Italian govt speeds state payments to vendors

MILAN (AP) ? The Italian government has approved a decree to pay 40 billion euros ($52 billion) owed by government entities to private businesses over the next 12 months to help relaunch Italy's stagnant economy.

Premier Mario Monti acknowledged Saturday after his caretaker government adopted the decree that overdue payments had become "a bad habit" that put a heavy burden on business owners.

State entities on an average pay their bills six months after services are rendered and some 90 days after the official due date, which Monti said put Italy behind Spain, Portugal and Greece.

Delayed government payments are a major factor behind liquidity shortages faced by many small and medium-sized Italian companies. Reduced turnover in the recession means many businesses, in turn, are having trouble keeping up with even small debts.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italian-govt-speeds-state-payments-vendors-160007775--finance.html

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The Movie Club

Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook

Courtesy The Weinstein Company.

Ugh, Keith, you?re so right about how Oscar season comes along every year and squashes all movie conversations in progress, like that giant animated foot that used to come down and stomp out sketches in progress on Monty Python?s Flying Circus. Judgments of a given film?s value get inextricably tangled up with estimations of its likelihood of winning; our love for one movie or performance becomes tainted by resentment for that other, annoying one that?s getting all the attention instead.

Much as I enjoyed David O. Russell?s Silver Linings Playbook when it came out, I couldn?t help but lift an eyebrow yesterday when it up and became the first movie in 31 years (since Warren Beatty?s Reds) to get nominated for an Oscar in every acting category?not to mention Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture. If by some dark miracle of Harvey Weinstein necromancy Silver Linings turns out to be this year?s The Artist?a slight, imperfect, but amusing picture that inexplicably elbows its way past worthier competitors to the Oscar finish line?then yeah, that?ll be irritating. This ungainly comedy is not only not the best picture of the year, it?s not even Russell?s best work. (I still prefer his early, manic, overstuffed farces: Flirting with Disaster, I Heart Huckabees.) But especially after a second viewing (undertaken to test whether I?d unfairly prejudged Bradley Cooper?s performance the first time around, which I think I did), I?m fine with Silver Linings elbowing its way onto so many awards slates. More romantic comedies should be this loose-limbed, this idiosyncratic, and this flat-out funny and sexy and sweet. Sure, Russell?s script is uneven and a little shapeless. The movie seems to sit up halfway through, realize ?Oh crap, I need a climactic resolution,? and then race to provide a rushed, overly tidy one. But much of what comes first is so marvelously untidy that you forgive it a lot. Russell?s moviemaking practice has something in common with the rough wisdom espoused by Jennifer Lawrence?s character when accused by Bradley Cooper?s of being a ?big slut?: ?There?s always going to be a part of me that?s sloppy and dirty, but I like that.?

Silver Linings Playbook is stuffed to bursting with small pleasures. There is Lawrence?s movie-star-making turn as the proudly dysfunctional village bicycle Tiffany, Robert De Niro?s most committed performance in a decade, and all the lovingly established details and rhythms of everyday life in a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood. It?s a very rhythmic film all around, at times recalling Robert Altman in its easy, loping pace and dense overlapping dialogue. And I admire the care Russell invests in the specificity of even the smallest characters: Julia Stiles as Jennifer Lawrence?s tightly wound sister, Paul Herman as Robert De Niro?s omnipresent gambling partner, Chris Tucker as Bradley Cooper?s obsessive-compulsive buddy from the ?loony bin? (the script?s term, not mine). Love it or not, you leave that movie having visited a world.

The same is true of Benh Zeitlin?s Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012?s Sundance Cinderella, that has floated through the year as if coated in pixie dust. I don?t mean to be sarcastic toward this beautiful, earnest, intermittently affecting film?it?s a hard movie to entirely hate, especially when you see phone footage of 9-year-old Quvenzhan? Wallis dancing at the Critics? Choice after-party in a pink dress. Stephanie and Wesley compare Beasts to a graduate thesis on poverty; to me it was more like a kindergarten ceramics project, lovingly made and offered, but nonetheless lumpy and inexpertly glazed. I think Benh Zeitlin seems like a filmmaker of enormous promise, and I?m glad his movie?s success will give other weird, uncategorizable-by-genre projects like it a chance to get made and seen. But that doesn?t mean his movie isn?t a sodden, unfocused mess.

I feel like I?ve gone through the year having conversations where someone who loved Beasts makes the case for it, I make the case against, and both of us walk away having utterly failed to connect. Precisely what they like about the movie must be what I don?t, I guess: the unswervingly high emotional pitch of the story; the ever-present swelling chords of the pretty folkie score (co-composed and performed by Zeitlin); and that horrible, relentless voiceover. I loved Wallis both as a physical presence onscreen (in those rubber boots and orange undies, how could you not?) and in her scenes with other actors, but I think she was done a disservice by being forced to read aloud reams of florid prose that seemed to be originating from anywhere but her 6-year-old character?s brain. By the movie?s end, I was ready to send the writers? teeth ?flying around the sky in a million little pieces,? or whatever that line is.

When I first saw the trailer for Beasts?that shot with the little girl running through a slow-motion shower of sparks while the music plays in the background?I thought, wow, this looks sensational. Little did I know that the music would never let up, or that that image would appear not at the movie?s emotional climax but somewhere in the first 10 or 15 minutes, or that the whole film would essentially be a string of just such decontextualized bursts of feeling with no dramatic downtime for getting to know the characters or their world. By the second hour I started to feel as if I were watching a tearjerking television commercial for ? what? Poverty? Authenticity? Crawfish boils?

Keith, for this last round (already??), I won?t even throw you a particular title to riff on. I?ll just set you loose in the newly stocked storage room of 2012 movies. Which ones do you want to pick up, dust off, and turn over again, just for the feel of them in your hands?

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=66db6f18878379efd0860e806f16d6b7

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2013 Sony Open: First Tee grad Scott Langley leads at Waialae

Scott Langley had a heck of an introduction to the big leagues. Not only did the lefty play his first game as a member of the PGA Tour on Thursday, but he fired a flawless opening-round 8-under 62 Friday to take an early one-shot lead over a field that includes last week?s winner Dustin Johnson, U.S. Open champ Webb Simpson, and a slew of other decorated tour veterans.

Langley, the first graduate of The First Tee program to earn a tour card, posted six birdies and an eagle to steal the show from playing partner and fellow rookie Russell Henley, who will start Friday?s second round a shot back.

Langley heads up a class of 23 tour first-timers playing in the first full-field event of the 2013 season. He?s finished tied for low amateur at a U.S. Open (2010) and won on the Nationwide Tour as an amateur and twice last year as a pro. An accomplishment he may be proudest of, however, is his standing as the first alumnus of The First Tee program to earn a tour card.

?It's an honor to represent them, and I think it's really cool that the First Tee is getting a presence out on tour,? Langley told reporters Wednesday. ?It's a great organization, and it taught me a lot when I was younger.?

A program dedicated to teaching juniors core values through golf since its inception in 1997, The First Tee is a project of the PGA and LPGA Tours, the PGA of America, and the USGA, among other backers. More than 6.5 young people have participated in the activities of the organization, which boasts 10,000 active volunteers, 5,100 elementary schools, and offerings in all 50 states plus four international locations.

Langley, a University of Illinois All-American golfer, finished tied for 17th at Q-school. Last year at this time, he and good pal Henley were grinding it out on the Hooter?s Tour and he could barely contain his excitement to be playing in paradise.

"He had just missed the cut, I barely made the cut, we were on the range trying to help each other find it," Langley said. "We were just walking up 16. You could see the ocean behind, PGA Tour signs everywhere. We looked at each other and realized this is pretty cool, to look back one year ago and to know that we weren't here. We were in a far different place."

Langley, who credited Henley and a couple of other close friends with helping him through some lean times, looks up to Rickie Fowler as something of a mentor. Fowler took Langley under his wing last year and even provided housing for him and two other newbies in the field this week, Morgan Hoffman, and Cameron Tringale.

?Rickie was great. Kid has a heart of gold,? said the youngster about the popular golfer one year his senior. ?He became one of my closest friends living in Jupiter, kind of going through a tough time personally and he really helped me out with staying at his house.

?Morgan Hoffman and Cam Tringale and Rickie are some of my closest friends to this day, and in large part to me living there with those guys,? Langley said. ?Last year, I can really point to some areas in my golf game that were really improved just by being around Rickie and being around Cam and Morgan. They?re such competitors, and there?s so much good confidence, the right kind of confidence, and I really fed off that living in the house."

Langley may have been wide-eyed in his professional debut, but the 23-year-old exhibited wisdom beyond his years when he observed that he was far from hoisting the hardware.

"I'm a young guy, but I'm old enough to know that we have a lot of golf left,? he said. ?We've barely started, and I'm excited about the next few days.?

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Source: http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2013/1/11/3866152/2013-sony-open-first-tee-grad-leads-at-waialae

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Transeuro Energy shares rise on December gas production from Beaver River field

. () saw its shares rise more than 40 per cent Monday after it said December gas production from the Beaver River field in Canada increased substantially.?

December gas production from the the field was 1,314,960 cubic metres, or an average of 42,418 cubic metres per day, compared to November production of 782,230 cubic metres or an average of 26,074 cubic metres per day.?

Output last month was reduced for the first 10 days due to high pipeline pressures after the November plant shutdown that contrained field compressors at the time. The compressors have since returned to the long-term trend, the company said.

Transeuro believes there is significant value at its Beaver River shale asset in Canada despite the low natural gas prices there.

The company said earlier in December that it received farm-in interest from several parties and intends to pursue these ?with commitment and strong resolve?.

It came as the board met to address the challenges it faces while a review of the Ukraine operations and negotiations with the government regarding the licence and joint activity agreement are being finalized.

?Combined with lower industry drilling and equipment costs the company believes there is a window of opportunity to develop this asset [Beaver River] to a significant play,? the statement read.

?The existing acreage together with nearby opportunities constitutes the immediate focus for shareholder value.?

The company said a variety of projects have been reviewed over the past few months and it will concentrate its efforts on three options: its Beaver River asset, its Ukrainian operations, as well as a number of ?distinct oil projects?.

The company said its Ukraine operations need a strong joint venture model and tight co-operation with local partners and the government. The board wishes to go ahead with the licences with suitable financial partners, it also told investors.

Transeuro added that the board is guiding the management team ?with a sense of urgency? and has set a target of three to six months to make headway on the options or even conclude them.

Shares in Transeuro were higher this morning, lately changing hands at 3.5 cents.?

Source: http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/52320/transeuro-energy-shares-rise-on-december-gas-production-from-beaver-river-field--52320.html

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Three services offered at Oak Harbor First United Methodist Church | Religion Notes

Oak Harbor First United Methodist Church will offer three opportunities to take part in a Christmas Eve candlelight service.

A family service will be offered at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 24, aimed at families with young children. A choir cantata will be held at 8 p.m. Christmas Eve and a ?Carols and Communion? service will be offered at 11 p.m. Organizers say everyone is invited to share in celebrating the birth of the Christ child.

The church is located at 1050 SE Ireland St. in Oak Harbor. Call 360-675-2441 for information.

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Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/wntlifestyles/~3/qgVvrKIHUYA/184494051.html

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2003 Ford Mondeo Ghia Estate/Turnier from Germany

Before I get into details about what is wrong with the car, I just wanted to say that I bought this car when it was 4 1/2 years old (6 months after warranty expired), and the car was maintained properly, as it was stated in the service book.

Had a clang noise when changing from 3rd to 4th gear, and when engaging in first gear. Thought that it was DMF, changed it, with the whole clutch assembly, but the problem persisted. Don't know what is it. My friend bought a new Mondeo same as mine, and at 80000 km it is starting to show the same symptoms.

At full throttle the car kinda stalls at 2700-3200 RPM. I was told that the fins on the turbo (variable geometry) are a little jammed, so it is not opening correctly. Turbo was serviced/ cleaned, but the problem is still there. Not as much as it used to be, but it is still there.

Rattle at steering rack when the car is at idle. Rattle is coming from where the steering rack is connected to the steering column. When I turn the steering wheel, the rattle disappears.

Rattle at dashboard, close to windscreen. I tried to screw it, but it is all tight as it should be.

Rattle at the drivers doors. It is particularly sensitive to acceleration and deceleration. When I accelerate - click, when I brake - click. So annoying!

When I got the car, I saw that almost a third of the windscreen heaters are not working.

Sometimes I cannot open the boot, since the lock when I press the button won't open, so I have to either use a key, or unlock it from the drivers inner commands.

A wobble appeared since 155000. It turned out to be tripod on the drive shafts (inner CV joint), so I had to change both of them. Why do I need to change this at 150000 km?

Self leveling on the lights (xenon), are not working most of the time. My lights are permanently down. One day they just move to the correct position by themselves.

Almost all of the doors had rust at their bottoms. I have a signature'd service book stating that the car what rust-free. What? How can the Ford dealer miss this? Probably they did not wanted to replace it under warranty.

My rear right brake caliper is jamming, and I can feel that the car is slowing rapidly, and the tyre rim can be very hot.

Source: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/ford/mondeo/2003/

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California school shooter talked into surrendering by heroic staff

Paramedics transport a student wounded during the school shooting (Picture: AP)

A gunman who opened fire on students at a Californian high school was talked into surrendering by two ?heroic? staff members, it has emerged.

The 16-year-old gunman walked into Taft Union High School in Bakersfield yesterday morning armed with a shotgun planning to shoot two students on a?hit list.

One victim remains in critical but stable condition following the attack by his fellow classmate.

Teacher Ryan Heber helped a number of students get to safety before engaging the shooter in conversation along with campus supervisor Kim Lee Fields.

Police chief Ed Whiting speaks to concerned parents (Picture: Reuters)

?They talked him into putting that shotgun down,? explained Sheriff Donny Youngblood. ?He in fact told the teacher, ?I don?t want to shoot you?.

?The heroics of these two people goes without saying. ? They could have just as easily ? tried to get out of the classroom and left students, and they didn?t.

?They knew not to let him leave the classroom with that shotgun.?

Police believe the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, took a shotgun belonging to his brother to carry out the attack.

The suspect alleges the two students he targeted had bullied him for more than a year.

Source: http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/11/california-school-shooter-talked-into-surrendering-by-heroic-staff-3348236/

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