Monday, December 31, 2012

In 2013, the great global unraveling | Economy | GMA News Online ...

The disparate prospects of each continent have little in common. To the extent that they can be linked by a single theme in 2013, however, it is the idea of the unraveling of the global economy and the political integration that supported it. After two decades of globalization, this year will see each of the big political theaters re-erecting barriers and focusing more on domestic repairs than on global expansion. The unraveling has its roots in longer-term trends, but it is set to step up in the next year.

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There has been a remarkable stabilization within the euro zone since European Central Bank President Mario Draghi?s intervention in the summer of 2012. But even as the euro zone integrates, the politics and economics of the wider European Union are likely to diverge. In practice, the measures toward an integrated banking union, increased parliamentary accountability and more incentives for reform could go hand in hand with the de facto economic and political disintegration of the EU. Economically, as Sebastian Dullien argues in a paper, ?Why the euro crisis threatens the EU single market,? there is a significant risk of a gradual unraveling of the EU?s single-market system. A full euro zone breakup would shatter the euro, while a great leap toward political union could see shrinkage of the single market, as countries such as the United Kingdom withdraw from the heart of Europe.

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Even muddling through the crisis seems likely to diminish the depth of the single market. In recent months, banks in the euro zone have withdrawn from trans-border business. Even poorly-managed German companies are paying significantly less interest on capital than well-managed Spanish companies. These new barriers between euro zone members will lead to a renewed focus on domestic markets. For Europe, this means less competition, less growth and higher prices for consumers.

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Europe?s economic unraveling will be matched by a new political geography. The continent is already seeing a reshuffling of its elite, as the traditional political forces in many countries ? from Greece to Italy to Finland to Austria ? find themselves besieged by an emerging anti-political class of populists from left and right. There is also a renegotiation of the relationship between the ?core? and the ?periphery? ? with many EU member states, including larger nations such as the UK, Poland and Spain, deeply concerned that integration is forcing them to the periphery of the European project.

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Most worrying is the fragmentation of the core itself, with possibly irreconcilable differences emerging between Paris and Berlin over the future shape of the EU polity.

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The Middle East could also become divided like never before in 2013. In the past two years we have seen political action unite the Arab world with an ?awakening? that has spread from capital to capital through social media, satellite television and the infectious promise of change. But the story of the year ahead will focus more on the splits.

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Syria?s civil war is becoming the epicenter of a regional sectarian conflict, bringing the threat of wider destabilization. It has already sharpened sectarian tensions and reinvigorated dormant Sunni jihadi forces, putting Iran and its allies on the defensive and providing space for Kurdish ambitions. The febrile atmosphere in Kurdish areas is opening cracks between Ankara and its de facto allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and reverberations are spreading into northern Iraq.

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A story with enormous global resonance is the growing tension between a strong Chinese society and a weak Chinese state, as it drives the new Asia apart. Many in the Chinese elite think their country needs to enter a new era of political and economic change. After Mao?s political revolution (China 1.0) and Deng Xiaoping?s economic revolution (China 2.0), they are calling for a major re-orientation toward a China 3.0.

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Now that China?s populace is becoming increasingly affluent, how does the state deal with issues like growing inequality, the need to rebalance its economy and its increasing exposure to the global economy? How does the Communist Party retain stability in a time of unrest within Chinese society that includes half a billion ?netizens? on the Web? And how does China take on the burden of being a Great Power as it develops interests in every continent on the planet?

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In September, China?s 18th Party Congress anointed leaders whose views are more aligned with the past than the future. As the political system becomes more rigid and its foreign policy more aggressive, there is a risk of growing tension between China?s strengthening society and its weakening political system. These tensions are already having an impact on the wider Asian system.

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Asia?s economic map has been redrawn over the past 15 years as increasing intra-regional trade, investment and supply chains have driven deep interdependence (all done largely without the United States). But tension and weakness in the Chinese state seem to be driving the nation to take ever more worrying steps toward neighbors such as Japan, the Philippines and Korea. Since 2010, a more aggressive China has increasingly threatened to pit the ?economic Asia? that was uniting without the United States against a ?security Asia? that is demanding an American pivot to balance against China?s rise.

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All of the above are linked to the question of American leadership, or its absence. At the moment, America?s political class wonders whether there will be a deal made as Congress hurtles toward a fiscal cliff. But for the first time in decades, a dramatic question at the heart of the most powerful nation in the world is met outside with curiosity and concern rather than existential angst.

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The fiscal cliff drama does not show America at its best ? its law-makers seem divided and disconnected from economic reality. But there is an even more shocking development about the events on Capitol Hill: the fact that that the stakes for the rest of the world seem so low. It is a sobering reminder that ? although no power has emerged to replace the United States? American leadership will not be able to stop the great unraveling. In fact, to the extent that America will continue to lead the world, it will be pioneering a focus on internal rebuilding rather than foreign adventures. ? Reuters?

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Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the first pan-European think-tank. He is the author of "Why Europe will run the 21st Century" (2005) which was published into 20 languages and "What does China think?" (2008) which was published into 15 languages. He tweets @markhleonard.

Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/288304/economy/opinion/in-2013-the-great-global-unraveling

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Did Lucy walk on the ground or stay in the trees?

Dec. 31, 2012 ? Much has been made of our ancestors "coming down out of the trees," and many researchers view terrestrial bipedalism as the hallmark of "humanness." After all, most of our living primate relatives -- the great apes, specifically -- still spend their time in the trees. Humans are the only member of the family devoted to the ground, living terrestrial rather than arboreal lives, but that wasn't always the case.

The fossil record shows that our predecessors were arboreal habitu?s, that is, until Lucy arrived on the scene. About 3.5 million years ago in Africa, this new creature, Australopithecus afarensis, appeared; Lucy was the first specimen discovered. Anthropologists agree that A. afarensis was bipedal, but had Lucy and her legions totally forsaken the trees? The question is at the root of a controversy that still rages.

"Australopithecus afarensis possessed a rigid ankle and an arched, nongrasping foot," write Nathaniel Dominy and his co-authors in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "These traits are widely interpreted as being functionally incompatible with climbing and thus definitive markers of terrestriality," says Dominy, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth.

But not so fast; this interpretation may be a rush to judgment in light of new evidence brought to light by Dominy and his colleagues. They did what anthropologists do. They went out and looked at modern humans who, like Lucy, have feet adapted to terrestrial bipedalism, and found these people can still function as effective treeclimbers.

Co-authors Vivek Venkataraman and Thomas Kraft collaborated with Dominy on field studies in the Philippines and Africa that inform their PNAS paper. Venkataraman and Kraft are Dartmouth graduate students in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology PhD program in the Department of Biological Sciences, and are supported by National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships.

The studies in Uganda compared Twa hunter-gatherers to their agriculturalist neighbors, the Bakiga. In the Philippines, the researchers studied Agta hunter-gatherers and Manobo agriculturalists. Both the Twa and the Agta habitually climb trees in pursuit of honey, a highly nutritious component of their diets. They climb in a fashion that has been described as "walking" up small-diameter trees. The climbers apply the soles of their feet directly to the trunk and "walk" upward, with their arms and legs advancing alternately.

Among the climbers, Dominy and his team documented extreme dorsiflexion -- bending the foot upward toward the shin to an extraordinary degree -- beyond the range of modern "industrialized" humans. Assuming their leg bones and ankle joints were normal, "we hypothesized that a soft-tissue mechanism might enable such extreme dorsiflexion," the authors write.

They tested their hypothesis using ultrasound imaging to measure and compare the lengths of gastrocnemius muscle fibers -- the large calf muscles -- in all four groups -- the Agta, Manobo, Twa and Bakiga. The climbing Agta and Twa were found to have significantly longer muscle fibers.

"These results suggest that habitual climbing by Twa and Agta men changes the muscle architecture associated with ankle dorsiflexion," write the scientists, demonstrating that a terrestrially adapted foot and ankle do not exclude climbing from the behavioral repertoire of human hunter- gatherers, or Lucy.

In their conclusions, the Dartmouth team highlights the value of modern humans as models for studying the anatomical correlates of behavior, both in the present and in the dim past of our fossil ancestors.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Dartmouth College. The original article was written by Joseph Blumberg.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Vivek V. Venkataraman, Thomas S. Kraft, and Nathaniel J. Dominy. Tree climbing and human evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1208717110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Nj87vBz84zw/121231161043.htm

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Israel Supreme Court Overturns Ban on Arab Politician

Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday overturned a decision by the Central Elections Committee banning Arab-Israeli politician Haneen Zuabi from standing in next month's snap general election.

"Following a hearing on 27/12/2012, it was decided unanimously to reject the Central Elections Committee's decision... to prevent representative Haneen Zuabi from standing for elections for the 19th Knesset," a summary of the court's decision said.

The summary, which was released ahead of the full decision later on Sunday, did not explain why the court was overturning the committee's decision, but confirmed that Zuabi would be able to stand in the January 22 vote.

A member of the Arab-Israeli leftwing Balad party, Zuabi is a controversial figure in Israeli society.

A firebrand critic of the government, Zuabi has regularly tangled with rightwing members of the Knesset, who sought to disqualify her from running in the next election.

They argue that she fails to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and backed enemies of the state by participating in a 2010 Gaza-bound flotilla that was raided by Israeli commandos in an operation that killed nine Turkish activists.

Speaking to public radio after the court ruling, Zuabi said she was happy with the result.

"I welcome the Supreme Court's decision. This is what I expected," she said.

"I don't regret having participated in the Mavi Marmara (flotilla). I know what I did," she added.

"There was no legal basis for the (committee's) decision, which was based only on political considerations," she said in a separate interview with Israeli military radio.

"The Supreme Court has not succumbed to pressure from the racist right wing."

Israel's elections committee, which is composed of representatives from political parties, has in the past voted to ban Balad, as well as another Arab-Israeli party and other Arab Israeli politicians, from elections.

But those decisions were overturned by the Supreme Court, which had again been expected to strike down the decision banning Zuabi's participation in the January poll.

Source: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/66469-israel-supreme-court-overturns-ban-on-arab-politician

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Twitter Watch: Andrew Lloyd Webber-'Had to Come Back to the UK for a Back Operation'

BroadwayWorld.com presents Twitter Watch, which brings you only the best and most interesting reports straight from the mouths of Broadway stars, shows and more on the hot social networking service - Twitter!

On Twitter, Andrew Lloyd Webber had this to say @OfficialALW

Unfortunately had to come back to the UK for a back op. It's apparently been successful - didn't want to interrupt my work next year. ALW.

For more of Twitter Watch, Click Here!


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/broadwayworld/pWRb/~3/nr8x4xcBeac/Twitter-Watch-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-Had-to-Come-Back-to-the-UK-for-a-Back-Operation-20121229

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Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Proud to be a Buckeye: A Look at Fanaticism in Ohio State Football

Urban Meyer

Photo: Jay LaPrete, Associated Press / SF

On this hour, we'll talk about the tradition and fanaticism of Ohio State football.

11:00

Buckeye football fans are proud, that we all know. But what?s behind the fanaticism and historic traditions of The Ohio State University? On this hour, we?ll talk about Ohio State football just in time for the school?s 100th Homecoming Game this Saturday.

Guests

  • Bob Hunter (author and sports columnist for the Columbus Dispatch)

Learn More

Click here for more information on Bob Hunter?s new book Saint Woody: The History and Fanaticism of Ohio State Football.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AllSidesWithAnnFisher/~3/MAPITVoawvo/

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

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Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills ...

Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Shakara123(m): 3:11pmIn our present society, there seem to be an increased awareness and crave for smart phones by all (infants, youths and adults alike).

These devices no doubt help in easy and fast communication but have we considered the effects they have on our written and spoken communication skills, especially our students??

Today, words are abbreviated in chat platforms to the extent that most students find it difficult to spell some words correctly, place punctuations appropriately, or even differentiate tenses. Examples; I don?t know becomes ?dunno?, okay becomes ?kk?, what is going on becomes ?sup?, don?t becomes ?dnt?, bother becomes ?boda? and the list goes on and on. It is at such moments that I praise some universities that ban the use of smart phones on campus.

Secondly, have we observed that some persons who are able to use these abbreviated words so much and type so fast with their phones during chats find it quite difficult to speak as effectively when physically present before their chat mates?

These are only my thoughts anyway. I will appreciate your comments as well.

Compliments.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by 2legit2qwt: 3:52pmYes, we're definitely letting it affect the writing aspect of the language. I once had the opportunity to review some applicants cover letter during a job application process and it's so pathetic that simple errors such as replacing '4' with 'for' were common.

A lot of people on Nairaland would rather write in 'text' language than the actual language thereby making it difficult to read/understand. Once you start writing that way consistently, you get used to it and it becomes the norm for you.

I can understand the need for 'text' words based on the number of characters you're restricted to in SMS

I'd rather read a sentence constructed in broken/pidgin English than in 'text' language outside of actual mobile texting, it does my head in

8 Likes

This post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Clefcentfelix: 3:53pm

it depends on the individual

This post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Chuckeey (m): 3:54pm

really affecting us badly

This post has been hiddenThis post has been hiddenRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by vanstanzy(m): 3:56pmRe: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Cori_corde(f): 3:56pm

Exactly. I don't remember reading a text with the words written in full. Eveybody talks lyk dis noe. What is this nonsense?

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by messiah(m): 3:56pm

"you're" becomes "your"

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Sunymoore(m): 3:58pm

Quite tru cox i rembrd whn i was wrtng englsh dis yea, instd of schools i wrote .skulls. Its truli quite unfotunt. But as frm nw, i will tri as much as i can to wrte a complt wrd even in a forum o chat rum.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by kunletiwoo(m): 3:58pm
Clefcentfelix: it depends on the individual

seconded! Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by afam4eva(m): 4:00pm

God punish spoken English. How about spoken Igbo and Yoruba. Why's no one worried about them?

4 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by egift(m): 4:01pmI will not say badly. If the user is lazy it will help him more. But if the person really cares for the quality of spoken and written words, phones and PCs could be really helpful.

For me the use of computer makes me spell words correctly, even the ones I can not easily put together (I just keep right-clicking till it suggest the right spelling).

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by SamConquer(m): 4:02pm

MTCHEWWWW MU.MU TOPIC AGAIN

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Yomieluv(m): 4:02pm

I dnt knw of som1 else,but its not affectin me at all,dats y I wrote dis in gud english

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by caesaraba(m): 4:04pmIt does. But I wouldn't say smartphones only. I'd say social media and all its shorthand has really reduced the quality of written English we see (among youths) these days.

E.g, A lot of people now replace the letter 's' with 'x' when they spell words.

There are many more examples but the crux of the matter is that social media has really affected the quality of written English among youths. Go through the comments on NL and see for yourself.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Goldenheart(m): 4:05pm

place reserved.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Shaw007(m): 4:05pmI thinK it actuaLLy depends On the individuaL. . .if ur(you're) someone who cannot pLace a distinctIOn on ur(your) "chat/texting" Life and the normaL,formaL Life u'LL(you will) reaLLY find it hard

and one other thing is the consciousness,most fOLks when writing tend to forget they are not messaging their friends or updating some status But writing a note ,an exam,or maybe an application. . .most ppl(people) can actually write normally,but when this behaviour starts to eat deep,i'm afraid the person is Lost

and of course on occasions,he intentionally tries to break that jinx

yes,it definitelY affects the writing aspect,but i dnt(don't) think it affects anyone speaking. . .at Least to my knowledge

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Koolking(m): 4:06pm

It irritates me, in fact, I don't even waste my resource (time) reading short-worded comments and documents. What stops people from typing words the way they were taught, even when they have enough space to accommodate what they have to pass across to their listeners/readers. Personally, I see people who form such habits as unintelligent, docile and boring. It has nothing to do with Smart phones.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by ebucha: 4:06pm

Queens English does not improve the economy of a nation, ask the Chinese prime minister (fastest growin economy), Germans or maybe Japanese. The English currency and Economy overtook ours years back cos they made us slave to their language. Gramma good oh,but e no go giv us light,water and road. SEEK FOR DEVELOPMENTAL KNOWLEDGE!!

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by ebucha: 4:09pm
Chuckeey :
really affecting us badly
how? Ok, it increased the price of fuel and damaged our roads.Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Troll: 4:10pm@OP Is English My Language Or Are You A Learner!?

...Typing From My Nokia 3310 With GPS, 3G, WIFI & Bluetooth

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Blackteeth(m): 4:10pm

I dont know. But ever since I started texting and chatting, I always write in full like its official. My friends I chat with always ask me why I write in full letters and I tell them its because I dont want to get used to those shorthand styles. Maybe its paying off for me.

3 Likes

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Sunymoore(m): 4:12pm

For those of u who have nt see the text under ''dis has affect us badly'' because its hidden, the text is
Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our
Written And Spoken English Skills?
by Clefcentfelix: 3:55pm
first to comment. placeholladele:
reserved
u're high on rice n stew.
(Quote) (Report) (Like)
Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our
Written And Spoken English Skills?
by Clefcentfelix: 3:55pm
holladele: first to comment. place
reserved
first?

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Richfella(m): 4:12pm

Some posts here, written in text-speak, make me want to hit my head on the wall. Yikes!

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by A-ZeD(m): 4:13pm

You don't blame smart phones for the laziness of humans. No smart phone/phone comes with "text speak".

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by A-ZeD(m): 4:16pm
Richfella: Some posts here, written in text-speak, make me want to hit my head on the wall. Yikes!
Its truly annoying when adults resort to writing "text speak" on a public forum. I can tolerate bad grammar but "text speak" just makes me write you off as un intelligent and not worth responding to.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by Prodigee(m): 4:18pm

@OP: Welcome to the jet age...no time for time.

1 Like

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by omodapson(m): 4:19pm

I would have to support this assertion. We now have a new form of written language, (no language is exempted) which is destructive to the way we communicate. Before long, abnormalities may become the norm and we may not have answers to right the wrong.

Re: Are Smartphones Affecting Our Written And Spoken English Skills? by bara pistis(m): 4:23pm

the thing they affect person die....
me don go back to school lol, as i don forget the spelling of most common words

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Source: http://www.nairaland.com/1145632/smartphones-affecting-written-spoken-english

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1 vs 2: Stanford, UConn women renew rivalry

Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike (13) shoots over Tennessee guard Ariel Massengale (5) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike (13) shoots over Tennessee guard Ariel Massengale (5) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer directs her team in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. Stanford won 73-60. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, right, hugs Hartford head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, left, before a NCAA women's college basketball game in West Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Connecticut won 102-45. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Stanford and Connecticut have developed one of the best rivalries in women's basketball over the past five years.

Whether facing off in the national championship game, playing in the Final Four, or just meeting in the regular season, the two programs on opposite sides of the country consistently have had compelling matchups.

The undefeated teams will renew their annual contest Saturday when the second-ranked Huskies (10-0) visit the No. 1 Cardinal (11-0).

"It's a rivalry for us, but more than that, it's a measuring stick," said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, whose Cardinal have held the top spot in the poll for the past six weeks. "When the ball goes up, nobody cares anything about rankings."

The last time the teams met in the Bay Area in 2010, the Cardinal ended the Huskies' NCAA record 90-game winning streak. UConn will try and return the favor by snapping Stanford's streak of 82 straight home victories.

"It's going to be two really competitive teams, it's going to be a dogfight," UConn senior Kelly Faris said. "Two years ago that's what it was."

On the boards, Stanford's 6-foot-3 Chiney Ogwumike will battle with UConn's 6-5 Stefanie Dolson and 6-4 freshman Breanna Stewart. The younger sister of All-American Nneka Ogwumike, who graduated from Stanford, is averaging 21.8 points and 12.8 rebounds for the Cardinal.

Stewart is averaging a team-high 16.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, while Dolson is contributing 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

It marks the 51st meeting between the top two teams in the poll. The No. 1 seed holds a 31-19 lead. UConn and Stanford have been in three of those contests over the past few seasons with the Huskies winning all of them.

"The 1 versus 2 thing makes for better TV, but it doesn't change how we prepare," Stanford's Toni Kokenis said. "We are defending our home court, regardless of the opponent. But yeah, we ended their streak two years ago and I'm sure they want to do the same thing to us."

Stanford hasn't lost at Maples Pavilion since March 18, 2007, when Florida State beat the Cardinal in the second round of the NCAA tournament. UConn brought its streak to Stanford almost exactly two years ago only to see the Cardinal stop it with a 71-59 win in front of an enthusiastic crowd. VanDerveer expects a similar atmosphere Saturday.

"We're excited we're playing here," VanDerveer said. "Our team has played very well, but that's not the deciding factor. You have to make baskets and rebound and make stops. We know it's what you do on the court."

The Huskies, who beat Stanford in Hartford by 10 points last season, aren't concerned about ending the Cardinal's streak. They are just trying to improve.

"I don't think I'd go out there with the mindset that we have to break their streak," Faris said. "It's another game. But the whole streak thing, if you focus on that, you're not going to be doing the right thing."

Both coaches are aware that it's just one game in December with conference play about to start after the New Year.

"If you win on Saturday you know you beat a really good team," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "If you lose you know you got a lot of work to do to beat a really good team down the road."

Connecticut leads the series 7-6, including winning five of the last eight meetings ? dating back to 2005. Stanford, unlike a lot of other teams in the country, has been able to stay close to the Huskies in the losses, losing most by a dozen points or less.

"You have two of the best offensive teams in the country, not to say we're going to see who can win 110-109," he said. "We try to make scoring and scoring often our priority. Maybe that's why it's become such a great rivalry."

Unlike other rivalries in the sport that have ended during the past few years because of conference realignment or teams refusing to play each other, UConn and Stanford will continue for at least two more seasons. They will open next season in Connecticut.

"As long as Stanford wants to play we'll play them. I have a lot of respect for them, obviously, as a university and certainly their coaching staff," Auriemma said. "They're great people. And the kind of people they recruit are great people. So I'm thrilled that it was done. Really. I think that's a great thing for us."

After playing Stanford, UConn will head to Oregon before going home to open up its Big East schedule.

"Playing games on the road at the early part of the season is very important," Auriemma said. "Coming out here and playing Stanford and knowing how hard it is to play them, especially here. It's a great opportunity for us at this point in the season. As soon as we're done on this trip we have Notre Dame at home. Playing two teams in the top five in the country in a matter of a week or so is exactly what we need right about now."

___

Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-28-T25-Connecticut-Stanford/id-ce9c00cb212e4d3ca2f39bba8190d1bb

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Japan's Aso says watching out for possible renewed yen gains

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is watching closely for any signs of renewed strengthening of the yen, Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Friday.

"It is certain that the excessive yen gains that had been seen until recently have been correcting, but there is a full possibility that this might change, so we are closely watching," Aso told reporters he had said on a conference call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

He added that he had urged Geithner to do the utmost for the United States to avoid the looming "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts, as it could have an impact not only on the U.S. economy but on other countries.

President Barack Obama and lawmakers are launching a last-chance round of budget talks before a New Year's deadline to avoid the fiscal cliff.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japans-aso-says-watching-possible-renewed-yen-gains-142353409--business.html

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West Virginia: $33M Tower Project To Go Online June 2013 | Public ...

Eric Eyre, Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)

West Virginia has started testing a $33 million upgrade to its emergency communications tower network ? a project designed to bolster public safety and make Internet available to homes in rural communities.

The two-year project, funded by the federal economic stimulus, expands the state?s existing 90-tower network. The improvements are expected to nearly double the network?s capacity for voice and data communications. The tower network also will likely link up with a national public safety system.

?You could stand on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and talk to the state Capitol here in West Virginia,? said state Homeland Security Director Jimmy Gianato, who helped lead a tour of a tower site atop Malden Mountain last week.

The $33 million is paying for new radio equipment and satellite dishes at existing tower sites, and up to 17 new towers across the state. Workers have finished erecting a dozen towers, with five more expected to be finished within the next two months.

State officials hope to have the expanded tower network up and running by June 30.

?You?re going to be able to put much more [information and data] on there on the broadband side,? said Joe Gonzalez, communications director with state Office of Emergency Medical Services.

West Virginia?s application for the stimulus funds says that commercial telecommunication providers will be able to tap into the tower network for the first time, and use the microwave network to serve new customers. Some companies have questioned whether the state will keep that promise.

Gale Given, chief technology officer for the state government, said she has investigated regulatory and technical issues and determined that state will allocate the tower network?s bandwidth ? up to a third of the network?s total capacity ? for commercial use.

The expected result: More West Virginians will have access to high-speed broadband Internet service, according to state officials.

?There will be capacity available for private entities, as outlined in the grant application,? Given said. ?At the end of the day, there will be private companies on there.?

The state Lottery Commission, National Guard, Department of Homeland Security, State Police, hospitals and the state Office of Technology have expressed interest in using the network. Bandwidth also may be set aside for a national public safety project called FirstNet. The federal government hopes to have the $7 billion national network operating by 2016.

West Virginia?s microwave tower system is now used exclusively by first responders: police officers, firefighters, 911 operators and paramedics. The existing public safety network is close to reaching its capacity, Given said.

Since 2003, the Legislature has distributed more than $20 million to establish the tower system ? called the Statewide Interoperable Radio Network ? that links individual counties? emergency communications networks.

The network allows first responders to use two-way radios to talk with emergency officials anywhere in the state.

?They can go onto individual channels or all on the same channel and talk to one another,? said Dave Eubank, a project technician who can monitor the use of the entire network from a computer at the Malden tower site. ?One radio allows them to talk to everybody.?

The microwave towers will cover 87 percent of the state after the $33 million project is completed. A 100-square-mile area surrounding the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, Pocahontas County, has strict restrictions against radio use.

?A radio will work almost everywhere else in the state,? said Gonzalez, who ran a Clarksburg-based tower construction company called Tri Star Communications until 1999.

The towers, located atop mountains and tall buildings, reach as high as 480 feet from a concrete foundation.

The microwave network is ?99.99999 percent? reliable, Gonzalez said. Outages are extremely rare, he said. During the June 29 derecho, only one tower lost service ? for four hours ? after a generator broke down in Marshall County.

Premier Construction Group of Jane Lew is erecting the 17 new towers. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Aviat Networks sold the radio equipment to the state. Alexander Utility Engineering of San Antonio helped design the network.

State officials have speculated that the microwave project?s cost could rise to $50 million, but Gonzalez said the state wouldn?t spend a penny more than the $33 million in stimulus funds budgeted for the upgraded network.

?At the end of the day, we got the best investment we could,? said Gonzalez, a former fire chief in Clarksburg. ?This story is an incredibly good one for the citizens of West Virginia.?

Copyright ? 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://psc.apcointl.org/2012/12/27/33m-tower-project-to-go-online-june-30-2013/

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Did Shakira give birth to a baby boy?

Scott Heavey / Getty Images

Shakira and Gerard Pique.

Based on his recent Twitter feed, FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique has become a dad -- which means his girlfriend, singer and "Voice" mentor Shakira has become a mom.?

But not so fast. Eagle-eyed fans will note that he made his announcement on Dec. 27 -- and Dec. 28 is a day reserved in some countries (such as Spain and Latin America) for jokes and pranks, like April Fool's Day.

Check out the two posts Pique made:

?

Initially the first tweet caused waves of interest from news outlets, but when Shakira herself failed to also tweet the good news -- and Pique went silent for the next 11 hours with no follow up -- it appeared that the news might be a bit premature. His most recent post, actually noting the "prank" day, seems to confirm that he was just joking.

Still, a baby is definitely on the way; the couple, who met while?Shakira was filming a video for the South Africa World Cup, announced via Facebook in September that they were expecting a child.

"Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby," said the 35-year-old singer and new mentor on "The Voice." "At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days."

Looks like they'll have to extend those postponements a little longer.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/28/16210945-did-shakira-give-birth-to-her-baby-or-did-daddy-gerard-pique-just-prank-fans?lite

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Video: Fans will still watch Pro Bowl

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/50305313#50305313

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Michigan governor signs bill giving local governments fiscal options

(Reuters) - Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law on Thursday a bill that gives options to cities and school districts for dealing with severe financial problems, including bankruptcy.

The law, passed by the Republican-controlled legislature earlier this month, allows local elected officials to choose between Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, if the move is approved by the governor; an emergency manager; arbitration with a neutral party; or a consent agreement laying out terms for fixing the government's finances.

It replaces a controversial law repealed by Michigan voters on November 6 that made it easier for the state to intervene in fiscally troubled cities and schools and gave state-appointed emergency managers running the governments the power to suspend collective bargaining agreements with workers.

That law, known as Public Act 4, was suspended in August pending the outcome of the vote and the state has been relying on a former, weaker law since then.

Snyder, a Republican, defended the new law against criticism that it is too similar to Public Act 4.

"This legislation demonstrates that we clearly heard, recognized and respected the will of the voters," the governor said in a statement. "It builds in local control and options while also ensuring the tools to protect communities and schools districts' residents, students and taxpayers."

The law also includes appropriations for administrative expenses, making it ineligible for a petition drive that could result in its repeal by voters.

Because the new law will not take effect for 90 days, it will have no immediate impact on eight cities and school districts currently operating with emergency financial managers and three cities, including Detroit, which are operating under consent agreements.

Even after it kicks in, the law keeps in place existing state-appointed managers and any ongoing review process to determine if a manager is needed, which is the case in Detroit.

Snyder on December 18 named a review team for Michigan's largest city, a step in a process that could lead Detroit to file what would be the biggest-ever municipal bankruptcy.

That team, which met twice last week and is on an expedited schedule to report to the governor, is continuing its work despite the receipt on Thursday of a fiscal plan from the city, according to Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for the Michigan Treasury Department.

The Detroit Free Press reported on Thursday that a majority of the nine-member city council believes Detroit's problems can be fixed without a state-appointed manager. A spokeswoman for Council President Charles Pugh said she had no information on the plan and that Pugh was not available for comment.

Detroit was able to avoid an emergency manager by entering into the consent agreement earlier this year that gave the state more oversight of the city.

However, slow progress on reforms led state officials to launch a review process earlier this month that could lead to a manager, who could decide to take the city to federal bankruptcy court unless the state blocks the move.

(Reporting by Karen Pierog; editing by Leslie Adler, Leslie Gevirtz and Jim Marshall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michigan-governor-signs-bill-giving-local-governments-fiscal-190656749.html

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Liberty acquires $74 million in industrial buildings | Tampa ...

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> Hillsborough County, Historical Sales Info > Liberty acquires $74 million in industrial buildings



Liberty Property Trust?has completed a $74 million transaction to acquire 12 industrial properties in Tampa and Lakeland, totaling about 1.2 million square feet.

Prologis (NYSE: PLD) sold the buildings, which are located at the Sabal Industrial Park in east Tampa and near Tampa International Airport.?Liberty Property Trust (NYSE: LRY) said it has closed on 19 industrial buildings totaling 3 million square feet for $155 million during the fourth quarter. Continue reading

?

Interested in leasing or purchasing commercial real estate? Call us @ 813.514.1070
or email by clicking HERE!

Source: http://floridatriplenet.com/blog/location/hillsborough-county-2/liberty-acquires-74-million-in-industrial-buildings/

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Farmers plow through red tape to hire legal workers | Maryland Daily ...

Posted: 6:00 pm Tue, December 25, 2012
By Capital News Service The Daily Record
Erin Durkin

KENNEDYVILLE ? Bernie Kohl, Jr., president and part owner of Angelica Nurseries Inc., knew something was wrong when the then-Immigration and Naturalization Service showed up on his property with buses on a fall day in 1996. The INS went into the company?s offices, hung up phones, and lined workers up outside while they went into the company?s human resources offices to get paper files on all the laborers.

?They went through the I-9s and they scrutinized the paperwork and could say that these documents don?t look genuine,? Kohl said. ?We aren?t document specialists, those are the kind of things that we can?t do.?

The raid resulted in around 80 of his workers being deported. The place didn?t quite shut down, but it meant an incredible struggle that year to make the harvest.

That led to a long search to find reliable, legal labor, and Angelica?s entrance in 1999 into the H-2A program, a federal visa program that brings migrant workers to the U.S. for the agriculture sector, but at a high cost both administratively and monetarily.

?The H-2A program never was, never has been, a program that you want to be in,? Kohl said. ?But we had to have it because we needed a reliable work force.?

In the past year, about 50,000 workers were approved to come to the U.S. through the program. Approximately 500 of them came to Maryland. Ninety went to Kohl?s nursery.

Workers at Angelica Nurseries come predominantly from Mexico and usually spend the days planting, harvesting and burlapping trees and deciduous shrubs to be shipped to landscapers and other professionals, said Kohl.

To bring these skilled laborers to the country, Kohl must jump through a number of hoops, starting with the filing process. He must guess around 60 days out how many workers he will need on the day his contract begins, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

?We say it?s like looking into a crystal ball,? he said. ?We have to make a prediction of what the spring is going to look like.?

During this time, farmers must advertise their available positions in their area as well as in an area with a large population of migrant workers, like Florida or Texas, a practice that generates very few workers, according to a state commission on agriculture.

Even when farmers predict the correct number of migrant workers necessary, they are required to hire, ?any able, willing, qualified and available U.S. worker who applies to the employer until 50 percent of the period of the work contract has elapsed, regardless of the number of H-2A workers covered by the employer?s certification,? according to the Office of Foreign Labor Certification. This is known as the ?50 percent rule.?

Then the farmers must pay for the workers? transportation, room, board and meals, in addition to a salary that?s determined by a complex formula, rather than one based on skills or demand.

Kohl pointed out that providing such amenities was not so much of a challenge for his nursery since it was using migrant workers for years before being part of H-2A. However, he said on smaller farms this could be a problem.

?You could have an orchard where the harvest period is only for three weeks and yet they are expected to still build housing on their land,? he said.

To add to the price tag, each worker starts at $10.34 per hour this year, regardless of experience. This wage was determined by the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, the dominant wage calculator used that averages wages of all agricultural workers to produce the minimum amount of pay.

?It is like starting the lowest person at the middle of the ladder,? said Kohl.

Measures such as these were most likely placed in the program to protect American workers, said Merlin Williams, Maryland rural services coordinator in the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

But Kohl complained that most American workers who show up for seasonal work at the nursery usually last only a couple of days, sometimes just hours, and most have no prior experience.

?It is a real misconception that Americans are lining up for these jobs,? he said.

Taking part in the program does have its positive side, said Marilyn Sparks, who runs White House Nursery in Upperco with her husband, Loring. Their nursery is a smaller operation than Angelica Nurseries and only relies on five workers each year.

?If we hire someone locally we would have to hire them year-round instead of seasonally,? she said. ?Otherwise when the job is done they could legally apply for unemployment and our unemployment payments go up.?

Sparks also said that many of the local workers who could work temporarily do not have the skill set her nursery needs. Her nursery, which grows perennials, spring crops and different varieties of Christmas poinsettias, has relied on the same Mexican family for the last eight years.

The program is still very important to Maryland farmers even with the costs, said U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

?It is essential to any district where there is an agricultural program,? he said. ?However, it has been very cumbersome. We?ve been working with the H-2A program to make it easier to get visas.?

The added cost of the program has exacerbated other financial troubles the nursery has faced, said Kohl. The once-2,100-acre farm has downsized to 1,800 acres, and the last five years have been a challenge due to the down housing market and three summers worth of drought, said Kohl.

?We?re struggling to keep our head above water,? said Kohl. ?These programs just don?t help.?

S. Patrick McMillan, assistant secretary, marketing, animal industries and consumer service at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, said he would like to see the program reformed because of people like Kohl.

?It?s a great program, but very expensive,? he said. ?It?s been difficult with the politics to revise the rules. It?s caught up in a bigger immigration debate.?

Kohl said other farms like his have either gone under or sold their land to developers for a profit. While that?s tempting, since his nursery hasn?t had a measurable profit in five years, Kohl said he does not want to go down this path because he and his family take pleasure in what they do.

?We enjoy growing plants, we enjoy what the plants do for the environment,? he said. ?Not that I haven?t thought about what would make an easier living. But we enjoy working with plants. We hope that we can make a turn around and make money in this business again.?

Source: http://thedailyrecord.com/2012/12/25/farmers-plow-through-red-tape-to-hire-legal-workers/

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Simple Abundance Exercises Can Change Your Mindset - habit ...

Article title: Simple Abundance Exercises Can Change Your Mindset
Article Category: Self-Improvement

5 free summer clipart illustration of a happy smiling sun Simple Abundance Exercises Can Change Your Mindset

When you feel more prosperous, you will lead life of improved health, happiness and prosperity. However, when most of us think about our finances, most of the time we don?t have thoughts of prosperity.
Continue reading this article?

Source: http://www.medicalguide.pro/3374/simple-abundance-exercises-can-change-your-mindset-5.html

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Source: http://habit-bartel.blogspot.com/2012/12/simple-abundance-exercises-can-change.html

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Source: http://akekyuf.posterous.com/simple-abundance-exercises-can-change-your-mi

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Oil prices rise as 'fiscal cliff' talks to resume

BANGKOK (AP) -- The price of oil rose Wednesday after President Barack Obama indicated he would cut his Christmas holiday short and head to Washington to try to work out a deal to keep the U.S. from heading over the "fiscal cliff."

Benchmark oil for February delivery rose 49 cents at late afternoon Bangkok time to $89.10 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

On Monday, concerns over the stalemate in Washington drove benchmark oil prices lower, with the contract closing down 5 cents at $88.61 a barrel on the Nymex.

Obama was expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said, after a brief vacation in Hawaii. Congress was also expected to return to the U.S. capital Thursday and begin budget negotiations.

Hopes that U.S. leaders might reach a budget deal helped buoy oil prices. Failure to agree on a plan before Jan. 1 would lead to spending cuts and tax hikes that economists predict will push the economy back into recession. Otherwise, the economy is expected to show slight improvement in 2013, a positive for energy consumption and prices.

In other energy futures trading:

? Brent crude, used to price international varieties of oil, rose 45 cents to $109.25 a barrel.

? Natural gas fell 3.5 cents to $3.311 per 1,000 cubic feet.

? Heating oil rose 1.5 cents to $3.0034 a gallon.

? Wholesale gasoline rose 0.8 cents to $2.7588 a gallon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-prices-rise-fiscal-cliff-052551228.html

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Don't be fooled by January pay -- higher taxes loom

9 hrs.

Workers probably won't feel the full brunt of next year's tax increases in their January paychecks, but don't be fooled by the temporary reprieve.?

No matter what Congress does to address the year-end fiscal cliff, it's already too late for employers to accurately withhold income taxes from January paychecks, unless all the current tax rates remain unchanged, which is an unlikely scenario.?

Social Security payroll taxes are set to increase on Jan. 1, so workers should immediately feel the squeeze of a 2 percent cut in their take-home pay. But as talks drag on over how to address other year-end tax increases, the Internal Revenue Service has delayed releasing income tax withholding tables for 2013.?

As a result, employers are planning to withhold income taxes at the 2012 rates, at least for the first one or two paychecks of the year, said Michael O'Toole of the American Payroll Association.?

If employers don't withhold enough taxes in January, they will have to withhold even more taxes later in the year to make up the difference. Otherwise, taxpayers could get hit with big tax bills, and possibly penalties, when they file their 2013 returns.?

The tax increases could be steep. If Congress fails to act, workers at every income level face significant tax increases next year as part of the year-end "fiscal cliff."?

A taxpayer making between $50,000 and $75,000 would get an average tax increase of $2,400, according to the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research group. If the worker is paid every two weeks, that's about $92 a paycheck, on average.?

Someone making between $75,000 and $100,000 would get a tax increase averaging nearly $3,700. If the worker is paid every two weeks, that's about $142 a paycheck.?

O'Toole said it would take most employers two weeks to four weeks to update their payroll systems, once new tax withholding tables are released. For some small businesses, it could take longer.?

"Employers can't really just come up with withholding tables on their own, depending on what the rates are," O'Toole said. "The smaller companies that do not use a payroll processing service probably would have more problems than anyone else."?

On Friday, the IRS said it plans to issue guidance by the end the year, though it won't be early enough to affect paychecks in early January.?

"We are aware that employers have questions with respect to 2013 withholding," the agency said in a written statement. "Since Congress is still considering changes to the tax law, we continue to closely monitor the situation. We intend to issue guidance by the end of the year on appropriate withholding for 2013."?

About three-quarters of taxpayers got tax refunds this year, averaging $2,707, according to the IRS. That gives most taxpayers some leeway to manage their income tax withholding. However, many people rely on tax refunds to pay bills or make major purchases.?

"The reality is, the vast majority of Americans do live paycheck to paycheck and that tax refund is their most significant payday of the year," said Bob Meighan, vice president of TurboTax, an online tax preparation service.?

Most of the expiring tax breaks were first enacted under President George W. Bush and extended under President Barack Obama. Obama campaigned for re-election on extending the tax cuts on incomes below $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples. Obama would let the tax cuts expire on incomes above those amounts.?

Boehner's offer
In negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner, Obama offered to raise the income threshold, limiting tax increases to those making more than $400,000. Boehner, who has argued for years that the tax cuts should be made permanent for everyone, responded by trying to push a bill through the House that would have let many of the tax cuts expire on incomes above $1 million.?

Many Republicans revolted and Boehner, R-Ohio, shelved the bill, sending lawmakers home for the Christmas holiday and leaving the outcome of talks in doubt as the new year approaches.?

If Congress and the White House cannot reach a deal, income tax rates would go up, estate taxes and investment taxes would increase and the alternative minimum tax would hit millions of middle-income people. A temporary payroll tax cut that has benefited nearly every wage earner in 2011 and 2012 expires, costing the average family an additional $1,000 a year by itself.?

In addition, dozens of other tax breaks for businesses and individuals that are routinely renewed each year already expired at the end of 2011. Congress was expected to renew many of them by January, so taxpayers could still claim them on their 2012 tax returns.?

If Congress doesn't act on those tax cuts, businesses would lose a popular tax credit for research and development as well as generous tax breaks for investing in new plants and equipment. Individuals would lose federal tax breaks for paying local sales taxes, buying energy efficient appliances and using mass transit.?

In all, taxes would go up by about $536 billion next year.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/dont-be-fooled-january-pay-higher-taxes-loom-1C7660248

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In this Nov. 9, 2011, photo manager Kathy Kelly-Long holds a jar of peanut butter which is in short supply at the Broad Street Presbyterian Church food pantry in Columbus, Ohio. Food banks around the country say rising peanut butter prices are making it harder for them to provide one of their most-requested items this [...]

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Not too long ago I had the pleasure of eating dinner at Fu Leen, the seafood restaurant in Manhattan?s Chinatown. Peter Liem organized a group of people to drink several special Sherries and to eat things like lightly steamed fresh shrimp, fried dungeness crab, steamed whole fish, and fried rice with salted fish. The wine [...]

Iran has significantly stepped up the pace at which it is enriching uranium, shortening the time it would take for it to reach a nuclear threshold, two Israeli newspapers reported on Monday. ?Iran has broken new records in terms of the pace at which it has been enriching uranium, and it has continued to race [...]

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First photos of BlackBerry 10 ?N-Series? QWERTY smartphone leak

On Sunday morning, Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association, told the world that armed guards stopped school shootings in Israel. Israel begs to differ. "Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing," LaPierre said sitting calmly on Meet the Press. "They said, 'We're going to stop it,' and they put armed security in every school, and they have not had a problem since then."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-photos-blackberry-10-n-series-qwerty-smartphone-140039950.html

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Spike up your Holidays?


So we are down to the wire. For me Christmas is tomorrow night. So tonight is our Christmas Eve. One thing I have started to go to is hot chocolate in a crock pot. No hot chocolate is not hard to make but it?s nice to have it being kept warm in the crock pot all day and just being available when the cocoa mood strikes?and this time of year it strikes often. Just set out a few types of hot chocolate and keep some frozen whipped cream circles in the freezer and you are good to go.

I was sent Holiday Slow Cooker: A Year of Hassle-Free Celebrations and while it?s not a Christmas book (it?s holidays throughout the year) I did go searching for Christmas type recipes. Found a Bailey?s cocoa recipe and decided to make it with Peppermint Schnapps since I am a peppermint cocoa kind of gal. Of course the booze is added later and so the cocoa is for everyone. And you can add just about any booze you want?and depending on what relatives show you might be drinking a lot and I mean A LOT of cocoa. :P

We are trying to get things done. My Christmas dessert is setting up. I made brownies and Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ice Cream to go with. Bolognese sauce is bubbling away on the stove top to go on top of stuffed shells. UPS is messing with me and I have two gifts coming tomorrow night. Which sucks as they have until 7pm to deliver them?talk about cutting it close. Soccer girl and I worked on a gingerbread house?we think it turned out well. And Flash was off at a friend?s house and they decorated gingerbread men?anyone want to guess who his gingerbread cookie is?

Anyway I hadn?t really planned on posting this recipe but then my food blogging friend Tania of Love Big, Bake Often was asking on FB if anyone had ever done crock pot hot chocolate and I told her I just had. She asked for the recipe and so I decided why the heck not. It makes a lot of cocoa but we have 4 right now and gain a spare kiddo tomorrow night. So we needed a bunch of cocoa. :)

Hope everyone is getting things done. Try not to rush and enjoy each other. And if you don?t enjoy the people you are with HIGHLY consider just not doing things with those people next year. :)

Boozy Peppermint Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate


? cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ? cups granulated sugar
? cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pinch of salt
? cup hot water
? gallon whole milk
? gallon heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup candy cane pieces
16 ounces Peppermint Schnapps <p>
Combine the cocoa, sugar, chocolate chips, and salt in a large sauce pan. Add the hot water and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Stir the whole time and when chocolate chips are melted move mixture to the crock pot. <p>
Add the milk, cream, and candy cane pieces. Cover and heat on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. When cocoa is hot, whisk in the vanilla. <p>
For kiddos leave out the Schnapps unless you want them to sleep really well :P and for adults add an ounce of booze to each cup.
Adapted from Holiday Slow Cooker: A Year of Hassle-Free Celebrations


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Source: http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2012/12/23/boozy-peppermint-slow-cooker-hot-chocolate/

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