Never mind shopping; Messiah concert marks start of holiday season

Participating in the annual Messiah sing-in, always made me feel like the Season had begun. I was a member of the community chorus for many years, under the late Dr. Lee Kjelson. It was a wonderful feeling, singing the words from the Bible that foretold the coming of Jesus. Now, decades later, the Messiah sing-in tradition is still going strong.At 2:30 p. m. on Dec. 9,...

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10 Adorable Animals Feeding Other Animals [VIDEOS]

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Larry Hagman Dies

Larry Hagman, best known for playing Dallas villain J.R. Ewing, died Friday morning from complications stemming from his recent battle with cancer.He was 81 years old.Video: Larry Hagman Talks 'Dallas', Cancer and Veganism "Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most," his family said in a statement via The Dallas Morning News. "When he passed, he was surrounded...

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Frank Sinatra’s greatest ‘fits’

When a hot-tempered Frank Sinatra wanted to break it off with a beautiful woman, he would order loyal valet Tony Consiglio, a high-school buddy from Hoboken, to do the dirty work. Though it would be nasty, Consiglio admits in his posthumous book “Sinatra and Me: The Very Good Years” that he had no choice. During their 50 years together, if something went...

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Is the electric car dying again?

A second administration of President Barack Obama will be forced to revisit the issue of subsidies for renewable energy and, with it, those for electric vehicles. Despite the millions of dollars spent on government incentives, marketing and promotion, sales of fully electric cars are well below projected targets. Investment in vehicle charging infrastructure also has fallen...

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West Miami-Dade hit-and-run driver convicted, awaiting sentencing

Almost four years after a hit-and-run driver killed her 11-year-old daughter, Adonay Rosete will enter the holiday season with some semblance of closure.That’s because a jury this month convicted the driver of two felonies in the death of 11-year-old Ashley Nicole Valdes, who was struck in January 2009 in West Kendall after a bus driver dropped her off on the wrong side of...

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Worn Out? Stars Step Out in Same Style

Kim Kardashian vs. Pink Who knew Kim Kardashian and Pink had similar tastes in formal wear? Kardashian was spotted wearing a purple-blue, floor-length Catherine Deane gown in Miami this past month, while Pink chose the same style for her red-carpet appearance at the 2012 American Music Awards. Who rocked the chic style best? ...

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No juice but lotsa insane LIPA bills

Lipa customers who spent weeks without power got zapped with their normal electric bills — as if the outages never happened.The clueless utility charged Sandy-soaked Long Island residents an estimated rate that covered the entire billing cycle, and the statements made no mention of potential refunds to account for the prolonged blackouts.Jonathan Saporta...

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‘App economy’ potential sizzles

Raymond Gonzalez, a Florida International University senior, is developing an iPhone application called Pet Finder that will allow users to browse the dogs and cats at the local animal shelter or request an animal for adoption. He is also part of a team creating mobile apps that track bank failures, issue alerts about earthquakes and organize homework assignments.It’s a...

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Shoppers flood South Florida stores on Thanksgiving for Black Friday deals

GeGe Williams joined 18 family members Thursday for a sprawling Thanksgiving feast of turkey, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, seafood rice, stuffing and banana pudding.They had to eat quickly. It was 11 a.m., and they wanted to get in line to shop.“Half of us went to Walmart and half of us came here,” Williams, a fast-food cashier from Miami, said shortly before 6 p.m....

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Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez Involved in Brawl

Halle Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her fiancé Olivier Martinez were involved in a Thanksgiving altercation that turned physical, with Aubry having to be transported by ambulance to the hospital due to injuries, ET confirms.Cops responded to a 9-1-1 call at 10 a.m. at Berry's house, and according to police sources, the fight broke out when Aubry was dropping off his daughter with Berry, Nahla,...

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Surf's up, Jennifer!

Playing the butt-kicking, arrow-shooting hero of “The Hunger Games” has certainly paid off! Jennifer Lawrence, known to fans as Katniss Everdeen, flaunts her toned bikini bod while surfing in Hawaii. The star, 22, was taking a break ahead of filming for the franchise’s sequel, “Catching Fire.” Splash News Jennifer Lawrence ...

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Black Friday in South Florida: Dispatches from the front of the line

12:30 AM, Dadeland Mall All retail stores were expected to open at midnight. But as of 12:30 a.m., neither the Apple store nor jewelry stores Tous or Mayors were open. Nearly 150 people were waiting outside of Apple. According to Guest Services, stores that were not open by midnight would be fined.Meanwhile, the rest of the mall buzzed with eager families and couples. Many...

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What’s open and closed for Thanksgiving

Thursday is Thanksgiving. Here is a list of what’s open and closed for the holiday on Thursday and Friday. Federal offices: Closed Thursday State offices: Closed Thursday and Friday Miami-Dade and Broward county offices: Closed Thursday and Friday Miami-Dade and Broward courts: Closed Thursday and Friday Public schools: Closed Thursday and Friday Post offices:...

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Carpe Twitter: Vatican tweets on new Latin academy

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A senior Vatican cardinal tweeted in Latin on Wednesday to urge people to attend the inauguration of, you guessed it, the Holy’s See’s new Academy for Latin Studies.“Hodie una cum Ivano Dionigi novam aperiemus academiam pontificiam latinitatis a Benedicto conditam, hora XVII, via Conciliationis V,” was the tweet by Cardinal Gianfranco...

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Brooklyn Recovery Fund dishes out $250,000 in grants to boost Sandy victims

A fund set up to support Brooklyn's recovery from Hurricane Sandy has awarded its first round of grants totaling $250,000 to 26 neighborhood organizations. Launched by the Brooklyn Community Foundation with support from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, the Brooklyn Recovery Fund raised $1.5 million in less...

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Small Business Saturday: the anti-Black Friday

Don’t want to brave the Black Friday craziness? You can get a head start on your holiday shopping, snag some deals and support local merchants by participating in Small Business Saturday.Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on promoting small business owners nationwide. Since it was started in 2010 by American Express, the promotional...

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Former foster children give thanks for Casa Valentina

Every holiday season for the last six years, Lynn Hausmann hosts a Thanksgiving gathering for Casa Valentina, the residential and life skills program for youth aging out of foster care.It’s what you do, she says, for the people you love.“It’s simple — we are family,” says Hausmann, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “This is about opening your heart and home.”...

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Lindsay Lohan Explains Why She Cancelled on Barbara Walters

Lindsay Lohan is opening up about the now-infamous cancellation of her pre-arranged sit down with Barbara Walters.The actress stopped by for an interview with Tonight Show host Jay Leno on Tuesday, who pressed Lohan on the drama surrounding herself and the veteran news woman.Related: Walters on Lohan: 'She Has A Lot of Problems'"It's all good. I spoke to all the people that she works with," she said,...

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Business briefs

Unlucky 7UBS trader Kweku Adoboli was sentenced iin London to seven years in jail for gambling away $2.3 billion of the Swiss bank's money in Britain's biggest-ever fraud.Sales FitchBillionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel bought a 6.3 percent stake in Abercrombie & Fitch, adding to increased interest in the teen retailer by hedge funds in the past three months.Coca-coffeeGreen...

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Hottest tech products of fall 2012

Every year we roll out our fall list of the products getting the most attention from readers, and every year it ends up being a list dominated by phones. But not this year. No, this time you guys are spicing things up with a surprising mix of products. Here’s what’s getting your attention right now. Sony Vaio Tap 20 Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good) ...

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In humbler times for state House Republicans, Will Weatherford sets a more moderate tone

TALLAHASSEE -- Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford...

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Yahoo shares reach 18-month high as investors warm to new CEO

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Yahoo Inc shares reached their highest level in a year and a half, as investor confidence grows that new Chief Executive Marissa Mayer can pull off a comeback that eluded three of her predecessors.The Internet pioneer has yet to actually provide Wall Street with any hard evidence that its business is turning a corner – and she...

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Oprah: There's Never Been a Star Like Bieber

Over the past 30 years, Oprah Winfrey has gotten to know the biggest stars on the planet, including Paul McCartney and the late Michael Jackson, but she says no other star has risen to fame like Justin Bieber.VIDEO: Oprah Cautions Bieber Against Marrying YoungIn her upcoming interview with the Biebs, Oprah says that the major difference that makes Bieber's rise to stardom unique is the role that social...

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‘Duffel man’ sought in Brooklyn slay spree

A mysterious man toting a duffel bag has been identified as a key “person of interest” in the Brooklyn serial-killer case — after surveillance video showed him at one and possibly two of the three slay scenes, law-enforcement sources told The Post yesterday.Cops said they are eager to talk to the mustached man — whom they dubbed “John Doe Duffel Bag” —...

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Growing middle class feeds spirits business in Latin America

Diageo executive Randy Millian is proud of the fact that eight out of every 12 times someone pours a standard or premium whiskey in the Latin American and Caribbean region, they’re drinking one of his company’s brands.That kind of dominance is why the spirits giant is bullish on its future in Latin America, which recently has been the fastest growing region for Diageo worldwide....

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New House speaker faces post-election challenges

TALLAHASSEE -- Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford...

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Justin Bieber Wins Big at American Music Awardss

Justin Bieber gave an emotional thank you to his mom, Pattie Mallette, who stood on stage with the pop star as he accepted Artist of the Year, his third award of the evening, at the culmination of the 40th annual American Music Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. The Biebs, who brought his mother along as his date for the show, took home the first and the last award of the night, (Favorite Pop/Rock...

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Israeli strikes bring bloodshed in Gaza; President Obama pushes for ceasefire

REUTERSSmoke and explosion are seen after Israeli air strikes in Gaza City Monday.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli missile ripped through a two-story home in a residential area of Gaza City on Sunday, killing at least 11 civilians, including four young children and an 81-year-old woman, in the single deadliest attack of Israel's offensive against Islamic...

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South Florida guide to corporate gift giving

Holiday gifts to clients and colleagues can help you strengthen both business relationships and your brand. While flashing your logo at holiday time seemed insensitive back when droves of people didn’t have jobs, manufacturers — several based in South Florida — have responded with more creative ways to include branding on some very usable products that people can actually...

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