home improvement | choosing a roofer

We?ve all been there. There? s a problem around the house that needs attention and we need to hire a contractor who can fix it for us. If you?re like me, you don?t really want to flip open the yellow pages and randomly choose the first add that you find. When it comes to roofing repairs, you certainly want to know that the company you?re hiring is experienced, reliable and prompt.

Here are some points to consider when you?re looking to hire a qualified roofing contractor for a home improvement project around your home or when a roofing emergency strikes.

? As with any tradesperson, the best way to find a roofer is to go by reputation. Talk to your neighbors, relatives and friends who have recently had their roofs done and ask them for referrals. If you happen to be friends with a builder, general contractor or real estate agent, ask them for referrals since they often deal with roofing companies.

? In addition to referrals, you?ll also want to make sure that this is a reputable and long-standing company. Since you may be installing shingles with a life-span of upwards of 25 years, you?ll want to know that the contractor will still be around should you need any roof repairs done under warranty.

? Find out about the products the roofer uses, the details of the warranty for those products and if the manufacturer allows other companies to do the repair, should this roofer decide to retire prior to a warranty issue surfacing.

? Each state has different requirements and licenses for roofers. Find out what the requirements are in your state and make sure that the roofer you hire has the right license.

? Roofing can be dangerous work. Ask for proof of insurance to be sure that they have both liability insurance and a workers? compensation policy. You may also want to ask what sort of safety training the employees receive.

? Get written estimates from more than one company. The cheapest bid is not always the best choice. In some cases, companies who are desperate for work will underbid their competitors but then will cut corners or use inferior materials to make up for their low price.

? Find out if the roofing work you?re having done requires permits and whether or not the roofing contractor will pull the permits.

If you live in an area that is prone to extreme weather such a tornadoes, wind storms or hail that commonly damage roofs, you may want to do some research ahead of time so that you aren?t scrambling to find a reputable roofer along with everyone else after the next storm hits.

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Source: http://www.my-home-improvement.com/2012/08/05/how-to-choose-a-roofing-contractor-2/

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Skoda Fabia RS, 2011 - Automotives Review, Luxury Car, Auto ...

?koda Auto has a long-standing association with motor sport. From its earliest years, competition cars from Mlad? Boleslav have been winning on the world's racing circuits and rally stages. The latest RS road cars carry on this sporting tradition, which gives the second-generation ?koda Fabia RS a head start on the competition. And now for the first time there are two RS versions in the ?koda Fabia range: both hatchback and estate bodystyles continue the RS range's renowned combination of sporty performance with exceptional fuel efficiency and environmental-friendliness.

Both versions of the new ?koda Fabia RS are unmistakable thanks to their unique front bumpers with integrated fog lamps, which can also be equipped as a option with a cornering light function or LED daytime running lights. The RS symbol sits proudly within the grille's chromed frame, while red-painted brake callipers hint at their performance potential from behind the spokes of bespoke 17-inch 'Gigaro' aluminium wheels. As well as tinted windows, the rear sports a new bumper design and a dual-pipe exhaust. The roof and the rear spoiler of the hatchback are available in black, white and silver on request and depending on the car's body colour.

The roof spoiler on both hatchback and estate versions increases downforce at higher speeds which, when combined with the uprated running gear and performance-orientated electronic driver aids - ESP, ABS, TCS, TPM and HHC - gives the ?koda Fabia RS safe and agile handling. Meanwhile the standard XDS differential increases driving pleasure by braking the inside front wheel when accelerating through corners, transferring torque to the outside wheel. The lateral torque helps to pull the ?koda Fabia RS into bends, enhancing its cornering ability and gives the athletic ?koda's newfound agility.
Skoda Fabia RS

Inside, new sports seats feature the RS symbol on their backrests, while ?koda Fabia RS customers can also order red seat covers and black floor mats with silver or red offset seams depending on the upholstery colour. The Onyx-coloured dashboard is equipped with a three-spoke leather steering wheel with an optional multi-function version with gear change paddles for manual control of the standard seven-speed automatic DSG gearbox. As with all versions of the ?koda Fabia, the steering wheel is adjustable for height and reach, with the driver's seat also benefiting from height adjustment. The steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake handle are leather upholstered as standard, while the pedals are fitted with stainless steel treads. All ?koda Fabia RS models are fitted with Climatic air conditioning, an 'RS' dash insert as well as a four-speaker stereo system as standard.

With a top speed of 224 km/h - 226 km/h for the estate version - and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds, both models offer truly sporty performance. ?koda Auto has introduced a dual-charged four cylinder petrol engine to its range for the first time, which produces 132 kW (180 bhp) from only 1.4 litre capacity and a torque peak of 250 Nm from 2,000 rpm through to 4,500 rpm. Despite the impressive performance, combined fuel consumption in the NEDC measuring cycle is very low: both RS versions require just 6.4 litres of fuel to drive 100 kilometres.

This feat of power and efficiency is achieved by fine-tuned technology. The 1.4 TSI engine features direct fuel injection and dual-charging via a turbocharger with wastegate and a mechanical, shiftable supercharger. In addition, an intercooler increases air volume for compression within the combustion chambers. The fuel pump carries the fuel to the injectors with pressure of up to 150 bar, while the camshaft controlling the two inlet valves is continuously adjustable on each cylinder. Both shafts are controlled via a maintenance-free chain drive. The 1.4 TSI's cylinder block is made of cast iron, the crankshaft of steel.

The supercharger and turbocharger work hand-in-hand to provide harmonious power delivery across the engine's rev range. The mechanically-driven supercharger supplies the combustion chambers up to engine speeds of 2,400 rpm when the engine is under the part load, while under full load it is uncoupled at a maximum of 3,500 rpm. By this point the exhaust-driven turbocharger has reached its full effectiveness and continues to feed the engine in the higher rev range. The use of double fuel injection during cold starting reduces harmful emissions by allowing the catalyst and lambda sensor to reach optimum operating temperature after driving just a few metres, guaranteeing effective exhaust gas treatment.

But it's not just the harmonious power delivery that makes both ?koda Fabia RS versions perfectly suited to daily use. Its luggage capacity (300 to 1,163 litres in the hatchback; the estate, 480 to 1,460 litres) and the practical loading facility also add to its usefulness. Its handling is distinguished by its incredibly high agility, without adversely affecting the ride comfort. However, neither ?koda Fabia RS, hatch nor estate are factory approved for use as towing vehicles.

The standard equipment:

  • ??? * Driver and passenger front and side airbags,
  • ??? * ESP including ABS, torque control, (MSR) TCS, EDL, hydraulic brake assistant, (HBA) hill start assist and tyre pressure monitor (TPM),
  • ??? * Front fog lights,
  • ??? * Three-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel (height-and reach-adjustable),
  • ??? * Front sports seats,
  • ??? * Sports running gear,
  • ??? * Projector halogen headlights,
  • ??? * Daytime running lights,
  • ??? * Maxi DOT display,
  • ??? * Outside temperature display,
  • ??? * Split folding rear seats (60/40),
  • ??? * Central locking,
  • ??? * Climatic air conditioning with automatic regulation,
  • ??? * Radio preparation with 4 speakers,
  • ??? * Height-adjustable driver and front passenger seats,
  • ??? * Electric front windows,
  • ??? * Electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors,
  • ??? * Black painted door mirrors, with door handles in vehicle colour,
  • ??? * Tinted windows,
  • ??? * Gigaro 7J?17'' alloy wheels - silver,
  • ??? * Chrome package (gear lever knob, gear lever surround, air supply adjuster, handbrake locking button),
  • ??? * Small leather package (3 spoke steering wheel, gear lever knob, handbrake handle),
  • ??? * Textile floor mats (with silver-grey lining).


Optional equipment:

  • ??? * Curtain airbags,
  • ??? * Front passenger airbag - deactivation switch,
  • ??? * LED daytime running lights,
  • ??? * Glasses case,
  • ??? * Front arm rests,
  • ??? * Textile floor mats,
  • ??? * Central locking with remote control (with folding keys),
  • ??? * Roof rails for hatchback and estate,
  • ??? * 3-spoke multi-functional leather steering wheel for radio and telephone (with paddles aut. gearbox DSG),
  • ??? * Climatronic air conditioning with electronic regulation and combined filter,
  • ??? * Radios 'Blues' and 'Swing',
  • ??? * 'Amundsen' navigation system,
  • ??? * MDI (mobile device interface) (only for 'Swing' or 'Amundsen'),
  • ??? * Hands-free devices GSM II Compact and Comfort,
  • ??? * Gigaro 7J?17'' alloy wheels - black, anthracite, white,
  • ??? * Silver, white or black roof.

Source: http://automotivesreview.blogspot.com/2012/08/skoda-fabia-rs-2011.html

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Indonesia Q2 growth up 6.4%

Indonesia on Monday said its economy grew a faster-than-expected 6.4 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, buoyed by robust domestic demand and investment.

Private consumption increased five percent year-on-year, government spending rose seven percent, while investment climbed 12.3 percent, said Suryamin, the head of the Central Statistics Agency.

The data should help alleviate concerns about Southeast Asia's largest economy which posted a 6.3 percent on-year expansion in the first quarter from 6.5 percent in the previous quarter.

The strong growth came even as the global downturn has hit Indonesia's exports, with the country recording its largest monthly trade deficit of $1.3 billion in June.

Exports, which account for roughly a quarter of GDP, increased by 1.9 percent in the second quarter, but imports also shot up by 10.9 percent year-on-year.

The 6.4 percent figure for on-year growth beat the median forecast of 6.05 percent in a Dow Jones Newswires poll of 12 economists and 6.3 percent predicted by Bank Indonesia.

Experts say domestic demand has made the nation of 240 million people with a growing middle class broadly resilient to the global economic slump and eurozone debt crisis that have hit other Asian nations.

But Credit Suisse said in a statement that it was "sceptical that the current pace of economic expansion is sustainable over the long term" because of the slow pace of reforms.

Bank Indonesia will meet on Thursday to set the benchmark interest rate, which has sat at an all-time low of 5.75 percent since February.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-q2-growth-6-4-092121796--finance.html

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Olympic Update: Japan?s Gold Medal Hopes for Week Two

Japan closed out its first week at the London Games with an impressive 27 medals. That is more than the total haul from Beijing four years ago.

But for all the fairytale surprises ? like the country?s maiden medals in badminton and archery ? there have been misses by some of the country?s most formidable contenders for gold. Japan?s national anthem has filled the Olympic arenas just twice ? once for Kaori Matsumoto in women?s judo and again for gymnastics ?Superman? Kohei Uchimura. With its strongest events behind it, the chances that Japan surpasses the nine gold medals it brought home from Beijing are slim, and it would take a miracle to win the 15 that the Japanese Olympic Committee has targeted.

Japan rising to the top of the medal tally after the first week of the Summer Games is the usual plot line. Its strong suits ? swimming, judo and men?s gymnastics ? kick off the two weeks of athletic pageantry. That?s not to say Japan has had a bad run in London thus far. The 11 medals from the swim team, seven from judo and three from men?s gymnastics have added up to a nice start. But gold-medal hopefuls like breaststroke specialist Kosuke Kitajima, hammer-thrower Koji Murofushi and the judo bench are going home with medals of a different color. Kitajima finally grabbed a silver in the 400-meter relay Saturday after failing to make the podium in the two events ? the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke ? that he ruled at the previous two Olympics. The 37-year-old Murofushi threw the hammer just far enough for a bronze on Sunday. And London marks the first time the men?s judo team didn?t win a single gold since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when judo became an official sport.

Looking ahead, Japan has roughly eight more viable shots at winning gold. Below is a roundup:

  • Women?s soccer: Nadeshiko Japan has made it to the semifinal round with relative ease. Though the world champions? scoreless draw with South Africa drew some controversy for Japan?s admission that it purposely avoided goals to dodge a long trip for the quarter final, the plan to stay put seemed to pay off. The women cruised past Brazil, one of the strongest teams. Their 2-0 win puts them just two matches away from gold. Tonight they face France, against whom they have a checkered record. Japan has won twice and lost three times, with the most recent 2-0 loss coming during their last friendly match before the Olympics.? ?I think our players have more self-confidence in their mental and physical fitness,? said head coach Norio Sasaki on Sunday. ?They know what they have to do and are telling themselves they can do it.?
  • Men?s soccer: The men?s soccer team has been the surprise runaway success of Japan?s 2012 Olympic story. With their latest 3-0 victory over Egypt, the Japanese men secured their first appearance in the final four in 44 years. The young team?s medal hopes were dim compared with their female counterparts. But then they beat Spain in the first match and the rest has been history. The hot streak has given rise to a new star ? Kensuke Nagai. Japanese fans back home have latched onto the sudden flood of media profiles about the 23-year-old striker and his famed speed, like how he once chased down a car going 40 kilometers per hour. The men play Mexico in the semifinal Tuesday.
  • Wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho are both favorites to defend their Olympic titles this week. Both women have won gold at the past two games and dominated their weight categories in the years since Beijing. But Yoshida stumbled in her last major tournament before the games, falling to Russian teenager Valeria Zholobova at the World Cup in May.
  • The women?s table tennis team has earned its first-ever shot at gold, beating world champion Singapore over the weekend to reach the final. The team will face either China or South Korea for gold on Tuesday. Either team will be tough. Japan fell to South Korea in the bronze-medal match in Beijing, and team anchors Ai Fukuhara and Kasumi Ishikawa both lost to Chinese players during the individual competition earlier in the week.
  • Parallel Bars: The Tanaka brothers enter the gymnastic event finals with the two highest scores on the parallel bars, positioning both siblings for a chance to clinch gold on the apparatus. The victory would be especially sweet for older brother Kazuhito, who narrowly missed a silver in the individual all-around after mishaps in the last two events. Yusuke scored 15.866 on the bars during the team preliminary round, 0.141 ahead of his brother and a comfortable 0.233 ahead of third-highest Zhe Feng of China.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/08/06/olympic-update-japans-gold-medal-hopes-for-week-two/?mod=WSJBlog

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Syrians in Jordan fear hunt from Assad agents

In this Wednesday Aug. 1, 2012 photo, Adnan Hamdan, 50, a Syrian religious affairs ministry official who defected, speaks to the Associated Press at his temporary house in Irbid, Jordan. Hamdan said he received scores of emails, cellphone text messages, and telephone calls warning ?me that I will be killed because I have been outspoken in the media, exposing Assad?s atrocities against the people.? (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon)

In this Wednesday Aug. 1, 2012 photo, Adnan Hamdan, 50, a Syrian religious affairs ministry official who defected, speaks to the Associated Press at his temporary house in Irbid, Jordan. Hamdan said he received scores of emails, cellphone text messages, and telephone calls warning ?me that I will be killed because I have been outspoken in the media, exposing Assad?s atrocities against the people.? (AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon)

In this Thursday Aug. 2, 2012 photo a Syrian refugee girl washes up and cools off in Zaatari Refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Jordan is host to the largest number of Syrian refugees at 142,000, including hundreds of army and police defectors and leaders in the rebel Free Syrian Army, fighting in the civil war that erupted in March 2011. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)

In this Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 photo, a Syrian refugee and her children stand at the entrance to their tent in the Zaatari Syrian Refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Jordan is host to the largest number of Syrian refugees at 142,000, including hundreds of army and police defectors and leaders in the rebel Free Syrian Army, fighting in the civil war that erupted in March 2011. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)

In this Thursday Aug. 2, 2012 photo a Syrian refugee climbs a tower which will be wired for electricity calling for his friends in the Zaatari Refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Jordan is host to the largest number of Syrian refugees at more than 142,000, including hundreds of army and police defectors and leaders in the rebel Free Syrian Army, fighting in the civil war that erupted in March 2011. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)

In this Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 photo, a Syrian refugee boy washes his hands outside his family's tent in the Zaatari Syrian Refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Jordan is host to the largest number of Syrian refugees at 142,000, including hundreds of army and police defectors and leaders in the rebel Free Syrian Army, fighting in the civil war that erupted in March 2011. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon)

(AP) ? Sultan, a 42-year-old Syrian anti-regime activist, knew he was being hunted, even in this northern Jordanian city where he had taken refuge. The attack came on a crowded street: Two men grabbed him and dragged him into a waiting car, shouting, "It's him!"

In the chaos, Sultan says, he recognized the car's driver: a Syrian intelligence officer from the Damascus prison where for three months this year Sultan was jailed and tortured for participating in protests against President Bashar Assad.

"We can finish him in seconds," one of the men shouted, Sultan told The Associated Press, speaking on condition that his full name not be used to avoid further reprisals.

In the car, they stabbed him with a knife, slashing his neck and head. But the car got stuck in traffic. When Sultan screamed and pounded on the windows, passers-by and police intervened and rescued him, arresting the four Syrian men in the car.

The attack, in early July, was the latest in a string of similar incidents in recent months that have raised fears among Syrian refugees that Assad's regime is extending its crackdown across the border into neighboring Jordan. Refugees and Jordanian officials believe Syrian regime agents are operating in the kingdom on a campaign to hunt down opponent and intimidate those who have fled.

That has Jordanian officials worried over a potentially more extensive campaign of assassinations or bombings ? targeting Jordanians as well as Syrians ? as Damascus lashes out against its neighbor in moves that could drag this U.S.-allied kingdom into Syria's civil war. Jordan already faces its more powerful neighbor's growing anger because it is hosting more than 140,000 refugees who fled the 17-month-old conflict, as well as members of the rebel Free Syrian Army fighting Assad's military.

Jordanian political analyst Labib Kamhawi said the kingdom is deeply concerned over Syrian "sleeper cells."

"There could be killings, or explosions, or assassinations of Syrians and Jordanian personalities," he said. "There could also be serious border confrontations or incursions."

There has already been one attempted bombing of a Jordanian.

Security officials say they arrested a man in June trying to plant a bomb under the car of Jordanian businessman Nidal Bashabsheh, who has been active in helping Syrian refugees. Bashabsheh was visiting an apartment complex in northern Jordan where he is housing refugees when the man was seen putting the bomb under his car, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the press.

There is precedent for more. In 1982, when Syria's regime waged a bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, Syria massed troops on Jordan's border, accusing the kingdom of supporting the Islamists. No attack took place, but there was a wave of assassinations of Syrian Brotherhood activists who took refuge in Jordan. In 1970, the Syrian military carried out a short invasion of northern Jordan to protect Palestinians during a Jordanian crackdown on Palestinian factions.

"Assad is seething with anger at Jordan. It's now like a jigsaw puzzle with all scenarios possible," said Adnan Hamdan, 50, a cleric who worked in Syria's Religious Affairs Ministry until he defected to Jordan last Februrary.

Hamdan, now in Irbid, said he has received dozens of emails, text messages, and telephone calls from people with Syrian accents, warning "me that I will be killed because I have been outspoken in the media, exposing Assad's atrocities against the people."

Traditionally, Jordan's relations with Syria have been strained because of the kingdom's strong alliance with the United States and cordial ties with Syria's arch Israeli enemy under a 1994 peace treaty.

Syria's crisis has only worsened ties. Last year, Jordan's King Abdullah II suggested Assad must step down over the bloody crackdown. Last week, Jordan inaugurated its first refugee camp for the Syrians, an embarrassment for Damascus.

Recent shootings by Syrian troops on refugees at the border have raised Jordanian worries of an incursion, prompting Amman to deploy more troops near the frontier and put air defenses on alert. King Abdullah inspected the frontier and visited with his troops late Wednesday.

In the past few months, Syria has been pressing for the extradition of Syrian army and police defectors, but Jordan declined, according to a security official, who declined to be identified, saying he was not allowed to comment on sensitive state security matters.

Recently, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh admitted that Jordan has toughened its entry regulations and screening for Syrians to prevent pro-Assad loyalists from operating among refugees.

But the attack on Sultan and others like it suggest regime agents are present.

Sultan, who arrived in Jordan in mid-July and works with the FSA, said that before the attack, neighbors in Irbid told him men were asking for him, claiming to have a message from his hometown of Daraa. Terrified, Sultan refused to leave his house for days.

"All I thought of is to find another place to hide," he told The Associated Press. Finally, "I went out for a breath of fresh air and to see the sun," he said. "I thought I'd try my luck, maybe they gave up looking for me."

That was when the attack came. A Jordanian security official confirmed the July 4 attack on Sultan and said the four men arrested from the car were Syrians. The official would not say more about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.

A former Syrian army captain from Daraa who defected and fled to Jordan said he was attacked in the capital, Amman. He arrived in Jordan on May 8 and quickly heard from fellow Syrians that a group of Syrians was asking about him.

Three days later, three Syrian men and a woman approached him on an Amman street and said they had a letter for a Syrian in the neighborhood. They seemed unsure if he was the man they were looking for, since he had grown out his beard and dyed his hair since defecting, said the 34-year-old former captain. When he replied in a Syrian accent, they realized he was their man, he said.

They put two guns to his head, dragged him into a car and drove to an empty lot where they beat him with clubs, he said.

"They said the next time, they'd come back to kill me if I don't head back to Syria within a week," he said. "They sped off and left me bleeding from the nose, mouth and head all night."

The captain, his head still creased with the scars, is now in hiding in a city in Jordan's eastern desert. He spoke on condition his name and exact location not be revealed for fear of being tracked down.

In a more mysterious incident, refugees living at the apartment complex run by the Jordanian businessman Bashabsheh reported two attempts to poison the complex's water supply.

Three residents and two members of the Free Syrian Army said that on March 17, a pair of Syrians were caught dumping bags of rat poison into the water tanks on the building's roof. Then in June, they said, Syrians gave a resident money to dump pills into the tanks. The resident instead turned the money and the pills over to FSA members in the building, who said the pills were found to be cyanide-based. The FSA members said they believed Syrian intelligence was behind the attempts, but there was no independent confirmation of the incidents.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-08-03-Jordan-Syria's%20Hand/id-2e814947bf3b42c2b3e85c0f2ecfa756

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Economy generates 163K jobs in sign of resilience

In this Aug. 2, 2012 photo, ironworker Stephen MacGray cuts a steel brace at the World Trade Center construction site, in New York. U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring. The Labor Department said Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, that the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in June. July's hiring was the best since February. Still, the economy has added an average of 151,000 jobs a month this year, roughly the same as last year's pace. That's not enough to satisfy the 12.8 million Americans who are unemployed. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

In this Aug. 2, 2012 photo, ironworker Stephen MacGray cuts a steel brace at the World Trade Center construction site, in New York. U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring. The Labor Department said Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, that the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in June. July's hiring was the best since February. Still, the economy has added an average of 151,000 jobs a month this year, roughly the same as last year's pace. That's not enough to satisfy the 12.8 million Americans who are unemployed. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

In this Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 photo, ironworkers James Brady, left, and Billy Geoghan release the cables from a steel beam after connecting it on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center, in New York. U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring. The Labor Department said Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, that the unemployment rate rose to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent in June. July's hiring was the best since February. Still, the economy has added an average of 151,000 jobs a month this year, roughly the same as last year's pace. That's not enough to satisfy the 12.8 million Americans who are unemployed. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

In this July 9, 2012 photo, construction workers continue work on the job in Boston. U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of Americans, grew at a slightly faster pace in July. The Institute for Supply Management reported Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, that its index of non-manufacturing activity picked up slightly last month with a reading of 52.6. That was a tiny improvement from June's reading of 52.1, which had been the lowest since January 2010. Still, any reading above 50 indicates expansion. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In this July 9, 2012 photo, a construction worker carries equipment on the job in Boston. U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of Americans, grew at a slightly faster pace in July. The Institute for Supply Management reported Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, that its index of non-manufacturing activity picked up slightly last month with a reading of 52.6. That was a tiny improvement from June's reading of 52.1, which had been the lowest since January 2010. Still, any reading above 50 indicates expansion. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Trader Christopher Crotty works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. U.S. stocks are rising sharply on Wall Street after a July jobs report revealed the strongest hiring trends in five months. Despite the gain in hiring, there were still enough signs of weakness in the latest jobs report to keep hope alive that the Federal Reserve may still take more steps to kick-start the economy at its next meeting in September. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP) ? The U.S. economy generated jobs last month at the fastest pace since February, a sign it is resilient enough to pull out of a midyear slump and grow modestly even as the rest of the world slows down.

The 163,000 jobs employers added in July ended three months of weak hiring. But the surprising gains weren't enough to drive down the unemployment rate, which ticked up to 8.3 percent last month from 8.2 percent in June ? the 42nd straight month the jobless rate has exceeded 8 percent. The United States remains stuck with the weakest economic recovery since World War II.

The latest job numbers, released Friday by the Labor Department, provided fodder both for President Barack Obama, who highlighted improved hiring in the private sector, and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who pointed toward higher unemployment.

"It's not especially weak, but it's not especially strong," said Scott Brown, chief economist at the investment firm Raymond James.

Investors focused on the positive. The Dow Jones industrials surged 217 points.

Three more monthly jobs reports will come out before Election Day, including the one for October on Friday, Nov. 2, just four days before Americans vote.

No modern president has faced re-election when unemployment was so high. President Jimmy Carter was bounced from office in November 1980 when unemployment was 7.5 percent.

In remarks at the White House, Obama said the private sector has added 4.5 million jobs in the past 29 months. But he acknowledged there still are too many people out of work. "We've got more work to do on their behalf," he said.

Romney focused on the increase in the unemployment rate, as did other Republicans. "Middle-class Americans deserve better, and I believe America can do better," he said in a statement.

The economy is still struggling more than three years after the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009. The collapse of the housing market and the financial crisis that followed froze credit, destroyed trillions of dollars in household wealth and brought home construction to a halt. Consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic output, remains weak as Americans pay down debts and save more.

From April through June this year, the economy expanded at a listless 1.5 percent annual pace, a slowdown from the January-March pace of 2 percent.

The job market got off to a strong start in 2012. Employers added an average 226,000 a month from January through March.

But the hiring spree was caused partly by an unseasonably warm winter that allowed construction companies and other firms to hire earlier in the year than usual, effectively stealing jobs from the spring. The payback showed up as weak hiring ? an average 73,000 a month ? from April through June.

Then came the 163,000 new jobs in July, beating the 100,000 economists had expected.

Now that the warm weather effects have worn off, economists expect job growth to settle into range of 100,000 to 150,000 a month.

That would be consistent: The economy has added an average of 151,000 jobs a month this year. But that hasn't been enough to bring unemployment down. At 8.3 percent, unemployment was as high in July as it had been in January.

The unemployment rate can rise even when hiring picks up because the government derives the figures from two different surveys.

One is called the payroll survey. It asks mostly large companies and government agencies how many people they employed during the month. This survey produces the number of jobs gained or lost.

The other is the household survey. Government workers ask whether the adults in a household have a job and use the findings to produce the unemployment rate. Last month's uptick in joblessness was practically a rounding error: The unemployment rate blipped up from 8.22 percent in June to 8.25 in July.

Worries have intensified that the U.S. economy will fall off a "fiscal cliff" at the end of the year. That's when more than $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts will kick in unless Congress reaches a budget deal.

The draconian dose of austerity is meant to force Republicans and Democrats to compromise. If they can't and taxes go up and spending gets slashed, the economy will plunge into recession, contracting at an annual rate of 1.3 percent in the first six months of 2013, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The rest of the world is slowing. Much of Europe is in recession as policymakers struggle to deal with high government debts, weak banks and the threat that countries will abandon the euro currency and wreck the region's financial system.

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said Thursday the bank is preparing to buy government bonds to help drive down borrowing costs in debt-ridden countries like Spain and Italy.

The high-powered economies of China, India and Brazil are also slowing sharply, partly because Europe's troubles have hurt their exports.

In the United States, the Federal Reserve earlier this week passed up a chance to approve new measures to jolt economic growth but signaled it was ready to act if growth and hiring stayed week. That led many economists to predict the Fed would announce a third round of bond purchases designed to push long-term interest rates down and generate more borrowing and spending in the economy.

If the previous three months of lackluster job creation were not enough to spur the Fed into acting more aggressively, then Friday's numbers "must surely kill off the possibility of imminent action," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit in London.

The job market still has a long way to go. The economy lost 8.8 million jobs from the time employment peaked in January 2008 until it hit bottom in February 2010. Since then, just 4 million, or 46 percent, have been recovered. Never since World War II has the economy been so slow to recover all the jobs lost in a downturn.

A broader measure of weakness in the job market deteriorated in July: The proportion of Americans who were either unemployed, working part-time because they couldn't find full-time work or too discouraged to look for work rose to 15 percent from 14.9 percent in June.

Nearly 5.2 million Americans have been out of work for six months or more.

Eric Kosmack has applied for about 450 jobs since he graduated in January 2011 from Montclair State University in New Jersey. He is looking for a job in accounting to put his mathematics degree to work. He has had three temporary jobs since then, including one that ended Tuesday, but no luck in his search for a permanent one.

And many of the jobs he has seen described as "entry level" still ask for one to three years of experience, which he doesn't have. "I understand that they want to find the perfect candidate, but it seems like a long process," he said.

Those lucky enough to have jobs aren't seeing their spending power grow. Over the past year, wages have increased 1.7 percent ? just matching the rate of inflation.

"The glass half full is that this report should ease fears that we're slipping into recession," said Michael Feroli, an economist JPMorgan Chase Bank. "The glass half empty is that the labor market generally still stinks when thinking about things that matter for people's well-being, like wage growth."

Government cutbacks continued to weigh heavily on the job market. The economy lost 9,000 government jobs last month and 660,000 over the past two years.

Private companies have picked up part of the slack. In fact, private payrolls are higher now than they were when Obama took office in January 2009.

In July, private sector job gains were broad-based. Manufacturing added 25,000 jobs, the most since March. Restaurants and bars added 29,000. Temporary help services added 14,100 jobs. Retailers hired 7,000 more workers. Education and health services gained 38,000.

Tania Dougherty, owner of the Little Wine Bus in New York, has two tour guides and wants to hire at least three more because more companies are booking her daylong winery tours for employee outings.

After the financial crisis hit in 2008, companies cut back on bonuses, raises, vacation days and other perks, Dougherty said. But employers are now recognizing they need to spend more money on their workers to retain them, she said.

"They want to show them a good time," Dougherty said. "People are working longer hours. It's a way to reward employees. They deserve the day out, and companies are realizing that."

___

AP Business Writer Joseph Pisani in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-08-03-Economy/id-aa64bcb488d24cafa520a7b18466abaa

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Artistic Landscaping Stones Can Be a Great Way To Your Garden ...

2422a Artistic Landscaping Stones Can Be a Great Way To Your Garden

If you want to create a lasting artistic statement, however I cannot sculpt statues, stone landscaping will be a great way to make a statement. They arrive in all types of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. Your solely limit is what you think about working with them, and how you can successfully carry out his plan. From rock to rock to armor stone patio, and the pea gravel and stone, you are able to do with rock art.

Armor stones are the largest and boldest statement you can make the lawn. These stones had been originally used as a barrier towards water harm because the back and sea beaches and rivers. They have been actually acted as a shield in opposition to the financial institution using a everlasting effect of water on the coast, because the surge from the storm, and as insurance coverage towards the rise and fall of tides. Now you need to use to boost the artistic statement that can final for decades. You should buy these 1 pm to three tons of rock in all types of colors, tones and distinctive elements in each layer.

Massive blocks will also be used to create fascinating patterns and entrances. Having one on both sides of her in August generally is a enjoyable strategy to greet your company with old world attraction that may last. You possibly can hold them from the door, put an indication on its surface, digging an area to your mailbox, or go away them in peace and imposition of a delicate green lawn. I believe it still seems to be great to prepare a small pea gravel around the base in both complementary or contrasting colours to set off the whole look.

Flagstone terrace is a technique to create a murals that can be a function. You may have years of enjoyable to your backyard with associates who can look down at your toes and see the great work you will have created. This is an example the place your mates can stroll around something you?re proud, and go effectively with it. Slab is usually one to 2 inches thick. They come in irregular pieces which are pure and should be positioned in those elements of sand and sq.-reduce that should be set in mortar. Every possibility will last decades, and neither offers you many alternatives to create whatever you want.

If you happen to construct your own residence and love the look of stone, why not look ahead to having it made from stone? This traditional look goes back to early human building of houses. Over time, have provide you with many various styles. You may select from a sq. cut, sawn basalt, basalt Cut up, Brohm, granite, stone, superb stone, river, mountains, rocks and all the things blends together to create a novel house that only you have. When carried out in the same style as their landscaping stones can have an elegant residence, which is able to last for years, and speaking concerning the neighborhood.

Lane Landscaping Provides has the highest line of landscaping merchandise and supplies for over 20 years. As specialists in merchandise for out of doors landscaping, Lane Landscaping specializes in turning the open space on the retreat you?re looking for. Lane brings prime quality merchandise, together with mulch landscaping flagstone patio and lawn, landscaping stones, blocking laminate, pure stone steps and outdoor lighting.

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Choosing a Newport Beach Personal Trainer

Obesity is at its highest levels ever in the United States and in Europe. Many people have made the decision that they?re not going to be part of this statistic any longer. If you?re among those who have decided that it?s time to get back into shape, or get into shape for the very first time ever, then you might want to consider Newport Beach Personal training.

Personal training refers to a fitness program that is one-on-one between you and a trained professional. This is an excellent option for people who are self-conscious about their bodies and don?t want to work out in front of other people.

Working with the Newport Beach Personal trainer ensures that you get a plan designed specifically for your body type and your fitness goals. When you work in a group setting, the class trainer has to consider the needs of everyone. When you work with a personal trainer, he or she only has to consider your needs.

An exceptional personal trainer will actually have a degree in physical education, exercise physiology, sports management or another related field. While personal trainer having a bachelors degree or even masters degree in one of these fields is excellent, there are many great personal trainers that don?t have a college degree, but they do have good certifications.

Having the right certification, especially combined with experience, can be the equivalent of having the same knowledge as someone with a degree. Basically, if a personal trainer doesn?t have a college degree, don?t dismiss the trainer automatically.

There are actually several places that offer certifications for personal trainers. These facilities require extensive testing before a personal trainer can pass the exam. There isn?t a single entity that is considered the go to place for certification. As such, you just want to ensure that the personal trainer has received certification from a nationally recognized organization and the trainer?s license and certification are current.

If you?re struggling to reach your fitness goals, or you?re self-conscious about exercising in a gym or boot camp setting, then a Newport Beach Personal trainer may be the ideal solution. Some personal trainers allow you to try their program for a very low price so that you can get a feel for what they have to offer. This is certainly something to take advantage of if you?re unsure if this type of program is right for you.

Source: http://www.tdht.org/international-health-news/choosing-a-newport-beach-personal-trainer/

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Tuna companies to pay $3.3 million to settle skimping claims

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Three of the largest U.S. sellers of canned tuna have agreed to pay $3.3 million collectively to settle civil claims brought by three California counties over complaints the companies put less fish in their cans than represented on their labels.

StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee brands of canned tuna contained more liquid and less tuna than stated on their cans, according to a lawsuit and settlement both filed Thursday by district attorneys for Marin, Riverside and San Diego counties.

The companies cooperated fully in an investigation stemming from the complaint and in reaching the settlement, the prosecutors said. The inquiry into complaints of tuna under-filling began in 2010, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Gina Darvas said.

"The California Department of Food and Agriculture has a division of measurement standards, and they look at short weights, among other things," Darvas said. "Someone had an anecdotal feeling there was less tuna in cans, and they looked into it."

The shortages were found in tuna packed in vegetable broth, prosecutors said. No liability was admitted by the tuna canners in the settlement.

"It's not necessarily intentional," Darvas said. "They get a little sloppy on keeping up with calibrating their weighing equipment, and we occasionally have to provide an incentive that they play by the rules."

Calls for comment to StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee were not immediately returned on Friday.

The National Fisheries Institute, whose membership includes the three tuna canners, said the problem is the weighing standard used by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

"The dispute centered around the FDA's 55-year-old pressed weight standard. Rather than litigate against an outdated standard, the companies will continue their own efforts with FDA towards establishing a more modern, consistent and reliable standard of measurement that can be easily understood and verified by consumers," the group said in a written statement.

The settlement includes $969,500 to be paid to each county's consumer protection division, $300,000 worth of canned tuna to be donated to California Food Banks, plus investigation costs, Darvas said.

"It would be impossible to identify and compensate everyone who has purchased the cans of tuna that were light," Darvas said, noting that tuna is a staple in most households. "So we found a good alternative that we are very pleased with."

(Editing by Steve Gorman, Cynthia Johnston and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tuna-companies-pay-3-3-million-settle-skimping-003903837.html

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