| Guarding against scams
Here's a modern set of resolutions: exercise more, eat healthfully, recycle and don't answer e-mails from Nigeria.
Scams are part of life in the digital era, but there are ways to guard against them, whether as obvious as ignoring promises of great wealth from distant lands or as subtle as avoiding real-looking counterfeit items sold online.
Can you completely scam-proof your life? No.
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Street star puts on her ice skates
The newest star to take the rink in ITV's Dancing on Ice has been revealed as Coronation Street's Zaraah Abrahams. The 20-year-old is replacing GMTV's Michael Underwood after he was forced to pull out of the competition when he broke his ankle. Best known for her role in the soap as factory girl Joanna Jackson she has been practising since November as a stand-in. She will be partnered by Fred Palascak who originally danced with presenter Sarah Greene before she was voted off the show. Abrahams said she would rather not have joined the show as a result of an injury: "I always said I'd only ever want to go in if someone couldn't take the pressure of the competition, not if someone hurt themselves. "I really loved watching Michael and ironically he is the only one of the contestants I knew already, so I couldn't believe it when I heard I would be replacing him.
Moghimi: Clean up the city of Monroe and business will come
If Monroe businessman Ali Moghimi accomplishes anything in his bid to be Monroes next mayor, it would be to raise awareness about the need to clean the city.
Moghimi, a former cargo pilot turned business owner, points to piles of trash and refuse along the citys main thoroughfares as evidence that Monroe needs a good housecleaning. If beautification isnt addressed, it will stymie Monroes future economic growth, according to Moghimi.
I strongly believe that well have to clean the city, Moghimi said. You have to look successful in any business and if city is run like a business, image is important.
Moghimi, 47, is a native of Iran and moved to the United States in 1977 to get an education. He is a graduate of the Newton School in Boston and Meli University in Tehran, Iran with a degree in electrical engineering and also attended Louisiana Tech University.
Mall plans: Forward on two fronts
The company planning to buy and spend $231 million renovating Padre Staples Mall promised new stores, new jobs and new tax dollars in a presentation before City Council on Tuesday. But Trademark Property Company officials didn't share details on which stores, how many new jobs, or how many new tax dollars, nor did they talk specifically about the $23 million in tax incentives they've requested for the project. Those incentives must be approved by the City Council. A vote is not scheduled yet. Trademark Property Company President Terry Montesi said their project can keep shoppers from going out of town, a concept known as retail leakage, and attract more shoppers, including those from across the border. "Our vision is to transform that mall, Padre Staples Mall, into a state-of-the art regional retail and mixed-use destination that will attract new retailers and restaurants to the market and compete with the best retail centers in South Texas," Montesi said.
Blanchett misses out at SAGs
The entire town has been going through a very difficult time. So to be able to celebrate something is a wonderful thing," former Will & Grace star Debra Messing said. The Writers Guild Of America allowed its members to write for the SAG awards show and said it would not protest outside the event because actors have been strong allies of the writers in their bid for higher payments for work distributed over the Internet. The strike also threatens the February 24 Oscars, the movie industry's biggest showcase, although hopes have risen for a settlement after informal talks resumed last week between the WGA and major studios. Share this article .
The Home Owners' Loan Corporation
Government actions can be of two general types: those that try to permanently improve the structure of the housing finance system and those that are temporary. Temporary actions are taken to avoid a self-reinforcing downward spiral or debt deflation, to "bridge the bust" and then to be withdrawn as normal private market functioning returns. The fundamental idea behind them is that markets need time to adjust and recover. Temporary programs should inhibit personal choice and the long-run innovation and efficiency of the market as little as possible, and they should not bail out careless lenders and investors or speculative borrowers. In a financial panic, everybody wants to get a government guarantee. To some extent, in one form or another, such guarantees are usually provided.
Muslim Bakery head wielded political clout
For most of its existence from roughly 1968 to 2007, the bakery was a symbol of black enterprise and empowerment, setting a good - if sometimes intimidating - example in impoverished, crime-plagued North and West Oakland. The allegations of wrongdoing that have spilled out since Bey was charged with child rape in 2002 - vicious abuse of his numerous wives, systematic welfare fraud and unsolved killings - were mostly rumor before then, some politicians say, and they were rarely investigated by police. It wasn't a matter of official corruption, say many looking back on the bakery era. Instead, the bakery benefited from what those in rough-and-tumble neighborhoods would call "juice." "Dr. Bey was a power broker," said Miley, now an Alameda County supervisor. "My background is middle class, law school - I'm not one who can go out in the streets and talk with troubled kids that naturally.
Vent frustrations could cause dryer drafts
Q: My laundry area seems drafty, and the dryer does not seem to dry as quickly as it should. Is the old outdoor dryer cover causing this? A: If the dryer vent cover does not close completely when the dryer goes off, this may cause chilly drafts. This creates a direct path for cold air (warm, humid air during summer) into your house. If the dryer vent cover is stuck in a partially opened position, it restricts the air flow through the dryer. This increases drying time. Reduced air flow through the dryer duct results in a build up of lint in the duct and cover which further reduces air flow. With reduced air flow, the air temperature can increase to the point of starting a lint fire. A floating-cap vent cover seals well. The floating cap drops down and rests over the vent outlet when the dryer shuts off.
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