|
|
|
|
 The
government shutdown ended October 17 due to the House's last-minute
budget deal to extend the debt-ceiling deadline. Had a deal not been
struck, the government risked defaulting on loan payments and causing
shock waves in global markets.
Overcoming the differences over policies in "ObamaCare," also
known as the Affordable Care Act, a deal was struck which resumes
government funding until January 15, and extends the debt ceiling until
February 7, 2014. This means that House talks may be necessary to avoid
repeat scenarios.
Government sponsored loan programs such as Federal Housing Administration
(FHA) and Veteran's Affairs (VA) loans didn't see much interruption to
processes during the shutdown, however rural-property USDA and flood zone
FEMA loans were halted entirely.
In its recent meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed
decided not to taper its bond purchases due to recent economic reports
that were worse than expected. Tapering would begin only if the economy
shows more robust signs of recovery. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke stated
that tapering could "possibly" come later this year but that
depends on the nation's post-shutdown economic health prior to February
7, and what Bernanke's likely successor, the Fed Chairman nominee Janet
Yellen, wants to do.
Due to the government shutdown, September's employment report was delayed
several weeks. When the report was finally released, it showed that
148,000 new jobs were created in September, below the 183,000 expected.
For July and August, the numbers were revised higher by a total of 9,000
jobs. The Labor Force Participation Rate, a measure of how many people
are looking for work, was unchanged at 63.2 percent after falling in
August to a 35-year low.
Finally, the housing market continues to improve despite the recent rise
in home loan rates. Existing Home Prices were up by 14.7 percent annually
in August. This marks the eighteenth consecutive month of year-over-year
price gains.
|
|
|
|
|
Finance
News
How to Make Free Calls
Software and apps you can install on your computer or smart
phone can help you save money on calls.
By Cameron Huddleston, Kiplinger.com
|
 You've
likely heard that ditching your landline is a good money-saving move. But
if you're relying on your mobile phone to make all your calls, you might
have to pay more to get unlimited minutes. So to keep costs down,
consider using a free Internet calling service. There are several you can
download to your computer, smart phone or tablet. These services also are
ideal for people who make international calls and for college students
who want to keep in touch with friends and families. Because they're
free, you can try out all of the services below to see which works best
for you.
Skype. To use
Skype, you need an Internet connection and a computer or mobile device
with a microphone and speakers. It only takes a few minutes to install it
and create an account with a username that will serve as your contact
information (rather than a phone number). Then you can make free voice
and video calls (if you have a webcam) to other Skype users. You also can
use Skype for instant messaging and file sharing.
Viber. Unlike
Skype, Viber doesn't require you to create an account with a username.
Instead, it uses your mobile phone number. So you must first install it
on your smart phone. Then you can install it on your computer if you
want. In addition to free voice and video calls, Viber offers free text
and photo messaging and location sharing with other Viber users. Just
make sure you use a Wi-Fi connection rather than 3G so you don't use your
phone's data.
Vonage Mobile.
This relatively new Android and iPhone app lets users make free voice and
video calls and send free text messages to others with the app. You also
can use it to make free calls to Vonage home phone customers. Like Viber,
it uses your mobile phone number as your caller ID.
 Reprinted
with permission. All Contents ©2013 The Kiplinger Washington Editors. Kiplinger.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Creative
Cuisine
Perfect
Pumpkin Mousse
|
 Total
Time: 35 min
Makes 8 Servings.
Don't have time for making holiday pies, but still want to set something
before your guests that's both unique and delicious? This delectable
dessert is quick and easy, and should please even the most discerning of
palates.
- 1
(15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 3 cups
heavy cream
- 3/4 cup
superfine sugar
- 1/2
teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1
tablespoon vanilla extract
- Ginger
snaps, for garnish
Combine pumpkin puree, sugar, pie spice, and 1 cup heavy
cream (reserving the remainder for later) in a medium saucepan. Simmer
over medium heat for 5 minutes. Rest until completely cool. Whip
remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks, gently folding into the
cooled pumpkin mixture, pour into individual serving dishes. Just before
serving, crumble ginger snaps over top.
|
|
|
|
Street
Smarts
Avoiding Surgery Mistakes
|
 While
surgeons and hospital staff are ultimately responsible for verifying the
surgical procedures they perform are correct—they still occasionally make
mistakes. Therefore, it's crucial for you to be the "back-stop"
for your own surgical procedures, or that of your loved ones. The Joint
Commission, a not-for-profit organization that certifies more than 20,000
health care organizations and programs in the United States, suggests
doing the following prior to undergoing any procedure:
- Ask your
doctor if there any prescription or over-the-counter medicines that
you should not take before your surgery, or if you may eat or drink
beforehand.
- If you
have other questions, write them down. Take your list of questions
with you when you see your doctor.
- A health
care worker will mark the spot on your body to be operated on,
usually when you are awake. If you are not awake, request a family
member, friend, or other health care worker to watch the marking.
- Ask your
surgeon to take a "time out" just before your surgery to
make sure they are doing the right surgery on the right body part on
the right person.
- Be
forthcoming to your doctor or nurse about any pain before or after
surgery.
- Ask
questions about medicines that are given to you, especially new
medicines.
- Ask when
you can resume activities like work, exercise and travel.
|
|
|
|
|
Home
News
5 Household Products You Should Never Mix
|
 1.
Bleach + Vinegar = Chlorine Gas
Weak acid, such as vinegar, should never be added to bleach because it
will release toxic chlorine and chloramine vapors, which can chemically
burn your eyes and also your lungs.
2. Ammonia + Bleach = Chloramine Vapor
Many cleaning products contain ingredients not referred to in the brand
name, so check the labels before mixing and cleaning. If ammonia is
present in excess and mixed with bleach, potentially explosive liquid
hydrazine may be formed. Even its vapors could lead to death.
3. Different Battery Brands = Corrosion
It's not well known, but different battery brands can contain different
chemicals and even different voltage outputs that conflict with each
other. If one battery dies, the other could continue discharging
electricity and cause a leak that would damage or ruin electronics.
4. Medicine + Grapefruit Juice = Adverse Effects
All pharmaceuticals, whether over-the-counter or prescription, when mixed
with grapefruit juice can cause increased absorption, turning a normal
dose into a lethal overdose.
5. Acetaminophen + Alcohol = Irreversible Liver Damage
Even in moderation--or as a morning hangover cure--alcohol and
acetaminophen don't mix...the combination of chemicals could cause lethal
liver damage. Nearly 200 deaths each year are attributed to this
combination.
|
|
|
|
|
Facts and Figures
The Most Popular Movies Released on a Holiday
|
|
|
 The
holiday season is a time for family gatherings, eating, football and
going to the movies. Below are the top 10 grossing films with Christmas
Day openings. How many have you seen?
1. "Sherlock Holmes"
2. "Avatar"
3. "Meet the Fockers"
4. "Les Misérables" (2012)
5. "Django Unchained"
6. "Little Fockers"
7. "Marley and Me"
8. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
9. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel"
10. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Government shutdowns don't actually save taxpayers
money. The last shutdown, in 1995, cost the nation approximately $1.4
billion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Know your pop music trivia? Try matching up the artists
below to their songs, pulled from the social news site, Reddit, and its
Top 100 One Hit Wonders list:
|
|
Artist
|
|
1.
|
Biz Markie
|
|
2.
|
Semisonic
|
|
3.
|
Chumbawamba
|
|
4.
|
Dexys Midnight
Runners
|
|
5.
|
Haddaway
|
|
6.
|
Lou Bega
|
|
7.
|
The Proclaimers
|
|
8.
|
The Knack
|
|
9.
|
Tommy Tutone
|
|
10.
|
Toni Basil
|
|
11.
|
A Flock of Seagulls
|
|
|
|
|
Song
|
|
A.
|
"Mickey"
|
|
B.
|
"My Sharona"
|
|
C.
|
"What is Love"
|
|
D.
|
"Just a Friend"
|
|
E.
|
"Tubthumping"
|
|
F.
|
"867-5309"
|
|
G.
|
"Come on Eileen"
|
|
H.
|
"Closing Time"
|
|
I.
|
"I'm Gonna Be
(500 Miles)"
|
|
J.
|
"Mambo No. 5"
|
|
K.
|
"I Ran"
|
|
|
Scroll down to the bottom for answers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Journalism is unreadable, and literature is not
read."
|
|
– Oscar Wilde,
The Critic as Artist
|
|
|
|
|
Wild: From Lost to Found on the
Pacific Crest Trail
By Cheryl Strayed
|
|
|
|
In the aftermath of her mother's death, Cheryl's life has
unraveled for four years and nothing is left. With her family set
adrift, her marriage at an end, and nearly addicted to heroin at
26-years old, she makes an impulsive decision that will alter the
course of her life forever: to hike the more than one thousand miles of
the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert of California to the
border between Oregon and Washington State—and she will do it all by
herself, even though she's de-toxing, out of shape, and has no trail
experience.
With unflinching honesty, style, and unusual vulnerability, Cheryl
Strayed has created a vivid memoir of her journey. Wild carries
you along that journey through the eyes of a young woman who has
seemingly lost everything, but still hopes to find an answer to the
meaning of her life out on the trail...and does!
Wild is soon to be a major motion picture starring Reese
Witherspoon, is part of the esteemed line-up of Oprah's Book Club
selections, winner of Best Nonfiction Book from The Boston Globe and
Entertainment Weekly, and was named Best Book of the Year by NPR, St.
Louis Dispatch, and Vogue.
|
|
It has garnered an impressive average 4-stars from
reader reviews and may be purchased from Amazon.com.
|
|
|
Thank
You
|
|
|
|
|
As always, we wish to thank our clients who have been
kind enough to refer business to us. We appreciate the opportunity to
provide excellent service to your family, friends, and co–workers.
|
|
|
|
Trivia
Answers
|
|
|
|
1-D, 2-H, 3-E, 4-G, 5-C, 6-J, 7-I, 8-B, 9-F, 10-A,
11-K
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment