Thursday, December 27, 2012

Bendyogagirl: Just Friends

Have you ever used the phrase, "we're just friends"? ?or perhaps you reframed a relationship recently and "decided to just be friends"? ?or maybe someone you were with observed two people you know with each other as Partners, and you responded with "oh no. ?They're just friends".

I know I've said all of those phrases and more, and this is something I am working on removing from my vocabulary, because to me, the phrasing connotes a relationship that is somehow less than others (like partners, spouses, and intimates).?


I'm here to suggest something to you - and to remind myself of it too - Friendship can be one of the deepest, most meaningful commitments you and I can make to another. ?

Friend is a very VERY big word.

My grandmother used to tell me that I would be one of the luckiest people in the world if I could count my true friends on just one hand, and I believe her words to be true. In my world view, a Friend is someone with whom I share mutual love and?respect?and whose personhood I cherish so much, the exterior construct of our relationship is secondary our commitment to Knowing?each other. ?These are relationships in which there is a give and take of support offered and accepted in many forms (time, resources, holding space, moving, etc.). ?

Not all platonic relationships are friendships in my perspective. ?I mean, I'm platonic with my biological family, and I would call 3 of the 7 of them my Friends. I would also suggest that romantic love and friendship can co-mingle beautifully and successfully. ?Of the couples I know who have been together over 40 years, all have talked with me about the quality of their friendship having a great deal to do with the success of their marriages. ?

For me, Friendship is the deepest commitment I make, because it comes with the promise that, no matter how our relationship is structured (lovers, D/s, co-workers, collaborators,etc.) I will show up for you again and again. ?I will hold a mirror for you and ask for the same. ?I will be inconvenienced for you - and not ask for payback or hold a grudge. ?I will do my?damnedest?to see you as the YOU who you are and not the you who I wish you to be.

Am I friends with my romantic partners? This is something for which I strive, and it is the thing that has empowered me to transform romantic relationships into platonic relationships with minimal 'collateral damage', so yes. I would say that I hold an intention towards friendship in romance. ?

Having recently moved to Seattle, my primary need in relationship is Friends. I also need and want romance and sex and M/s and play and?camaraderie, of course. The person I moved here to be near is a Friend of over 20 years (also my Sister)... ? That's the relationship that was so strong I left the East Coast. ?

Here are some questions about friends to get some thoughts rolling - these are the kinds of questions I ask myself about people I am considering calling Friends.....

  • Who in your life is safe enough for you to be around when you're at the bottom of your barrel - when your life is blowing up - when you look like crap, have bad breath, and are wearing ill-fitting clothing?
  • Who in your life saw something you posted on a social network and reached out to you to lend a hand (even and especially if you didn't ask for it)??
  • Who in your life can you call for 'sanity checks' if someone?criticizes?your behavior or calls into question parts of your character?and will tell you the truth as they see it - even if it's not what you want to hear?
  • To whom do you listen?
  • Who in your life is truly happy for your successes and not?threatened?by your brilliance, your beauty, or your talents?
  • Who challenges you to be bigger and better day by day?
  • Who asks you how you're doing and sincerely wants?to know the answer?
  • Who can you not see for a year or more, and with whom you can get into a room, and it's like no time has passed?
  • Who doesn't really care how famous you are (or are not)?
  • With whom can you cry?
  • Who trusts you with their car keys? House keys? Pets??
  • Who are the people around whom your heart sings?
  • Whom do you Trust?
  • Who would show up for your intervention?
  • Who knows you?
  • With whom can you disagree and not have that threaten the foundation of your relationship?

You can turn all of these around as well - to see the people in your life towards whom you are offering friendship.

If your relationships aren't fulfilling, perhaps you could change how you are in them? ?Try it - you might surprise yourself.

I recall a woman who was about to marry a male friend of mine freaking out in my specific direction about my relationship with her?fianc?'. ?I mean - she was really upset about it. ?She knew that he and I had a platonic relationship - that we had no intention of broadening the context of that to anything sexual or romantic, and yet she was so unbearably?threatened?by our friendship, it was causing strife and conflict.

I asked her one day why?she was so afraid of my friendship with him, and her response (paraphrased) was "It's possible that Bob and I won't be married forever, and yet I know that you and he will be together until one of you dies". I didn't really have a response to that, because it was true. ?Instead, she and I had a conversation about friendship - and it came up in the conversation that she could be his spouse/lover as well as his friend.?Even with their divorce, they were and remain close friends to this day (my timeline with him goes back 30 years - their timeline is about 25 years long). ?My big bonus from that shift was that she and I became friends as well. ? So the next time you and I use minimizing language like "just friends" for such powerful and empowering relationship contexts, maybe we could stop a moment and consider the power of our words. ?

Just some food for thought on a grey Wednesday afternoon in my perch in Seattle.

Namaste,

Bendy




Source: http://bendyogagirl.blogspot.com/2012/12/just-friends.html

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Self Improvement Techniques: A Guide To A Better Life - Health Care

Most people wish they had a slightly different life. For some, the shows itself in their personal life whereas with others, they prefer to concentrate on improving their professional careers. Anyone intrigued by the idea of self improvement will find the insights of this article quite useful.

Come up with a little pep talk for yourself. Write a list of each of your good points and attributes on an index card. Take it with you everywhere you go, and go over each quality when you feel the need. Another great idea is to recite the list while filming yourself, so that you can view the footage regularly. Is there a benefit?

Speaking to a therapist or religious official can really help you out. Not only have they been trained to deal in personal growth, their experience in these issues is what makes them a good choice to speak with. They?ll eagerly listen, analyze what?s going on and help you find enlightenment. Talking these issues through with someone who is a professional will help you be healthier and happier in the long term.

Understand that there is a divide between where you are and where you wish to go. This is the best way to be able to set a course of direction to get there. If you do not know this, you are not ready to begin personal development.

Read literature that is focused on self improvement. A good book can provide you with the information that you need to get started on your journey toward a new you. Pick out a book that has gotten good reviews because there are some books about self improvement that are not written very well.

When trying to achieve personal development, failures can dampen and hurt an individual?s ego and self esteem. Approach your failures as opportunities to learn. Failure helps you figure out what you are good at and what needs improvement. When you look at it that way, failure should inspire pride in your ability to discover a new piece in your puzzle.

To keep from saying something you may regret later, count from one to ten before speaking. This gives you time to get your emotions under control. Take a cleansing breath and focus on something positive. Picture yourself remaining calm and saying only what you will not regret.

If you hope to advance your state of knowledge regarding self improvement, it can help to show a little humility. As you acknowledge that you are small and insignificant in this universe, the more that you realize your lack of knowledge. Once you absorb this fact, you will have a desire for further knowledge and understanding.

Make the important aspects of your life the focus of how you live. You will have much more inner peace if you just choose to focus on things that matter to you.

For many, there is a vague feeling of discontentment and an urge to facilitate change, but they lack the knowledge needed to begin. While a great result is only going to be achieved by you putting in the effort, here are some handy hints to get you on the road to success. Stay motivated by keeping these tips in mind at all times.

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Source: http://www.healthcarecenteradvice.com/2012/12/24/self-improvement-techniques-a-guide-to-a-better-life-2/

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Source: http://ysudtic.posterous.com/self-improvement-techniques-a-guide-to-a-bett

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Source: http://patriciareynolds3.posterous.com/self-improvement-techniques-a-guide-to-a-bett

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Lease verses Buy | Yost Auto Service, Wichita, KS

Lease? Or buy? It?s always a tough question for residents in the Andover area. But here are a few ideas that?ll make the choice more clear.

Either option gives you a choice of how you might finance your car. If you buy, you?ll pay the full cost of the car, with maybe an initial down payment, then monthly payments on the balance that pays down the loan principal, and the finance charge.

If you lease, you?re financing the portion of the cost of the car that?s used up during the term of the lease. When the lease is up, you return the car to your local Andover area dealership. You?ll pay some money upfront; fees, security deposit, first month?s payment and maybe a capital reduction. The month payments include a depreciation cost and a finance charge.

So how do you decide?

First, how big a down payment can you make? A lease would require a smaller down.

How much monthly payment can you afford? Again, lease payments will be much lower for any given down payment.

A lease needs you to have better credit, so that?s a factor.

How long will you keep the car? If you tend to keep your cars around for a while, buying is cheaper. But just two or three years? Then leasing is the way to go.

Yost Auto Service
1818 E 2nd St N
Wichita, Kansas 67214
(316) 264-8482

If your car might suffer a ding or two, like, say a work truck would, then buying?s better. The leasing company will want their merchandise back at the lease end in tip top shape, and if repairs are needed, you?ll pay.

How many miles do you drive in and around the Andover area? Important to consider because leases have a mileage limit, and if you go over, you pay a hefty charge per mile when the lease is up. So high mileage means a buy.

Will the car be used for business? Check with your accountant, but both financing options have different tax benefits, depending on your circumstances.

Over the short term, leasing is much cheaper. Medium term, leasing and buying costs are about the same. Over the long haul, leasing is always costs more.

Leases may sound a bit complicated, and the typical lease decision weighs more on the monthly payment, rather than price. So sometimes leasers may pay on a higher purchase price than a buyer would.

Here is a tip: If a salesman asks if you?ll be leasing or buying, say you?re not sure yet. Make your best deal, then look at financing options.

Here?s another: With a buy or a lease, if you total the car, you?ll owe the full amount of the loan, or the balance of the lease payments, and usually, it?s less than the car?s fair market value ? and that?s all your insurance company will pay. But ask your agent about gap insurance, which pays the difference between fair market value and what you owe. Big consideration for a lease.

Remember, you have to return your leased vehicle in excellent condition, and may need to do all manufacturer?s recommended service and maintenance, or face penalties. So see your local Andover service center on a regular basis, get the required work done and save the service records. It?s well worth it.

Source: http://yostautoservice.com/lease-verses-buy/

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Link between pot, psychosis goes both ways in kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Marijuana (cannabis) use may be linked to the development of psychotic symptoms in teens - but the reverse could also be true: psychosis in adolescents may be linked to later pot use, according to a new Dutch study.

"We have focused mainly on temporal order; is it the chicken or the egg? As the study shows, it is a bidirectional relationship," wrote the study's lead author Merel Griffith-Lendering, a doctoral candidate at Leiden University in The Netherlands, in an email to Reuters Health.

Previous research established links between marijuana and psychosis, but scientists questioned whether pot use increased the risk of mental illness, or whether people were using pot to ease their psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions.

"What is interesting in this study is that both processes are going on at the same time," said Dr. Gregory Seeger, medical director for addiction services at Rochester General Hospital in upstate New York.

He told Reuters Health that researchers have been especially concerned about what tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active property in pot, could do to a teenager's growing brain.

"That's a very vulnerable period of time for brain development," and individuals with a family history of schizophrenia and psychosis seem to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of THC, he said.

A 2010 study of 3,800 Australian teenagers found that those who used marijuana were twice as likely to develop psychosis compared to teens who never smoked pot (see Reuters Health article of March 1, 2010 here:).

But that study also found that those who suffered from hallucinations and delusions when they were younger were also more likely to use pot early on.

CHICKEN v. EGG

For the new study, published in the journal Addiction, the researchers wanted to see which came first: pot or psychosis.

Griffith-Lendering and her colleagues used information on 2,120 Dutch teenagers, who were surveyed about their pot use when they were about 14, 16 and 19 years old.

The teens also took psychosis vulnerability tests that asked - among other things - about their ability to concentrate, their feelings of loneliness and whether they see things other people don't.

Overall, the researchers found 940 teens, or about 44 percent, reported smoking pot, and there was a bidirectional link between pot use and psychosis.

For example, using pot at 16 years old was linked to psychotic symptoms three years later, and psychotic symptoms at age 16 were linked to pot use at age 19.

This was true even when the researchers accounted for mental illness in the kids' families, alcohol use and tobacco use.

Griffith-Lendering said she could not say how much more likely young pot users were to exhibit psychotic symptoms later on.

Also, the new study cannot prove one causes the other. Genetics may also explain the link between pot use and psychosis, said Griffith-Lendering.

"We can say for some people that cannabis comes first and psychosis comes second, but for some people they have some (undiagnosed) psychosis (and) perhaps cannabis makes them feel better," said Dr. Marta Di Forti, of King's College, London, who was not involved with the new research.

Di Forti, who has studied the link between pot and psychosis, told Reuters Health she considers pot a risk factor for psychosis - not a cause.

Seeger, who was also not involved with the new study, said that there needs to be more public awareness of the connection.

"I think the marijuana is not a harmless substance. Especially for teenagers, there should be more of a public health message out there that marijuana has a public health risk," he said.

Griffith-Lendering agrees.

"Given the severity and impact of psychotic disorders, prevention programs should take this information into consideration," she said.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Rr63N8 Addiction, online December 7, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/between-pot-psychosis-goes-both-ways-kids-215720943.html

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Health and Fitness: Arthritis and Weight Loss - fusivetiku's posterous

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The ABCs of arthritis

Understanding the basics?

Introduction

Arthritis is not a single disease. The term ?arthritis? covers more than hundred diseases and conditions affecting joints, the surrounding tissues, and other connective tissues.

Arthritis includes:


  • ???????? Osteoarthritis
  • ???????? Rheumatoid arthritis
  • ???????? Gout
  • ???????? Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • ???????? Juvenile (children) rheumatoid arthritis
  • ???????? Bursitis
  • ???????? Lyme arthritis,?
  • ???????? Carpal tunnel disease and other disorders

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and the most frequent joint disorder especially in seniors. Arthritis is a common disease. As the population ages, arthritis is expected to affect an estimated 67 million adults in the United States, alone, by 2030.


Definition of arthritis

Arthritis refers to any disorder that causes ?inflammation? of the joints.


What causes arthritis?

Arthritis is due to the wearing down of cartilage, which is the material that cushions the ends of the bones. Some researchers believe that when the joints are unable to react properly to stress, the cartilage is damaged. This leads to the development of arthritis.


Who is at risk of arthritis?

Race: arthritis is less prevalent among African Americans and Hispanics than among non-Hispanic whites.


Gender: Arthritis prevalence is higher in women, 24.4%, than in men, 18.1%.

Family: Some very specific types of arthritis can result from hereditary factors. Some families may pass on the tendency for defective cartilage;

Obesity: Arthritis co-exists with other conditions such as overweight or obese individuals. Additionally, physical inactivity has been found to be higher in those with arthritis.

Diabetes: In 2005 and 2007 over half of those with diabetes had arthritis.

People at risk of injuries: Sports injuries, occupation-related injuries and repetitive use joint injuries can increase the risk of arthritis.


Signs & symptoms of arthritis - How would you know if you have arthritis?

While many people with arthritis do not experience any symptoms in the initial stages of the disease, following warning signs are mostly observed:

? ? ? -? Pain in or around a joint

????? -? Stiffness or problems moving a joint

????? -? Swelling (sometimes) in a joint


Complications (What arthritis can lead to?)

Disability: Arthritis (being mainly a disease of bones and joints) is the leading cause of disability worldwide.?

Immobility: Arthritis limits everyday activities such as walking and dressing. Of working age adults (18 to 64 years), 1 in 20 reports that arthritis affects their ability to work whereas over one-third of those with arthritis reports that their work is affected by their condition.?

Infection: Persistent presence of inflammation for long term increases the risk of buildup of bacteria and bacteria, leading to infections.


What is the treatment of arthritis?


Medical therapy: Medications for some types of arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, can limit disease progression, control symptoms and prevent serious complications. However, there are a number of limitations and drawbacks associated with the use of medications in arthritis:

????????? Not all medications are considered equally effective for every kind of arthritis.

????????? Like any other medical drugs, medicines used in the treatment of arthritis are not free of side effects especially if used for long term.?

????????? Medicines only target the effects (signs and symptoms) and often not the cause.




Source: http://diatingtobehealthy.blogspot.com/2012/12/arthritis-and-weight-loss.html

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Source: http://fusivetiku.posterous.com/health-and-fitness-arthritis-and-weight-loss

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Egypt Constitution Passes With 63.8 Percent Of The Vote

CAIRO -- The official approval of Egypt's disputed, Islamist-backed constitution Tuesday held out little hope of stabilizing the country after two years of turmoil and Islamist President Mohammed Morsi may now face a more immediate crisis with the economy falling deeper into distress.

In a clear sign of anxiety over the economy, the turbulence of the past month and expected austerity measures ahead have some Egyptians hoarding dollars for fear the currency is about to take a significant turn for the weaker.

The battle over the constitution left Egypt deeply polarized at a time when the government is increasingly cash-strapped. Supporters of the charter campaigned for it on the grounds that it will lead to stability, improve the grip of Morsi and his allies on state institutions, restore investor confidence and bring back tourists.

"In times of change, politics are the driver of the economy and not the other way around," said Mourad Aly, a media adviser for the political arm of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, the backbone of Morsi's presidency and the main group that backed the constitution.

But there are already multiple fights on the horizon.

The U.S. State Department bluntly told Morsi it was now time to make compromises, acknowledging deep concerns over the constitution.

"President Morsi, as the democratically elected leader of Egypt, has a special responsibility to move forward in a way that recognizes the urgent need to bridge divisions, build trust, and broaden support for the political process," said Patrick Ventrell, acting deputy spokesman. "We hope those Egyptians disappointed by the result will seek more and deeper engagement. "

He said Egypt "needs a strong, inclusive government to meet its many challenges."

After a spate of resignations of senior aides and advisers during the constitutional crisis, Morsi appeared to have lost another member of his government late Tuesday night when his communications minister posted on his Twitter account that he was resigning.

The minister Hany Mahmoud said he "couldn't cope with the culture of government work, particular in the current conditions of the country." The resignation could not be immediately verified because it came so late at night.

Morsi signed a decree Tuesday night that put the new constitution into effect after the election commission announced the official results of the referendum held over the past two weekends. It said the constitution has passed with a 63.8 percent "yes." Turnout of 32.9 percent of Egypt's nearly 52 million registered voters was lower than most other elections since the uprising nearly two years ago that ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak

Morsi is expected to call for a new election of parliament's lawmaking lower house within two months.

In the meantime, the traditionally toothless upper house, the Shura Council, will hold legislative power. But the chamber is overwhelmingly Islamist-dominated so any laws it passes could spark a backlash from the opposition. Many fear a legal crackdown on independent media, highly critical of Islamists.

In a bid to reach out to opposition, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood said he hoped the charter will be a "good omen" for Egyptians.

"Let's all begin to build the renaissance of our country with free will, good intentions and strong determination, men, women, Muslims and Christians," Mohammed Badie said on his Twitter account.

But the opposition said the passing of the document is was not the end of the political dispute. Critics fear the constitution will usher in Islamic law in Egypt and restrict personal freedoms.

"This is not a constitution that will last for a long time," said Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, vowing to fight for more freedoms, social and economic rights.

In a sign that the new front for the opposition against Morsi's policies may be the economy, Dawoud said the Morsi administration was "confused" both on the political and economic fronts.

"We want stability and economic prosperity like everybody else. But we don't believe that the policies of Morsi and the Brotherhood will lead to more stability," he said.

The turmoil over the constitution sparked huge protests that turned deadly at times. For a moment, the tension looked like it was spiraling out of control and only added to an already weakened economy.

At the height of the protests, the government called off its talks with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan which Morsi's government viewed as a way to attract much needed foreign investors, and deal with a high budget deficit.

Major foreign currency earners, such as foreign direct investment and tourism, have dropped off because of political unrest and deterioration in security following Mubarak's ouster in February 2011.

Over the last two years, the country has lost more than half of its foreign currency reserves from $36 billion in 2010 to around $15 billion currently. The reserve level has been slightly propped up by some Qatari deposits in past months.

Economic experts say that Egypt's current foreign reserves barely cover three months of imports, which is the IMF's minimum recommended coverage.

There were signs on Tuesday that some Egyptians were starting to hoard dollars for fear that the local currency could weaken significantly.

The run on the dollar was fueled in part by a decree issued by Morsi late Monday banning people from leaving Egypt with more than $10,000 or its equivalent in other currencies.

Some currency exchanges in the upscale Cairo neighborhood of Zamalek ran out of dollars by midday and offered only euros ? a rare occurrence. Some banks, too, said they had run out of cash dollars.

"I asked around in many exchange places and can't find dollars anywhere," said Cairo resident Mahmoud Kamel after unsuccessfully visiting one exchange office. "I want to exchange money because I'm afraid the Egyptian pound will not have any value soon."

The dollar rush prompted the Central Bank of Egypt to issue a statement on Monday calling on banks not to listen to rumors circulating about the fiscal health of the nation.

The bank declared its commitment to guarantee all deposits in local and foreign currencies to banks in Egypt and said banks are "financially strong enough."

There was one particularly nerve-rattling report in recent days that longtime Central Bank Governor Farouk Okdah had resigned. The report came on Saturday during the second and final round of voting on the constitutional referendum.

Official media quickly retracted the news after reporting it. The governor then turned up at a meeting of the government's economic team on Sunday in an apparent attempt to quell nervousness over the state of the economy.

Egypt's currency had been stable trading around 6 pounds to the dollar for the first half of the year. It has since slipped, especially in the past two months as political instability worsened. The dollar was selling Tuesday at 6.18.

Rumors swirling around impending tax hikes, subsidy cuts and other bread-and-butter issues have heightened the public's concern. Around 40 percent of Egyptians live just at or below the poverty line of surviving on around $2 a day.

In a sign of the worsening economy, the number of people living on under $1 a day rose to 25 percent in 2011, up from 21.6 percent in 2009, according to government statistics released last month.

Promises that the Islamist-drafted constitution would bring about the stability Egyptians crave were dismissed by economic experts who warned that without enough currency reserves, there is little to stop the pound from falling.

"The instability of the foreign exchange rate is not at all detached from the political instability. It is a reflection and clear mirror to what is happening," said Haytham Abdel Fattah, head of the Treasury and International Markets Manager at Industrial Development Bank.

______________

Mariam Rizk contributed to this report

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/egypt-constitution-passes_n_2363090.html

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Early Childhood Obesity Rates Might Be Slowing Nation-Wide

early childhood obesity decrease

Image courtesy of iStockphoto/fotostorm

About one in three children in the U.S. are now overweight, and since the 1980s the number of children who are obese has more than tripled. But a new study of 26.7 million young children from low-income families shows that in this group of kids, the tidal wave of obesity might finally be receding.

Being obese as a child not only increases the risk of early-life health problems, such as joint problems, pre-diabetes and social stigmatization, but it also dramatically increases the likelihood of being obese later in life, which can lead to chronic diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Children as young as 2 years of age can be obese?and even extremely obese. Early childhood obesity rates, which bring higher health care costs throughout a kid?s life, have been especially high among lower-income families.

?This is the first national study to show that the prevalence of obesity and extreme obesity among young U.S. children may have begun to decline,? the researchers noted in a brief report published online December 25 in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association. (Reports earlier this year suggested that childhood obesity rates were dropping in several U.S. cities.)

The study examined rates of obesity (body mass index calculated by age and gender to be in the 95th percentile or higher?for example, a BMI above 20 for a 2-year-old male?compared with reference growth charts) and extreme obesity (BMI of more than 120 percent above that of the 95th percentile of the reference populations) in children ages 2 to 4 in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The researchers, led by Liping Pan, of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combed through 12 years of data (1998 to 2010) from the Pediatric Nutritional Surveillance System, which includes information on roughly half of all children on the U.S. who are eligible for federal health care and nutrition assistance.

A subtle but important shift in early childhood obesity rates in this low-income population seems to have begun in 2003. Obesity rates increased from 13.05 percent in 1998 to 15.21 percent in 2003. Soon, however, obesity rates began decreasing, reaching 14.94 percent by 2010. Extreme obesity followed a similar pattern, increasing from 1.75 percent to 2.22 percent from 1998 to 2003, but declining to 2.07 percent by 2010.

Although these changes might seem small, the number of children involved makes for huge health implications. For example, each drop of just one tenth of a percentage point represents some 26,700 children in the study population alone who are no longer obese or extremely obese. And if these trends are occurring in the rest of the population, the long-term health and cost implications are massive.

Public health agencies and the Obama Administration have made battling childhood obesity a priority, although these findings suggest that early childhood obesity rates, at least, were already beginning to decline nearly a decade ago. Some popular prevention strategies include encouraging healthier eating (by reducing intake of highly processed and high-sugar foods and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption) and increased physical activity (both at school and at home).

The newly revealed trends ?indicate modest recent progress of obesity prevention among young children,? the authors noted. ?These finding may have important health implications because of the lifelong health risks of obesity and extreme obesity in early childhood.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=96d4fa2f44727ff001611b05bab6a85c

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What To Know About Reseller Internet Hosting | The Floor Geek

Do you want to put together an internet site for your personal from the internet industry? Does your team, or business, hope to have a web-based presence? Plenty people young and old nowadays have to use a place on the net that could be all their unique. A large amount of agencies are leaping internet for his or her digital real-estate. It?s always approximated that the latest site is formed nearly every next from the day. How are each one of these online resources currently being generated? How can you go about establishing a websites? Here is a quick tutorial of some important things it is important to do in creating a websites.

Opt for A reliable Word wide web Host

One can find many hundreds of online internet hosting online businesses on the web. Taking the time necessary to choose the one which will healthy your preferences is essential. To illustrate, a firm like Dreamhost has a number of fundamental packages that contain all kinds of things you absolutely need for starting off your site quickly.

Select Your Website Style

Here could be the most important solution you will will need to make relating to your website. There are certainly two alternative ways it is possible to grow your webpages. The first is despite the fact that HTML. Here is the universal word wide web language that you can use to create static pages, a primary landing website page, or perhaps a simple and easy particular website. This was the customary for years, but has become offering solution to CSS model pages.

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Mount Web pages

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Insert Content material

Your webpages are up and now it is time to get started introducing articles and other content for your webpages. Research engines fancy all of the new juicy written content, so attempting to keep your website stocked with new articles will help your rankings plus your selling. At any time you opted to the running a blog form platform on your web site then incorporating material may be very quick. At any time you selected to use HTML, most internet hosting corporations help 100 percent free FTP use of upload your new subject matter.

Internet Hosting Suppliers can present you with most information for Benefits Of Semi Dedicated Web Hosting.You should drop by and see the article for more data!

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Source: http://www.thefloorgeek.com/2012/12/what-to-know-about-reseller-internet-hosting/

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Apple granted design patent for fourth-gen iPod touch, reminds us of the shorter, plumper past

Image

Merry Christmas! The USPTO is celebrating in a big way, with the copyright stamp making some pretty big rounds today. First up is a design patent for an iPod touch, which Cupertino filed back in August of 2011. It looks to be the fourth-gen model from 2010, especially given that the patent focuses on the very rounded edges. This iPod touch was the first version to include both front- and rear-facing cameras, and in any case, the design is miles thicker and shorter than this year's touch. As Patently Apple points out, this document also happens to be one of the last to list Steve Jobs as an inventor.

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Via: Patently Apple

Source: USPTO

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Syrian Government Air Strike Kills Dozens Waiting To Buy Bread: Activists

* Activists say large crowd was queuing for bread

* Video shows dozens of dead bodies

* Envoy Brahimi in Damascus for new talks

* Government minister says 'forget' toppling Assad

* More than 180 killed across Syria on Sunday-activists

By Erika Solomon

BEIRUT, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Dozens of people were killed and many more wounded in a Syrian government air strike that hit a bakery where a crowd was queuing for bread on Sunday, activists said.

If confirmed, the attack on Halfaya in central Syria, which was seized by rebels last week, would be one of the deadliest air strikes of Syria's civil war.

Videos uploaded by activists showed dozens of bloodstained corpses lying amid rubble and shrapnel. An adolescent boy with both his feet blown off lay flailing in the middle of a road.

"When I got there, I could see piles of bodies all over the ground. There were women and children," said Samer al-Hamawi, an activist in the town. "There are also dozens of wounded people."

Residents of Halfaya told Reuters they estimated 90 dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based group with a network of activists across Syria, counted 60 killed.

"The number is likely to rise because there are dozens of wounded being treated in the area and nearby hospitals, among them 50 in critical condition," it said.

Activists say more than 44,000 people have been killed in the 21 months since protests erupted against President Bashar al-Assad, inspired by the Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere.

Amid the latest carnage, United Nations-backed crisis mediator Lakhdar Brahimi arrived for more talks in Syria. He had to drive from neighbouring Lebanon because fighting around Damascus International Airport has effectively shut it down.

"TIME IS GETTING SHORT"

The uprising has grown into civil war, with death tolls regularly topping 100 people a day as the army hits back at rebels who have made a string of advances across the country, including around the capital. According to the Observatory, more than 180 Syrians, civilians and fighters, died on Sunday.

A force of 200 rebel fighters seized the 135 Infantry Brigade base in the village of Hawa, a mostly Kurdish area in northern Aleppo province, rebels said on Sunday, as they showed journalists the base.

After overcoming about 150 soldiers in the raid on Saturday, they seized weapons including two field guns, three anti-aircraft guns and dozens of boxes of Kalashnikov assault rifles, they said.

In defiant remarks, Syrian Information Minister Umran Ahid al-Za'bi said rebels and their foreign allies should "forget" trying to topple Assad.

He appeared to move away from the conciliatory tone of the Syrian vice president, who said last week that neither side could win the war and called for a national unity government.

"These military efforts to try to topple the government, of getting rid of the president, of occupying the capital ... Forget about this," al-Za'bi told a news conference in Damascus.

"I have general advice to those political powers that reject dialogue: time is getting short. Hurry and move on to working on a political solution."

Brahimi, who replaced Kofi Annan after the former U.N. chief failed to get Assad and world powers to agree on a way to end the conflict, was expected to meet the president on Monday.

Western powers and some Arab countries have repeatedly demanded that Assad step down.

BREAD SHORTAGE

Witness Hamawi said more than 1,000 people had been queuing at the bakery in the town of Halfaya. Shortages of fuel and flour have made bread production erratic across the country, and people often wait hours to buy loaves.

"We hadn't received flour in around three days so everyone was going to the bakery today, and lots of them were women and children," Hamawi said. "I still don't know yet if my relatives are among the dead."

New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned army air strikes on bakeries earlier this year, arguing that in some incidents the Syrian military was not using enough precision to target rebel sites, and in other instances it may have intentionally hit civilians.

In video from the attack site, women and children cried and screamed as men rushed with motorbikes and vans to carry away victims.

There was no independent media access to the scene, as the government restricts press access in Syria.

In one video, the cameraman could be heard sobbing as he filmed. "God is great, God is great. It was a war plane, a war plane," he cried.

One man was seen stopping to pick up half a corpse lying in the street, wrapping it up in his own jacket and carrying it away. Residents were using their bare hands to dig for bodies underneath blocks of concrete.

"Where are the Arabs, where is the world?" shouted one man. "Look at all of these bodies!"

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/syria-air-strike-bread-line_n_2356811.html

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Dump Trump Billboard: Circling Macy's Headquarters!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/dump-trump-billboard-circling-macys-headquarters/

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Elite Navy SEAL dies in rescue mission to save US doctor in Afghanistan (+video)

A member of the elite Navy SEAL Team Six was killed on Sunday during a mission that rescued an American doctor from kidnappers in Afghanistan, highlighting the fragile security situation there.?

By Jenna Fisher,?Staff writer / December 10, 2012

The Pentagon says a Navy SEAL from Monroeville, Pa., was killed during a rescue mission in Afghanistan that freed an American doctor abducted by the Taliban.

? A news roundup

Skip to next paragraph Jenna Fisher

Asia editor

Jenna Fisher is the Monitor's Asia editor, overseeing regional coverage for CSMonitor.com and the weekly magazine.

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A United States special operations member was killed during a weekend rescue mission in Afghanistan that freed an American doctor, raising questions about the safety of aid workers in the region as it prepares for a drawdown of US combat troops by 2014.

Dr. Dilip Joseph, a US citizen, and two others who work for a faith-based nonprofit organization, were captured by Taliban on Dec. 5 while they were returning from a rural health clinic outside the capital, Kabul.?

The early Sunday raid that successfully rescued Dr. Joseph, a three-year employee of the Morning Star Development, an organization in?Colorado Springs, Colo., came after 3-1/2 days of negotiations that reportedly included demands for a $100,000 ransom, according to the Colorado Springs' Gazette?newspaper.

The rescue highlights the fact that, despite international efforts to control violence, kidnappings for ransom are still a?frequent and lucrative business in the area, Foreign policy reports.?

Much of the threat is simply criminal. There is a burgeoning kidnapping industry in Afghanistan, part of the conflict economy that has been fed by tens of billions of dollars the international forces and community have pumped into the country since 2001. Most kidnappings end either in the payment of a ransom or the death of the hostage, and ransoms for foreigners can approach half a million dollars ? though it's wealthy Afghans who are most often the victims.??

Joesph and the other two local Morning Star Development staff members were kidnapped on Dec. 5 by a group of armed men while returning from a visit to one of the organization?s rural medical clinics in eastern Kabul Province. They were eventually taken to a mountainous area about 50 miles from the Pakistani border.?

It was not clear who was behind the kidnapping. Although US sources told NPR that?seven members of the?Taliban?were killed?in the raid, some Afghans believe the kidnappers were smugglers, according to CNN.

According to Morning Star Development?s website, negotiations began almost immediately and led to the release of two other employees on Saturday. About 11 hours later, after intelligence reports indicated the situation was life-threatening,?the special forces team moved in.

According to Fox News, the special forces member who was killed was part of the Navy SEAL Team Six ? the same special operations group used for the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan, though?it's unknown if he took part in that raid last year.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/oo3ycJMwWlQ/Elite-Navy-SEAL-dies-in-rescue-mission-to-save-US-doctor-in-Afghanistan-video

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

PFT: Is Tebow-to-Jags 'a virtual certainty?'

New England Patriots v Jacksonville JaguarsGetty Images

The Patriots don?t appear to be peaking as they head toward the playoffs. But after a week in which they lost a great game, they?ll take a win in an ugly game.

That?s exactly what New England got on Sunday against the Jaguars, falling behind early but then coming back to win, as the Patriots managed to escape with a victory in a much tougher game than anyone expected the Jaguars to give them.

New England?s suspect secondary had a rough time against Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne in the early going, as Henne led two scoring drives and the Jaguars jumped out to a 10-0 lead. But eventually the Patriots? defense began to settle down, and in the second half the Jaguars couldn?t do much offensively.

The Patriots? offense didn?t make many big plays, but they did have five different sustained scoring drives, each of them covering at least nine plays and at least 52 yards. Short passes from Tom Brady and runs from Stevan Ridley were enough.

Still, the Patriots had a hard time putting the Jaguars away: With less than five minutes remaining and New England leading 23-16, the Jaguars had a huge opportunity to tie the game, with the ball inside the 1-yard line. But tight end Zach Potter false started to move the Jaguars back five yards, and on the next play Henne was sacked, and on the play after that Patrick Chung intercepted Henne, and that stopped that opportunity. Jacksonville would then get the ball back one more time and again threaten to send the game into overtime, but the Jaguars again fell short again as Henne was intercepted in the end zone on the last play of the game.

So the Patriots got the win they needed to improve to 11-4, on a day they played just well enough to beat the 2-13 Jaguars. They didn?t play well enough on Sunday to beat a playoff team.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/22/report-tim-tebow-playing-next-year-for-jaguars-a-virtual-certainty/related/

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Common Dog Medicines that Can Improve your Pups Quality of Life ...

478469558 ea3f386ca1 z Common Dog Medicines that Can Improve your Pups Quality of Life

Any dog owner will tell you that modern medicine plays a huge role in the quality of your pup?s life. This is especially true with senior pets who often become afflicted with ailments common in old age. From preventative remedies for heartworm to lifesaving ones for diabetes and heart disease, there are many common medicines that are essential to your pet leading a long, happy life.

One of the most common preventative medications for dogs and cats is heartworm medicine such as Advantage. This combination of imidacloprid and moxidectin is a topical solution applied monthly to the area between your pet?s shoulder blades. This insecticidal agent not only treats and prevents heartworm disease but also kills fleas, intestinal parasites and ear mites. Advantage can be administered to dogs older than 7 weeks of age and cats older than 8 weeks.

Another common ailment for older dogs is osteoarthritis. Stiffness in the joints can limit your pet?s mobility, making it difficult to climb stairs or even walk. While osteoarthritis is not curable, at least there are medications available to ease chronic pain and inflammation so your pup can be more comfortable in his daily activities. One such medication is Deramaxx (deracoxib). This chewable, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is used both for arthritis and to relieve pain associated with orthopedic surgery. Deramaxx is usually well tolerated with few side effects but, as with any medication, be sure to keep aware of any changes in your pet?s behavior, appetite or bathroom habits.

As with arthritis, another ?human? illness that also affects our pets is diabetes. Pets who are overweight, consume a diet high in table food and get too little exercise are prone to developing this disease as they get older. With diabetes, the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce is not effective in controlling blood sugar. Like humans, dogs and cats with diabetes often need injectable insulin such as Humulin N Insulin to regulate blood sugar. This medication controls hyperglycemia in dogs and diabetes mellitus in cats by lowering blood sugar. Dosage is dependent on the size and breed of your pet and should be administered after a meal according to your veterinarian?s instructions. Often, getting the right dosage of insulin to alleviate the symptoms of diabetes is a matter of trail and error. Pets should be closely watched with regard to water consumption, urination, weight gain or loss and lethargy. If your pet shows these symptoms, the insulin dose will likely
need to be adjusted.

Diseases of the heart, lungs and kidneys are also, unfortunately, quite common among older pets. Dogs and cats afflicted with congestive heart failure, pulmonary edema, kidney and liver diseases often suffer from excessive body fluids which make it difficult for them to breathe and function normally. Often, veterinarians will prescribe a diuretic such as Furosemide to help remove excess fluids, treat high blood pressure and regulate electrolyte levels. Water pills such as Furosemide work by making your pet thirstier. This results in more frequent urination, which in turn, eliminates fluids. Dosage depends on the type and breed of your pet and should be administered according to your veterinarian?s prescription. Furosemide is available as both a pill and a liquid.

Asthma is yet another common medical problem for pets that can greatly affect their quality of life. When simple pleasures like playing fetch or chasing a string toy lead to wheezing and gasping for air, pet owners must find a medicine to alleviate that. But while it may seem odd, prescription inhalers such as the Advair HFA inhaler are also made for cats and dogs. The Advair HFA combines fluticasone propionate, the same inhaled corticosteroid medicine found in Flovent, with a long-acting medicine found in Servent. Together, these medicines work to prevent airway constriction and inflammation, thereby controlling symptoms such as wheezing. There are even specially made delivery chambers to administer the medicine such as the AeroKat and AeroDawg aerosol chambers.

As is evident by the development of asthma inhalers that are specially made for dogs and cats, veterinary medicine has come a long way in treating pets. With this in mind, the availability of antidepressants to control unwanted behavior should come as no surprise. Fluoxetine is one such medication prescribed to treat issues like separation anxiety, inappropriate urination, aggression and obsessive compulsive behaviors. This selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant comes in tablets, chewable tablets, capsules and liquid form and is often prescribed for both dogs and cats along with active behavior modification exercises. Dosage is usually once per day for several weeks, but your veterinarian may adjust this based on the animal?s breed and size. Side effects include lethargy, loss of appetite and nausea, so pet owners should pay attention to any such changes in Fido?s demeanor.

As most pet owners will tell you, your animals are more than just possessions; they are full-fledged family members who are doted on with fancy beds, treats, toys and even clothes. When they get sick, most people will do whatever it takes to fix whatever ails their four legged friends. Thanks to modern veterinary science, many of the medications used to treat the human equivalent of the diseases are now available for animals as well. These common medicines are lifesavers that go a long way in improving your pup?s quality of life, ensuring your best friend will be at your side for many years to come.


Interesting news:

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  2. Common Preventative Pet Meds for Aging Dogs and Cats
  3. Dog Medicine for Ailing Pooches
  4. Get Discount Pet Medications for Common Pet Illnesses
  5. How to Use Effective Pet Medicines to Keep the Fleas Away

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Final day of funerals for Newtown shooting victims

The final three victims of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School will be laid to rest today, ending a somber week of funerals.

A mass will take place today at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church for Josephine Gay, who had celebrated her 7th birthday on Dec. 11.

Friends and family have been asked to wear Josephine's favorite color, purple, in her honor.

PHOTOS: Victims of Sandy Hook Massacre

A homegoing celebration will take place at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Conn., for Ana Marquez-Greene. The 6-year-old with a beaming voice sang in a home video with her brother, who was also at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the massacre, and seemed destined to take after her father, a jazz musician.

Emilie Parker, the budding artist who carried her markers and pencils everywhere, will be laid to rest in Ogden, Utah today.

The 6-year-old would have been would one of the first to comfort her classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had a gunman's bullets not claimed her life, her father said.

"My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving support to all the victims because that's the kind of kid she is," her father, Robbie Parker, said last Saturday.

"She always had something kind to say about anybody," Parker said. "We find comfort reflecting on the incredible person Emilie was and how many lives she was able to touch."

WATCH: Emilie's father speaks about his daughter

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/final-day-funerals-newtown-shooting-victims-162347445--abc-news-topstories.html

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NFCC Financial Education Blog ? Last Minute Ways To Trim Your ...

By Jason Alderman

From now until New Year?s is probably when you have the least amount of time to spare on mundane financial bookkeeping tasks. But if you can dedicate a few minutes to review your benefits and tax paperwork, you might be able to shave hundreds ? or even thousands ? of dollars off your 2012 taxes.

Here are a few suggestions:?

Review your 401(k). If you haven?t already maxed out on contributions, ask your employer if you can make a catch-up contribution to your 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan before year?s end. Most people can contribute up to $17,000 in 2012 (a $500 increase over 2011), plus an additional $5,500 if they?re over 50.

If you contribute on a pretax basis, your taxable income is reduced, which in turn lowers your taxes. At a minimum, if your employer offers matching contributions (essentially, free money), be sure to contribute at least enough to take full advantage of the match. This online calculator can help you estimate the impact additional contributions will have on your taxes.

Drain FSA balances. If you participate in employer-sponsored flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which let you use pretax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses, an important change is coming next year: Beginning January 1, 2013, the maximum annual contribution for healthcare FSAs will shrink to $2,500 from the $5,000 limit many employers currently offer; however, if your spouse has FSAs at work, you still may contribute up to $2,500 to each account. Dependent care account limits remain unchanged.

It?s vital to calculate and use any untapped 2012 account balances before your plan-year deadline (sometimes up to 75 days into the following year); otherwise, you?ll forfeit the remaining balance. If you have a surplus, consider which 2013 expenses you could pay before December 31, 2012. And, keep the new limit in mind when planning your 2013 healthcare FSA.

You can use your healthcare FSA for copayments, deductibles and medical devices such as glasses, contact lenses and braces, among other expenses; over-the-counter medicines are only eligible with a doctor?s prescription (an exception is made for insulin). ?Read IRS Publication 502 for a complete list of allowable and non-allowable expenses.

Charitable contributions. If you plan to itemize deductions on your 2012 taxes, charitable contributions made to IRS-approved organizations by December 31, 2012, are generally tax-deductible. (See the IRS?s Exempt Organizations Select Check to view eligible organizations.) If you?ve got extra cash now and want to lower your 2012 taxes even further, consider moving up donations you would have made in 2013.?

Energy tax credits. Unfortunately, many tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements expired last year. But if you plan to make certain improvements, including installing geothermal heat pumps, residential wind turbines or solar energy systems, the tax credit lasts until at least December 31, 2016. This credit is for 30 percent of cost with no upper limit, and both existing and new-construction principal and second homes qualify. Review this Energy Star website for details.

Gifts. Unless Congress intervenes, the federal income tax exemption for estate distributions and lifetime gifts will drop from the 2012 limit ($5.12 million) to the pre-2011 level of $1 million (for married couples, it drops from $10.24 million to $2 million); in addition, the tax rate on gifts or estate distributions above those limits will increase from 35 percent in 2012 to 55 percent in 2013.

One way to exceed the lifetime gift limit ? and avoid having to file a Gift Tax Return ? is by giving separate, annual gifts of up to $13,000 per year, per person. (Married couples filing jointly can give $26,000 per recipient.) Note: The limit increases by $1,000 to $14,000 in 2013. Rules for gift and estate taxes are complex, so read IRS Publication 950 and consult your financial advisor.

Roth IRA conversion. People at any income level can convert part or all of their existing traditional IRAs or 401(k) plans from previous employers into a Roth IRA. Note that converted balances (for pretax savings and their earnings) get added to your taxable income, thereby increasing your taxes ? and possibly boosting you into a higher tax bracket for the year. However, if you?re a long way off from retirement, or believe that your income tax rate at retirement will be higher than it is today, such a conversion might make sense. Just make sure you don?t need to borrow money ? especially from a retirement account ? to pay for the additional tax burden today; otherwise you could undo the potential long-term tax advantage of converting to a Roth IRA.

This isn?t an ideal time to take on any additional tasks, but if some or all of these situations apply, you could considerably lower your tax bill. Wouldn?t that be a great way to start the New Year?

This?article is intended to provide general information and should not be considered legal, tax?or financial advice. It?s?always a good idea to consult a legal, tax?or financial advisor for specific information on how certain laws apply to you and about your individual financial situation.

To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney

Jason Alderman is Senior Director, Global Financial Education, with Visa, Inc.

Views expressed are the personal views of the author, and do not represent the views of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, its employees, its members, or its clients.


Source: http://financialeducation.nfcc.org/2012/12/21/last-minute-ways-to-trim-your-taxes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=last-minute-ways-to-trim-your-taxes

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Iran defense minister says NATO missiles harm Turkey security

DUBAI (Reuters) - The installation of Patriot anti-missile batteries sent by NATO members to bolster Turkey's defenses against a possible missile attack from Syria will only harm Turkey's security, Iran's defense minister was quoted as saying on Saturday.

NATO approved Turkey's request for the air defense system earlier this month, in a move meant to calm Ankara's fears of being hit by Syrian missiles.

Iran has strongly supported its Arab ally President Bashar al-Assad of Syria as he attempts to suppress a 21-month-old uprising against his rule. Tehran opposes the installation of NATO missiles as Western interference in the region and has said it could lead to a "world war.

"The installation of Patriot missiles in Turkey plays no role in establishing Turkey's security and this harms the country of Turkey," Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). "The West has always pursued its viewpoints and interests and we disagree with the presence of Western countries in regional interactions."

Vahidi also denied that Iran is training Syrian forces to battle the rebels, ISNA reported. Iran considers itself, Syria's rulers and the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah as part of an "axis of resistance" against U.S. and Israeli power in the Middle East, but has denied accusations that it helping Assad militarily.

"Syria has no need for the training of its forces by the Islamic Republic of Iran, because Syria has a powerful military which has prepared itself for involvement with the Zionist regime (Israel)," Vahidi said.

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-defense-minister-says-nato-missiles-harm-turkey-061052749.html

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Leagues poised to challenge NJ over sports betting

(AP) ? Four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA are poised to move forward with their legal fight over New Jersey's plans to allow sports gambling.

That comes after a judge on Friday rejected arguments that the leagues couldn't prove they would be harmed if the state proceeds with the plans.

In denying the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit by the NBA, NHL, NFL, Major League Baseball and the NCAA, U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp agreed that they have standing to file the suit because expanding legal sports betting to New Jersey would negatively affect perception of their games.

In his ruling, Shipp cited studies offered by the leagues that showed fans' negative attitudes toward game-fixing and sports gambling.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment on the ruling, telling The Associated Press on Saturday that "the decision speaks for itself."

Stacey Osburn, director of public and media relations for the NCAA, said the association was "pleased with the court's ruling. The NCAA has long maintained that sports wagering threatens the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of college sports."

Phone messages left Saturday for officials with the NBA and NHL were not immediately returned. A voicemail for a MLB spokesman was full and would not accept messages.

New Jersey also has argued in court papers that a 1990s law prohibiting sports gambling in all but four states is unconstitutional, and Shipp ordered that a date for oral argument on that issue will be set after Jan. 20.

The federal law prohibited sports gambling in all states but Nevada, where bettors can gamble on single games, and three other states that were allowed to offer multi-game parlay betting. New Jersey has argued the law usurps the authority of state legislatures and discriminates by "grandfathering" in some states.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who has worked in the House to change the federal law, decried Shipp's decision.

"It is absurd for the professional sports leagues and the NCAA to claim that they will suffer injuries as a result of the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey," Pallone said Saturday.

"That these organizations claim that the sports they represent will somehow have their reputation impacted is na?ve at best and assumes that illegal gambling is not currently occurring in lieu of legal sports betting," he added. "The fact is that the presence of illegal betting and the crime that goes with it has a far greater impact on the legitimacy of sports organization."

The leagues filed suit in August after Gov. Chris Christie vowed to defy a federal ban on sports wagering. The Republican governor signed a sports betting law in January, limiting bets to the Atlantic City casinos and the state's horse racing tracks.

New Jersey has said it plans to license sports betting as soon as January, and in October it published regulations governing licenses. But the state agreed to give the leagues 30 days' notice before it grants any licenses and hasn't done so yet, the state attorney general's office said last week.

The state, represented by former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson, had argued before Shipp last Tuesday that the leagues are as popular as they've ever been despite the existence of legal gambling in Nevada and more widespread illegal gambling.

The NCAA has said it will relocate several championship events scheduled to be held in New Jersey next year because of the state's sports gambling push.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-22-Sports%20Betting/id-a74d9615283d4f8582fd31d228213afa

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How Focused Is Your Charitable Giving? - NYTimes.com

In this weekend?s Wealth Matters column, Paul Sullivan tells the story of Leonard A. Lauder?s commitment to breast cancer research and uses it to make the case for focusing your philanthropy on just a few causes.

Bigger contributions, after all, can have a bigger impact. And smaller contributions can be a hassle administratively for some organizations to collect, deposit, acknowledge and track.

Do you tend to spread your charitable giving among a long list of causes? Or are you more focused, like Mr. Lauder?

Source: http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/how-focused-is-your-charitable-giving/

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