Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/18201
8A – Daily News – Friday, October 22, 2010 finished with modest gains in Thursday trading after pulling back from a rally that pushed share prices near their highest levels of the year. In early trading the Dow Jones industrial average had been up as much as 105 points after index components Cater- pillar Inc., Travelers Cos. and McDonald’s Corp. all beat earnings expectations and AT&T Inc. matched forecasts. The index briefly turned nega- tive in the afternoon but fin- ished up 39 points. The Labor Department said first-time claims for unemploy- ment benefits fell last week. But the decline was essentially off- set by a surprisingly sharp Stocks up modestly after early gains Thursday Wall Street NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks upward revision to the previous week’s claims. First-time claims remain stuck at levels that indicate companies are not hiring many workers, even though they aren’t cutting many jobs either. The Chinese government, meanwhile, said growth slowed to a still robust 9.6 percent in the third quarter. China has been trying to slow growth to a more sustainable level that keeps inflation from getting out of control. Slower growth could have an effect on exports and sales to the country. Many com- panies have relied on growth in China to offset weakness in U.S. and Europe’s economies. ‘‘It was a mixed day for earnings reports and economic data, and the stock market is reflecting that,’’ said Brad Sorensen, a director of sector research at Charles Schwab. The Dow rose 38.60, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,146.57. It briefly eclipsed its highest clos- ing level of 2010, which it reached on April 26. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 2.09, or 0.2 percent, to 1,180.26, while the Nasdaq rose 2.28, or 0.1 percent, to 2,459.67. Once again Bank of America Corp. hurt the Dow as it contin- ues to be dogged by worries about whether investors will force the bank to buy back mortgages it originated. Shares of the North Carolina bank were down 39 cents, or 3.3 per- cent. Stocks of other big nation- al banks were also mostly lower on the day. Caterpillar hit a high for the year early in the morning before pulling back. United Parcel Ser- vice Inc.’s profit jumped and the shipping company raised its outlook. But it too retreated after coming within $1 of hit- ting a new high for the year. JetBlue Airways Corp. also reported strong earnings, only to see its stock approach its 2010 high and then fall. Bond prices fell. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Trea- sury note, which moves oppo- site its price, rose to 2.54 per- cent from 2.48 percent late Wednesday. Creating your own house of horrors can be a real scream (MCT) You may be too old to trick-or-treat, but you can still enjoy Hal- loween. One great way is by setting up a haunted house. It can be simple or elaborate, mildly fright- ening or intense enough to send people running for the door. Just know your audience and don't overdo it, especially with little kids. In fact, creating your own haunted house lets you take your children's scare-o-meter into consid- eration. The first step: Find a location. We suggest a basement or garage. A basement is preferable simply because it has more rooms to work with. A garage can be sectioned off by hanging sheets of black fabric or plastic. (That fabric also comes in handy in a basement, hid- ing the regular decor. Who wants to see a guy dressed like the Grim Reaper lurking between the washer and dryer?) Decide what your haunted house will include and where each set piece will go. Which corner is best for the cas- ket? Where can Dracula hide? Where will lights be set up? Be sure to have an easily accessible exit (a frightened visitor may want to sprint for the door). Then the nuts and bolts. If there are props to be built, get started. If you're going to rent a spe- cial effect — say, a fog machine — get it reserved. At this point things can get overwhelming, so recruit help. Friends, neighbors, family are all fair game. Remember, it takes a village to frighten a kid. Get your helpers to brainstorm and build things, of course, but their greatest value may be as living props. Have them get costumed, slather on makeup, splash themselves with fake blood (do-it-your- self directions at chem- istry.about.com/cs/how- tos/ht/fakeblood.htm or wikihow.com/Make- Fake-Blood). They can jump out and yell "boo!" at unsuspecting visitors — especially effective if your setup is partitioned into rooms — or march zombielike around the layout. For a minimalist approach, they can stand in a corner, motionless, staring blankly ahead. Now you have to pull it all together. Some other ideas: Good grave-y: A graveyard out front gets visitors in the right mood even before they enter the haunted house. Dot your lawn with tombstones made of heavy cardboard or Styrofoam. If you want to keep the neighbors talking for months, build an animated tombstone. It takes a little effort, but the results are worth it. Go to instructables.com and do a search for "creepy tombstone." For the ulti- mate graveyard twist, dig a grave-size hole, just deep enough for a col- league to lie in. Cover him or her and the sur- rounding area with leaves or straw, and at the appro- priate time have your co- conspirator spring from the grave. You'll be sur- prised how fast little kids can run. Set a mood: Nothing says spooky like fog, whether it's from a fog machine _ you can buy a cheap one for less than $100 or rent one for even less _ or a dry ice do-it- yourself version. A word of warning: Dry ice is dangerous and needs to be handled carefully by a responsible adult. Music: At this time of year, even supermarkets sell recordings of Hal- loween-themed music and sound effects. Get some- thing on the gentle side to give the little ones the willies, then climb the ladder to recordings of moaning, demented laughter, crackling thun- der and chain-rattling that older kids can roll their eyes at. If it's drama you want, buy Verne Lang- don's "Music for Magi- cians" from amazon.com. Save your sanity and avoid recordings of end- less screaming. A little of that goes a long way. Lighting: Spotlights and black lights can make the difference in a haunt- ed house. A judiciously placed red bulb can trans- form a display from pedestrian to scary. Remember, it's important that visitors be able to navigate your haunted house safely, so make sure there is enough light. It's also smart to have your helpers carry flash- lights to guide the little ones. A science lab: Set up a laboratory — workbench, creepy lighting, large jars containing body parts (doll heads, arms or legs, mannequin parts, etc.). A lab coat and a fright wig turn a helper into a mad doctor, especially with the right spiel. Have the good doctor pull out a tape measure so the little ones can be fitted for the right- size jar. There'll be no sleeping that night. Tangled webs: You can't go wrong with spi- der webs. The store- bought stuff works; just don't scrimp. Little ones will get a kick out of a giant spider web you make yourself with yarn (josepino.com/projects/ha lloween — decorations3). For older kids and gullible adults, skip the webs and hang lengths of the yarn from the ceiling in dark areas of the base- ment/garage. As they walk through, the yarn brushes across their faces. Increase the creepiness by Dinner Special 5pm - Close 4 Breaded Jumbo Prawn Dinner Friday & Saturday In Redding October 22nd and 23rd ONLY 1907 Park Marina Dr., Redding CA. 96001 Walk Ins Friday 8-4 & Saturday 8-1 Phone Consultations are Available $999 No Substitutions. Not good on take out. Good thru Oct. 31st Voted “Best of the North State 2010” Comfortable Casual Dining Green Barn 5 CHESTNUT AVE., RED BLUFF 527-3161 wetting the yarn. Touch this: Set up several small boxes with holes cut in the side, into which visitors reach and feel "body parts." Two jumbo stuffed green olives can serve as eye- balls; cold and squishy cooked elbow macaroni or spaghetti can pass for brains; a large soup bone can be delightfully gross. Nothing feels as liverlike as liver, so include a hunk to increase the ewwwwwww factor. For the last box, cut a second hole on the side opposite the first. Have the helper who is supervising the display surreptitiously reach his or her hand in to touch the hand of the vis- itor. Just disturbing: A life-size latex or plastic skeleton can be had for less than $100. Depart- ment stores sell them or surf over to Grandin Road's Web site (grand- inroad.com) for an array of choices, including skeletons that light up. Get three — yes, it's a bit of an investment, but it is guaranteed to make you a neighborhood leg- end — and position them so they appear to be scaling your house. Check out examples at instructables.com/id/Cli mbing-Halloween- Skeletons, itsapartyp- alooza.com/partyblog/?p equals814 and hal- loweenpropmaster.com/c limbing _ skeletons.htm. Simple yet scary.