Richard H. Serlin: If Cowen's really concerned about habit formation?

Paul Krugman writes about Tyler Cowen?s new defense of decreased societal mobility; it?s a good thing in that habit formation would make it especially bad for the rich to become middle class, or less rich.

Habit formation is an important issue, especially for someone with a career in personal finance like myself, but:

1) If Cowen is so concerned with habit formation and its effect on utility, he should support highly progressive taxation, which really blunts the effects of a drop in income (by lowering your tax rate substantially to compensate), and keeps lifetime income a lot more steady, especially if it's used to better fund the safety net and public, non-positional goods. I've long said that progressive taxation is a great partial insurance against income variability, and takes a lot of the risk out of financial life ? and life is incredibly financially risky today after a generation of dominance from the right. Yes, there will be a one time adjustment for the current rich to greater progressivity, but from then on, income will be a lot more steady for everyone, every generation. Will Cowen now support highly progressive taxation? Yeah, right.

2) He should also support a strong social safety net, and government supported education and re-training, as that greatly decreases the risk of income variability over people?s lives. Don't hold your breath.

3) A solution to greater income mobility's risk of going downward doesn?t have to be locking in the classes. Good personal finance is an excellent solution. If your income is high now, you carefully consider how risky that income is. Are you a medical doctor with a high income, but one that's also relatively secure (but keep an eye on Watson and other developments) , or are you the owner of a business with a lot of risk? If it's the latter, then during good times your savings should be far higher, and your "Must-Haves" ? a term from Elizabeth Warren's personal finance book, "All Your Worth" (the best today) ? should be very low as a percentage of your income. Must-Haves are long term fixed expenses, the foundation of your lifestyle, like your home and cars. You should have your consumption be a relatively low percentage of your income in good times if that income is risky. Evaluating the riskiness of your income and setting your Must-Have and saving percentages accordingly is a very important part of good personal finance today.

4) As Cowen is now suddenly concerned with total societal utils, aren't there other factors in that besides habit formation? Hmmm?, maybe gigantically decreasing marginal utility of dollars making severe inequality disastrous for maximizing total societal utils. When the marginal utility of an extra dollar is vastly greater for a member of the middle class or poor, than a member of the 0.1%, that should make Cowen support much more progressive taxation, universal healthcare, a stronger safety net,....(and don?t tell me the rich will work a lot less hard Tyler; you know better). Yeah, when the Lions win the Super Bowl.

5) As Cowen is now enthused about habit formation, how about its sibling, positional externalities. Strong and ubiquitous positional externalites, combined with Cowen?s newfound concern for maximizing total societal utils, would mean support for steeply progressive taxation to fund much greater non-positional goods like universal healthcare, universal government funded preschool and bachelor?s degree, basic scientific and medical research, public health recreation, and safety,? Yeah right, when Paul Krugman shaves his beard.

Source: http://richardhserlin.blogspot.com/2012/07/if-cowens-really-concerned-about-habit.html

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Advice For Private Budget That Will Help You Quit Treading Normal ...

A lot of people in the usa are explained nothing at all about committing, fiscal preparation, or even straightforward budgeting. This really is a big problem when many people who never ever took the time to educate their selves find they are willing to retire, but have no dollars to assist on their own. This information will give you some understanding of private finance so that you will don?t find yourself because condition.

To further improve your own financing habits, keep a focus on quantity which you put each week or month to your goal. Be sure that your focus on quantity is really an amount within your budget to save consistently. Self-disciplined conserving is exactly what will assist you to conserve the cash to your aspiration vacation or retirement life.

An excellent personal financial suggestion that will save you cash is for taking a few of your untouched apparel to your consignment store. In case you have any garments which are just being placed in your cabinet, you may make a small amount of money by promoting these to a consignment retail outlet.

While you are making your own personal tax statements, make certain you data file any deductions which you may be eligible to. In case you are uncertain what reductions you may be qualified for, for you to do some investigation. Engage an expert to perform them for yourself, if everything is continue to not very clear.

Lower your expenses than you will make. This could seem around-simplified, but the miserable the fact is that lots of people battle with investing at or under their signifies. It?s generally much easier to cut your spending than to have a raise or new increased-paying out task. Try shaving away somewhat in a number of places, so your family will not likely really feel any ache along with your new paying prepare.

Develop a finances ? and adhere to it. Come up with a note of your own shelling out habits over the course of on a monthly basis. Path in which each and every penny moves to help you find out exactly where you must scale back. As soon as your prices are set for the calendar month, if you locate spent lower than arranged, utilize the extra money to cover down your debt.

If you locate extra money, regardless of whether you received a bonus at the job or received the lottery and you will have outstanding debts, pay the debts very first. It?s attractive to utilize those funds to waste money on such things as, new devices, going out to restaurants or any other luxuries, nevertheless, you need to prevent that temptation. You?ll do oneself far more mementos, if you use that money to pay for your financial situation. For those who have money left once you spend your financial situation, then you can certainly splurge.

Don?t be enticed by the refund expectation loan fraud. Reimburse expectation personal loans are promoted by taxation preparers and bank loan a person funds for the approximately two-week time period among e-processing and receiving a tax reimbursement. The ?gotcha? here is the massive payment the tax preparer fees just for this services, which can represent a powerful interest of 50Per cent or higher.

Assessment your insurance policy coverages. A lot of people don?t verify if they?re paying out a lot of for just one or their policies. One more thing is the fact that many individuals happen to be tricked into acquiring a lot more coverage compared to what they require. Shop around and make certain you have adequate for your private circumstance.

Ensure that you?re talking with your workplace about all kinds of benefits if you?ve recently began a new work. This is applicable to youngsters, older people, and everybody in addition who wishes to stay in control of their financial situation. Make sure that you?re learning in regards to the company?s insurance plan advantages so that you can save money by deciding to go with their plan.

Tend not to hurry out and buy the most recent merchandise on the market in the event it initially comes out. You could find that hanging around until finally they excitement has died straight down will save you a lot of money ultimately. You could be unable to talk to the good friends but you will possess money in your wallet!

Whilst it may look at times that you simply don?t have enough money to protect all of your current current bills, together with protecting for the future, there are many approaches to cut costs and enhance your shelling out routines. By simply following the recommendation in this article, you can study steps to make each dime count up to enable you to give to meet your needs equally every now and then.

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Source: http://guru3x.com/advice-for-private-budget-that-will-help-you-quit-treading-normal-water-4/

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Olympic goalie Solo doesn't back down from tweets

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ? U.S. women's soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't back down Monday from her Twitter outburst against NBC analyst Brandi Chastain, saying the tweets were her way of expressing her opinion about the quality of television announcers.

Solo addressed the matter briefly on her 31st birthday during the team's tour of historic Old Trafford stadium, where the Americans will play North Korea on Tuesday. She didn't apologize or express regret, and she answered only one question about the matter, declining to address, among other things, whether a social media rant in the middle of the Olympics was the proper time and means to convey her feelings about broadcasters.

"It's not about what made me unhappy," Solo said. "It's not about one game. I have my beliefs that the best commentators and the best analysts should be analyzing come Olympics, come World Cups, and it's only my opinion. You can take it or leave it, to be honest, so it's my opinion, and I think analysts and commentators should bring energy and excitement and passion for the game, and a lot of knowledge, and I think it's important to help build the game, and I don't think Brandi has that.

"It's just my opinion, and nothing else really matters, to be honest. What matters is tomorrow's game against North Korea, playing at Old Trafford. The team's excited. It's my birthday. I don't really care to answer any other questions about Brandi."

She indeed declined to answer follow-up questions about the matter, including whether she has spoken to Chastain.

Solo's words prompted NBC Sports to weigh in for the first time, releasing a statement in support of its announcer.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer such complete and compelling coverage of the entire Olympic soccer tournament, and Brandi has been doing an outstanding job," NBC spokesman Adam Freifeld said. "We wish the U.S. women's team the best of luck."

Solo railed against Chastain's commentary following the Americans' 3-0 win over Colombia on Saturday, upset over Chastain's criticisms of the team's defensive play. She tweeted that Chastain should "lay off commentating about defending" and goalkeeping "until you get more educated" and "the game has changed from a decade ago."

The outburst led to a meeting with Solo, coach Pia Sundhage and the team captains on Sunday, with the coach expressing concern about how the tweets reflected on the team's image and the need to cut out distractions and focus on the next game. The coach did not tell Solo to stop tweeting.

Solo has never been shy about expressing opinions. Her criticism of then-coach Greg Ryan got her kicked off the 2007 World Cup team. She's also been promoting a memoir that is scheduled for release two days after the Olympics.

Chastain, one of the most accomplished players in U.S. team history, has refused to be drawn into the dispute, saying Monday that she's doing her job as an "honest and objective journalist at the Olympics."

The Solo-Chastain saga has been a diversion from the buildup to a historic match. About 35,000 fans are expected Tuesday, which would be a record for a women's game at the home of Manchester United. The stadium hasn't hosted a women's match since 1989.

"You can see why they talk of all the magic inside. It's pretty amazing," midfielder Megan Rapinoe said after the players spent about 20 minutes taking photos at midfield. "Walking into the changing rooms and seeing all the trophies and legends, it's pretty cool."

The Americans won their first two games and have already clinched a berth in the next round, but they'll want a victory to sustain momentum and get a better draw in the quarterfinals.

Midfielder Shannon Boxx, who injured her right hamstring in the opening win over France, will miss her second consecutive game.

___

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/olympic-goalie-solo-doesnt-back-down-tweets-183927238--finance.html

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15 magical pieces of tech that need to stop

13 hrs.

Russell Brandom , BuzzFeed FWD

They were supposed to make everything better. And maybe they did, a little. But it's time for them to go away now. Sorry, QR codes. It's been real.?

?1. QR Codes

Imagine a hyperlink, except instead of actual readable text that you can type in, it's some weird ziggurat that gives no hint of where it's going. Also, instead of clicking on it, you have to take a picture of it with your camera, and you're probably going to have to take that picture three or four times before it works, and a lot of the time it's going to send you to either a non-mobile site or a dead link. If they all disappeared tomorrow, not one person in the entire world would care, not at all.

2. Routers

For some reason, they all look like they were made in 1995 and most of them act that way too. Everything they do would be much better in a scaled down, Airport-Express-style dongle. Time to burn this one down and start again.

3. Browser plugins

Flash is pulling out of the mobile world (after years of trying to break in) and Silverlight is ruining lives on a daily basis. Soon HTML5 will replace them entirely ? browser plugins don't exist on the iPhone or iPad and they won't exist on Windows 8 RT ?? but in the meantime there are a lot of websites with gaping holes in them, like a newspaper attacked by old lady clipping coupons.

4. Traffic cameras

The?rule was, if a cop caught you speeding, you got a ticket. It was a great system, both for the Smokey-and-the-Bandit factor and because, if you were only a little bit over the line, the officer would usually let it slide. Mailing tickets to people just because they got from point A to point B a little ahead of the curve is cheating, and it moves us towards a creepy automotive panopticon where the force of law is both intangible and omnipresent. But mostly, it's just lame.

5. Inductive charging?

Another idea that's been kicking around for a while without ever taking off. If it's not built into the phone, like the Palm Pre, it's not any easier than plugging it in.

6. Bluetooth audio

This started out as a good idea ? especially the speakers ? but it took 15 years to produce a decent product. Time to call it a day. We're better off with speaker wire.

7. The remote control

True story: I recently visited a friend who was housesitting, and it took us 10 minutes to figure out how to turn on the TV. There were three remotes, and each one had 40 buttons on it, except for the Apple TV remote, which didn't have a power button. Just put it in an app.

8. The cable box?

Speaking of which, here's a strange box that requires another remote control. Destroy! Or get it over with and shove it inside of an?Xbox or Apple TV already.

9. Software license keys?

Hard to enter, easy to crack. Authentication shouldn't be this difficult.

10. Cables For everything

Too many cables. Toomanycables. Too many, cables. Too.?Many cables.

11. The printer/scanner/fax

A surprising number of people still get one of these when they buy a computer, even though there's no reason to do any of these three things, and if you ever run out of ink or toner you will suffer the tortures of the damned. The sooner we stop expecting paper copies of things, the better.

12. Blu-Ray?

A lot of loose copies of Transformers 3 were handed out trying to make this one happen. And the movie looked great! Unfortunately, nobody you know owns a Blu-Ray player, and nobody wants to make a computer that deals with them. You're better off streaming.

13. The power brick

It's enough to make you wish we'd stuck with direct current.

14. Facebook comments

Designed to bring civility to web comments by attaching real people's names to them. Because if you know Richard Morris here is the person saying crazy things, he won't say them, right? Wrong. It continues to be a bottomless will of spiritual death and plain-old web-design misery.

15. Standalone anti-virus software?

It's crazy that this still exists. Just bake it into the OS already.

Check out more articles on BuzzFeed.com

Source: http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/15-magical-pieces-tech-need-stop-915271

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Getting In Form Is Fun When Using Excellent Ideas To Jordan ...

Many individuals quit on their health and fitness strategy because they dislike doing exercises, diet or hitting the gym. However, fitness involves a big range of actions, a few of which are satisfying pastimes or daily programs. Additionally, you do not automatically need to diet, to be able to try to eat healthy. Find out more about distinctive, intriguing and exciting methods to stay healthy by reading the following advice.

Ensure that you log your improvement. You have to be counting the number of packages you are carrying out and just how several repetitions you are undertaking for every single establish. This makes sure that you show just how much you have progressed. You have to be going up in repetitions and units Air Jordan Pas Cher when you look at the sign.

If you don?t have the time to be effective on your physical fitness in just one block of your energy, it can be possible to split up your exercising into small elements. Which means you can run for 20 minutes each day well before your shower area, after which, in the evening, perform a fast body building session that will last half an hour.

Acquiring a punching travelling bag or silicone individual shaped punching focus on can offer an wall socket for tension and also a way to work with kinds personalized exercise. The punching will continue to work out versions upper body such as biceps, tricep, and deltoids. One will value their punching travelling bag the very next time they must allow off of some Air Jordan water vapor.

When you are hitting the gym, keep your weight lifting time for you to under sixty moments. Right after an hour or so of weight lifting, your body will begin to create much more cortisol, the pressure hormonal that will block the testosterone necessary to create muscle tissues. This will waste the muscles as an alternative to build them.

If you would like engage in Air Jordan a sports activity like golf or racquetball, you have got to build up your forearm strength. To do this, you could potentially set a barbell in your biceps and triceps and carry the weight up a little whilst keeping doing this till you feel the burn off in your forearms.

A great exercise hint is by using basic safety pins when you?re counter pushing or undertaking squats. You may set up security pins at a spot the place you don?t wish to lift further. The security pins holds the body weight should you don?t get the strength to finish the elevate.

Compute the whole amount of body weight you raise, multiplying that by the quantity of repetitions, and multiplying that by the quantity of collections you do. Try and defeat your complete Jordan Femme the very next time you exercise. This is a wonderful incentive and will assist you to work up a perspire!

Find out about nutritional vitamins and health supplements. Do not excessively use them. Discover what your diet program is missing out on and finish it with supplements or vitamin supplements. Keep a near observe in the items you are taking and the consequences they may have to you. Make sure you usually do not take way too many supplements: this could lead you to put on weight.

Since these ideas Jordan Femme validate, exercise may be accomplished in a range of approaches, from wandering your dog to making your sandwich with turkey as an alternative to ham. If seeing the gym isn?t your look, you can nonetheless reach your physical fitness target by participating in an activity which fits your passions.

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Source: http://companieslist.org/recreation-sports/getting-in-form-is-fun-when-using-excellent-ideas-to-jordan-femme-pump-motor-you-up/

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Adviser: Romney would back strike against Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) ? A senior adviser says Mitt Romney would back an Israeli military strike against Iran aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear capability.

Ahead of a Sunday speech in Jerusalem, Romney foreign policy adviser Dan Senor tells reporters that "if Israel has to take action on its own" to prevent Iran from being able to make the materials that could be used for a bomb, Romney "would respect that decision."

That's a more aggressive posture than Romney has previously taken. In Sunday's speech, he plans to tell Israelis and watching Americans that he and America "will not look away" from Iran if he is president.

Romney plans meetings with Israeli leaders Sunday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/adviser-romney-back-strike-against-iran-072640314.html

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Tips to Earn Money Through Online Paid Surveys ? Guru Article ...

One the easiest way to make money is through online paid surveys. This may be a great money-making opportunity, particularly if are familiar with it and you also know exactly what to do. If not, you might end up costing you time or completing surveys with very low fork out. If you are serious about acquiring an online paid survey opportunity, firstly , you need to do is to familiarize yourself with it. Here are 3 ideas that you might find valuable before you get started:

Tip 1: Finish your profile.
The number of money that you?ll make depends on the quantity of surveys that you can actually complete. So before you get began, you must first figure out how you can win the very best encuestas remuneradas. Take note that high-paying surveys may cost up to $75 dollars or higher so these surveys should be your target. For you to make yourself appealing, make sure that you complete the profile after you?ve registered. Take note that survey organizations need to know something with regards to you so that they can assess should you be serious about the opportunity in case you can provide these people the answers that they are looking for.
Your hobbies will be considered as primarily because survey companies should be able to determine the types of surveys that they should be giving you. If you existing them with a complete account, you will easily be presented a survey that you can load. This is due to the fact that they know something about you plus they know which surveys can best suit you. Understand that incomplete profiles usually get low-paying surveys or none at all.
Tip 2: Type as fast as you can.
Your faster you type, this faster you can complete the survey and the a lot more you?ll earn. Filling up online surveys is much like doing a data entrance job. If you can finish a new survey quickly, you can allow for more surveys and earn far more money. However, when entering, make sure to do it in the clear manner along with make sure that your tendencies are understandable. If you can give the company credible answers, this can increase your probability of winning more surveys sometime soon.
Tip 3: Make sure to read the questions appropriately and provide honest replies.
One of the most common problems that beginners do when answering a new survey is answering this poorly. This can be because of the fact that they don?t? look at the questions properly. Take note that this company?s product or service improvement depends on ones response so you have to deliver them with a clear in addition to honest answers. That means even if you type fast, when your answers don?t seem reliable, then the company may have second feelings in giving you new surveys to be able to fill up. That?s why you have to make sure that you always have enough time to read and also understand the questions before giving out your answer.
Since online encuestas remuneradas are believed as one of the best ways to make money and that more and more people would like for this opportunity, scammers usually are everywhere. Before taking on an online survey opportunity, make sure that this website you opt for is respectable. You have to make sure that your company will actually pay you for your responses. You should also stay clear of companies that will ask one to pay for the registration. Remember that legit businesses are offering their sign up for free. Make sure to keep in mind these to avoid being any victim of swindle or fraud.

For more information about encuestas remuneradas visit our website.

Source: http://guru3x.com/tips-to-earn-money-through-online-paid-surveys/

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The Demise of Union Power in American Politics & the Public Mind

(Paranoia & Fantasy on the Right) ? Published on ZNet, by Anthony Dimaggio and Paul Street, July 28, 2012.

The election season is upon us and along with it comes the standard Republican claims to be up against a powerful Democratic Party machine backed by the awesome clout of the ?union bosses? of American labor. We have been told this endlessly by pundits on the reactionary right such as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck ? those happy to misrepresent and distort the long decline and near-extinction of the American labor movement ? //

? Independent of such secret business expenditures, however, one can at least measure how much labor and business interests have spent as related to on the books campaign contributions and spending that benefit political candidates and parties. This data, available from the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), shows just how silly and propagandistic the focus on labor power is. In 2008, for example, the CRP estimates that 71.8 percent of all campaign contributions came from traditional political action committees (PACs) and individuals that represented business interests, compared to a miniscule 2.7 percent of all contributions that originated from labor unions and individuals representing labor organizations. The numbers were similar for 2010, as business interests provided 72.5 percent of all contributions, while labor interests gave just 5.1 percent.

Beyond unions? inability to compete with corporations and wealthy donors when it comes to funding candidates and lobbying office-holders, another thing the Journal doesn?t tell its readers about is organized labor?s minor impact on the political consciousness of its own dues-paying members. Forget for a moment that the U.S. union density rate (the percentage of workers enrolled in unions) has fallen from 26.7 percent in 1973 to 13.6 percent in 2009, and to approximately 11.8 percent by 2011. Also forget that just 6.9 percent of U.S. private sector workers are covered by union contracts as of 2011. How does the shrunken American labor ?movement? perform when it comes to influencing the political attitudes of those who are members? ? //

? (chart: Effects of Tea Party Affiliation and Union Membership on Political Attitudes ? July 2011, Pew Research Center)

Tea Party membership is an effective predictor of conservative-reactionary attitudes for an astounding 90 percent of all questions, whereas labor membership predicts liberal attitudes for just 20 percent of questions asked. In other words, there is little evidence of the power of labor unions to foster any sort of critical ?labor consciousness? among their members today, largely due to the beleaguered state of unions, and as seen in their unsuccessful efforts to influence their members? attitudes and ideology.

The deadly consequences of this absent labor consciousness were evident when Wisconsin?s hard right Tea Party Republican Governor Scott Walker prevailed over the union-led effort to recall him in the wake of his assault on public workers? collective bargaining rights. The remarkable amount of right-wing business money that Walker raised across the nation was an obvious factor behind his victory in the recall election last month. Still, we cannot join the Nation?s Wisconsin-based liberal commentator John Nichols in dismissing Walker?s victory as a triumph of out-of-state money over a comparative cash-poor ?people?s power? campaign in Wisconsin. As the astute left commentator Lance Selfa notes:

?This ignores the fact that Walker?and more broadly, conservative politics?has a base in the state?.Huge turnouts in the largely white and affluent suburbs that ring Milwaukee provided the bedrock of support for Walker. But Walker also won thousands of downscale rural voters, as well as an astounding 38 percent of union household voters. How could this be? Leaving aside the fact that conservatives make up a solid minority of union households, it?s also true that labor leaders and the Democrats didn?t change the political dynamics in the state.? (Socialist Worker, July 2012, p.14).

Yes, more than a third of voters from union households supported arch-reactionary policymakers who explicitly target union power for defeat and rollback. That?s a pretty blatant indication of ?big labor?s? abject failure to build any kind of meaningful movement culture of popular, working class solidarity and action to improve and protect the living standards of ordinary people. We blame that failure on the narrow vision and bureaucratic timidity and selfishness of union ?leaders? and the broader and deeper limits of U.S.-style ?business unionism? (which has long rejected the tactics and politics of class-wide workers? solidarity), NOT the supposedly selfish and right wing nature and views of everyday working people. This is not meant to demonize individual unionists, but merely to point out (as we?ve learned in our own interactions with many labor leaders) that unions today are largely apolitical in terms of their failure to build much of a labor consciousness for their members. In short, they are responsible for little more than securing collective bargaining benefits.
The limits of today?s unions aside, the opinion, campaign finance, and union membership data cited in this essay ought to render laughable the Wall Street Journal and Fox News? paranoid fantasies about the breathtaking political clout of ?Big Labor? and ?union bosses? in the U.S. The U.S. labor union is a shell of what it once was in terms of membership and political influence. And although we lack comparable public opinion data from earlier years, it seems reasonable to suspect that labor unions were more powerful in previous decades (dating back to the immediate post World War II era and earlier too), when union members accounted for a far larger share of American workers.

None of this data is meant to suggest that the Tea Party is a juggernaut of political discipline and activism that should be emulated by those on the left. As we?ve painstakingly documented elsewhere, most of the Tea Party?s power and influence stems from the top down. The group receives Astroturf corporate financing from billionaire reactionaries of the Koch brother variety, and it benefits from the megaphone of Fox News and other right wing media, rather than spreading its messaged in a decentralized way from the bottom up. The group is far from a ?grassroots rebellion? ? as we found in our recent examination of local Tea Party chapters and their weak-to-non-existent political organizing. In reality, the Tea Party?s power stems from the false consciousness that is produced by the consistent organizing and deep pockets on Wall Street and in corporate America more generally. Business organizers have succeeded in perverting not only U.S. elections, but also the American mind via the Tea Party phenomenon. It is this perversion that we will have to defeat if there is to be any hope for achieving a real labor (or leftist vision more generally) in America?s near future. (full text).

Source: http://blog.heidi-barathieu-brun.ch/wp-archive/9236

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Texas A&M biologists prove ZOLOFT packs potential to fight fungal meningitis

Public release date: 25-Jul-2012
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Contact: Shana Hutchins
shutchins@science.tamu.edu
979-862-1237
Texas A&M University

New research conducted by biologists at Texas A&M University suggests that ZOLOFT, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world, also packs a potential preventative bonus potent mechanisms capable of inhibiting deadly fungal infections.

The findings are the result of a two-year investigation by Xiaorong Lin, assistant professor of biology, and Matthew S. Sachs, professor of biology, involving sertraline hydrocholoride (ZOLOFT) and its effects on Cryptococcus neoformans, the major causative agent of fungal meningitis specifically, cryptococcal meningitis, which claims more than half a million lives worldwide each year, according to a 2009 Center for Disease Control (CDC) report.

Their research, funded with grants from the American Heart Association (AHA), the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is published in the June issue of the American Society of Microbiology journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Their research team includes Ph.D. candidate Bing Zhai and postdoctoral fellows Cheng Wu and Linqi Wang.

"The point here is that if there is a drug that already exists, is known to be well-tolerated, and has alternative uses, that's a good thing," Sachs says. "The billion dollars it would take to bring a drug to the market that's already done."

C. neoformans is a potentially dangerous fungal pathogen found in many soils throughout the world that may cause systemic infections, particularly involving the central nervous system. In most cases, the microscopic, airborne fungal cells of C. neoformans cause asymptomatic colonization in the lungs. However, Lin says the fungus is particularly aggressive in people with weakened immune systems and can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain and spinal cord, resulting in cryptococcal meningitis a condition that, in absence of treatment, is fatal.

Lin participated in a previous study to screen a collection of FDA-approved drugs in a John Hopkins Clinical Compound Library to determine if any contained fungicidal agents. Although sertraline was shown to only moderately inhibit the effects of common fungal strains like Aspergillus nidulans, a genus of common mold often found on spoiled food, and Candida, a genus of yeast often associated with mammals, sertraline was found to be particularly effective against C. neoformans.

A follow-up investigation of sertraline in a mouse model of systemic cryptococcosis revealed that it combats infection similar to fluconazole, an antifungal drug used commonly since the early 1990s. Moreover, a drug combination of sertraline and fluconazole was found to work more efficiently than either drug alone.

Lin says that even though the infection ultimately proved fatal in the mice study, sertraline as a cryptoccol treatment still holds promise. Because sertraline reduced the overall fungal burden within the mice and also possesses the desirable ability to cross the blood-brain barrier as an antidepressant, there is still hope it can be altered to serve as a viable treatment option.

"The problem for many current antifungal drugs is that many cannot go to the brain, and it's very difficult for a lot of compounds to reach the brain in the first place," Lin says. "So, you run into the problem of not killing all the fungus or having a very low level of fungus still exist. The fact is, this antidepressant can cross the blood-brain barrier and can get into the tissue at high concentrations."

It remains unclear exactly what dosage and concentration of sertraline is necessary to completely eliminate cryptococcosis, especially cryptococcal meningitis, but Lin and Sachs hope those answers will come to light with further testing.

"If this becomes useful, it could represent a truly significant increase in our ability to help people with brain cryptococcal infections," Sachs adds.

###

To read the Texas A&M team's paper, visit http://aac.asm.org/content/56/7/3758.abstract?etoc.

For more information about Lin's and Sachs' respective research programs, go to http://www.bio.tamu.edu/FACMENU/FACULTY/LinX.htm or http://www.bio.tamu.edu/FACMENU/FACULTY/SachsM.php.

Contact:

Shana K. Hutchins, (979) 862-1237 or shutchins@science.tamu.edu; Dr. Xiaorong Lin, (979) 845-7274 or xlin@bio.tamu.edu; or Dr. Matthew Sachs, (979) 845-5930 or msachs@bio.tamu.edu

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 25-Jul-2012
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Contact: Shana Hutchins
shutchins@science.tamu.edu
979-862-1237
Texas A&M University

New research conducted by biologists at Texas A&M University suggests that ZOLOFT, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world, also packs a potential preventative bonus potent mechanisms capable of inhibiting deadly fungal infections.

The findings are the result of a two-year investigation by Xiaorong Lin, assistant professor of biology, and Matthew S. Sachs, professor of biology, involving sertraline hydrocholoride (ZOLOFT) and its effects on Cryptococcus neoformans, the major causative agent of fungal meningitis specifically, cryptococcal meningitis, which claims more than half a million lives worldwide each year, according to a 2009 Center for Disease Control (CDC) report.

Their research, funded with grants from the American Heart Association (AHA), the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is published in the June issue of the American Society of Microbiology journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Their research team includes Ph.D. candidate Bing Zhai and postdoctoral fellows Cheng Wu and Linqi Wang.

"The point here is that if there is a drug that already exists, is known to be well-tolerated, and has alternative uses, that's a good thing," Sachs says. "The billion dollars it would take to bring a drug to the market that's already done."

C. neoformans is a potentially dangerous fungal pathogen found in many soils throughout the world that may cause systemic infections, particularly involving the central nervous system. In most cases, the microscopic, airborne fungal cells of C. neoformans cause asymptomatic colonization in the lungs. However, Lin says the fungus is particularly aggressive in people with weakened immune systems and can spread to other parts of the body, such as the brain and spinal cord, resulting in cryptococcal meningitis a condition that, in absence of treatment, is fatal.

Lin participated in a previous study to screen a collection of FDA-approved drugs in a John Hopkins Clinical Compound Library to determine if any contained fungicidal agents. Although sertraline was shown to only moderately inhibit the effects of common fungal strains like Aspergillus nidulans, a genus of common mold often found on spoiled food, and Candida, a genus of yeast often associated with mammals, sertraline was found to be particularly effective against C. neoformans.

A follow-up investigation of sertraline in a mouse model of systemic cryptococcosis revealed that it combats infection similar to fluconazole, an antifungal drug used commonly since the early 1990s. Moreover, a drug combination of sertraline and fluconazole was found to work more efficiently than either drug alone.

Lin says that even though the infection ultimately proved fatal in the mice study, sertraline as a cryptoccol treatment still holds promise. Because sertraline reduced the overall fungal burden within the mice and also possesses the desirable ability to cross the blood-brain barrier as an antidepressant, there is still hope it can be altered to serve as a viable treatment option.

"The problem for many current antifungal drugs is that many cannot go to the brain, and it's very difficult for a lot of compounds to reach the brain in the first place," Lin says. "So, you run into the problem of not killing all the fungus or having a very low level of fungus still exist. The fact is, this antidepressant can cross the blood-brain barrier and can get into the tissue at high concentrations."

It remains unclear exactly what dosage and concentration of sertraline is necessary to completely eliminate cryptococcosis, especially cryptococcal meningitis, but Lin and Sachs hope those answers will come to light with further testing.

"If this becomes useful, it could represent a truly significant increase in our ability to help people with brain cryptococcal infections," Sachs adds.

###

To read the Texas A&M team's paper, visit http://aac.asm.org/content/56/7/3758.abstract?etoc.

For more information about Lin's and Sachs' respective research programs, go to http://www.bio.tamu.edu/FACMENU/FACULTY/LinX.htm or http://www.bio.tamu.edu/FACMENU/FACULTY/SachsM.php.

Contact:

Shana K. Hutchins, (979) 862-1237 or shutchins@science.tamu.edu; Dr. Xiaorong Lin, (979) 845-7274 or xlin@bio.tamu.edu; or Dr. Matthew Sachs, (979) 845-5930 or msachs@bio.tamu.edu

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/tau-tab072512.php

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6.4-magnitude quake hits Indonesia's Sumatra: USGS

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday, sending terrified residents fleeing from homes and buildings.

One man collapsed and died of shock while rushing out of his home, authorities said.

The quake, at a depth of 22 kilometres (14 miles), struck around 07:30 am (0030 GMT), some 34 kilometres northwest of Sinabang, capital of Simeulue -- a small, remote island off Sumatra's west coast, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Residents of Sinabang said violent shaking was felt for about a minute and had caused an electricity blackout.

"People were crying, grabbing their belongings and rushing out of their homes," said an AFP reporter in Sinabang.

"There is no electrical power in some areas and I can see cracks in the walls of homes around me," he said.

"Some people are returning inside their homes, but others are still outside, afraid there may be aftershocks."

National Disaster Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said one man died while fleeing from his home on the island, which has a population of about 80,000.

"A man on Simeulue died of shock. He had a history of high blood pressure and was rushing out of his home when he collapsed and died," Nugroho said.

Local media and Indonesia's meteorology agency said there were no immediate reports of significant damage or other casualties directly related to the quake.

The agency said the quake occurred in the sea off Simeulue, but did not issue a tsunami warning. It said slight shaking was felt in the city of Banda Aceh, about 360 kilometres from Simeulue.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the Indonesian quake posed no tsunami threat to Australia.

The USGS initially reported a 6.6-magnitude quake, but downgraded the intensity to 6.4 -- the same strength as Indonesia's meteorology agency reported.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/6-6-magnitude-quake-hits-indonesias-sumatra-usgs-011347471.html

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Why Getting A Boca Raton Counselor Could Give You Ultimate Life ...

Health and Fitness | Mind Body Spirit | * Written by Boyer Christina | Tuesday, 24 July 2012 03:41 | Word Count: 500

In our lives there are many aspects which add up to how we feel about living and how our emotions run. If things are going well, we tend to be nice all around to everyone, we take our time and give our all to life. However, when things are going badly, we shut off and tend to be nasty to all our closest loved ones, we then don't give our all to life and therefore depression and other negative thoughts kick in. It's vital that we strive to get out of those ruts and negative mind states so that we can progress as human beings and improve our lives aiming towards happiness and joy for us, and all of our family members. Granted this is no easy task, it isn't something that necessarily everyone can just snap into instantly, nor can they identify that they are unhappy or are causing other family members distress. It's only when you're told by the family member that you are acting differently, or causing them to feel negative that you realize you may need some assistance.

We aren't all aware of how we can better our situations, simply trying to be nice and trying to make things work doesn't always resolve the problems. People train for careers for years to learn how to improve these situations in peoples lives, and they discover many new things about the human body, emotions and mind states along the way, it is really fascinating. Then they learn to identify these issues in real life cases, and offer the most professional and direct guidance for people so that they can fix their problems and lead a happier life. So as you can see, it can be very hard for someone who hasn't undergone all that training to identify the right route to take, or what their problem actually is.

These issues come in many forms, but one of the best ways to identify the problems and hit the nail on the head, is to visit a Boca Raton Counseling service. You may need a Marriage Counselor Boca Raton, this is no uncommon case, many people need marriage counselling these days and there's nothing wrong with that. You have to remember that you spend most of your time with your wife or husband, therefore any external problems that occur with each of you will most likely be taken out on your partner as they are always there to hear your stresses and problems. Countless times in life do we take things out on the wrong people, and then realize they didn't deserve that at all, over time this can cause deep issues, and must be put right by a marriage counselor Boca Raton.

There may be other problems in your family life, such as father son, father daughter, mother son, mother daughter and so on. Whichever issues you are having or your family member is having, it's best to seek professional advice from a doctor or counselor so that you resolve them and live in a happy household and lead a better life.

Find out more information about Boca Raton Counseling and a Marriage Counselor Boca Raton at the following website: http://www.drmikemd.com

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Author of this article: Boyer Christina.

Boyer Christina joined FAFY - Free Article For You on Wednesday, 20 June 2012.

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South Africa: FNB launches Facebook-powered banking app

South African financial services provider First National Bank (FNB) has launched a new application that allows customers to perform banking operations through Facebook, online media outlet allafrica.com

According to the source, FNB customers are set to be able to link their Facebook profiles to their mobile phone banking profiles. Once linked, they can access the FNB Banking on Facebook application, which is set to allow them to check their balances, purchase prepaid products including airtime, SMS and BlackBerry bundles, as well as the option to view Lotto and PowerBall results.

In recent news, First National Bank has added a new feature to its mobile payments application that is set to allow customers to make and receive payments to and from app users who are in close proximity.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thepaypers/cfKW/~3/3YRpwr0Iev4/748207-0

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Locating gold and other minerals: New method uncovers half-million ton mineral deposit in rough mountain terrain

ScienceDaily (July 24, 2012) ? Though technology has taken much of the guesswork out of mining, mountain ranges are still notoriously difficult environments in which to hunt for valuable minerals. Various methods used to draw a picture of the underground environment, including the measurement of gravitational and magnetic fields, are easily thrown off by factors such as changes in topography height, surrounding temperature, and barometric pressure.

Now Prof. Lev Eppelbaum of Tel Aviv University's Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences has developed a new method for processing and analysing complex environments in the face of these challenges. Combining new physical-mathematical approaches with their own advanced software -- which brings together all available analysis in the same three-dimensional image -- the researchers were able to overcome the difficulties posed by mountainous regions, successfully uncovering new mineral reserves.

Prof. Eppelbaum began working on his methodology with the late Prof. Boris Khesin of Ben Gurion University. Presented at the European Geosciences Conference in Vienna in April 2012 and in their book Geophysical Studies in the Caucasus, the method has already uncovered a previously unknown polymetallic reserve on the southern slope of the Caucasus, part of a vast mountain range between Europe and Asia that stretches from the Black to the Caspian Seas. The reserves include copper, zinc, lead, aluminium, and a mixture of gold and silver, Prof. Eppelbaum says.

A mountain range in three dimensions

In the hunt for underground metals or other resources like oil, gas, or water, geophysical fields such as gravity, magnetics, temperature, polarization, and electromagnetism play crucial roles. For example, the density of polymetallic ore -- which consists of more than one metal -- exceeds that of the surrounding rocks, creating a gravity anomaly. Although a 3D gravity analysis may then be used to decode these environmental cues, reserves do not reveal themselves that easily.

"After the environmental analysis, you must calculate the different types of background 'noise,' "Prof. Eppelbaum observes, such as the complexity of the topography, environmental characteristics, and more. Mountain ranges present particularly difficult terrain for this kind of calculation.

In order to circumvent these issues, Profs. Eppelbaum and Khesin improved current methods of geophysical analysis. They developed new mathematical approaches to process the information gathered from already-existing technology and from their own specially-designed software which allows the user to interpret all the information in a cohesive 3D image. "This 3D combined modelling software, which we programmed ourselves, enables scientists to see the buried targets more clearly," says Prof. Eppelbaum.

Prof. Eppelbaum believes they have discovered more than 500,000 tons of previously undiscovered polymetallic ore in the Caucasus mountainside in a single ore deposit. Other zones that could contain ore reserves have also been identified by the new methodology.

Caucasus and beyond

An expert in the Caucasus Mountains, Prof. Eppelbaum says that this technique can be applied to any region of the world, but most effectively in mountainous regions such as the Appalachian Mountains in the US and Canada or the Alps in Europe. Dr. Eppelbaum plans to develop collaborations with international geophysicists in an effort to discover new reserves around the world. "These reserves are very valuable resources for countries to discover," he says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

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

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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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120724131640.htm

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What the J.D. Power Paint Study says about Our Industry - The ...

The?2012 U.S. Interior Paint Satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates came out in April. Benjamin Moore ranked highest in customer satisfaction, Sherwin Williams was second and Behr third. While we salute the manufacturers who scored well, we also have to peel back the layers of this onion and see if it brings any tears to our industry eyes.

This study measures the satisfaction of consumers who have purchased and applied paint in the past year, and the criteria include:

• application
• product offerings
• durability
• price
• design guides
• warranty/guarantee

A few interesting results of the study:

• 82% of paint consumers apply the paint themselves instead of hiring a professional
• Consumers average 4 gallons of paint per project
• Average cost per gallon is around $30
• Customers who purchased their paint from a manufacturers store were more satisfied with their experience than customers who purchased their paint from a home improvement retailer.

While some of the consumer type reports that come out for the paint industry at times border on absurdity, ?the JDP studies actually seem to be empirical in nature, not driven by sponsor dollars or who sold the most paint. I think it is an interesting cross section and insight into consumer patterns regarding paint purchase habits, and the quality of their experiences with paint.

What does this mean to paint contractors?

If you have ever visited any of the online paint discussion forums, you don?t have to go too far through the door before you run into pricing questions or contractor frustration over customer unwillingness to pay professional prices for small interior residential repaint work. It usually turns into a polarizing discussion.

The JDP study is evidence that a potentially very high percentage of paint consumers don?t necessarily consider interior painting to be a service that requires a professional. And, guess what? Its not. Not anymore than mowing the lawn or changing the oil on the car does.

Residential interior repaints require the least amount of equipment (capital investment), so the cost of entry for paint contractors in this segment is low, which drives competition up and prices down. Competitive bidding situations now involve more contractors than in the past. Three estimates used to be the standard for homeowners in contractor selection. It is not unusual to see 5 or 7 these days, according to contractors.

The JDP study illustrates that contractors are also competing with the homeowners themselves for interior paint work. If the project doesn?t have any significant degree of difficulty ? ie, logistical challenges, exceedingly difficult cuts, tedious detail ? many homeowners can do a fairly adequate job. In fact, I have seen some homeowners who could paint better than some professional painters.

Do the math. Almost anyone, homeowner or contractor, can go buy the average 4 gallons of paint at $30 per gallon, a 4 foot step ladder, a roll of plastic, a case of blue tape, and a couple of brushes and rollers for about $250. Now I understand why the $99 room painters feel like they have to do what they do.

The Psychology:

Most people hate to paint. They really do. When I tell people I am a painter, they say: ?I hate painting.? I say: ?Most people do. That?s good for my business.? And it is simple human nature to not be very good at things we don?t enjoy doing. It?s simple human nature. Painting is generally about as much fun to the average person as going to the dentist. But, homeowners do want cool new colors and a fresh coat. So, it?s an emotional roller coaster, and it is stressful.

Often times, that is about the point in the discussion when a paint contractor is invited through the door to give a free estimate. So, this is another example of why we, and a lot of contractors we know, keep an eye on the industry and share insights and trends. If we don?t understand what is important to our customers, we won?t do very well earning their business and pleasing them with our services.

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Tags: featured, paint study

Category: Business Practices, Customer Service

Source: http://bloggingpainters.com/what-the-j-d-power-paint-study-says-about-our-industry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-the-j-d-power-paint-study-says-about-our-industry

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Depression Interventions Help Cancer Patients | Psych Central News

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 23, 2012

Although screening for depression among cancer patients seems to be a no-brainer, research results have been equivocal on the benefit of interventions.

Now, a new study finds that interventions, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacologic interventions, decrease depressive symptoms in cancer patients.

?In the past, we had looked at interventions as a whole ? most of which were designed to help cancer patients cope generally with stress but not specifically with depression ? and found moderate effects,? said Kristin Kilbourn, PhD.,?of the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

?This study shows not only that interventions specific to depression in cancer patients can improve symptoms, but shows which interventions are likely to offer the most benefit.?

Kilbourn and colleagues have published their findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In the study, investigators performed a meta-analysis of 10 studies encompassing 1362 patients.

It included high quality studies that met stringent criteria specifying that studies were randomized control trials in which cancer patients reported a significant number of depressive symptoms prior to starting the intervention.

?Still, many questions exist,? Kilbourn said. ?For example, which interventions are best in early cancers versus metastatic disease? Do we find similar effectiveness if patients were diagnosed with depression before their cancer? And which interventions are most effective with different cultural and ethnic subpopulations??

Kilbourn believes future research should explore the benefits of the interventions in more detail including documentation of the gains patients report and the duration of the improvements.

Finally, ?This study supports the notion that screening for depression in cancer patients is important because if we could identify people early in the process and intervene, we now know definitively that we can affect the trajectory of this depression,? Kilbourn said.

Source: Association for Psychological Science

APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2012). Depression Interventions Help Cancer Patients. Psych Central. Retrieved on July 24, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/07/23/depression-interventions-help-cancer-patients/42102.html

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/07/23/depression-interventions-help-cancer-patients/42102.html

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Obama to Republicans: stop playing politics with military

RENO, Nevada (Reuters) - President Barack Obama challenged Republicans on Monday to stop "playing politics" with the U.S. military in a fight over end-of-year budget cuts that would strike the defense industry if Congress does not agree on a new deficit-cutting deal.

Republicans and Obama's Democrats are at odds over how to avoid triggering billions of dollars in across-the-board federal budget cuts resulting from a "sequestration" mechanism put in place by Congress in 2011 as part of its solution to break an impasse over the U.S. government's borrowing limit.

In a speech to veterans that included a robust defense of his foreign policy achievements, Obama painted himself as being on the side of military men and women and said Republicans were putting them in jeopardy by insisting on extending Bush-era tax cuts that Democrats oppose.

"Let's stop playing politics with our military," Obama told a convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Nevada, a battleground state the president hopes to win in the November 6 election against Republican Mitt Romney.

"If the choice is between tax cuts that the wealthiest Americans don't need and funding our troops that they definitely need to keep our country strong, I will stand with our troops every single time."

Lawmakers must act before the end of the year to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of major tax hikes and spending cuts. Without a deal, many domestic and military programs face about $100 billion in across-the-board cuts next year.

"There's no reason that should happen because people in Congress ought to be able to come together and agree on a plan, a balanced approach that reduces the deficit and keeps our military strong," Obama said. "It should be done."

Obama wants to end tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush for very wealthy Americans to help reduce the U.S. deficit, although he favors extending tax cuts for middle-class families making less than $250,000 a year. Republicans argue that all tax cuts should be extended to avoid an adverse affect on the tepid economy.

Barring an early agreement, lawmakers will need to reach a consensus in the "lame-duck" session of Congress - the period between the November election and the start of the new congressional year in January.

The Treasury Department estimates that ending the tax cuts for the wealthy would gain about $50 billion in revenues in 2013 - nearly matching the size of the Pentagon spending cuts that are scheduled to be triggered on January 2.

Romney, who favors extension of the tax cuts, would like to delay the "fiscal cliff" debate until next year, when he hopes to be in office.

CAMPAIGN ISSUE, FOREIGN POLICY DEFENSE

The issue is likely to loom large on the campaign trail. Virginia, an important battleground state, has major military bases and defense operations in Newport News, Virginia Beach, and Richmond, which could be affected by the cuts.

If all new revenues from ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy were devoted to canceling the military spending cuts, there would still be the politically sensitive problem of cuts in domestic programs including education, nutrition assistance for the poor and medical research grants.

The Obama administration and Democrats in Congress have said repeatedly that spending cuts must be borne equally by military and domestic programs.

Teachers, scientists, labor unions and other organizations have joined together to warn that their programs are also in jeopardy from the fiscal cliff debate.

Obama used his speech to veterans to highlight his foreign policy record of ending the war in Iraq, setting a timeline for ending the war in Afghanistan, and presiding over the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Obama said his leadership had changed perceptions of the United States abroad.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, leaves on Wednesday for a weeklong trip to Britain, Israel and Poland, a trip meant to highlight his foreign policy credentials.

His campaign disputed Obama's claim of foreign policy success.

"In no region of the world is our country's influence any stronger than it was four years ago," Romney spokesman Ryan Williams said in a statement.

"President Obama has failed to restore our economy, is weakening our military with devastating defense cuts, and has diminished our moral authority."

The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Buck McKeon, criticized the president for making "ultimatums from the campaign trail."

McKeon said Obama "has an obligation to the men and women under his command. He owes them the resources and certainty they need to complete the missions he has ordered them to do."

Also on Monday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta met with representatives of the defense industry, agreeing with them that "sequestration will do tremendous harm to domestic and national security programs across the board," a Pentagon statement said.

In his speech, Obama also lamented the high suicide rate among U.S. veterans.

"According to some estimates, about 18 veterans are taking their lives each day - more every year than all the troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined," Obama said. "That's a tragedy. It's heartbreaking. It should not be happening in the United States of America."

(Additional reporting by Richard Cowan and Margaret Chadbourn; Writing by Jeff Mason; Editing by Fred Barbash and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-republicans-stop-playing-politics-military-000653073--finance.html

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PROFIT With The INSIDERS. Grow Your Buyers List On AUTO ...

PROFIT With The INSIDERS. Grow Your Buyers List On AUTO PILOT & Set Your Internet Business on FIRE.

? 2012 The Boss Insider ? All Rights Reserved.

Dear Warrior,

Everyone that knows what they?re doing in internet marketing will all you tell the same thing:

?The Money is in the List??

You?ve all heard it, and for good reason too, it?s true.

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That?s because I?m not just talking about a list full of ?freebie seekers?, I?m talking about a list of proven buyers?

?the most valuable thing you can have in all of internet marketing.

Think about it:

For example, if you?ve built a list of 20,000, and you mail out your offer for your latest product that you?re selling for $11? even if only 2,000 of your subscribers buy it that?s still a $22,000 pay day? And it doesn?t even have to be your own product?

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Tale of Two Kingdoms

There are two kingdoms, The Kingdoms of Fire and Ice, are at war with each other. They are bitter rivals and their feud has been an ongoing battle for years. But what happens when the kings and queens must send their only children into hiding?

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Tale of Two Kingdoms?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Tale of Two Kingdoms"

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Arabella13

Member for 0 years

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Working on my character Bella, anything specific age wise?

"I saw the traveler make his way toward the monolith,
That thin gash amidst the clouds;
An open seam between heaven and earth that eluded the Eye of God.

Or perhaps it had not; perhaps it beckoned from one realm
To the other, wedded And ruled as one;
For look how clean it splits the horizon 'twain, absorbs it,
Makes it Strange,
An indomitable beam,
A Tower of Heaven."

Beach-Born-Boy

Member for 0 years

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I am making a character named ezreal and he is going to be a noble in the kingdom of frost. Is that okay?

RavensOath

Member for 2 years

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I might be interested in this. Any limits and rules on characters?

demented-tiger

Member for 2 years

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