PUBLIC MARKS from bhartzer with tags do & of

Atonement, a film based on the book by Ian McEwan, hits theaters today and director Joe Wright made sure to do both of these things.

A couple of years ago, I reported on a story about a man who bought a purple pearl brooch at a sale thinking it was costume jewelry and found himself with a piece worth around $250,000. A Florida man recently found another rare purple pearl this week and all he had to do was order a steamed clams. George Brock and his wife, Leslie found the pearl while eating at Dave s Last Resort amp; Raw Bar. Their pearl isn t quite as big the one in the brooch but it could be worth thousands. The couple will have it appraised and then decide if they will sell it.

Why do individuals ignore advice? Is it due to stubbornness, pride, or lack of confidence in the person giving the advice? The latter sometimes happens when we are young adults, especially when the advice is from our parents.

A poll released here yesterday by Tiller, LLC, indicated that 49% of all American adults say they will make a green New Year's resolution this year.

There must be millions of old cell phones festering away in drawers, forgotten and unloved, and soon to be consigned ingloriously to the rubbish dump. But before you send your ancient phone packing, check out our tips on how to squeeze that last little bit of juice out of your old pal.