Thursday, December 20, 2012

Classes resume in Newtown, minus Sandy Hook

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? Newtown returned its students to their classrooms Tuesday for the first time since last week's massacre and faced the agonizing task of laying others to rest, as this grieving town wrestled with the same issues gripping the country: violence, gun control and finding a way forward.

Funerals were held for two more of the tiny fallen, a 6-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl. A total of 26 people were gunned down at Sandy Hook Elementary School in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S history. The gunman also killed his mother in her home before committing suicide.

The resumption of classes at all Newtown's schools except Sandy Hook brought a return of familiar routines, something students seemed to welcome as they arrived aboard buses festooned with large green-and-white ribbons ? the colors of the stricken elementary school.

"We're going to be able to comfort each other and try and help each other get through this, because that's the only way we're going to do it," said 17-year-old P.J. Hickey, a senior at Newtown High School. "Nobody can do this alone."

Still, he noted: "There's going to be no joy in school. It really doesn't feel like Christmas anymore."

The students who survived the Sandy Hook shooting will return to class after the winter break in neighboring Monroe at a school that was closed last year. Volunteers and town officials have been making the Chalk Hill School safe and suitable for them, the Connecticut Post reported.

At St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown, back-to-back funerals were held for first-graders James Mattioli and Jessica Rekos, the third and fourth so far and the first of eight to be held in the coming days at the church. Memorial services and wakes were also held for some of the adult victims.

As mourners gathered outside, a motorcade led by police motorcycles arrived for the funeral of little James, who especially loved recess and math and who was described by his family as a "numbers guy" who couldn't wait until he was old enough to order a foot-long Subway sandwich.

Traffic in front of the church slowed to a crawl as police directed vehicles into the parking lot. A school bus carrying elementary students got stuck in traffic, and the children, pressing their faces into the windows, sadly watched as the mourners assembled.

Inside the church, James' mother stood and remembered him.

"It was very somber, it was very sad, it was very moving," said Clare Savarese, who taught the boy in preschool and recalled him as "a lovely little boy, a sweet little angel."

The service had not concluded when mourners began arriving for the funeral of Jessica, who loved horses and was counting the years until she turned 10, when her family had promised her a horse of her own. For Christmas, she had asked Santa for new cowgirl boots and hat.

"We are devastated, and our hearts are with the other families who are grieving as we are," her parents, Rich and Krista Rekos, said in a statement.

At a wake for 27-year-old first-grade teacher Victoria Soto, hundreds of mourners, many wearing green-and-white ribbons, stood in a line that wrapped around a funeral home in nearby Stratford.

"Big smile, great eyes, just a wonderful person," Lauren Ostrofsky said of Soto, who was killed as she tried to shield her students from the gunman. "If anyone could be an example of what a person should be today, it's her."

Tensions in the shattered community ran high as the grief of parents and townspeople collided with the crush of media reporting on the shootings and the funerals.

Police walked children to parents waiting in cars to protect them from the cameras. Many parents yelled at reporters to leave their children and the town alone.

At Newtown High School, students in sweat shirts and jackets, many wearing headphones, had mixed reactions. Some waved at or snapped photos of the assembled media horde, while others appeared visibly shaken.

Students said they didn't get much work done Tuesday and spent much of the day talking about the terrible events of last Friday, when 20-year-old Adam Lanza, clad all in black, broke into Sandy Hook Elementary and opened fire on students and staff.

"It's definitely better than just sitting at home watching the news," said sophomore Tate Schwab. "It really hasn't sunk in yet. It feels to me like it hasn't happened."

As for concerns about safety, some students were defiant.

"This is where I feel the most at home," Hickey said. "I feel safer here than anywhere else in the world."

Still, some parents were apprehensive.

Priscilla and Randy Bock, arriving with their 15-year-old special needs son, James, expressed misgivings. "I was not sure we wanted him going," Priscilla Bock said. "I'm a mom. I'm anxious."

"Is there ever a right day? I mean, you just do it, you know, just get them back to school," said Peter Muckell as he took 8-year-old daughter Shannon, a third-grader, to Hawley Elementary.

At one Newtown school, students found some comfort from Ronan, an Australian shepherd therapy dog from Good Dog Foundation in New York.

Owner Lucian Lipinsky took the dog to a fifth-grade science and math class where students were having difficulty coping with the tragedy. Most started smiling immediately.

Lipinsky told the students they could whisper their secrets into Ronan's ear.

"It's pretty amazing how a lot of kids will just go whisper in his ear and tell them their secret, and, of course, he doesn't tell anyone," Lipinsky said. "He's a very good dog."

Authorities say the horrific events of Friday began when Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, at their home, then took her car and some of her guns to the nearby school, where he broke in and opened fire, killing 20 children and six adults before shooting himself.

A Connecticut official said the mother, a gun enthusiast who practiced at shooting ranges, was found dead in her pajamas in bed, shot four times in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.

Investigators have found no letters or diaries that could explain the attack, even as more fragments of Lanza's life emerged.

As a teenager, Lanza was so painfully shy that he would not speak or look at anyone when he came in for a haircut about every six weeks, always accompanied by his mother, said stylists in the Newtown hair salon Lanza frequented.

Cutting Adam Lanza's hair "was a very long half an hour. It was a very uncomfortable situation," stylist Diane Harty said, adding that she never heard his voice.

Another stylist, Jessica Phillips, said Nancy Lanza would give her son directions about what to do and where to go. He would move only "when his mother told him to," said a third stylist, Bob Skuba.

Meanwhile, the tragedy continued to reverberate around America.

Lanza is believed to have used a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle, a civilian version of the military's M-16. It is similar to the weapon used in a recent shopping mall shooting in Oregon and other deadly attacks around the U.S.

Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management announced Tuesday it plans to sell its stake in Freedom Group, maker of the Bushmaster rifle, following the school shootings.

Cerberus said in a statement that it was deeply saddened by Friday's events and will hire a financial adviser to help with the process of selling its Freedom Group interests.

In Pittsburgh, Dick's Sporting Goods said it is suspending sales of modern rifles nationwide because of the shooting. The company also said it's removing all guns from display at its store closest to Newtown.

At the same time, the outlines of a national debate on gun control began to take shape.

A former co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and 10-term House Republican Jack Kingston, a Georgia lawmaker elected with strong National Rifle Association backing, were the latest to join the call to consider gun control as part of a comprehensive, anti-violence effort next year.

"Put guns on the table. Also put video games on the table. Put mental health on the table," Kingston said.

But he added that nothing should be done immediately, saying, "There is a time for mourning and a time to sort it out. I look forward to sorting it out and getting past the grief stage."

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama was "actively supportive" of a plan by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to introduce legislation to reinstate an assault weapons ban. While Obama has long supported a ban, he did little to get it passed during his first term.

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association, silent since the shootings, said in a statement that it was "prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again." It gave no indication what that might entail.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Helen O'Neill, John Christoffersen and Pat Eaton-Robb in Newtown; Katie Zezima in Stratford; and Christine Armario in Miami.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/classes-resume-newtown-minus-sandy-hook-222240143.html

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Monitoring A Developing Line Of Rain/Storms-Tornado Watch Arkansas/Oklahoma

Ww0686_radar[1]
What a night for the interior United States. A tornado watch has been posted for portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma, while blizzard conditions are impacting Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. A line of strong storms is developing along our advertised cold front, east of Oklahoma City. This is the line that will impact Alabama starting early tomorrow.

I still think we are in good shape with regard to timing. The line will enter West Alabama around sunrise and reach the Cullman/Birmingham/Alabaster/Clanton (I-65) corridor by 10 AM. The line should reach eastern areas by noon or soon after.

Ttd
I included an analysis map from the Storm Prediction Center and you can notice a thin corridor (highlighted in dark green) where low level moisture is trying to recover ahead of the storms. The warm/moist southerly flow simply won?t have time to charge up the low levels overnight so this will help our area by keeping the severe threat marginal. That said, we still can?t rule out one or two severe storms tomorrow, with strong winds. Don?t miss Fox 6 news at 9 and 10 PM as we take a closer look at the developments to our west.

Fox 6 Meteorologist Wes Wyatt
wwyatt@wbrc.com
Twitter @weswyattweather
Facebook.com/weswyattfox6

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birminghamweather/~3/qJtvlDth0SI/monitoring-a-developing-line-of-rainstorms-tornado-watch-arkansasoklahoma.html

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Stepparenting & Blended Families 2013: Stepcoupling: Creating ...

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Stepparenting & Blended Families

Love may be sweeter the second time around, but once the bliss of a newfound relationship wears off a little, the reality of being part of a stepfamily sets in. If you are one of the millions of remarried Americans facing the challenge of blending two existing families into one cohesive whole, you are part of a stepcouple?and you know all too well how hard it can be to make your marriage work in sometimes tough terrain.

Different parenting styles, finances, relationships with ex-spouses, legal matters, and even seemingly simple issues such as the kinds of chores assigned to children can chisel away at your union if you don?t always make your marriage a priority.

Stepcoupling offers advice for stepcouples on how to do just that?all the while strengthening their blended family with a healthy marriage. Susan Wisdom and Jennifer Green provide tips and strategies on dealing with the issues remarried couples face, with a wealth of advice from real-life stepcouples, such as:

* Learning to tailor your expectations of your spouse or children and remembering that no family is perfect
* Knowing where your boundaries are, whether involving a hostile ex-spouse or a stepchild who demands too much attention
* Realizing that traits like flexibility, tolerance, forgiveness, and openness are especially essential in a stepfamily situation
* Making ?us? time for talking, problem-solving, weekends away, and enjoying your marriage to constantly renew and strengthen your bond as a couple

Let this invaluable remarriage manual help you make your stepcouple the foundation of a strong, happy, and successful stepfamily.

  • Rank: #39276 in Books
  • Published on: 2002-02-26
  • Released on: 2002-02-26
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 7.99" h x .56" w x 5.19" l, .50 pounds
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Source: http://hotstepparentingblendedfamilies583.blogspot.com/2012/12/stepcoupling-creating-and-sustaining.html

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Source: http://greyvwdelora.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/stepparenting-blended-families-2013-stepcoupling-creating.html

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Internet Marketing Search Engine Optimization SEM SEO service ...

It is key to use good SEO techniques if you run a business website. By using these techniques, a business can improve its search ranking, so that its website is ranked more highly by the major search engines. Read further and we will share some valuable tips with you.

A domain name which contains your keywords can be a real boost to your efforts. You want to make your website easy to find when people are searching for it on the web. Not everyone will arrive at your site through ads, many will come from product searches.

Strategic keyword placement within your online content gets noticed by search engines that can boost your traffic. The best use of keywords is to place them early in the text without going overboard and loading too many instances of the same words. Ideally, your keyword should be featured twice in your first paragraph. After that, the next 200 words on your page should contain as many instances of your keyword as you can, without overwhelming the page with it.

If you want your site to automatically achieve higher search engine rankings, consider joining forces with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and the Chamber of Commerce in your area. Since these usually link to your site, it helps with local search results. Having a positive rating through the renowned Better Business Bureau can boost consumer trust in your business.

It is important that links in your website and incoming links all include keyword phrases. ? as your main anchor text. That?s the way to make your anchor text seem credible and relevant to the search engines. Be sure that the internal links on your site use the right keyword links.

Podcasts are an excellent way to deliver content. You can include both audio and video content in a podcast, just be sure it is content your users care about. It is easy to enter the podcast world; you only need a tape recorder. Be sure to include a description of your podcast so the search engines can index it.

You should publish and write fresh content as much as you can. Set weekly goals and keep the promise to yourself to publish a certain amount of content. Search engines judge sites with a fresh stream of content that is posted regularly as more valuable than those that only update the content occasionally. Consistently updated content equals higher page ranks.

Search engines will lower your page rankings if you are found to be manipulating the rating system to artificially achieve top search rankings. Search engine sites, like Google and Yahoo, have blacklisted some websites and removed them from their search results for trying to manipulate rankings. Be aware of the methods you use to optimize your search engine rankings.

Have the owner of the business actively involved in posting material on the website if applicable. This will give the site a more human touch. This is the company?s voice, and people will desire to hear it.

The language meta tag is crucial to your search ranking if your site is written in a language besides English. Doing so will improve your site rankings for queries in a different language.

If you are looking to climb up the search engine ranks, then provide a plethora of content, going across many different topics, but still staying within the niche. In other words, provide relative content from different aspects of your niche. If your topic is nutrition, provide articles on healthy recipes, wellness tips, vitamins and supplements, and more. By providing a wide array of articles centered around specific subjects, you increase the likelihood that your site will appear near the top of search results.

An HTML title will yield better SEO results, if you use keywords and phrases in them. When analyzing your site, search engines place heavier emphasis on keywords that are included in title tags. Placing the strongest keywords in the title tag maximizes your results and increases site traffic.

There?s a lot to search engine optimization, but as was stated earlier in the article, it?s absolutely essential to make sure your website gets the business it deserves. Make sure to apply these techniques to your website, as soon as possible, so that you can start getting more customers and more profits.

Search Engine Optimization, SEO


_________________________________________
Here are some other Internet Marketing/SEO related sites that I would like to share with you.
Thanks for visiting Website Host Direct reviews!

md_i_ansari - Twitter
Network-marketing-education.com encyclopedia topics | Reference ...
Internet Marketing Ninjas Adds Rick DeJarnette to Its SEO team
Search Engine Optimization
Internet Marketing - Website Review & Strategy - a set on Flickr

Related posts:

  1. How Search Engine Optimization Works Can Work For You
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  4. Making Search Engine Optimization Work For You
  5. Search Engine Optimization Techniques That Really Work

Source: http://www.websitehostdirect.com/how-search-engine-optimization-works-can-work-for-you-2/

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Mongolia?s external debt reached USD 12.9 Billion

  • General Sources - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    news ) , on expectations of aggressive monetary easing from the Bank of Japan. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 2.8% or 237 points at 10,160 in Japan while the Hang Seng increased 128 ...

  • CIS nations set date for free-trade zone

    Asia Times - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    By Sergei Blagov The latest top-level meeting of the oldest post-Soviet grouping, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), pledged to enact their free-trade arrangements next year. However, ...

  • Azerbaijans energy potential discussed in Washington

    News.Az - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    The US policy in the South Caucasus, Russia's role in the regional balance of power, the prospects for peace efforts in Karabakh and the EU Southern Corridor - these topics were the focus of ...

  • Cold winds from Janaozen

    Asia Times - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    By Alexandra Kazakova Last year's violence in the town of Janaozen has created a significantly more oppressive environment in Kazakhstan, according to human rights defenders and analysts ...

  • Tampa-Based Beef O Bradys Headed to Mongolia

    The Ledger - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    TAMPA | When investors wanted to bring an American restaurant to Mongolia, a place so cold and dry it can't grow crops, they looked for a menu that reflects the country's appetite for ...

  • Georgia Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Turkey create corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia

    News.Az - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    Before the end of this week the memorandum on Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia will take effect in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkey. The document provides, inter alia, the agreed ...

  • Azerbaijan and Georgia successfully implement infrastructural projects

    News.Az - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    There have never been conflicts between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia. The statement came from Transport Minister of Azerbaijan Ziya Mammadov at a reception on the 20th anniversary of ...

  • Mongolia?s external debt reached USD 12.9 Billion

    Business Mongolia - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    The Mongol Bank has released its third quarter report, looking at the overall macro-economic condition in the country. As stated in the report, Mongolia's external debt has now reached USD 12.9 ...

  • Government to sign an agreement with Central Bank

    Business Mongolia - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    An unscheduled cabinet meeting of the Mongolian Government took place yesterday discussing issues related to the recent sale of bond at international financial market. The discussions mainly focused ...

  • EM ASIA FX-Hopes for BOJ easing US fiscal deal support Asia FX

    General Sources - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    * Taiwan dlr up on exporters;foreign banks repatriation caps * Ringgit higher on profit-taking from Sing dlr/ringgit * Sing dlr dips vs U.S. dlr on position adjustments (Adds text, updates ...

  • World Bank warns East Asia of G3 central bank easing

    The West Australian - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    AFP ? <p>The World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC. in 2007. Monetary policy easing in the G3 countries may lead to excessive credit growth and the creation of asset bubbles in East ...

  • Rate of US-Russian nuke disarmament slows

    Asia Times - Wednesday 19th December, 2012

    By Carey L Biron WASHINGTON - Although the United States and Russia have massively reduced their collective number of nuclear weapons since the heyday of the Cold War, the rate of that reduction ...

  • Source: http://www.kazakhstannews.net/index.php/sid/211477088/scat/929bcf2071e81801

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    Wall Street closes day up on fiscal cliff hopes

    1 hr.

    Stocks rallied on Tuesday, capping off the S&P 500's best two-day run in a month, on confidence that a deal would be struck in Washington to avoid painful spending cuts and tax hikes that could hurt the economy.?

    According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average closed the day up?115.57 points, or 0.87 percent, to end at 13,350.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 16.43 points, or 1.15 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,446.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 43.93 points, or 1.46 percent, to close unofficially at 3,054.53.?

    Sectors poised to grow during economic expansion led gains as investors remain confident that Washington will come to an agreement to avoid the "fiscal cliff" --?a series of spending cuts and tax hikes before the end of the year that could hurt economic growth.?

    Financial stocks rose sharply, as traders bet on a greater demand for loans and a steepening of the yield curve. U.S. government debt sold off Tuesday, with the benchmark yield briefly hitting its highest since late October.?

    President Barack Obama's most recent offer to Republicans in the ongoing budget talks makes concessions on taxes and social programs spending. House Speaker John Boehner said the offer is "not there yet," though he remains hopeful about an agreement. Senate Democrats, however, have expressed concern about cuts to Social Security.?

    Shares of firearm makers sank in the aftermath of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday that killed 20 children and six adults.?

    Smith and Wesson fell 10.8 percent to $7.72 on its largest ever daily volume, though it was still up 77 percent so far this year. Sturm Ruger and Co slid 8.2 percent Tuesday to $40.39.?

    Technology shares rose led by Apple , up 2.3 percent above $530 after losing nearly 13 percent in the last two weeks. The S&P Information Technology Index ?rose 1.5 percent.?

    Arbitron surged 23.6 percent to $47 after Nielsen Holdings NV agreed to buy the media and marketing research firm in a deal worth $1.26 billion. Nielsen rose 3.1 percent to $30.55.?

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/wall-street-closes-day-fiscal-cliff-hopes-1C7660199

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    Friday, December 14, 2012

    Ping G15 Hybrids Will Get You - Fitness equipment Classifieds

    Free Classifieds Health & Fitness Fitness Equipment

    Once you have them, with its gleaming head sticking out the end of your bag like a lightning rod, the Ping G15 Hybrid is going to instantly improve your status on the golf course.

    The Ping G15 hybrid, says the makers, is engineered as a high-launching, forgiving alternative to long and mid irons. And the good news is that right now there are discount for golf customers online on different products including the G15. Stability and forgiveness are increased by using a large toe pad to provide the G15 hybrid with a much more iron like weight distribution that helps to significantly increase the MOI of the ping g15 hybrids compared to the G10. The design also helps to increase accuracy of the G15 and reduces dispersion on hits across the entire clubface. The G15 hybrid looks much like a driving iron, but with a shortened, curving black head. The head design is very much a departure from its previous-generation, fairway wood-inspired G10 counterpart. The sole is mostly flat and clean, with the weight pads, the signature PING logo, the loft of the club, and the G15 stamping being the only markings visible on the polished sole.

    The G15 hybrid might be that perfect blend of iron and hybrid that changes some players' minds. Instead, think of this hybrid as being more like a driving iron, similar to the hybrids made popular by Adams. Perimeter weighting is provided by a large internal toe pad in order to provide forgiveness and assists in locating the center of gravity low and close to the face for a high launch and low spin. Again, the g15 hybrids looks much like a driving iron, but with a shortened, curving black head. The thickness of the face is immediately visible, as a couple of millimeters of grey steel face extend at the crown. Looking down at the hybrid at address, the club maintains a clean appearance, though the offset may throw you for a loop. The color, along with the flat, uncluttered sole left me very happy with the overall appearance of the club and should please most traditional players.

    Today we are going to have a look at the big dog of the bag, the PING G15 Driver. The ping g15 driver is engineered for golfers seeking a maximum forgiveness driver that delivers distance and accuracy. Its 460cc titanium head is longer front to back and features PING?s patented ultra thin crown technology. A larger face is designed to increase ball speed and provide consistency across the entire hitting surface. The new PING-designed TFC 149D high balance point shaft allows for a five gram increase in head mass which results in higher ball speeds and an increased moment of inertia. The club head is finished in a dark color that is very subtle and does not distract you at address or during your swing. The crown of the club is set with the trademark Ping alignment aid, a reversed crescent moon. For those of you who are bothered by offset and draw bias in a club, you will be happy to know that the G15 sets up pretty neutral and looks quite square at address. There is a draw bias version of the G15 for those of you looking to help ease a slice.

    All in all, my overall experience with the club was great, as it's very long and very forgiving. I'd undoubtedly recommend it to anyone looking for a great hybrid.

    Website: http://www.golfclubs4us.com

    Ad Listed On: Dec 12, 2012

    Ad Views: 14

    Location: Newyork USA Newyork  US

    Tags: fitness equipment classifieds, health & fitness advertisement ping g15 hybrids

    Classifieds category: Health & Fitness

    Source: http://www.adjingo.com/fitness-equipment/free-ads-130855.html

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    Thursday, December 13, 2012

    Google Play Magazines arrives in UK for light reading 'on the couch or on the go'

    Google Magazines arrives in UK for publications 'on the couch or on the go'

    If you're across the pond and have been warming up a spot on your Android tablet or smartphone for Google Play Magazines, there's good news -- it's now in the UK Play Store. You'll be able to buy new or back issues from over a hundred UK publications like Hello!, Glamour and Total Film, either individually or by subscription. Categories include cooking, travel, sports and photography, and you can also grab free 14 or 30 day trials to peruse as well. If that sounds like your cup of Earl Grey, hit the source to grab it.

    [Thanks, @Rage06]

    Filed under: , , ,

    Comments

    Source: Google Play

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/13/google-magazines-arrives-in-uk/

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    Senate Dems offer Sandy disaster aid package

    (AP) ? Senate Democrats have quickly cobbled together a $60.4 billion disaster aid package for New York, New Jersey and other states hit by Superstorm Sandy in late October.

    Working from the emergency spending request President Barack Obama made five days ago, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday released draft of the legislation.

    While the bill calls for $60.4 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that only about $9 billion would be spent over the next nine months. An additional $12 billion would be spent the following year.

    The bill is laden with big infrastructure projects that often require years to complete.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-12-Superstorm%20Aid/id-ed87f7864a614704911b1716f54267e0

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    Real Estate in Cuba: Buying and Selling Without Realtors or the ...

    ?

    Try to imagine a real estate market without real estate brokerages or an MLS. It would be like the Wild West all over again with no restrictions, no law, and no way to determine what your real estate is really worth. Welcome to the real estate market in Cuba.

    ?

    I was reading an article in the November issue of National Geographic when I stumbled upon a photo of how real estate is bought and sold in Cuba. The photo showed a group of people gathered around a tree with signs pinned to it, some of them holding their own signs. The caption read, ?For the first time in decades, Cubans are able to buy and sell real estate. The make-shift real estate signage has converted the park into a bazaar of free market real estate.?

    ?

    The government essentially legalized the real estate marketplace in Cuba last November, and since then, there has been a frenzy of activity among buyers and sellers. Cubans are restricted to selling real estate only to citizens that live in Cuba, or to permanent residents of the island. But without any real estate brokerages or a MLS, it has been difficult to create a level playing field. There are real estate agents on every corner, but none of them has a legal presence or license. And without a way to value property in Cuba, buyers and sellers have no idea what the value of the real estate is.

    ?

    In the U.S., the real estate market is a complex and sophisticated web of infinite information, and is also highly regulated. For those that work in the real estate industry in the U.S., it is difficult to imagine life without an MLS or licensed agents. In Cuba, the freedom to buy and sell property is so new to the Country and its citizens, that there are essentially no rules.

    ?

    Without an organized listing service and licensed brokerages to regulate the real estate market, Cubans have invented their own methods for buying and selling real estate. Some people will stand for hours in the local park or on a street corner holding a hand-written real estate sign. Others will simply nail a rudimentary real estate sign to a tree or a signpost in the City, or hire young children to pass out hand-written flyers.

    ?

    Take a moment to imagine a life in real estate without fancy signage, licensed agents, or a formal marketplace to buy and sell. This is the reality of real estate in Cuba today.

    ?

    Corey Curwick Dutton, MBA. Real Estate Lender for Private Money Utah
    Corey Ann Curwick is a private money consultant for?Private Money Utah, a real estate lender based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Corey is from Austin, Texas and is an MBA Graduate of the prestigious Thunderbird School of International Management. An authority in the private money lending industry, Corey provides educational resources for investors who use hard money loans in their real estate investing activities. Before she joined Private Money Utah, Corey was the President of an investment education company in Utah called Bray-Conn Investments LLC. In this role, Corey organized classes, which taught investors how to invest in five asset classes. ?In her free time, Corey enjoys skiing, snowboarding, and mountain biking in the beautiful Utah outdoors.

    Short URL: http://www.thenichereport.com/?p=12701

    Source: http://www.thenichereport.com/blog/real-estate-in-cuba-buying-and-selling-without-realtors-or-the-mls/

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    Minister Noonan confirms property tax estimates based on ...

    It had been a particular bugbear on here that there wasn?t a property price register available in Ireland, until the IMF frogmarched the Government into introducing a limited register in September 2012 which shows residential property transactions from 1st January 2010. Such delays in providing a basic level of transparency seem inexcusable and all government parties from the 1970s onwards have been guilty of paying lipservice to a register but never delivering it when in office. And the absence of such a register has meant the Government was severely constrained when it estimated the ?250m of revenues in 2013 that would flow from its new property tax which was based on property value.

    But surely, having engaged an expert group to produce an expert report, and as we found out last week, the expert group engaged the ESRI to produce a sub-report and having known for at least 12 months that it would be introducing a property tax in 2013, surely the Government has robust estimates of the value of property in Ireland.

    Surely?

    It seems that the Government estimate of property values is based on incomplete sources and the Government has committed to the new tax, but that it is more or less clueless what the tax will generate, kinda like buying a scratchcard.

    In a response to a parliamentary question from the Sinn Fein finance spokesperson yesterday, the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan conceded ?No database exists as yet containing the valuations of the housing stock in the State.? and that estimates were based on the transactions in the property price register and one ?unpublished Central Statistics Office (CSO) data based on mortgage transactions and the CSO?s property price index? In other words, who knows, and as Minister Noonan says in his response ?However, caution should be applied to this approach given the low number of transactions, the high percentage of non-mortgage transactions (i.e., cash transactions) and the possible bias in recent transactions towards transactions of higher quality housing stock which may not represent the generality of housing valuations in the State?

    Here?s the full parliamentary question and response, it is shown as a graphic because the table doesn?t easily copy into text.

    PropertyValuations


    Source: http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/minister-noonan-confirms-property-tax-estimates-based-on-scratchcard-economics/

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    Wednesday, December 12, 2012

    Indiana Jones 'crystal skull' may be hoax

    An archaeologist in Belize has filed a lawsuit against the makers of the film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," alleging that the movie profits off references to an artifact illegally stolen from the country.

    But the item in question, a real-life crystal skull, may not be a Belizean artifact carved by the ancient Maya people at all, but rather a hoax perpetrated by a self-styled 20th-century adventurer.

    The story starts in the 1930s, when explorer Frederick A. Mitchell-Hedges claims to have found the skull somewhere in Central America. Or maybe it starts in the 1920s: That's when Mitchell-Hedges' daughter, Anna, now deceased, recalled finding the skull in the ancient Maya city of Lubaant?n in Belize, though the exact date varied with the telling of the story.

    The skull is smaller than the life-size ones seen in the Indiana Jones film (which are also, spoiler alert, alien in origin). It stands about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) high, 7 inches tall (17.8 cm) and 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide. The skull is made of beautifully clear polished quartz, with a lower jaw that detaches.

    Since it surfaced, the skull has been the subject of many legends. It's said to get its glassy sheen from the efforts of five generations of ancient polishers. It's also been attributed magical powers, from the ability to repel witchcraft to the ability to kill on command. [ Full Coverage: The Myth of the Mayan Apocalypse ]

    Some have contested the truth of the Mitchell-Hedges tale, however: Smithsonian anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh has examined the Mitchell-Hedges skull and finds that it was carved with high-speed, diamond-coated tools from the 20th century.

    "The Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull is not ancient; not even very old. It was probably made in Europe in the 20th century, and was not polished for five generations. It is not powerful, not scary and not at all what it purports to be," Walsh wrote in 2010 in Archaeology, the magazine of the Archaeological Institute of America.

    Walsh's investigations of Frederick and Anna Mitchell-Hedges' claims about the skull's discovery also turned up many inconsistencies, she reported. It was likely bought from an antiquities dealer in London in 1943, Walsh wrote.

    The Maya did leave other amazing artistry behind, including a carved limestone monkey skull and elaborate painted murals.

    The lawsuit of the crystal skull
    The new lawsuit, however, takes the Mitchell-Hedges' claims as truth and argues that by removing this alleged artifact from Belize, Frederick and Anna broke the country's laws. Archaeologist Jaime Awe, the director of the Institute of Archaeology of Belize, filed the lawsuit on behalf of his country.

    "The primary goal of the litigation is to: (a) preserve and return the artifact to the people of Belize; (b) to enforce the nation's rights to the artifact and the profits derived therefrom; and (c) to make known to the global community that while a relatively small, yet vibrant and growing nation, Belize will take whatever action necessary to preserve, and prevent the exploitation of its culture and cultural artifacts/landmarks," Awe's lawyer Adam Tracy wrote in an email to LiveScience.

    1. Science news from NBCNews.com

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        Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: The mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs also did in lots of lizards ? including a newly identified creature that's been named Obamadon gracilis in honor of President Barack Obama.

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    "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" name-checks the skull, with Indy talking about how he and fellow archaeologist Harold Oxley were obsessed with the find. [ 10 Modern Tools for Indiana Jones ]

    "As the epicenter of Mayan culture, combined with the fact that the known crystal skulls were pilfered from the country, Belize is of the position that the physical artifacts, together with the nomenclature tied thereto, are properties of the people of the Belize," Tracy said.

    As such, Awe is suing Paramount Pictures, Lucasfilms and Lucasfilms' new owner Disney for illegally profiting from the skull's likeness. He is also suing the Mitchell-Hedges family for the return of the skull, which is now in possession of Anna's widower, William Homann, in Indiana.

    Many mystical skulls
    The Mitchell-Hedges' skull is not the only mystical skull out there. There's a Mitchell-Hedges lookalike in the British Museum in London. (Walsh suspects that the Mitchell-Hedges' skull was a copy of the British Museum version). The Musee du Quai Branly in Paris holds another large skull, and a third is in the catalog at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. That Smithsonian skull is approximately life-size at 15 inches (38 cm) tall.

    Unfortunately for believers in the Central American occult, not a single one of these skulls has been found to be authentic. The British Museum skull was likely made in the 1800s, according to the museum, based on tool marks left behind from the carving. Likewise, tests carried out on the Paris skull in 2007 and 2008 found it to be a late-1800s forgery. The Smithsonian skull, which happens to be the artifact that got anthropologist Jane MacLaren Walsh interested in investigating crystal skulls, was also carved with modern jewel-cutting equipment. [ 9 Famous Art Forgers ]

    To test the authenticity of the Mitchell-Hedges' skull, Walsh used high-powered microscopy, ultraviolet light, computerized tomography (CT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A real artifact from Central America, created before the arrival of Christopher Columbus would have been carved by stone implements and abrasive sand, Walsh wrote. These tools leave marks that look rough under the microscope. But the Mitchell-Hedges' skull revealed microscopic cut marks that were unmistakably smooth and straight, the telltale signature of a metal tool augmented by diamond.?

    It remains to be seen whether the skull's veracity will play a role in the Indiana Jones lawsuit.

    "The government of Belize does not believe the skull is fake," Tracy told LiveScience. "As such, I do not foresee any further testing of the artifact."

    Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

    ? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

    Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50161954/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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    Tuesday, December 11, 2012

    Critics of President Obama Partying With Psy Might Have a Point (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/269758828?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    'Hobbit' Dwarves Belt Out A Classic In Dailies!

    Before you skip off to the theater to return to Middle-earth with "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," there's something you should know about this "Lord of the Rings" prequel. There is singing...and it's merry...but some of it is really, really serious. Don't say we didn't warn you. Also, learn how Tyler Perry got his start, [...]

    Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/12/11/hobbit-dwarves-song/

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    AMD tends to affect a portion of eye - Food Fitness Life Love

    Macular degeneration occurring due to age is the main cause of blindness, mainly in older people. This is a major cause of concern in the United Kingdom. There are several ways in which one can effectively combat this disease. However, this may require a good understanding of age-related macular degeneration and the problems caused by this disorder. What is age-related macular degeneration?

    Age-related macular degeneration or AMD can be referred to as a disease that?s directly related to the ageing process. This results in slow deterioration of sharp and central vision. Central vision is requisite for viewing objects clearly and also in order to carry out day to day tasks.

    AMD tends to affect a portion of eye responsible for allowing a person to view fine detail. This part of the eye is known as macula. This disease does not result in any sort of pain. This disease can affect human eye in two different ways.

    a) The first:

    AMD progresses slowly and patients observe little change in their vision.

    b) The second:

    The disease advances at a faster pace and may result in a loss of vision in both eyes.

    It is unfortunate but true that AMD is a major cause of loss in vision in most of the people in INDIA of 60 years of age and above.

    Symptoms

    AMD starts with typical yellow deposits in the macula just amidst the retinal pigment epithelium and the choroids that?s situated beneath.

    As mentioned earlier, there are two varied types of AMD namely; Dry and Wet. Both are advanced forms of AMD. The wet AMD results in vision loss due to abnormal growth of blood vessels situated in the choriocapillaries. The dry form of advanced AMD is caused due to atrophy to the retinal pigment epithetical layer beneath retina that ultimately results in vision loss via photoreceptors loss in the middle region of the eye.

    Symptoms for dry AMD

    Details are seen less clearly. The blurred vision tends to disappear in bright light.

    Symptoms for wet AMD

    This is a condition where straight lines tend to appear crooked. One may also see appearance of blind spot in this condition that results from the loss of central vision.

    Causes of AMD

    The exact causes for AMD has not been confirmed by any study or research. However, there are a lot of risk factors resulting in this serious health condition:

    a) Age:

    Since AMD is an out and out age related condition, growing old can make the condition more likely to strike.

    b) Gender:

    Women are reported to develop this condition more likely than men.

    c) Genetics:

    Genetics are also highly responsible in an individual affecting from age related macular degeneration.

    d) Smoking:

    Smoking has reported a large number of cases resulting in AMD. It ahs also been proved that abstaining from smoking can effective reduce AMD risk to a great extent.

    e) Sunlight:
    Some studies have indicated that lifetime sunlight exposure have a great effect on retina; thereby resulting in retina in older age. Hence, it is necessary to wear sunglasses in order to protect the eyes.

    f) Nutrition:

    There are some research that indicates inclusion of vitamins, minerals, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables can provide significant protection against AMD.

    g) Obesity:

    According to some researches, there is a strong link between obesity and AMD.

    h) Race:

    Whites are more prone to contract this disease as compared to African Americans.

    It is unfortunate that a health condition like AMD can snatch away the light of vision from our lives as we progress towards old age. However, the good news is that there are some steps that when followed can easily prevent this disease from occurring.

    Here are ten steps to help prevent AMD:


    a) ?Step one ? Abstain from smoking:
    This is the best and most crucial method to prevent AMD. The best thing to do is to not to smoke at all. A study has estimated that around 53,900 people in great Britain over the age of 69 and all have contracted this disease due to smoking. Unfortunately, 17,900 out of this number have been officially declared blind.

    b) ?Step two ? Eat greens:

    Eating a lot of dark green leafy vegetables would help a lot in preventing AMD. These vegetables are rich in carotenoid and this substance helps in decreasing the risk of contracting AMD. Depend on vegetables such as Kale, raw spinach and collard greens.

    c) Step three ? Take multivitamins or multiminerals:

    General eye health can be maintained via taking vitamins and minerals in the form of nutritional supplements. This practice has also known to thwart the progression of AMD.

    d) ?Step four ? Nutritional formula:

    The risk of AMD can be minimized via intake of higher antioxidant vitamins and zinc. This fact is supported by a study conducted by the National Institute of Health / National Eye Institute (NEI). The AREDS or Age-Related Eye Disease Study has proved that people can lower the risk of developing AMD via the treatment with a high-dose of vitamin E, vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and Zinc.

    e) Step five ? Eat more fish:

    Eating a lot of fish benefits in preventing AMD.
    f) Step six ? Workout and maintain a health weight:
    Regular exercise is key to minimize the risk of developing AMD. Since obesity is one of the risk factors that promotes AMD, maintaining healthy weight would help a great deal in preventing AMD.

    g) Step seven ? Eat fruit and nuts:

    AMD can be effectively prevented via including fruits and nuts into your daily diet. This fact have been supported by a study conducted at Haward Medical School in 2004.

    h) Step eight ? Minimize Carbs:

    There is a possibility of increasing AMD risk in having a Diet high in carbs. This was supported by a study published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition.

    i) Step nine ? Keep cholesterol and blood pressure in control:

    There are some evidences that indicates protection of AMD via controlling cholesterol level and blood pressure in the body.

    j) Step ten ? Regular eye check up:

    Regular eye exam are highly recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This needs to be conducted in every two to three years.

    AMD is a serious health condition. However, one can easily prevent it via following all the steps mentioned above.

    ?

    ?

    You may also interested in:

    Tags: age related macular degeneration emedicine, age related macular degeneration symptoms, age related macular degeneration treatment, age-related macular degeneration amd, treatment for age related macular degeneration

    Source: http://www.foodfitnesslifelove.com/health-fitness/amd-tends-to-affect-a-portion-of-eye-eye-condition-and-disorders/

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    Monday, December 10, 2012

    Veronelli Wine Guide 2013 for iPhone and iPad

    Bergamo, Italy ? The Seminario Permanente Luigi Veronelli, publisher of the Guida Oro I Vini di Veronelli, released I Vini di Veronelli 2013, the app for Android and iOS devices. The Guida Oro I Vini di Veronelli 2013, with the force of its 1,860 individual producers and the 13,090 wines from every part of Italy tasted and reviewed, offers itself as the ideal instrument for those who are looking for an easy, practical, and complete way to plunge into the extraordinarily fascinating world of Italian wine.

    The Application provided with an introduction to the work and a key to the symbols, offers a database, which is divided by Region and Township, in which you can find:

    * For each producer: his address, telephone number, web site, e-mail address, a brief description of the estate or firm, and an evaluation of the level of the various wines. There are the names, the persons involved, other products in addition to the wines (olive oil, cheese, jams and products conserved under olive oil or vinegar, salami and other types of charcuterie, spirits such as grappa etc.), the practice of biological or biodynamic agriculture, availability of various types of assistance to visitors such as hospitality and direct sales.

    * For each wine reviewed: an evaluation expressed on a hundred point scale of the quality level on the part of the editors of the Veronelli Guide ? Gigi Brozzoni and Daniel Thomases ? together with the number of bottles produced, the recommended vintages, the fermentation and aging methods, and the price level.

    As in the printed version the App includes ?Places For Fine Drinking?: a series of short chapters, divided by region and dedicated to the high level Italian restaurants where, in addition to excellent cuisine, you can find the finest wines which Italy produces. Built-in functions make the Application an excellent support to its users, capable of supplying immediate answers ? in a very few touches and with a full range of information ? to all the questions which wine lovers might wish to ask:

    * Aroundme: is a most valuable and original function which allows navigators to use the integrated geographical maps (Google Maps) in order to discover the producers closest to them or to a specific geographical location

    * Research: is a convenient and efficient extended device designed both for the single producer and the single wine combined with the possibility of personalizing parameters such as price, wine type, scores awarded during the tastings for the Guide, direct sales to consumers, and other important questions

    * Bookmarks: for immediate access to Producer or wine sheet
    * Instant mail: direct contact to the producer desired
    * Web view: connects you to the web site of any producers or restaurant in this App

    The editors:
    G. Brozzoni: Director of the Permanent Seminar Veronelli and the magazine Consenso, organizes and conducts technical and scientific conferences; sensory analysis focuses on training through courses and seminars for professionals and enthusiasts.

    D. Thomases: Born in Connecticut and graduated in Arts from Harvard University, he lives in Florence, wine writer and reviewer for various chapter of Italy?s Pocket Wine Book by H. Johnson.

    In addition, this year, you can add your own notes and store photographs of bottles, labels, vineyards or the protagonists of companies that fascinate you. The app is available in Italian , English and German.

    Device Requirements:
    * iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3/4/5 gen) and iPad
    * Requires iOS 4.3 or later
    * 4.2 MB

    Pricing and Availability:
    I Vini di Veronelli 2013 (v1.1) is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Food & Drink category. An App which true Italian wine lovers, anywhere in the world, cannot do without.

    I Vini di Veronelli 2013
    Purchase and Download
    Screebshot 1
    Screebshot 2
    Screenshot 3
    App Icon

    In 1986, some of the most famous Italian winemakers gathered in the Association that they named Gino Veronelli, calling Permanent Seminar to emphasize the cultural characteristics and study. In 1956, Luigi Veronelli was editor of Il Gastronauta and he was the first journalist to travel post-war Italy to recognize and enhance the culture of wine and gastronomical. The Gold Guide-Wines of Veronelli is probably the most important title of all production of Veronelli. Certainly has historically been the first critical review of quality Italian wines, becoming the reference point for all generations ? young and old ? producers, distributors and consumers of fine Italian wine, the wine that, thanks to Gino has now made great and famous all over the world. Copyright (C) 2012 Seminario Permanente Luigi Veronelli. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

    Source: http://www.whataboutmac.com/index.php/2012/12/10/veronelli-wine-guide-2013-for-iphone-and-ipad/

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    Fiscal cliff ads pick up where campaign stopped

    This still image from video released by Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies shows a frame from their ad on the "fiscal cliff." Picking up where the wall-to-wall election ads left off, debate over the "fiscal cliff" has money pouring into television, print, radio and online advertising. As Republicans and the White House joust over big tax increases and spending cuts, outside groups on both sides weigh in with major campaigns aimed at politicians and voters alike. (AP Photo/ Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies)

    This still image from video released by Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies shows a frame from their ad on the "fiscal cliff." Picking up where the wall-to-wall election ads left off, debate over the "fiscal cliff" has money pouring into television, print, radio and online advertising. As Republicans and the White House joust over big tax increases and spending cuts, outside groups on both sides weigh in with major campaigns aimed at politicians and voters alike. (AP Photo/ Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies)

    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, to discuss the pending fiscal cliff. Boehner said there's been no progress in negotiations on how to avoid the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts and called on President Barack Obama to come up with a new offer. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

    This still image from video released by the Business Roundtable, show their online video on the "fiscal cliff." Picking up where the wall-to-wall election ads left off, debate over the "fiscal cliff" has money pouring into television, print, radio and online advertising. As Republicans and the White House joust over big tax increases and spending cuts, outside groups on both sides weigh in with major campaigns aimed at politicians and voters alike (AP Photo/Business Roundtable)

    Chart shows estimated average tax increase in

    (AP) ? Debate over the "fiscal cliff" has money pouring into television, print, radio and online ads, picking up where the wall-to-wall election campaign left off.

    As Republicans and the White House joust over a way around big year-end tax increases and spending cuts, outside groups on both sides are weighing in with major ad campaigns aimed at politicians and voters alike.

    The latest is Crossroads GPS, the Karl Rove-backed conservative group last seen dropping more than $80 million on ads assailing President Barack Obama in his re-election campaign.

    Its new $500,000 buy, announced Wednesday, has attributes familiar to viewers acquainted with the political attack-ad genre. It features dreary, dread-inducing music, foreboding narration and grainy footage. All that's changed is its aim. Instead of denying Obama re-election, the intent is to defeat his policy.

    "So far, a huge tax increase is his solution," a narrator says, before imploring viewers to personally call the president.

    If anything, Crossroads is slow to enter the fiscal cliff fray.

    Within days of Obama's Nov. 6 victory over Republican Mitt Romney, outside groups were keying up ad campaigns designed to shape the fiscal debate. The range of participants ? from business interests opposing higher tax rates on the wealthy to unions that want to raise them and advocates for the elderly opposed to cutting benefits ? reflects the messy tangle of issues that Congress and the White House are dealing with.

    In general, the ads are less sharp-edged than the most caustic 2012 election spots. In many cases, the intent is to bring pressure to bear on the whole of Congress, not just a particular member or group of members. But combined, the ads reflect the high stakes involved and intense competition to shape the outcome.

    AARP, the 37-million-member group that lobbies for the elderly, is running ads nationally that home in on two key aspects of the debate: potential changes to Medicare and Social Security. They lambaste Washington politicians as a whole for even talking about Medicare and Social Security changes "behind closed doors."

    In one of the TV ads, a narrator speaks as images of seniors hugging grandchildren, mulling drug choices at a pharmacy and looking forlornly at the camera flash across the screen. "We'll all pay the price" if hasty cuts are included in a year-end deal, the narrator says.

    Labor unions that traditionally support Democrats are producing more explicitly political advertising. Three of them ? The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Service Employees International Union and the National Education Association ? joined to buy TV and radio ads targeting specific lawmakers in both parties in Colorado, Missouri, Virginia, Alaska and Pennsylvania. The ads ask voters to call their senators and congressman and push for a deal that protects the "middle class."

    "We shouldn't raise taxes on the middle class," the narrator says in one radio ad. "But if Congress fails to act soon, that's exactly what will happen."

    Other ads hammer home the stakes of the debate, something all of the groups that have invested money in "cliff" ads seem to agree on.

    An online ad from The Business Roundtable features a gloomy narrator making that case that Congress will be to blame for an economic slowdown and sharply higher taxes if no deal is made. It includes foggy images of two key players in the debate, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

    "If Congress does not act, growth will stall, jobs will be lost and our nation's credit will be harmed. If Congress does not act, America's entire economy will be put at risk," the narrator says over images of Reid, Boehner and the Capitol dome.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-07-Fiscal%20Cliff-Ads/id-35559a7603db4582ad1920962a9cc213

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    Sunday, December 9, 2012

    39;Whole person treatment: New approach combines physical ...

    Whole Person Treatment

    Sharon Hix, along with Stephen Schweitzer (left) and John King, attend a Dalton mental health program. Consumers soon will get medical care, too, in the same building.

    Sharon Hix and Brenda Jeffers regularly come to a Dalton day program for people with mental illness.

    Each has medical problems in addition to mental health issues. Hix, 65, is pre-diabetic, has high cholesterol and a thyroid problem. Jeffers, 52, is battling a cholesterol problem and attempting to beat her smoking habit. Both women are trying to exercise more and eat healthier.

    Their mental health services are delivered in a building that will soon offer medical care as well. Hix and Jeffers, and others like them, will be able to get both kinds of care under one roof. Ideally, that will mean overall care that is better coordinated.

    Their Dalton mental health service organization, and a local community health center, are among 93 programs nationally that have won a federal grant intended to improve the ?whole health?? of a person with behavioral health problems.

    The trend to merge care for the brain and for the rest of the body has taken off in Georgia, thanks to collaborations between two segments of the safety net: community service boards and community health centers.

    Under this integrated model, people with mental illness, who often let their physical ailments go untended, get immediate access to primary care. And many patients who enter the system with medical complaints are diagnosed and treated for depression and other behavioral health problems.

    Some behavioral health patients have not seen a primary care doctor in 10 years, says Frank Berry, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

    Before being chosen as commissioner, Berry ran a community service board in suburban Atlanta, which created sites in Lawrenceville and Conyers that combined mental and physical health care.

    This type of mental/physical health collaboration ?is going to provide better outcomes,?? Berry says. And it will reduce costs by addressing a patient?s needs earlier.

    This integration of services seeks to address a longstanding problem: Individuals with severe and persistent mental illness die 25 years earlier than the general population.

    These deaths are often the result of largely preventable physical problems ? such as tobacco addiction and related illnesses, as well as obesity and diabetes. People with serious mental illness often ?don?t exercise, have very unhealthy lifestyles,?? says Dr. John Bartlett of the Carter Center?s Mental Health Program.

    Psychotropic drugs often lead to weight gain, experts say.

    Highland Rivers Health, the public behavioral health provider in Dalton, and the local federally qualified health center, Georgia Mountains Health, were recently awarded a four-year, $1.6 million federal grant to improve the care of adults with mental illness who also have diabetes, cardiovascular disease or hypertension.

    The money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will help ?bring together the mind and the body,?? says Jason Bearden, CEO of Highland Rivers. The grant will also allow mobile care in vans that will reach nearby rural areas Murray, Gilmer and Fannin counties.

    Bearden says of those with serious mental illness at Highland Rivers, up to 90 percent have significant physical issues as well, including high rates of obesity, diabetes, and smoking.

    Poverty is a problem for large numbers of people with mental illness. Many don?t get medical help, says Natalie Davis of Dalton, who has fought major depression and now works as a certified peer specialist, trained to assist people with mental illness in their recovery. Many people with mental illness ?can?t afford the healthy foods,?? she adds.

    Hope in a hard-hit area

    Integration of care will start in early 2013 in Dalton, the northwest Georgia city that?s called the ?Carpet Capital of the World?? but has fallen on hard times since the economic downturn began.

    The housing and building slump cut carpet sales drastically, and Dalton suffered the third-worst employment drop of America?s 372 metro areas in 2011, according to government figures.

    Dalton?s unemployment rate in October of this year was 11.2 percent, much higher than the state average.

    The area has a large homeless population, says Steven Miracle, executive director of Georgia Mountains Health.

    People here with mental illness tend to cycle in and out of emergency rooms, jails and homeless shelters. Prescription drug abuse and methamphetamine use are major problems, Miracle says.

    The new Dalton program will be a one-stop shop. A primary care physician will be posted at a Highland Rivers behavioral health location. The community health center will do preliminary mental health screenings of its medical patients. Children and teenagers with mental health issues will eventually come to the same center that houses the health clinic.

    This integration of care is part of the movement toward what are known as patient-centered medical homes.

    A medical home is a single practice or facility that provides as much of a patient?s overall care as possible. ?We?re trying to take care of every issue they have,?? says Duane Kavka, executive director of the Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, which represents community health centers.

    Georgia, he says, ?is a little ahead of the curve?? nationally in the move toward integrated care.

    The effort in Georgia got a jump start through the Carter Center?s Mental Health Program, which brought together community service boards and health centers from the same geographic areas in a series of meetings beginning two years ago.

    The goal was to help facilitate new relationships between safety net providers of physical health and behavioral health, says Bartlett of the Carter Center, who hosted the meetings. He says there are now 20 such partnerships across the state.

    The coordination can improve care no matter where the patient enters the system, either from the physical or mental health side, Bartlett says.

    He also points out that many people visiting a doctor for physical health needs often have their behavioral health needs unrecognized in the rush of a 15-minute medical appointment. ?It?s not a setting that?s designed to address behavioral health.?? Bartlett says.

    And he adds, ?people who are depressed and/or have problem drinking or drugging have worse clinical and financial outcomes for their medical conditions.??

    Integration aims to reinvent primary care to address the whole person through a team approach, he says.

    Trend felt in several parts of state

    In coastal Georgia, where the Gateway community service board partnered with a health center, behavioral services and medical care are delivered together at three Savannah sites.

    ?What we?re trying to do is provide treatment for the whole person,?? says Frank Bonati, CEO of Gateway. State funding has helped in this effort, Bonati adds.

    Berry, the commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, told GHN that he is working with his counterpart at Community Health, David Cook, on getting technical assistance on these integration efforts from the National Council for Behavioral Health.

    Dalton is the third area in the state to get a SAMHSA grant, after Columbus and Cobb/Douglas.

    The Cobb and Douglas community services boards, through a four-year, $2 million grant with West End Medical Centers, has installed nurse practitioners and nurses in an outpatient mental health centers in Austell. Patients have access to fitness experts and peer specialists as well.

    The collaborative has seen more than 600 patients, and has more than 430 active clients. Peer specialists encourage people with mental illness to get medical care and adopt wellness practices, such as exercise and weight loss.

    The Cobb/Douglas and West End program is helping Felton Keyes, 54, who has fought mental illness and substance abuse. He lives at a Marietta residential program run by the community board, and during the day goes to the organization?s Austell clinic for group therapy and other services. He receives medical care at the same location, and help for his high blood pressure.

    He even gets his exercise there. ?I stay on the treadmill,?? he says.

    Keyes is impressed with the concept of the program. It treats the ?biological, emotional and psychological,?? ?he says.

    Tod Citron, CEO of the Cobb/Douglas community services boards, says 78 percent of patients there have no insurance. The Affordable Care Act could help sustain this project financially by insuring more of them, he says.

    Bearden of Highland Rivers says the collaboratives ??are going to be a model of the future.??

    ?Reimbursement is going to shift,?? he says. Government programs and insurers ?will want to pay for these types of services.?

    ?

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    Related posts:

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    2. Kids? mental health programs still lag in Ga.
    3. Mental health report finds poor medical care in deaths, ER backups
    4. State says it?s meeting mental health timeline
    5. Report notes progress on mental health pact

    Source: http://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2012/12/whole-person-treatment-approach-combines-physical-mental-care/

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