iPhone App of the Week: See How Everyone Else Celebrates New Years? Eve with EarthCam

Think of it as the New Years? Eve version of the Norad Santa Tracker. Instead of tracking Santa, you are tracking how everyone reacts or celebrates New Years? Eve when the clock strikes 12am. The EarthCam app will give you a glimpse of how?everyone else celebrates New Years? Eve this year. I?m guessing it?s the same mix of drinking and messy dancing, but you can find out for yourself from the comfort of your home or nearest bar.

EarthCam features over 40 live streams from major world cities, showing off what New Years? Eve has in store for New York City, Tokyo, Rio, and loads more. You can start in the far east and move west to catch all the countdowns, as the new year washes over the world like a giant tidal wave of bad decisions.

EarthCam is available here as a download for $3.99.Google+

Source: http://www.chipchick.com/2012/12/new-years-eve-earthcam.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-years-eve-earthcam

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Senate leaders work to avoid New Year's "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional negotiators burrowed into their offices on Saturday to see if they could stop the U.S. economy from falling off of a "fiscal cliff" in just three days when the biggest tax increases ever to hit Americans in one shot are scheduled to begin.

Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell worked through the day on a possible compromise that would set aside $600 billion in tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts that are set to kick in next week.

A variety of lower taxes are scheduled to expire at the end of Monday, the last day of the year. If allowed to rise, the approximately $500 billion value of the revenue increases would represent a historic hike when taken together.

The combined punch of the tax increases and spending cuts could push the U.S. economy back into recession.

"We're now at the point where, in just a couple days, the law says that every American's tax rates are going up. Every American's paycheck will get a lot smaller. And that would be the wrong thing to do for our economy," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address, which was broadcast on Saturday.

McConnell left the U.S. Capitol after spending seven hours in his office. "We've been trading paper all day and talks continue into the evening," he told reporters on his way out.

A source with knowledge of the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "We are still very far apart with almost no time left on the clock."

TEMPORARY PATCHES

One congressional aide close to the talks said that most of what was being discussed late on Saturday would provide temporary patches to the "fiscal cliff" dilemma. The negotiations, the aide said, likely could extend into Sunday.

"They continue to go round and round," the aide said of the negotiations, with ideas constantly in flux.

The aide, who asked not to be identified, said negotiators were discussing the possibility of putting off for a few months the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts due to start on Wednesday. Those cuts would be divided equally between military and non-military programs. It is feared that they could cause severe disruptions inside federal agencies if allowed to occur.

Earlier this week, talk of a temporary delay in the spending cuts was met with derision by some congressional aides.

The extension of the low income tax rates first put in place under Republican former President George W. Bush would also be on a temporary basis, probably one year, the aide said.

No deal had been reached on the most difficult question: Democrats' demand that upper-income earners - families making more than $250,000 a year - see their tax rates go up.

Republicans had been opposed to any rate increase, but lately have signaled a willingness to go along with a higher threshold - and a $400,000 figure has been floating around for days.

Under proposals being discussed, top earners could see their income tax rate rise to 39.6 percent, from the current 35 percent, in order to help tame budget deficits.

The aide added that Republicans still had not agreed to Obama's call for extending long-term unemployment benefits, but that they were demanding some spending cuts to be included in a stop-gap deal.

Disagreements over what to do about low estate taxes that are expiring also had not been worked out, the aide said.

Unless Congress acts, the tax is set to jump on Tuesday - the first day of 2013 - to 55 percent with the first $1 million exempted for individuals. Currently, there is a 35 percent tax and a $5 million exemption.

A Senate Republican leadership aide said that it might not be known until sometime on Sunday whether these talks bear fruit. That is when the leaders are expected to brief their rank-and-file members.

The Senate is scheduled to hold a rare Sunday session beginning at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT), but it was not clear whether the chamber would have "fiscal cliff" legislation to act upon.

One Democratic aide was pessimistic that McConnell would come up with a counteroffer that Reid would find acceptable. Such a counteroffer would have to be calibrated in a way that also could attract votes from conservative House of Representatives Republicans, many of whom have balked at tax rate increases on anyone.

'HARD TO SEE'

A senior House Republican aide on Saturday voiced pessimism about prospects for a deal.

"It's hard to see Reid agreeing to anything that can get the votes of the majority of the (Republican) majority in the House, thereby allowing a bipartisan accomplishment," the aide said. A "majority of the majority" refers to the 241 Republicans who are in the 435-member House.

The Republican aide placed the blame squarely on Democrats, as many Republican members have done publicly, saying that going off the "fiscal cliff" is a "policy upside" for them. "Higher taxes, devastating defense cuts. The polls tell them they can win the PR (publican relations) war in January. From their perspective, why stop the cliff dive?"

Democrats, in turn, have publicly accused House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, of preferring to put off any tough "fiscal cliff" votes until after a January 3 House election in which he is expected to win another two-year term as speaker.

If McConnell and Reid can manage to reach a deal on inheritance taxes and raising income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans, they likely would throw into the compromise some other "fiscal cliff" solutions.

Those could include extending an array of other expiring tax breaks such as one that encourages companies to conduct research and development. Also, Congress wants to prevent a steep pay-cut in January for doctors who treat elderly patients under the Medicare health insurance program.

Lawmakers also want to prevent middle-class taxpayers from inadvertently creeping into a higher tax bracket, known as the alternative minimum tax, intended for the wealthiest.

If the Reid-McConnell effort fails, Obama has asked the Senate to hold a vote on Monday on a "basic package" that would stop taxes from going up on the middle class and would extend long-term unemployment benefits that are about to expire. If it passes the Senate, its fate would be in the hands of the Republican-controlled House.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro and Jeff Mason; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-leaders-avoid-years-fiscal-cliff-002256502--business.html

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Routehappy Ranks Flights Based on the Best Experience and Amenities

There are lots of great flight search tools for finding a ticket based on the lowest price and your schedule, but if you also care about your comfort and helpful amenities like Wi-Fi and in-seat entertainment, Routehappy will find you the best quality flights.

Enter your flight details as you would any other similar site. (It's one-way only, though, so if you need a return trip, you need to search for that portion as well.) In the search results, Routehappy lists flights sorted by a unique happiness rating, which is a combination of several factors, including plane quality, seat roominess, flyer ratings, on-time arrival, and more.

You can filter the results to your exact needs (e.g., if you must have Wi-Fi or prefer a late departure). When you've found the one that will make you happiest (as far as these things go), click on the details to get the flight number and be taken to the airline or another travel site for purchasing.

Routehappy is similar to Hipmunk's agony measurement, except instead of focusing on price, duration, and stops, Routehappy focuses on the best travel experience.

It's too bad the site doesn't display prices along with the results?for that you'll have to use another flight search tool like Hipmunk or Kayak. Still, Routehappy can complement these tools to find you the best flight experience.

Routehappy | via Australian Business Traveller

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/eciCvkh9Fk4/routehappy-ranks-flights-based-on-the-best-experience-and-amenities

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Final Friday with Cousin Mars ? Are Men ... - Black Bridal Bliss

Cousin Mars gives his three cents an the age-old relationship debate.

Do men really have a problem dating successful women? Better yet, do men truly have an issue committing to successful women? F.Y.I. ? There is a difference between dating and committing. I?ve dated multiple six figure earners. Two of these relationships were when six figures were still viewed as a huge deal. Several of my friends have also dated women that most would deem successful. Several of these relationships have graduated into marriage. Few have ended as a result the woman?s success ? well, kinda.

The relationships that ended at least partially because of the woman?s success were foreseen ? at least by me. Studies have shown that men in physically aggressive professions (i.e. police/corrections officers, football players, military personal) have a higher percentage of spousal/significant other abuse than their counterparts in more relaxed professions (i.e. monthly blog post writers). It is popular belief that the reason for this is people in these fields (and some others) aren?t able to hit the off switch on the aggressive behavior outside of work. Please understand that MOST police/corrections officers, football players, military personal are cool dudes. In the movie Along Came a Spider, Morgan Freeman?s character has a line ?You do what you are.? This line is in response to another character questioning her profession choice. If this line has any truth, my theory is supported. Many of the traits and characteristics that seem to be shared by a large percentage of successful women of color, are often suggested as the cause for many of these women being unmarried. I don?t think it is that simple. I believe many of these women, similar to the aforementioned men, are unable to hit the off switch outside of work.

I don?t think most men with good (not great) careers necessarily care if their better half earns more and/or holds a higher title. However, I do think many people wouldn?t want this thrown in their face ? and definitely not often. Although I don?t know why this is, I think many would agree that some of the most successful women are sometimes the most insecure in the privacy of their home. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that these women often wear the war mask / game face for the majority of each day. At home it is probably a relief to feel like little lady in the arms of the one they love.

I cannot believe that success is the biggest factor in the high percentage of unmarried successful women. My honest thoughts suggest the personalities of these individuals create more of an issue than the professional accolades. My crew and I are proof that success alone isn?t a deterrent to beginning a relationship. Times have changed during recent decades and I think the issue men had with dating successful women has diminished drastically.

What do you think of your fave cousin?s opinion here? Leave a comment with your thoughts. And feel free to revisit his previous Triple B posts here.

Source: http://blackbridalbliss.com/2012/12/28/final-friday-with-cousin-mars-are-men-intimidated-by-successful-women/

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Argentina to court: revert order on debt holdouts

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) ? Argentina is asking a US appeals court to reverse an order for the country to pay $1.33 billion to "holdout" creditors who refused to join two swaps for the country's defaulted debt.

Argentine government lawyers said in papers filed late Friday that the order violates the country's sovereignty. The lawyers said the order also threatens service on at least $24 billion of the county's restructured sovereign debt, impairs the rights of third parties and puts global debt markets at risk.

"The Amended Injunctions have no basis in law, are inequitable, and threaten to wreak havoc on countless innocent third parties, which have already suffered losses due to the plunge in their bonds' value provoked by the insecurity that the Amended Injunctions have created in the market for Argentina's New York law-governed bonds," the briefing said.

"This harm to private and sovereign creditors, as well as to New York law and New York as a place to do business, will only grow if the Amended Injunctions are affirmed. "

The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ordered the country on Oct. 26 to pay the holdouts an equal amount whenever it makes payments on other debt that has been restructured since the country's economic collapse 11 years ago.

It agreed with U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa, who ruled that with more than $40 billion in foreign reserves, Argentina can afford to pay. The ruling gave Argentina a difficult choice: pay all bondholders equally, or pay none of them and risk going into default.

The court then returned the case to Griesa who ordered Argentina to pay the $1.33 billion into escrow for holders of its defaulted debt and banned banks and other third parties from intervening. Griesa based his ruling on the principle of "pari passu," or equal footing, which says debtors can't pick and choose between creditors.

President Cristina Fernandez called Griesa's ruling "judicial colonialism," and Argentina sidestepped the impending economic chaos when the order was suspended by the appeals court on Nov. 28.

But just the threat of the payment deadline set by Griesa had harsh outcomes. In the week after he issued his order, the cost of maintaining Argentina's overall debt soared in trading on U.S. and European bond markets and the cost of insuring those debts spiked.

"A court can arguably enjoin a foreign state from engaging in a commercial activity within the United States. But it cannot issue an order to force or preclude a foreign sovereign to act or not act within the limits of that sovereign's own territory," Argentina's brief said.

"By dictating to Argentina that it cannot pay moneys it owes to the exchange bondholders in a funds transfer in its own country, and commanding that it make a payment (including via escrow) to holdout creditors that it is precluded from paying under its own laws, the Amended Injunctions violate this fundamental principle."

Argentina, however, said it's willing to make concessions. To end the lengthy dispute, government lawyers said the country is willing to ask Congress to give holdout creditors the same treatment as those who joined a 2010 debt swap.

"The only definitive and equitable solution to pari passu claims that would bring legal and economic certainty is to treat plaintiffs and all other similarly situated claimants equitably on the same terms as participants in (Argentina's) 2010 Exchange Offer," the brief said.

The new arguments are part of the final stage of Argentina's legal battle with NML Capital Ltd., the investment fund that brought the case and that specializes in suing over unpaid sovereign debts.

The US government filed an "amicus," or friends of the court brief, late Friday backing Argentina's request for a rehearing in the case citing that the appeals court order affects US-Argentina relations, threatens the solution of future debt crises and blocks the legal immunity given to a sovereign country. It also says that it potentially blemishes the role of New York as financial center.

Argentina tarnished its reputation worldwide by engaging in the biggest sovereign debt default in history a decade ago. Since then, the government has restructured about 92 percent of its world record $95 billion debt default.

But Fernandez refuses to pay the holdouts calling NML Capital and others "vulture funds" for buying debt for pennies on the dollar in 2002, when Argentina's economy was in ruins and now wanting to collect in full.

The fiery, center-left leader says it was their loss for refusing two opportunities to swap defaulted bonds for new, less valuable bonds that the state has reliably paid since 2005.

NML Capital fund, run by billionaire Paul Singer and other plaintiffs, slammed Argentina's arguments late on Friday.

"With more than $43 billion in foreign currency reserves and tens of billions of dollars in additional resources, Argentina has the overwhelming capacity to pay the $1.3 billion it owes in this matter," Peter Truell, spokesman for NML's parent company Elliott Management Corp., told the Associated Press in e-mail.

"Today's filing by the Republic once again demonstrates Argentina's irrational persistence in evading its contractual obligations and the orders of US courts."

Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for Feb. 27 before the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

____

Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao in Santiago, Chile contributed to this report.

__

Luis Andres Henao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LuisAndresHenao

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-29-Argentina-Debt%20Showdown/id-911ea427307b4db1859545a6c1cb07ea

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Genetic sequencing breakthrough to aid treatment for congenital hyperinsulinism

Dec. 27, 2012 ? Congenital hyperinsulinism is a genetic condition where a baby's pancreas secretes too much insulin. It affects approximately one in 50,000 live births and in severe cases requires the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas.

Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School are the first in the world to utilise new genetic sequencing technology to sequence the entirety of a gene in order to identify mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Previously, existing technology limited such sequencing to only part of the coding regions of the gene which meant that some mutations were missed.

Using new Illumina genetic sequencing technology, the research team led by Professor Sian Ellard has discovered novel mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Their findings are published December 27 2012, on-line by The American Journal of Human Genetics.

The outcome will be that some infants born with hyperinsulinism will require fewer investigations, because the new technology means that for many only one genetic test will be required to determine the extent of the condition in each child. It also means that clinicians will have more information at their fingertips to inform them about how much of the pancreas needs to be removed.

Approximately 50 per cent of patients with congenital hyperinsulinism require surgery, and of those half require the entire pancreas to be removed. Removal of the entire pancreas increases the risk of diabetes later in life, but if left undiagnosed and untreated hyperinsulinism can result in irreparable brain damage. Symptoms range from shakiness and tiredness to seizure and coma.

Dr. Sarah Flanagan, Research Fellow in Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School said: "The potential provided by this new technology is important and exciting, because it allows us to investigate genetic coding in its entirety. This means that investigators can identify mutations that sit at the heart of any number of conditions where before they might have been missed. This in turn results in better information for clinicians upon which they can base effective treatments and interventions for their patients."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Exeter, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Sarah?E. Flanagan, Weijia Xie, Richard Caswell, Annet Damhuis, Christine Vianey-Saban, Teoman Akcay, Feyza Darendeliler, Firdevs Bas, Ayla Guven, Zeynep Siklar, Gonul Ocal, Merih Berberoglu, Nuala Murphy, Maureen O?Sullivan, Andrew Green, Peter?E. Clayton, Indraneel Banerjee, Peter?T. Clayton, Khalid Hussain, Michael?N. Weedon, Sian Ellard. Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Deep Intronic Cryptic ABCC8 and HADH Splicing Founder Mutations Causing Hyperinsulinism by Pseudoexon Activation. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.11.017

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/Hvyf7POeyVQ/121227130325.htm

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Top 12 TV Moments of 2012: The Year on the Small Screen!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/top-12-tv-moments-of-2012-the-year-on-the-small-screen/

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Over the fiscal cliff: Soft or hard landing?

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md., pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md., pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

President Barack Obama walks past a Marine honor guard as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returned early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Efforts to save the nation from going over a year-end "fiscal cliff" were still in disarray as lawmakers returned to the Capitol to confront the tax-and-spend crisis. A tone-setting quotation was Democratic Sen. Harry Reid's assertion that the House under Republican Speaker John Boehner had been "operating with a dictatorship."

President Barack Obama flew back to Washington from Hawaii after telephoning congressional leaders from his Christmas vacation perch. Once back, he set up a meeting with leaders of both parties at the White House late Friday to make a fresh attempt to find a solution before Monday night's deadline.

A look at why it's so hard for Republicans and Democrats to compromise on urgent matters of taxes and spending, and what happens if they fail to meet their deadline:

___

NEW YEAR'S HEADACHE

Partly by fate, partly by design, some scary fiscal forces come together at the start of 2013 unless Congress and Obama act to stop them. They include:

? Some $536 billion in tax increases, touching nearly all Americans, because various federal tax cuts and breaks expire at year's end.

? About $110 billion in spending cuts divided equally between the military and most other federal departments. That's about 8 percent of their annual budgets, 9 percent for the Pentagon.

Hitting the national economy with that double whammy of tax increases and spending cuts is what's called going over the "fiscal cliff." If allowed to unfold over 2013, it would lead to recession, a big jump in unemployment and financial market turmoil, economists predict.

___

WHAT IF THEY MISS THE DEADLINE?

If New Year's Day arrives without a deal, the nation shouldn't plunge onto the shoals of recession immediately. There still might be time to engineer a soft landing.

So long as lawmakers and the president appear to be working toward agreement, the tax hikes and spending cuts could mostly be held at bay for a few weeks. Then they could be repealed retroactively once a deal was reached.

The big wild card is the stock market and the nation's financial confidence: Would traders start to panic if Washington appeared unable to reach accord? Would worried consumers and businesses sharply reduce their spending? In what could be a preview, stock prices around the world dropped Friday after House Republican leaders' plan for addressing the fiscal cliff collapsed.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned lawmakers that the economy is already suffering from the uncertainty and they shouldn't risk making it worse by blowing past their deadline.

___

WHAT IF THEY NEVER AGREE?

If negotiations between Obama and Congress collapse completely, 2013 looks like a rocky year.

Taxes would jump $2,400 on average for families with incomes of $50,000 to $75,000, according to a study by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. Because consumers would get less of their paychecks to spend, businesses and jobs would suffer.

At the same time, Americans would feel cuts in government services; some federal workers would be furloughed or laid off, and companies would lose government business. The nation would lose up to 3.4 million jobs, the Congressional Budget Office predicts.

"The consequences of that would be felt by everybody," Bernanke says.

___

THE TAXES

Much of the disagreement surrounds the George W. Bush-era income tax cuts, and whether those rates should be allowed to rise for the nation's wealthiest taxpayers. Both political parties say they want to protect the middle class from tax increases.

Several tax breaks begun in 2009 to stimulate the economy by aiding low- and middle-income families are also set to expire Jan. 1. The alternative minimum tax would expand to catch 28 million more taxpayers, with an average increase of $3,700 a year. Taxes on investments would rise, too. More deaths would be covered by the federal estate tax, and the rate climbs from 35 percent to 55 percent. Some corporate tax breaks would end.

The temporary Social Security payroll tax cut also is due to expire. That tax break for most Americans seems likely to end even if a fiscal cliff deal is reached, now that Obama has backed down from his call to prolong it as an economic stimulus.

___

THE SPENDING

If the nation goes over the fiscal cliff, budget cuts of 8 percent or 9 percent would hit most of the federal government, touching all sorts of things from agriculture to law enforcement and the military to weather forecasting. A few areas, such as Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs and some programs for the poor, are exempt.

___

THERE'S MORE AT STAKE

All sorts of stuff could get wrapped up in the fiscal cliff deal-making. A sampling:

? Some 2 million jobless Americans may lose their federal unemployment aid. Obama wants to continue the benefits extension as part of the deal; Republicans say it's too costly.

? Social Security recipients might see their checks grow more slowly. As part of a possible deal, Obama and Republican leaders want to change the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated, which would mean smaller checks over the years for retirees who get Social Security, veterans' benefits or government pensions.

? The price of milk could double. If Congress doesn't provide a fix for expiring dairy price supports before Jan. 1, milk-drinking families could feel the pinch. One scenario is to attach a farm bill extension to the fiscal cliff legislation ? if a compromise is reached in time.

? Millions of taxpayers who want to file their 2012 returns before mid-March will be held up while they wait to see if Congress comes through with a deal to stop the alternative minimum tax from hitting more people.

___

CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF?

In theory, Congress and Obama could just say no to the fiscal cliff, by extending all the tax cuts and overturning the automatic spending reductions in current law. But both Republicans and Democrats agree it's time to take steps to put the nation on a path away from a future of crippling debt.

Indeed, the automatic spending cuts set for January were created as a last-ditch effort to force Congress to deal with the debt problem.

If Washington bypassed the fiscal cliff, the next crisis would be just around the corner, in late February or early March, when the government reaches a $16.4 trillion ceiling on the amount of money it can borrow.

Boehner says Republicans won't go along with raising the limit on government borrowing unless the increase is matched by spending cuts to help attack the long-term debt problem. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could lead to a first-ever U.S. default that would roil the financial markets and shake worldwide confidence in the United States.

To avoid that scenario, Obama and Boehner are trying to wrap a debt limit agreement into the fiscal cliff negotiations.

___

SO WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

They're at loggerheads over some big questions.

Obama says any deal must include higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Many House Republicans oppose raising anyone's tax rates. Boehner tried to get the House to vote for higher taxes only on incomes above $1 million but dropped the effort when it became clear he didn't have the votes.

Republicans also insist on deeper spending cuts than Democrats want to make. And they want to bring the nation's long-term debt under control by significantly curtailing the growth of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security ? changes that many Democrats oppose.

Obama, meanwhile, wants more temporary economic "stimulus" spending to help speed up a sluggish recovery. Republicans say the nation can't afford it.

___

IT'S NOT JUST WASHINGTON

Seems like they could just make nice, shake hands and split their differences, right?

But there's a reason neither side wants to give ground. The two parties represent a divided and inconsistent America. True, Obama just won re-election. But voters also chose a Republican majority in the House.

Republican and Democrats alike say they are doing what the voters back home want.

Neither side has a clear advantage in public opinion. In an Associated Press-GfK poll, 43 percent said they trust the Democrats more to manage the federal budget deficit and 40 percent preferred the Republicans. There's a similar split on who's more trusted with taxes.

About half of Americans support higher taxes for the wealthy, the poll says, and about 10 percent want tax increases all around. Still, almost half say cutting government services, not raising taxes, should be the main focus of lawmakers as they try to balance the budget.

When asked about specific budget cuts being discussed in Washington, few Americans express support for them.

___

THE COUNTDOWN

Time for deal-making is short, thanks to the holiday and congressional calendars. Some key dates for averting the fiscal cliff:

? Lawmakers didn't begin returning to the Capitol until Thursday, leaving less than a week to vote on a compromise before year's end.

? Obama returned Thursday from his Christmas vacation in Hawaii. The president asked congressional leaders to the White House Friday to try to resolve the fiscal cliff.

? If lawmakers reach Dec. 31 without a deal, some economists worry that the financial markets might swoon.

? The current Congress is in session only through noon Eastern time on Jan. 3. After that, a newly elected Congress with 13 new senators and 82 new House members would inherit the problem.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor and Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.

___

Follow Connie Cass on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ConnieCass

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-28-Fiscal%20Cliff-News%20Guide/id-228388e91471401f912319453c2b4058

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Still single: Loving the holidays before it gets crazy | Friends In ...

I just turned 37 this month and the pressure is on! If I want to get married and have kids soon there is no time like the present to start looking for a wife and future mother of my beautiful children. In the meantime, I have enjoyed being single and the benefits this age allows. My parents, in their 60?s, are thrilled to watch their three sons grow in their careers and as men. My youngest brother is the only one to marry thus far and he and his wife are first in line for grandchildren. As we move closer to the addition of more family members, and the additional fanfare involved, we enjoyed a quiet holiday season this year.

Before you start a family, take a moment to enjoy the past and present, before you get too busy!

My parents are both 67 and my brother Matt and I accompanied them to Christmas Day mass on Sunday. That would have been a much larger production if I had a wife and kids in tow. It was nice to spend some time as adults, enjoying the holiday, without the demands of a young family. When you have a young family you have less time to engage in intelligent conversation, focus on your parents, and reminisce about good years past.

When I do get married and start a family we will collectively raise everyone?s blood pressure as we engage family and friends with our wonderful and overwhelming family. When we engage in launching a family, we put our personalities on the back burner and focus on the kids. Before this happens, and while we are young adults, we all have the opportunity to talk to mom and dad about where we are now and from where we have grown.

Growing up in a professional family means you have certain responsibilities to family and career. Meeting expectations is important and having the time to chat with moms and dads about progress and next steps is easy when you don?t have your own family in the room. Taking advantage of these opportunities while you?re still single is a privilege. When I engage in dialogue about the future I recognize my parents? desire to gauge how my brothers and I are doing and how they react to us. It is so important to continue a dialogue about family member progress when so many people are invested in success.

I know my parents consider me a great ?success,? but I know my wedding and first born child are the real benchmarks on which my mother and father want to hang their hat. The older I am and the further I embrace my career goals, the closer I am to making my own successful family. I hope when I am my parents? age I will appreciate the contributions of my adult children who make their way in the world.

Enjoy your friends and family while you are young and before your time is earmarked for your personal family business. Before long you will be without time to really sit down and talk to your mom and dad about family history and progress.

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/family-law/2012/12/still-single-loving-the-holidays-before-it-gets-crazy/

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Search Answer: Where is this?

Quick answer: This flowery crest is in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and is taken from the Belv?d?re (a very nice restaurant where I had dinner), and is located at 51? 50' 51.97" N 5? 52' 21.95" E.

Well? you should know by now that search-by-image doesn't always work. In this case, since it was a picture I'd taken (and NOT posted anywhere), it was pretty unlikely to match in a search-by-image attempt. Still, since that's such a quick thing to do, it's a worthwhile first attempt.

Since SBI didn't work out, the next thing you might try could be

["coat of arms" garden flowers]

and then filter by the color orange. However, that doesn't work well because there's too little orange in this images. There's also no guarantee that they plant the same color flowers from year-to-year.

There IS LOTS of green, though, and that's going to be constant from year-to-year. So let's filter by that color. If you do an Image search with

["coat of arms" garden flowers]

and then filter by the color green to find a nice image (Flickr image) in the 8th row of images. Note that the Flickr photo gives the location as Nijmegen. (This picture also shows the Latin name of the city: "Noviomagus," which if searched-for leads you back to Nijmegen.)

It's pretty simple to use Maps.Google.com to jump to Nijmegen, Netherlands, then search in there for Belvedere (with or without the accents) and find the location:

And when you switch to satellite view, it's pretty obvious that this is the place:

Other approaches: If you just search for

[ coat of arms flowers ]

without any color filtering, there's a decent picture of the floral display around row 20. You just have to be persistent to find this image without filtering.

Another thing you can do is to use the Photos layer in Google Maps to get higher quality photos that show you this really is the correct place.

You can click on the Maps icon (upper right) and then select "Photos" to see images that are geo-located here from Panoramio.

Search lessons: Several people reported finding this one quite difficult. Almost everyone who put in the term "coat of arms" was able to find it without much trouble. But what if you don't know that's what it's called? Then you have to learn as you go? and pick up likely looking search terms as you work through similar images.

Have a great end-of-year celebration! See you in 2013.

Searching onward!

Answer (Dec 26, 2012): Where is this? | SearchReSearch

---

Daniel M. Russell studies the way people search and research?an anthropologist of search, if you will. You can read more from Russell on his SearchReSearch blog, and stay tuned for his weekly challenges (and answers) here on Lifehacker.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/LQn41SkVB9o/search-answer-where-is-this

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weak brain power - Health, Fitness, and Sports

WP Members: > 70,000 New Today: 3 New Yesterday: 23

weak brain power ??? ???Wrong Planet Autism Forum Index -> Health, Fitness, and Sports ???? soulburner Blue Jay Joined: Jan 17, 2012 Posts: 79 Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:58 pm?? ?Post subject: weak brain power my brain power havent been strong. my mind take awhile to process information. when i was in high school this year, my mind was right. i could think and process thing carefully. This past summer, ever since my sister quit her job, my brain power went down. my sister been irritating me, constantly telling me what i did wrong where the stuff i got wrong, i made a mistake with it before. my whole family disregards the fact that i made the A honor roll graduating and treat me like some moron. as soon as i try to increase my brain power, my sister is in my face annoying me. she always saying me and my neice are stupid and dumbasses. so if she think im dumb, im going to act dumb. my sister like to be the only smart person in the house and she likes that position because she has nothing else to do. Back to top ? '); //--> RaceDrv709 Head of the department of redundancy department Joined: Nov 02, 2007 Age: 22 Posts: 1062 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:17 pm?? ?Post subject: Your sister has no idea what she is talking about. She is the dumb one. You need to just be yourself. Everyone else is taken. _________________ I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep 'cause everything is never as it seems. http://www.youtube.com/NightHawk877 Back to top ? '); //--> ??? ???Wrong Planet Autism Forum Index -> Health, Fitness, and Sports??? ?

Forums ?

Source: http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt219227.html

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Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis | Renal Disease & Dialysis

Dec 25, 2012| Posted in kidney Disease, Kidney Failure, Kidney Symptoms

The French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot was the first person to recognize multiple sclerosis as a distinct disease in 1868. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons in nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination (damage to the myelin sheath) and scarring which leads to a broad variety of other signs and symptoms.

Communication between nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to is affected in people with MS. Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical signals called action potentials down long fibers called axons, which are contained within a protective, insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the body?s own immune system recognises myelin as a threat then attacks and damages it. When myelin is lost, the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals properly. This is what causes the symptoms of MS.

Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms are similar to other medical problems. Medical organisations have created diagnostic criteria to ease and standardise the diagnostic process. These criteria are especially effective within the first stages of the disease. The Schumacher and Poser criteria were both popular but now the McDonald criteria is more commonly used.

Clinical data alone may be sufficient for a diagnosis of MS if an individual has suffered separate episodes of neurologic symptoms characteristic of MS like changes in sensation such as loss of sensitivity or tingling, prickling or numbness. The most commonly used diagnostic tools are neuroimaging and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine also show areas of demyelination and the nervous system of a person with MS responds less actively to stimulation of the optic nerve and sensory nerves due to demyelination of such pathways. These brain responses can be examined using visual and sensory evoked potentials.

Although MS isn?t considered hereditary a number of genetic variations have been shown to increase the risk of developing the disease. The chances of inheriting MS is higher in relatives of a person with the disease than in the general population, especially in the case of siblings, parents, and children.

As well as the obvious benefits of exercise, the benefits to healthy individuals, the benefits of exercise for people with MS include:

• Improves muscle strength and tone to help maintain mobility and reduce muscle weakness
• Helps to keep people with more severe MS stay mobile
• Helps with weight management
• Can help with some symptoms of MS

There is no single exercise that ?cures? MS. Exercise is best thought of as merely a supplement or a preventative measure that aids your current therapy. Choosing what type of exercise you do depends on YOU! What do you enjoy doing? What sports do you like? Do you prefer to train with someone or go solo? Do you need help or instructions to start an exercise program? All these questions can help in choosing the right form of exercise for you and ensure your exercise programme is adhered to. Here?s a few ideas to get you going:

• Walking and aerobics have been shown to improve balance
• Yoga, T?ai Chi and stretching helps with muscle stiffness and spasms
• Pelvic floor exercises help with bladder and bowel problems
• Aerobic exercise has been shown to help improve the symptoms of depression

The Health Fitness Project is a free database for health professionals and fitness enthusiasts, continually growing and full of scientifically based fitness advice put in to words that EVERYONE can understand.

Tags: electrical signals, jean martin charcot, medical organisations, nerve cells, sensory nerves

Source: http://www.bepicolomboprize.org/exercise-for-multiple-sclerosis.html

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A Christmas Miracle: Packaging Is Less Infuriating

Traditional clamshell packaging is cheap, deters theft, and it shows off a product on a crowded shelf

Photo by Daniel Garcia/AFP/Getty Images.

Every day delivery men show up at my door bearing loads of new things. Some of it is stuff I?ve purchased online, but most of the boxes contain tech products that companies have sent me to review. Because I send all this stuff back when I?m done assessing it?and because I like to have the option to return stuff I?ve purchased?I open all my boxes in a very persnickety way. I crack into consumer packaging like a surgeon handling a body on the table. I never, ever want to rip or cut open a package in a way that leaves it impossible to put back together again. Instead I try to make as few cuts as possible, always following the package?s subtle cues to find a way to gently coax the contents out of the box. When I stop to think about it, the amount of care and energy I expend on opening consumer merchandise is probably some kind of sad commentary on our society. Luckily, with all these boxes to open, I don?t have much time to stop to think about it.

I?m telling you all this as a way of bolstering my credentials to make a claim you?ll likely find hard to swallow. Considering how many packages I open, I?ve become a kind of expert on how consumer goods are wrapped. And over the past year, I?ve noticed something amazing: Packaging is getting better. More and more of our products are packed in containers that are well-designed; environmentally friendly; and, best of all, don?t require a rage-inducing, teeth-grinding Herculean struggle to open. (See this Larry David video for an example.) A few years ago, you?d spend many long, frustrating minutes on Christmas morning trying to get stuff out of boxes. This year I bet you spent less time puzzling over packages. I also bet you hardly noticed that many of your packaging woes had been solved?if you became red-faced, it was from trying to crack into the one or two remaining impenetrable plastic clamshells under your tree.?

That?s the package designer?s lament: The only time most of us notice packaging is when it?s terrible. When you find something difficult to open?especially something urgent, like your kid?s toy?it?s hard not to feel like the world is against you. Then you go to Twitter and write something like: ?Designers of kid's toy packaging are literally the worst people in our society. How can we fix this? Ideas? Send them back to Nazi Germany?? Or: ?Seriously, there should be a special place in hell for the person who designed toy packaging.? Or: ?This is a great gift. I wish I could get it open somehow!?

But bad packaging is now becoming the exception rather than the norm. Since 2008, some of the world?s largest retailers and consumer-product companies have launched initiatives to improve how their goods are boxed. Amazon.com?s program, called ?frustration-free packaging,? now counts more than 70,000 products that ship in recyclable boxes ?without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties.? Wal-Mart has pledged to reduce packaging by 5 percent between 2008 and 2013. It?s well on the way to that goal; among other things, the company worked with manufacturers to eliminate a billion feet of wire twist ties from its toys in 2011. If you?ve every tried to open these wire ties?which aren?t recyclable?you understand what a terrible pain they are. Instead, I?ve noticed more and more toys that are secured with easy-to-snip ?paper string,? or even easier recyclable plastic locks, which ask you to simply turn a little key 90 degrees to release the toy from its box?no scissors required. (See page 17 in this technical document for a picture.)

As far as I can tell, these initiatives are working. Yes, my assessment is woefully unscientific?Jack Shafer is sure to smite me for relying on the old ?numbers are hard to come by? journalistic hedge. There?s no agency that tracks how consumer goods are packaged. Some packaging industry analysts suggest that the use of ?high-visibility packaging? (including clamshells) is on the rise, but there?s no way to know how many of these are new, easy-to-open clamshells and how many are the classic, finger-slicing variety.

Yes, a few impossible, scissor-resisting packages entered my home this year. Among these was a Logitech mouse, a BodyMedia fitness tracker, an automotive fluid-transfer pump, and Apple?s new Earpod headphones. (You?ll need a hammer to crack open the hard plastic box.) Nine out of 10 products I encountered, though, were a snap to open.

This is surprising. The traditional, impossible clamshell has a lot going for it. It?s cheap, it deters theft (you can?t slip open the package and pocket something), and it shows off a product on a crowded shelf. The clamshell?s disadvantages, meanwhile, are all borne by consumers and the environment?and only after people have purchased the products?so companies have little direct incentive to improve things.

And yet they?re doing just that: The clamshell is rare, and soon it will be dead. Joy to the world!

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4ff93daf56c58188cb8829f3fc89dee5

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US home prices rise in October from previous year

WASHINGTON (AP) ? US home prices rose in most major cities in October compared with a year ago, pushed up by rising sales and a decline in the supply of available homes. Higher prices show the housing market is improving even as it moves into the more dormant fall and winter sales period.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller national home price index released Wednesday increased 4.3 percent in October compared with a year ago. That's the largest year-over-year increase in two and a half years, when a homebuyer tax credit temporarily boosted sales.

Prices rose in October from a year ago in 18 of 20 cities. Phoenix led all cities with a 21.7 percent gain, followed Detroit, where prices increased 10 percent. Prices declined in Chicago and New York.

Home prices fell in 12 of 20 cities in October compared with September. Monthly prices are not seasonally adjusted, so the decreases reflect the end of the peak buying season.

Still, the broader trend is encouraging. October marked the fifth straight month of year-over-year gains, after nearly two years of declines. Prices rose in mid-2010 in the final months before the tax credit expired. They had fallen sharply in 2008 and 2009.

"It is clear that the housing recovery is gaining strength," said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indexes.

The improvement in housing is adding to economic growth and most analysts expect that to continue in 2013.

But automatic tax increases and spending cuts that are set to take effect next week could drag down growth. The White House and Congress have so far failed to reach agreement on a way to avoid the "fiscal cliff." President Barack Obama and congressional lawmakers will return to Washington on Thursday to resume talks.

"We expect home price appreciation to continue for the foreseeable future, because inventories are lean amid rising sales," said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. "This assumes that a resolution to the 'fiscal cliff' is found ... otherwise, the recent positive trend in housing would most certainly be in jeopardy along with the rest of the current economic expansion."

Prices nationwide have recovered to about the same level as in the fall of 2003, according to the Case-Shiller index. They remain about 30 percent below the peak reached in the summer of 2006.

The S&P/Case-Shiller index covers roughly half of U.S. homes. It measures prices compared with those in January 2000 and creates a three-month moving average. The October figures are the latest available.

Solid gains in home prices have helped drive a modest recovery in the housing market. Rising prices encourage more potential buyers to come off the sidelines and purchase homes. And more people may put their homes on the market as they gain confidence that they can sell at a good price.

Higher home prices can also make homeowners feel wealthier and more likely to spend more. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy.

Steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates have also helped propel the housing recovery. And the low supply of houses for sale is encouraging builders to start work on more homes. That should lead to more construction jobs.

The pace of home construction slipped in November but was still nearly 22 percent higher than a year earlier. Builders are on track this year to start work on the most homes in four years.

Builder confidence rose in December for a seventh straight month to the highest level in more than 6? years, according to a survey released last week by the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-26-US-Home%20Prices/id-f4e675074d174a288eec614984415146

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Mark Cuban's Advice On Success - Business Insider

Mark Cuban has taken to Reddit to answer questions on everything from the NBA, to his famous?confrontation with ESPN talking head Skip Bayless, to his unconventional ideas on tax policy.?

He also gave advice on what made him famous before he became the high profile owner of the Dallas Mavericks and?his incredible success as an entrepreneur. ?

When asked what people should know before starting a business, he responded:?

"It's not about the idea, it's about how prepared you are. Everyone has ideas, most don't do the work required to get the job done. The 2nd thing you need to know is that sales are the most important aspect of a small business. No sales, no company."

Cuban's advice is all about being pragmatic. People toss around terms like "disruption" and "innovation," then go and make products that nobody wants to buy, or don't actually do the work required to make their idea work as a business.

When it comes to his personal success, he takes a similar tack. When asked about passion versus hard work and how he motivated himself he wrote:

"I daydreamed for motivation. I didn't lie to myself and talk about my passions and how if I was passionate enough about something i could be successful at it.

I was lucky. I grew up knowing that hard work and smart work?[has]?a greater impact on results than being passionate about something."?

So work hard, and be prepared.?

NOW READ: 16 People Who Worked Incredibly Hard To Succeed

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-cubans-advice-on-success-2012-12

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Waterdown's St. Thomas School home to new Parenting and Family ...

By Kathy Yanchus ? REVIEW STAFF

A new Parenting and Family Literacy Centre will open in January at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Elementary School in Waterdown.

The announcement was made at the Dec. 18 meeting of the Religion, Family Life and Instructional Services committee of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

In October, the Ministry of Education announced the opening of 17 new centres. After consideration of community needs and current available resources, the board submitted their choice to the Ministry for the Waterdown school site, which was approved last month.

Parent and Family Literacy Centres prepare children for the start of school and encourage families to participate in child learning by helping children build essential literacy and numeracy skills, familiarize children and families with school routines and give children and families an opportunity to spend time with other families within the Catholic community.

Centres are open mornings for 20 hours per week and there is no cost and no pre-registration.

The HWCDSB has five other centres located at Our Lady of Lourdes, St. James the Apostle,? St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Lawrence and St. Margaret Mary Catholic elementary schools.

Source: http://www.flamboroughreview.com/news/waterdowns-st-thomas-school-home-to-new-parenting-and-family-literacy-centre/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=waterdowns-st-thomas-school-home-to-new-parenting-and-family-literacy-centre

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?Quincy? & ?Odd Couple? Star Jack Klugman Dies At Age 90 (VIDEO)

“Quincy” & “Odd Couple” Star Jack Klugman Dies At Age 90 (VIDEO)

Actor Jack Klugman has died aged 90. The actor, known best for his role in the 1970s sitcom “The Odd Couple” as Oscar Madison died on Christmas Eve. Klugman’s son, Adam, confirmed that his father had passed away on Monday afternoon in Los Angeles. Jack Klugman died peacefully at home with his wife Peggy at ...

“Quincy” & “Odd Couple” Star Jack Klugman Dies At Age 90 (VIDEO) Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/quincy-odd-couple-star-jack-klugman-dies-at-age-90-video/

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For Lease ? Free Standing Retail Building ? Former Extreme ...

3750 South Osprey Ave. ? Sarasota ? FL ? 34239

- 3,387 +/- SF plus enclosed 611SF Patio

- $18.00 NNN

- 22,500 SF Lot- zoned CN

- Building can be expanded by adding 1,500+/- SF addition

- 16 Parking spaces plus large yard

- In its current setup the property is ideal for a Custom Home Building, Interior Designer and/or Architect

Click to view furniture/fixtures here.

Contact Ian Black for more information.

Source: http://ian-black.com/?p=2337

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