Oil prices fall sharply on fears of slow growth (AP)

NEW YORK ? Oil prices fell nearly two percent Monday over fears that the world economy will remain weak and push down demand for crude.

West Texas Intermediate oil, which is used as a benchmark to price oil in much of the U.S., fell $1.30 to $96.37 in midday trading in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price many foreign varieties of price oil, fell $1.45 to $105.95 in London.

The global economy is under assault from several directions. The inability of Europe to deal with its crushing debt problems is raising concerns that the region will fall into recession. Also, as long as the crisis continues, the fear remains that the world financial system could seize up if European banks and banks with ties to Europe stop lending.

"The market's biggest concern is the ongoing strife in Europe and the uncertainty that brings," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at PFG Best in Chicago.

When the economy slows, demand for crude oil and refined products like diesel and gasoline falls because fewer goods are produced and shipped, and people travel less.

The U.S. national average for retail gasoline fell slightly to $3.351 from $3.359 on Monday, according to AAA, Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.

Another concern is that the Congressional committee set up to reduce U.S. spending, known as the super committee, will fail to come up with a plan. That could lead to further gridlock in Washington at a time when the U.S. economy is fragile.

"The supercommittee isn't looking very super," Flynn said.

Oil is also being pushed lower by a stronger U.S. dollar. Oil is priced in dollars, so when the dollar becomes more valuable compared with other currencies, oil becomes more expensive to holders of foreign currency and they tend to buy less of it.

Benchmark U.S. crude spiked to nearly $103 a barrel last Wednesday after a pipeline company announced plans to try to relieve a glut of landlocked oil at a major hub in Oklahoma by shipping it to the gulf coast. Brent crude fell because the plan would add to supplies of oil that can be shipped by sea, relieving a relative shortage.

Now both are falling because economies around the world may need less oil no matter how it is delivered.

In other energy trading in New York, natural gas rose 7 cents to $3.39 per 1,000 cubic feet, gasoline futures lost a penny at $2.4715 a gallon and heating oil fell 4 cents to $2.9903 a gallon..

Jonathan Fahey can be reached at http://twitter.com/JonathanFahey

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111121/ap_on_bi_ge/us_oil_prices

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Review: Nook Tablet is Kindle Fire's worthy foe (AP)

NEW YORK ? Listen, and I'll tell you the story of the bookstore chain that stormed into the hottest category in consumer electronics and conquered.

It's a nice underdog story, right? A bit like the tale of plucky rebels who attacked Lord Vader's Death Star.

But that was fiction. Barnes & Noble Inc.'s new Nook Tablet ($249) is a solid product, worthy of duking it out with Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire. Considering that the Nook comes from a desert planet where the only entertainment was shooting womp rats (Sorry, I mean "from a bookstore chain."), it's really impressive.

But the Nook doesn't quite muster enough force to blow up a Death Star. Barnes & Noble's earlier Nooks were dedicated book-reading devices, and the Tablet is at most a half-way step into the world of general-purpose tablet computing.

Like the new Kindle Fire, the Tablet has a 7-inch, touch-sensitive color screen, about half the size of the iPad's. It's the same screen as on the Nook Color, the e-reader Barnes & Noble launched a year ago. I thought it was the best e-reader yet when it launched.

The Tablet improves on the Nook Color mainly by beefing up the processor and the memory and extending the battery life to 11.5 hours of reading, or 9 hours of video.

The Tablet also has improved software, but the Color will be getting the same software through a downloadable update.

The Tablet is debuting with Netflix and Hulu applications. Coupled with the nice, sharp screen, that makes for a good device for that TV and movie fix _as long as you're connected to Wi-Fi. The apps actually highlight one of the shortcomings of the Tablet: there's no way (short of hacking the software) to use it for offline viewing of movies you buy or rent.

Barnes & Noble promises to provide access to some sort of movie store next year. Amazon, meanwhile, launched the Kindle Fire with access not just to Netflix and Hulu, but to its own store with downloadable video, plus free streaming content for Amazon Prime subscribers.

Barnes & Noble is also well behind when it comes to the selection of third-party applications: it has about 1,000 available today. That compares to just under 10,000 at Amazon, and 500,000 on the iPad.

However, the Nook has these features over the Fire:

? Faster processor and more memory for software operations, which means faster Web browsing and magazine page-flipping.

? Longer battery life.

? Twice as much storage space: 16 gigabytes compared to eight. Don't get too excited about this, though. What Barnes & Noble has left out of its marketing material is that only 1 gigabyte is available for content that isn't bought from Barnes & Noble. Since books don't take up much space and Barnes & Noble doesn't sell movies, much of the 16 gigabytes is likely to be wasted.

? A slot for memory cards. This is the cure for the lack of memory for non-Barnes & Noble content. You can add another 16 gigabytes of memory by buying a $20 card.

? The ability to load books from third-party stores like Google Books. On the Kindle, you can only read books from Amazon.

? Netflix streams are sharper. Barnes & Noble initially claimed they were in high definition, but that X-wing doesn't fly: the Tablet's screen isn't high-definition.

? Children's books with built-in narration (some Kindle apps have this).

? A microphone. This doesn't have a lot of uses at the moment, but it does allow you to record your own narration.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, the Kindle Fire has these features over the Nook:

? A lower price: $199.

? The Comixology app, the most popular one for comic books. On the Nook, you're pretty much limited to buying electronic comics from Barnes & Noble.

For the most part, the Nook Tablet justifies the higher price tag compared to the Kindle. Of course, anyone with money to spend should also be looking at the iPad 2, which starts at $499 and does all of what these smaller tablets do ? plus a whole lot more. That's one Death Star that won't be exploding in a hurry.

___

Peter Svensson can be reached at http://twitter.com/petersvensson

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111122/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_digital_life_tech_test_nook_tablet

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Bonnar comes clean with Koscheck after UFC 139 win

After winning a decision over Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139, Stephan Bonnar was honest about a legal matter with a fellow fighter. After the win, he spoke with UFC commentator Joe Rogan and apologized to?UFC welterweight?Josh Koscheck.

"I have a little confession to make. I had this big plan to get this win, and then call out Koscheck. But you know what? Something about fighting makes you be honest with yourself. The truth is, he asked me not to make those shirts, and I did it anyway. So Koscheck, I apologize. You taught me a valuable lesson. From now on, fighters gotta approve of those shirts, and they'll get paid for every one of them."

Bonnar had a brewing feud with Koscheck. Though the two were castmates on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," they had recently fallen out when Bonnar's clothing company printed a parody t-shirt of Koscheck.

Based off the 1980s trading cards "Garbage Pail Kids," Bonnar's shirt depicted Koscheck as a Cabbage Patch Kid. The problem was that Bonnar didn't get permission from Koscheck to use his image. ?Koscheck sued, and Bonnar responded by challenging the much-smaller Koscheck to a fight.

"Words cannot describe how bad I want to kick Josh Koscheck's [expletive] right now," Bonnar said in June. "Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I'm up just thinking about all the things I want to do to him ? and kick his [expletive]."

But Bonnar has put those feelings behind him. Getting permission and paying fighters for their images is the right thing to do. It's just surprising to see Koscheck, who is usually considered a "bad guy" in MMA, teach that lesson to Bonnar, a beloved fighter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Bonnar-comes-clean-with-Koscheck-after-UFC-139-w?urn=mma-wp9715

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YouTube Video Prompts Calls for UC Davis Chancellor's Resignation (Mashable)

The Faculty Association at the University of California, Davis, is calling for the resignation of chancellor Linda Katehi after a YouTube video surfaced showing police pepper spraying passive Occupy Wall Street protesters. "The Chancellor?s authorization of the use of police force to suppress the protests by students and community members speaking out on behalf of our university and public higher education generally represents a gross failure of leadership," the Davis Faculty Association wrote in a blog post on Saturday. The post goes on to criticize Katehi for "effectively authorizing [the police's] use of excessive force against peaceful UCD student protestors"

[More from Mashable: YouTube Favorite Annoying Orange Gets TV Show]

The call for Katehi's resignation comes after various videos showing police pepper spraying OWS protesters hit YouTube late Friday, shortly after it occurred. In response, Katehi announced on Saturday that she had created a task force to investigate the police's action.

According to reports, police had asked the protesters to move and then warned them if they didn't, they'd be pepper sprayed. Soon afterwards, they carried out their threat and the moment was captured on video.

[More from Mashable: Police Raid Occupy Wall Street Day of Action [VIDEO]]

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/education/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111119/tc_mashable/youtube_video_prompts_calls_for_uc_davis_chancellors_resignation

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'Breaking Dawn' soundtrack is fun and sappy -- in a good way

'Breaking Dawn' has music that's a little edgier than the previous films as Edward and Bella move into a new chapter of their lives

Music has been a vital part of The Twilight Saga from the very beginning. Author Stephenie Meyer acknowledges the musicians who influenced her at the end of each book in the series, and the soundtracks of each of the first three films have gone on to sell numerous copies. Even the cast has gotten involved in the soundtracks ? Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, recorded two songs for the Twilight soundtrack; new cast member Mia Maestro has a song on this one; and Kristen Stewart, who plays Bella Swan, suggested what has (arguably) become ?the? song of the series.

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It is that song ? and the return of Carter Burwell ? that make The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack feel like a bookend to the first Twilight movie. Pattinson and Stewart dance to Iron & Wine?s Flightless Bird, American Mouth at their characters? prom in Twilight; it seems fitting to have this song play over another pivotal moment in their lives. And I loved Carter Burwell?s score of the first film and was thrilled when I read that he?d be scoring the last two. Just like the characters, this score is more mature but still influenced by its past. I love that you can still hear recognizable pieces of the first score ? including bits of Bella?s Lullaby ? in a reimagined form. (And I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing Pattinson play Burwell?s lullaby for Edward and Bella?s daughter in Part 2.)

This soundtrack has a decidedly edgier feel to it than the indie vibe of its last two predecessors. In essence, the music is maturing out of those angst-ridden teenage years much like the characters. The album, to me, has an overall feeling of contentment that parallels the movie. Now, I will warn you ? there are a lot of love songs on this soundtrack. Which is exactly what you should expect from a movie about a couple getting married and having a child. But don?t worry ? we?re not talking all over-the-top ballads. The general theme seems to be finally getting what you?ve waited for, committing yourself to another person and facing the future together.

With that said, the two big, sweeping ballads ? Turning Page and A Thousand Years ? are truly lovely and certainly fit that theme. I predict A Thousand Years, in particular, will be the new go-to wedding song. And there are some truly catchy songs on this soundtrack. Love Will Take You, From Now On and I Didn?t Mean It are the kind of songs that have me bopping my head along to the beat (and maybe doing a little dancing in my car ?).

There were two omissions I hope make it for the Part 2 soundtrack. Pattinson was noticeably absent from the New Moon and Eclipse soundtracks and doesn?t appear on this one, either. He has a unique voice and musical style that keeps my fingers crossed for the last soundtrack. In addition, this is the first Twilight Saga soundtrack that hasn?t featured a song from Muse. Since this band is Meyer?s favorite and often her ? well ? muse, it seems strange to leave them off the list. Hopefully they will make a return for Part 2; it wouldn?t feel right without them.

Overall, this is a fun, happy, sing-along kind of soundtrack. Yes, it?s a little bit sappy, but don?t weddings make us all feel a little bit sappy? Enjoy the smile this soundtrack will put on your face.

Krista Richmond blogs at Killer Film.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of music, film, and television bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/L0av1r02Jow/Breaking-Dawn-soundtrack-is-fun-and-sappy-in-a-good-way

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White House says U.S.-China relationship "complicated" (Reuters)

NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) ? The United States has been direct with China about its plans to be more active in the Asia-Pacific region as well as its interests in the South China Sea, a top White House official said on Saturday.

National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talked mainly about economic issues when they met on the sidelines of an Asian leaders' summit on the Indonesian island of Bali on Saturday.

Donilon said Wen had requested more time to speak with Obama after the two leaders sat next to each other during an official dinner on Friday.

"They had an informal meeting this morning and the principal focus of the meeting was on economics," he told reporters on Saturday, the last day of Obama's nine-day Asia-Pacific tour.

Obama and Wen discussed "specific issues around business practices" as well as U.S. concerns about controls on China's yuan currency and its desire to see Beijing adhere more closely to international norms and rules, the U.S. official said.

The two leaders also touched on the sensitive issue of the South China Sea. Donilon said the United States was not trying to play judge in territorial disputes over those waters but wanted to see the shipping lane remain open.

"We don't have a claim, we don't take sides in the claims, but we do as a global maritime power have an interest in seeing these principles applied broadly," he said.

Over the course of his trip to Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia, Obama has ruffled Chinese feathers with tough language on trade and plans to increase the U.S. military presence in Australia so it can respond faster to maritime disputes and other emergencies in the region.

On Saturday, Donilon sought to play down tensions in the U.S.-China relationship, which he said was on the whole was "productive and constructive."

He said the United States had been "quite direct with the Chinese about our strategy" and that Beijing understood Washington was serious about sustaining a more active presence in the region to help ensure its stability and peace.

"Our partners and allies look to us for that reassurance. They want to know that the United States is going to play the role it has played with respect to security and reassurance and balancing and stability here," Donilon said.

Donilon also stressed that Washington is continuing to engage directly with China on many economic and other themes.

"We have a very complicated and quite substantial relationship with China across the board," he said.

"We are ... in an important conversation with them about economics which we think is important for the region and important for the United States."

(Reporting by Laura MacInnis; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111119/ts_nm/us_asia_summit_whitehouse_china

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DeeDee Garcia Blase: Letter from Immigration Ground Zero to Senator Marco Rubio

Dear Senator Marco Rubio,

The immigration tide is turning since the downfall of Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who launched a wave of anti-immigrant state laws across the nation that began with the harsh law in Arizona, which you supported.

We recently learnt that you want the GOP to tone down the anti-immigrant rhetoric; however, we need more than just lip service from you. You see the problem, and the reason for Republican State lawmakers implementing their anti-immigrant bills that comes with the nasty and hateful rhetoric, has much to do with the broken immigration system. There is no question the system is broken, and it seems as if all state Republican lawmakers are drumming to the same beat and to the tune of: "It is the responsibility of the government to fix the immigration system." That's where you come in as a federal lawmaker. As a federal lawmaker, it is your duty to step in and help fix the broken federal immigration policy, and to respect the supremacy clause that keeps our states united and to protect the United States Constitution. It is simply unreasonable to have 50 different immigration laws throughout the country while maintaining sound relationships and trade agreements with our neighbors.

We are asking for more than just lip service and a mere request to tone down anti-immigrant rhetoric. We would like for federal lawmakers like you to fix the broken immigration system. You can do so by simply calling Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and working with the legal immigration reform bill he has implemented. His office should be willing to work with you on getting a reasonable plan underway. Senator Menendez needs one Republican sponsor -- and I believe that you can be that sponsor.

So far, all we have seen from you is your enforcement-only support for large government and bureaucratic ideas via national e-verify. E-verify puts additional burdens on the small business owner. We know that enforcement-only policies do not work, and this is proven when we have already achieved 100% of operational goals under the Bush Secure Fence Act of 2006. It is now time to also work on a plan that will bring my people out (and several others in the international community) from the shadows of society.

I don't believe you can quite empathize with our pain, since you are of Cuban descent and may not understand how harsh anti-immigrant laws affect us. Perhaps it is because you are taking advantage of how several in Florida have benefitted from privileged Cuban amnesty under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA). Several ethnic communities from across the globe do not receive a privileged amnesty, and it can start with your help, Mr. Rubio. You have the power to help other immigrants with the power afforded to you, and all you have to do is reach across the aisle with Senator Robert Menendez and work on fixing the broken system. Unlike Idaho Republican Congressman Ra?l R. Labrador who wants to do away with the CAA, the Tequila Party fully supports Cuban immigrants coming into our country under the CAA just as we do other immigrants who flee their corrupt nations to achieve the American dream.

Our Tequila Party has the support of your own Floridian Cuban immigrants who hurt to see you take anti-DREAM Act and enforcement-only approaches on the immigration system. Cuban-Americans fully recognize that those of Cuban descent only make up 3% of the total Hispanic population pie, and they are concerned about Mexican-American and Cuban-American relationships. Those of Mexican descent make up almost 70% of the Hispanic population pie, and this is why your own constituents have reached out to us. They want us (Tequila Party leaders) to help free Cuba with the strength of our "Mexican-American" numbers. We are fully prepared to help and direct our efforts to "FREE CUBA / CUBA LIBRE" but that is contingent upon whether or not Cuban senators step up to the plate during a tough Latino-American era. Senator Bob Menendez has already taken that first step because he has not forgotten about the struggles of immigrants. Jos? Mart? once said: "He who could have been a torch and stoops to being a pair of jaws is a deserter." As such, there are several international immigrants who do not benefit from immigration privileges or amnesty and we believe you have the ability to be a torch.

Legal immigration reform is past due, and we are late as record numbers get deported. We are asking that you get on the right side of the immigration issue right now because the Latino community has been asking you to get on the right side for months. History will record in this difficult anti-Latino era who was compassionate and who was not in the time of our need.

Please contact Senator Menendez to hammer out a reasonable secure borders and legal immigration reform plan. Being a leader means we need to make tough decisions during a time when it is unpopular to do so. Time is of the essence since we are hearing news that Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas thinks President Obama is not deporting enough of my people, and we know Smith is not speaking the truth. We see the two forces at play hurting, yet helping the anti-immigrant agenda, and we will continue to do what we can with fervor to help those who are weak, defenseless and scared.

Regards,

The National Tequila Party Movement

Follow the National Tequila Party Movement (Female-led political movement) on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TequilaPartyMovement

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Follow DeeDee Garcia Blase on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thetequilaparty

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deedee-garcia-blase/letter-from-immigration-g_b_1097886.html

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