PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP, Reuters) – A fierce weekend storm dropped record snowfall and stranded travelers up the coast from Virginia to New England, but its timing helped minimize headache-inducing work commutes and left many with the prospect of a very white Christmas.
Residents throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast mostly holed up for the weekend, then dug out from as much as two feet of snow to find sunny, mostly calm skies under a blanket of white unspoiled by car exhaust and passers-by.
The US Northeast was blasted by a massive snowstorm that buried cities from Washington to Boston under snow, creating travel chaos and hampering Christmas shopping.
Federal government agencies will be closed on Monday as the US capital continues to emerge from the snow.
Washington-area airports were hit with significant delays and cancellations, as were New York's three metropolitan airports, which remained opened. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, with few planes either arriving or departing.
The driving snowstorm did not stop the US Senate from convening and working on legislation to reform US healthcare.
Nearly two feet of snow piled up in the Baltimore-Washington area on Saturday in the largest snowstorm to hit the region since February 2003, while New York City saw totals of up to a foot before the monster storm churned into New England.
Boston, Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts areas saw as much as two feet of snow before the storm moved out to sea. Areas of eastern Long Island had blizzard-like conditions and nearly two feet of precipitation.
The storm gave Washington its snowiest December on record, said Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Seidel.
Matthew Laquinta was vindicated by the 15 inches of snow outside his Providence home, where his daughter Emma, 7, didn't believe the night before that the weather might keep them from visiting relatives on Sunday.
Nevertheless, they still planned to make the two-hour trek to visit family in Massachusetts.
To the south, others struggled with the aftermath of the storm that stranded hundreds of motorists in Virginia and knocked out power to thousands, but could have been much worse.
On the cusp of the winter solstice, the storm dropped 16 inches of snow Saturday on Reagan National Airport outside Washington — the most ever recorded there for a single December day — and gave southern New Jersey its highest single-storm snowfall totals in nearly four years.
The National Weather Service said the storm gave Philadelphia, which began keeping records in 1884, its second-largest snowfall: 23.2 inches. Even more was recorded in the Philadelphia suburb of Medford, New Jersey, at 24 inches.
The 13.4 inches that fell Sunday at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, just south of Providence, easily eclipsed the date's previous record — 6.3 inches in 1995, according to the National Weather Service.
Around New York City, the brunt of the storm hit Long Island, with whiteout conditions and 26.3 inches in Upton, a record since measurements began in 1949. Nearly 11 inches of snow fell on New York City, and the storm could be the worst the city has seen since about 26 inches fell in February 2006, National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Maloit said.
Pragmatic New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged residents and holiday visitors to take advantage of cancellations by seeing a Broadway show. The mayor said city retailers weren't hard hit because the snow held off until late Saturday.
Even as the storm wound down in the New York area, conditions remained treacherous and drivers were advised to stay off the roads, Maloit said. Bus, subways and trains were delayed.
Airports in the Northeast that were jammed up Saturday were working their way back to normal operations.
About 1,200 flights at the New York City area's three major airports remained canceled.
Baltimore-Washington airport struggled to get back up to full speed, with some airlines still canceling flights. At Boston's Logan airport, where it was still snowing Sunday morning, spokesman Phil Orlandella said flights have been "on and off." Monday looked to be a normal day, he said.
Philadelphia International Airport shut down Saturday night but reopened early Sunday.
The School District of Philadelphia and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia canceled classes for 195,000 public school and Roman Catholic school students to give the city another day to clear roads and sidewalks.
Showing posts with label Christian News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian News. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Rage Against The Machine take Christmas number one spot
Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name is the UK Christmas number one.
Rage Against The Machine have won the battle to hold the UK's Christmas number one spot.The band saw off competition from X Factor winner Joe McElderry to top the charts with their single Killing In The Name.
An online campaign was launched to help the song, which was originally released in 1992, achieve the number one position and break the X Factor's almost-traditional hold on the Christmas charts.
Rage Against The Machine's track sold more than half a million copies, according to the Official Charts Company, compared to McElderry's 450,000.
Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company, commented: "Congratulations to Rage Against The Machine on their number one - as we have seen in recent years, overhauling any X Factor winner in the race for the Christmas number one is no mean achievement."
As well as being the Christmas number one, Killing In The Name has become the first song to achieve this through downloads only and has achieved the biggest one-week download sales in UK chart history.
Last week, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello told BBC 6 Music the campaign shows the "independent spirit" of British music lovers.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Reid Prepares to Unveil Health Bill as Christmas Deadline Looms
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid reported “significant progress” toward persuading holdout Senator Ben Nelson to join 59 other senators to back health legislation as Reid’s self-imposed deadline for Christmas passage closes in.
Following several rounds of talks with Nelson and White House aides in his Capitol office, Reid said through a spokesman last night he expected to get the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage of the legislation, the most sweeping changes to the U.S. medical system in four decades.
“We have made significant progress,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in the statement. Later today, Reid plans to offer final revisions to the measure and “is confident that it will prevail,” Manley said.
Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, met with Reid in the majority leader’s office at least twice yesterday, along with White House aides making a last-ditch effort to strike an agreement to move forward toward passage of the bill by Christmas.
“I am not focused on that deadline,” Nelson told reporters after the discussions, which were joined by White House aides Nancy-Ann DeParle, Jim Messina and Pete Rouse. “I am focused on getting this right.”
Three Votes
Once Reid unveils the bill, the senators will take three votes separated by 30-hour intervals over the next week, as the Republicans use every procedural tactic they can to delay a measure they say will raise taxes, hurt insurers and widen the deficit.
Reid’s success in passing the measure largely depends on Nelson, who’s pushing for stronger language to prohibit federal subsidies from being used to fund abortions and says he has a “laundry list” of other concerns.
Nelson last night said he made some gains on changes he is seeking on the expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans, which is financed by state and federal governments.
Still, “there is no deal, no agreement,” he said. He’s prepared to continue talking in the morning and will review different language about preventing government insurance subsidies from being “directly or indirectly used to fund elective abortions,” he said.
Senator Charles Schumer said “all the pieces are starting to fall in place, but we still got a way to go.” The New York senator told reporters as he headed to Reid’s office last night for more discussions that the changes being discussed were “just twists and turns.”
If the Senate passes a bill, it still must be reconciled with a version approved last month in the U.S. House.
No Republicans
Reid and President Barack Obama need Nelson’s support for their top domestic priority because they have no backing from Republicans.
Passage of the bill will require 60 votes to cut off Republican stalling tactics, and Democrats control exactly that number. Leaders of the party described Nelson as the chief holdout.
Nelson and several other lawmakers say they need to see Congressional Budget Office cost estimates and the language changes made by Reid in recent weeks before making a final decision. The CBO analysis may come out as early as today.
As they have worked to lock in votes, Senate leaders have spent the last few days wrangling with the numbers and the proposals.
Insurance Mandate
The latest version of the Senate bill was designed to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and curb medical expenses at a cost of $848 billion over 10 years.
Like the $1 trillion measure passed Nov. 7 by the House, the Senate plan would require all Americans to get health coverage or pay a penalty. It would expand the Medicaid health program for the poor, set up online insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who need help buying policies.
The only Senate Republican to support the legislation on the committee level, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, said on Dec. 17 that she told Obama Democrats shouldn’t be moving so fast to pass a bill.
Rushing to passage “doesn’t make sense” for legislation that wouldn’t take effect for four years, she said. Obama told her “he would prefer to move the process forward,” Snowe told reporters. “I was advocating using part of January to focus on issues that need attention.”
She said her chief concerns included a potential increase in Medicare payroll taxes and the bill’s impact on small businesses.
Defying the People
Before Reid and Nelson huddled yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said there was a “good chance” that Democrats “will not be able to get their members to lock arms and walk off the cliff in obvious defiance of the American people” who he said are against the bill.
He and other Republicans also said they would use any method that their disposal to block passage.
Asked if Republicans planned to force the Senate to exhaust time reading the legislation on the floor, Arizona Senator John McCain told reporters yesterday, “I don’t think it would be outrageous to ask for a bill to be read that we haven’t seen that affects one-seventh of our gross national product.”
Nelson told reporters on Dec. 17 that he understands why Reid is pushing senators to act, saying the pressure moves the process along. Still, he said, “I intend to be home Christmas.”
Following several rounds of talks with Nelson and White House aides in his Capitol office, Reid said through a spokesman last night he expected to get the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage of the legislation, the most sweeping changes to the U.S. medical system in four decades.
“We have made significant progress,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in the statement. Later today, Reid plans to offer final revisions to the measure and “is confident that it will prevail,” Manley said.
Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, met with Reid in the majority leader’s office at least twice yesterday, along with White House aides making a last-ditch effort to strike an agreement to move forward toward passage of the bill by Christmas.
“I am not focused on that deadline,” Nelson told reporters after the discussions, which were joined by White House aides Nancy-Ann DeParle, Jim Messina and Pete Rouse. “I am focused on getting this right.”
Three Votes
Once Reid unveils the bill, the senators will take three votes separated by 30-hour intervals over the next week, as the Republicans use every procedural tactic they can to delay a measure they say will raise taxes, hurt insurers and widen the deficit.
Reid’s success in passing the measure largely depends on Nelson, who’s pushing for stronger language to prohibit federal subsidies from being used to fund abortions and says he has a “laundry list” of other concerns.
Nelson last night said he made some gains on changes he is seeking on the expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans, which is financed by state and federal governments.
Still, “there is no deal, no agreement,” he said. He’s prepared to continue talking in the morning and will review different language about preventing government insurance subsidies from being “directly or indirectly used to fund elective abortions,” he said.
Senator Charles Schumer said “all the pieces are starting to fall in place, but we still got a way to go.” The New York senator told reporters as he headed to Reid’s office last night for more discussions that the changes being discussed were “just twists and turns.”
If the Senate passes a bill, it still must be reconciled with a version approved last month in the U.S. House.
No Republicans
Reid and President Barack Obama need Nelson’s support for their top domestic priority because they have no backing from Republicans.
Passage of the bill will require 60 votes to cut off Republican stalling tactics, and Democrats control exactly that number. Leaders of the party described Nelson as the chief holdout.
Nelson and several other lawmakers say they need to see Congressional Budget Office cost estimates and the language changes made by Reid in recent weeks before making a final decision. The CBO analysis may come out as early as today.
As they have worked to lock in votes, Senate leaders have spent the last few days wrangling with the numbers and the proposals.
Insurance Mandate
The latest version of the Senate bill was designed to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and curb medical expenses at a cost of $848 billion over 10 years.
Like the $1 trillion measure passed Nov. 7 by the House, the Senate plan would require all Americans to get health coverage or pay a penalty. It would expand the Medicaid health program for the poor, set up online insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who need help buying policies.
The only Senate Republican to support the legislation on the committee level, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, said on Dec. 17 that she told Obama Democrats shouldn’t be moving so fast to pass a bill.
Rushing to passage “doesn’t make sense” for legislation that wouldn’t take effect for four years, she said. Obama told her “he would prefer to move the process forward,” Snowe told reporters. “I was advocating using part of January to focus on issues that need attention.”
She said her chief concerns included a potential increase in Medicare payroll taxes and the bill’s impact on small businesses.
Defying the People
Before Reid and Nelson huddled yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said there was a “good chance” that Democrats “will not be able to get their members to lock arms and walk off the cliff in obvious defiance of the American people” who he said are against the bill.
He and other Republicans also said they would use any method that their disposal to block passage.
Asked if Republicans planned to force the Senate to exhaust time reading the legislation on the floor, Arizona Senator John McCain told reporters yesterday, “I don’t think it would be outrageous to ask for a bill to be read that we haven’t seen that affects one-seventh of our gross national product.”
Nelson told reporters on Dec. 17 that he understands why Reid is pushing senators to act, saying the pressure moves the process along. Still, he said, “I intend to be home Christmas.”
The True Meaning of Christmas
Many people have different thoughts about Christmas.
Young children think of it as an excuse to get a load of presents. Parents think of it as a very stressful time of year where you're running through the mall like a crazy person.
Deep down though, we all know that Christmas is a very religious time of year. (Okay, so the young children don't yet know, but you know what I mean).
There's an old religious story about the birth of Christ that should explain the true meaning of Christmas.
Hundreds of years ago in the religious town of Bethlehem, there was a couple named Mary and Joseph. They were going to give birth to a child and they couldn't find an inn with an empty room anywhere.
I know what you're thinking "Of course they can't find a room! I'd like to see you try to get a hotel room during Christmas!"
Remember, this was before Christ was born, so there was no holiday on December 25th.
As I was saying, they walked from inn to inn for days. Finally they found a place to stay, but this wasn't an inn. This was a barn! Now I know that this seems strange, but remember: they have been walking from inn to inn, and they were getting desperate. That barn was a stroke of luck. Anyway, they decided this was the best they were going to find, so they remained there and Jesus Christ was born and placed in a manager.
Three wise men were sent to find this special child, deemed a saviour. As they wandered in search of the child, they followed the north star to make sure they didn't get lost on their journey. When they found the child, they showed their respect and goodwill through gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (those last two are fragrant spices). Though these don't seem like amazing gifts for a baby (I mean OTHER than the gold), they'd probably be considered an iPhone, a MacBook and a Wii by today's standards.
There you go. A quick skim-over of the story of how Jesus Christ was born and the true meaning of Christmas with a modern twist.
William Shakespeare, eat your heart out!
Young children think of it as an excuse to get a load of presents. Parents think of it as a very stressful time of year where you're running through the mall like a crazy person.
Deep down though, we all know that Christmas is a very religious time of year. (Okay, so the young children don't yet know, but you know what I mean).
There's an old religious story about the birth of Christ that should explain the true meaning of Christmas.
Hundreds of years ago in the religious town of Bethlehem, there was a couple named Mary and Joseph. They were going to give birth to a child and they couldn't find an inn with an empty room anywhere.
I know what you're thinking "Of course they can't find a room! I'd like to see you try to get a hotel room during Christmas!"
Remember, this was before Christ was born, so there was no holiday on December 25th.
As I was saying, they walked from inn to inn for days. Finally they found a place to stay, but this wasn't an inn. This was a barn! Now I know that this seems strange, but remember: they have been walking from inn to inn, and they were getting desperate. That barn was a stroke of luck. Anyway, they decided this was the best they were going to find, so they remained there and Jesus Christ was born and placed in a manager.
Three wise men were sent to find this special child, deemed a saviour. As they wandered in search of the child, they followed the north star to make sure they didn't get lost on their journey. When they found the child, they showed their respect and goodwill through gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (those last two are fragrant spices). Though these don't seem like amazing gifts for a baby (I mean OTHER than the gold), they'd probably be considered an iPhone, a MacBook and a Wii by today's standards.
There you go. A quick skim-over of the story of how Jesus Christ was born and the true meaning of Christmas with a modern twist.
William Shakespeare, eat your heart out!
15 million expected to fight for last-minute Christmas gifts
c 2009
Today is predicted to be the busiest shopping day of the year, which could see High Street takings reach up to £2 billion.
Sales figures suggest that millions have delayed their Christmas shopping in the hope of getting a bargain, and stores have begun to significantly cut the price of a wide range of gift items.
Many stores are to extend their trading hours in the final shopping days before Christmas, with some staying open until midnight.
Many will test Sunday trading restrictions by introducing a "browsing time" of up to one hour to extend the normal six hours of opening.
From Monday, more than 800 supermarkets and smaller food stores will be trading 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, the director of the Centre for Retail Research, said: 'When money is tight, there is a tendency to push back Christmas shopping until the last minute.
'There will be a big surge from now on. You could call it a planned panic."
Among the supermarkets, Tesco will have 495 large stores trading 24 hours a day from Monday morning, while Asda will have 223 and another 100 open until midnight.
Sainsbury's will have 24 stores trading 24 hours a day, plus 221 open until midnight.
Morrisons opens its stores until 10pm.
Marks & Spencer will be opening 28 of its larger stores until midnight next week, while 113 of its Simply Food outlets will trade round the clock.
Debenhams will open 100 of its 156 department stores until 11pm. Other retailers will be also be trading late into the night.
Official retail sales figures published earlier this week revealed a fall in the value and volume of sales in November compared with October, the first monthly fall in six months.
City analysts believe this is indicative of a shift to last-minute panic buying.
Stephen Robertson, the director general of the British Retail Consortium, said: "As many people start their holidays, we're expecting bumper trading - retail sales for the day should top £2billion.
"In recent years people have increasingly left their Christmas shopping to the last minute.
"This is a risky strategy if you want to be sure must-have presents aren't sold out, but it is likely to mean there is plenty of shopping still to be done.
"Let's hope snow doesn't stop people getting to stores."
Christmas shoppers on Oxford Street, central London Photo: PA
Sales figures suggest that millions have delayed their Christmas shopping in the hope of getting a bargain, and stores have begun to significantly cut the price of a wide range of gift items.
Many stores are to extend their trading hours in the final shopping days before Christmas, with some staying open until midnight.
Many will test Sunday trading restrictions by introducing a "browsing time" of up to one hour to extend the normal six hours of opening.
From Monday, more than 800 supermarkets and smaller food stores will be trading 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, the director of the Centre for Retail Research, said: 'When money is tight, there is a tendency to push back Christmas shopping until the last minute.
'There will be a big surge from now on. You could call it a planned panic."
Among the supermarkets, Tesco will have 495 large stores trading 24 hours a day from Monday morning, while Asda will have 223 and another 100 open until midnight.
Sainsbury's will have 24 stores trading 24 hours a day, plus 221 open until midnight.
Morrisons opens its stores until 10pm.
Marks & Spencer will be opening 28 of its larger stores until midnight next week, while 113 of its Simply Food outlets will trade round the clock.
Debenhams will open 100 of its 156 department stores until 11pm. Other retailers will be also be trading late into the night.
Official retail sales figures published earlier this week revealed a fall in the value and volume of sales in November compared with October, the first monthly fall in six months.
City analysts believe this is indicative of a shift to last-minute panic buying.
Stephen Robertson, the director general of the British Retail Consortium, said: "As many people start their holidays, we're expecting bumper trading - retail sales for the day should top £2billion.
"In recent years people have increasingly left their Christmas shopping to the last minute.
"This is a risky strategy if you want to be sure must-have presents aren't sold out, but it is likely to mean there is plenty of shopping still to be done.
"Let's hope snow doesn't stop people getting to stores."
Christmas services set in Gloucester County
Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid reported “significant progress” toward persuading holdout Senator Ben Nelson to join 59 other senators to back health legislation as Reid’s self-imposed deadline for Christmas passage closes in.
Following several rounds of talks with Nelson and White House aides in his Capitol office, Reid said through a spokesman last night he expected to get the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage of the legislation, the most sweeping changes to the U.S. medical system in four decades.
“We have made significant progress,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in the statement. Later today, Reid plans to offer final revisions to the measure and “is confident that it will prevail,” Manley said.
Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, met with Reid in the majority leader’s office at least twice yesterday, along with White House aides making a last-ditch effort to strike an agreement to move forward toward passage of the bill by Christmas.
“I am not focused on that deadline,” Nelson told reporters after the discussions, which were joined by White House aides Nancy-Ann DeParle, Jim Messina and Pete Rouse. “I am focused on getting this right.”
Three Votes
Once Reid unveils the bill, the senators will take three votes separated by 30-hour intervals over the next week, as the Republicans use every procedural tactic they can to delay a measure they say will raise taxes, hurt insurers and widen the deficit.
Reid’s success in passing the measure largely depends on Nelson, who’s pushing for stronger language to prohibit federal subsidies from being used to fund abortions and says he has a “laundry list” of other concerns.
Nelson last night said he made some gains on changes he is seeking on the expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans, which is financed by state and federal governments.
Still, “there is no deal, no agreement,” he said. He’s prepared to continue talking in the morning and will review different language about preventing government insurance subsidies from being “directly or indirectly used to fund elective abortions,” he said.
Senator Charles Schumer said “all the pieces are starting to fall in place, but we still got a way to go.” The New York senator told reporters as he headed to Reid’s office last night for more discussions that the changes being discussed were “just twists and turns.”
If the Senate passes a bill, it still must be reconciled with a version approved last month in the U.S. House.
No Republicans
Reid and President Barack Obama need Nelson’s support for their top domestic priority because they have no backing from Republicans.
Passage of the bill will require 60 votes to cut off Republican stalling tactics, and Democrats control exactly that number. Leaders of the party described Nelson as the chief holdout.
Nelson and several other lawmakers say they need to see Congressional Budget Office cost estimates and the language changes made by Reid in recent weeks before making a final decision. The CBO analysis may come out as early as today.
As they have worked to lock in votes, Senate leaders have spent the last few days wrangling with the numbers and the proposals.
Insurance Mandate
The latest version of the Senate bill was designed to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and curb medical expenses at a cost of $848 billion over 10 years.
Like the $1 trillion measure passed Nov. 7 by the House, the Senate plan would require all Americans to get health coverage or pay a penalty. It would expand the Medicaid health program for the poor, set up online insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who need help buying policies.
The only Senate Republican to support the legislation on the committee level, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, said on Dec. 17 that she told Obama Democrats shouldn’t be moving so fast to pass a bill.
Rushing to passage “doesn’t make sense” for legislation that wouldn’t take effect for four years, she said. Obama told her “he would prefer to move the process forward,” Snowe told reporters. “I was advocating using part of January to focus on issues that need attention.”
She said her chief concerns included a potential increase in Medicare payroll taxes and the bill’s impact on small businesses.
Defying the People
Before Reid and Nelson huddled yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said there was a “good chance” that Democrats “will not be able to get their members to lock arms and walk off the cliff in obvious defiance of the American people” who he said are against the bill.
He and other Republicans also said they would use any method that their disposal to block passage.
Asked if Republicans planned to force the Senate to exhaust time reading the legislation on the floor, Arizona Senator John McCain told reporters yesterday, “I don’t think it would be outrageous to ask for a bill to be read that we haven’t seen that affects one-seventh of our gross national product.”
Nelson told reporters on Dec. 17 that he understands why Reid is pushing senators to act, saying the pressure moves the process along. Still, he said, “I intend to be home Christmas.”
Following several rounds of talks with Nelson and White House aides in his Capitol office, Reid said through a spokesman last night he expected to get the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage of the legislation, the most sweeping changes to the U.S. medical system in four decades.
“We have made significant progress,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said in the statement. Later today, Reid plans to offer final revisions to the measure and “is confident that it will prevail,” Manley said.
Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, met with Reid in the majority leader’s office at least twice yesterday, along with White House aides making a last-ditch effort to strike an agreement to move forward toward passage of the bill by Christmas.
“I am not focused on that deadline,” Nelson told reporters after the discussions, which were joined by White House aides Nancy-Ann DeParle, Jim Messina and Pete Rouse. “I am focused on getting this right.”
Three Votes
Once Reid unveils the bill, the senators will take three votes separated by 30-hour intervals over the next week, as the Republicans use every procedural tactic they can to delay a measure they say will raise taxes, hurt insurers and widen the deficit.
Reid’s success in passing the measure largely depends on Nelson, who’s pushing for stronger language to prohibit federal subsidies from being used to fund abortions and says he has a “laundry list” of other concerns.
Nelson last night said he made some gains on changes he is seeking on the expansion of the Medicaid program for low-income Americans, which is financed by state and federal governments.
Still, “there is no deal, no agreement,” he said. He’s prepared to continue talking in the morning and will review different language about preventing government insurance subsidies from being “directly or indirectly used to fund elective abortions,” he said.
Senator Charles Schumer said “all the pieces are starting to fall in place, but we still got a way to go.” The New York senator told reporters as he headed to Reid’s office last night for more discussions that the changes being discussed were “just twists and turns.”
If the Senate passes a bill, it still must be reconciled with a version approved last month in the U.S. House.
No Republicans
Reid and President Barack Obama need Nelson’s support for their top domestic priority because they have no backing from Republicans.
Passage of the bill will require 60 votes to cut off Republican stalling tactics, and Democrats control exactly that number. Leaders of the party described Nelson as the chief holdout.
Nelson and several other lawmakers say they need to see Congressional Budget Office cost estimates and the language changes made by Reid in recent weeks before making a final decision. The CBO analysis may come out as early as today.
As they have worked to lock in votes, Senate leaders have spent the last few days wrangling with the numbers and the proposals.
Insurance Mandate
The latest version of the Senate bill was designed to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and curb medical expenses at a cost of $848 billion over 10 years.
Like the $1 trillion measure passed Nov. 7 by the House, the Senate plan would require all Americans to get health coverage or pay a penalty. It would expand the Medicaid health program for the poor, set up online insurance-purchasing exchanges and provide subsidies for those who need help buying policies.
The only Senate Republican to support the legislation on the committee level, Maine Republican Olympia Snowe, said on Dec. 17 that she told Obama Democrats shouldn’t be moving so fast to pass a bill.
Rushing to passage “doesn’t make sense” for legislation that wouldn’t take effect for four years, she said. Obama told her “he would prefer to move the process forward,” Snowe told reporters. “I was advocating using part of January to focus on issues that need attention.”
She said her chief concerns included a potential increase in Medicare payroll taxes and the bill’s impact on small businesses.
Defying the People
Before Reid and Nelson huddled yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said there was a “good chance” that Democrats “will not be able to get their members to lock arms and walk off the cliff in obvious defiance of the American people” who he said are against the bill.
He and other Republicans also said they would use any method that their disposal to block passage.
Asked if Republicans planned to force the Senate to exhaust time reading the legislation on the floor, Arizona Senator John McCain told reporters yesterday, “I don’t think it would be outrageous to ask for a bill to be read that we haven’t seen that affects one-seventh of our gross national product.”
Nelson told reporters on Dec. 17 that he understands why Reid is pushing senators to act, saying the pressure moves the process along. Still, he said, “I intend to be home Christmas.”
How to decorate your Christmas tree!
There's an old saying: "As it begins, so it ends and so it begins again." So how did you pack your decorations last year? Dumped them
helter-skelter in a box or put them neatly away so it's now easy to unpack and use? You know now what to do this year.
For holding ornaments, the best types of trees are firs and spruces because their branches are sturdiest. If (environment-consciously) you are decorating an artificial pre-lit tree, then you have no worry.
If your Christmas tree is real, make sure it is fresh. If it's too dry, the limbs might crack or break under the weight of decorations. Place a mat below the tree for easy cleaning and manoeuvring.
While decorating a tree, make sure to unsnarl the lights before you try to drape them around the tree. Also, test if the bulbs are working before you place them on the tree.
Decorating a Christmas tree with electric bulbs is much safer than hanging candles the old-fashioned way. Don't rest a bulb directly against the branches of the tree. Hot Christmas candles can heat up needles and start a fire. Avoid natural trees with pine needles if you have children and pets running around.
Get the proportion right. When hanging decorations, put the largest-sized decorations at the bottom and the smallest one at the top. The effect is more pleasing to the eye.
It is best not to throw clumps of tinsel at the tree as if they were handfuls of spaghetti. The most attractive effect is achieved by hanging clumps of tinsel just at the very edges of each branch. Think a bit about how real icicles look when they are hanging from real trees.
Choose a theme for your tree. It's fashionable. You could choose a colour theme or you can choose a style.
Remember to make the Christmas tree uniquely yours by adding heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation. Another nice touch is Christmas cards or cookies you have made in your own kitchen. It gives the tree a personal touch.
Less is always more. Otherwise the tree could look cluttered. This applies to all interior decorating.
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For holding ornaments, the best types of trees are firs and spruces because their branches are sturdiest. If (environment-consciously) you are decorating an artificial pre-lit tree, then you have no worry.
If your Christmas tree is real, make sure it is fresh. If it's too dry, the limbs might crack or break under the weight of decorations. Place a mat below the tree for easy cleaning and manoeuvring.
While decorating a tree, make sure to unsnarl the lights before you try to drape them around the tree. Also, test if the bulbs are working before you place them on the tree.
Decorating a Christmas tree with electric bulbs is much safer than hanging candles the old-fashioned way. Don't rest a bulb directly against the branches of the tree. Hot Christmas candles can heat up needles and start a fire. Avoid natural trees with pine needles if you have children and pets running around.
Get the proportion right. When hanging decorations, put the largest-sized decorations at the bottom and the smallest one at the top. The effect is more pleasing to the eye.
It is best not to throw clumps of tinsel at the tree as if they were handfuls of spaghetti. The most attractive effect is achieved by hanging clumps of tinsel just at the very edges of each branch. Think a bit about how real icicles look when they are hanging from real trees.
Choose a theme for your tree. It's fashionable. You could choose a colour theme or you can choose a style.
Remember to make the Christmas tree uniquely yours by adding heirlooms that have been passed down from generation to generation. Another nice touch is Christmas cards or cookies you have made in your own kitchen. It gives the tree a personal touch.
Less is always more. Otherwise the tree could look cluttered. This applies to all interior decorating.
Dead soldier's Christmas message
The girlfriend of a British soldier who died trying to stop suicide bombers in Afghanistan received his Christmas card the day before his death. L/Cpl David Kirkness, 24, from Morley, West Yorkshire, was one of two soldiers who sacrificed their lives to stop an attack on a packed marketplace. Mel Maclean, 31, said the card included the lines "sorry aint going to be home with you all" and "love you babes". She choked back tears as she told how she had last spoken to him on Sunday. She received the Christmas card the next day. Ms Maclean said L/Cpl Kirkness's mother had told her he was going to ask her to marry him during a family holiday planned for April next year.
She said that felt "really special". Ms Maclean added: "I knew if it came to somebody or himself, he'd save somebody else. "He's a hero - there's no other word for him. We're all really proud of him." L/Cpl Kirkness's father Chris agreed that his son was a hero. He said: "It's what he does. He's always put other people first and it's what he's done again. "I just want to remember him for what he's done. "He's given his life to save a hell of a lot of people." | ||
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sorry boys, no plastic Christmas trees for us
This Christmas will mark the 42nd consecutive year a natural tree has graced our ancient log home.
Add to this three years of pine needles at our Huron Street apartment circa 1953 to 1956, which is now the location of city hall in Niagara Falls. In addition, there was a five-year stint at 623 First Ave. and a couple of years in Burlington. I think you will agree that a fair amount of scotch pines have been selected, trimmed and placed at various angles in our December homes. We've heard all the arguments. Artificial trees are reusable, cleaner, safer and easier to assemble. And what about the new fibre optics? Sorry, but I just can't take that giant step out of the Black Forest and into a big box store. My wife and I stand bravely in front of our four sons each December armed with axes, saws, loping shears and a large bungee cord at the ready.
I remind them of a Christmas past when we drove to Barrie, cut 200 trees with the boy scouts under the supervision of the tree farm owner, who was celebrating the sale of the trees by consuming a fifth of rum and all of our lunches during the afternoon.
We also recall the bittersweet years when we endured the loss of parents, old friends and pets. Sorry boys, no plastic for us. Having said that I must admit that this year the tree nearly pushed me over the edge of tradition.
All the preliminary decisions were made. Many questions arose. Which charitable organization to buy from? What we might expect to pay?
Which trees were harvested in August and wrapped up tighter than grandma's girdle? What was the perfect height and which follies of the past must be avoided?
Finally, the local Lions club was decided upon and grandson Graham, my wife, Joan, and I arrived at their parking lot.
The car wheels had barely stopped rotating when we espied the tree that dreams are made of. It was a deep green colour. The perfect height for our somewhat lower than average ceilings and had a price tag of only $20. This was somewhat lower than our average pension cheque.
"Call me when you need me grandpa," said Graham, as he curled up for a much needed nap. Two standup comedians emerged from the trailer that always smells of ancient playing cards, stale beer and cigarette butts. These guys were really good. They presented us with two suckers that were symbolic of something I still can't quite comprehend.
"Say," said the taller of the vendors, who was certainly not a cowardly Lion, "let me trim a bit off the trunk of that tree for you." I nodded my ascent somewhat reluctantly and then gasped as a couple of feet of tree trunk, shaped roughly like a traffic circle, disappeared in a cascade of sawdust.
After a quick ride home, and a supper of french fries from the chip wagon, I unloaded the tree and let it stand for a day or two of orientation.
On trimming day I went out to the tree and discovered there was no possibility of this tree fitting into the stand since the branches were so low they crushed into its cylindrical walls. Alas, it was deemed necessary that a further row or two of the branches must be trimmed from the bottom.
At last with the assistance of a couple of old tap handles the tree was secured and actually stood up.
"Hey grandpa," my oldest grandson said with a smirk. "That tree is rather short this year isn't it?"
"Well yes Al, but after all our family is not noted for its great height. I think that the tree can be raised somewhat by the use of an apple crate or two." At last, after a dizzy spell, or a push that nearly landed me in the fireplace, the tree was placed in the corner of honour and held in place by a five-foot bungee cord.
Just a day or two ago, my wife and youngest son finished the decorating. You know, something? I think its one of the most beautiful trees ever seen. I burst with pride as I look down at the brightest star atop the tree as it bravely casts out its festive rays toward the ceiling some four feet above. Merry Christmas everyone.
It really doesn't matter if the tree is artificial or natural, or tall or short, or even a gaily lit fig tree similar to my late sister-in-law's. Just keep the spirit of Christmas genuine and true in your heart and your tree will stand 100 feet high and leave a memory forever.
Obamas Join Stars For Christmas Benefit Concert
The nation's capital got in the holiday spirit Sunday night when music legends Neil Diamond and Mary J. Blige performed for President Barack Obama at the annual "Christmas in Washington" concert.
The festivities, hosted by comedian George Lopez, took place at the National Building Museum and benefited the Children's National Medical Center.
"This season we celebrate that sacred moment, the birth of a child, the message of love preached to the world," Obama said from the stage, where he was joined by first lady Michelle Obama. "More than 2,000 years later, that spirit still inspires us."
The president spoke of helping those in need during the holidays, as well as honoring those in the military.
"With our men and women in uniform serving far from home, in harm's way, our fervent wish remains this season, and all seasons: Let there be peace on earth," he said.
Diamond kicked off the concert by performing "Joy to the World" and "Winter Wonderland." Blige wowed the crowd with "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)."
Two of the holiday songs were original numbers. Country group Sugarland performed "Gold and Green" and Rob Thomas sang "A New York Christmas."
R&B singer Usher sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Internet sensation Justin Bieber performed "Someday at Christmas."
After addressing the crowd, the Obamas stayed on stage with all the performers to sing carols, starting with "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." The president wiped a tear from his eye during the sing-along.
The festivities, hosted by comedian George Lopez, took place at the National Building Museum and benefited the Children's National Medical Center.
The president spoke of helping those in need during the holidays, as well as honoring those in the military.
"With our men and women in uniform serving far from home, in harm's way, our fervent wish remains this season, and all seasons: Let there be peace on earth," he said.
Associated Press
Sugarland's Kristian Bush, left, Mary J Blige, President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama and George Lopez sing during Christmas in Washington at the National Building Museum in Washington Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009.
Diamond kicked off the concert by performing "Joy to the World" and "Winter Wonderland." Blige wowed the crowd with "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)."Two of the holiday songs were original numbers. Country group Sugarland performed "Gold and Green" and Rob Thomas sang "A New York Christmas."
R&B singer Usher sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Internet sensation Justin Bieber performed "Someday at Christmas."
 |
Bumper Christmas for high street as shops see best sales for three years
High street stores were on course for record pre-Christmas sales today after shoppers spent an estimated £120 million in the past two days alone.
November sales in London were 13.3 per cent higher than the same month last year and the best since October 2006, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium.
A weak pound combined with mild weather and early promotions and discounts from many departments stores helped to boost sales, the group said.
More than £1 billion is expected to be spent over the crucial six-week period up to December 24th - a stark contrast to last year when sales slumped as the recession began to bite.
Some analysts believe the spending spree may be a temporary boost driven by the short-term cut in VAT from 17.5 to 15 per cent, which ends this year.
Stephen Robertson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said: 'These are great figures - the best sales growth for three years.
'Remember that this strong growth is compared with sales falls a year ago and many retailers are using promotional events and price cuts to get customers spending but these figures show London retailers have had a very encouraging start to Christmas with even big ticket items doing well.
'The weak pound continues to make London attractive to overseas visitors and November's record rain brought shoppers in from the suburbs, helping central London department stores in particular.
'Retailers will be hoping customers remain as resilient into the New Year. There are big uncertainties out there and we have yet to see the effect on sales of tough measures in the Pre-Budget Report.'
Capital Shopping Centres (CSC), responsible for some of the UK's largest retail outlets, including the Metrocentre in Gateshead and Braehead in Glasgow, said footfall through its stores was up on last year's figure.
The number of people visiting the centres was up 3 per cent for the year to date in 2009, with more than seven million shoppers flocking to CSC's 14 centres in the past week alone.
Trevor Pereira, commercial director at CSC, said: 'Sales of traditional favourites - electrical goods, perfume sets, CDs and DVD - remain popular Christmas items.
'The pace of shopping is steady across the whole of the UK, and as ever, we expect late shopping surges over the next two weekends before Christmas.'
There was further good news as department store John Lewis, viewed as the high street bellwether, posed record sales of £110 million last week.
That is 15 per cent up on the same week last year and eight per cent higher than its record best week in 2007.
John Lewis said there was a noticeable trend this year of men doing their Christmas shopping earlier, with sales of beauty products, jewellery and lingerie all peaking sooner than usual.
There was also a marked increase in customers making large household purchases such as fitted kitchens as consumer confidence returned.
At John Lewis large household purchases were also seeing 'incredible growth', particularly in fitted kitchens.
Director of operational development Andrew Murphy said: 'It is very exciting to be breaking records week after week.
'The atmosphere in our branches is very festive as across the country people are out Christmas shopping, even men, although I am sure there will still be many who leave it until the last minute.'
Sales so far this month are up 10 per cent on the same time last year, according to the New West End Company, which represents traders in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.
The figures are also far ahead of the record receipts of December 2007, meaning this month's sales could be the highest ever.
November sales in London were 13.3 per cent higher than the same month last year and the best since October 2006, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium.
A weak pound combined with mild weather and early promotions and discounts from many departments stores helped to boost sales, the group said.
More than £1 billion is expected to be spent over the crucial six-week period up to December 24th - a stark contrast to last year when sales slumped as the recession began to bite.
Shoppers pack London's Oxford Street at the weekend, which saw sales hit record levels
Stephen Robertson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said: 'These are great figures - the best sales growth for three years.
'Remember that this strong growth is compared with sales falls a year ago and many retailers are using promotional events and price cuts to get customers spending but these figures show London retailers have had a very encouraging start to Christmas with even big ticket items doing well.
'The weak pound continues to make London attractive to overseas visitors and November's record rain brought shoppers in from the suburbs, helping central London department stores in particular.
'Retailers will be hoping customers remain as resilient into the New Year. There are big uncertainties out there and we have yet to see the effect on sales of tough measures in the Pre-Budget Report.'
John Lewis said it had set a new all-time weekly sales record
The number of people visiting the centres was up 3 per cent for the year to date in 2009, with more than seven million shoppers flocking to CSC's 14 centres in the past week alone.
Trevor Pereira, commercial director at CSC, said: 'Sales of traditional favourites - electrical goods, perfume sets, CDs and DVD - remain popular Christmas items.
'The pace of shopping is steady across the whole of the UK, and as ever, we expect late shopping surges over the next two weekends before Christmas.'
There was further good news as department store John Lewis, viewed as the high street bellwether, posed record sales of £110 million last week.
That is 15 per cent up on the same week last year and eight per cent higher than its record best week in 2007.
John Lewis said there was a noticeable trend this year of men doing their Christmas shopping earlier, with sales of beauty products, jewellery and lingerie all peaking sooner than usual.
There was also a marked increase in customers making large household purchases such as fitted kitchens as consumer confidence returned.
At John Lewis large household purchases were also seeing 'incredible growth', particularly in fitted kitchens.
Director of operational development Andrew Murphy said: 'It is very exciting to be breaking records week after week.
'The atmosphere in our branches is very festive as across the country people are out Christmas shopping, even men, although I am sure there will still be many who leave it until the last minute.'
Sales so far this month are up 10 per cent on the same time last year, according to the New West End Company, which represents traders in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.
The figures are also far ahead of the record receipts of December 2007, meaning this month's sales could be the highest ever.
John Lewis' best-selling products this Christmas
A hard homecoming? Jennifer Hudson visits Chicago for Christmas special
We all know what Jennifer Hudson can do, and she'll no doubt do just that in her first, hourlong television special, "Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas," which airs Monday.
ABC didn't offer a preview of the special but did pass along three snippets: Hudson lip-syncing a gospeled-up "Silent Night," while seated (rather oddly) alone in the bow of a boat passing under Chicago River bridges; Hudson in personable, girl-next-door mode ushering the cameras into her high school, Dunbar Vocational Career Academy on the South Side, and Hudson singing "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" a cappella in front of a fireplace with four other women whom she eventually blows out of the room.
ABC also promises that Hudson duets with Michael Buble on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Let It Snow," and sings "The Christmas Song" and "O Holy Night" on the special, which marks her return to Chicago "to share childhood memories of the music, people and places that set the stage for her phenomenal success."
What's not mentioned is how or whether the special will address the tragic subtext of her hometown visit, which comes little more than a year after mother, brother and nephew were murdered in Englewood, allegedly by her sister's estranged husband. Hudson since has become engaged to former reality TV star David Otunga, given birth to a boy and made various high-profile appearances (the Super Bowl, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Michigan Avenue) while guarding her privacy regarding the turbulence of the last 14 months.
That's all within her rights, of course; she deserves as much space as she desires. But going home for the holidays is a loaded situation for most regular folks in a normal year, so one can only imagine the fierce undercurrents affecting Hudson as she chooses to venture "Home for Christmas" now in such a public way.
What she chooses to reveal of her feelings remains to be seen -- or, given the powerful emotions in her singing, heard.
ABC didn't offer a preview of the special but did pass along three snippets: Hudson lip-syncing a gospeled-up "Silent Night," while seated (rather oddly) alone in the bow of a boat passing under Chicago River bridges; Hudson in personable, girl-next-door mode ushering the cameras into her high school, Dunbar Vocational Career Academy on the South Side, and Hudson singing "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" a cappella in front of a fireplace with four other women whom she eventually blows out of the room.
ABC also promises that Hudson duets with Michael Buble on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Let It Snow," and sings "The Christmas Song" and "O Holy Night" on the special, which marks her return to Chicago "to share childhood memories of the music, people and places that set the stage for her phenomenal success."
What's not mentioned is how or whether the special will address the tragic subtext of her hometown visit, which comes little more than a year after mother, brother and nephew were murdered in Englewood, allegedly by her sister's estranged husband. Hudson since has become engaged to former reality TV star David Otunga, given birth to a boy and made various high-profile appearances (the Super Bowl, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Michigan Avenue) while guarding her privacy regarding the turbulence of the last 14 months.
That's all within her rights, of course; she deserves as much space as she desires. But going home for the holidays is a loaded situation for most regular folks in a normal year, so one can only imagine the fierce undercurrents affecting Hudson as she chooses to venture "Home for Christmas" now in such a public way.
What she chooses to reveal of her feelings remains to be seen -- or, given the powerful emotions in her singing, heard.
UK: Asda Claims Crown For Cheapest Christmas Shop
Asda has reclaimed its crown as the cheapest place to buy your trolley of festive goods this year. The UK’s second biggest store chain beat off opposition from Tesco and last year's winner Morrisons to take the title of the best Christmas deal for cash-strapped shoppers.
Trade magazine the Grocer, which carried out the Christmas price survey, reported that Asda's trolley of 33 items, which included turkey, Christmas pudding, Champagne, batteries, crackers and cards, undercut the big five's average price by £10.29. Asda offered twenty six of the cheapest or joint cheapest products on the list, including a number of chocolate and festive food products such as Ferrero Rocher, After Eight mints, Christmas pudding, Mr Kipling mince pies and a box of crackers.
Asda’s basket came in at £102.08, compared to £105.30 at Tesco, £107.51 at Morrisons, £114.57 at Sainsbury’s and £132.39 at Waitrose.
Darren Blackhurst, Asda’s Chief Merchandising Officer celebrated the win, saying, “We’re pleased The Grocer’s confirmed what our customers already know – their big Christmas shop will cost less at Asda.”
Trade magazine the Grocer, which carried out the Christmas price survey, reported that Asda's trolley of 33 items, which included turkey, Christmas pudding, Champagne, batteries, crackers and cards, undercut the big five's average price by £10.29. Asda offered twenty six of the cheapest or joint cheapest products on the list, including a number of chocolate and festive food products such as Ferrero Rocher, After Eight mints, Christmas pudding, Mr Kipling mince pies and a box of crackers.
Asda’s basket came in at £102.08, compared to £105.30 at Tesco, £107.51 at Morrisons, £114.57 at Sainsbury’s and £132.39 at Waitrose.
Darren Blackhurst, Asda’s Chief Merchandising Officer celebrated the win, saying, “We’re pleased The Grocer’s confirmed what our customers already know – their big Christmas shop will cost less at Asda.”
British Airways strike ballot result awaited
The Unite union has balloted its 12,000 cabin crew members on industrial action as part of a dispute over job losses and changes to working practices.
If cabin crew vote in favour of a strike, a walkout could be called as early as 21 December.
BA have expressed their "urgent need to reduce costs" with the airline industry continuing to perform poorly.
The airline also said its cabin crew were amongst the highest paid of UK airlines, earning twice as much as staff at Virgin Atlantic.
The prospect of action grew after the failure of talks last week between BA and leaders of Unite.
The result of the ballot is set to be announced at Monday lunchtime during a meeting at Sandown Park racecourse.
On Monday it emerged that the financial position of the loss-making airline had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
The trustees of its two pension schemes have told the company that the schemes now have a combined deficit of £3.7bn.
This is certain to lead to a big increase in the contributions BA must pay to the pension funds each year.
'Fair package'
Last month, BA announced plans to cut a further 1,200 jobs in an attempt to slash costs.
It also wants to cut the number of cabin crew from 15 to 14 on all long-haul flights, and freeze pay for two years.
However, Unite has condemned the move.
"The new contractual changes are an attempt to force staff to pay the price for management failings with the company wringing more and more out of fewer and fewer staff who will be paid less," it said in a statement.
BA, which made a loss of almost £300m in the first six months of the financial year, has said the changes are "fair and reasonable, given our urgent need to reduce costs so we can move back toward profitability after two years of the worst financial losses in our history".
But an unnamed member of BA cabin crew, speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, said workers were not being treated fairly.
"We don't want to lose our jobs and we don't want the airline to go under. We want a fair negotiated deal which we are not getting at the moment," he said.
"The vast majority of people I know have said they are prepared to take a pay cut of the same level as the pilots and to be reimbursed when times pick up. That's absolutely fine, but we haven't been offered a deal anything like that. It's involved dramatically bigger pay-cuts and changes to our terms and conditions."
In July, British Airways pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut in return for the chance to receive BA shares.
BBC employment correspondent Martin Shankleman said a strike at Christmas would disrupt the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers, as well making the financial state of BA even worse.
But union leaders have vowed to hit the airline hard if its members approve a campaign of industrial action, our correspondent said.
If cabin crew vote in favour of a strike, a walkout could be called as early as 21 December.
BA have expressed their "urgent need to reduce costs" with the airline industry continuing to perform poorly.
The airline also said its cabin crew were amongst the highest paid of UK airlines, earning twice as much as staff at Virgin Atlantic.
The prospect of action grew after the failure of talks last week between BA and leaders of Unite.
The result of the ballot is set to be announced at Monday lunchtime during a meeting at Sandown Park racecourse.
Analyst Douglas McNeill say passengers could start to make other arrangements
The trustees of its two pension schemes have told the company that the schemes now have a combined deficit of £3.7bn.
This is certain to lead to a big increase in the contributions BA must pay to the pension funds each year.
'Fair package'
Last month, BA announced plans to cut a further 1,200 jobs in an attempt to slash costs.
It also wants to cut the number of cabin crew from 15 to 14 on all long-haul flights, and freeze pay for two years.
However, Unite has condemned the move.
"The new contractual changes are an attempt to force staff to pay the price for management failings with the company wringing more and more out of fewer and fewer staff who will be paid less," it said in a statement.
BA, which made a loss of almost £300m in the first six months of the financial year, has said the changes are "fair and reasonable, given our urgent need to reduce costs so we can move back toward profitability after two years of the worst financial losses in our history".
But an unnamed member of BA cabin crew, speaking on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, said workers were not being treated fairly.
"We don't want to lose our jobs and we don't want the airline to go under. We want a fair negotiated deal which we are not getting at the moment," he said.
"The vast majority of people I know have said they are prepared to take a pay cut of the same level as the pilots and to be reimbursed when times pick up. That's absolutely fine, but we haven't been offered a deal anything like that. It's involved dramatically bigger pay-cuts and changes to our terms and conditions."
In July, British Airways pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut in return for the chance to receive BA shares.
BBC employment correspondent Martin Shankleman said a strike at Christmas would disrupt the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers, as well making the financial state of BA even worse.
But union leaders have vowed to hit the airline hard if its members approve a campaign of industrial action, our correspondent said.
'Christmas pants' go with volunteer spirit
MUNCIE -- They are the unmistakable, colorful signs of Christmas. The glowing trees, the lights strung on houses, the bright red Salvation Army kettles ...
"These are my bell-ringing pants," said the former high school business teacher, who worked stints at Southside, Central and Northside before retiring.
Carey is a tall, slender fellow, and these are some tall, slender pants. Still, it's their colors that are most arresting, with wide lengths of red, green, blue and yellow stretching from his waist to where the cuffs would be, if they had any.
They are, to be sure, pants you can't ignore.
That's a good thing, Carey insists, when you are hoping to attract donors and their dollars to the kettles.
"It does help," said the 74-year-old Holy Trinity Lutheran Church member, whose passions, besides fly-fishing, include helping the Salvation Army. "And I love wearing them."
It was about 20 Christmases ago when Carey spotted an unattended kettle at a now-defunct grocery store near his home.
"Well, that bothered me," he recalled. "I went to the Salvation Army and asked if they'd ever tried getting churches involved in this?"
As it turned out, they had, but to little avail. Carey volunteered to see what he could do, and before long he had recruited 27 churches to help man the kettle sites.
These days a smaller number of churches help, but Carey still heads up Holy Trinity's efforts, filling seven days of ringing -- what amounts to 70 hours worth -- at Tillotson Avenue's Marsh Supermarket the week before Christmas.
That's why on this cold, gray, snowy afternoon he was going over his red and green schedule, checking the names and phone numbers of this year's volunteers against those who had volunteered last year, preparing to recruit more helpers.
"I'm gonna be phoning people to fill in the blanks," promised Carey, who was also wearing a red baseball cap with "Merry Christmas" emblazoned on it.
While he takes satisfaction in filling out the schedule, he takes more in manning a kettle himself.
"I love ringing the bell, to begin with," Carey said, urging folks wishing to volunteer to call the Salvation Army. "If you're busy, it's a lot of fun. ... You get a good feeling out of it. You're helping people."
But Carey also enjoys meeting donors, especially little ones.
"Kids see my pants and they're tugging on Mommy's pants and pointing at mine," he recalled, laughing.
Muncie residents since 1960, he and his wife, Gwen, have two sons, Steve and Matt, and two daughters, Anne Wuthrich and Jane Pohlman, the latter of whom bought her father these precious pants.
That was a number of years ago, though.
What happens when they wear out?
"They're not going to," declared Carey, who has five grandchildren. "I take very good care of these. Dry clean only. And I only wear them at Christmas."
In short, they're both in it for the long haul.
"These are my bell-ringing pants," said the former high school business teacher, who worked stints at Southside, Central and Northside before retiring.
Carey is a tall, slender fellow, and these are some tall, slender pants. Still, it's their colors that are most arresting, with wide lengths of red, green, blue and yellow stretching from his waist to where the cuffs would be, if they had any.
They are, to be sure, pants you can't ignore.
That's a good thing, Carey insists, when you are hoping to attract donors and their dollars to the kettles.
"It does help," said the 74-year-old Holy Trinity Lutheran Church member, whose passions, besides fly-fishing, include helping the Salvation Army. "And I love wearing them."
It was about 20 Christmases ago when Carey spotted an unattended kettle at a now-defunct grocery store near his home.
"Well, that bothered me," he recalled. "I went to the Salvation Army and asked if they'd ever tried getting churches involved in this?"
As it turned out, they had, but to little avail. Carey volunteered to see what he could do, and before long he had recruited 27 churches to help man the kettle sites.
These days a smaller number of churches help, but Carey still heads up Holy Trinity's efforts, filling seven days of ringing -- what amounts to 70 hours worth -- at Tillotson Avenue's Marsh Supermarket the week before Christmas.
That's why on this cold, gray, snowy afternoon he was going over his red and green schedule, checking the names and phone numbers of this year's volunteers against those who had volunteered last year, preparing to recruit more helpers.
"I'm gonna be phoning people to fill in the blanks," promised Carey, who was also wearing a red baseball cap with "Merry Christmas" emblazoned on it.
While he takes satisfaction in filling out the schedule, he takes more in manning a kettle himself.
"I love ringing the bell, to begin with," Carey said, urging folks wishing to volunteer to call the Salvation Army. "If you're busy, it's a lot of fun. ... You get a good feeling out of it. You're helping people."
But Carey also enjoys meeting donors, especially little ones.
"Kids see my pants and they're tugging on Mommy's pants and pointing at mine," he recalled, laughing.
Muncie residents since 1960, he and his wife, Gwen, have two sons, Steve and Matt, and two daughters, Anne Wuthrich and Jane Pohlman, the latter of whom bought her father these precious pants.
That was a number of years ago, though.
What happens when they wear out?
"They're not going to," declared Carey, who has five grandchildren. "I take very good care of these. Dry clean only. And I only wear them at Christmas."
In short, they're both in it for the long haul.
Woods' wife moving to Sweden after Christmas?
Tiger Woods’ wife has decided to dump him after Christmas and is already talking with a divorce lawyer, a new report has revealed.
Elin Nordegren will reportedly separate from Woods in the new year. Britain’s News of the World cites anonymous sources for its report that claims Elin will move back to Sweden after the Christmas holidays. According to the report, Elin is no longer in a rush to file divorce papers and that money is not her prime concern.
The revelation of Tigers’ multiple affairs caught her completely off guard and it’s a 'raw' situation, a pal tells the paper. The article claims that she had no idea Tiger was cheating.
Tiger is believed to be in touch with his most recent mistress Rachel Uchitel and that privately she believes she is his main woman. It also appears that Tiger is in some type of therapy, as the report claims that Elin angrily told Tiger to talk to his therapist.
Elin Nordegren will reportedly separate from Woods in the new year. Britain’s News of the World cites anonymous sources for its report that claims Elin will move back to Sweden after the Christmas holidays. According to the report, Elin is no longer in a rush to file divorce papers and that money is not her prime concern.
The revelation of Tigers’ multiple affairs caught her completely off guard and it’s a 'raw' situation, a pal tells the paper. The article claims that she had no idea Tiger was cheating.
Tiger is believed to be in touch with his most recent mistress Rachel Uchitel and that privately she believes she is his main woman. It also appears that Tiger is in some type of therapy, as the report claims that Elin angrily told Tiger to talk to his therapist.
The Obamas meet Oprah for a Christmas special
New York, December 14 -- President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama sat with Oprah Winfrey for a special program, “Christmas at the White House”, which aired Sunday on ABC.
Oprah discussed general outlook of the year, and took a tour of the White House with a special appearance by Bo, the family's dog.
Obama gives himself a B-plus as president
The Christmas program featured the official White House tree covered in 650 baubles, hand decorated by people from around the nation. A 160 kilogram gingerbread smothered in white chocolate adorned the White House dining room.
Barack Obama, who joined office on Jan. 20, 2008, gave himself a B-plus for his first 11-months as President.
“B-plus because of the things that are undone. Health care is not yet signed. If I get health care passed, we tip into A-minus,” he said.
When asked by Oprah why he didn’t give himself full marks, he said he had “inherited the biggest set of challenges of any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt”.
Obama also pointed out how much he cherished when the public visited the White House.
“When they come here, this is their house. I'm the renter. I'm the borrower - this is the people's house,” said the president to Winfrey.
Winfrey also showed them a cover photo of their first visit to the White House last year.
Obama wants Americans to feel confident
Obama was also asked about his decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, to which he said it was his toughest decision as President so far. He said he will know by the end of next year whether the strategy was right or not.
Obama and Winfrey also talked of unemployment and growth rate. The President said that there had definitely been an economic growth but not enough job growth.
“It's inevitable because there's 10 percent unemployment. When you sign up for this job, fairly or not, you are responsible,” he explained.
The president said he deeply wished that this festive season Americans feel more confident about their future.
“The 21st century will be as much the American century as the 20th century, as long as we maintain our sense of unity, but also our sense of hard work and determination,” promised the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Obama gives himself a B-plus as president
The Christmas program featured the official White House tree covered in 650 baubles, hand decorated by people from around the nation. A 160 kilogram gingerbread smothered in white chocolate adorned the White House dining room.
Barack Obama, who joined office on Jan. 20, 2008, gave himself a B-plus for his first 11-months as President.
“B-plus because of the things that are undone. Health care is not yet signed. If I get health care passed, we tip into A-minus,” he said.
When asked by Oprah why he didn’t give himself full marks, he said he had “inherited the biggest set of challenges of any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt”.
Obama also pointed out how much he cherished when the public visited the White House.
“When they come here, this is their house. I'm the renter. I'm the borrower - this is the people's house,” said the president to Winfrey.
Winfrey also showed them a cover photo of their first visit to the White House last year.
Obama wants Americans to feel confident
Obama was also asked about his decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, to which he said it was his toughest decision as President so far. He said he will know by the end of next year whether the strategy was right or not.
Obama and Winfrey also talked of unemployment and growth rate. The President said that there had definitely been an economic growth but not enough job growth.
“It's inevitable because there's 10 percent unemployment. When you sign up for this job, fairly or not, you are responsible,” he explained.
The president said he deeply wished that this festive season Americans feel more confident about their future.
“The 21st century will be as much the American century as the 20th century, as long as we maintain our sense of unity, but also our sense of hard work and determination,” promised the Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Christmas With Jesus At Fatima Retreat House, Mangalore
Mangalore – “Christmas with Jesus “Program was Organized for children’s of Mangalore city Today at Fatima Retreat House Mangalore at 4 pm by social worker and retired Lecturer of Roshni Niliya Mrs. Feelix Dcosta.
More than 450 children across Mangalore city Participated in this Event .Through this Program children’s learnt the Love and fellowship of Jesus at Christmas Season There were variety Of skits dance and competition Organized. Children learnt importance of daily Prayer in day today Life also they enjoyed Christmas carols.
More than 450 children across Mangalore city Participated in this Event .Through this Program children’s learnt the Love and fellowship of Jesus at Christmas Season There were variety Of skits dance and competition Organized. Children learnt importance of daily Prayer in day today Life also they enjoyed Christmas carols.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Living Christmas Company Brings Eco-Friendly Holidays To Your Doorstep
It's a holiday tradition: you and your loved ones cram into the car, drive down to your local Christmas tree lot, and pick out the tree that speaks to you. Then, you cart the tree home, lovingly decorate it and water it for about a month, and then when the holidays are over, you dump it curbside for garbage men to pick up and throw away.We've all done it, and some of us continue to do it... but there's a company in Redondo Beach, CA that's working to change that tradition.
Launched by a man names Scott Martin - a.k.a. Scotty Claus - just last year, the Living Christmas Company allows holiday enthusiasts to order up their Christmas tree, have it delivered right to their door via bio-diesel truck, and then when all is said and done, they come get it from you... and return it to their nursery, where they nurture it until next season. Even more conveniently, customers can order their tree online from their Website.
But Scotty Claus and the company do more than "just save trees" after the holidays. They also donate trees throughout the city, work with non-profits on fundraisers for communities throughout Los Angeles, offer volunteer/internships at the nursery for the elderly and handicapped and participate in urban reforestation programs.Though he's swamped with deliveries and orders, we were able to track down Scotty Claus so we could get an inside look at his innovative company... and how it brings joy to the lives of families all over Southern California.
How has the business evolved from last year to this year?
Last year was our first commercial year offering our service to the public, with only 120 trees. Prior to that I would just give clients and friends trees for the holidays to keep in their home in order to test my idea's viability. Given the enormous support we received, TLCCo expanded our inventory and now grow over 7500 trees!
We also took advantage of the 'off-season' to round out what it means to celebrate a living Christmas. We now offer fair Trade and recycled ornaments, decorations and wrapping paper.
I'd say the largest swing, however, is from a company that was simply about conservation of trees and the Christmas spirit to a fully socially conscious company that has found a way to make every step and resource reflexive and regenerative. For example, we have programs in place to for utilizing 'brownfields' for growing grounds, turning contaminated land into an urban forest, watering with reclaimed water, utilizing organic, liquid fertilizer, employing adults with disabilities for general care of the trees (cleaning, watering, etc.) and donating dozens of trees to local tree planting organizations.
How much business do you get?
The response has been overwhelming. The key is going to be to turn that excitement into sales. Our website is averaging nearly 1000 unique visits a day for the first week of December with over 80% of them as first timers. We've been blogged about in Russia, and received interview requests from Japan.
What has it been like to educate the community on the concept of "renting" their Christmas tree?
Most people look cross-eyed the first time they hear "rent" associated with a Christmas tree, but with a short explanation their face lights up.
Trying to change a paradigm, however, is like stopping a freight train. Its hard trying to get someone to give up their noble fir for a locally grown tree. Redefining beauty is a process that will undoubtedly take time. But from the traffic, you can see the idea's catching.
Where we get the most traction is with the wee folk. They haven't been filled with information on what a Christmas tree is "supposed" to look like. It makes all the sense in the world that your tree should be alive and keep on living - especially when you empower them to care and water the tree. That's when they truly get filled with the spirit.
But the other message is that you don't have to be an environmentalist to support tree rental. Our in home delivery service make it perfect for those who can't lug the cut tree or have the storage space or patience for artificial trees.
Why is it important to have live trees on Christmas?
You'd be amazed how having a living tree changes the atmosphere of the room in a way that a cut tree and certainly a fake tree cannot. Caring for the tree is an investment in its health, rather than just prolonging it's death. You can name and sing to your living tree with the hope that he will go on living for generations to come.
There are also practical reasons. Because the trees are living and breathing, they do not pose as great a fire danger as cut trees or petroleum based trees and actually add to the room by transpiring oxygen! In fact, the Living Christmas Company is enthusiastically endorsed by Santa Monica Fire Marshall Jim Glew.
The third important part is with maintaining the spirit of Christmas. The tree is meant to symbolize renewed hope, rebirth, and new life. To me, this isn't fully embodied in a tree that is going to be discarded and with so many people going to a fake tree, there is a danger that we simply end up a with a watered down ritual that doesn't speak to anyone.
Is it better to go live, or to get a plastic tree, in terms of being environmentally friendly?
The benefits of a living Christmas tree to the environment are innumerable. Our mobile forest of pine trees are still working in off-season, cleaning the air, reducing storm water run-off and beautifying under-used urban areas such as brownfields, where they are needed the most. Because the trees are grown locally and delivered on Bio-Diesel fueled trucks 20 to 30 at a time, they have tiny footprint when compared to they other piney counterparts. When they grow too big, more than 8', our Christmas trees are 'repurposed' and planted though an urban reforestation process.
While fake trees are often seen as the "eco-friendly" option, many people don't realize that fake trees actually contain petroleum-based materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), emitting toxic chemicals like lead dust. In fact, the 85 percent that do come from China are required by California Proposition 65 to have a warning label. The embodied energy in an artificial tree is immense – creating PVC or even polyurethane is a messy, energy intensive process. You might be 'saving' a tree for six to seven years, but you are also burdening the planet with a tree that won't decompose for millennia.
Any fun behind the scenes story of running the company?
Nope, none. We are all business here at The Living Christmas Company. Just ask Jingle Bella, or P.R. Blitzen, Reindeer Rob, Jim MiniChristmas, Just'in Season, Jan D. Cane, Kat kringle, Holly Hannah, Chris Mas, or Craig the Rexroad Reindeer!
The funniest experience is at our board meetings in April. We meet at California Pizza kitchen every week sporting our character specific Santa hats. One in ten will actually break down and ask what the heck we're doing...
What about great delivery stories?
One time, I literally had a woman break into tears when I delivered her tree. She said that was from Ohio and some of her fondest Christmas memories were centered around having a Christmas tree. Since moving to L.A., she had been unable to get tree by herself to her small place and fake tree just didn't feel like Christmas. Our service allowed her to celebrate Christmas again.
One the most heart-warming stories was last year at the EcoGift Festival. It dawned on me that we didn't have any ornaments for our trees. I couldn't just run to the nearest box retailer and buy ornaments imported from China and made out of who-knows-what. So I called on a kindergarten class to help me make ornaments. The next day, my little elves had made a giant box of glitter laden construction paper ornaments and daisy chains!
What's the best part of your job?
It's definitely an OMG kind of job. It's one of those things you'd do even if you didn't make any money.
Its exciting the ways we are able, through The Living Christmas Company, to give back to the community and the environment. Being a part of the magic and merriment symbolized by the entry of the Christmas tree into the home or business is truly rewarding, I love knowing that this merriment doesn't come at the cost of the environment. I love that we have a chance to offer people a way to celebrate the holidays with sustainable practices, without sacrificing the traditions.
Alex Salmond criticised for 'political' Christmas card
First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed his Christmas card for 2009. It features a picture entitled "A New Journey", which shows a young girl carrying a Saltire flag, looking over a wintry landscape. Proceeds from the sale of the canvas, which is the work of Scottish artist Gerard Burns, will be shared among four charities. But opposition MSPs have accused Mr Salmond of politicising Christmas by using the Saltire in his card. The first minister described it as "an enchanting and evocative image by a talented artist". He added: "The proceeds from the sale of the canvas will be shared equally between four extremely worthwhile charities, CLIC Sargent, Glasgow the Caring City, J-A-C-K Foundation and Mary's Meals." But Scottish Conservative chief whip David McLetchie said Mr Salmond's obsession with independence was "blinding him to reality". He said: "For the overwhelming majority of Scots, Alex Salmond's so-called 'journey to independence' is a road to nowhere." The card also came in for criticism from the Scottish Liberal Democrats. The party's chief whip Mike Rumbles said: "I'm sure people would be more impressed if the first minister had thought about the message of Christmas rather than spent time picking out the most nationalistic Christmas card he could find. "Everybody knows that the SNP are only interested in independence - the first minister doesn't need to stick it on his Christmas cards too."
He said: "Messrs McLetchie and Rumbles should lighten up and get with the Christmas spirit. They are obviously badly in need of a festive break. "The Saltire is for all of Scotland, and the artist has presented it in his own style. They also seem to have entirely forgotten that Andrew was Jesus's first apostle." Meanwhile the Scottish Labour Leader Iain Gray has released his Christmas card for this year. It is a winter scene of the Scottish Parliament which was designed by 11-year-old Emma Caughey, who is a P7 pupil from Longniddry Primary School in his East Lothian constituency. Mr Gray said "It is a great Christmas image of the Scottish Parliament and I hope that everyone else enjoys it as much as I did." | ||
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