A Canadian man traveling by car to Vermont claimed his iPad helped save the day after he realized he left his passport, which is required to cross into the United States, at his home in Quebec.
Martin Reisch, 33, said he arrived at Canada's Stanstead crossing and proceeded to the U.S. border post at Derby Line, Vt. He showed the U.S. officer his Canadian driver's license, Medicaid card and a digital scan of his passport he had on his iPad on Dec. 30.
"He didn't say much," Reisch told ABCNews.com. "He took it with a serious face and went into the border patrol house. Five minutes later he came out and said 'Merry Christmas. You can go through.'"
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection today called Reisch's story "false."
"In this case, the individual had both a driver's license and birth certificate, which the CBP officer used to determine identity and citizenship in order to admit the traveler into the country," the agency said in a statement.
But Reisch isn't backing down from his story.
"I can't lie. I don't even know where my birth certificate is," he said. "Maybe they are making an official statement to help lessen the impact."
The story went viral after Reisch's friends retweeted his experience.
"I don't want to start anything," he said of all the attention he has received. "But this sounds like it's taking a turn for the worse."
He added that his experience does make him think about how technology can be used for identification purposes when traveling at some point in the future.
"I think mobile devices could develop applications with security protocols so it's possible to bring your ID without having it stolen," he said. "Obviously not just a jpeg scan of your passport."
2012年2月10日星期五
Mayan Ruins in Georgia? Archeologist Objects, Debate Breaks Out Online
The textbooks will tell you that the Mayan people thrived in Central America from about 250 to 900 A.D., building magnificent temples in Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and southern Mexico.
But could they possibly have left stone ruins in the mountains of North Georgia? Richard Thornton thinks so. He says he's an architect and urban planner by training, but has been hired to research the history of native people in and around Georgia since 2003. On Examiner.com, he wrote about an 1,100-year-old archeological site near Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald, that he said "is possibly the site of the fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540."
This might all be fairly arcane stuff, except that an archeologist he cited, Mark Williams of the University of Georgia, took exception. In the comments section after Thornton's piece, he wrote, "I am the archaeologist Mark Williams mentioned in this article. This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now."
Immediately the story exploded. In comments on Examiner, as well as on Facebook and in emails, users piled on. One woman called Williams "completely pompous and arrogant." A man wrote he was "completely disrespectful to the Public at large." Another said he would urge the state of Georgia to cut off funding for Williams' academic department at the university.
All of this left Thornton, who writes often about the Maya for Examiner.com, "dumfounded."
"I actually was giving Williams a plug," he said in an interview with ABC News. "I've got a regular readership, but this thing just went viral."
Thornton, who said he is Georgia Creek Indian by birth, told how he studied under Roman Pina-Chan, a leading Mexican archeologist who happens to be of Mayan origin. Pina-Chan, he said, noted many cultural connections between archeological sites in Georgia and Mayan sites in Central America.
Some of Thornton's conclusions about the Mayan connection to the southern U.S., he said, are based on oral history. There are place names in Georgia and North Carolina, he said, that are very similar to Mayan words. (Words like "mako" and "Kukulkan," he said, are of Mayan origin, and will be recognized by scholars of Mayan history.) The ruins near Brasstown Bald, he said, also include mounds and irrigation terraces similar to those found at Mayan settlements in Central America.
Williams, the doubting archeologist, had many online defenders. "While there are many, many compelling parallels between Central American and North American indigenous mythologies," wrote one, "that does not mean there was direct evidence that the post-Classic Period Collapse Maya emigrated all the way to Georgia."
Williams stood his ground against Thornton's suggestion that Brasstown Bald has any Mayan roots. "The sites are certainly those of Native Americans of prehistoric Georgia," he wrote in an email. "Wild theories are not new, but the web simply spreads them faster than ever."
But could they possibly have left stone ruins in the mountains of North Georgia? Richard Thornton thinks so. He says he's an architect and urban planner by training, but has been hired to research the history of native people in and around Georgia since 2003. On Examiner.com, he wrote about an 1,100-year-old archeological site near Georgia's highest mountain, Brasstown Bald, that he said "is possibly the site of the fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540."
This might all be fairly arcane stuff, except that an archeologist he cited, Mark Williams of the University of Georgia, took exception. In the comments section after Thornton's piece, he wrote, "I am the archaeologist Mark Williams mentioned in this article. This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now."
Immediately the story exploded. In comments on Examiner, as well as on Facebook and in emails, users piled on. One woman called Williams "completely pompous and arrogant." A man wrote he was "completely disrespectful to the Public at large." Another said he would urge the state of Georgia to cut off funding for Williams' academic department at the university.
All of this left Thornton, who writes often about the Maya for Examiner.com, "dumfounded."
"I actually was giving Williams a plug," he said in an interview with ABC News. "I've got a regular readership, but this thing just went viral."
Thornton, who said he is Georgia Creek Indian by birth, told how he studied under Roman Pina-Chan, a leading Mexican archeologist who happens to be of Mayan origin. Pina-Chan, he said, noted many cultural connections between archeological sites in Georgia and Mayan sites in Central America.
Some of Thornton's conclusions about the Mayan connection to the southern U.S., he said, are based on oral history. There are place names in Georgia and North Carolina, he said, that are very similar to Mayan words. (Words like "mako" and "Kukulkan," he said, are of Mayan origin, and will be recognized by scholars of Mayan history.) The ruins near Brasstown Bald, he said, also include mounds and irrigation terraces similar to those found at Mayan settlements in Central America.
Williams, the doubting archeologist, had many online defenders. "While there are many, many compelling parallels between Central American and North American indigenous mythologies," wrote one, "that does not mean there was direct evidence that the post-Classic Period Collapse Maya emigrated all the way to Georgia."
Williams stood his ground against Thornton's suggestion that Brasstown Bald has any Mayan roots. "The sites are certainly those of Native Americans of prehistoric Georgia," he wrote in an email. "Wild theories are not new, but the web simply spreads them faster than ever."
Biological Mom Kept From Child in Lesbian Legal Case
Tina's biological daughter turned 8 this week, but she has not seen the girl since Dec. 22, 2008, because of a custody fight with her former lesbian partner. The partner is unrelated to the child, but gave birth to her.
"I thought I'd have her back on her birthday," said Tina, a law enforcement officer, whose name was never on the birth certificate and who has been denied parenting rights under Florida state law.
For 11 years, the Brevard County couple forged a committed relationship, living together, sharing their finances and raising a daughter. Tina's egg was fertilized with donor sperm and implanted in her partner's womb.
But when their romance fell apart when the child was 2, the Florida courts had to decide, who is the legal parent, the biological mother or the birth mother who carried the unrelated child for nine months in her womb?
A trial court summarily sided with Tina's ex-partner, citing Florida statute. "The judge said, 'It breaks my heart, but this is the law,'" according to the birth mother's lawyer, Robert J. Wheelock of Orlando.
But on Dec. 23, a state appeals court rejected the law as antiquated and recognized both women as legal parents.
Citing the case as "unique," the 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that both the U.S. and Florida constitutions trump Florida's law, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which first reported the story.
"I am elated and I am thankful," said Tina, now 41. "I am hoping things will run smoothly from this [point] forward, but it may not be the case. She is appealing and trying to keep me away from my daughter."
Court papers identify both women only by their initials. ABCNews.com is withholding Tina's last name to protect her privacy.
Wheeler has asked for a stay of Tina's rights and said the case will surely go to the Florida Supreme Court and, he hopes, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I made a decision to have a child and raise her, not so someone else could keep her away from me," said Tina. "I want to see her grow and be a part of her life. The longer time passes the more I am missing out."
Wheelock would give no personal details about the birth mother, including where she is living with the child. He said she could not be available to talk to ABCNews.com on "such short notice."
The case, he said, is an important one.
"Anything to do with gay rights is a big deal," said Wheelock. "It will probably raise the level of conversation significantly for the next few years."
But he said the case, which has lingered for two years, will take time. "Nothing is that quick or easy," he said.
"The real person who is being affected is the kid, who has had a very stable life for a long time and now it's thrown in the mix here, a pawn in some grander scheme," said Wheelock. "There is a human side to this."
The plight of both women and their young daughter highlights the murky laws that surround same-sex families, particularly in states like Florida that do not recognize gay marriage. The state only legalized second-parent adoption last year, too late for Tina.
"I was told to see a counselor and I should have gone to a lawyer to get surrogacy paperwork so that didn't give her all the rights when she shares no biology with her," she said.
The Brevard County couple, who worked on the same police force, lived as a married couple, according to Tina's lawyer, Robert A. Segal of Melbourne.
"They couldn't solemnize the relationship, but they had been living together, owned property together, shared bank accounts and income," he said. "They held themselves up to the world as a committed couple."
"It's a moral, ethical and legal issue," said Segal. "The court sees it as a clear intent on the part of these parties to very deliberately bring a child into the world and to raise her together."
Gay advocacy groups hailed the appellate decision giving both mothers parenting rights, but warned that because many states do not recognize same-sex relationships, children are often the victims.
"Certainly a mother, like most parents, would go to the ends of the earth not to lose her relationship with the child," said Beth Littrell, an attorney in the southern regional office of LAMBDA Legal.
The law provides no distinction between biological and birth mother and has "not caught up with science or the state of same-sex marriages," ruled the appellate court.
"It's heartbreaking when they have no recourse," Littrell said. "And all kinds of harm can be created for the child with these ambiguous laws."
When Tina and her partner decided to have a child, the birth mother was 39 and infertile. Her egg was harvested and fertilized with by sperm from an anonymous donor, who relinquished his rights to the child.
When the child was born in 2004, the women hyphenated their names as the child's last name.
"They did everything that a very happy family does, but the relationship broke down," said Segal.
Lesbian Couple Were at First Amicable
Tina's lawyer said that the birth mother had turned "mean" after an amicable separation. "It happens a lot in divorcing couples," said Segal.
He said his client had been painted as a "donor mother," which was far from the truth.
"That is not a term that has legal sense to it," Segal said. "She was not giving [her eggs] with no strings attached and relinquishing rights. That wasn't happening here. She intended to be part of the child's life."
At first, the biological mother paid child support to her ex-partner and the couple worked out a time-share arrangement with their daughter, who had moved with her birth mother back with family in North Carolina.
But at some point, the birth mother decided to go to Australia for an educational law enforcement program, taking the child with her and not telling her ex-partner.
"Letters were returned by the birth mother's mother and she got tight-lipped," said Segal. "We started piecing things together and bringing in an investigator from Australia."
Tina and her lawyer filed a petition at the trial level asking to be declared a legal mother with parental rights. She also challenged the constitutionality of Florida law.
"The bottom line was, we wanted her to be a legal parent and given enforceable legal rights," said Segal.
The appeals court sent the case back to circuit court to determine visitation, custody and child support arrangement with an emphasis on the well-being of their daughter.
Two other similar court cases in New York City and California are also raising national attention.
"It does appear to be a trend where courts are looking at the intention of the parties to decide who the legal parents are, and that has applications for [couples] who plan to have a child and create that child through artificial insemination and to raise that child, even if the relationship goes awry," said LAMBDA Legal's Littrell.
"It was a great decision for this family and for each of the parents with the child at the center of the controversy," she said. "The language and the reasoning the court employed bode well for same-sex couples across the board."
As for Tina, she is now living with a new partner and has another child and one on the way. She said her legal fight has been expensive, but "all worth it if I can get her back."
"Shame on me," said Tina that she didn't understand the legal complexities that would be involved. "I did not know that I would not be on the birth certificate, that I would not have any legal right to my biological child."
"I thought I'd have her back on her birthday," said Tina, a law enforcement officer, whose name was never on the birth certificate and who has been denied parenting rights under Florida state law.
For 11 years, the Brevard County couple forged a committed relationship, living together, sharing their finances and raising a daughter. Tina's egg was fertilized with donor sperm and implanted in her partner's womb.
But when their romance fell apart when the child was 2, the Florida courts had to decide, who is the legal parent, the biological mother or the birth mother who carried the unrelated child for nine months in her womb?
A trial court summarily sided with Tina's ex-partner, citing Florida statute. "The judge said, 'It breaks my heart, but this is the law,'" according to the birth mother's lawyer, Robert J. Wheelock of Orlando.
But on Dec. 23, a state appeals court rejected the law as antiquated and recognized both women as legal parents.
Citing the case as "unique," the 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that both the U.S. and Florida constitutions trump Florida's law, according to the Orlando Sentinel, which first reported the story.
"I am elated and I am thankful," said Tina, now 41. "I am hoping things will run smoothly from this [point] forward, but it may not be the case. She is appealing and trying to keep me away from my daughter."
Court papers identify both women only by their initials. ABCNews.com is withholding Tina's last name to protect her privacy.
Wheeler has asked for a stay of Tina's rights and said the case will surely go to the Florida Supreme Court and, he hopes, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I made a decision to have a child and raise her, not so someone else could keep her away from me," said Tina. "I want to see her grow and be a part of her life. The longer time passes the more I am missing out."
Wheelock would give no personal details about the birth mother, including where she is living with the child. He said she could not be available to talk to ABCNews.com on "such short notice."
The case, he said, is an important one.
"Anything to do with gay rights is a big deal," said Wheelock. "It will probably raise the level of conversation significantly for the next few years."
But he said the case, which has lingered for two years, will take time. "Nothing is that quick or easy," he said.
"The real person who is being affected is the kid, who has had a very stable life for a long time and now it's thrown in the mix here, a pawn in some grander scheme," said Wheelock. "There is a human side to this."
The plight of both women and their young daughter highlights the murky laws that surround same-sex families, particularly in states like Florida that do not recognize gay marriage. The state only legalized second-parent adoption last year, too late for Tina.
"I was told to see a counselor and I should have gone to a lawyer to get surrogacy paperwork so that didn't give her all the rights when she shares no biology with her," she said.
The Brevard County couple, who worked on the same police force, lived as a married couple, according to Tina's lawyer, Robert A. Segal of Melbourne.
"They couldn't solemnize the relationship, but they had been living together, owned property together, shared bank accounts and income," he said. "They held themselves up to the world as a committed couple."
"It's a moral, ethical and legal issue," said Segal. "The court sees it as a clear intent on the part of these parties to very deliberately bring a child into the world and to raise her together."
Gay advocacy groups hailed the appellate decision giving both mothers parenting rights, but warned that because many states do not recognize same-sex relationships, children are often the victims.
"Certainly a mother, like most parents, would go to the ends of the earth not to lose her relationship with the child," said Beth Littrell, an attorney in the southern regional office of LAMBDA Legal.
The law provides no distinction between biological and birth mother and has "not caught up with science or the state of same-sex marriages," ruled the appellate court.
"It's heartbreaking when they have no recourse," Littrell said. "And all kinds of harm can be created for the child with these ambiguous laws."
When Tina and her partner decided to have a child, the birth mother was 39 and infertile. Her egg was harvested and fertilized with by sperm from an anonymous donor, who relinquished his rights to the child.
When the child was born in 2004, the women hyphenated their names as the child's last name.
"They did everything that a very happy family does, but the relationship broke down," said Segal.
Lesbian Couple Were at First Amicable
Tina's lawyer said that the birth mother had turned "mean" after an amicable separation. "It happens a lot in divorcing couples," said Segal.
He said his client had been painted as a "donor mother," which was far from the truth.
"That is not a term that has legal sense to it," Segal said. "She was not giving [her eggs] with no strings attached and relinquishing rights. That wasn't happening here. She intended to be part of the child's life."
At first, the biological mother paid child support to her ex-partner and the couple worked out a time-share arrangement with their daughter, who had moved with her birth mother back with family in North Carolina.
But at some point, the birth mother decided to go to Australia for an educational law enforcement program, taking the child with her and not telling her ex-partner.
"Letters were returned by the birth mother's mother and she got tight-lipped," said Segal. "We started piecing things together and bringing in an investigator from Australia."
Tina and her lawyer filed a petition at the trial level asking to be declared a legal mother with parental rights. She also challenged the constitutionality of Florida law.
"The bottom line was, we wanted her to be a legal parent and given enforceable legal rights," said Segal.
The appeals court sent the case back to circuit court to determine visitation, custody and child support arrangement with an emphasis on the well-being of their daughter.
Two other similar court cases in New York City and California are also raising national attention.
"It does appear to be a trend where courts are looking at the intention of the parties to decide who the legal parents are, and that has applications for [couples] who plan to have a child and create that child through artificial insemination and to raise that child, even if the relationship goes awry," said LAMBDA Legal's Littrell.
"It was a great decision for this family and for each of the parents with the child at the center of the controversy," she said. "The language and the reasoning the court employed bode well for same-sex couples across the board."
As for Tina, she is now living with a new partner and has another child and one on the way. She said her legal fight has been expensive, but "all worth it if I can get her back."
"Shame on me," said Tina that she didn't understand the legal complexities that would be involved. "I did not know that I would not be on the birth certificate, that I would not have any legal right to my biological child."
Dogs' Ability to Sense Communication Similar to Infants
Dogs may be as receptive to certain human communication signals as infants are, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology.
Hungarian researchers found that dogs' eyes follow where a person is looking if the person first communicates with the dog, such as through eye contact.
The researchers showed 29 dogs a series of videos depicting a person turning toward a pot. If the person looked in the direction of the dog and said, "Hi, dog!" in a high-pitched voice before looking at the pot, the dog was more likely to follow the human's gaze and also look at the pot than if the person didn't look at the dog and only said, "Hi, dog," in a lower-pitched voice. The dogs' eyes were followed with an eye tracker.
This phenomenon, known as gaze-following, is well-documented in infants and young children, the authors wrote.
"Our findings reveal that dogs are receptive to human communication in a manner that was previously attributed only to human infants," co-author Jozsef Topal of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences said in a journal press release. "Increasing evidence supports the notion that humans and dogs share some social skills, with dogs' social-cognitive functioning resembling that of a 6-month to 2-year-old child in many respects."
Veterinarians and animal behavior experts not involved with the research said that while it may seem obvious that dogs are able to follow nonverbal cues, this is one of the few studies that offer scientific proof about dogs' ability to communicate.
"In living rooms and backyards across America, we've known these things to be true, and now we have some numbers to prove it," said Marty Becker, an Idaho-based veterinarian and author of "The Healing Power of Pets."
"Like a baby does to the mother, when dogs lock on the face and the person looks to the side, the dog will follow the look -- they have this same communication signal," said Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Center at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in N. Grafton, Mass. "They are looking for an expression of what the person is thinking."
"This is another example of a supposed barrier between animals and humans being knocked down by research," he added.
Becker, also a columnist for Vetstreet.com, added that, as many dog owners and trainers can attest, dogs are attuned to nonverbal cues.
"It's written all over you -- it's the way your shoulders are held, it's the cadence of your walk. They respond to those signals before they respond to your voice."
Using a car analogy, Becker explained that one of the most powerful nonverbal cues, as the study suggests, is a human's gaze.
"The gaze is like the steering wheel that sends the dog in the right direction. The voice is the accelerator."
Because of the similarities between young children and dogs, Becker isn't surprised at how dog owners treat their precious pooches.
"A recent survey said that 80 percent of people consider themselves their pets' mom and dad. They're treating their four-legged children like their two-legged children."
Hungarian researchers found that dogs' eyes follow where a person is looking if the person first communicates with the dog, such as through eye contact.
The researchers showed 29 dogs a series of videos depicting a person turning toward a pot. If the person looked in the direction of the dog and said, "Hi, dog!" in a high-pitched voice before looking at the pot, the dog was more likely to follow the human's gaze and also look at the pot than if the person didn't look at the dog and only said, "Hi, dog," in a lower-pitched voice. The dogs' eyes were followed with an eye tracker.
This phenomenon, known as gaze-following, is well-documented in infants and young children, the authors wrote.
"Our findings reveal that dogs are receptive to human communication in a manner that was previously attributed only to human infants," co-author Jozsef Topal of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences said in a journal press release. "Increasing evidence supports the notion that humans and dogs share some social skills, with dogs' social-cognitive functioning resembling that of a 6-month to 2-year-old child in many respects."
Veterinarians and animal behavior experts not involved with the research said that while it may seem obvious that dogs are able to follow nonverbal cues, this is one of the few studies that offer scientific proof about dogs' ability to communicate.
"In living rooms and backyards across America, we've known these things to be true, and now we have some numbers to prove it," said Marty Becker, an Idaho-based veterinarian and author of "The Healing Power of Pets."
"Like a baby does to the mother, when dogs lock on the face and the person looks to the side, the dog will follow the look -- they have this same communication signal," said Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Center at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in N. Grafton, Mass. "They are looking for an expression of what the person is thinking."
"This is another example of a supposed barrier between animals and humans being knocked down by research," he added.
Becker, also a columnist for Vetstreet.com, added that, as many dog owners and trainers can attest, dogs are attuned to nonverbal cues.
"It's written all over you -- it's the way your shoulders are held, it's the cadence of your walk. They respond to those signals before they respond to your voice."
Using a car analogy, Becker explained that one of the most powerful nonverbal cues, as the study suggests, is a human's gaze.
"The gaze is like the steering wheel that sends the dog in the right direction. The voice is the accelerator."
Because of the similarities between young children and dogs, Becker isn't surprised at how dog owners treat their precious pooches.
"A recent survey said that 80 percent of people consider themselves their pets' mom and dad. They're treating their four-legged children like their two-legged children."
Exclusive Deals and Steals: 'GMA' Viewers Get Great Discounts on Jewelry, Home Decor and Business Products
It's the new year, and "Good Morning America" is giving viewers a chance to snag some great home, business and personal items at great prices through our popular Secret Deals and Steals segment.
Today, we're bringing you discounted deals on jewelry, storage and home decor items, products for businesspeople and more.
First, the fine print:
1. Use the promo codes and links provided below only on the dates listed to receive the savings.
2. All deals available only while supplies last. No back orders or rain checks unless specified by the retailer.
3. Exclusive deals are applicable only to the items specified below. The savings are not applicable to other items on each site.
4. Deals cannot be combined with other coupons and offers.
5. Contact retailers directly for any questions about products, pricing and delivery before ordering online.
6. You might experience temporary technical issues because of the high volume of traffic. Thanks for your patience.
To suggest an exclusive deal for my consideration, connect with me directly at Facebook.com/Tory. If you have any trouble accessing a deal, you're welcome to email me directly through www.toryjohnson.com. I will answer you the same day.
M2 by Mary Margrill: Believe Tag Necklace
Original: $110
GMA Exclusive Deal: $50
Get 55 percent savings on Believe and Love tag necklaces
Valid: 1/5/12
http://www.marymargrill.com/gma.htm (use promo code GMA)
Believe in yourself to make 2012 your best year yet. This Believe Tag Pendant is part of Mary Margrill's iconic collection, coveted by Hollywood stars and yoga aficionados alike. Mary's tag line is "A conversation worth having" and it's obvious that her pieces spark just that: What are you willing to believe in for yourself? Her concept is that you wear these pieces to remind yourself of what you're committed to right now. Wear this pendant as a reminder throughout 2012. Sterling silver "BELIEVE" pendant is about 1-inch long with a single white sapphire; 18-inch ball chain. Shipping is $6.95, plus a fee to insure the shipment based on total purchase.
Clever Container Company: Clever Cache
Original: $22
GMA Exclusive Deal: $10
Get 55 percent savings on the Clever Cache set
Valid: 1/5/12
http://www.clevercontainer.com/gma (no promo code needed when you use this exclusive link)
Founded by two women in Detroit, the Clever Container's set of five compression storage bags (two large and three small) are great for travel, seasonal storage, gym clothes or even the creation of an emergency kit for your car. Easy to use and no vacuum required—you'll save so much space when you use this system. Made in the U.S.A., Clever Cache's are airtight, waterproof, and puncture resistant. Shipping is $3 per set.
IdeaPaint: Home by IdeaPaint 20 SF White
Original: $75
GMA Exclusive Deal: $30
Get 60 percent savings on Home by IdeaPaint 20 Square feet White (PLUS FREE SHIPPING!)
Valid: 1/5/12 thru 1/6/12
http://Ideapaint.com/gma (use promo code GMA)
Get creative at home or work! IdeaPaint is a single-coat, roller-applied paint that turns any smooth surface into a high-performance dry-erase writing surface. IdeaPaint creates dynamic environments within corporate, educational and home settings. Paint a big square in the kitchen to leave family notes, or cover a wall in your kids bedroom, or consider this for your home office wall. The kit includes the paint (2 cans), a paint roller, stir stick, can opener, wet paint sign and directions. It does not include primer or dry erase markers. Free shipping!
Today, we're bringing you discounted deals on jewelry, storage and home decor items, products for businesspeople and more.
First, the fine print:
1. Use the promo codes and links provided below only on the dates listed to receive the savings.
2. All deals available only while supplies last. No back orders or rain checks unless specified by the retailer.
3. Exclusive deals are applicable only to the items specified below. The savings are not applicable to other items on each site.
4. Deals cannot be combined with other coupons and offers.
5. Contact retailers directly for any questions about products, pricing and delivery before ordering online.
6. You might experience temporary technical issues because of the high volume of traffic. Thanks for your patience.
To suggest an exclusive deal for my consideration, connect with me directly at Facebook.com/Tory. If you have any trouble accessing a deal, you're welcome to email me directly through www.toryjohnson.com. I will answer you the same day.
M2 by Mary Margrill: Believe Tag Necklace
Original: $110
GMA Exclusive Deal: $50
Get 55 percent savings on Believe and Love tag necklaces
Valid: 1/5/12
http://www.marymargrill.com/gma.htm (use promo code GMA)
Believe in yourself to make 2012 your best year yet. This Believe Tag Pendant is part of Mary Margrill's iconic collection, coveted by Hollywood stars and yoga aficionados alike. Mary's tag line is "A conversation worth having" and it's obvious that her pieces spark just that: What are you willing to believe in for yourself? Her concept is that you wear these pieces to remind yourself of what you're committed to right now. Wear this pendant as a reminder throughout 2012. Sterling silver "BELIEVE" pendant is about 1-inch long with a single white sapphire; 18-inch ball chain. Shipping is $6.95, plus a fee to insure the shipment based on total purchase.
Clever Container Company: Clever Cache
Original: $22
GMA Exclusive Deal: $10
Get 55 percent savings on the Clever Cache set
Valid: 1/5/12
http://www.clevercontainer.com/gma (no promo code needed when you use this exclusive link)
Founded by two women in Detroit, the Clever Container's set of five compression storage bags (two large and three small) are great for travel, seasonal storage, gym clothes or even the creation of an emergency kit for your car. Easy to use and no vacuum required—you'll save so much space when you use this system. Made in the U.S.A., Clever Cache's are airtight, waterproof, and puncture resistant. Shipping is $3 per set.
IdeaPaint: Home by IdeaPaint 20 SF White
Original: $75
GMA Exclusive Deal: $30
Get 60 percent savings on Home by IdeaPaint 20 Square feet White (PLUS FREE SHIPPING!)
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LA Arson Suspect: Bail Set at $2.85 Million
The man accused of igniting dozens of fires across Los Angeles during a four-day rampage over New Year's weekend has been charged with 37 counts of arson and bail was set at $2.85 million.
Harry Burkhart was charged with 28 counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure, District Attorney Steve Cooley said.
The charges also allege the 24-year-old German national placed an incendiary device designed to accelerate the fires under the engine area of cars.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Upinder S. Kalra postponed Burkhart 's arraignment until January 24, after a delay was requested by the suspect's public defender. More charges could be filed by that date.
"The amount of harm he did to the psyche of the citizens of these particular communities and all of Los Angeles County, I think it merits a life term," Cooley said.
Prosecutors alleged that Burkhart was "motivated by his rage against Americans" when he set a series of 52 blazes in the Los Angeles area, primarily in Hollywood and the Sherman Oaks neighborhoods. Authorities have called him "the most dangerous arsonist in L.A. history."
Since his arrest Burkhart has refused to cooperate with investigators.
Authorities previously said they were "very confident" in the arrest of Burkhart, who told police officers, "I hate America" as they placed him under arrest.
Burkhart may have been motivated by his anger at U.S. immigration authorities that stemmed from a deportation hearing involving his mother, Dorothee, that took place in Los Angeles County about a week and a half ago, sources told ABC News.
Burkhart broke into a tirade, spewing angry anti-American statements during the hearing for his mother before being escorted from the courtroom by U.S. Marshalls, officials told ABC News.
Officials said he shouted "F... the United States" during the Dec. 29 hearing, one day before he disappeared and the fires in Hollywood began.
According to a redacted criminal complaint that was unsealed today, Burkhart's mother was facing extradition because she pilfered rent security deposits and had skipped out on paying for a breast augmentation surgery.
Burkhart was apprehended when Los Angeles Police Deputy Shervin Lalezary spotted a minivan Monday with British Columbia plates that matched the description of a vehicle seen at several of the vehicle and carport fires ignited around Hollywood and West Hollywood, beginning Dec. 30.
When Lalezary initiated a traffic stop, he discovered the van's driver, Burkhart, also resembled the person of interest seen in a videotape released by the multi-agency arson task force assigned to the case. Grainy security footage from a parking garage that was set on fire showed a man in a ponytail, too.
Police seized flammable materials that matched the materials used in the blazes during the search of the minivan, according to sources.
Initially identified by police as a person of interest, Burkhart soon became a prime suspect. He was detained and questioned and, after subsequent interviews with police, was arrested.
On Monday afternoon he was charged with one count of arson of an inhabited dwelling. Since Burkhart's arrest on Monday, there have been no new fires set in the Los Angeles area.
Harry Burkhart was charged with 28 counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure, District Attorney Steve Cooley said.
The charges also allege the 24-year-old German national placed an incendiary device designed to accelerate the fires under the engine area of cars.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Upinder S. Kalra postponed Burkhart 's arraignment until January 24, after a delay was requested by the suspect's public defender. More charges could be filed by that date.
"The amount of harm he did to the psyche of the citizens of these particular communities and all of Los Angeles County, I think it merits a life term," Cooley said.
Prosecutors alleged that Burkhart was "motivated by his rage against Americans" when he set a series of 52 blazes in the Los Angeles area, primarily in Hollywood and the Sherman Oaks neighborhoods. Authorities have called him "the most dangerous arsonist in L.A. history."
Since his arrest Burkhart has refused to cooperate with investigators.
Authorities previously said they were "very confident" in the arrest of Burkhart, who told police officers, "I hate America" as they placed him under arrest.
Burkhart may have been motivated by his anger at U.S. immigration authorities that stemmed from a deportation hearing involving his mother, Dorothee, that took place in Los Angeles County about a week and a half ago, sources told ABC News.
Burkhart broke into a tirade, spewing angry anti-American statements during the hearing for his mother before being escorted from the courtroom by U.S. Marshalls, officials told ABC News.
Officials said he shouted "F... the United States" during the Dec. 29 hearing, one day before he disappeared and the fires in Hollywood began.
According to a redacted criminal complaint that was unsealed today, Burkhart's mother was facing extradition because she pilfered rent security deposits and had skipped out on paying for a breast augmentation surgery.
Burkhart was apprehended when Los Angeles Police Deputy Shervin Lalezary spotted a minivan Monday with British Columbia plates that matched the description of a vehicle seen at several of the vehicle and carport fires ignited around Hollywood and West Hollywood, beginning Dec. 30.
When Lalezary initiated a traffic stop, he discovered the van's driver, Burkhart, also resembled the person of interest seen in a videotape released by the multi-agency arson task force assigned to the case. Grainy security footage from a parking garage that was set on fire showed a man in a ponytail, too.
Police seized flammable materials that matched the materials used in the blazes during the search of the minivan, according to sources.
Initially identified by police as a person of interest, Burkhart soon became a prime suspect. He was detained and questioned and, after subsequent interviews with police, was arrested.
On Monday afternoon he was charged with one count of arson of an inhabited dwelling. Since Burkhart's arrest on Monday, there have been no new fires set in the Los Angeles area.
Kate Middleton Channels Diana with Charity Selections
Kate Middleton is drawing further comparisons to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana of Wales after she chose an array of charitable organizations to donate her time and draw attention to this week.
Middleton, who will turn 30 on Monday, has carefully selected a group of children's hospices, along with an art therapy and addiction charity, and a world-famous art gallery to receive her sought-after attention. The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly personally sifted through "a few hundred" potential charities before making her selection of which honorary positions to accept.
For her 30th, the woman who got what girls across the world dream of last year with her lavish royal wedding, has even taken her charity one step further and reportedly asked that all gifts be made in the form of donations to the charities she is now involved with.
"She did her own research and chose these after approaches or because they reflected the areas she was already aware of, especially in the arts and outdoor activities," a palace source told People magazine.
Middleton reportedly sees addiction as the source of a number of the social issues she is concerned with, so she decided to throw her support behind the U.K.'s Patron of Action on Addiction, which aims to take a "dynamic and integrated approach to improving our understanding of addiction and our responses to it."
"It is a great honor for the charity that Her Royal Highness has chosen to become our patron," Chief Executive Nick Barton said. "We are thrilled that the Duchess will be supporting us in our mission to free people from addiction and its effects."
Middleton also chose to become the Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, which aids children with life-threatening diseases. She chose the charity not just because it aids those in need in the city of Cambridge, but because she was moved by the issue that motivates the charity, which is a leader in palliative care.
Her love of the arts led Middleton to become a Royal Patron of a charity called The Art Room, which provides art therapy to children from five to 16, and to also become a Patron of London's National Portrait Gallery, which houses art of historically famous Brits.
The Duchess will also be volunteering in the Scout Association. A former Brownie herself, along with her sister Pippa, Middleton can look forward to working with the "Beaver Scout Colonies." She reportedly was interested in working with the charity because of her love of the outdoors and because it will allow her to work in the vicinity of her and The Duke's home in north Wales.
Over the next several months the Duchess will undertake both private and public visits across the United Kingdom to meet with these organizations.
Middleton, who will turn 30 on Monday, has carefully selected a group of children's hospices, along with an art therapy and addiction charity, and a world-famous art gallery to receive her sought-after attention. The Duchess of Cambridge reportedly personally sifted through "a few hundred" potential charities before making her selection of which honorary positions to accept.
For her 30th, the woman who got what girls across the world dream of last year with her lavish royal wedding, has even taken her charity one step further and reportedly asked that all gifts be made in the form of donations to the charities she is now involved with.
"She did her own research and chose these after approaches or because they reflected the areas she was already aware of, especially in the arts and outdoor activities," a palace source told People magazine.
Middleton reportedly sees addiction as the source of a number of the social issues she is concerned with, so she decided to throw her support behind the U.K.'s Patron of Action on Addiction, which aims to take a "dynamic and integrated approach to improving our understanding of addiction and our responses to it."
"It is a great honor for the charity that Her Royal Highness has chosen to become our patron," Chief Executive Nick Barton said. "We are thrilled that the Duchess will be supporting us in our mission to free people from addiction and its effects."
Middleton also chose to become the Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices, which aids children with life-threatening diseases. She chose the charity not just because it aids those in need in the city of Cambridge, but because she was moved by the issue that motivates the charity, which is a leader in palliative care.
Her love of the arts led Middleton to become a Royal Patron of a charity called The Art Room, which provides art therapy to children from five to 16, and to also become a Patron of London's National Portrait Gallery, which houses art of historically famous Brits.
The Duchess will also be volunteering in the Scout Association. A former Brownie herself, along with her sister Pippa, Middleton can look forward to working with the "Beaver Scout Colonies." She reportedly was interested in working with the charity because of her love of the outdoors and because it will allow her to work in the vicinity of her and The Duke's home in north Wales.
Over the next several months the Duchess will undertake both private and public visits across the United Kingdom to meet with these organizations.
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