Motivation

If you are having trouble getting back into the swing of work today (hello, friend!) then consider spending a few moments in front of Google's interactive resolutions map, where you can see the new year's resolutions of people around the world. It's nothing too fancy, just a black-and-grey zoomable  map of the world with colored dots on it, indicating the different types of new year's resolutions that users have concocted for themselves. For example, red dots are resolutions that have to do with love; yellow dots relate to health.

The New York felon who set a Christmas Eve trap for firefighters left a note saying he wanted to burn down the neighborhood and "do what I do best: killing people," police said Tuesday. Investigators found human remains in the burned-out home of ex-con William Spengler, 62, a day after his rampage in Webster, a Rochester suburb. Officials said the remains probably were those of Spengler's missing sister, Cheryl, 67. Spengler apparently set the blaze in or near his home and lay in wait, killing two firefighters and seriously wounding two more before taking his own life, officials said.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials said Wednesday that banking giant UBS was motivated by "sheer greed" in rigging a key global interest rate and that the $1.5 billion in penalties the firm agreed to pay sends a strong message to the financial industry. The UBS settlement, which includes the company pleading guilty to felony wire fraud charges, follows a $450-million fine against British bank Barclays in the scandal over manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate, known as Libor. The settlement involved U.S., British and Swiss authorities.

In recognition of the shooting tragedy in Connecticut, Showtime's "Homeland" wisely and conscientiously preceded its Sunday night finale with a brief disclaimer warning of violent scenes ahead. There are times when human events shatter the seemingly impervious entertainment biosphere, and this was one of those occasions. But the stories we tell ourselves remain significant, become perhaps even more so. "Homeland" is one of those shows that has become important, topping many critics' 10 best lists this year, so it is not surprising that its conclusion sparked a lively discussion, beginning with blow-by-blow critical recaps, many of which found the episode wanting.

A week before a new minimum wage for Long Beach hotels goes into effect, a large, marina-area hotel has told all of its employees - 75 people - that they will be laid off, according to union representatives. But in a confrontation with union activists at the hotel Friday, a man who identified himself as the manager of the 175-room Best Western Golden Sails denied that the ballot measure triggered the cuts, saying bad economic conditions were to blame. When he walked away, the protesters followed him through the hotel chanting "Si se puede.

WASHINGTON - More than 6,000 hate crimes were reported to U.S. law enforcement agencies in 2011 - a 6% decrease from 2010, the FBI said Monday. But crimes based on the victim's sexual orientation increased slightly. Nearly half of the 6,222 hate crimes reported in 2011 were racially motivated, the FBI said, with nearly three-fourths directed at African Americans. More than 16% were motivated by anti-white bias. About 59% of the known offenders for all reported hate crimes were white, and 21% were black, the agency said.

Before "Silver Linings Playbook," filmmaker David O. Russell had written all the movies he directed. But when the late Sydney Pollack gave him a copy of Matthew Quick's novel about a bipolar man moving back home after leaving a neural health facility, Russell immediately connected with the story. In this excerpt from the Envelope Screening Series, Russell and actor Bradley Cooper talk about their personal connections to the film, as well as the reasons why they altered the film's ending from what was in the book.

Shane Grady was jolted awake early Sunday when he heard gunfire on Devonshire Street. He said he dropped to the floor and looked out his window, but the slowing traffic blocked his view. Then came the police sirens and helicopter flying so low, another neighbor said, that it was "shaking the rooftop. " PHOTOS: Four killed in shooting at Northridge home Residents in the usually quiet Northridge neighborhood woke up to a shocking scene. Police said two men and two women were found shot dead outside a home in the 17400 block of Devonshire in the San Fernando Valley.

Zig Ziglar Speaker built motivational empire Zig Ziglar, 86, the consummate salesman who built a lucrative motivational empire, died Wednesday of pneumonia at his home in Plano, Texas, a family spokeswoman said. With an aim at helping people achieve success in their careers and personal lives, in addition to a focus on Christianity, Ziglar was a prolific speaker who appeared at events alongside world leaders, including several U.S. presidents and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Every day, when he wakes up or goes to sleep, offensive lineman Cameron Hunt of Corona Centennial is reminded why he works so hard. "I have a little poster up in my room," he said. "It has a picture of Vista Murrieta's championship and it has a picture of us winning state in 2008. Every time I wake up or go to bed, that's what my goals are and dreams are. " So understand that the 6-foot-4, 255-pound senior will have a lot of motivation on Friday night when Centennial (12-1) plays at Vista Murrieta (13-0)