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Monday, December 31, 2012
New Years Resolutions Worth Making
New Year?s Resolutions are incredibly popular, and yet they often fail to bring significant or lasting change into the lives of most resolution-makers. Though almost half of Americans make resolutions every new year, the success rate of these resolutions is estimated at less than 10% by years end. (1)
Additionally, almost one fourth of people consistently fail every year that they make resolutions. It?s amazing Americans continue to make resolutions year after year with success rates that low!
The problem may not be the making of resolutions in the first place, but rather the types of resolutions people are choosing to make. ?Losing weight? is consistently the number one resolution made by Americans, and yet of those who manage to lose weight, 90 to 95 percent are unable to keep it off long-term. (2) It?s no wonder so many people fail to keep a resolution like weight loss, since the resolution itself is so challenging. And weight loss, maintained or not, is not a guarantee for finding health and happiness in the new year.
This year, instead of going with the same old ?lose weight? resolution, I recommend setting a different goal that will bring more meaningful wellness to your life, from methods that don?t involve self-deprivation ? no new diet or exercise routine required. You may find that sticking to these alternative resolutions is not only easier, but more enjoyable and more beneficial to your health and happiness in the long run. And you may find that they even help you lose weight!
Manage Your Stress
It?s hard to escape stress, and stress management often takes a back seat to diet and exercise in the pursuit of health. Unfortunately, chronic stress is everywhere in modern society, and being stressed is often even considered a sign of success in life. But I believe that without some form of regular stress management, you will sabotage all of your best efforts with healthy eating and physical activity.
Chronic stress can be debilitating to your health if left unmanaged. Some of the symptoms of chronic stress include fatigue, headaches, decreased immunity, sleep issues, sugar cravings, mood swings, and digestive distress. Long term effects include higher risk for modern degenerative conditions like heart disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and autoimmunity. For these reasons, I think one of the best New Year?s Resolutions you could make is to figure out a way to purposefully manage your stress on a regular basis.
There are many methods of stress management; the trick is finding a method that works for your personality and lifestyle. Some options that have worked for my patients include yoga, meditation, guided imagery, tai qi, qi gong, deep breathing, and even simply taking a walk. It?s up to you to test the different techniques available out there and decide which is most beneficial for you and your needs. Check out my article on managing stress for more ideas.
The most important thing to keep in mind about relaxation exercises is that they must be practiced regularly to see lasting benefits. You don?t need to spend hours on stress management every day; even a few minutes, when performed regularly, can have a profound effect. Your New Year?s Resolution could be to incorporate your favorite stress relieving technique into your daily routine. Commit yourself to a regular, purposeful stress management practice in the new year.
Prioritize Sleep
Adequate sleep is another crucial component to our health that often gets little attention in most people?s New Year?s Resolutions. Much like stress management, getting enough high-quality sleep may be as important to health and well-being as nutrition and exercise (3) Sleep is absolutely essential for basic maintenance and repair of the neurological, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal and digestive systems. When sleep is inadequate, the health repercussions are both immediate and long-lasting.
The research linking poor sleep to chronic health outcomes has shown that missing sleep regularly can increase the risk of long term outcomes such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and poor immunity. In fact, even modestly reduced sleep ? six to seven hours per night ? can lead to low-grade chronic inflammation and worsening insulin resistance. This is highly significant considering that nearly one-third of US adults get less than six hours of sleep per night. (4)
Getting enough high quality sleep should be one of your top priorities for the new year. There are many ways to improve the quality of your sleep, such as reducing your exposure to artificial light at night, eating a light dinner so you?re not too full or too hungry, sleeping in a cool, dark room, and going to bed earlier. For more good recommendations on improving sleep,check out my article on sleeping more deeply. If you?re still having trouble sleeping, a program I recommend to all of my patients with sleep issues ? and what I use myself ? is Rest Assured, which helps with managing stress throughout the day in order to prepare for better sleep.
Try committing to 8 hours of sleep per night as your New Year?s Resolution, and make restful sleep a priority.
Learn a New Hobby
You may be interested in a New Year?s Resolution that provides higher quality of life and a sense of self-improvement. Committing to learning a new skill or hobby is a great way to challenge yourself mentally, express yourself creatively, and have fun while doing so. New hobbies could include artistic pursuits such as painting, knitting, playing an instrument, or creative writing. New skills can also be practical in nature, such as learning how to repair automobiles, building furniture, gardening, and even learning how to cook. The possibilities are endless, so it?s best to choose a new hobby that you think you?ll enjoy the most, not necessarily one you think will impress others!
Learning a new hobby can also have a great beneficial effect on mental health and happiness in general. (6) People who take part in hobbies such as playing board or puzzle games and reading have less memory loss as they get older and a decreased risk of dementia (7, 8) Many different hobbies have been shown to reduce stress levels, and people with hobbies are less likely to suffer from depression. (9, 10) Trying out a new hobby can help introduce you to new social outlets and possibly even make new friends, which can greatly improve your mood and outlook on life. You can check out websites like Meetup.com for local clubs that introduce you to others that share your interest in learning new skills.
Challenging yourself to learn a new skill or find a new hobby can be immensely rewarding, bringing feelings of accomplishment and providing opportunities for fun and relaxation on a regular basis. Your New Year?s Resolution could be to find a new hobby that you?ve never tried before, and commit to doing it regularly, such as weekly or biweekly. You never know what great new experiences you might have, or new friends you might meet!
Volunteer Regularly
If you want to spend your time doing something to help others, you may make a New Year?s Resolution to start volunteering on a regular basis. Volunteering doesn?t just help those who are receiving the service; in fact, research consistently demonstrates physical and mental health benefits to volunteers themselves.? The Do Good. Live Well. survey found that volunteers had an improved sense of wellbeing, had lower stress levels, experienced an enriched sense of purpose in life, and some even found it easier to manage their chronic illnesses afterwards. Volunteering has been shown to promote longer life expectancy, improve your ability to cope with illness, strengthen your family relationships, improve your self esteem, and give you an overall greater sense of positivity. (11) Much like finding new hobbies, joining a volunteer organization can be a great way to make new friends and extend your social circle.
If you?re looking for a local volunteering opportunity, there are a variety of resources on the internet to help you in your search. One of the most popular websites is VolunteerMatch.org, which allows you to search for volunteer opportunities in your home town. They have a wide variety of cause areas, such as animals, children and youth, seniors, and others. Find something you?re passionate about, and make it your New Year?s Resolution to volunteer on a consistent basis.
What do you think is worth making a New Year?s Resolution for? Have you ever made a resolution that you were able to keep? Share your story in the comments below!
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Tory prophet preaches union choice for canadian workers
Meet the young man who would be the father of right-to-work legislation in Canada.
Pierre Poilievre, at age 33, he has the prime minister?s confidence and his ear. He has been rightly tagged as one of the most powerful persons in the national capital, and is already in his fourth term as the MP for Nepean-Carleton.
The Stephen Harper government might dismiss suggestions that right-to-work legislation is on its agenda and Labour Minister Lisa Raitt may say there is a different culture in Canada, but there is nothing stealthy about Poilievre?s intentions as he spells them out over a cappuccino.
He calls it ?workers? freedom,? legislation that would give federal employees the option of paying union dues and joining their colleagues in a work stoppage.
?I am the first federal politician to make a dedicated push toward this goal,? he says. ?I believe in free choice for workers and I am going to do my part to see that happens at the federal level, and I would encourage provincial governments to do likewise.
?I am going to work with cabinet and caucus colleagues to build support. Over time I believe I can convince people of its merits. And hope springs eternal that one day we will have free choice for workers in Canada.??
Since Poilievre took his first step on this question, criticizing the Public Service Alliance of Canada for contributing to the campaign of the separatist Parti Qu?b?cois in September, organized labour has been ducking and weaving as attacks come with lightning speed.
A bill sponsored by a backbench Conservative MP, which would force unions to open their books and disclose the salaries of officers and their spending of dues, passed the Commons in a heartbeat and is now before the Senate.
Michigan, Ontario?s rust-belt neighbour, became the 24th state to pass right-to-work legislation.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, currently leading provincial polls, said he backed right-to-work legislation for workers in Ontario.
Poilievre doesn?t buy this concept that collective bargaining and trade unions are somehow in the Canadian DNA, and he believes workers? freedom mirrors individual freedom as a deeply ingrained Canadian trait.
Opponents, he says, are hung up on the U.S. experience and the domino of right-to-work states, which U.S. President Barack Obama has agreed is a race to the bottom. ?The so-called ?right-to-work? laws ? they don?t have to do with economics, they have everything to do with politics,?? Obama said in Michigan. ?What they?re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money.??
But Poilievre says this move away from ?forced unionism? is now a worldwide phenomenon, pointing to court decisions in Sweden and Denmark backing workers who opted out of paying union dues.
But not all the opposition to his concept comes from a beleaguered Canadian union movement that rightly feels it is under siege.
Already, labour ministers in Quebec and Ontario have put in writing their concerns over the union transparency bill. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says it will never survive a court challenge.
Ontario?s Linda Jeffrey called it ?inexplicably intrusive? and an ?unwarranted interference with the collective bargaining process in Canada,? although she had to make her argument that it would threaten labour peace in Ontario over the chants of 35,000 striking teachers.
?Every labour organization that is spending its money in a way in which it should will have no labour unrest,?? Poilievre says.
But opposition will be intense in this country. Union membership in Canada has dipped, but still sits at 31.7 per cent of workers. In the U.S. the number is 11.8 per cent.
Poilievre has become legendary in Ottawa for his ?message discipline,?? the man who handles the sleaze questions from his NDP tormentors in the Commons, tossing it back in kind, ceaselessly parroting talking points on ?big union bosses,? ?carbon tax?? and Liberal malfeasance.
For the government, the discipline works. If you are outside government, it is merely annoying.
Initially, he was the francophone part of a team with Harper?s parliamentary secretary, Dean Del Mastro, but since Del Mastro was silenced by allegations of spending irregularities of his own, Poilievre has embarked on a solo career, a bit like Martin without Lewis or Mick without Keith.
?Some people say I am repetitious, but that?s because the truth doesn?t change,?? he says.
That discipline should not be underestimated. He will spend 2013 talking about ?freedom? and ?choice,? and he won?t be knocked off message.
Tim Harper is a syndicated Toronto Star national affairs writer.
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
Katt Williams Arrested For Child Endangerment (VIDEO)
Katt Williams Arrested For Child Endangerment (VIDEO)
Comedian Katt Williams has had one hell of a bad year, topping it off with an arrest for child endangerment last night! Katt, the father of eight children (seven adopted and one biological) was taken into custody after a visit at his home by the Child and Family Services. LAPD cops arrested Katt Williams at ...
Katt Williams Arrested For Child Endangerment (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/katt-williams-arrested-for-child-endangerment-video/
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Police: Five dead, about 20 wounded in Oregon tour bus crash
LA GRANDE, Ore. (AP) ? A tour bus careened through a guardrail on an icy Oregon highway and several hundred feet down an embankment Sunday, killing five people and injuring about 20 others, authorities said.
The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84 in eastern Oregon, according to the Oregon State Police.
Lt. Greg Hastings said the accident happened on the west end of the Blue Mountains, and west of an area called "Deadman Pass," where stretches of the highway tend to be icy in winter months.
I-84 is a major east-west highway through Oregon that follows the Columbia River Gorge.
Police did not say where the vehicle was traveling to or from, or information on the company that owns the bus.
Rescue workers were using ropes to help retrieve people from the crash scene.
The bus crash was the second fatal accident in Oregon on Sunday morning. A 69-year-old man died in a rollover accident
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-killed-oregon-tour-bus-crash-84-215107655.html
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President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday ordered concerned government agencies to...
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Pakistan: Cough syrup suspected in 33 deaths
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) ? Authorities are investigating cough syrup believed to have killed 33 people in eastern Pakistan in the past three days, a government official said Saturday, the second time in recent months that suspect medicine is thought to have caused multiple deaths.
Also Saturday, an explosion ripped through a passenger bus while it was at a terminal in the southern city of Karachi, killing four people and wounding 40 others, police and hospital officials said. It's unclear if the blast was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder exploding.
The deaths from the cough syrup occurred in Gujranwala and villages surrounding the city, said Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, the top administrative official in Gujranwala. Another 54 people are being treated at hospitals in the city who are also believed to have consumed the syrup. Those involved are thought to be laborers or drug addicts who drank the syrup to get high, said Shaheen.
Chemical samples collected from the victims' stomachs contained dextromethorphan, a synthetic morphine derivative used in cough syrup that can have mind-altering effects if consumed in large quantities, said Shaheen. It is being investigated whether the people affected by the syrup in Gujranwala drank too much of it, or whether there was a problem with the medicine itself, he said.
Twenty-three people died in the nearby city of Lahore in November after drinking bad cough syrup sold under the brand name Tyno. They were also described at the time as people who consumed the drug to get high.
Shaheen said the cough syrup involved in the incidents in and around Gujranwala was not sold under a single brand. He said there were some people in the city involved in the business of making cough syrup specifically to sell to drug addicts, and officials were trying to arrest the culprits.
Officials temporarily closed one Lahore-based pharmaceutical company whose cough syrup was found in the possession of some of those affected in Gujranwala and were investigating whether it caused any of the deaths, said Shaheen.
The blast that ripped through the bus in Karachi on Saturday set the vehicle on fire and reduced it to little more than a charred skeleton. Police were trying to determine whether the explosion was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder, said police spokesman Imran Shaukat. Many buses in Pakistan run on natural gas.
The explosion killed at least four people and wounded 40 others, some of whom were in critical condition, said Seemi Jamali, a doctor at the hospital in Karachi where they were being treated.
Karachi has a long history of political, ethnic and sectarian violence. It is also believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have fled U.S. drone attacks and Pakistani army operations in the country's northwest.
____
Associated Press writer Adil Jawad contributed to this report from Karachi, Pakistan.
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Hubble eyes the needle galaxy: IC 2233, one of the flattest galaxies known
Dec. 28, 2012 ? Like finding a silver needle in the haystack of space, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has produced a beautiful image of the spiral galaxy IC 2233, one of the flattest galaxies known.
Typical spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are usually made up of three principal visible components: the disk where the spiral arms and most of the gas and dust is concentrated; the halo, a rough and sparse sphere around the disk that contains little gas, dust or star formation; and the central bulge at the heart of the disk, which is formed by a large concentration of ancient stars surrounding the Galactic Center.
However, IC 2233 is far from being typical. This object is a prime example of a super-thin galaxy, where the galaxy's diameter is at least ten times larger than the thickness. These galaxies consist of a simple disk of stars when seen edge on. This orientation makes them fascinating to study, giving another perspective on spiral galaxies. An important characteristic of this type of objects is that they have a low brightness and almost all of them have no bulge at all.
The bluish color that can be seen along the disk gives evidence of the spiral nature of the galaxy, indicating the presence of hot, luminous, young stars, born out of clouds of interstellar gas. In addition, unlike typical spirals, IC 2233 shows no well-defined dust lane. Only a few small patchy regions can be identified in the inner regions both above and below the galaxy's mid-plane.
Lying in the constellation of Lynx, IC 2233 is located about 40 million light-years away from Earth. This galaxy was discovered by British astronomer Isaac Roberts in 1894.
This image was taken with the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys, combining visible and infrared exposures. The field of view in this image is approximately 3.4 by 3.4 arcminutes.
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121228100512.htm
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2013 Kettlebell Workshop Dates - Rocofit Health & Fitness
Workshops in Vancouver, BC with Kettlebell Expert, Rosa Coelho
The perfect at home training tool for a full body workout. Kettlebell trainign will improve your fitness, increase your strength and have you looking and feeling amazing!
Workshop Dates:
12 January 2013 ? Time: 12pm-2pm
19 January 2013 ? Time 12pm-2pm
Cost: $99 taxes included
LOCATION: 10-737 Granville Street, Vancouver BC
3 doors up from the London Drugs on West George and Granville
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Read HERE My Personal Story in Discovering Kettlebells
What people are saying: I got all I wanted and more from the workshop with Rosa. Rosa added a lot more value to my session than just showing me how to swing a kettlebell, I really liked Rosa?s balanced perspective on health and fitness, and philosophy on personal training. Continue reading?
No EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Whether your new to working out or have worked out all your life, kettlebells are an amazing tool for everyone. Learning the basics will keep you safe and give you the confidence to workout at home and get the results you?ve always wanted.
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Why Kettlebells Are Perfect For Your Home Workouts?
The perfect tool for working out at home.
Save money and time on gym memberships.
You only need one
They take up little space
Fun, different and effective.
Here to stay ? Kettlebells are an old Russian training tool not a fad.
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You Will Learn
How to effectively warm up to prevent injury
Mobility exercises to increase flexibility and improve quality of movement
Fundamental kettlebell movements (double arm swing, goblet squat, row, windmill, press)
Bodyweight exercises to combine with kettlebell workouts
What makes Rosa an expert Kettlebell Instructor?
Rosa has trained with some of the industries best. She is certified with the International Kettlebell Fitness Federation and has also completed Steve Cotters Master Class.
Rosa has featured with her kettelbell training on the Sky Active Channel with Dr. Kryin Hall. View Part 1 and Part 2 of her Kettlebell and Fat loss Interview
Rosa has extensive experience training clients in London England, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Rosa is known for her attention to detail and always puts technique and quality movement above all else.
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For further questions or if the event is full email Rosa at contact@rocofit.com
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Category: Beginner Kettlebell Workshops
Source: http://www.rocofit.com/beginner-kettlebell-workshops/2013-kettlebell-workshop-dates/
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Wall St Week Ahead - Cliff may be a fear, but debt ceiling much scarier
REUTERS - Investors fearing a stock market plunge - if the United States tumbles off the "fiscal cliff" next week - may want to relax.
But they should be scared if a few weeks later, Washington fails to reach a deal to increase the nation's debt ceiling because that raises the threat of a default, another credit downgrade and a panic in the financial markets.
Market strategists say that while falling off the cliff for any lengthy period - which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending - would badly hurt both consumer and business confidence, it would take some time for the U.S. economy to slide into recession. In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects.
That has been reflected in a U.S. stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and become more volatile.
In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008.
"If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a U.S. debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two-and-a-half percent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half," said Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at UBS Equity Research, in New York.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said this week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.
INVESTORS WARY OF JANUARY
The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating. But it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets.
Markets posted several days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of "no confidence" in Washington's ability to function, considering how close lawmakers came to a default.
Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's lowered the U.S. sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington's legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade from triple-A status. The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 percent in a four-week period ending August 21, 2011.
"I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling," said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com, in Chicago.
"I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the U.S. economy."
There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index <.vix>, or the VIX, the market's preferred indicator of anxiety, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July.
More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 percent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 percent increase in March futures and an 8 percent increase in May futures. That's a sign of increasing near-term worry among market participants.
The CBOE Volatility Index closed on Friday at 22.72, gaining nearly 17 percent to end at its highest level since June as details emerged of a meeting on Friday afternoon of President Barack Obama with Senate and House leaders from both parties where the president offered proposals similar to those already rejected by Republicans. Stocks slid in late trading and equity futures continued that slide after cash markets closed.
"I was stunned Obama didn't have another plan, and that's absolutely why we sold off," said Mike Shea, a managing partner and trader at Direct Access Partners LLC, in New York.
Obama offered hope for a last-minute agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff after a meeting with congressional leaders, although he scolded Congress for leaving the problem unresolved until the 11th hour.
"The hour for immediate action is here," he told reporters at a White House briefing. "I'm modestly optimistic that an agreement can be achieved."
The U.S. House of Representatives is set to convene on Sunday and continue working through the New Year's Day holiday. Obama has proposed maintaining current tax rates for all but the highest earners.
Consumers don't appear at all traumatized by the fiscal cliff talks, as yet. Helping to bolster consumer confidence has been a continued recovery in the housing market and growth in the labor market, albeit slow.
The latest take on employment will be out next Friday, when the U.S. Labor Department's non-farm payrolls report is expected to show jobs growth of 145,000 for December, in line with recent growth.
Consumers will see their paychecks affected if lawmakers cannot broker a deal and tax rates rise, but the effect on spending is likely to be gradual.
PLAYING DEFENSE
Options strategists have noted an increase in positions to guard against weakness in defense stocks such as General Dynamics because those stocks would be affected by spending cuts set for that sector. Notably, though, the PHLX Defense Index is less than 1 percent away from an all-time high reached on December 20.
This underscores the view taken by most investors and strategists: One way or another, Washington will come to an agreement to offset some effects of the cliff. The result will not be entirely satisfying, but it will be enough to satisfy investors.
"Expectations are pretty low at this point, and yet the equity market hasn't reacted," said Carmine Grigoli, chief U.S. investment strategist at Mizuho Securities USA, in New York. "You're not going to see the markets react to anything with more than a 5 (percent) to 7 percent correction."
Save for a brief 3.6 percent drop in equity futures late on Thursday evening last week after House Speaker John Boehner had to cancel a scheduled vote on a tax-hike bill due to lack of Republican support, markets have not shown the same kind of volatility as in 2008 or 2011.
A gradual decline remains possible, Golub said, if business and consumer confidence continues to take a hit on the back of fiscal cliff worries. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in December, a drop blamed in part on the fiscal issues.
"If Congress came out and said that everything is off the table, yeah, that would be a short-term shock to the market, but that's not likely," said Richard Weiss, a Mountain View, California-based senior money manager at American Century Investments.
"Things will be resolved, just maybe not on a good time table. All else being equal, we see any further decline as a buying opportunity."
(Reporting by Edward Krudy and Ryan Vlastelica in New York and Doris Frankel in Chicago; Writing by David Gaffen; Editing by Martin Howell, Steve Orlofsky and Jan Paschal)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-st-week-ahead-cliff-may-fear-debt-235250243--finance.html
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Last ditch effort to avoid fiscal cliff under way
President Barack Obama pauses during a statement on the fiscal cliff negotiations with congressional leaders in the briefing room of the White House on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Washington. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Barack Obama pauses during a statement on the fiscal cliff negotiations with congressional leaders in the briefing room of the White House on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Washington. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. waits for her car as she leaves a meeting at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, after a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Barack Obama pauses while he speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington after meeting with Congressional leaders regarding the fiscal cliff, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. leaves the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, after a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. arrives at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, for a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday night to prevent middle-class tax increases from taking effect at the turn of the new year and possibly block sweeping spending cuts as well.
"I'm optimistic we may still be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time," President Barack Obama said at the White House after meeting for more than an hour with top lawmakers from both houses.
Surprisingly, after weeks of postelection gridlock, Senate leaders sounded even more bullish.
The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he was "hopeful and optimistic" of a deal that could be presented to rank-and-file lawmakers as early as Sunday, a little more than 24 hours before the year-end deadline.
Said Majority Leader Harry Reid: "I'm going to do everything I can" to prevent the tax increases and spending cuts that threaten to send the economy into recession. He cautioned, "Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect."
House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican who has struggled recently with anti-tax rebels inside his own party, said through an aide he would await the results of the talks between the Senate and White House.
Under a timetable sketched by congressional aides, any agreement would first go to the Senate for a vote. The House would then be asked to assent, possibly as late as Jan. 2, the final full day before a new Congress takes office.
Officials said there was a general understanding that any agreement would block scheduled income tax increases for middle class earners while letting rates rise at upper income levels.
Democrats said Obama was sticking to his campaign call for increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though in recent negotiations he said he could accept $400,000.
The two sides also confronted a divide over estate taxes.
Obama favors a higher tax than is currently in effect, but one senior Republican, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, said he's "totally dead set" against it. Speaking of fellow GOP lawmakers, he said they harbor more opposition to an increase in the estate tax than to letting taxes on income and investments rise at upper levels.
Also likely to be included in the negotiations are taxes on dividends and capital gains, both of which are scheduled to rise with the new year. Also the alternative minimum tax, which, if left unchanged, could hit an estimated 28 million households for the first time with an average increase of more than $3,000.
In addition, Obama and Democrats want to prevent the expiration of unemployment benefits for about 2 million long-term jobless men and women, and there is widespread sentiment in both parties to shelter doctors from a 27 percent cut in Medicare fees.
The White House has shown increased concern about a possible doubling of milk prices if a farm bill is not passed in the next few days, although it is not clear whether that issue, too, might be included in the talks.
One Republican who was briefed on the White House meeting said Boehner made it clear he would leave in place spending cuts scheduled to take effect unless alternative savings were included in any compromise to offset them. If he prevails, that would defer politically difficult decisions on curtailing government benefit programs like Medicare until 2013.
Success was far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust ? even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013 ? in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday working.
In a brief appearance in the White House briefing room, Obama referred to "dysfunction in Washington," and said the American public is "not going to have any patience for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. Not right now."
If there is no compromise, he said he expects Reid to put legislation on the floor to prevent tax increases on the middle class and extend unemployment benefits ? an implicit challenge to Republicans to dare to vote against what polls show is popular.
The president also booked a highly unusual appearance on Meet the Press for Sunday, yet another indication of his determination to retain the political high ground that came with his re-election.
The guest list for the White House meeting included Reid, McConnell, Boehner and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.
Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and the meeting was still going on at the White House when stocks closed lower for the fifth day in a row.
The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans. He made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.
Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.
Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.
Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.
Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.
______
Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
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Friday, December 28, 2012
Re: Bug that causes the program to close - Family Tree Maker ...
What you have experienced is, I believe, a re-occurence of the out of memory problem. It has been reported many times on this board. It was much worse two updates ago but still happens from time to time. If you monitor your RAM usage (using for example Task Manager) you can see the RAM use increase until there is none left then the program crashes. I still get this from time to time but no where near the frequency of two updates ago.
What I described was a specific sequence of steps that cause the program to terminate. It does not involve unusually high memory use and always happens with the same sequence of steps. Just an unusual bug that I've learned to keep away from. In other words when I edit something I always press Tab or Enter to finish the edit.
Source: http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/topics.software.famtreemaker/9264.4.1/mb.ashx
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Schatz to be sworn in as US senator for Hawaii
HONOLULU (AP) ? Incoming U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz was scheduled to be sworn into office Thursday afternoon, a day after being appointed by Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie and flying to Washington with President Barack Obama aboard Air Force One.
Schatz, who served as Hawaii's lieutenant governor under Abercrombie, was expected to take the oath of office on Capitol Hill.
His selection went against the dying wishes of revered longtime Sen. Daniel Inouye, whom Schatz replaces. Inouye wanted U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to succeed him.
The 40-year-old Schatz is a former state representative and onetime chairman of the state Democratic Party who ran Obama's 2008 campaign in Hawaii.
He said Wednesday that his top priorities would be addressing global climate change, preserving federal funds used in Hawaii for things like defense spending and transportation, and getting federal recognition for Native Hawaiians for forming their own government, similar to many Indian tribes.
Schatz beat out Hanabusa and Esther Kiaaina, a deputy director in the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The three candidates were selected by state Democrats Wednesday morning from a field of 14. The candidates briefly made their cases before the state party's central committee.
Schatz flew to Washington Wednesday night with Obama aboard Air Force One, who was returning from his Hawaii Christmas vacation early as Congress considers what to do about the so-called fiscal cliff.
Schatz will become Hawaii's senior senator. The state's other senator, Daniel Akaka, is retiring at the end of this Congress after 22 years and Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono was elected in November to succeed him.
Inouye, by far Hawaii's most influential politician and one of the most respected lawmakers in Washington after serving five decades in the Senate, died last week of respiratory complications at the age of 88. He sent Abercrombie a hand-signed letter dated the day he died, saying he would like Hanabusa to succeed him, calling it his "last wish."
Four days after eulogizing Inouye in the courtyard of the Hawaii Capitol, Abercrombie said he had to consider more than just Inouye's wishes in filling his seat.
"Of course Sen. Inouye's views and his wishes were taken into account fully, but the charge of the central committee, and by extension then myself as governor, was to act in the best interests of the party ... the state and the nation," Abercrombie said.
Under state law, the successor had to come from the same party as the prior incumbent. An Abercrombie spokeswoman said the governor did not feel any political pressure from within his party to make the choice he made.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/schatz-sworn-us-senator-hawaii-190810889--politics.html
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Galaxy S3 Mini Dropped From Apple's Patent Claims Against Samsung
By Dan Levine
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Apple Inc has agreed to withdraw patent claims against a new Samsung phone with a high-end display after Samsung said it was not offering to sell the product in the crucial U.S. market.
Apple disclosed the agreement in a filing on Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California.
Last month Apple asked to add the Galaxy S III Mini and other Samsung products, including several tablet models, to its wide-ranging patent litigation against Samsung.
In response, Samsung said the Galaxy S III Mini was not available for sale in the United States and should not be included in the case.
Apple won a $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung earlier this year, but has failed to secure a permanent sales ban against several, mostly older Samsung models. The patents Apple is asserting against the Galaxy S III Mini are separate from those that went to trial.
Samsung started selling the Mini in Europe in October, to compete with Apple's iPhone 5. In its filing on Friday in U.S. District Court, for the Northern District of California, Apple said its lawyers were able to purchase "multiple units" of the Mini from Amazon.com Inc's U.S. retail site and have them delivered within the country.
But Samsung represented that it is not "making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing the Galaxy S III Mini in the United States." Based on that, Apple said it agreed to withdraw its patent claims on the Mini, "so long as the current withdrawal will not prejudice Apple's ability later to accuse the Galaxy S III Mini if the factual circumstances change."
A Samsung official declined to comment. Apple could not immediately be reached for comment.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc. vs. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al., 12-630. (Reporting By Dan Levine; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Also on HuffPost:
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The Very Best 5 Features of Outsourcing ... - ???????, ??????
27 Dec 2012
Many organizations today are constantly trying to find better ways in which to implement their payroll processing. After much study and countless meetings, they?ve discovered that the alternatives may well lie within the reigns of outsourcing these plans to others who are specialized in certain areas of expertise. There are 5 reasoned explanations why many businesses elect to outsource their payroll processing services as follows:1. To avoid tax fines -:When a business is outsourced they are ?up to date? on the many state and federal tax laws, as well as the yearly changes that are borne. Each time a corporation?s regular workers are in charge of the payroll, often the brand new changes pertaining to fees are over looked, which could both charge the organization money and possibly even cause legal issues that may otherwise perhaps not be prevalent.2. Offer strong deposit -:Direct deposit is an available feature when payroll processing is outsourced. This way, the payroll payments are not even on the house of the corporation, and number bank excursions for the purposes of deposits are utilized. Here again, the issues related to safety and reliability are absolutely eliminated.3. Costs are paid down -:It is just a fact that outsourcing is cheaper for a business than hiring its workers. One particular explanation is that outsourcing could be the implementation of specific services that could possibly be the focus of the outsourcer this designates a less expensive way to accomplish these processes.4. Prevent technological discrepancies -:The organizations developed to outsource are prepared to keep current with the many changes that occur in technology, while a company?s workers do not have the full time to effectively keep up with these many changes. Even those aspects which can be related to duty tables, an such like. are changed from month to month, so an excellent outsourcing company can keep current on many of these issues.5. Reduces the possibility of fraud -:The work of outsourcing reduces the chance of fraud from within the business. It is a problem that?s been noticed previously several years, and companies are doing their utmost to reduce these concerns. Issues of fraud not just cost a firm much money, but also apply bad press, which may in reality influence business in a negative trend. Outsourcing generally seems to minimize and even eradicate these issues.Yes, outsourcing is just a popular trend for several reasons, primarily those associated with supporting an organization decrease cost and economic challenges.
Come to our site for more information about payroll on line
Source: http://katalogas.link-bin.eu/the-very-best-5-features-of-outsourcing-paycheck-handling-companies/
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Denver rolls, keeps top spot in AP Pro32 rankings
NEW YORK (AP) ? Peyton Manning and his Broncos are closing in on the playoffs as the top team in the AP Pro32 NFL power rankings.
Denver strengthened its grip on the top spot Wednesday following its 10th win in a row, receiving nine first-place votes and 381 points in balloting by The Associated Press panel of 12 media members who regularly cover the league.
The AFC West champion Broncos (12-3) close out the regular season at home against Kansas City (2-13), 32nd and last in the rankings. The final AP Pro32 rankings will be released next Wednesday.
The NFC South champion Atlanta Falcons (13-2) moved up two places to second with one first-place vote and 363 points. Last week, the Broncos were first by three points over San Francisco, which dropped to sixth after being blown out by Seattle.
"Eleven in a row (after KC this weekend) and primed for a Super Bowl run," Rich Gannon of CBS Sports/Sirius XM said in voting the Broncos first.
"As expected the Broncos have become a scoring machine that also has good pass rushers. Still a chance they are the No. 1 seed in the AFC," Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio/CBSSports.com said.
The Seahawks (one first-place vote) were up two spots to fifth after routing the 49ers 42-13 on Sunday night.
"They have scored 120 points more than their last three opponents and officially have become the team no one wants to play in the postseason," Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune said.
Despite the loss, the 49ers still received a first-place vote.
"Admittedly, a HUGE mulligan," said ESPN's Chris Berman in sticking with the 49ers at No. 1.
Green Bay was up three spots to third after its 55-7 rout of Tennessee, while New England dropped a place to fourth after hanging on for a 23-16 win over No. 31 Jacksonville.
"If there's any solace from an unimpressive win at Jacksonville, the Patriots also seemed disinterested in their final two regular-season games last year before reaching Super Bowl," Alex Marvez of Foxsports.com said.
"Yes, the Patriots are hard to figure out, but this isn't: They're always a Super Bowl factor as long as Tom Brady is healthy," Clark Judge of CBSSports.com said.
Indianapolis, which clinched a playoff spot with a win over Kansas City, moved up to 10th in a season in which the Colts started out No. 32 in the first AP Pro32 rankings.
"Can an assistant coach be named the NFL's coach of the year? Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has put himself in that position for his interim work filling in for ailing head coach Chuck Pagano this season," Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News said.
And yes, Arians can win the award.
Minnesota, meanwhile, rose to No. 12 this week, and needs a win over Green Bay to earn a playoff spot. The Vikings started the season 29th.
"Adrian Peterson is finally getting a little help from his friends," Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune said.
Philadelphia began the season No. 8 and dropped three more spots to No. 27 after a 27-20 loss to Washington. The Redskins, meanwhile, went the other way, starting at No. 25 and rising to No. 9 this week.
"It's very simple for the resurgent Redskins: beat the Cowboys on Sunday, and the division is theirs," Bob Glauber of Newsday said. "Would be an incredible finish for a team that looked to be out of it at 3-6."
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
___
Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/denver-rolls-keeps-top-spot-ap-pro32-rankings-213450322--nfl.html
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Global Strategies: "Higher ed gets a place of its own at the Legislature"
The Oregonian and I are both pleased that the Oregon House
will have a committee solely devoted to higher education n Oregon in its 2013 session. However, I am
concerned that the Higher Ed committee will not take a look at online learning
in the Oregon University System, and, as for the Oregonian, they do not even
raise the issue of online ed in their editorial.
From the Oregnian?s editorial ?At long last, higher ed gets a place of its own at the Legislasture? (here):
....The new committee has a pile of homework already assigned.
This session it gets to look at university governance, at the now widely
accepted bids by the University of Oregon and Portland
State for institutional
boards of trustees, at what the power of those boards would be and how
they
would fit into the overall university system. It will be part of the effort to
make sense of the multiplicity of higher ed oversight structures either already
existing or set up by recent legislation.
The committee will look at the pressing question of access, as state defunding of higher ed has shifted most of the burden to students and families, creating graduates -- and dropouts -- with heavy college debt burdens. State Treasurer Ted Wheeler has a proposal to use much of the state's bonding capacity, as it becomes available, to set up scholarship funds. Dembrow is also interested in a variation, developed by a Portland State class, to set up a loan fund to be paid back by a percentage of post-college income.
Dembrow, a community college professor, intends to examine other issues,
such as the increasing reliance on adjunct per-course professors rather than
full-time, more available faculty. "If you go to school weekends and
evenings (as a number of Oregon
college
students do), you'll hardly ever have a full-time faculty member,"
he notes. "But the students who do that are more likely to fall through
the cracks," not getting the guidance that would help their chances of
graduating....
Note no mention of online education. Tyler Cowen in his ?Marginal Revolution? blog post ?How many bankruptcies to come in higher education? writes (here):
1. The absolute wages of college graduates have been falling for over a decade, even though the relative premium over ?no college degree? is robust.? Still, absolute wages do determine the long-term viability of any revenue model.? And note that a pretty big chunk of the relative college wage premium is captured through post-secondary education only.
2. The ?debt bubble? behind a lot of recent higher education expansion won?t be repeated anytime soon.
3. A large number of institutions in the top one hundred will move to a
hybrid on-line model for a third or so of their classes and they will do so
gradually, without seriously disrupting norms of conformity or eliminating
campus life.? In fact this will become the new conformity and furthermore
through time-shifting it may increase the quantity and joy of drunken parties
and campus orgies.? Eventually these on-line classes will be sold for
credit to outside students.? Some top schools will sell credits in this
manner, even if the more exclusive Harvard and Princeton
do not.? Many lesser schools will lose a third or so of their current
tuition revenue stream.? Note that the prices for these on-line credits,
even if hybrid, will likely be much lower, plus lesser schools lose revenue to
the schools better at designing on-line content.
4. Some state governors will try to put out a supposedly semi-passable degree
from their state schools
for 10k a year, with some on-line components of
course.? That will put price and revenue pressure on many other schools.
And:
Still, I think it is quite possible that one hundred or more schools in the U.S. News rankings will find their enrollments or at least their tuition revenue streams cut in half or more within twenty years.? They will be shells of their former selves, though on-line education might not even be their major economic challenge.? It will be one of three or four major whammies facing them.?
Both the House Higher Ed committee and the Oregonian editorial board need to give more attention to online education.
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Divorce-Proof Marriage: 10 Reasons I'm Sure We'll ... - Huffington Post
By Amber Doty for YourTango.com
By now, you've probably heard the widely-touted statistic that the divorce rate in the U.S. is 50 percent. According to the Pew Research Center, though, the rate of divorce is on the decline (along with the rate of marriage). This success is likely due, in large part, to the fact that people are waiting longer than ever to walk down the aisle.
While I agree that stability is certainly important, I don't buy into the idea that age is a deciding factor in whether a marriage ends in divorce. It's not the case at all with my marriage.
My husband and I met and began dating when I was a teenager and were married in our early twenties. More than eight years later, I am as confident as I was on our wedding day that our marriage will last a lifetime. In fact, I would go so far to say our union is divorce-proof. Here are 10 reasons why.
1. We wanted a marriage, not a wedding. Recently, I had coffee with a friend going through a divorce after only two years of marriage. When I asked what happened, she replied without pause, "I wanted a wedding, not a marriage." She went on to explain that, after years of dating, getting married seemed like the next logical step in their relationship and the timing was right for them to fund the wedding of her dreams. From seating arrangements to color schemes and everything in between, there are many decisions to be made while planning a walk down the aisle. It can be easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal: to begin a lifelong relationship with the person you love. But the hard part isn't in saying "I do," it's in choosing to say it again and again for the rest of your life. For my husband and me, the focus was always on the morning after (and every other morning after that) instead of the "big day."
2. We didn't wait until after the wedding to tackle important issues. It can be awkward when you're dating to discuss things like the number and timing of children, personal approaches to finances, where you see yourself living down the road, or what religion your family will practice, but knowing the answers to these questions before you marry can mean the difference between a rocky start and a smooth transition into your new lives together. Everyone has their dealbreakers, but identifying ours before we gathered 100 of our closest friends and family members to pledge our lives together for all eternity cut down on surprises after they had all gone home. I am always shocked by the number of marriages that end in divorce because a couple never bothered to discuss their ideas for the future.
3. We put each other and our marriage first. Our children come second. I?ve written about it before here on YourTango. I love my children, but I am in love with my husband and prioritizing our relationship is good for our family as a whole.
4. When it comes to our relationship, our in-laws are outlawed. Mother-in-laws are at the center of many a sitcom and romantic comedy shenanigan -- and for good reason. They're notorious for causing marital strife both on-screen and off. That's why my husband and I have made it clear that while I can't control his mother's opinion on my cooking and he will never escape my mom's incessant nagging on the upkeep of our yard, their thoughts on our relationship are unwelcome. When we need advice or just to vent, we seek out the listening ear of a friend, not a family member.
5. Our bedroom is a child-free zone. Nothing kills the mood faster than reaching under the sheets mid-romp to dislodge an uncomfortable object that turns out to be a half-empty sippy cup.
6. We use our past to our advantage, not our detriment. My husband and I both come from divorced families, a fact that many studies agree puts couples at greater risk for divorce themselves. But history doesn't have to repeat itself. We talk openly, both together and with therapists, about what went wrong in our parents' marriages and how it affected our lives and our perception of matrimony.
7. We maintain common interests. One of the very first conversations my husband and I shared was a discussion of a book we had both recently read. It's dorky, but we're suckers for a good horror novel. While the differences in our personalities and our day-to-day are vast (he works long hours in law enforcement; I work from home as a freelance writer), we share reading material and talk about it regularly. A book club for two may not be the foundation on which our marriage is built, but it is a reminder of why we got together in the first place beyond the roles we have assumed since our relationship began.
8. We practice emotional self-regulation. In an article highlighting the skills every person should master before getting married, YourTango expert, Dr. Susan Heitler, emphasizes the importance of learning to control your emotions. You can remove nails driven into a board, but you can't undo the holes they create. The same is true for words said in the heat of the moment. Taking time to cool down instead of entering into a shouting match has been the difference between a marital spat and a major blow-up.
9. We give each other space. When I step out for a much needed day away from the house, I am confident my phone will not ring unless there is an emergency. Likewise, when he arrives home from work, I give him time to relax before handing off the childcare responsibilities. A little independence and time to ourselves is as vital to the health of our marriage as fostering a common bond.
10. We split the parenting duties equally. Nothing breeds resentment faster in a marriage than feeling like you are solely responsible for the diaper changing and late-night feedings. Since the day our first child was born my husband and I have adopted a 50/50 approach to parenting. "You get this one. I got the last one," is a frequently uttered phrase in our home. We also share the burden that being a parent can place on a career. There is no expectation that, as the woman, I will shoulder the responsibility of taking a day off when our children are ill. Nothing makes me feel more supported and secure in our relationship than knowing my husband and I are partners in parenthood.
Are you confident your marriage is divorce-proof? How do you maintain a healthy relationship with your spouse?
More Stories On YourTango:
Having So-So Sex? 6 Ways To Make It Mind-Blowing
Old News, New Research: Men Really Do Want To Marry Their Moms
Jessica Biel's Sexy Reason She Loves Life With Justin Timberlake
The Best Love Advice On YourTango
Affection: Does He Care?
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/divorce-proof-marriage_n_2281150.html
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Video: Obama cuts vacation short to tackle fiscal cliff
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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50295986/
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Richard (RJ) Eskow: For Wall Street "It's Peace On Earth, Goodwill Toward Remington"
Despite an epidemic of gun deaths, the river of gun cash never stops flowing. If you follow that river upstream you'll see that its source lies very close to Wall Street. And the river's mouth speaks with the voice of politicians, whose campaign fundraising is undoubtedly taking place even on this supposedly holy day for most of them.
'Tis the season to be lobbied.
"More than 50 firearms-related companies have given at least $14.8 million" to the National Rifle Association, Bloomberg News reports?-- and that's just the money we know about. The NRA spent nearly $25 million in the last election cycle alone. True to form, the NRA's chief said this week that we need more guns in the schools to end the killing of our children.
That's like spreading a flu virus to stop an epidemic.
But Wayne LaPierre did his job. Everybody's talking about how crazy he is. Nobody's talking about how crazy we are for tolerating this situation - or how immoral our corporate class is for financing it.
Wall Street's investments extend beyond the manufacturers themselves -- to the NRA, and to all the other groups supporting the NRA's nihilistic objective: the total elimination of any and all controls on even the deadliest of weapons. That includes ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which foments the "Stand Your Ground" reign of terror that so effectively distracts millions of Americans from the true source of their anxiety and hardship.
It's working. As we reported after another gun tragedy this year, "Firearms and ammunition sales rose 45 percent between 2009 and 2010 alone." And the tragedy of Newtown has been great for business all around the country. Just look at a sampling of headlines we've seen in the last week: "Tucson Gun Sales Surge After Newtown" (Arizona Daily Star). "New Hampshire sets record on background checks for gun sales after Newtown shootings" (Nashua Telegraph). "Local gun dealers see sales increase after Newtown tragedy" (Indianapolis local television).
Somebody's making money from these tragedies. But who?
There's hedge fund manager Steve Schwarzman, for one. His Blackstone Group advises the manufacturer of Colt handguns. ?It was Schwarzman who likened the notion of ending his cushy tax breaks to "the invasion of Poland by Hitler in 1939."
Information's limited, ?but other top hedge funds invested in gun manufacturers include Steelhead Partners, Renaissance Technologies, Route One Investment Company, Columbia Partners, Bogle Investment Management, and Millennium Management.?Our review?of the Open Secrets campaign database shows that Steelhead's executives have contributed more than $330,000 to political campaigns since 1990, almost exclusively to Republicans.
Cerberus Capital owns the company whose gun killed children in Newton, and Daniel Gross?reports that its leadership team includes former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Bush cabinet member John Snow. Cerberus founder Stephen Feinberg contributed "$100,000 in August to Friends of the Majority, a Republican super PAC; $9,800 to Rep. Ben Quayle (son of Dan); $30,800 to the Republican National Committee in October; $58,500 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and $7,500 to Mitt Romney."
Feinberg and his associates cultivate a reputation for taking a very hands-on approach to their investment -- "blocking and tackling" -- which emphasizes cost cutting and efficiency. That makes it all but certain that they?were fully aware of their investment's lethal implications, especially once they reviewed the company's insurance policies and risk management profile.
"As a firm, we are investors, not statesmen or policy makers," Cerberus said in a statement after the shootings. "It is not our role to take positions, or attempt to shape or influence the gun control policy debate. That is the job of our federal and state legislators."
In other words, we were only following orders -- "buy" orders, "sell" orders...
The Cerberus gun that did the most damage was an "ACR," or "Adaptive Combat Rifle." Manufactured for civilian sales by subsidiary Bushmaster. Remington Arms, also likened to Freedom Group/Cerberus, manufactures the military version. "One Rifle, Many Missions," boasts a Remington flyer. (The deaths of kindergartners is presumably not listed among them.)
Cerberus was reaping millions in profits from the taxpayer from its Pentagon sales through Remington, while Bushmaster catered to the Lanza family demographic. And now we learn that William Spengler, named by police as the killer of two firefighters in upstate New York, used the same Bushmaster ACR -- a weapon he obtained despite his conviction for beating his grandmother to death with a hammer.
Tell me again: Why is it wrong to deny people like that the "right to bear arms"? If we had, two firefighters -- including a 19-year-old dispatcher -- might be alive today. On the other hand, Bushmaster might have lost a sale. And at a list price $2,685 (although it can be found for $1,500), who wants that?
Cerberus said it would sell its interests in Freedom Group to avoid being "drawn into the national policy debate." It was also likely to lose tens of millions of dollars in investor cash for its fund, including $50 million from the New York state retirement fund. That probably had a more immediate impact on its decision.
That's how we make change -- not just with our votes, but with our wallets.
Michael Bloomberg has been a leading spokesperson for more than 700 mayors who've been pushing for sensible gun controls. ? He rightly chastised the do-nothing attitude of Obama and the Democrats after July's Colorado shooting, and mocked Mitt Romney for saying that the way to end gun violence is by "changing the heart of the American people."
How are we going to change our hearts when so much is invested in keeping them hardened?
Now the Death Lobby's insisting that the problem -- the only problem -- is mental illness. But it's odd: The ones blaming mental illness are usually the same people who block funds for the treatment of mental illness.
In Greek mythology Cerberus is the three-headed dog who guards the gate of Hades. One head stares into Hell to make sure nobody escapes, while another looks back at the world of the living and the third looks toward the future.?It's time to look away from the inferno, to escape from a hell in which kindergartners are target practice and firefighters are prey.
In this holiday season it's worth remembering the words of Moses, a key prophetic figure in the three Abrahamic religions:
"I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."?
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Follow Richard (RJ) Eskow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rjeskow
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/for-wall-street-its-peace_b_2362846.html
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