year earlier. The profit beat analyst estimates by a penny a share and revenue was slightly above the consensus estimate and its shares ran up $5.29 to $93.18.

The telecom sector rose almost one per cent while Rogers Communications Inc. shares gained $1.35 to $42.43 as the telecom posted net income of $495-million or 96 cents per share, seven cents better than estimates and up from $489-million or 90 cents per share a year ago. Its revenue increased to $3.17 billion, up about one per cent from the same time last year and largely in line with analyst estimates.

The energy sector fell 0.5% with December crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange lower for a fifth day, down 94 cents to US$85.73 a barrel after sliding almost $2 on Tuesday.

Losses deepened in the wake of data showing a bigger than expected rise in crude supplies last week. Crude supplies rose by 5.9 million barrels, much higher than the 1.7-million-barrel increase economists had expected.

Encana Corp. reported a US$1.24-billion net loss in the third quarter, primarily due to the impact of lower natural gas prices over the past year. But Encana said it was still on track to meet its financial guidance for the full year. Its shares lost 70 cents to $21.86.

The gold sector was the leading decliner, down per cent while December bullion fell $7.80 to US$1,701.60 an ounce. Goldcorp Inc. faded $1.46 to $40.79.

The Canadian earnings season is moving into high gear this week and, like in the U.S., expectations are muted.

?I think it will be fair to middling in terms of earnings, I don?t think it will be particularly negative, I don?t think it will be particularly positive,? said Chris King, portfolio manager at Morgan, Meighen and Associates.

?We only have three (major) TSX sectors: financials will be OK, mining will be negative and energy will be neutral.?

The early earnings news from the U.S. was also positive with aircraft maker Boeing turning in quarterly earnings of $1.35 a share, well above the $1.12 a share that had been expected. Boeing?s 2012 overall profit outlook is expected to come in at $4.80 to $4.95 a share, against analyst expectations of $4.72 a share. But Boeing stock lost early momentum to close down 11 cents to $72.71.

Facebook was also in focus after the world?s biggest social media company provided some proof it can make money from mobile advertising. Facebook said after the market close Tuesday that some 14% of its ad revenue came from mobile advertising during the latest quarter. Its stock surged 19% as Citi research upgraded the stock to buy.

Here?s the news investors were watching today:

Bank of Canada says economy is bouncing back

Eurozone?s rot is spreading to Germany, while China mends

Twitter creator launches Square in Canada

Teck Resources profit falls 78% on lower coal and metal prices

ON DECK THURSDAY

ECONOMIC NEWS

CANADA

8:30 a.m.

  • Survey of employment, payrolls and earnings (Aug)

UNITED STATES

8:30 a.m.

  • Weekly jobless claims: Economists expect 370,000 new claims, down from the week before
  • Durable goods orders (Sept): Economists expect 7.5% rise

10 a.m.

  • Pending home sales (Sept): Economists expect 2.5% rise from month before, 17.4% gain year over year

CORPORATE NEWS

CANADA

  • Goldcorp Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 47? a share
  • Potash Corp Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 84?
  • Agnico-Eagle Mines Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 41?
  • Cenovus Energy Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 47?
  • Nexen Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 15?
  • Eldorado Gold Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 13?
  • Lundin Mining Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 7?
  • Precision Drilling Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 24?
  • Corus Entertainment Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 36?
  • Imax Q3 earnings

?UNITED STATES

  • Apple Inc Q4 earnings: Analysts expect US$8.85 a share
  • Amazon.com Q3 earnings: Analysts expect loss of 8?
  • Coca-Cola Enterprises Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 69?
  • ConocoPhillips Q3 earnings: Analysts expect US$1.19 a share
  • The Dow Chemical Co Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 37?
  • The Procter & Gamble Co Q3 earnings: Analysts expect 96?
  • Sprint Nextel Corp Q3 earnings: Analysts expect a loss of 42?
  • Colgate-Palmolive Q3 earnings: Analysts expect US$1.38

Source: http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/24/closing-bell-economic-worries-push-tsx-down-for-fourth-session-despite-positive-earnings/

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Google Sued For Patent Infringement Over Google Wallet

Screen Shot 2012-10-23 at 9.33.51 PMThis afternoon, Google was sued over its Google Wallet smartphone application allegedly infringing U.S. Patent No. 7,298,271 (the '271 patent) in the Federal District Court of Delaware.?According to Google, "Google Wallet is a virtual wallet that securely stores your credit and debit cards, offers, and rewards cards. You can tap your phone to pay in-store using Google Wallet anywhere contactless payments are accepted. You can pay online by signing into your Google Wallet account." ?Of course, there is nothing new about payments using NFC technology, NFC has been popular in Japan for years. ?What's interesting here is the actual patent being asserted against Google.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/o7z2Ho50Czw/

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How to Make Fresh Pasta from Scratch Cooking Lessons from The ...

2012-10-23-PastaGeneral-4.jpgThis weekend, let's all solemnly swear to break out the dusty pasta maker that's been stashed away on a high shelf and get rolling. Do you know how easy it is to make pasta at home? Really easy! Here's a great recipe for a basic egg pasta and a step-by-step guide through the entire process.

2012-10-23-PastaGeneral-1.jpgIn this guide, I'm walking you through every single step in detail, but in reality, fresh pasta comes together quite quickly. Mixing and kneading the dough takes about 10 minutes, then you let it rest for 30 minutes. You can use this resting time to pull together the ingredients for the pasta sauce. After resting, rolling out and cutting the dough takes maybe another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how fast you go and how many helpers you have.

Speaking of helpers, it helps to have a few. You can definitely do it by yourself, but it's really nice to have an extra set of hands, especially if you're hand-cranking the dough through a counter-top pasta roller. Whether working by yourself or with someone else, I find that you fall into a rhythm of rolling the sheets of pasta, cutting the noodles, and sprinkling everything with flour.

Once you've made your pasta, you can cook it right away, dry it, or freeze it for later. When you do cook it, remember that homemade pasta cooks much more quickly than the dried pasta you buy in stores. Give it about four minutes in salted boiling water, taste it, and keep checking in one-minute increments until the pasta is al dente.

Ready? Let's make some pasta.

Fresh pasta comes together surprisingly quickly: in about an hour.

Fresh Egg Pasta

Makes enough for about 4 to 6 servings

What You Need

Ingredients
2 cups flour, plus extra for rolling the pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Equipment
Mixing bowl
Fork or dough whisk
Pasta machine (see Additional Notes for rolling pasta by hand)
Baking sheet
Clean dishtowel

Instructions

1. Combine the Flour and Salt: Whisk together the flour and salt with a fork in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add the Eggs: Create a deep well in the middle of the flour and crack the eggs into this well. Whisk the eggs with the fork to combine.

Note: You can do this on the counter-top "Italian Grandmother Style" if you prefer, but I find it's easier and less messy to do it in a bowl. For food-processor instructions, see below.

3. Begin Combining the Flour and Eggs: As you whisk the eggs, begin gradually pulling in flour from the bottom and sides of the bowl. Don't rush this step. At first, the eggs will start to look like a slurry. Once enough flour has been added, it will start forming a very soft dough. Don't worry if you haven't used all the flour.

4. Knead the Pasta Dough: Turn the dough and any excess flour out onto a clean counter. Begin gently folding the dough on itself, flattening, and folding again. It will be extremely soft at first, then gradually start to firm up. Once it's firm enough to knead, begin kneading the dough. Incorporate more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to you or the counter. Slice into the dough with a paring knife; if you see lots of air bubbles, keep kneading. The dough is kneaded when it forms a smooth elastic ball and has very few air bubbles when cut.

5. Rest the Pasta Dough: Clean and dry the mixing bowl. Place the ball of dough inside and cover with a dinner plate or plastic wrap. Rest for at least 30 minutes.

Note: At this point, the pasta dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let it come back to room temperature before rolling.

6. Divide the Pasta Dough: Sprinkle a baking sheet generously with flour and scrape the ball of dough on top (it will stick to the bowl; use a spatula or bowl scraper if necessary). Divide the dough into four equal portions. Dust the portions with flour and cover with a clean dishtowel.

Note: The name of the game at this point is to keep everything well-floured to prevent the pasta from sticking to itself or the roller as you work. If the dough starts to feel sticky as you roll it, sprinkle it with flour. Also sprinkle flour on any pasta you're not working (rolled, cut or otherwise) with and keep it covered with a dishtowel.

7. Begin Rolling Out the Pasta: Set your pasta machine to the thickest setting (usually marked "1"). Flatten one piece of dough into a thick disk between your hands and feed it through the pasta roller. Repeat once or twice. Fold this piece of dough into thirds, like folding a letter, and press it between your hands again. With the pasta machine still on the widest setting, feed the pasta crosswise between the rollers (see picture). Feed it through once or twice more until smooth. If desired, repeat this folding step. This helps to strengthen the gluten in the flour, giving it a chewier texture when cooked.

8. Thin the Pasta: Begin changing the settings on your roller to roll the pasta thinner and thinner. Roll the pasta two or three times at each setting, and don't skip settings (the pasta tends to snag and warp if you do). If the pasta gets too long to be manageable, lay it on a cutting board and slice it in half. Roll the pasta as thin as you like to go. For linguine and fettuccine, I normally go to 6 or 7 on the KitchenAid attachement; for angel hair or stuffed pastas, I go one or two settings thinner.

9. Cut the Pasta: Cut the long stretch of dough into noodle-length sheets, usually about 12-inches. If making filled pasta or lasagna, proceed with shaping. If cutting into noodles, switch from the pasta roller to the noodle cutter, and run the sheet of pasta through the cutter. Toss the noodles with a little flour to keep them from sticking and gather them into a loose basket. Set this basket on the floured baking sheet and cover with a towel while you finish rolling and cutting the rest of the dough.

Note: I find it easiest to roll all the pasta at once before proceeding to cutting it into noodles. I sprinkle the sheets of pasta liberally with flour and overlap them on a floured baking sheet, covered with a towel.

10. Cooking, Drying, or Freezing the Pasta: To cook the pasta immediately, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the pasta until al dente, 4-5 minutes. To dry, lay the pasta over a clothes drying rack, coat hangers, or the back of a chair, and let air dry until completely brittle. Store in an airtight container for several weeks. To freeze, either freeze flat in long noodles or in the basket-shape on a baking sheet until completely frozen. Gather into an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Dried and frozen noodles may need an extra minute or two to cook.

Additional Notes:

? Pasta Dough in the Food Processor: Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined, then run the processor continuously until a dough is formed. Proceed with kneading and shaping the dough as directed.

? Rolling and Cutting Pasta by Hand: It can be done! Divide the dough into four pieces and mimic the action of a pasta roller with a rolling pin. Roll as thin as possible, lifting and moving the dough constantly to make sure it doesn't stick. Sprinkle the dough generously with flour and then gently roll it up. Use a very sharp chef knife to cut the roll cross-wise into equal-sized noodles. Shake out the coils, toss with flour, and proceed with cooking.

2012-10-23-PastaGeneral-3.jpg

(Images: Emma Christensen)

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-fresh-pasta-from-scratch-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-73435

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