Survey shows better lending climate

Most Miami-Dade businesses believe they have easier access to borrowed money amid a slowly improving economy.

That’s one result from a recent survey of executives by Miami’s Bilzin Sumberg law firm. The online survey of about 200 top executives was conducted during the second half of 2012.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they thought the financing environment had improved since 2011, with venture capital funds and community banks identified as the top sources of potential capital. Fifty-two percent called the economy “growing slowly,’’ compared to 7 percent describing it as “strong and growing.” Only 16 percent described the economy as weak.

DOUGLAS HANKS

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Judge admonishes defendant in Rilya Wilson murder trial

A Miami-Dade judge admonished the woman accused of killing foster child Rilya Wilson after two brief courtroom outbursts Tuesday.

At the time, Geralyn Graham’s ex-lover, Pamela Graham, was on the stand testifying under cross-examination about why she was cooperating with authorities. The two are not related.

In front of the jury, Geralyn Graham yelled at Pamela Graham to stop lying. A few minutes later, Geralyn Graham again blurted out at the witness that the last time she saw Rilya, she “was in your arms.”

Geralyn Graham, 66, is on trial on charges of murdering the foster child whose disappearance a decade ago roiled the state’s child-welfare agency and led to a series of reforms. Rilya’s body was never found.

Pamela Graham, who was Rilya’s legal guardian, has testified over two days that Geralyn Graham abused Rilya, tying her to a bed and keeping her isolated in a laundry room. She has also cast Geralyn Graham as a dominating, manipulative woman who forced her to lie that a child welfare worker took the child.

During cross-examination by defense attorney Scott Sakin, Pamela Graham admitted the early story she gave to police investigators “was all lies.”

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Angelina Jolie to Direct Unbroken Film

Angelina Jolie is in final negotiations to direct her second film, Unbroken, based on the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian-turned-World War II prisoner of war, according to Deadline.

Video: Angelina Jolie Talks Kids, 'Blood and Honey'

"I was so moved by Louie Zamperini's heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film," said The Oscar-winning actress in a statement. "Louie is a true hero and a man of immense humanity, faith and courage. I am deeply honored to have the chance to tell his inspiring story."

Adapted from Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, the feature film will tell the real-life tale of American Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini, who was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese Navy during World War II.

Unbroken will be the second film directed by Jolie. The 37-year-old made her debut in 2011's In The Land Of Blood And Honey.

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O, stop this apocalypse . . . now!

Michael Goodwin

This is why we have a president. The question is whether the president we have will rise to the challenge.

Barack Obama gave an eloquent, heartfelt address at Sunday’s memorial service in Newtown, Conn. He said privately that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School made Friday “the worst day” of his tenure. The pain showed on his face.

But sharing the suffering of the 26 families who lost loved ones and calming a traumatized nation won’t be enough. As Mayor Bloomberg put it bluntly, “Being the consoler in chief is part of his job. His main job is being commander in chief, and I endorsed him, and I endorsed him because he said he believes in rational use of guns in this country, and I expect him to do exactly that.”

Leaving aside his inexact reference to commander in chief, Bloomberg is right to put the ball in the president’s court. It belongs there precisely because there are no easy and obvious answers to where America goes from here.

For sure, there are some straightforward steps that will mark a good start. A ban on automatic and semi-automatic rifles, along with outsized ammunition clips that have no rational civilian use, likely will find wide support now.

The goal is clear: Take the “mass” out of “mass murder,” as one observer put it.

Yet it is striking that parts of that ban were in effect for 10 years until 2004, and Democrats did nothing to revive it when they had full control of Washington in the first two years of Obama’s term. The inaction offers an insight not only into the tricky politics of gun control, which divides both parties, but how Obama picked his priorities.

He did not believe he was elected to refight the prosaic battles of past presidents. He made it clear he wanted to “transform” America, not merely reform it. Splitting his party over gun control would have cost political capital he wanted to save for other fights, such as ObamaCare and re-election.

So, as Bloomberg not so delicately put it, “The president spoke out visibly on gun violence after the mass shooting in Tucson two years ago. Yet since those shootings happened, more than 24,100 Americans have been murdered with guns.

“Had we done something then, a vast number of those would be alive today and their families wouldn’t have been torn asunder.”

There is truth in that claim, but it also unfairly mixes apples and oranges. The slaughter of 20 children is horrific beyond description, but the vast majority of murders happens alone. They are carried out primarily with handguns that didn’t fall under a federal ban then and won’t now.

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Stocking stuffers and last-minute gift ideas

In the portable electronic world, stocking stuffers are easy to find. Here are some for those last-minute holiday gifts on everyone’s list.

•  WATER-POWERED CLOCK: Aside from telling time, the eco-friendly Bedol Water Clock is a portable alarm that is also waterproof in the event you feel like standing in a rain storm or showering with it.

It’s battery-free so all you do to keep the clock running indefinitely is just fill it with water.

A natural chemical reaction between two of its internal metallic plates generates enough power to keep it running indefinitely.

Details: www.bedolwhatsnext.com $17

•  CHAT OR SCROLL: Logitech’s Apple-friendly Broadcaster Wi-Fi webcam is great for online chatting and its wireless functionality makes it a great companion as a second angled video camera beyond what your computer, iPhone or iPad’s camera will do.

The camera has an internal battery, which is charged via USB for 2 hours of life and has a built-in mono microphone along with a port to add an external mic.

Video is captured in HD 720p and can be moved to any angle since it’s wireless.

Logitech has designed the camera to let users press a button to switch to the camera, giving your chatting partner a different angle.

The Broadcaster ($199.99) works with Mac video applications including QuickTime, Photo Booth, iMovie, Final Cut Pro or chatting with FaceTime, iChat or Skype.

• Logitech also has a few cool high tech-looking Windows 8 friendly mice with the t400 and t620.

The Logitech Zone Touch Mouse t400 ($39) has the functionality of a traditional mouse along with a touch strip to support horizontal and vertical scrolling.

Just click on the top of the touch zone for instant access the Windows 8 Start Screen and clicking on the bottom of the touch zone will scroll you through all your open applications.

The Touch Mouse t620 ($49) features a full touch surface letting you scroll horizontally and vertically from anywhere on the mouse, and to access the Windows 8 start screen you just swipe the edges of the mouse.

Details: www.Logitech.com

•  EARBUDS WITH A MIC: iFrogz EarPollution Plugz with Mic noise isolating earbuds are as simple as they get and work just fine.

You get three sizes of ear pieces to get the right fit along with an in-line microphone for cellphone use and most any portable electronic device.

The sound is decent and it makes a great hands-free choice.

Details: www.iFrogz.com $9.99 — in a big selection of colors.

•  TRAVEL POWER: Bracketron’s Universal USB Travel Power Kit ($26) includes an Apple 30-pin and Micro USB connections 3-foot cable for charging just about any device on the go.

The cable can be connected to a computer or the included USB AC adapter for 2.1 Amp charging, which includes power hungry tablets.

A 12V car charging USB adapter is also included.

Bracketron’s MetalDock ($18.91) is a contemporary-looking charging dock for the iPhone 4/4S, built with heavy-duty metal construction resulting in a lightweight and portable design.

It connects to any USB port for charging/syncing with its embedded 3-foot cable and works in landscape or portrait modes.

A company representative has emailed me that Dec. 12-17 everything on the Bracketron site is 40 percent off.

Details: www.Bracketron.com

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Miami-Dade court program helps young inmates change their lives

It was a graduation without pomp and circumstance.

There was marching in combat boots. No gowns.

The remarks by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beth Bloom were full of the hallmarks common at any graduation. She spoke of goals and achievement and of the opportunity.

But were it not for the “I’m Ready” program, many of Monday’s graduates would not be anticipating their release from jail in a few short weeks.

The 13 young men in “I’m Ready’s’’ inaugural class had already been convicted of some crime and sentenced to boot camp. But each had some medical or psychological problem that made him ineligible.

Take, for example 20-year-old Franklin Robinson. After being sentenced to boot camp after he violated his probation, Robinson underwent several tests, including an EKG that showed there was difficulty pumping blood to his heart. That prevented him from being admitted to boot camp and could have meant him ending up back in jail with the general population.

Instead, he ended up at the six-month “I’m Ready’’ program, which offers youths ages 14-24 education and services. They undergo behavior modification, life skills, job training, counseling and treatment.

The day begins at 5 a.m. A routine of schooling and vocational training in automotive technology or carpentry carries them through until about 8 p.m.

“I’m Ready” participants are housed in a separate unit to accommodate program activities rather than with the general jail population. They are referred to as “students,’’ not “inmates.’’

“There is a reason why boot camp is able to reduce recidivism,” Bloom said. “It sets the tone that they are there to learn.”

It’s not so different from boot camp, said Officer Cathy Harpp, who oversees the program.

“You can’t do pushups, but you can clean the floor and the toilet bowl with a toothbrush,” Harpp said.

The hardest part was getting them to be receptive to change and adapt to the new rules, Harpp said.

“Once they knew I was not going to let up, eventually, they cave in,” she said. “Here, they’re accountable for everything.”

The idea for the program came to Bloom after she oversaw the case of an insulin dependent diabetic with a 10th-grade education.

After he was deemed unfit for boot camp because of his health condition, Bloom wanted to know what would happen to him.

Young offenders like him would have been incarcerated with the general population of inmates, where there would be no access to training and no structure.

“I’ve seen far too many youth return to the criminal justice system,” Bloom said Monday at the program’s first graduation ceremony. “All of you have met your goal. The community needs you to be the different persons that you are.”

The group of 13 will be released Dec. 28. Twenty-two new students will replace them in January.

Before the new graduates students left the room in a final marching formation, Harpp offered one lasting piece of advice: “This is where the difference begins.”

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Facebook to launch new Snapchat alternative with self-destructing messages

Title Post: Facebook to launch new Snapchat alternative with self-destructing messages
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YouTube Announces Top 10 Videos of 2012

YouTube has just released their top 10 videos of 2012 along with one dazzling video bound to become a viral sensation in its own right.

Watch the clip to see the Rewind YouTube Style video featuring the website's biggest stars acting out a parody of Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe. The video was shot at the new YouTube Space in Los Angeles, a place for YouTube creators to come learn, collaborate, and create great content to put up on their YouTube channels.

Check out the list of 2012's greatest YouTube moments below:

1) PSY - Gangnam Style: The Korean pop music video that surprised the world is set to hit 1 billion views and has become the most viewed video of all time in just six months.

2) Walk off the Earth: This is the most-viewed cover song of 2012, attracting 140 million views this year.

3) KONY 2012: This video contained a call to action and collected 31 million views in a single day -- the most views ever for a YouTube video.

4) Call Me Maybe - Bieber, Gomez, Pena: This video, covering the song of the summer, kicked off a trend of lip sync videos that spanned from the Harvard baseball team and celebs to Olympians.

5) Epic Rap Battles - Obama vs. Romney: This episode featured well-known Obama impersonator Alphacat, and is one of the better known instances of the 2012 trend of Obama and Romney videos.

6) Dramatic Surprise: This video, featuring a mysterious sign in the middle of a Flemish square, brought in 25 million views in its first week.

7) Why You Asking All Them Questions: Comedian Emmanuel Hudson's popularity exploded this year partly from this video that garnered 39 million views -- almost half of which came from mobile devices.

8) Lindsey Stirling: Lindsey's trademark dubstep violin styles created a lot of buzz this year -- especially in the U.S., Germany and Poland. This video, which was shot by Lindsey's fellow YouTube creator Devin Graham, has over 500,000 likes and 100,000 comments.

9) Facebook Parenting: This video taught us not to mess with Dad. Bringing in 11 million views in one day, this video was the catalyst for an international discussion about parenting and Facebook.

10) Stratos Highlights: This live stream of Felix Baumgartner's free-fall from 128,000 feet shattered previous live stream records with 8 million concurrent views.

Visit youtube.com/rewind for more.

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Over the Rainbow: Landmark day for 30 Rock nightspot

Michael Alexander

SWINGIN' ROOM: The city hopes bestowing landmark status on Rockefeller Plaza's Rainbow Room will draw a new tenant to the iconic site.

The Rainbow Room has found its pot of gold.

The famed former supper club — where Marlene Dietrich sipped cocktails to big-band music and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor gossiped with Broadway insiders — is officially a landmark.

The landmark status was approved by a unanimous vote of the City Council Land Use Committee yesterday, setting the stage for formal approval by the full council today.

Caitlin Thorne

Landmark status is rare for the interior of a building. Usually, the city awards landmark status only to entire structures

When the Art Deco restaurant opened in 1934, it was the first eatery in the city to be located in a high-rise setting — the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

“It’s a great historic space with unbelievable views and right now it’s looking for a tenant, somebody to take over,” said Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Queens), who is on the Land Use Committee.

“It’s been an historic restaurant for many years now. One of the nicest views you’ll ever see anywhere in the world, and it’s been the home to many famous evenings throughout the history of New York.”

Committee Chairman Leroy Comrie (D-Queens) called it “an iconic room, a special place, a tourist attraction.”

The upscale restaurant and nightclub was shuttered in 2009 after a nasty landlord-tenant dispute between Tishman Speyer, which owns Rockefeller Center, and the Cipriani family, which was running the Rainbow Room at the time.

The Ciprianis filed for landmark status in 2008, and then announced they would close a portion of the restaurant.

Tishman Speyer said the Ciprianis owed back rent.

The two sides eventually agreed that the Ciprianis would give up the restaurant in 2009, and the city is now seeking a new investor for the spot.

The restaurant, which lured the city’s rich and famous, underwent a massive $25 million restoration and expansion in 1985.

sally.goldenberg@nypost.com

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American Airlines adds new agreements, flights in South America

In a nod to the importance of Latin America for its business, American Airlines on Monday announced new codeshare agreements with airlines in the region as well as new routes.

American has agreed to codeshare with TAM Airlines, based in Sao Paulo, and LAN Colombia, both part of LATAM Airlines Group.

The airline also said that it will add new routes in late 2013 between Miami and two destinations in Brazil: Curitiba and Porto Alegre. American also plans to add service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Bogota late next year.

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