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I be certain you must reside every day as if it is your last, that is why I do not hold any clean laundry because, appear on, who wants to wash clothes on the persist day of this life? –Age 15 Give me the strength to difference the circumstances I can, the grace to accept the Times I cannot, and a exorbitant big bag of money. –Age 13

It certain are able to be excellent if we got a day off for the president’s birthday, fancy properties do for the queen. Of course, at that time we will hold a lot of everybody voting for a candidate born on July 3 or December 26, just now for the extensively weekends. –Age 8 Democracy is a beautiful thing, exclusive of for the present side right about permitting for clearly any old yokel vote. –Age 10

Home is at which the housing is. –Age 6

I bet residing in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween. --Age 13

I often ask how turn up John Tesh sucker as popular a singer as specific borrowers figure he would be. Then, I remember it is when he sucks. –Age 15

For centuries, buyers considered the moon was put up of blue cheese. Then the astronauts at last found so the moon is truly a big hard rock. That’s how comes about to cheese when you leave it out. --Age 6

My young sister questioned me how comes about once we die. I informed him we get buried short of a group of dirt and worms eat our bodies. I be certain I will own imparted upon him the truth–that a multitude of of us go to turd and impact indefinitely –but I did not covet to fuming him. --Age 10

I gaze at the brilliant broad moon. The same one, I be certain to myself, at that Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato gazed. Suddenly, I suppose properties give the impression beside me. I notify Socrates around the nationwide debate in one’s proper to die and ask at the constancy of the human condition. I say to Plato the current I dwell in the globe so has arrive the closest to Utopia, and I confirm him a follow of the Constitution. I say to Aristotle this we suffer at last found numerous a good amount of as opposed to uni clear ingredients and I verify him a periodic table. I get a box of kitchen matches and strike one. They gasp provided wonder. We spend the rest of the night lighting farts. --Age 15

When I go to heaven, I covet to see my daddy again. But he best own lost the nose hair and the old-man smell. --Age 5

I in the wake of heard the voice of God. It stated “Vrrrrmmmmm.” Unless it was just now a land mower. --Age 11

I do not appreciate throughout you, but I enjoy watching coat dry. I predict the current the wet smother is a big freshwater lake which is the alone source of water for a small amount of minimal areas by the lake. As the lake becomes drier, the populace becomes !no! desperate, and sometimes there are water riots. Once there was a big fire and you died. –Age 13

I such as to go decreased to the dog pound and pretend so I’ve at last found my dog. Then I inform them to kill it at any rate as I by now gave away all of his stuff. Dog consumers ensured do not experience a sense of humor. --Age 14

As you trigger your way throughout their hectic globe of ours, set aside a few seconds every day. At the end of the year, you will undergo a couple of days saved up. –Age 7

Often, when I am taking a look at a top notch book, I thwart and thank my teacher. That is, I used up to, until she got an unlisted number. –Age 15

It may be harmful if the Red Cross Bloodmobile got to an accident. No, wait. That ought to be favorably as if everyone needed it, the blood are able to be better there. –Age 5

Think of the uppermost merde you can. Now add five. Then, think if you had who multitude of Twinkies. Wow, that is uni supplementary as opposed to the top sum you would arrive up with! --Age 6

The one and only whiny wonder about is the one too is never asked, apart from possibly “Don’t you bet it is almost second you audited my return?” or “Isn’t it morally incorrect to supply me a caution when, in fact, I was speeding?” –Age 15

Once, I wept for I had no shoes. Then I came upon a man who had no feet. So I took his shoes. I mean, it is not such as he in effect needed them, right? –Age 15

If we should clearly get all to finish the eyes and visualize nation peace for an hour, make the assumption how serene and quiet it should be until the looting started. –Age 15

NEW YORK – Wall Street wavered Friday, as investors tried to decide whether to extend or lock in the week’s big gains after a report that showed worried consumers are cutting back on their spending.

The Commerce Department said personal spending fell by 0.3 percent last month, as expected, the biggest decline since June 2004. Combined with flat readings in both July and August, it led to the worst quarterly performance in 28 years.

But Wall Street’s reaction to the data was far from frantic. Given this week’s readings on flagging consumer confidence and shrinking gross domestic product, investors have largely discounted the fact that Americans are fearful about the economy and their shrinking investment portfolios.

Some profit-taking was to be expected with the major indexes up 8 percent for the week, but this October has been the worst month for the market in 21 years — and many stocks are looking like bargains right now. Heading into the session, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was down 18.2 percent for October; the index fell 21.8 percent in October 1987.

In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 32.81, or 0.36 percent, to 9,213.50, after declining in earlier trading.

Broader stock indicators were mixed. The S&P 500 index rose 2.47, or 0.26 percent, to 956.56, while the Nasdaq composite index fell 7.34, or 0.43 percent, to 1,691.18.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 2.88, or 0.56 percent, to 511.30.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 5 to 4 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 150 million shares.

In other economic data, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, a measure of manufacturing activity, fell to a reading of 37.8 — much worse than the 48.0 figure that analysts anticipated. But the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment data came in at 57.6, slightly better than the 57.5 expected.

Alongside the downbeat but not unexpected readings, investors also considered whether government help for struggling homeowners might be able to help stabilize the housing market and alleviate a worry for many homeowners, even those not behind on mortgage payments.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to speak by satellite Friday to a Berkeley, Calif., conference on the mortgage crisis and is likely to press government officials and lawmakers to continue working on ways to provide more relief.

The Bush administration is mulling a proposal that would help around 3 million homeowners avoid foreclosure by having the government guarantee billions of dollars worth of distressed mortgages.

Investors still held on to their Treasuries in anticipation of a weak economy and more market volatility. The three-month Treasury bill, considered one of the safest assets around, yielded 0.39 percent, only slightly higher than 0.37 percent late Thursday. A low yield translates to high demand. The 10-year Treasury note’s yield was 3.88 percent, down from 3.97 percent.

The dollar was mostly higher against other major currencies. Gold prices edged higher.

Crude oil fell $1.23 to $64.73 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Overseas, Japan’s Nikkei stock average fell 5.01 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 1.08 percent, Germany’s DAX index rose 0.97 percent, and France’s CAC-40 fell 1.34 percent.

WASHINGTON – The government should ban the diabetes drug Avandia because of a wide variety of life-threatening risks, including heart and liver damage, a consumer group said Thursday.

The consumer group, Public Citizen, filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration to have Avandia taken off the market.

It was the second setback in as many weeks for the GlaxoSmithKline medication, which at one time had shown great promise in reducing the blood sugar levels of people with Type 2 diabetes. Last week, the American Diabetes Association and a European counterpart jointly released updated treatment guidelines for doctors that pointedly recommended against using Avandia.

“The FDA is in possession of clear, unequivocal evidence that (Avandia) causes a wide variety of toxicities,” Public Citizen said in its petition. “Many of these are life-threatening, such as heart attacks, heart failure (and) liver failure.”

The FDA said it will “carefully review” the petition, and it continues to monitor Avandia’s safety record.

Avandia’s heart risks were brought to light two years ago in a medical journal article that reported a 43 percent higher risk of heart attacks among Avandia patients when compared with those taking other diabetes drugs. Although scientists are still debating a link between the drug and heart attacks, concerns about the medical evidence led to stronger warnings.

As a result, Avandia use dropped sharply but about a million U.S. patients still take it.

Public Citizen said its own research found 14 cases of liver failure associated with Avandia, 12 of which led to death. The petition also said Avandia predisposes some patients to eye problems, anemia and bone fractures.

Glaxo, in a statement, said it does not believe Avandia causes liver failure. The company said its own data shows the drug has a good safety record when it comes to liver problems. The company said the data on heart attacks is inconclusive and that Avandia is safe and effective, when used according to directions. Glaxo shares initially fell on the news, but later rose to close at $37.90, up 1.6 percent.    Source

ATLANTA – The nation’s obesity epidemic is exacting a heavy toll: The rate of new diabetes cases nearly doubled in the United States in the past 10 years, the government said Thursday. The highest rates were in the South, according to the first state-by-state review of new diagnoses. The worst was in West Virginia, where about 13 in 1,000 adults were diagnosed with the disease in 2005-07. The lowest was in Minnesota, where the rate was 5 in 1,000.

Nationally, the rate of new cases climbed from about 5 per 1,000 in the mid-1990s to 9 per 1,000 in the middle of this decade.

Roughly 90 percent of cases are Type 2 diabetes, the form linked to obesity.

The findings dovetail with trends seen in obesity and lack of exercise — two health measures where Southern states also rank at the bottom.

“It isn’t surprising the problem is heaviest in the South — no pun intended,” agreed Matt Petersen, who oversees data and statistics for the American Diabetes Association.

The study, led by Karen Kirtland of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides an up-to-date picture of where the disease is exploding. The information should be a big help as the government and health insurance companies decide where to focus prevention campaigns, Petersen said.

Diabetes was the nation’s seventh-leading cause of death in 2006, according to the CDC. More than 23 million Americans have diabetes, and the number is rapidly growing. About 1.6 million new cases were diagnosed among adults last year.

Type 2 diabetics do not produce or use insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar into energy. The illness can cause sugar to build up in the body, leading to complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and poor circulation that leads to foot amputations.

The study involved a random-digit-dialed survey of more than 260,000 adults. Participants were asked if they had ever been told by a doctor that they have diabetes, and when the diagnosis was made. The comparisons between 1995-97 and 2005-07 covered only the 33 states for which the CDC had complete data for both time periods.

The researchers had data for 40 states for the years 2005-07.

West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee had the highest rates, all at 11 cases per 1,000 or higher. Puerto Rico was about as high as West Virginia. Minnesota, Hawaii and Wyoming had the lowest rates.

It is not entirely clear why some states were worse than others. Older people, blacks and Hispanics tend to have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, and the South has large concentrations of all three groups. However, West Virginia is overwhelmingly white.

The report asked about diagnosed diabetes only. Because an estimated one in four diabetics have not been diagnosed, the findings probably underestimate the problem, said Angela Liese, a diabetes researcher at the University of South Carolina.

The underestimates may be particularly bad in the rural South and other areas where patients have trouble getting health care, she noted.        Source

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WAM, Pakistan – Desperate villagers clawed through piles of mud and timber looking for victims of an earthquake that collapsed thousands of homes in southwestern Pakistan before dawn Wednesday, killing at least 215 people.

As rescue workers resumed their search Thursday morning, officials said hopes of finding more survivors in the debris left by the 6.4-magnitude quake had dimmed.

“Almost all the rubble had been cleared by last night,” said Shaukat Ali, the home secretary of the province of Baluchistan, where the quake occurred. “We don’t know if anyone is still buried in the debris.”

Army planes flew in tents, medical supplies and blankets to the quake zone in the province, erecting between 8,000 and 10,000 tents for some 15,000 homeless people in the impoverished region. Temperatures fell to around freezing overnight – a grim test for those forced to sleep in the open.

“I have lost everything,” said Haji Shahbaz, mourning the deaths of 17 relatives in Wam, a hard-hit village. “Nothing is left here, and now life is worthless for me,” he added, then wailed in despair, tears streaking his dust-caked face.

Pakistan is no stranger to natural disasters, but the quake comes at an especially precarious time for the Muslim country, with the civilian government battling al-Qaida and Taliban attacks while grappling with a punishing economic crisis.

As the army and other government agencies rushed to provide help, at least three hard-line Islamic organizations also were quick to aid quake survivors, according to an Associated Press reporter who toured the area.

Among them was Jamaat-ud-Dawa, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government for its links to Muslim separatists fighting in India’s portion of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

The group set up relief camps and won friends among survivors of a 7.6-magnitude quake that devastated Kashmir and northern Pakistan in October 2005, killing about 80,000 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.

Baluchistan is home to a long-running separatist movement, but has so far been spared the level of militant violence seen in the northwestern tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, where Muslim extremists are strong.

Wednesday’s quake hit before sunrise as most people slept. Witnesses reported two strong jolts about an hour apart, saying the second at 5:10 a.m. caused the destruction, collapsing the flimsy mud-brick and timber houses common to this poor region.

“We were awoken with a big thundering noise and a tremor and we came out of our home and started reciting prayers,” said Malik Abdul Hasmat, a 35-year-old teacher. “We went back inside because of the cold and then came the second and bigger jerk and all the homes collapsed.”

As he spoke, excavators dug mass graves and villagers hacked away at the holes with spades. Over a loud speaker, a rescue official announced a grim find in the remains of one house: the body of young boy, believed to be around 1 year old.

The worst-hit area was the Ziarat valley, where hundreds of houses were destroyed in at least eight villages, including some buried in landslides triggered by the quake.

Provincial government minister Zamrak Khan said Thursday that 215 victims had been buried. Dilawar Kakar, mayor of the hilltop town of Ziarat, said 375 people were injured and around 15,000 left homeless. Ziarat itself, a popular summer resort since the days of the British empire, was spared major damage.

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.

“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.

Hospitals were flooded with dead and injured. One patient at Quetta Civil Hospital, Raz Mohammed, said he was awakened by the sound of his children crying before he felt a jolt.

“I rushed toward them but the roof of my own room collapsed and the main iron support hit me,” he said. “That thing broke my back and I am in severe pain, but thank God my children and relatives are safe.”

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his country was offering $310,000 in immediate aid, but the head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said an international relief effort was not needed.

“God has been kind, it has been a localized affair,” said Farooq Ahmad Khan. “I think we can manage it.”

Pakistan is prone to seismic upheavals since it sits atop an area of collision between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates, the same force responsible for the birth of the Himalayan mountains. Baluchistan’s capital, Quetta, was devastated by a 7.5-magnitude temblor in 1935 that killed more than 30,000 people.    Source

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate by half a percentage point, driving it to a level seen only once before in the last half-century, and the government finally began distributing funds from the billions in the financial rescue package.

Those efforts Wednesday were part of a concerted drive by officials, just days before a national election, to demonstrate they are moving as quickly as possible to deal with the most serious financial crisis to hit the country since the 1930s.

“Policymakers have their foot to the accelerator and they are using every effort at their disposal to stop the slide in the economy and financial markets,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody’s Economy.com. “And it’s not a moment too soon given the serious damage that has already been done.”

Fresh evidence of the state of the economy comes Thursday with the government’s release of its first look at economic activity in the July-September quarter. The data is expected to show that the country’s gross domestic product shrank at a rate of 0.5 percent in the third quarter.

Many analysts believe the GDP – the measure of the value of all the goods and services produced in the United States – is falling further in the current quarter and will also fall in the first three months of next year. Just two consecutive quarters of declining GDP fulfill the classic definition of a recession.

While Wall Street posted its second biggest point gain in history Tuesday in anticipation of the Fed rate cut, the bleak economic reality appeared to ensure that the euphoria was short-lived. The Dow Jones industrial average finished Wednesday down 74 points, a drop analysts said partly reflected growing worries about whether the government’s actions will be sufficient to avert a deep and prolonged recession.

Asian stock markets, however, rose sharply in early trading Thursday. South Korea’s index jumped 12 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 10 percent, and Japan’s Nikkei gained 7 percent.

The Fed, as investors had hoped, announced a half-point cut in the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge each other on overnight loans, driving it down to 1 percent, a low last seen in 2003-2004. That rate has not been lower since 1958 when Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Reducing the rate as low as zero cannot be ruled out, some analysts said, but they cautioned that reducing rates that far carried some risks, including that if the credit crisis suddenly worsened, the Fed would have used up its ammunition.

Analysts also noted that just lowering rates cannot serve as a panacea to overcome a credit crisis. While the goal is to encourage banks to begin lending again, financial institutions are skittish about extending new loans given the huge losses they have racked up in bad mortgages.

Meanwhile, the administration announced that the spigot had been opened on the $700 billion fund created by Congress Oct. 3 to rescue the U.S. financial system. Treasury issued a report showing checks had been disbursed for $125 billion in payments to nine major banks, including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The goal is to bolster their balance sheets so they will resume more normal lending.

And the administration was nearing an agreement on a plan to help around 3 million homeowners avoid foreclosure, according to sources who had been briefed on the matter. The program would be the most aggressive effort yet to limit damages from the severe housing slump.

Besides cutting interest rates, the Fed announced it was extending credit lines worth $30 billion each to the central banks of Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore in an effort to bolster financial markets in those countries and relieve investors’ anxieties.

It brought to 14 the number of central banks that the Fed has entered into so-called swap arrangements for currency as a way to pump more liquidity into global credit markets, part of an effort that the Bank of England estimated has resulted in $5 trillion in support being put forward by governments worldwide.

The International Monetary Fund unveiled a new streamlined lending process to get support to countries caught up in the credit crisis, another effort by the 185-member institution to show it was prepared to perform its job as lender of last resort to countries facing difficulties. The IMF already has moved to help Iceland, Ukraine and Hungary with other nations quickly lining up for aid.

The Fed’s half-point interest rate cut marked the second rate reduction this month. The Fed slashed the rate by a half-point on Oct. 8 in a coordinated action with other foreign central banks. Economists predict foreign central banks will follow suit with another round of rate cuts over the next week.

In a brief statement explaining Wednesday’s action, the Fed said that the “intensification of financial market turmoil is likely to exert additional restraint on spending, partly by further reducing the ability of households and business to obtain credit.”

The central bank said that “downside risks to growth remain” holding out the promise of further rate cuts if needed. The rate-cut decision was unanimous.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues pledged they would “monitor economic and financial developments carefully and will act as needed to promote sustainable economic growth and price stability.”

Many analysts said they believe the Fed will not stop at 1 percent if officials see the need to cut rates further. Some are forecasting another half-point move at the Fed’s last meeting of the year on Dec. 16.

But other economists said with rates already so low, the Fed may decide to hold at 1 percent, leaving some room for a further reduction next year should the country’s economic troubles intensify.

The Fed’s action was quickly followed by a reduction by commercial banks in their prime lending rate, the benchmark for millions of consumer and business loans, which was cut from 4.5 percent down to 4 percent, its lowest level in four years.

The central bank also announced that it was lowering its discount rate, the interest it charges to make direct loans to banks, by a half-point to 1.25 percent. This rate has become increasingly important as the central bank has dramatically increased direct loans to banks in an effort to break the grip of the credit crisis.
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