Bag It! Lite

"Bag It! is, hands down, the best game to hit the market in quite some time." – EXAMINER.COM

Hundreds of thousands of players worldwide have discovered and become hooked on the fun, challenging, family-friendly, grocery bagging puzzle game Bag It! -- now it's your turn to see what all the fuss is about... FOR FREE!

Bag It! Lite includes 16 levels across 3 modes -- a small taste of the wide variety of 50 levels (including Endless modes) from the full version of the game. With 3 stars and 2 unique medals to achieve for every level and 6 total modes, there's something for everyone!
"Just about everything you could ever hope for in a casual puzzle game!" – iFANZINE
Kotaku’s Gaming App of the Day! "Bag It! Magically Finds the Joy in an Unrewarding Menial Task"
G4TV Mobile Game of the Week! "Who knew bagging groceries could be so much fun?"

Fans and critics agree! Bag It! is the critically acclaimed new grocery-bagging puzzle game that will open your eyes to a whole new world inside your shopping bag!

Heavy, sturdy items on the bottom, light and fragile items on the top – seems simple, right? Think again!

Swedish High Street Rebound Ends Bets for Riksbank Cuts

A customer carries a branded shopping bag towards a H&M store in Arlanda, Sweden. The revival in consumer spending, which comes amid rising unemployment, may make it easier for the Riksbank to stick to its forecast from last month for unchanged rates this year.
Sweden's consumers are confounding economic forecasters by spending at the fastest pace in 10 months, prompting investors to reverse bets that the central bank will cut interest rates.

Retail sales rose an annual 3.4 percent in February, more than twice the 1.6 percent median forecast in a Bloomberg survey and the fastest pace since April, the statistics office said yesterday. A survey released March 28 showed consumer confidence at a seven-month high while manufacturing confidence rose to the highest since July, recovering from a two-year low in January.

Investors have pared bets on more central bank rate cuts, after policy makers lowered borrowing costs to 1.5 percent last month to stave off a recession. December futures on the Riksbank's key rate rose to 1.26 percent this week from 1.17 percent, suggesting traders are starting to hedge bets the bank will cut once more.

"Economic indicators show that we have bottomed," Riksbank Deputy Governor Karolina Ekholm told Bloomberg after a speech today in Stockholm. "We saw a slight upturn earlier and then everyone sat around waiting if things were to continue up or if things would turn down. Well now things are continuing pretty significantly upwards."

Woman power: A twisted Kahaani

While the expressions on her face show desperation, her mannerisms — for instance, the ease with which she pulls her travelling bag — reflect her commitment and determination to achieve her goal. Her heavily pregnant body may speak of helplessness but she's wise enough to use it for her benefit. This is Vidya Balan (playing Vidya Baghchi) taking us through the gripping narrative of Kahaani, a film replete with twists and turns.
Directed and co-produced by Sujoy Ghosh, Kahaani stars Balan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Parambrata Chatterjee in the lead roles. The film begins with a pregnant software engineer, Balan, visiting the local police station to file a missing persons report. Weeks ago, her husband Arnab arrived in India for a job assignment. For the first 14 days they talked daily on the phone and then without explanation his calls stopped. While she is searching for her lost husband, Balan is assisted by Satyaki Rana Sinha (played by Chatterjee); a junior police officer. Bits of the film remind us of Balan's earlier flick No One Killed Jessica, in which she, assisted by Rani Mukherjee, is searching for her sister's murderer.

Later, Balan's individual search for her husband takes a bureaucratic twist and the local affair suddenly turns into one of governmental concern. The script is written so articulately and immaculately that every moment builds up the mystery. As the film progresses, one realises how Bollywood suspense thrillers have evolved with time. From Sriram Raghavan's Johnny Ghaddaar (based on a gang of five fraudsters) in 2007 to Ghosh's Kahaani, which captures the audience's imagination due to the unique storytelling techniques, Bollywood has certainly come a long way.
Never say never

Meanwhile, as far as the acting is concerned, Balan is definitely the new face of Bollywood. After being appreciated for her performances in Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica and The Dirty Picture, the actor has once again struck a chord with the audience. After the huge success of The Dirty Picture, where she played the role of a sultry actor who ruled the silver screen, Balan's performance in Kahaani came as a pleasant surprise as she managed to completely shift gears, playing the role of a sophisticated pregnant woman to perfection.
The film explores the themes of motherhood and feminism in a very different manner and at places makes a very smart pun at them too. The fact that everyone blindly trusts a pregnant woman and the common notion that such a woman can never be injurious to anyone is presented in an interesting manner. However, the actual brilliance of Kahaani comes in its climax that leaves the viewer spellbound. Amidst a horde of predictable plots and conventional culminations, Kahaani has one of the most impressive climaxes for a Bollywood film in recent times, reports Times of India.
Hence, it's no surprise that the Indian box office has considered Kahaani a super hit, and testimony to the success of the film is the fact that the gripping thriller has entered its third week and is still proving to be a crowd-puller.

Cops: No report on jewels found in Trayvon's backpack

Women's jewelry and a watch found in Trayvon Martin's school backpack last fall could not be tied to any reported thefts, the Miami-Dade Police Department said Tuesday.

The Miami Herald in its Tuesday editions reported that it had obtained a Miami-Dade Schools Police Department report that showed the slain teenager was suspended in October for writing obscene graffiti on a door at his high school. During a search of his backpack, the report said, campus security officers found 12 pieces of women's jewelry, a watch and a screwdriver they felt could be used as a burglary tool.

Martin's fatal Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman has caused a national firestorm. His family and people at rallies all over the country have demanded the arrest of Zimmerman, who says he shot the unarmed 17-year-old in self-defense. Martin was black and Zimmerman's father is white and his mother, Hispanic. Martin's family and their supporters believe race played a part in the decision not to charge Zimmerman.

The Herald reported that when campus security confronted Martin with the jewelry, he told them a friend had given it to him, but he wouldn't give a name. The report said the jewelry was confiscated and a photo of it was sent to Miami-Dade Police burglary detectives. Miami-Dade school officials declined Tuesday to confirm the report when contacted by the Associated Press, citing federal privacy laws regarding students.

Capitol Hill support

Meanwhile, in a packed forum on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, the parents of Martin found support among members of Congress who turned the death of their 17-year-old's son into a rallying cry against racial profiling.

Martin's parents spoke briefly before a Democrats-only congressional panel as cameras clicked noisily in front of them. Many in the crowd, which filled the seats and lined the walls, strained to catch a glimpse of the parents whose son was shot and killed Feb. 26 in a Sanford, Fla. gated community.

LuxeYard Expands Into Fashion With Launch Of LuxeStyle

Luxury Flash Sale Site Adds Fashion Vertical with Name-brand Apparel and Accessories, Celebrity Brand Ambassadors and Up-and-Coming Designers
LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – LuxeYard (OTCBB: LUXR), a luxury home furnishings and decor flash sale site, today announced its expansion into the fashion apparel sector with the launch of LuxeStyle, where members can receive discounts as high as 70 percent on both popular and one-of-a-kind items.
LuxeStyle will offer a wide range of women's apparel, including shoes, handbags, accessories and well-known designer brands in the fashion apparel market including gorgeous vintage couture pieces by Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Lanvin, and Oscar de la Renta. Additionally, the innovative website brings the best deals and the hippest apparel from up-and-coming designers including Velvet, Michael Starr, Mr. Kate, Maggie Ward, Frankie B. Yoyo Yeung, Isabel Lu, Woodley, Sydney Evan jewelry, Petro Zillia, Friendship and Love & Peace (Nicole Murphy jewelry).
LuxeStyle's veteran team of industry style experts and buyers will take a curated approach to the flash sale site. Members can expect a fashion point of view, much like what she experiences upon entering a boutique store. 
"The addition of LuxeStyle immediately doubles our available merchandise and gives our style-conscious members access to the best of both home decor and fashion," said Braden Richter, CEO of LuxeYard. "We are also very lucky to launch with the fashion design and merchandising expertise of Daniella Clarke and her seasoned buying team."

Marijuana, beating claims put slain Florida teen's supporters on the defensive

The family and supporters of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin found themselves on the defensive Monday following revelations he had been suspended for marijuana before he was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer. Police also confirmed a report that the watchman claimed Martin was the aggressor, punching him in the nose and smacking his head on a sidewalk.
Martin, 17, was suspended by Miami-Dade County schools because traces of marijuana were found in a plastic baggie in his book bag, family spokesman Ryan Julison said. Martin was serving the suspension when he was shot Feb. 26 by George Zimmerman, who was patrolling the neighborhood that Martin was visiting with his father.
Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, and family attorneys blamed police for leaking the information about the marijuana and Zimmerman's claim about the attack to the news media in an effort to demonize the teenager.
"They killed my son and now they're trying to kill his reputation," Fulton told reporters.
The Sanford Police Department insisted there was no authorized release of the new information but acknowledged there may have been a leak. City Manager Norton Bonaparte Jr. said it would be investigated and the person responsible could be fired.
Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said the link between the youth and marijuana should have no bearing on the probe into his shooting death. State and federal agencies are investigating, with a grand jury set to convene April 10.
"If he and his friends experimented with marijuana, that is completely irrelevant," Crump said. "What does it have to do with killing their son?"
The state Department of Juvenile Justice confirmed Monday that Martin does not have a juvenile offender record. The information came after a public records request by The Associated Press.
Zimmerman, 28, claimed he shot Martin in self-defense and has not been arrested. Because Martin was black and Zimmerman has a white father and Hispanic mother, the case has become a racial flashpoint that has civil rights leaders and others leading a series of protests in Sanford and around the country.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Zimmerman told police he lost Martin in the neighborhood he regularly patrolled and was walking back to his vehicle when the youth approached him from behind. The two exchanged words, Zimmerman said, and Martin then punched him in the nose, jumped on top of him and began banging his head on a sidewalk. Zimmerman said he began crying for help; Martin's family thinks it was their son who was crying out. Witness accounts differ and 911 tapes in which the voices are heard are not clear.
The Sanford police statement said the newspaper story was "consistent" with evidence turned over to prosecutors.

Cromwell serving up eggs, activities for annual hunt

It's time to go Easter egg hunting! Bring a basket or bag and enjoy a morning of seasonal fun from 10 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, April 7, at Sherwood Farms in Cromwell Valley Park, 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road.
The family event is free, and includes eggs hunts scheduled at various times throughout the morning for different age groups ranging from 3 to 10, as follows:
Also at Cromwell Valley, staff and volunteers will now have a more comfortable ride when they use their John Deere Gator, a four-wheel drive utility vehicle used around the grounds.
Improvements to the vehicle have come thanks to the Green Acres Garden Club, which provided funds to purchase a no-scratch polycarbonate windshield and a roof over the driver's seat on the vehicle.
Staff and volunteers count on the vehicle to help maintain trails and gardens and to locate hikers who stray off the trails.
A check for the upgrades was presented to Cromwell Valley Park Manager Leo Rebetsky, and Rick Childs, Cromwell Valley Trail Club chairman, at the March 12 meeting of the garden club, at Divinity Lutheran Church.
The club's philanthropy chairwoman, Marie Kramer, made the presentation.
Calvert Hall College Hall School is putting technology to work. Last month, while math teacher John Thaler was recuperating from surgery, he taught his calculus III class from home using Skype.
The school's IT department installed ManyCam (software that allows multiple cameras), Skype and a document camera at his home and a webcam in his classroom, allowing him to teach his class from home.
Students were able to hear his lectures, see his class notes and interact and ask questions. Doug Heidrick, director of communications, reported the transition to a Skype taught class has been a smooth one.
Enjoy a spaghetti dinner with salad, dessert and beverage on Saturday, April 14, between 4 and 6 p.m. at Arnolia United Methodist Church, 1776 E. Joppa Road.
After dinner, enjoy a concert by the church's praise band. Tickets will be sold at the door for dinner, at $10 for adults (ages 12 and older), $5 for children 4-11, and free for ages 3 and under. An offering will be collected at the concert.

Customs officers cracking down on counterfeit goods

Thousands of designer handbags recently arrived at the Port of Seattle, but sharp-eyed customs officers discovered that the beautiful Guccis and Louis Vuittons were fakes, designed to dupe unsuspecting customers.
More than 20 tons of cargo moves through the Port of Seattle each and every day, and some of those goods supply a multi-billion dollar counterfeit industry.
US Customs and Border Protection officers are charged with monitoring the cargo for terrorist threats and counterfeit goods.
Judy Staudt has been with US Customers and Border Protection for more than 14 years, and she's confiscated countless counterfeit products during her tenure.
"Pharmaceuticals, cell phones. You know, anything that's popular. Exercise equipment. Anything that's popular, they're going want to infringe and make money on," Staudt said.
It was just last week that officers stopped a container from China filled with 8,000 fake designer purses.
Staudt said the retail price of the Louis Vuitton and Gucci rip offs is more than $8 million. And while it might seem harmless to buy a $20 designer look-alike, Staudt said the damage could be great.
"But $20 could go to someone," she said. "Someone who, you know, could be a terrorist. It could be drugs."
Officers go through intense training to see if a bag is authentic. The bags that came in last week were good, but closer inspection showed they weren't the real deal.
Examining authenticity is what the ladies at designer consignment store Alexandra's do for a living.
Employee Molly Grundle said it's rare for the company to buy or sell counterfeit goods, but when they do they lose money.
"And it's always tough to have to tell somebody you think their bag is fake, especially if they think it's real," Grundle said.
The fake handbags that arrived last week are being held as evidence, but they'll all eventually be destroyed.

Louis Vuitton Handbags line "Epi is magic"

Louis Vuitton wants to impress all the fashionistas with the new line " Epi is Magic ", a collection ready to go with the wardrobe of those who follow the fashion cult for the next hot season, with details and colorful accessories and handbags.
Epi Alma handbag, wallet Zippy and Sarah, Pegase suitcases: there are achievements for all tastes and needs, to keep up with the original style.

Task Force to Target Plastic Bags

The Southampton Town Board on Tuesday appointed a number of retailers and environmental advocacy groups to a new task force designed to encourage recycling plastic bags and favoring reusable bags — a consolation prize for advocates of an outright townwide ban on plastic shopping bags.
The task force is charged with leading a campaign titled, "A Greener Southampton 'The Solution is in the Bag,'" including educational outreach and working with retailers to develop incentive plans, marketing and promotions. The task force is also to track plastic bag use with a goal of reaching a 15 percent recycling rate in the first year and an overall reduction of the use of plastic bags.
A ban on single-use plastic shopping bags could not garner enough votes from Town Board members for a public hearing to be scheduled — a necessary step before a change to the town code can be voted on. The task force is designed to achieve the goal of keeping bags out of landfills, but to do it without the heavy hand of government issuing mandates.
Councilman Chris Nuzzi, R-Seonk, and Councilwoman Christine Preston Scalera, R-Water Mill, put forward the resolution establishing the task force. Before it was unanimously adopted, Councilwoman Bridget Fleming, D-Noyac, successfully requested an amendment to the resolution to explicitly state that the task force's goals for 2012 include less plastic bags being used in town.
"My feeling is that the ultimate goal should be to eliminate, completely, the single use plastic bags that really have no real use," Fleming said.
Fleming is in favor of a ban, but said, in lieu of that, she would vote for the task force. "Since there isn't a majority of the board supportive of a full ban, I applaud the efforts to move this forward," she said.
Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst, I-Noyac, also favors a ban, and she questioned how the task force would measure recycling rates without an independent third-party observer. She said recycling efforts are inadequate because, while recycling reduces the amount of plastic in landfills, plastic bags still result in pollution when they are manufactured, shipped to stores, and shipped to overseas recycling plants.
Nuzzi was optimistic about the task force. "This is a really positive step, in which we involved diverse groups, people of different backgrounds and opinions," he said.
He noted that local schools will be participating in a challenge over the next month and a half to find which one can collect the most used plastic bags. The winner will receive a trex bench — a product manufactured with recycled plastic bags.
Southampton Village adopted a bag ban of its own in April 2011 and it took effect in November, making the village the first municipality in New York State to exercise such a ban.
Roger Blaugh, the co-chair of Southampton Village's environmental advisory committee, Southampton Advocates for the Village Environment, was doubtful that the task force would have any substantial effect.
"Past attempts to educate the public or re-educate the public, while noble, have failed in every instance," Blaugh said Friday, citing other towns that have made similar efforts.

Children in peril: The shocking reality of children and drugs in Britain today

DANIEL was in a morning maths lesson when his drooping head finally struck the desk.
As his teacher shook him from his stupor, the 12-year-old's glazed eyes and vacant look gave the game away – he was stoned.
This shocking scenario is repeated at schools across Britain as pupils can now get hold of super-strength skunk cannabis more easily than they can buy alcohol.
Latest Department of Health figures show 58% of children who seek specialist treatment do so as a result of cannabis use.
But those statistics are based on voluntary surveys – and thousands more young cannabis users go undetected.
For Daniel the first cannabis spliff of the day was always on the school field before registration or during morning break – and it left him in no state for learning.
"I was smoking cannabis every day – before school, during school and after school," he says. "It would be four or five joints a day. I was smoking at home so I wouldn't even do my homework.
"Friends were getting it for me, some even younger than me. I would go up to the school field and roll a spliff. I had my gear in my pocket most of the time. The teachers had no idea what we were up to.
"I was feeling constantly tired and couldn't be bothered to do anything. I was sleeping a lot more than I should have been. I found it hard to get up in the morning and to sit through a whole lesson felt impossible.
"A few times I walked into school and my eyes were red and glaring. I felt OK, I never thought it was a problem. But it was."
Last year Daniel was excluded from his state secondary in south London because of his drug use and poor attendance.
Now, aged only 14, he has been given a final chance to get an education.
"I'm done with cannabis now," he tells me. "It was costing me 40 a week."
It's not something you expect to hear from a boy with a Ben 10 pencil case.
Of the 7,000 pupils who took part in the latest nationwide drug-use survey, only 18% admitted taking drugs.
But users seem to be getting younger. Last year two eight-year-olds were caught showing bags of cannabis to their pals at a school in Blackpool.
Four nine-year-olds were suspended from a school in Burnley, Lancs, for possessing the same drug the year before.
A school in Cumbria recently excluded 17 pupils following an investigation into the sale on its premises of anti-depressants containing diazepam.
Sara, from Chelmsford, Essex, was thrown out of her family home when her boozing spiralled into a daily cocktail of hard drugs. Egged on by a friend, she smuggled alcohol into school by pouring spirits into soft drink bottles when she was just 13.
"I started doing cocaine and weed while I was still excessively drinking," Sara recalls. "I'm talking six bottles of wine and vodka from when I got up until I passed out somewhere.
"It got to the point where I was being sick during lessons. I couldn't stand up, I couldn't see straight and I was slurring. I got kicked out of school because I used to turn up drunk and do coke before I went in.

Village thefts getting RCMP's attention

There's a good chance that the same thief or thieves is behind a string of village-area break-and-enters stretching back more than three weeks. Two male teenagers were seen near one break-in a few weeks ago, and a pair of females have also been suggested as culprits.
On Mar. 9, between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., a complex at the 4800 block of Spearhead was broken into. It's unknown how the thief gained entry, but it's possible that a rear door was unlocked. The items stolen include an iPad 2, an iPhone 4S and a laptop — items that have been frequently targetted in the recent rash of thefts.
On Mar. 12 at 9:35 a.m. the RCMP received a report of a break-in that likely occurred on the evening of Mar. 9 or the morning of Mar. 10, when the owner found her bag missing. The bag contained a red Canon camera, a green Mark Jacobs purse, a Louis Vuitton wallet, sunglasses and various credit cards.
The police fingerprinting team has attended previous break-ins and Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair said that officers have made it a priority to find suspects.
"We are taking this very seriously," he said. "We're following up with cell phones and credit cards, to see if there were any numbers called, and we're looking for any security footage if the credit cards were used."
Because of the proximity of the crimes and similarities in the reports the RCMP believe the same person or persons may be responsible.
People are reminded to lock their doors and windows even when they're home, and to secure valuables out of sight. As well, residents should be on the lookout for anyone suspicious or suspicious events — like people knocking on doors looking for people, but who may be checking to see if anyone is home.

Rules were made for breaking!

Mario Balotelli flouts no parking zone as he takes Raffaella Fico out for some Italian cuisine
Mario Balotelli seems to think being a footballer makes him immune to the law.
The cocksure sportsman parked his red Ferrari in a no parking zone, while treating girlfriend Raffaella Fico to some fine Italian cuisine on an outing in Milan last month.
However, a parking valet did not seem so amused by the obnoxious behaviour and appeared to give the footballer a metaphorical slap on the wrists.
The Italian native, from Naples, teamed her outfit with a white fur trim jacket and a Louis Vuitton bag.
Mario, however, seemed to outdo his missus in the bling department, with the Manchester City striker, 21, weighed down by several chains, diamante studs and jewel encrusted sunglasses.
The temperamental footballer is no stranger to run-ins with the law, with the 120,000-a-week player picking up his umpteenth car fine last month.
Mario was out for dinner with his girlfriend once again having dinner at Wings Restaurant in Lincoln Square, Manchester, before a council worker slapped him with a ticket on his illegally parked Bentley.
A source at the club told The Sun newspaper: 'Mario will drive from his luxury apartment to a restaurant a few streets away and leave the car on double yellows.
'The other week the Maserati misfired so he just abandoned it. Staff have had to bail it out 27 times... Mario doesn't seem to care. It's a drop in the ocean to him.'

2012 Wiz Khalifa Mixtape Taylor Allerdice Debuts Free

The Pittsburgh emcee also admitted to having issues with releasing this gift, because producers gave issues about a particular rap beat. None the less, The Taylor Gang entertainment family are debuting the new Wiz Khalifa mixtape Taylor Allerdice tonight, March 13th.
According to NewHipHopSonsg2012.com, fans have until 5PM Pacific time (8pm Eastern time) before the new Taylor Allerdice mixtape download is available. The free music download blog also offers many of the new Wiz Khalifa songs released this year. Some of which may end up on the new rap mixtape.
The official Taylor Allerdice mixtape cover artwork was just released recently. Dedicated to Wiz Khalifa's high school "Allerdice High School", the cover has a vintage look. The Hip Hop stoner looks swank, yet classic, in a pair of Timberland boots ( possibly another brand ) with a Louis Vuitton traveling bag.
Taylor Gang fans can download Taylor Allerdice free below upon release. Some of the latest Wiz Khalifa songs, which may make the mixtape, are available now.

Spend time on important matters

Women's issues such as birth control, abortion and ultrasound images before abortion have gotten to be political issues that have been taking up much of the government's time lately.
Soon to enter the political agenda are two more women's issues, the “Ladies Handbag Bill” and the “Ladies Length-of-Skirt Bill.”
It is a well-known fact that Republican women buy Gucci handbags at such places as Tiffany & Co. and Saks Fifth Avenue. Democrats tend to buy other brands of handbags from such places as Macy's. Republicans claim that by buying those highly expensive handbags, they are helping the economy and should get some tax breaks. Democrats are dead set against using taxpayer money to subsidize handbag purchases, and believe that a tax rate of 30 percent should be levied on those items.
Needless to say that bill is not making much progress in Congress.
Recently, a new issue was introduced to the bill by the ACLU. Their contention that because of the lack of transparency women might be inclined to stash prayer books in their handbags, and may be inclined to use those when they are on school property. The ACLU believes that such lawlessness should be curbed at all costs. I am sure we will be hearing more about that later.
The “Ladies Length-of-Skirt Bill” appeared to be locked in a partisan block. The Republicans wanted skirt lengths to be above the knee while the Democrats wanted the lengths to be below the knee. A Republican senator broke the log jam by introducing an amendment to the bill called the hybrid skirt amendment.
That allowed the front of the skirt to be above the knee while the back of the skirt would be below the knee.
The latest poll indicated that the bill would be easily passed by both houses of Congress and would soon be on its way to the White House for the president's signature.

State's new budget mixed bag for Treasure Coast

Florida's new $70 billion spending blueprint slashes payments to needy patients' health-care providers, boosts public schools but slams Florida universities and pledges no new taxes while pushing counties to contribute millions more.
In the latest rendition of the budget passed Friday, 2012-13 breaks down into a mixed bag for Treasure Coast state budget stakeholders. The GOP-led Legislature stayed steadfast in its no-new-taxes creed and followed Gov. Rick Scott's marching orders to scrape together about another $1 billion for public schools — in tough budget times, two clashing goals.
Schools reeling from cuts last year will use the added money to stay sturdy in 2012-13. But district officials said another billion doesn't solve public schools' long-term funding woes.
"I think this budget reflects the economic challenges in Florida, yet funds our key priorities," said Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
Where lawmakers made up the money is hit or miss. Local hospitals will lose millions with slimmed-down payments for taking in Medicaid patients, but money for tourism advertising doubled and economic development programs went up 13 percent.
Counties will pay millions in potentially faulty Medicaid bills to balance Florida's budget, while pet projects in lawmakers' backyards line up for state money. Even a few Republicans voted against the budget because of the special deals. Sarasota Rowing Center and a Major League Soccer training camp, for example, would get $1 million each. Scott actually vetoed money for the same regatta center last year, and within the next two weeks he can do it again for any line item.
Amid the headline-grabbing bump to schools and backyard member projects, more environmental dollars also will flow into the Treasure Coast, rounding out a budget that has big implications all over the board.

The clutch from Pretty Ballerinas becomes It Bag: Angelina Jolie to wear and Kate Middleton

Mysterious dynamics of the fashion biz: a handful of stars suddenly begin to wear the same accessory, Which becomes a cult in the blink of an eye. It happened with Jimmy Choo shoes and Christian Louboutin, Which has extremely niche brands have become the dream of millions of women around the world right thanks to the red carpet; Happened with the'Iconic camel coat by Max Mara, That celebrities love to show off for the Gala but also for moments of relaxation, strolling in the park and being duly photographed by the paparazzi.
But are the accessories (We have already mentioned the shoes) to be protagonists of this marketing mechanism more or less unconscious: the bags, Especially, often become the object of desire by virtue of the stars who wear them. We think the love of many actresses for the unstructured Yves Saint Laurent (Madonna and Lady Gaga) or for matelasse Miu Miu (Keira Khnightly) or the LV logo of Louis Vuitton craze showed off more than one occasion by Angelina Jolie. Just her, the most beloved of Hollywood, together with the Princess Royal Kate Middleton, Is at the center of a new phenomenon It Bag: This time we speak of a brand more accessible to us mere mortals, or Pretty Ballerinas.
First of all, we clarify the concept of clutch: Does not have the minimal domensioni a clutch but it is not like a large bag classic. Carried by hand, without a shoulder strap and handles, hips, and preferably not with both hands. This of Pretty Ballerinas, Let's face it, is delicious: it has a reasonable size and we can put in something more than a pack of gum and tissues, is black velvet, But from the rectangular soft corners and, especially, has a staple maxi that enhances the front. The model is called the M / Hillary Black Velvet Clutch.

Women's Day 2012: 4 types of bags to give away

And here's to you dear friends fashionistas the perfect gift ideas for Women's Day 2012 , the most beautiful and attractive bags that every woman dreams to have in your wardrobe. Buy a bag for a woman to give her a surprise is not an easy task, each of us has different needs and tastes, but it is also true that there are scholarships dream that put all agree, as it bag, bags by birth despite having a certain age, continue to be the most desired in the world. Here are lots of gift ideas, do or have us do, for the celebration of women.
The Women's Day is full of yellow and then the gift is definitely a classic bag in a beautiful yellow mimosa. The yellow bags in the spring and summer are always strong, so it might be interesting to have one to match with floral dresses , denim garments or put in pastel tones. The yellow bags have been proposed by many designers, ranging from Mulberry to Chanel, Versace through which the gold has played the entire new collection .
The more welcome gift of the moment is definitely the it bag of the season, a bag to show off the latest fashions for every occasion! A bag is very interesting and promising to join us for a long time is the fabulous Pyramid bag Prada, but there are also the Dolce Bag Dolce & Gabbana , the Raffia Bowling Bag Burberry and then the new Fendi bags: Chamelon and fans that are really very beautiful and versatile. To our friends there is also the most extravagant Chanel bag-shaped shell.
If your funds are limited you can opt for the beautiful but more democratic models, such as a Furla bag, the Candy bag with crystals is absolutely adorable. Noteworthy is also the Celeste Coccinelle bag which is available as a tote that clutch , some model of the line Red Valentino, Marc by Marc Jacobs McQ Alexander McQueen have more affordable prices than the main lines.
The gift that every woman wants to receive it is a bag, the bags of the stars, expensive, beautiful and glamorous. it bag the most beautiful of all time are the Chanel 2.55, the Birkin or Kelly Hermes but also the Fendi baguette. If we want to keep at prices more acceptable one could also think of jaws amatissime but less unattainable such as Bayswater or the Alexa Mulberry or PS1 of Proenza Schouler, some model of Louis Vuitton as the Neverfull or the Speedy. If you are rated on eco friendly bets Falabella bag by Stella McCartney found in various models, styles and colors.

A Dutch Angel's Cellphone Number Is in Demand

'S HERTOGENBOSCH, the Netherlands — High on the cathedral in this trim Dutch town, amid a phalanx of stone statues of local noblemen, crusaders, saints and angels, one figure stands out. Smiling faintly, with lowered eyelids, one of the angels wears jeans, has a laptop bag slung over one shoulder and is chatting on a cellphone. The angel gets about 30 calls a day on the phone.
That is because, shortly after the statue was unveiled last April, a local couple, the parents of two children, set up a number so people could call the angel. Business cards soon appeared in pubs, restaurants and hotels with a picture of the angel and the number. So successful was the line that the couple opened a Twitter account, @ut_engelke, managed by the husband, which now has about 2,700 followers.
"The telephone is ringing all day," said the wife, who like her husband agreed to meet a reporter on the condition that they not be identified. "It was a fairy tale," she said over beer and snacks. "Now, it's real." To identify them, she said, would end it.
What began as a joke continues because the cellphone number has become something of a hot line, dialed by people of all ages, some in need of help, others just because they are lonely.
At the holidays, the calls became so frequent and so pressing that the couple was tempted to give up. "Between Christmas and New Year's, that was an emotional time frame, it was so heartbreaking," she said. A small girl called begging the angel to pray for a grandmother who had just died; a woman asked help to celebrate her first Christmas without her parents. A widow sought prayers for her dead children.
The statue of the Little Angel arose out of a 1997 competition, won by the Dutch sculptor Ton Mooy, to create 40 statues, including 14 angels, to replace those on the cathedral that time and pollution had ruined. The Little Angel was the only unconventional one.
"You can make a phony Gothic statue," Mr. Mooy, 63, said in his studio in Amersfoort, about an hour north of here. "That's not what I wanted. It had to fit in with what was always on the church, namely, refinement, emotion. Angels are there to guide, to protect people, they get messages from above. How do you show that? With a cellphone."
"I tell kids, 'There's one button on that cellphone,' " he said with a chuckle — a direct line to heaven. "So she doesn't get naughty, calling other angels."
The cathedral, which dates to 1220, has a centuries-old tradition of unusual, sometimes bawdy, art. One medieval statue is of a bricklayer bending over and baring his bottom. Some is tragic. A stained glass window over the main entrance depicts the apocalypse with a panel showing the Sept. 11 attack on the twin towers.
Catholic Church officials who administer the immense Gothic cathedral, dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, are not entirely amused. "Success has many fathers," said Pieter Kohnen, a cathedral board member. "And maybe exploiters."
The couple do not charge a fee for calls to the Little Angel, and insist they are not profiting from its spreading fame. But in December the church set up an official number for the public to phone the angel — for $1.07 a minute. Now, a sign next to the cathedral invites passers-by to "Call the Angel." A man's voice answers, giving the caller several options: "Dial 1, for a history of the church; dial 2, to learn what Christianity is about," and so forth.

Brothers of missing EastEnders actress from Bethnal Green are seeking help from East End community

Brothers of Gemma McCluskie, aged 29, of Bethnal Green, are desperate for information about their younger sister, who has been missing for four days.
Her brother Danny will be taking part in the search for Gemma, who played Kerry Skinner in 30 episodes of EastEnders back in 2001, while her other brother Tony will stay at their home on Hackney Road in case she returns.
Tony said her disappearance is "completely" out of her character and that she has never been missing before.
"We are going out of our mind with worry. She is a bubbly, outgoing, strong and independent woman," he said.
The search-group will set up from the Bird Cage pub on Columbia Road this evening at 7pm to hang up missing persons posters. They will also be handing posters to shops and knocking on the doors of homes asking if anyone have spotted Gemma.
Tony last saw his sister at home last Thursday afternoon. He remembers her wearing a mustard coloured top, blue leggings, dark brown UGG boots and big sunglasses. She is also believed to have had her small Louis Vuitton handbag with her.

Nigeria: Igbede Canoe Mishap - How 12 Children Lost Their Lives

As the people of Ojota community in Otto/Awori Local Council Development Area of Lagos State still grapple with the tragedy that befell the community couple of weeks ago after a rainstorm caused a canoe carrying several children to school including market women to the neighbouring community to capsize, killing eight of the children and the market women, more facts on how it happened have emerged.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that the canoe which was about 12ft long, had 21 children on board and two market women left the shores of Ojota community about 6:30am for Igbede community aboard the canoe without any safety measure in place. The paddler who resides in Igbede would be at Ojota community as early as 6:00am to carry children and market women to Igbede town.
At 6.30 am that fateful day, 21 children, two women including the wife of the Baale of Ojota boarded the canoe and they were paddled out of the precinct of their community bidding farewell to their parents and families. The children who were pupils of different primary schools were apparently used to the terrain since it was a daily routine to go by canoe to their various schools.
Their village, a very small community is separated by a river which they had to cross to reach their various schools. They were almost at the bank of the river after 30minutes paddling in the canoe when the tragedy occurred.
The hitherto calm atmosphere changed, following an unprecedented dark cloud which hampered vision. The violent wind which lasted for few minutes wrecked havoc and the canoe was thrown back into the middle of the river. All the children, the women and the paddler went down the river but a few of them are alive to tell the story.
Amazingly, Fawas Ayuba, a 6-year old boy of Caritas Biachi Nursery/Primary School, Igbede was saved by his school bag hanging on his back which prevented him from drowning.
This gives an indication that the pupils would have been saved if they had life-jackets on them. However, Yusuf Rufai, a 9-year old pupil on board swam through the river to the shores of his community. Yusuf who broke the news of the incident to the people of his community said he was trained on the techniques of swimming by his father and those were the things that came to his mind at the time of the mishap.

State should ban plastic shopping bags

With the State of Rhode Island boasting hundreds of miles of coastline, thousands of acres of public and state parks, and prized waterways such as Narragansett Bay and the Blackstone River, the beauty of our environment is a precious resource to everyone here; protecting it should be a top priority.
However, our state's natural beauty is threatened by plastic waste that gets into our waterways, parks, yards, and roadsides, and that clogs our landfills; with the help of plastic, the Johnston landfill is now the highest point in the state.
Far too much of this trash comes from an unnecessary product used for just five minutes before being thrown away: disposable plastic grocery bags that threaten to take hundreds to thousands of years to photo-degrade. Nothing we use for just a few minutes should tarnish our state and pollute our treasured natural places.
Luckily, the solution is simple: ban plastic bags. This movement is gaining exciting momentum around the country, and it's time for the Ocean State to protect its environment and join the effort.
Towns and cities up and down the Blackstone Valley can lead the way by enacting bag ban ordinances.