Paris Attacks challenge ‘lone wolf’ terrorist theory
By Michel Moutot 23 hours ago
Paris (AFP) – The attacks in Paris and the radical Islamist cell dismantled in Brussels have challenged the idea of the “lone wolf” terrorist who works alone, without the help of a jihadist organization, analysts say.
Every terrorist that has attempted or carried out attacks in the West in recent years — down to the Kouachi brothers who struck the Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris this month — has had some level of ties to extremist groups engaged in global jihad, according to experts.
For Jean-Pierre Filiu, of Sciences Po university in Paris, the events in France and Belgium had shown “once again” that the idea of radicals acting in isolation was “an inane myth”.
“This largely fantastical figure is an intellectual creation that appeared in the United States as part of the Bush administration’s ‘global war on terror’ in 2001”, he argued.
Although they may have acted without direct instructions from above, the Kouachi brothers had training from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), its Yemen branch, and struck a top target on Al-Qaeda’s “most-wanted” list.
Niece of Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Racism Has Not Been Erased’
Alveda King / @alvedaking / January 19, 2015
“But let judgment roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” —Amos 5:24
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. quoted this powerful scripture in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He believed God’s word. He took his Bible—the one President Obama placed his hand on during his 2013 inauguration—very seriously; so seriously that he repeatedly risked his life to proclaim its message of love for God and love for neighbor.
We could use some repentance and forgiveness right now in our shattered society.
My Uncle M.L., like everyone, was far from perfect, but he loved the Lord. It was God’s word that he used to unite a movement and change our nation. For him, religion was the heart of the civil rights movement.
As his niece, daughter of his slain brother, Rev. A.D. King, I am always honored when invited to remember him.
Uncle M.L. was born on Jan. 15, 1929. In remembering him today, I can tell you that he was a kind and gentle man who was used as a strong prophet of God.
Many people called him the “Black Moses” and the “Modern Day Apostle of Love.” As a Baptist preacher, his sermons and speeches reflected his devotion to the Lord and his obedience to God’s call. The themes of his teachings strongly reflected humanity’s need of God’s love, and of human repentance and forgiveness.
We could use some repentance and forgiveness right now in our shattered society.
A black man was elected twice to the White House, but racism has not been erased. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and others remind us that black men and teens, in particular, are still pre-judged by the color of their skin.
When members of the pro-life black community tell the truth about abortion—that the most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb—we are accused of racism.
In a 1967 speech Uncle M.L. gave at Stanford University, he spoke of the “other America” and the “daily ugliness” that greets some people of color every day. He would be proud of the many advances and achievements we have logged in the human rights category, but he would still be troubled that so many still live in this “other America.”
There was much speculation about whether or not Uncle M.L. would have taken part in protest marches in Missouri or New York or elsewhere, and he very well might have. But he would never advocate for violence, and he would never walk arm-in-arm with anyone calling for attacks on the police.
His message was one of love and non-violence, and I know it would not have changed in the time between his death and now, because he followed the word of God, and the word of God never changes.
I do know that he would be disturbed—and vocal—about our constantly eroding freedom of religion. Everywhere you look, if the exercise of religion bumps up against a liberal absolute, religion loses.
President Obama has made it a priority to prevent Americans from conceiving children, and when people of faith rise up in protest to this contraceptive mandate, we are accused of waging a war on women.
Forty-two years after Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton made abortion legal, half of America clings hard to the belief that women can’t be equal to men without being able to exercise their right to kill their own children. But people of faith who don’t want to have the blood of innocents on their hands—health care workers most prominently, but others as well—are finding that they have to defend their conscience rights and sometimes, they lose.
When members of the pro-life black community tell the truth about abortion—that the most dangerous place for an African-American is in the womb—we are accused of racism. The people who target us for annihilation through abortion are praised as heroes. What an upside down world!
The growing controversies surrounding First Amendment rights to freedom of religious and speech are reaching a fever pitch. But we must continue to do what we are instructed in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14: Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.
We must work hard to remember, and remind those who seem to have forgotten, that in all matters of conflict, love, dignity, clarity and communication are key, even when viewpoints differ. Especially when viewpoints differ.
As my Uncle M.L. famously said, “We must learn to live together as brothers [and sisters] or perish as fools.”
LG brings its Styler to the US as an alternative to frequent runs to dry cleaners
JANUARY 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY JOAO-PIERRE S. RUTH
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD |
THE RECORD
* LG set to roll out the Styler in U.S., but don’t expect a washing machine
It quietly shakes and steams away wrinkles and odors from laundry, but a full cleaning? Not quite.
For the first time, LG Electronics, which has its U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, introduced its Styler, a wardrobe-like appliance intended for sale in the American market. The Styler lets users “refresh” up to four garments at a time as a sort of alternative to constant dry cleaning — with some caveats.
Presented this month at the annual International CES trade show in Las Vegas, LG said this new-generation Styler is 30 percent smaller than its prior version. Still, it is not tiny — with a slim, tall profile as if designed to be part of a walk-in closet.
And it’s the latest example of companies that made their names in consumer electronics delving deeper into home appliances.
Ridgewood and Glen Rock to Host 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Day Observance Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Noted Speaker, Preacher and Teacher, will Address the Program’s Theme, “Standing on the Side of Justice” The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee of Ridgewood and Glen Rock will host its 33rd annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. King on Monday, January 19, 2015, at the Ridgewood United Methodist Church, 100 Dayton St., in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., noted speaker, educator, community activist and Senior Minister Emeritus of Manhattan’s Riverside Church, will address the theme of this year’s event, “Standing on the Side of Justice,” during an interfaith worship service beginning at 10 a.m. An 11:30 a.m. outdoor rally, 12 p.m. community lunch, and 1 p.m. performance by Mack Brandon and The Connection will follow the service. The performance will highlight the music that gave voice to the call for action that culminated in the Civil Rights movement.
The program also includes Ridgewood and Glen Rock student speakers and musical performances by the Indian Hills Chamber Choir and Men of Umoja chorus. Guests may attend any or all of the day’s events, which are free and open to the public. “The struggle for racial justice has taken on a heightened sense of urgency, as can be seen in the aftermath of the Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions and the administration’s battle over immigration,” said committee co-chair Alice Newton. “As we celebrate Dr. King’s life and work, we will focus on the vital importance he placed on non-violence, and on standing up and speaking out for justice as a catalyst for creating positive change.” Dr. Forbes served as Senior Minister of the Riverside Church for 18 years, and was named one of the 12 “most effective preachers” in the English-speaking world by Newsweek magazine. He is The Harry Emerson Fosdick Distinguished Professor at Union Theological Seminary and President of the Healing of the Nations Foundation, a non-partisan, interfaith, not-for-profit organization that promotes a holistic understanding of health and wellness. He was the recent host of “The Time is Now” on Air America Radio, and is frequently featured on radio and television. Mack Brandon and The Connection have been inspiring audiences worldwide for 15 years with their entertaining and uplifting renditions of popular gospel music. A composer, pianist, educator, and pastor, Rev. Brandon has been a professor of music at Ramapo College of New Jersey for 20 years and serves as pastor of the Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Ridgewood, N.J. The annual Ridgewood/Glen Rock Martin Luther King Jr. celebration began in 1983 in an effort to unite area residents, regardless of faith or ethnic background, in worship and action as they work towards peace and justice for all. More than 20 religious groups, the Ridgewood and Glen Rock Boards of Education, local government, and civic organizations participate in and support the event each year. For more information contact Alice Newton at 201-951-9903, email [email protected], or visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Glen Rock/Ridgewood, N.J. on Facebook.
CBD Retail’s new rules for 2015: It’s all about being connected
JANUARY 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY JOAN VERDON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
* Stores must confront change from tech to real estate
This year, retailers are learning to play by a new set of rules.
Retailers are entering 2015 by confronting the most sweeping changes in the last 100 years. That was the consensus as a record number of retail executives gathered last week in New York City for the 104th meeting of the National Retail Federation.
It’s not just the steep increases in online shopping that they must respond to, but the shifts in how consumers connect with sellers through mobile phones, tablets and Wi-Fi-enabled devices in stores are causing retailers to rethink their business models. Today, building a state-of-the-art mobile application to ease instant transactions via smartphone is seen as a wiser investment than spending millions on a new store.
At the four-day retail convention, five new retail realities emerged from the thousands of hours of panel discussions, keynote addresses and informal meetings on the exhibit floor. Here are the new rules for 2015:
You need fans more than you need customers
It is telling that this year’s retail think-tank began with five sports executives — from the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, and the Women’s Tennis Association, and two presidents of a National Football League team and a German soccer club — talking about the lessons retailers can learn from passionate sports fandom.
Paraag Marathe, president of the San Francisco 49ers football team, told retailers that during a typical game, 50 percent of the crowd is using the team’s mobile app, either making reservations for the stadium’s restaurants, downloading statistics, or buying team shirts and hats. The goal, Marathe said, is creating more fan loyalty and engagement, not selling. “You can’t sell season tickets to a sold-out house,” he said.
The hockey, basketball and women’s tennis associations also are trying to bolster fan engagement by making information and statistics available through mobile apps.
The customer-as-fan theme was repeated in sessions throughout the four days of the convention, with experts saying that in today’s world selling isn’t about getting a random person to stumble on your store and buy something, but about creating brand loyalty that makes shoppers look for you and buy from you, whether it is online, in a store, or on their phone.
In a later session at the convention, James Curleigh, president of the denim retailer Levi Strauss & Co., said that he thinks of his customers as fans and that retailers need to give them a memorable experience that keeps fans coming back. Levi’s decision to put its name on the new stadium in San Francisco, where the 49ers play and where rock concerts are held, is part of its plan to connect with new fans, he said.
This Letter from Ayn Rand Shows a Niece ‘Tough Love’ for Wanting $25. It Will Have Parents Cheering.
By Kyle Becker
Ayn Rand. Two of the most divisive words in all of modern literature and philosophy. Her sweeping novel Atlas Shrugged, a dystopian work written 50 years ago, continues to have many prescient observers seeing parallels with a modern America that is going off the rails. Atlas is still an international bestseller – whether or not one has read it and enjoyed it (and more than likely, didn’t read it – still don’t like it).
Wherever one might stand on Rand’s “Objectivist” philosophy, it is the mark of intellectual cowardice to condemn ideas without a fair hearing.
For all the caterwauling about Rand’s “cold” ideology, and the inevitable misinterpretation that her ideal world is a loveless one driven only by achievement, Rand is able to display what she means by “tough love” as evidenced by a letter to a 17-year-old niece requesting a loan of $25 that was printed in a collection Letters of Ayn Rand.
The letter, reprinted in a piece by Distractify, illustrates a point-of-view that many parents who are raising young people nowadays might find really appealing:
To Connie Papurt, AR’s niece, a daughter of Frank’s sister, Agnes Papurt
May 22, 1949
Dear Connie:
You are very young, so I don’t know whether you realize the seriousness of your action in writing to me for money. Since I don’t know you at all, I am going to put you to a test.
If you really want to borrow $25 from me, I will take a chance on finding out what kind of person you are. You want to borrow the money until your graduation. I will do better than that. I will make it easier for you to repay the debt, but on condition that you understand and accept it as a strict and serious business deal. Before you borrow it, I want you to think it over very carefully.
Here are my conditions: If I send you the $25, I will give you a year to repay it. I will give you six months after your graduation to get settled in a job. Then, you will start repaying the money in installments: you will send me $5 on January 15, 1950, and $4 on the 15th of every month after that; the last installment will be on June 15, 1950—and that will repay the total.
Are you willing to do it?
Here is what I want you to think over: Once you get a job, there will always be many things which you will need and on which you might prefer to spend your money, rather than repay a debt. I want you to decide now, in advance, as an honest and responsible person, whether you will be willing and able to repay this money, no matter what happens, as an obligation above and ahead of any other expense.
I want you to understand right now that I will not accept any excuse—except a serious illness. If you become ill, then I will give you an extension of time—but for no other reason. If, when the debt becomes due, you tell me that you can’t pay me because you needed a new pair of shoes or a new coat or you gave the money to somebody in the family who needed it more than I do—then I will consider you as an embezzler. No, I won’t send a policeman after you, but I will write you off as a rotten person and I will never speak or write to you again.
Now I will tell you why I am so serious and severe about this. I despise irresponsible people. I don’t want to deal with them or help them in any way. An irresponsible person is a person who makes vague promises, then breaks his word, blames it on circumstances and expects other people to forgive it. A responsible person does not make a promise without thinking of all the consequences and being prepared to meet them.
You want $25 for the purpose of buying a dress; you tell me that you will get a job and be able to repay me. That’s fine and I am willing to help you, if that is exactly what you mean. But if what you mean is: give me the money now and I will repay it if I don’t change my mind about it—then the deal is off. If I keep my part of the deal, you must keep yours, just exactly as agreed, no matter what happens.
I was very badly disappointed in Mimi and Marna [Docky]. When I first met Mimi, she asked me to give her money for the purpose of taking an art course. I gave her the money, but she did not take the art course. I supported Marna for a year—for the purpose of helping her to finish high school. She did not finish high school. I will take a chance on you, because I don’t want to blame you for the actions of your sisters. But I want you to show me that you are a better kind of person.
I will tell you the reasons for the conditions I make: I think that the person who asks and expects other people to give him money, instead of earning it, is the most rotten person on earth. I would like to teach you, if I can, very early in life, the idea of a self-respecting, self-supporting, responsible, capitalistic person. If you borrow money and repay it, it is the best training in responsibility that you can ever have.
I want you to drop—if you have it in your mind—the idea that you are entitled to take money or support from me, just because we happen to be relatives. I want you to understand very clearly, right now, when you are young, that no honest person believes that he is obliged to support his relatives. I don’t believe it and will not do it. I cannot like you or want to help you without reason, just because you need the help. That is not a good reason. But you can earn my liking, my interest and my help by showing me that you are a good person.
Now think this over and let me know whether you want to borrow the money on my conditions and whether you give me your word of honor to observe the conditions. If you do, I will send you the money. If you don’t understand me, if you think that I am a hard, cruel, rich old woman and you don’t approve of my ideas—well, you don’t have to approve, but then you must not ask me for help.
I will wait to hear from you, and if I find out that you are my kind of person, then I hope that this will be the beginning of a real friendship between us, which would please me very much.
Your aunt,
While some prefer to dismiss Rand as a “crazy-ass aunt,” there are plenty of parents who are witnessing the irrational self-exploration that has driven millions of young people to rack up exorbitant student loans, only to find a job market non-conducive to achieving their dreams.
Whether or not one chalks this dire situation up to the eternal wiles of youth, or misguided state intervention churning out a miseducated “intellectual proletariat” ill-prepared for the demands of real life, is left up to the reader to decide.
YWCA Offers American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training
Tue, February 03, 2015 – Thu, February 12, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM
YWCA Bergen County, 112 Oak St., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training Module and Recertification Courses at the YWCA
YWCA Bergen County is offering its next American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training course on February 3 and 5 and Lifeguard Recertification Course on February 10 and 12.
American Red Cross Waterfront Lifeguard Training Module will train and test in Lifeguard skills specific to murky bottom, non-surf facilities (e.g. lakes, ponds). Current Lifeguard Training Certification and class pre-registration is required. Classes will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd and Thursday, February 5th from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, and the course fee is $100.
The American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Recertification Course, on Tuesday, February 10th and Thursday, February 12th, will review and test all CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard Skills. Participants must present Valid LGT Certification on first day of class. Classes will be held from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 112 Oak Street in Ridgewood, and the course fee is $150.
For more information or to register call the YWCA Aquatics Department at 201-444-5600, x327, or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org.
YWCA Bergen County Vacation Day program for children in grades K-6
Mon, January 19, 2015
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Location: YWCA (Bergen County), 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ
Cost: $60 per person
From 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, kids will discover magic secrets and learn to perform 2-4 tricks! Pizza and Soda will be provided. Then, from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm, there will be 60 minutes of swim time! Children must bring a bag with bathing suit, towel, googles and flip flops.
The YWCA Vacation Day program provides full day care from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on designated school holidays. Based at the YWCA’s 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood facility, the program is supervised by the YWCA’s trained child care staff.
The fee is $60 per child per day for families that are currently participating in YWCA Before or After School programs, and $80 for non-participating families. Advance registration is required with all forms due by Friday, January 9th, 2015 or late fee will be charged.
To register call 201-444-5600, ext. 400 or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org for details and registration forms.<br
Daily walk adds years to your life: Just 20 minutes a day is enough
A BRISK daily 20-minute walk could reduce the risk of an early death by almost a third, a new study shows
Lack of exercise is responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity, it says. Couch potatoes face greater danger from deadly cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and stroke as well as some cancers.
However, a 20-minute walk at a vigorous pace, or a cycle ride of the same duration, would move an individual from being classed as inactive to moderately inactive.
That small change alone would reduce their risk of early death by between 16 and 30 per cent, the Cambridge University researchers found.
Across the entire UK population, exercise from a young age would lead to an increase of nearly 12 months in average life expectancy. Individuals moving from total inactivity could gain many more extra years.
Even a small increase in physical activity each day like walking up escalators or using the stairs instead of the lift could provide significant health benefits.
Exercise for 20 minutes is recommended as a minimum and, where at all possible, more extended exercise should be carried out to achieve even greater benefits, the study says.
Professor Ulf Ekelund, head of the research team, said: “This is a simple message – just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits. Physical activity should be an important part of our daily life.”
The largest science extravaganza in northern New Jersey, this year’s Super Science Saturday will feature the incredible 25-foot egg drop challenge; the traditional great paper airplance contest and the live rocket launch, in addition to project presentations by students.
Admission is Free
Location: RHS
9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
1.12.15: Workshop Dates are Announced
A three-session workshop will be held on February 13, 20 and 26 from 4:15-6 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin Middle School. This workshop will provide an opportunity for students to choose a project, set it up and lay it out. Click here for more information.
Full details of the day, including registration forms, can be found on the Super Science Saturday website atwww.supersciencesaturday.org.
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools addresses Two issues that have caused significant discussion within the Village of Ridgewood
January 12, 2015
Dear Ridgewood Public Schools Community Member:
Two issues have caused significant discussion within the Village of Ridgewood over the past week. I would like to address each of them in this letter.
The first of these issues regards the ongoing investigation into the shooting vandalism at Old Paramus Church over the holiday break, when a person — or persons — fired bullets at the building.
This shooting, especially in the context of the recent, senseless, attacks in France, and the bombings and slayings that are in the headlines and news broadcasts seemingly every day, is the cause of great concern to everyone in our community. I can assure you that the Ridgewood Police Department and Village of Ridgewood administrators keep me properly informed on all such incidents and that all necessary precautions are always in place. I have said it many times over that the safety of our students and staff is the top priority of our Board of Education and our school district administration. These words are not idle.
The unfortunate reality is that there are people all over the world, including the USA, New Jersey and Ridgewood, who do conduct criminal and anti-social acts. Our students are inundated with these stories and pictures as reported by pundits through our news and social media outlets, as well as the discussions that take place in our homes. Even in my own home, just before the holiday break, my son announced one morning that for the first time in a month the lead news story was not some kind of mass murder attack.
It is natural to feel especially vulnerable when senseless acts are committed in our own village and when people in our community exhibit anti-social behavior. But we must remember that we also have many, many more citizens who perform important and wonderful acts of kindness and that we live in one of the safest villages anywhere. We are also fortunate to have highly trained and courageous police, firemen and first responders who risk their lives every day to ensure the health and safety of our community.
We have talented educators, too, who not only teach our children academically but also are practiced in ways to make them feel safe and welcome when the world around them is in crisis. We also have many professionals working in our schools and in our larger community to help identify and provide resources to people in crisis.DUCATION CENTER 49 COTTAGE PLACE RIDGEWOOD NJ 07450 www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
While certainly secondary to the health and safety of our community, the other issue of recent concern to families of school-age children is the 2015-2016 Ridgewood Public Schools calendar. Developing a school calendar is a delicate balancing act that requires much thought and input.
The process involved my submission of five different calendar options to a committee of
parents, students, teachers and administrators. This committee then makes a final
recommendation to the Ridgewood Board of Education, which can endorse it, select another of the drafts, or choose to develop its own calendar.
What I have heard is people want to start the school year after Labor Day, have the customary federal day holidays off, and include full breaks for December, February and April while ending the school year as early in June as possible. Such a calendar is certainly ideal but it an almost an impossible mission to accomplish. Therefore, the committee is tasked with proposing a calendar that is based on a compromise of all stakeholders’ priorities and needs. It is important to remember that the goals of the school calendar are to meet academic and state requirements while addressing our students’ need for family time.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will be discussing – and hopefully approving — the 2015- 2016 calendar at its meeting on Monday, January 26 at 7:30 p.m. Soon thereafter, the committee will begin working on the 2016-2017 calendar. I encourage you to come to the Board meeting at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, or to watch the meeting from home via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us, FiOS channel 33 or Optimum channel 77.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the above matters. Please feel free to contact me
if you have any questions.
Sincerely yours,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Buzzer sounds on Izod Center: Arena expected to close after years of decline
JANUARY 14, 2015, 2:55 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2015, 1:27 AM
BY JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Christie administration wants to close the Izod Center, which has been a key component of the Meadowlands Sports Complex for 34 years, perhaps as soon as the end of this month.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority board will be asked at its monthly meeting Thursday to approve a plan that would shutter the 18,000-seat arena by the end of March. The date would be moved up if acts booked there for February and March can be relocated to the Prudential Center in Newark.
Two influential Bergen County Democrats — state Sens. Paul Sarlo and Loretta Weinberg — were harshly critical of the proposal.
The facility, which since 2007 has borne the name of the clothing maker Izod, lost its sports tenants – the Devils of the NHL, Seton Hall University basketball and the Nets NBA franchise – between 2007 and 2010. Only a handful of concerts have been held at the arena in the past two years, although three dozen schools held graduation ceremonies there last spring and the arena still attracts family oriented holiday shows.
Wayne Hasenbalg, the president of the sports authority, said the decision, though difficult, was a matter of economics and the ongoing transformation of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, highlighted by the American Dream entertainment and retail project.
“Just about everyone in New Jersey and the region has great memories of big-name concerts, basketball or hockey games or other family entertainment at the arena,” said Hasenbalg, who grew up in Oakland.
(Reuters) – U.S. retail sales recorded their largest decline in 11 months in December as demand fell almost across the board, tempering expectations for a sharp acceleration in consumer spending in the fourth quarter.
Economists, however, cautioned against reading too much into the surprise weakness, noting that holiday spending made it difficult to smooth December data for seasonal fluctuations.
“Faulty seasonal adjustments from shifts in holiday spending patterns are probably more to blame for the December decline,” said Steve Blitz, chief economist at ITG in New York. “Looking at the last three months, spending is not collapsing.”
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday retail sales fell 0.9 percent, the biggest decline since last January, after increasing 0.4 percent in November.
Economists had expected only a 0.1 percent drop. Against the backdrop of a strengthening labor market and lower gasoline prices, they said sales should bounce back in January, with some saying December’s decline could be revised away.
Bricklin Dwyer, a senior economist at BNP Paribas in New York, said fewer post-Black Friday shopping days in November than normal threw off the so-called seasonal factor used to adjust the data, resulting in a lower December sales number.
Ridgewood and Glen Rock to Host 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Day Observance
All Are Welecome!
Ridgewood and Glen Rock to Host 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Day Observance Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Noted Speaker, Preacher and Teacher, will Address the Program’s Theme, “Standing on the Side of Justice” The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee of Ridgewood and Glen Rock will host its 33rd annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. King on Monday, January 19, 2015, at the Ridgewood United Methodist Church, 100 Dayton St., in Ridgewood, New Jersey. The Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr., noted speaker, educator, community activist and Senior Minister Emeritus of Manhattan’s Riverside Church, will address the theme of this year’s event, “Standing on the Side of Justice,” during an interfaith worship service beginning at 10 a.m. An 11:30 a.m. outdoor rally, 12 p.m. community lunch, and 1 p.m. performance by Mack Brandon and The Connection will follow the service. The performance will highlight the music that gave voice to the call for action that culminated in the Civil Rights movement.
The program also includes Ridgewood and Glen Rock student speakers and musical performances by the Indian Hills Chamber Choir and Men of Umoja chorus. Guests may attend any or all of the day’s events, which are free and open to the public. “The struggle for racial justice has taken on a heightened sense of urgency, as can be seen in the aftermath of the Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions and the administration’s battle over immigration,” said committee co-chair Alice Newton. “As we celebrate Dr. King’s life and work, we will focus on the vital importance he placed on non-violence, and on standing up and speaking out for justice as a catalyst for creating positive change.” Dr. Forbes served as Senior Minister of the Riverside Church for 18 years, and was named one of the 12 “most effective preachers” in the English-speaking world by Newsweek magazine. He is The Harry Emerson Fosdick Distinguished Professor at Union Theological Seminary and President of the Healing of the Nations Foundation, a non-partisan, interfaith, not-for-profit organization that promotes a holistic understanding of health and wellness. He was the recent host of “The Time is Now” on Air America Radio, and is frequently featured on radio and television. Mack Brandon and The Connection have been inspiring audiences worldwide for 15 years with their entertaining and uplifting renditions of popular gospel music. A composer, pianist, educator, and pastor, Rev. Brandon has been a professor of music at Ramapo College of New Jersey for 20 years and serves as pastor of the Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Ridgewood, N.J. The annual Ridgewood/Glen Rock Martin Luther King Jr. celebration began in 1983 in an effort to unite area residents, regardless of faith or ethnic background, in worship and action as they work towards peace and justice for all. More than 20 religious groups, the Ridgewood and Glen Rock Boards of Education, local government, and civic organizations participate in and support the event each year. For more information contact Alice Newton at 201-951-9903, email [email protected], or visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Glen Rock/Ridgewood, N.J. on Facebook.
Eying a White House bid, New Jersey’s Chris Christie faces economic challenges at home
NEWARK, N.J. — As he casts his eye toward a potential presidential bid, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie must also take on some work at home. First up: a statewide address expected to touch on nagging economic issues that could complicate his political plans.
Observers expect Christie to use his fifth State of the State address on Tuesday to define his tenure as governor on his own terms, while not missing the chance to articulate his rationale for a potential run for president. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
