Postal Service will end Saturday mail delivery

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Postal Service plans to drop Saturday delivery of first-class mail beginning the first week of August, a move that the financially struggling agency said will save $2 billion annually.

The Postal Service is cutting costs aggressively as it grows increasingly frustrated that Congress is dragging its feet in authorizing a structural overhaul that could stabilize the agency.

The agency, which lost $16 billion last year, has blamed much of its recent troubles on a 2006 law that requires it to make massive payments into its future retirees' healthcare fund, as well as on reduced mail volumes as Americans increasingly turn to email and online communications rather than dropping a stamped letter in a postal box.

Some experts have previously estimated that the Postal Service could run out of cash by October.

However, ending Saturday mail delivery will not significantly stop the financial bleeding, and some critics said the move could backfire if customers become irritated by an erosion in service.

According to the plan, the mail agency will still deliver packages and prescription drugs six days a week and will not change post office operating hours. But it will not deliver direct mail or magazines.

The announcement comes just weeks after the USPS board of governors directed the agency to accelerate cost-cutting measures rather than wait "indefinitely" for legislation.

"The Postal Service is advancing an important new approach to delivery that reflects the strong growth of our package business and responds to the financial realities resulting from America's changing mailing habits," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement.

The 237-year-old institution ran up against its legal borrowing limit last year and defaulted twice on required payments to the federal government.

Postal officials have said for years that the agency needed to cut back on delivery days, as well as close underused facilities and reduce its workforce.

Lawmakers spent more than a year on postal legislation, including proposals to eliminate Saturday delivery, but were unable to agree on a bill.

"The choice is either changes to some of the services or raise prices, and people don't want prices raised," Donahoe said at a press conference.

Officials previously contended they needed permission from Congress to make the changes, but now believe they may be able to take some actions without new legislation.

GREETING CARD FIRMS OBJECT

No law requires that the Postal Service deliver mail six days a week, but Congress has included a provision in legislation to fund the federal government each year that has prevented the USPS from reducing delivery service. The current funding measure expires in March, and would free the Postal Service to change its delivery schedule unless Congress prohibits it in the next spending resolution.

The Postal Service is already facing some resistance to making delivery schedule changes without permission from Congress.

"Today's announcement by Postmaster General Donahoe to eliminate six-day delivery is yet another death knell for the quality service provided by the U.S. Postal Service," said Jeanette Dwyer, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association.

Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Oversight Committee, said delivery frequency should be determined by legislation "rather than through arbitrary action by the Postal Service."

But Representative Darrell Issa of California and Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, both Republicans, called the change a common-sense move and noted President Barack Obama has supported allowing the Postal Service to move to five-day delivery.

Trade organizations that have a stake in Saturday mail deliveries such as the Greeting Card Association and National Association of Letter Carriers also expressed their disappointment.

George White, president of the Greeting Card Association, said the organization is concerned that this will drive down the number of greeting cards sent. More than 60 percent of greeting cards are delivered through the Postal Service, he said.

"Eliminating Saturday service is short-sighted and self-defeating. There are much better alternatives that will lead to a stronger Postal Service, without significantly and negatively impacting the citizen mailer," White said.

NALC president Fredric Rolando, said the plan was disastrous and would harm small businesses, rural communities, the elderly and the disabled. "We call for the immediate removal of the postmaster general, who has lost the confidence of the men and women who deliver for America every day," Rolando said via email.

Donahoe said the changes would allow the Postal Service to continue benefiting from the growing package delivery business as Americans order more products from websites such as eBay Inc and Amazon.com Inc.

Package deliveries were a bright spot in a bleak 2012 fiscal year, with package revenue rising 8.7 percent during the year.

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Vicki Allen, Leslie Gevirtz, Karey Wutkowski and Jackie Frank)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/postal-seeks-end-saturday-mail-delivery-132211069--sector.html

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Video: Disturbing North Korea video emerges

>>> a bizarre video has been posted on youtube by north korea , including some disturbing images set to a gauzy rendition of "we are the world." it's a propaganda video that seems to be part dream sequence , part video game . it shows a missile launch and then later what appears to be new york city in

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50711564/

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Have any tips for getting rid of headaches?

Great discussions are par for the course here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/-CqGOnm6elo/have-any-tips-for-getting-rid-of-headaches

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Beyonce electrifies at Super Bowl halftime show

If naysayers still doubted Beyonce's singing talents ? even after her national anthem performance last week at a press conference ? the singer proved she is an exceptional performer at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Beyonce opened and closed her set Sunday belting out songs, and in between, she danced hard and heavy ? and better than most contemporary pop stars.

She set a serious tone as she emerged onstage in all black, singing lines from her R&B hit "Love on Top." The stage was dark as fire and lights burst from the sides. Then she went into her hit "Crazy in Love," bringing some feminine spirit to the Superdome in New Orleans as she and her background dancers did the singer's signature booty-shaking dance. Beyonce ripped off part of her shirt and skirt. She even blew a kiss. She was ready to rock, and she did so like a pro.

Her confidence ? and voice ? grew as she worked the stage with and without her Destiny's Child band mates during her 13-minute set, which came days after she admitted she sang to a prerecorded track at President Barack Obama's inauguration less than two weeks ago.

Beyonce proved not only that she can sing, but that she can also entertain on a stage as big as the Super Bowl's. The 31-year-old was far better than Madonna, who sang to a backing track last year, and miles ahead of the Black Eyed Peas' disastrous set in 2011.

Beyonce was best when she finished her set with "Halo." She asked the crowd to put their hands toward her as she sang the slow groove on bended knee ? and that's when she the performance hit its high note.

"Thank you for this moment," she told the crowd. "God bless y'all."

Her background singers helped out as Beyonce danced around the stage throughout most of her performance. There was a backing track to help fill in when Beyonce wasn't singing, and there were long stretches when she let it play as she performed elaborate dance moves.

She had a swarm of background dancers and band members spread throughout the stage, along with videotaped images of the singer dancing that may have unintentionally played on the live-or-taped question. And the crowd got bigger when she was joined by her Destiny's Child band mates.

Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped up from below the stage to sing "Bootylicious." They were in similar outfits, singing and dancing closely as they harmonized. But Rowland and Williams were barely heard when the group sang "Independent Woman," as their voices faded into the background.

They also joined in for some of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," where Beyonce's voice grew stronger. That song featured Beyonce's skilled choreography, as did "End of Time" and "Baby Boy," which also showcased Beyonce's all-female band, balancing out the testosterone levels on the football field.

Before the game, Alicia Keys performed a lounge-y, piano-tinged version of the national anthem that her publicist assured was live. The Grammy-winning singer played the piano as she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a long red dress with her eyes shut.

She followed Jennifer Hudson, who sang "America the Beautiful" with the 26-member Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus. It was an emotional performance that had some players on the sideline on the verge of tears. Hudson also sang live, her publicist said.

The students wore green ribbons on their shirts in honor of the 20 first-graders and six adults who were killed in a Dec. 14 shooting rampage at the school in Newtown, Conn.

The students began the song softly before Hudson, whose mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew were shot to death five years ago, jumped in with her gospel-flavored vocals. She stood still in black and white as the students moved to the left and right, singing background.

___

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/beyonce-electrifies-super-bowl-halftime-show-040713482--spt.html

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Man charged in fatal gun range shooting of ex-SEAL/author

GLEN ROSE, Texas (AP) ? A 25-year-old man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting at a central Texas gun range that killed former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle and his friend, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Sunday.

Sgt. Lonny Haschel said in a news release that 25-year-old Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned Saturday evening on two counts of capital murder. Officer Kyle Roberts at the Erath County Jail said Routh arrived there Sunday morning and is being held on a combined $3 million bond. Roberts did not have information on whether Routh had a lawyer.

Haschel said Erath County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call about a shooting at the Rough Creek Lodge, west of Glen Rose, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Police found the bodies of Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at the shooting range about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said he did not know where Kyle and Littlefield were hit because he had not yet received the medical examiner's report.

Kyle and Littlefield had taken Routh to the range, said Travis Cox, the director of a nonprofit Kyle helped found. Littlefield was Kyle's neighbor and "workout buddy," Cox told The Associated Press on Sunday morning.

"What I know is Chris and a gentleman ? great guy, I knew him well, Chad Littlefield ? took a veteran out shooting who was struggling with PTSD to try to assist him, try to help him, try to, you know, give him a helping hand and he turned the gun on both of them, killing them," Cox said.

Police said Routh opened fire on Kyle and Littlefield around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and then fled in a Ford pickup truck, which Bryant said was Kyle's truck. At about 8 p.m., Routh arrived at his home in Lancaster, about 17 miles southeast of Dallas. Police arrested him after a brief pursuit and took him to the Lancaster Police Department.

The motive for the shooting was unclear. A knock on the door at Routh's last known address went unanswered Sunday. A for-sale sign was in front of the cream-colored wood-framed home.

Kyle, a decorated veteran, wrote the best-selling book, "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," detailing his 150-plus kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009. Kyle said in his book that Iraqi insurgents had put a bounty on his head. According to promotional information from book publisher William Morrow, Kyle deployed to Iraq four times.

Kyle's nonprofit, FITCO Cares, provides at-home fitness equipment for emotionally and physically wounded veterans.

"Chris was literally the type of guy if you were a veteran and needed help he'd help you," Cox said. "And from my understanding that's what happened here. I don't know how he came in contact with this gentleman, but I do know that it was not through the foundation."

Cox described Littlefield as a gentle, kind-hearted man who often called or emailed him with ideas for events or fundraisers to help veterans.

"It was just two great guys with Chad and Chris trying to help out a veteran in need and making time out of their day to help him. And to give him a hand. And unfortunately this thing happened," Cox said.

Craft International, Kyle's security training company, had scheduled a $2,950-per-person civilian training event at Rough Creek Lodge called the "Rough Creek Shoot Out!" for March 1-3. The price included lodging, meals and shooting instruction. Kyle was scheduled to teach the first class, called "precision rifle."

Kyle is survived by his wife, Taya, and their two children, Cox said.

___

Associated Press Writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Christopher Sherman in McAllen, Texas, and Andale Gross and Erica Hunzinger in Chicago contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-charged-fatal-shooting-ex-seal-author-150201265.html

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The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads

A recent novel called Truth in Advertising takes place over a few frantic weeks leading up to a Super Bowl. It?s about an ad agency executive who?s scrambling to finish a spot that will run during the big game. The book captures a specific flavor of self-loathing that runs rampant in the ad industry. And it humanizes the faceless creatives who pump all this stuff out: Our hero deals with a pretentious director, a wishy-washy client, and some difficult on-screen talent, but he also faces crises involving a dying parent and a confusing love life.

So, let us not forget (on this national holiday dedicated to advertising) that these Super Bowl ads, good and bad, are crafted by real human beings. People who have hopes and fears very much like our own?but also have $3.8 million to spend on 30 seconds of airtime.

Budweiser introduces a new, higher-alcohol beer called Black Crown. We are told this is ?our kind of beer.? Who are we? We are ?the loud, the savvy, the famous.? And, judging by the people shown in this spot, we are also the young, the slender, and the fedora?d. We apparently love to hang out in rooms full of flaming candelabras. This is what an ad taxonomist would term ?associated user imagery??the ad is less about the product?s attributes and more about signaling the niche of people that the product is meant for. In this case, that niche is a little bit upscale and a little bit downtown. (The spot was at least a refreshing change for the night?s opening slot, which in years past has often featured Bud Light ads with punchlines that depend on animal flatulence and groin contusions.)

An Audi ad opens with a nervous high school boy getting ready for prom. He?s going stag because he has no date. Even his little sis pities him. Then dad tosses over the keys to a bitchin? Audi. When next we see the kid, he?s driving recklessly, violating parking rules, frenching the prom queen right in front of her boyfriend, and getting punched in the face. So I guess the takeaway is that driving an Audi will transform you from a sweet, humble guy into a total prick? And since teens can?t afford to buy Audis, this metamorphosis is presumably meant to stoke the fires of middle-aged men. Which is kind of gross.

Go Daddy is in the game again, this year with a twist. They?re no longer the domain name service for horn-dogs who get turned on by bikini babes. Now?symbolized by some heavy snogging between a geek and a supermodel (a scene that reportedly required 45 smoochy takes)?they are also the domain name service for people who want their soft-core cheesecake backed by reliable tech infrastructure. I?ve been saying for years that Go Daddy?s lad mag image might unnecessarily limit its appeal by repulsing, for instance, women. For there are indeed women who might wish to register web sites. (And my colleague Alyssa Rosenberg was repulsed by this spot last night.) But to me this ad seems like a tack in in a more promising direction?toward a product-focused pitch instead of a dumb, ?sex sells? approach. And as much as I hate Go Daddy?s entire aesthetic, I need to concede that their over-the-top marketing has been an overall success. Quick: How many other domain registration companies can you name off the top of your head?

Doritos once again crowdsources its Super Bowl presence, allowing contest winners to create its ads. In this one, a man buys a Doritos-eating goat. The man soon discovers he is unable to satisfy the jonesing goat?s out-of-control Doritos habit. When the spicy chips run out, the goat screams (and let?s pause to acknowledge the fabulous vocal work done here). The goat then angrily crushes a wooden sculpture that appears to be the man?s handcrafted outsider art project. Doritos has proven yet again that crowdsourcing can result in ads every bit as funny/puerile as the ads that the best agencies think up. This spot also forced us all to ponder what sort of terrifying egestion might result if a goat actually ate 156 bags of Doritos.

A Best Buy ad starring Amy Poehler does celebrity endorsement right. This is a relatable famous person?one we can almost picture shopping at Best Buy?not an impossibly glamorous megawatt celeb. Poehler seems like the kind of person who might crave new high-tech goodies, but might also need a teensy bit of help navigating the consumer electronics landscape (in short, a perfect Best Buy customer). These scenes take place entirely within a Best Buy, so we never forget which brand this ad is for. And Poehler is charming. Who among us doesn?t love a dongle joke?

Oh James Franco, you can keep your Oz the Great and Powerful. I am all about Franco the Dreadlocked and Tatted. Or, as the movie is actually titled, Spring Breakers. The choice of the more discerning James Franco fan.

A Coca-Cola ad uses scenes pulled from security cameras. We see people kissing, being kind to each other, dancing joyfully. I generally count on Coke to nail my one requirement for a great Super Bowl ad: epic-osity. Coke often goes big?thematically, emotionally, and budgetarily. But in recent years, we?ve seen fewer epic ads in general. Whether this is because the national mood calls for restraint or because production funds have dried up, I?m not sure. Either way, this ad seems like a terrific compromise. It feels stirring, yet its moments are tiny delights. And it is made from cheap found footage. It?s also a perfect fit with Coke?s longstanding brand image: positive, global, and youthful.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=0d04e2e2bbc0c14fbe5287c12236fd31

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Accountants, Financial Advisors and Estate Planning | Morris, Hall ...

I was visiting my dentist the other day, and while I was there, I asked him about some pain I was having in my ankle.? He told me that what I needed to do was ?walk it off,? and I should feel better in a few days.? Now that my ankle is the size of a grapefruit, I?m wondering if his advice was flawed?

Obviously, I made up that story.? Hopefully, very few people, if any, would look for orthopedic advice from their dentist (no matter how smart their dentist may be).

Although such an occurrence would be strange, it is happening all the time in another context.? Many people are going to their accountants and/or financial advisors to get legal advice.? In fact, they might not even realize that is what they are actually doing.

Our attorneys are well versed in all aspects of estate planning, and we provide you with correct and updated information and instructions necessary to carry out your estate plan.? However, some clients, in talking with their accountants and financial advisors, get advice to take actions that jeopardize their estate plans. ?This is similar to going to your dentist to get advice on an ankle injury!

Accountants and financial advisors play an important role in the estates of clients, and most perform their functions well.? But planning an estate is a complex process that requires an in-depth understanding of state and federal tax, property, asset protection and health care laws, as well as how the individual client?s goals and concerns are accommodated by the laws and planning strategies.? Accountants and financial advisors do not have, nor should they be expected to have, the full picture in creating and maintaining an estate plan.? Therefore, their advice on legal matters regarding your estate plan will not be adequate and will likely have a negative affect on your plan.

The two biggest areas in which we are seeing problems are beneficiary designations for life insurance policies and retirement plans.? Generally, the beneficiary on your life insurance should be your trust. ?For a married couple, the beneficiary designation on a retirement account should be spouse primary and trust contingent.? For a single person, the trust should be the beneficiary of both life insurance and your retirement accounts.

Just as you wouldn?t enlist your dentist?s aid for orthopedic matters, please be careful of any legal advice you might receive from your accountant or financial advisor concerning your estate plan.? If any instructions or suggestions we have given are ever unclear to you, please contact us at 888.804.5340.? We are always available to answer your estate planning questions.

Contributed by MHK Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces Estate Planning Attorney James P. Plitz.

Why Choose Morris, Hall & Kinghorn:
You have a number of options when it comes to estate planning, so why pick Morris, Hall & Kinghorn?? First off, estate planning and asset protection are a very complicated endeavor and you should only trust someone who focuses exclusively on those matters.? Also, MHK is a proud member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) which provides us additional support, advanced training, tools and information that is not available to others ? which means that we can better protect your assets and your loved ones.? We are one of only two firms in Arizona that belong to the AAEPA and are the only firm in New Mexico that has been granted membership.? If you have assets and loved ones that you want to protect, you are in good hands with MHK.? Contact us today at 888.804.5340 to schedule an appointment!

This blog should be used for informational purposes only.? It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice.? If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.

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Tagged: Albuquerque, Arizona, Arrowhead, Assets, Attorney, Cave Creek, Death, Deceased, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Family, Flagstaff, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Goodyear, Las Cruces, Law, Law firm, Lawyer, Legal, Loved one, Mesa, New Mexico, Phoenix, Prescott, Probate, Protection, Santa Fe, Scottsdale, Sedona, Services, Sonoita, Tempe, Tucson

Source: http://morristrust.com/2013/02/accountants-financial-advisors-and-estate-planning/

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