Microsoft offers reward for missing Xbox gamer

US software behemoth Microsoft has doubled a cash reward for information on the whereabouts of a Canadian boy who ran away from home after his father took away his Xbox game console, it said Tuesday.

Brandon Crisp, 15, took off on his bicycle from his Barrie, Ontario home on October 13 -- Canada's Thanksgiving holiday -- and rode east along an old rail line.

He has not been seen since.

His father told local media he had removed Brandon's Xbox, built by Microsoft, after noticing changes in behavior since Brandon started playing "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" online.

The boy started skipping school, stealing money and ignoring his studies, his father said.

A local newspaper, the family's Internet service provider and Child Find offered a 25,000-dollar (19,500-dollar US) reward for information leading to his return.

Microsoft topped it up with another 25,000 dollars, the company said Tuesday in an email to AFP, "hoping for his swift return."

"Like everyone, we are deeply worried about the disappearance of Brandon Crisp," the company said.

Exhaustive searches have not turned up a single clue beyond the boy's bicycle, found last week with a flat tire.

Police are said to be examining who Brandon played with online. "Law enforcement has contacted Microsoft about this matter and we are cooperating fully with them," said Microsoft.

On Sunday, 1,600 volunteer searchers packed up their reflective vests and ended their efforts to find him, while police stopped their air and water search.

In an interview with the daily Globe and Mail, the boy's father, Steve Crisp, said he had not known how important the gaming system was to his son and how he would react when it was taken away

Experts commented that gamers may form bonds with fellow online players.

"This had become his identity, and I didn't realize how in-depth this was until I took his Xbox away," Steve Crisp told the Globe and Mail. "That's like cutting his legs off."

"This is such an issue that hits every parent out there, with video games that are starting to control our kids' lives," he said.

"I just took away his identity, so I can understand why he got so mad and took off. Before, I couldn't understand why he was taking off for taking his game away."

Now, Brandon's father says he just wants his son to come home.

Mixing Online Social Networking With Work

Should You Do It?

Social networking isn't really news, but its use in the workplace is.

According to a new survey of human resources professionals by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the nation's first outplacement consulting organization, 59% of companies don't have a formal policy in place regarding the use of social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, at the office, perhaps because nearly half of those polled said surfing these sites isn't a problem as long as employees are completing their work.

John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reflects, "Employers face the challenge of maintaining a productive workplace while allowing their employees access to sites that facilitate communication with a variety of resources. More companies will be forced to address the issue as the number of workers using these sites continues to grow."

While perception is generally positive, a third of those surveyed indicated that social networking sites are a "major drain on worker output." Nearly a quarter of companies reported blocking access to the sites entirely, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

How can social networkers handle this technology at the office? Read on for five tips from career experts.

1. Use It

Nicholas Aretakis, author of "No More Ramen: The 20-Something's Real World Survival Guide," says, "I think it's a huge tool! I try to convey to recent graduates that employers actually want people who have the ability to market and sell through these massive networking sites. Whether it's used to launch an album, promote a book, or sell another product, it's valuable to have these large distribution lists, to get invited to join groups, to find out what's hot and what's not."

Daisy Swan, a career strategist, of Daisy Swan and Associates, concurs, "In terms of networking and finding out about career paths and to get a sense of different kinds of people and professional opportunities, I think it's fantastic. I'm all for the social networking sites because I believe there's so much you can learn; and if you want to be accessible to headhunters, it's great."

2. But Don't Abuse It

Social networking is a good thing -- but too much of any good thing can sometimes be bad. Experts caution workers to exercise restraint when accessing these sites at the office. Says Swan, "As an employer, I'd be incredibly disappointed if an employee were keeping a running tab on his whereabouts throughout the workday on any site. My perspective on that is that it's like taking personal calls all day long."

Aretakis advises, "Adhere to the protocol within your employer. If there isn't one, just utilize it as you'd utilize your email or browsing the Net. If you're on for a short time, it's probably fine, but if you're spending more than half an hour of business time on social networking, it's probably not a good idea." Swan adds, "For someone who's in marketing, if it's part of your job, if you're in business strategy, and it behooves you to be on it, then you can justify it. If not, keep it to a minimum."

3. Once You're a Professional, Keep It Professional

A lot of MySpace and Facebook users first created their profiles when they were students. And many of those students are now prospective employees. Edit out casual or crass content from your profile so that you come across as a professional. Swan warns, "Always be aware that any social networking profile you're putting out there should be employer worthy. Make certain you have a respectable page because these are used as references for anybody to look at. That's what employers are looking at."

Author Aretakis agrees, "It's prudent to be on these sites, but I think new job seekers need to exercise discretion. Instead of calling themselves 'hotsexybabe' or the like, they may want to adopt a more neutral handle and image."

4. Be Aware of the Company You Keep

Fair or not, we're often judged by the people with whom we associate. Use caution when "friending" folks. Don't do so indiscriminately or you may wind up just a few clicks away from shady characters that can undermine your professional reputation.

Swan, whose practice is based in Los Angeles, also urges social networkers to be careful about the groups they join. "If you're going to get involved with groups, those affiliations can be public. People can learn a lot -- or speculate a lot -- about you through the groups you join." If you want to control your image, she suggests managing your privacy options within each online network you join.

5. Watch What You Say

Because no privacy option seems unhackable these days, you should always err on the side of caution when posting anything to your personal profiles. Counsels Swan, "You need to know what you're putting out there in terms of your messaging. Anything you wouldn't want everyone to hear you say? Don't put it on there."

Aretakis shares the sentiment, adding, "Don't put anything in writing that you wouldn't want the people in HR read. Even something said in jest could get you fired."

TV prices could plummet for holidays

Reader Heather Fisher writes: Are the prices of flat panel TV's going to go down anytime soon? When can we expect them to go down if they are?

I'm getting mixed messages on the TV pricing issue.

First, it's pretty clear that prices will continue to slip as the holidays approach: You can thank the global economic crisis and slow demand for that. But the harsh realities of the flat-panel business would seem to indicate that there's not much further for flat panel prices to fall. Why? Because in virtually all cases, LCD screens are already being sold to TV and computer companies at prices below cost, according to the latest research from DisplaySearch, which closely tracks this industry.

In some cases the discrepancy is extreme: Panel makers are selling bare 32-inch LCD TV panels for an estimated $223 to manufacturers, but those panels cost between $248 and $256 to build. In other words: For now, the panel makers are losing up to $33 on every panel they sell.

Prices for finished TVs vary widely of course, but name-brand 32-inch LCD TVs can be found at retail for under $600, with $599 being a pretty common price point. Add in labor and the additional materials that go into a finished TV, distribution costs, and markup from the retailer, and there really isn't a lot of fat left in television prices. (Very large TVs are the exception, so if you're looking for bargains, shop smaller.)

Now here's the curious flipside. According to a blog post on the very same topic at the New York Times, another researcher, also at DisplaySearch, says that prices are likely going to plummet in the next few weeks. According the post, this researchers says prices on 32-inch TVs could hit between $399 and $499.

That would be an enormous drop, and it almost sounds too good (for shoppers) to be true. Again, the reasons are all about trying to salvage sales in the fourth quarter... but the story also alludes to the fact that the biggest discounts will be in the bare-bones, off-brand, stripped-down TVs. You'll get good enough picture quality, but don't expect, say, 120Hz operation, multiple HDMI inputs, and so on.

The most likely outcome is that off-brand models will fall quite a bit, but name brand sets will have more modest price cuts. (I'm deeply skeptical that we'll see 32-inch LCDs hit $399 aside from the occasional Black Friday sale, but that's a gut reaction.) Is it worth it to wait a few weeks to save 50 bucks on the price of a TV? How willing you are to brave holiday crowds and fight over what could become hotly desired goodies may have to dictate your next move.

Barenaked Ladies Man Agrees to Rehab, Avoids Jail

Rehab, Avoids Jail(E! Online)

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Steven Page has been presented with a get-out-of-jail treatment card.

The Barenaked Ladies front man cut a deal in an upstate New York courtroom Tuesday that will allow him to avoid jail time for drug possession if he seeks treatment and manages to stay clean for six months.

If those conditions are met, all charges will be dropped, said Judge Thomas Morgan in Fayetteville Village Court.

"I'm grateful...for this opportunity to further prove myself as a productive and law-abiding member of society," Page, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession, said in a prepared statement. "I look forward to the next six months as a period of healing and growth."

He continued: "It has meant a great deal for me to be shown the impact I have on others' lives...I am deeply moved and thankful. I also apologize to all those I have hurt and embarrassed during this episode. Respect, responsibility I have earned over the course of my life and my career thus far are important to me, and I am moving forward from this with gratitude and with hope."

Page had been facing up to five and a half year behind bars if convicted.

"Based on each defendant's exemplary behavior and positive attitude from the beginning, I fully expect in six months time this will be over, with each of the defendants ultimately benefiting from this painful experience," Page's attorney, Mark Mahoney, said in a statement.

"Once the charges are finally dismissed, there will be no legal obstacle to Mr. Page entering the United States like any other Canadian citizen."

The same goes for two other defendants in the case, Page's girlfriend, Christine Benedicto, 27, and her roommate, Stephanie Ford, 25,as well.

Page, 38, and Ford were charged in July with felony criminal possession of a controlled substance after police, while checking out a parked car with an open driver's side door, spotted the two sitting in Ford's apartment with a suspicious-looking white capsule in front of them.

Upon further inspection, officers determined the substance to be cocaine and took the pair into custody. Benedicto, who was not present at the time of their arrest, was later charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

Ford later admitted to police that she had snorted what she presumed to be cocaine, according to court documents, which also state that Page told them, "Yeah, it's cocaine."

Mahoney said that prosecutors agreed to the deal in part because of Page's lack of a criminal record, and also because lab tests that showed the amount of coke he was found with was lesser in quality and quantity than authorities previously thought.

Cloris Leachman

With a career that spanned a staggering six decades on stage and screen, actress Cloris Leachman was one of primetime’s funniest comediennes and a favorite player in the classic film satires of Mel Brooks. A former beauty pageant winner who began her career on the Broadway stage, Leachman’s first high profile achievement was her Academy Award-winning performance in Peter Bogdanovich’s stark drama “The Last Picture Show” (1971). From there, the over-40 actress’ career kicked into high gear, with award-winning roles as the hilariously self-important Phyllis Lindstrom on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” (CBS, 1970-77) and the subsequent spin-off, “Phyllis” (CBS, 1975-77). She forever held a place in film comedy history for her tightly wound, strangely accented characters in Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” (1974) and “History of the World, Part 1” (1981) — a strength she introduced to a new generation of fans in the role of grandma Ida on Fox’s quirky “Malcolm in the Middle” (Fox, 2000-06).

Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926, in Des Moines, IA where her father owned a lumber company. A self-admitted perfectionist as a child, Leachman made great strides towards her goal of acting with countless stage roles with the Des Moines Playhouse and appearances on local radio by the time she was a teenager. Her impressive achievements earned her a scholarship to the drama department at Northwestern University, where her classmates included future stars Charlton Heston, Patricia Neal and Charlotte Rae.

While a student, Leachman entered the Miss Chicago beauty pageant and went on to place as a finalist in the 1946 Miss America competition. She bid college goodbye and used her $1,000 prize money to move to New York City, where she was invited by Elia Kazan to join the Actors Studio. Under their auspices, she made her TV debut as a recurring player on the drama series "Actors Studio" (ABC, 1948-49) and went on to appear in numerous live television dramas during the 'Golden Age of Television' in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Leachman also worked continuously on Broadway, playing Nellie Forbush in the original production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” sharing the stage with Katherine Hepburn in “As You Like It,” and earning a Drama Desk nomination for “A Story for a Sunday Evening” in 1951.

While her acting career barreled ahead, Leachman married actor George Englund and together the young family headed to Hollywood. Englund launched a career as a film producer and director and Leachman made her film debut as the desperate woman found by the roadside in the opening sequence of Robert Aldrich's landmark film noir "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955). Despite her beauty queen past, the actress was not considered a conventional Tinseltown leading lady, and her sharp features, Midwestern accent and incisive acting skills marked her for offbeat character parts. During the late 1950s, Leachman had a regular TV role playing Timmy’s wholesome, Midwestern mom on the series "Lassie" (CBS, 1954-1973) and was seen in countless guest spots on Westerns and live dramas while occasionally returning to Broadway. After nearly a decade of steady work on all the dramas and comedies of the day, including recurring characters on “Dr. Kildare” (NBC, 1961-66) and “77 Sunset Strip” (ABC, 1958-1964), Leachman made a memorable impression as a jittery lady of the evening in the Best Picture Oscar nominee "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).

She followed up with big screen performances in a pair of scathing middle-America commentaries, “WUSA” (1970) and “The People Next Door” (1970), before a recurring role on the groundbreaking sitcom “Mary Tyler Moore” turned Leachman into a household name. The character-driven show, which starred Mary Tyler Moore as a 30-something single professional and uniquely independent woman, featured Leachman as Mary’s on-site landlady — a self-absorbed busybody who fancied herself an intellectual and progressive woman. As Phyllis Lindstrom, Leachman unleashed a sparkling, multiple Emmy-nominated comedic talent. The following year, she affirmed her versatility with a heartbreaking turn as a lonely, neglected housewife who begins an affair with a high school senior in Peter Bogdanovich's near-perfect adaptation of Larry McMurtry's "The Last Picture Show.” The flinchingly honest portrayal earned the 45-year-old actress an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to offer a string of award-winning performances on the small screen, beginning with "A Brand New Life" (ABC, 1973), where she played a middle-aged woman facing an unwanted pregnancy, and "The Migrants" (CBS, 1974), where she portrayed the matriarch of a family of fruit pickers.

Another Bogdanovich effort, "Daisy Miller" (1974) proved disappointing, but Leachman rebounded and became a member of Mel Brooks' unofficial stock company with "Young Frankenstein" (1975) and her classic supporting turn as housekeeper Frau Blucher, known for frightening all horses within earshot. She enlivened the early Jonathan Demme mob effort "Crazy Mama" (1975) and finally landed her own TV series, the spin-off "Phyllis" (CBS, 1975-77), which found her now-widowed character moving to San Francisco with her teenage daughter and re-entering the work force. The show was cancelled after two seasons (and one Lead Actress Golden Globe Award) and the same year that “Mary Tyler Moore” left the airwaves. But Leachman remained an in-demand comic player, re-teaming with Brooks’ to play skilled S&M dominatrix Nurse Diesel in the Hitchcock spoof "High Anxiety" (1977). She enjoyed character roles in madcap comedies like “The Muppet Movie” (1979) and “Herbie Goes Bananas” (1980) and joined Brooks a third time to play an innkeeper in “History of the World, Part 1” (1981).

Following starring roles in several made-for-TV movies, Leachman returned to series television in "The Facts of Life" (NBC, 1979-1988) where she took over the “mentor” role vacated by former classmate Charlotte Rae for the show’s final two seasons. Beginning in 1989, Leachman began a decade of touring in a one-woman play written for her in which she portrayed American primitive painter Grandma Moses. On the big screen, she reprised her “Last Picture Show” role in the disappointing Bogdanovich sequel "Texasville" (1990) and seemed to be having fun stepping into Irene Ryan's boots to play Granny Clampett in the feature version of "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1993). Not one to consider retirement, the 70-year-old actress spent nearly three years playing Parthy, the captain's wife, in a touring production of "Show Boat" before returning to series grind as a feisty, lusty oldster in the CBS summer sitcom "Thanks" (1999). The very busy Leachman provided a character voice for the acclaimed animated feature "The Iron Giant" and supported Meryl Streep in "Music of the Heart" (1999).

A whole new generation of sitcom viewers was introduced to Leachman when she was cast as Ellen DeGeneres' mother on the CBS sitcom "The Ellen Show” (2001-02) and began a recurring guest turn as the chain-smoking, tough-talking grandmother Ida on Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle." Her repeat performances throughout the series history earned Leachman annual Emmy nominations and delivered awards in 2002 and 2006, the same year she was also nominated for a supporting role in the HBO original drama movie, “Mrs. Harris” (HBO, 2005). Leachman continued to offer comedic big screen outings, taking on matronly roles in such films as "Alex & Emma" (2003) and "Bad Santa" (2003), where she played the half-dead grandmother of a portly misfit who rises only occasionally to make sandwiches. She received some of the best reviews of her career when she appeared as Tea Leoni's alcoholic mother in writer-director James L. Brooks' "Spanglish" (2004).

After a small role as a school nurse with X-ray vision in the family superhero comedy “Sky High” (2005), Leachman appeared in Peter Segal’s weak remake of the classic 1974 Burt Reynolds film “The Longest Yard” (2005) and delivered a hilarious turn in the popular franchise “Scary Movie 4” (2006). In 2008, Leachman began a national tour of her one-woman autobiographical stage show “Cloris!” and appeared as part of the outstanding ensemble cast of the chick flick “The Women” (2008). She supported her latest efforts by joining the fall season of “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 2005- ) where at age 82, she became the oldest contestant in the show’s history.

Born

On April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa

Job Titles

actress

Education

• 
  

• A, A

  AA
  A

Family

• George Englund (son)
  Born c. 1957; father, George Englund; was briefly married to actress Sharon Stone

Significant Others

• George Englund
  Married from 1953-1979; together they have five children

Another Celebrity gets the boot on Dancing Stars

Cloris Leachman voted off `Dancing with the Stars'

Cloris Leachman's silly antics are over on "Dancing with the Stars." The outspoken actress and her professional partner, Corky Ballas, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition.

The pair received the judges' lowest score -- 15 out of 30 -- for their cha-cha routine Monday. After viewer votes were combined with the judges' scores, the competition's oldest -- and most spontaneous -- performer was sent home.

"I'm not leaving," the 82-year-old Oscar-winning actress declared before she was dismissed.

"I'm afraid you are," host Tom Bergeron responded.

In recent weeks, the judges had been gunning for Leachman, who consistently received low scores but remained in the competition thanks to viewer votes. Carrie Ann Inaba told Leachman after her cha-cha Monday that she was sad singer Toni Braxton was eliminated last week instead of Leachman. The funnywoman seemed to let the comment roll off her back.

"I know you didn't mean what you said, and I love you," she told Inaba before she departed.

Julianne Hough was missing from the dance floor Tuesday. The 20-year-old professional dancer and country music singer who's partnered with actor Cody Linley, had surgery Tuesday to remove her appendix. Linley will be paired with professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who was previously partnered with comedian Jeffrey Ross, while Hough recuperates.

"Her operation went as planned," Linley said on the show. "She's at home and resting."

Other celebrities remaining in the competition include TV personality Brooke Burke, singer Lance Bass, former NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympian Maurice Greene and actress Susan Lucci

Braxton, Ross, chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and actor Ted McGinley were previously dismissed. Olympian Misty May-Treanor dropped out of the competition after rupturing her tendon during a rehearsal.

High Pay - No Degree required / Big Bucks Without Big Debt

Don't be afraid to fantasize about earning six figures. Doctors and lawyers aren't the only professionals in the $100K club. In fact, there are quite a few well-compensated professions that are open to bachelor's degree holders. Even if you don't quite reach those elusive six-digits, the following careers can offer a hefty paycheck without the decades of student loan payback that can come with a master's or doctoral program. Best of all, if you're open to relocating, each of the five professions below holds the possibility of hitting that magic number--if you're willing to choose your zip code with care.

Police Supervisor

The Job: As a supervising police officer you'd be in charge of overseeing subordinate officers, keeping records of your force's activities, and assigning duties to station personnel. The ability to exercise good judgment in intense and high-pressure situations is crucial for this job. You'll also have to be willing to work overtime as well as weekends and holidays to ensure the round-the-clock police coverage your community needs.
The Debt: The minimum requirement for police supervisors in many states is simply a high school diploma. Since you're new to the field, get a jump on competition by earning an associate's or bachelor's degree in criminal justice or law enforcement.
The Zip Code: Check out 12123, Nassau, New York, where first-line supervisors of police officers made an average salary of $113, 810 in 2007, close to $40,000 more than the national average.

Registered Nurse (RN)

The Job: All RNs, regardless of their focus, are responsible for providing medical care and education to patients and their families. If you're an adrenaline junkie, you could thrive as an emergency room nurse. Can't get enough of newborns? Consider a career in neonatology nursing.
The Debt: Take your pick from an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), a bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), or a diploma program in nursing.
The Zip Code: While median earnings of RNs nationwide are nothing to sneeze at (close to $60,000 in 2007), nurses in San Jose, California (95101), banked an average of $95,580.

Computer Software Engineer

The Job: Software engineers focus on designing and developing computer software to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population of computer users worldwide. In addition to being one of the fastest-growing careers in the nation, this profession lends itself to telecommuting, an added perk if you don't want to leave home to find a higher-paying position.
The Debt: In 2006, eighty percent of all software engineers had at least a bachelor's degree. If you're an aspiring computer software engineer, check out degree programs in computer science or software engineering.
The Zip Code: Average wages for professionals in this field in Haverhill, Massachusetts (01830), were $106,270 in 2007, while nationally the average was $85,660.

Dental Hygienist

The Job: It may not seem glamorous, but keeping people's mouths clean is a practical career choice offering job security, high wages, and even some flexibility in scheduling. Strong interpersonal skills are a must for these professionals, who spend their days up close with their patients.
The Debt: At the bare minimum you'll need an associate's degree or certificate in dental hygiene to practice in a private dental office or clinic. Earning a bachelor's degree could help you compete for higher-paying jobs.
The Zip Code: Most hygienists earn a comfortable living regardless of their location -- the national average was just over $64,000 in 2007. Zip code 98221 (Anacortes, Washington) tops the list of high-paying cities, however, where hygienist salaries average $97,600.

Interior Designer

The Job: Although reality TV shows have created a generation of amateur in-home designers, professionals in this field work in spaces ranging from airports to schools. In addition to combining paint colors, fabrics, window treatments and light fixtures, interior designers must also be able to read blueprints, understand fire codes, and collaborate with architects and contractors.
The Debt: You'll need at least an associate's degree to land an entry-level position as an interior designer. In 23 states designers must be licensed.
The Zip Code: Average earnings for interior designers were just over $50,000 in 2007. Head for Grand Rapids, Michigan (49501), however, and you could make double that.

You don't have to spend the next 10 years in school to make a comfortable salary. Choose your field of study and your future home with care and you could soon find yourself working your way to a six-figure paycheck.

Pakistani quake leaves 135 dead, 15,000 homeless

QUETTA, Pakistan – A strong earthquake struck before dawn Wednesday in southwestern Pakistan, leaving at least 135 people dead, injuring scores more and leaving an estimated 15,000 homeless, officials said.

Residents of Quetta city sit outside their homes as earthquake jolt the city on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008. A government official says at least 80 people have been killed in an earthquake in southwestern Pakistan.

The death toll was expected to rise as reports arrived from remote areas of Baluchistan, the impoverished province bordering Afghanistan where the magnitude 6.4 quake struck.

The worst-hit area appeared to be Ziarat, where hundreds of mostly mud and timber houses had been destroyed in five villages, Mayor Dilawar Kakar said. Some homes were buried in a landslide triggered by the quake, he said.

"There is great destruction. Not a single house is intact," Kakar told Express News television.

He said the latest death toll stood at 135, and hundreds of people have been injured and some 15,000 were homeless.

"I would like to appeal to the whole world for help. We need food, we need medicine. People need warm clothes, blankets because it is cold here," Kakar said.

In the village of Sohi, a reporter for AP Television News saw the bodies of 17 people killed in one collapsed house and 12 from another. Distraught residents were digging a mass grave in which to bury them.

"We can't dig separate graves for each of them, as the number of deaths is high and still people are searching in the rubble" of many other homes, said Shamsullah Khan, a village elder.

Other survivors sat stunned in the open, with little more than the clothes in which they had been sleeping.

In the nearby town of Kawas, dozens of dead and injured were brought to a hospital in Kawas in Ziarat district. A doctor there, Mohammed Irfan, said the hospital was unable to cope with the number of injured.

With roads blocked by landslides, officials said the army was ferrying troops and medical teams on four helicopters to villages in the quake zone and airlifting a field hospital as well as thousands of tents and blankets to the area.

The quake struck two hours before dawn and had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It was a shallow 10 miles below the surface and was centered about 400 miles southwest of the capital, Islamabad.

Pakistan is prone to violent seismic upheavals. Wednesday's quake was the deadliest since a magnitude-7.6 quake devastated Kashmir and northern Pakistan in October 2005, killing about 80,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Officials said the area hit on Wednesday was much less densely populated.

Baluchistan is home to a long-running separatist movement, but is not considered a major battleground in the fight against Taliban insurgents that plague other border regions.

Nice Stuff For Life

This is by far the best fwd I have ever received!!


A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

"The golf balls are the important things - yur God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

"The sand is everything else--the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

"The same goes for life.
"If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children.

"Take time to get medical checkups.

"Take your partner out to dinner.

"Play another 18.

"There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter.

"Set your priorities.

"The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend."

Please share this with someone you care about.

I JUST DID.

Fed weighs another rate reduction to limit fallout

WASHINGTON – Disappearing jobs, burrowing consumers and skittish companies are reasons for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates and brace the tottering economy.

Chart shows monthly change in the Fed interest rate;

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues open a two-day meeting Tuesday afternoon — their last before the November elections — to make a fresh assessment of economic and financial conditions and decide their next move on rates. Their decision will be announced Wednesday.

It is all but certain the Fed will cut rates — for the second time in this month alone. The big question: Just how low will the Fed go?

Investors on Wall Street and some economists are betting the Fed will slash its key rate by half percentage point to 1 percent. Some analysts, however, think the Fed will opt for a smaller, quarter-point reduction to 1.25 percent.

"I'm torn," Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group, said about the size of the cut. "Clearly, the economic outlook has weakened," he said.

Whatever the size of the rate cut, commercial banks' prime lending rate for millions of consumer loans would drop by a corresponding amount. The prime rate is now at 4.5 percent and is used to peg home equity loans, certain credit cards and other floating rate loans.

Under either scenario — a half percentage point or a quarter point cut — both the Fed's key rate and the prime rate would fall to their lowest in more than four years.

The Fed hopes that lower borrowing costs will entice people and businesses to spend again, which would help revive the economy. The Fed also hopes that other actions to shore up the U.S. financial system — along with lower rates — will help get credit flowing more freely again.

The Europeans also are weighing another rate cut.

With a U.S. recession seen as a foregone conclusion, any Fed rate reduction would be aimed at relieving some of the pain.

The Fed probably will hold the door open to additional rate reductions when it acts on Wednesday, economists said. The Fed's last scheduled meeting of the year is Dec. 16.

Many predict the economy contracted in the third quarter by around 0.5 percent when the government reports Thursday on the economy's performance. If that estimate is correct, it would mark the biggest decline in economic activity since the third quarter of 2001, when the country was suffering through its last recession.

Nervous consumers are expected to have cut back sharply in their spending during the third quarter. If that proves correct, it would mark the first drop in consumer spending since late 1991, when the economy was coming out of a recession.

It can take at least six months — often longer — for the Fed's rate cuts to make their way through the economy. The Fed's previous rate reductions, however, were blunted by the fact that credit became much harder to get as banks hunkered down.

Employers, meanwhile, are likely to keep cutting back on hiring. The unemployment rate — now at 6.1 percent — is expected to hit 7.5 percent or higher by next year.

A housing bust, a credit clog and a financial meltdown have collided, imperiling the U.S. economy and the global economy. Problems started out in the United States but have spread to other countries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere.

Earlier this month, the Fed and other central banks joined to slash rates, the first coordinated move of that kind in the Fed's history. That dropped the Fed's key rate down to its current 1.50 percent. It also marked an about face for the Fed, which had halted an aggressive rate-cutting campaign in June out of fears those low rate would worsen inflation. The Fed started signaling rates probably would go up to fend off inflation. The Fed shifted signals back to a rate cut when the economy worsened and the inflation threat lessened.

European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Monday a rate cut next month is "a possibility" as moderating prices for oil and other commodities damp inflation pressures. The ECB joined the Fed in early October in cutting rates. Its key rate is at 3.75 percent.

BG Group to buy Queensland Gas for $3.4 billion

SYDNEY, Australia – British natural gas producer BG Group PLC said Tuesday it has agreed to buy Australia's Queensland Gas Co. Ltd. in a deal worth 5.6 billion Australian dollars ($3.4 billion), to expand its reach into the Asia-Pacific region.

The deal comes less than two months after BG, Britain's third-largest oil and gas company, was stymied in a multibillion-dollar bid for another Australian target, Origin Energy Ltd., which struck a gas joint venture deal with ConocoPhillip.

BG and QGC said in a joint statement that the British company was offering AU$5.75 cash for each QGC share it doesn't already own — 80 percent more than the closing share price on the previous day's trading and valuing the Australian coal seam gas producer at AU$5.6 billion ($3.4 billion).

BG already owns almost 10 percent of QGC and the two companies are partners in a proposed liquefied natural gas development project in northeastern Queensland state.

Queensland Gas Co.'s directors unanimously recommended the deal to shareholders, and QGC's largest shareholder — AGL Energy Ltd., which holds almost 25 percent — announced it has accepted the BG offer. BG's stake in QGC increases to 46.2 percent after acceptances and declared intentions.

QGC shares surged almost 80 percent to AU$5.75, suggesting investors believe the deal will go through.

The offer is open until Dec. 15.

BG Group Chief Financial Officer Ashley Almanza said QGC purchase would enhance its global gas strategy and provide the group with both Asia-Pacific resources and Pacific-basin LNG supply.

In September, BG abandoned its hostile takeover bid for Origin Energy Ltd., Australia's second-largest power retailer, after Origin announced a coal seam liquefied natural gas joint venture with U.S. energy giant ConocoPhillips valued at AU$9.6 billion. BG said the price for that investment indicated a takeover of Origin would be too expensive.

"Establishing a single integrated organization within a one-company ownership structure allows BG Group to optimize the development of the LNG scheme as well as expand QGC's resource base for the supply of both domestic and export markets," BG chief executive Frank Chapman said in a statement.

Oil turns positive above $64, tracks Asian stocks

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Oil erased early losses to rise by one dollar to above $64 on Tuesday, tracking a rebound in Asian stock markets as investors returned to buy beaten-down shares.

Traders work in the oil futures pit on the floor of the New York Merchantile Exchange, October 27, 2008.

The U.S. dollar's easing from an earlier 2- year high against the euro also helped and traders looked ahead to signs that OPEC was actually slashing output by about 5 percent in line with a decision taken last week.

U.S. light crude for December delivery rose $1 or 1.6 percent to $64.22 a barrel by 2:46 a.m. EDT, after touching an early low of $61.75.

London Brent crude gained 31 cents to $61.72 a barrel.

"This is a market driven by sentiment," said Gerard Rigby, an analyst with Fuel First Consulting in Sydney. "It will continue to get direction from the equities markets."

Japan's Nikkei average climbed 6.4 percent, encouraged by a softer yen on Tuesday and after the benchmark briefly broke below 7,000 for the first time in 26 years, taking with it commodities, which have traded largely in line with equities recently.

Japan fought to hold back waves from the financial crisis, restricting investor bets on falling share prices and trying to talk down a rallying yen that has threatens to deepen its economic downturn.

The credit crisis, which began with failing U.S. mortgages, has mushroomed into a worldwide rout as investors dump stocks and commodities, shun higher-risk emerging markets and seek out the safest government bonds and currencies.

Oil prices have dropped by nearly 60 percent from a record above $147 a barrel in July as global economic turmoil dents world fuel consumption, with some analysts saying a fall to $50 a barrel -- widely seen as the cash cost of production for many newer oil projects -- is possible in the short term.

The decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries last week to cut 1.5 million barrels per day of output has done little so far to stem oil's fall.

Asian customers said on Tuesday they had yet to receive notice of the volumes of their Gulf crude oil shipments, with most expecting a 5-percent cut.

"For November, the allocation has been long fixed but we are not sure if they may change it later. For December, it's too early to say," a trader with a North Asian refiner said.

Traders were also looking ahead to U.S. crude oil stocks data, which will likely show an increase for the fifth week in a row last week on higher imports, a preliminary Reuters poll of eight industry analysts showed.

Crude inventories were seen up 1.2 million barrels.

Most Asian markets rebound after recent slides

Most Asian markets rebound after recent steep slides; Hang Seng surges 14.4 percent SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Most Asian stock markets rebounded Tuesday after several days of steep declines as investors snapped up beaten down shares like Honda, Samsung and HSBC. Shares in Europe also opened higher.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose a whopping 14.4 percent -- its biggest gain in 11 years -- to 12,596.29, a day after plunging more than 12 percent. South Korea's Kospi jumped 5.6 percent to 999.16.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index surged 459.02 points, or 6.4 percent, to 7,621.92 after early falling to fresh 26-year lows. A weaker yen against the dollar encouraged traders to buy exporters like Toyota and Sony, whose overseas earnings are eroded by a strong yen. The dollar, which had fallen to a 13-year low against the yen on Friday, rose to 94.72 yen from 93.01 yen in late New York trading.

Even Shanghai's main index, which had fallen 6 percent earlier, turned positive in the afternoon.

"The market can't fall forever," said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong.

Lun said the Hang's Seng's huge drop Monday was bringing buyers back to seek bargains and scoop up blue chips that had tumbled. He pointed to banking giant HSBC, which had declined Monday to levels not seen since the SARS epidemic in 2003.

In Europe, stocks rose in early trading. London's FTSE 100 index gained almost 3 percent, Germany's DAX jumped 4.4 percent and France's CAC-40 rose nearly 3 percent.

U.S. stock index futures were sharply higher early Tuesday, suggesting Wall Street would advance after an erratic session Monday. Dow Jones industrial average and S&P futures were both up more than 4 percent.

"Extreme pessimism eased in the market as sentiment cheered the yen's retreat and sharp gains across Asia," said Yutaka Miura, senior strategist at Shinko Securities in Tokyo. He also said that the Nikkei's early fall below 7,000 points spurred buying.

Australia's key stock measure closed down 0.4 percent, though sharply pared earlier losses. Singapore's market index, also down more than 5 percent in morning trading, turned green in afternoon trading.

In South Korea, the buying was driven by domestic investors following the biggest rate cut ever by the central bank on Monday, analysts said, even as foreign investors kept selling to get cash to meet redemptions and liquidity needs at home.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. rose 5.8 percent, while Hyundai Motor Co. jumped 12.6 percent.

In Tokyo, Honda Motor Co. surged 14 percent, Toyota Motor Corp. jumped 7.8 percent and Sony Corp. rose 9.6 percent.

In a volatile session Monday on Wall Street, the Dow fell 203.18, or 2.42 percent, to 8,175.77 after earlier rising by as many as 220 points. Most of the decline came in the final 10 minutes of trading. Broader indicators fell more.

Currency traders were on guard over possible moves by Japanese authorities to intervene in the market and cap the yen's strength after a Group of Seven advanced nations raised concerns over gains Monday.

"Investors are trading with caution over the Bank of Japan's intervention to curb the yen's rise," said Mitsuru Sahara, vice president of the foreign exchange division at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd.

Though not a force in the currency markets in recent years, the Japanese central bank, at the behest of the nation's Finance Ministry, has stepped into the market massively in the past to buy U.S. dollars and sell yen at times of yen strength.

In South Korea, won sank a further 1.7 percent against the dollar despite suspected intervention by the central bank to purchase dollars. The won closed at 1,467.80 and is now down 36.2 percent so far this year.

Associated Press writers Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and Malcolm Foster in Bangkok, Thailand contributed to this report.

Oil rises to $64 on Asian stock market rebound

SINGAPORE – Oil prices rose to $64 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as a rebound in regional stock markets bolstered sagging investor confidence over a global economic slowdown.

Light, sweet crude for December delivery rose 78 cents to $64.00 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midafternoon in Singapore after trading as low as $61.75. The contract fell overnight 93 cents to close at $63.22, the lowest settlement since May 29, 2007.

Key Asian stock markets rebounded sharply Tuesday, including Japan's Nikkei 225 index, up 6.4 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index, jumping 13 percent.

"It was crude reacting to the Nikkei," said Jonathan Kornafel, Asia director for market maker Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore. "It began with a turnaround in Asian markets."

Oil investors have been taking a cue from a plunge in global stock markets that suggests major economies are headed for a significant recession over the next 12 months. Oil prices have fallen 58 percent since reaching a record $147.27 on July 11.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 2.4 percent Monday after credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service downgraded General Motors Corp.'s credit rating further into "junk" status, citing a sharp contraction of the U.S. auto market. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.2 percent.

"It's quite a severe slowdown that's been priced in already," Kornafel said. "If the credit market remains tight and the recession worsens, we could certainly go into the $50s and even below $50, but that would be an overshoot to the downside."

Prices have fallen despite a production quota cut of 1.5 million barrels a day by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries last week. OPEC officials have said the group, which controls about 40 percent of global crude oil production, may cut output again at a meeting in December.

"It doesn't matter what OPEC does or other supply news, people are just so focused on demand and getting their money out of trades that no longer make money," Kornafel said. "There's no real attention being paid to fundamentals in the short-term. It's still the panic."

In other Nymex trading, gasoline futures rose 2.3 cents to $1.50 a gallon and heating oil gained 4.81 cent to $1.96 a gallon. Natural gas for November delivery fell 1.0 cents to $6.11 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, December Brent crude was up 9 cents to $61.50 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Palin calls herself a frugal shopper when at home

WASHINGTON – Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, on whom the GOP has lavished $150,000 for designer clothes and beauty services, says her family shops frugally back home in Alaska and her favorite store is a consignment shop.

Republican vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin, left, her husband Todd and daughters, Piper, center, and Willow, right, pledge allegiance to the flag before a campaign rally at the Beaver Area High School in Beaver, Pa. on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008

Purchases by the Republican National Committee at high-end department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus appeared in spending reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. They offered a stark contrast to Palin's image as a "hockey mom" who calls herself part of an average, middle-class American family.

"Those clothes are not my property. We had three days of using clothes that the RNC purchased," Palin told Fox News in an interview that aired Thursday night.

"If people knew how Todd and I and our kids shop so frugally. My favorite shop is a consignment shop in Anchorage, Alaska, called Out of the Closet. And my shoe store is called Shoe Fly in Juneau, Alaska. ... It's not, you know, Fifth Avenue-type of shopping."

In one shopping spree for Palin, the RNC spent $75,062 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis. It also spent $49,425 at Saks Fifth Avenue and $4,902 at Atelier, a stylish men's store, and paid $92 for a romper and matching hat with ears for her infant son, Trig, at Pacifier, a Minneapolis baby store.

The McCain campaign reported paying $13,200 in September to celebrity makeup artist Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance." She was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October, nearly double what the campaign paid McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, according to a filing report.

Palin said the clothing purchased by the RNC would be returned or donated to charities.

Bank shares tumble amid global plunge

GS	108.58	0.00
XLF	14.49	0.00

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Shares of U.S. banks tumbled before the bell on Friday as global markets sold off on fears the global economy is in the throes of recession.

Among the losers, shares of Citigroup (C.N) tumbled 9 percent to $11.95 before the bell, while those of Goldman Sachs (GS.N) slid more than 8 percent to $99.48.

The Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF.A) , an exchange-traded fund which tracks the performance of stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500 financials group, slid 6.1 percent to $13.60.