GOP using Obama's address to blame him for economy (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republicans took the offensive Tuesday and cast President Barack Obama as the culprit for the economy's persistent frailty, hoping to shift the focus away from his State of the Union address' theme of economic fairness.

As they awaited the president's election season speech to the nation Tuesday night, Republicans in the Capitol and on the campaign trail accused Obama of three years of higher spending, bigger government and tax increases that have left the economy stuck in a ditch.

"If the president wants someone to blame for this economy, he should start with himself," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "The fact is, any CEO in America with a record like this after three years on the job would be graciously shown the door."

White House officials argue that the economy has resumed growing and generating new jobs on Obama's watch, though growth has been generally listless and the jobless rate remains at a high 8.5 percent.

One of Obama's themes will be economic fairness, including protecting the middle class and making sure the wealthy pay an equitable share of taxes. Republicans seemed determined to blunt that message and prevent the president from making it the top issue of this year's presidential and congressional elections.

"This election is going to be a referendum on the president's economic policies," which have worsened the economy, said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The politics of envy, the politics of dividing our country is not what America is all about."

Boehner said nearly 30 House-passed bills aimed at helping the economy have stalled in the Democratic-run Senate, most of them rolling back or blocking environmental, workplace and other regulations. He said he hoped Obama "will extend somewhat of an olive branch" to work with Republicans on boosting the economy.

Despite that plea, Boehner planned a symbolic move to underscore Obama's decision to put off, for now, work on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas' Gulf Coast. Republicans say the project would create thousands of jobs, a claim opponents say is overstated.

Boehner invited three officials from companies he said would be hurt by the pipeline's rejection to watch the speech in the House chamber as his guests, along with a Nebraska legislator who helped plan a new pipeline route through his state, where environmental concerns have been raised.

Poised to give the GOP's formal, televised response to Obama was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who flirted with running for his party's presidential nomination before deciding against it last May.

The first White House budget chief under President George W. Bush, Daniels has portrayed himself as a foe of budget deficits. He has described Obama's fiscal policies as "catastrophic."

Obama was delivering his State of the Union address during a rowdy battle for the GOP presidential nomination that has ended up playing directly into Obama's theme of economic fairness.

That fight has called attention to the wealth of one of the top contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the low ? but legal ? effective federal income tax rate of around 15 percent that the multi-millionaire has paid in the past two years. Romney, who is in Florida campaigned for that state's Jan. 31 primary, released his tax documents for that period on Tuesday.

"The president's agenda sounds less like "built to last" and more like doomed to fail," Romney said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. "What he's proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation."

Romney's chief rival so far, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said in a written statement that the top question about Obama's speech was whether he "will show a willingness to put aside the extremist ideology of the far left and call for a new set of policies that could lead to dramatic private sector job creation and economic growth."

The Republican National Committee was airing a television commercial in North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan and Washington, D.C., blaming Obama for 13 million people out of work and citing the bankruptcy of California energy company Solyndra, which received more than $500 million in federally backed loans.

The ad shows an Obama interview from 2009, in which he said about the faltering economy, "If I don't have this done in three years, then this is going to be a one-term proposition," a reference to his presidency.

The chairman of the House GOP's campaign arm, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, also used Obama's speech to reach out to supporters in an email.

"Unlike Democrats, House Republicans are fighting to strengthen our economy and allow small businesses to create jobs for hard working Americans," he wrote.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_state_of_union_gop_reaction

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Scots ponder independence vote with 16-year-olds (AP)

LONDON ? Scotland's leader has presented his proposal for a ballot on independence ? and his ideas include letting 16- and 17-year-olds cast ballots in a vote that could see the breakup of Britain within four years.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the Scottish government's preferred options for the vote on whether to sever ties from Britain, which it plans to hold in the fall of 2014. A "yes" vote would lead to independence taking effect with a May 2016 election for the Scottish Parliament.

Scotland and England united in 1707 to form Great Britain. Scotland gained significant autonomy after voting in 1997 to set up the Edinburgh-based Scottish Parliament, but some Scots want to go further and make the nation of 5 million people an independent country within the European Union.

Salmond told Scottish lawmakers in the Edinburgh assembly Wednesday that the ballot would ask "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"

But he said it could also include a third option, backing increased autonomy short of full independence.

And he said the voting age should be lowered from the current 18.

"If a 16-year-old in Scotland can register to join the army, get married and pay taxes, surely he or she should be able to have a say in this country's constitutional future?" Salmond said.

Scottish 16-year-olds can join the army ? though they cannot be sent into combat until they are 18 ? work full-time and marry without parental consent. The official Scottish drinking age outside the home is 18, but even that has some exceptions for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Salmond, who leads the separatist Scottish National Party, said independence would bring "a new, more modern relationship between the nations of these islands ? a partnership of equals."

The exact wording is subject to input from Scottish voters and negotiations with the British government in London, which insists it has the final authority to authorize a binding referendum.

British Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative-led government has offered the Scottish administration the power to hold a vote on independence, but wants a say in the timing and could insist that the Electoral Commission, which will run the referendum, be allowed to set the question.

Salmond's proposed wording is likely to be seen by opponents as slanted in favor of independence.

Opponents of independence want to hold the vote as soon as possible, because polls suggest only about a third of Scots favor splitting from England.

Cameron has said the ballot should pose a straight yes-no question, and not include a third option, which has been dubbed maximum devolution. Salmond disagrees.

"If there is an alternative of maximum devolution which would command wide support in Scotland, then it is only fair and democratic that option should be among the choices open to the people of Scotland," Salmond said.

Cameron stressed Wednesday that everyone in Britain, not just Scots, should have a say in any changes to Scotland's status.

"The point that everyone needs to understand is that options for further devolution, options for changes across the United Kingdom, are matters all of the United Kingdom should rightly discuss," he said.

Michael Moore, Cameron's minister responsible for Scotland, was due to hold talks with Salmond on Friday but the meeting was postponed because Moore has chicken pox.

Salmond said an independent Scotland would keep Queen Elizabeth II as head of state but would not send troops to "illegal wars like Iraq, and we won't have nuclear weapons based on Scottish soil." Scotland is currently home to Britain's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, whose party opposes independence, accused Salmon of belittling Scots who wished to remain in Britain.

"Why does he assert as fact that we all wish to be independent of each other when we all know, as families and communities, we want to come together in partnership and cooperation?" she said.

___

Online:

Scottish Government referendum consultation paper: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_scotland

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Laura Prudom: Once Upon A Time Recap: Time Is Not On Snow White's Side In '7:15 A.M.'

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 1, Episode 10 of ABC's "Once Upon a Time," entitled "7:15 a.m."

We've all heard the Shakespearean adage that "the course of true love never did run smooth," but who could've predicted such a twisted road for Snow White and Prince Charming?

It seems as though amnesia is a running theme in Snow and James' relationship, and tonight's heartbreaking installment of "Once Upon a Time" threw yet another unexpected obstacle in their path. Just when it seemed as though the lovelorn couple might have a chance to be together despite James' arranged marriage to Abigail, Snow was forced to sacrifice her feelings for James' safety, capitulating to King George's threats and telling the replacement prince that she had never cared for him at all to keep the king from killing him. Woe!

She was a good actress, but apparently not convincing enough to change James' feelings, since it didn't take him long to call off his wedding to Midas' daughter and set off in pursuit of his happily ever after. Alas, he wasn't quite quick enough to reach Snow before she gave into her pain and tried to ease her broken heart with Rumplestiltskin's potion, erasing all memory of James so that she could live in blissful ignorance without him. Double woe!

But we know from the pilot episode that true love's kiss helped bring Snow back to life with her memories of James intact. So I'm guessing that either the effects of Rumple's potion can be undone by a smacker from her soulmate, or that she and James manage to find each other again before The Evil Queen poisons her with the apple she had Hansel and Gretel steal last week.

Either way, every moment we spend with Snow and James -- or Mary Margaret and David -- raises the show to a whole new level; the longing between them is so palpable, and played so perfectly by Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, that my heart aches for them every time they're on screen. What this pair can convey with a single, lingering look could put other actors to shame.

I applaud the writers' continuing efforts to present an opposing image of Fairytale Land in Storybrooke. Just as Snow, who was in a "coma," needed to be awoken with James' kiss in their past lives, David was the one who was saved by Mary's kiss in our world. And now, as Snow and James move further apart in the fairytale world that was, Mary Margaret and David grow closer. It's a smart narrative choice -- given how invested we are as an audience in both versions of the couple -- it allows viewers to find some satisfaction with one iteration of the duo, preventing us from getting frustrated by the distance between the other version.

While I do wish the writers had come up with a less contrived plot device than having Mary Margaret feel compelled to risk death to help a dove return to its flock, just to get her alone with David during the storm, the MacGuffin was forgivable since the outcome was so satisfying. Even if Mary Margaret and David are now technically having an affair, I'm hoping the next couple of episodes will resolve things between David and Kathryn so that he finally stops trying to have his cake and eat it too.

As for another mirror theme between Fairytale Land and Storybrooke, I find it fascinating -- and bold -- that the writers have chosen to make David so indecisive and, as a result, also somewhat selfish. We're still rooting for him and Mary Margaret, but as she has been pointing out for weeks, he has continually built her hopes up only to dash them and return to Kathryn out of some misplaced sense of "duty." He's been insisting that he's doing the honorable thing in trying to make his marriage work, but living a lie hasn't been fair to either of the women he professes to care about. Plus, if he and Mary Margaret continue to carry on their relationship in secret, there's nothing noble about that course of action. Conversely, in Fairytale Land, James was wholeheartedly prepared to leave Abigail and forsake his duties to his kingdom as soon as he knows that his feelings for Snow are reciprocated. It just emphasizes the differences between the idealized, black-and-white morality of fairytales when compared to the shades of grey we encounter in the real world. While we'd expect Prince Charming to sacrifice everything for true love in a heartbeat, in our world (as the characters in Storybrooke keep reminding us) there's no such thing as happily ever after: Every action has very real consequences that even a magic kiss can't resolve.

It's no surprise, then, that the show's creators, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, conceived the story for this week's episode, though the teleplay was written by Daniel T. Thomsen. I'd be interested to learn whether the showrunners suggested those parallels or if the writer added them in, though I suspect it's the former. Thanks to my proclivity towards Snow and James' story, I think that "7:15 a.m." was my favorite episode of "Once" to date. The tragic romance of it all was more than enough to crack my cynical critic's heart.

The episode also introduced us to the infamous seven dwarfs (none of whom are actually that short) -- and poor, ill-fated Stealthy, who apparently missed out on a chance at literary immortality by failing to be all that stealthy. As Ginnifer Goodwin told me in our recent interview, "Once" had a typically unique twist on the start of that iconic friendship, with a fearless Snow finding herself cellmates with Grumpy -- and it turned out to be far more satisfying than the twee Disney iteration and its passive princess.

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Emma and Regina came to an uneasy truce in order to investigate the frustratingly enigmatic stranger who arrived in town last episode. While I was waiting for Emma to pull a Brad Pitt in "Se7en" when she was trying to find out what was in the guy's box, I'll admit, I'm no closer to figuring out who he really is. Goodwin told me, "I had a million theories about who the stranger was, and they were all wrong! What the creators' intention is with that character is so much better than anything I could have come up with." So I'm guessing that any Big Bad Wolf predictions we've been floating are way off base. The CW's "Supernatural" also introduced a mysterious writer, and he turned out to be the psychic author of the main characters' life stories -- and also possibly God (if you don't know, it's better not to ask). But "Once" doesn't seem like the type of show to go so overtly meta so soon, so I don't think the stranger will turn out to somehow be some omniscient narrator who created Fairytale Land and all the stories in Henry's book ... or perhaps that kind of unexpected twist is exactly what Kitsis and Horowitz are aiming for.

Overall, "7:15 a.m." expertly combined all the elements that make "Once Upon a Time" one of the most addictive and heartfelt new shows of the season, blending emotion, mystery and narrative thrust while giving us a deeper understanding of our favorite characters. I hope the next batch of episodes can keep up the momentum established this week.

"Once Upon a Time" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

?

Follow Laura Prudom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauinLA

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/once-upon-a-time-recap-7-15-am_b_1222723.html

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Panetta: US won't cut carrier fleet to fix budget

ABOARD THE USS ENTERPRISE?? The United States will not cut America's fleet of 11 aircraft carriers to help trim the budget deficit, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday, citing tensions with Iran as an example of why the massive ships are so critical to national security.

Panetta was addressing about 1,700 sailors headed to the Gulf this spring aboard the USS Enterprise, which after a half-century of service is about to embark on its final tour before being taken offline in November.

The Enterprise's last deployment comes at a moment of heightened tensions with Iran, which has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil shipping lane. That's something the United States says it will not allow.

"You're part of what keeps our force agile and flexible and quickly deployable and capable of taking on any enemy, anywhere in the world," Panetta said, speaking about 100 nautical miles off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia.

1. Other political news of note

   1. Gingrich wins South Carolina GOP primary

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   2. Updated 75 minutes ago 1/22/2012 9:48:28 AM +00:00 NYT: Santorum, optimistic, plans effort nationwide
   3. Conservatives, evangelical Christians rebuff Romney
   4. Early voting opens statewide in Florida
   5. Obama to talk economy in State of the Union

"For that reason that the President of the United States and all of us . have decided that it is important for us to maintain our carrier presence at full strength. And that means we'll be keeping 11 carriers in our force," he said to applause.

Next week, the Pentagon is due to announce a five-year budget plan that will cut about $260 billion from projected defense spending, scaling back the military after a decade of costly land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some analysts have speculated that the Pentagon could slightly shrink the carrier fleet, perhaps by slowing construction of new ships to replace older ones like the Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. Its missions date back to the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Vietnam war.

THREE-YEAR GAP

There will already be a nearly three-year gap between the time that the Enterprise goes offline in November and its replacement, the USS Gerald R. Ford, comes online in 2015.

But Panetta insisted that the U.S. commitment to a fleet of 11 carriers was long-term and was quick to cite Iran as one of the important reasons that aircraft carriers were important in projecting American military power anywhere in the world.

Asked about Iran by one of the crew, Panetta said the United States would forge ahead with efforts to tighten sanctions isolating Iran over its nuclear program - sending a clear message that the international community will not let it obtain a nuclear weapon. Iran says its uranium enrichment is peaceful.

"But the most important way we make those messages clear is to show that we are prepared, and that we are strong. And that we will have a presence in that part of the world. And that's what this carrier is all about," he said.

"And better for them to deal with us through diplomacy and through international rules and regulations - and not other ways. Because they ain't going to win."

Panetta's trip to the Enterprise came as its strike group ran drills confronting a hostile, hypothetical nation named "Garnet." Panetta sat in the captain's chair as a fictitious enemy ship trailed the Enterprise, and spoke to a pilot as he attempted to land on the deck. After more training, the Enterprise will deploy in March and eventually head to the Gulf.

"They are going to a critical area of the world," Panetta told reporters later. "They're going to be traveling through the Straits of Hormuz and they will represent the naval presence and power projection that we've made clear that we're going to maintain in the Middle East."

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45673582/ns/politics/

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In video, Giffords' firm and touching farewell

PHOENIX (AP) ? In part, the short video has the feel of a campaign ad: the strains of soft music, the iconic snapshots of rugged Arizona desert, the candidate earnestly engaged with her constituents.

Interspersed with the slick montage of photos and sound, though, is a video close-up of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gazing directly at the camera, offering not a campaign promise but a goodbye, a thank-you message to her supporters in a voice that is both firm and halting.

"I have more work to do on my recovery," the congresswoman says at the end of the two-minute-long "A Message from Gabby," appearing to strain with all of her will to communicate. "So to do what's best for Arizona, I will step down this week."

Arizonans had to know in their hearts that this day was coming.

A bullet to the brain, from point-blank range, is a nearly impossible obstacle to overcome, even for a congresswoman known for pluckiness and fight. Giffords seemed to accept that reality in the video announcing her resignation from Congress, which also included a promise to return one day to her mission to help Arizonans.

The clip, posted to YouTube and on her Facebook page, pastes together 13 sentences into a fluid announcement. Giffords wears a bright red jacket eerily similar to the one she was wearing a year ago when she was nearly assassinated. She looks straight into the camera, almost begging the viewer to listen.

The hopeful message is interspersed with images of the 41-year-old struggling at rehab and walking along a leafy street with husband Mark Kelly with an obvious limp. As Giffords acknowledges in her goodbye, for now at least she isn't up to taking on a re-election challenge.

Giffords' recovery in the months following the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting has been both arduous and remarkable, as she struggled to relearn how to walk and talk during grueling therapy sessions at a rehab facility in Houston. The initial days and weeks after showed Giffords struggling to understand what had happened and to communicate in the most basic forms. She struggled just to learn how to nod, to raise two fingers.

Months later, she's clearly not yet ready for another run for Congress. But she said in Sunday's video that she's not done yet.

"I'm getting better. Every day my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-22-Giffords-The%20Announcement/id-3833a4fc6a0d4700a534f3e980a840dd

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Investing Wisely For Your Future ? Centired.com - For All Things ...

No one would actually want to spend his or her whole life working. In fact, a lot of people, if not all, desire to have a comfy life and retire early. Certainly, you dream of the same thing. Bear in mind though that these things are only attainable if you?re financially stable.

Making good investments is a great way of achieving financial stability. While there is no age requirement as to when you have to begin investing, it?s best if you do so at an early age. When you start investing at an early age, the easier it would be for you to achieve financial independence.

Proofs that investing early is beneficial and doable are the teenagers who were presented in the article ?Super Young Retirement Savers? by CNN. These teens began saving at an early age and have now put away a substantial amount of money. One 18-year-old girl who started putting away money she earned and given to her when she was just 11 years old now has $300,000 in the bank.

Hence, if these teens were able to do it, then you can do it also. Whether you are 11 or 42, you can do something to ensure a comfy life when you stop working. Don?t know what to do? Let the tips below guide you in this very important venture of yours.

Know your purpose for investing. Certainly, you are investing to make your money grow. However, what are your specific goals in mind? Are you investing for your kid?s college education or for your retirement? These specific targets would help you determine when specifically you?d need your money back.

Find out about the investment opportunities you have. Do not be surprised to come across a lengthy list as choices are really many ? treasury bills, time deposits, real estate properties, etc. Certainly, your choice greatly depends on your specific goal as well as the amount you are willing to invest.

Finally, do a thorough research about your choices before you begin investing. If this is your first investment venture, get the services of a reputable financial advisor. Aside from being knowledgeable about the kinds of investments, the advisor can assist you in various ways like in insurance planning or keeping track of the market. Most importantly, your advisor can give expert advice which can help you grow and safeguard your money.

Certainly, it is not impossible to achieve financial independence and live a comfortable life after retirement or have enough funds for the education of your children. Just make smart financial decisions and get the help of the experts.

Click for further information on how to be a financial advisor or how to invest.. This article, Investing Wisely For Your Future is available for free reprint.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 4:00 pm by Vanessa Smith and is filed under Finance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://centired.com/2012/01/investing-wisely-for-your-future/

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Environmentalism and the Leisure Class (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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[OOC] Village Hidden Within the Fog

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

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Sounds interesting! I could possibly be interested in the Mimi Sheslic character, or possiby creating one of my own. :)

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Burt Rutan on Designing the World’s Largest Aircraft

In 1991, to address a requirement to launch a booster heavier than 500,000 pounds, I did the Model 205 and 206 preliminary designs. These configurations used engines, landing gear, and other systems from the Boeing 747. Later, to address other requirements, I did preliminary designs for other large aircraft, some that had rocket systems so that the space booster could be released in a steep, rocket-propelled climb.

However, the configuration revealed in December to meet the Paul Allen Stratolaunch requirement is not my design. About 10 years ago, to encourage innovation and design responsibility among the young engineers at Scaled, I took on the status of design advisor, while the title of Principal Configuration Designer went to a very talented team of designers, including Jim Tighe, Cory Bird, Bob Morgan and others. Except for the Bipod roadable aircraft, all the airplanes designed at Scaled after SpaceShipOne were not Burt Rutan designs.

About five to six years ago, Scaled hired many new engineers, most of them right out of college. This group of engineers includes several very talented configuration designers who will be the Principal Designers of the future Scaled aerospace platforms.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/burt-rutan-on-designing-the-worlds-largest-airplane?src=rss

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Marianne Gingrich Says Newt Wanted Open Marriage, Lacks Moral Character to Be President

Just 48 hours before the critical South Carolina primary, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's ex-wife Marianne is criticizing the former House Speaker's character.

Marianne Gingrich says, in an interview airing tonight on Nightline, that Newt's professed positions on marriage and family values do not line up with his actions.

Their 18-year marriage ended in 1999, and during that span, Marianne says Newt Gingrich admitted to her about a six-year affair with a Congressional aide.

That woman is now Newt's third wife, Callista Gingrich. This is well documented, but it's a comment Newt allegedly made about it that's raising eyebrows:

He asked his wife if she would share him with Callista, according to Marianne.

"I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do.' He wanted an open marriage and I refused," Marianne Gingrich tells ABC News.

Marianne also details how Newt was conducting this affair while publicly condemning the unfaithful President Clinton for his lack of moral leadership.

“How could he ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people?” she said.

“Truthfully, my whole purpose is to get out there about who I am, so Newt couldn’t create me as an evil, awful person, which was starting to happen.”

It gets worse. Newt divorced Marianne months after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she says, and began dating her almost as scandalously.

Her relationship with Newt started before his divorce from his first wife, Jackie, was finalized. And he left Jackie while she was undergoing cancer treatment.

Political pundits call this "baggage." Can he overcome it? Newt, who is trying to sustain recent momentum, responded to this interview on Today, saying:

"I'm not going to say anything negative about Marianne."

"My two daughters, Kathy and Jackie, have sent a letter to the president of ABC News saying from a family perspective, they think this is totally wrong."

"They think that ABC should not air anything like this. And that intruding into family things that are more than a decade old are simply wrong."

"I think that my two daughters are very credible on my character, I think the people who have known me a long time are credible on my character."

"We have lots of folks willing to speak on this, I'm not going to."

The letter of which he speaks that his daughters wrote says, "The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved."

Newt "regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves," they say, echoing sentiments Newt has made on the campaign trail.

Gingrich often speaks of his mistakes, admitting he is imperfect. The question is now much baggage is too much for voters to potentially take.

He should get a modest boost from Rick Perry dropping out of the race today, and has another debate tonight to make his case in South Carolina.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/marianne-gingrich-newt-gingrich-ex-wife-says-he-wanted-open-marr/

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What type of helmet is best for winter play?

Public release date: 20-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Adrienne Vienneau
avienneau@cheo.on.ca
613-737-7600 x4144
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

CHEO research uncovers what parents need to know

OTTAWA, Canada January 20, 2012 It's not winter in Canada if children don't spend time speeding down the slopes! Canadian tobogganing is a tradition handed down from generation to generation. For a long time, it's been considered one of the safest winter activities.

Unfortunately, the arrival of winter is followed by an increase in visits to hospital emergency departments by young people presenting with head injuries resulting from winter activities, including tobogganing. Fortunately, helmets are known to reduce the risk of head injury; but with so many helmet options available today, which is the best one? Dr. Michael Vassilyadi from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, together with a research team at the University of Ottawa, put this question to the test. The results are published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

"In activities such as tobogganing or skiing, children are able to attain very high velocities," explained Dr. Vassilyadi, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery at CHEO and co-author of this study. "This creates a disproportionate amount of risk considering their underdeveloped skills necessary to protect themselves during unexpected events, such as falling or running into objects or other people."

Currently, there is no certified winter recreational helmet available, so parents use what is available or no head protection at all. This study compared the protective characteristics of three types of helmets that are currently used by children ages 7 and under. Ice hockey, alpine ski, and bicycling helmets were impacted at 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 metres/second at the front and side impact locations using a monorail drop rig in a lab setting. The impact surface and velocities were chosen to simulate an impact similar to that expected for a child during tobogganing.

"We defined helmet safety performance by the ability of a helmet to reduce acceleration of the head during the impact," said Dr. Blaine Hoshizaki, director of the Neurotrauma Impact Laboratory at the University of Ottawa, and co-author of this study. "Helmets are designed and tested to mitigate the risk of an injury; they are not designed to eliminate head injuries. Parents must be vigilant and educate their children about ways to be safe and have fun outdoors."

Depending on the impact velocity, the type of helmet significantly affected the risk of brain injury. The ice hockey helmet was the most protective at the lower-velocity impacts (2-6 metres/second), and the bicycle helmet was the most protective at the high-velocity impact (8 metres/second). Alpine helmets had limited effectiveness at both the low and high velocity impacts. This research provides insights regarding the limitations of the helmets, but confirms that all helmets are protective.

"This research study does not take a stand about the 'best' helmet," continued Dr. Vassilyadi. "A hockey helmet is likely the best for younger children when tobogganing as presented in this study. I think this is a great outcome because hockey helmets offer multi-impact protection by design; they can be worn with a toque; and a facial shield or cage can be easily added. The bottom line is that all helmets are protective and young children should be wearing helmets during winter activities."

###

This research was funded by ThinkFirst Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries.

About the CHEO Research Institute:

Established in 1984, the CHEO Research Institute coordinates the research activities of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and is one of the institutes associated with the University of Ottawa Teaching Hospitals. The Research Institute brings together health professionals from within CHEO to share their efforts in solving paediatric health problems. It also promotes collaborative research outside the hospital with partners from the immediate community, industry and the international scientific world. For more information, please visit: www.cheori.org.

---

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

Public release date: 20-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Adrienne Vienneau
avienneau@cheo.on.ca
613-737-7600 x4144
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute

CHEO research uncovers what parents need to know

OTTAWA, Canada January 20, 2012 It's not winter in Canada if children don't spend time speeding down the slopes! Canadian tobogganing is a tradition handed down from generation to generation. For a long time, it's been considered one of the safest winter activities.

Unfortunately, the arrival of winter is followed by an increase in visits to hospital emergency departments by young people presenting with head injuries resulting from winter activities, including tobogganing. Fortunately, helmets are known to reduce the risk of head injury; but with so many helmet options available today, which is the best one? Dr. Michael Vassilyadi from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, together with a research team at the University of Ottawa, put this question to the test. The results are published today in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

"In activities such as tobogganing or skiing, children are able to attain very high velocities," explained Dr. Vassilyadi, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery at CHEO and co-author of this study. "This creates a disproportionate amount of risk considering their underdeveloped skills necessary to protect themselves during unexpected events, such as falling or running into objects or other people."

Currently, there is no certified winter recreational helmet available, so parents use what is available or no head protection at all. This study compared the protective characteristics of three types of helmets that are currently used by children ages 7 and under. Ice hockey, alpine ski, and bicycling helmets were impacted at 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 metres/second at the front and side impact locations using a monorail drop rig in a lab setting. The impact surface and velocities were chosen to simulate an impact similar to that expected for a child during tobogganing.

"We defined helmet safety performance by the ability of a helmet to reduce acceleration of the head during the impact," said Dr. Blaine Hoshizaki, director of the Neurotrauma Impact Laboratory at the University of Ottawa, and co-author of this study. "Helmets are designed and tested to mitigate the risk of an injury; they are not designed to eliminate head injuries. Parents must be vigilant and educate their children about ways to be safe and have fun outdoors."

Depending on the impact velocity, the type of helmet significantly affected the risk of brain injury. The ice hockey helmet was the most protective at the lower-velocity impacts (2-6 metres/second), and the bicycle helmet was the most protective at the high-velocity impact (8 metres/second). Alpine helmets had limited effectiveness at both the low and high velocity impacts. This research provides insights regarding the limitations of the helmets, but confirms that all helmets are protective.

"This research study does not take a stand about the 'best' helmet," continued Dr. Vassilyadi. "A hockey helmet is likely the best for younger children when tobogganing as presented in this study. I think this is a great outcome because hockey helmets offer multi-impact protection by design; they can be worn with a toque; and a facial shield or cage can be easily added. The bottom line is that all helmets are protective and young children should be wearing helmets during winter activities."

###

This research was funded by ThinkFirst Canada, a national non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries.

About the CHEO Research Institute:

Established in 1984, the CHEO Research Institute coordinates the research activities of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and is one of the institutes associated with the University of Ottawa Teaching Hospitals. The Research Institute brings together health professionals from within CHEO to share their efforts in solving paediatric health problems. It also promotes collaborative research outside the hospital with partners from the immediate community, industry and the international scientific world. For more information, please visit: www.cheori.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/choe-wto011912.php

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Sharing passwords: A dangerous new teen trend? (The Week)

New York ? The joy of intimacy, the thrill of tempting heartache, the angst of concerned parents: Is "pre-marital password sharing" the new teen sex?

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours" used to mean something risqu? between two kids in love. Now, according to The New York Times, it implies something more revealing but less exciting: Swapping passwords. A recent Pew survey found that 30 percent of teenagers ? and 47 percent of girls age 14-17? who use the internet have shared at least one personal online password with a friend or significant other. While such swaps can lead volatile and vulnerable teens to use humiliating online secrets against each other, young lovers aren't deterred. Exchanging email and Facebook passwords with her boyfriend is "a sign of trust," San Francisco high schooler Tiffany Carandang, 17, tells The Times. "I know he'd never do anything to hurt my reputation." Ooof. How dangerous is the new pressure to swap passwords?

Password sharing is "a spectacularly bad idea": You have to admit, "there is something pure and romantic about the idea of sharing everything," says Kashmir Hill at?Forbes. But letting your boyfriend read all your emails is, like Romeo and Juliet, romantic "in a tragic, horrible, everyone-is-miserable-and-dies-at-the-end kind of way." It may seem like a show of trust, but handing over the keys to your online privacy vault is "mutually assured trust destruction." Sex? Go ahead. But "kids, but I urge you to consider digital abstinence."
"Why sharing passwords... is a spectacularly bad idea"

But it's easy to see why teens do this: In a "horrifyingly sad" way, "pre-marital password sharing" is actually kind of like teen sex, says Cassie Murdoch at?Jezebel. "They're both forbidden, frowned upon by adults, and make you feel vulnerable." And teenagers know the risks, at least theoretically, but they still do it, "for the same reason teenagers do most anything, for the thrill." Besides, the kids have a point: In the fire of young love, exposing your online self so completely "is?kind of a big deal."
"Sharing passwords is the new teen sex"

Clearly, we need better protection for online accounts: "Teenagers are hardly experienced enough to make good decisions" about love and passwords, says Michael Santo at?Examiner. And they certainly won't heed the warnings of their elders ? teens all think they're smarter than their parents, maybe because "every tween/teen show" on TV "shows parents as complete idiots." So if we can't eliminate password-sharing, maybe we should kill passwords in favor of something less swappable, like biometrics (fingerprints, iris recognition, and other physical means of identification).
"Password sharing becomes the new teen 'promise ring'"

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20120119/cm_theweek/223414

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A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)

A look at economic developments and activity in major stock markets around the world on Wednesday:

___

BRUSSELS ? The International Monetary Fund said that it's aiming to increase its financial firepower by around $500 billion so it can give out new loans to help mitigate a worsening financial crisis in Europe.

___

ATHENS, Greece ? The Greek government resumed stalled talks with private creditors in Athens in the hope of sealing a $128 billion debt relief deal needed to avoid a disastrous default this spring.

___

LONDON ? Markets were volatile as Greece resumed talks on a crucial debt write-off deal and the International Monetary Fund said it would raise new money to increase its financial firepower. The CAC-40 in France closed down 0.2 percent while Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares ended 0.2 percent higher.

___

TOKYO ? In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 1 percent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng added 0.3 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.4 percent, while the Shenzhen Composite Index dropped 2.7 percent.

___

BERLIN ? Germany's government cut the country's 2012 growth forecast due to a faltering global economy and Europe's debt crisis, sparking fears that the region's largest economy could tip into recession.

___

LONDON ? Official figures show that Britain's unemployment rate spiked to 8.4 percent in November, its highest level since 1995.

___

BEIJING ? The World Bank warned Wednesday of a possible slump in global economic growth and urged developing countries to prepare for shocks that could be more severe than the 2008 crisis.

___

PARIS ? President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a $550 million plan to drive down unemployment and restart growth, a move criticized as an attempt to boost his popularity three months before France's presidential election.

___

DUBLIN ? Ireland's trade surplus hit a record monthly high on the back of unexpectedly strong exports and continued weakness in imports.

___

NICOSIA, Cyprus ? Air traffic controllers in Cyprus walked off the job for four hours to protest a two-year government worker wage freeze and other deficit-reduction measures.

___

PRAGUE ? The Czech Republic's prime minister has ruled out the possibility that his country would contribute $4.5 billion to the International Monetary Fund as part of EU efforts to get a grip on the debt crisis.

___

TEHRAN, Iran ? Iran's national currency fell by six percent against the dollar as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad refused to sign off on a move to raise bank interest rates.

___

KIEV, Ukraine ? Ukraine's finance minister resigned as the government's support falls in the wake of a weak economy and the slow pace of reforms.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_economy_countries_glance

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The Laugh (talking-points-memo)

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Rockage celebrating retro gaming & indie music in NorCal ...

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Russia's election chief rejects calls to step down (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia's top election official on Thursday shrugged off protesters' demands that he step down over alleged fraud during last month's parliamentary ballot, saying he would listen only to the nations' leaders.

Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he intends to serve the remaining four years of his term. He dismissed observers' statements that the Dec. 4 vote was manipulated to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's party retain its majority in parliament, and tried to turn the tables on his critics, accusing them of forging their evidence.

The allegations of vote violations sparked Russia's largest anti-government protests in two decades and have hurt Putin's bid to extend his 12-year rule by reclaiming the presidency in another election in March.

Tens of thousands protesters in Moscow and other Russian cities demanded Churov's dismissal. Churov said Thursday that his commission is looking into the alleged violations, but claimed that footage that showed ballot-stuffing and other fraud was doctored.

The bearded, 59-year old Churov has been derisively referred to as the "wizard" by protesters after President Dmitry Medvedev called him such after the vote. He defiantly told the radio that he wouldn't be guided by the protesters' demands.

"Any rally is politics, and I don't engage in politics," said Churov, whose commission is technically independent and non-partisan.

Ahead of a massive rally last month that drew about 100,000 people, even a presidential commission for human rights backed the demands for Churov's dismissal over vote violations.

The panel said that allegations of widespread fraud had led to a "moral and political discrediting of the election system and the lower house of parliament, creating a real threat to the Russian state."

Former Russia Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, also sided with protesters' demand for Churov's ouster, a sign that the Kremlin might opt for sacking Churov to appease public anger.

Churov argued Thursday that he can't be dismissed until the end of his term under Russian law. Asked whether he would obey a request by Putin or Medvedev to step down voluntarily, he answered, "We shall discuss it when they ask for that."

Churov, who started working under Putin back at the time when the Russian leader was still a city official in St.Petersburg in the early 1990s, won notoriety by declaring once that "Putin is always right."

Asked whether his longtime links with Putin represents a conflict of interest during the presidential race, he answered blank-faced: "No, and there can't be any. I always fulfill my duty."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120105/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_election

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Mexico nabs key suspect in arson that killed 52 (AP)

MONTERREY, Mexico ? Police in Mexico captured an alleged member of the Zetas drug cartel considered the mastermind behind a casino fire that killed 52 people in the northern city of Monterrey, authorities said Friday.

Jorge Domene, security agency spokesman for Nuevo Leon state, said Baltazar Saucedo Estrada is a main hitman who was sought on a 15 million peso, or $1 million, reward because of the casino attack.

Saucedo, nicknamed the "Dog Killer," was shown to reporters Friday in Monterrey in what has become usual procedure in drug war captures.

Domene said the suspect acknowledged he was involved in the Casino Royale arson and other high-profile crimes in routine confessions that may be permissible as court evidence.

The suspect told police the cartel targeted the casino because its owners hadn't paid extortion money, a theory officials confirm. At least one of the casino's owners has denied the claim to reporters.

Saucedo, 38, was arrested Thursday but lied about his identity, Domene said.

He added that Saucedo along with another man were detained by state police in Monterrey because they appeared suspicious.

Police ordered the two men to stop their van, but they gave chase and crashed into a car. Saucedo was identified hours later as he was being fingerprinted.

Authorities have arrested 17 of 32 suspects in the Aug. 25 casino arson. None have gone to trial.

In October, the Mexican army captured a top drug cartel lieutenant of the Zetas who allegedly ordered the attack.

Gunmen stormed into the building, spread gasoline and set the building on fire, trapping and asphyxiating dozens.

The casino fire horrified Mexicans accustomed to daily decapitations and massacres, because most of the victims were middle-aged women who had gone to the casino to gamble or eat lunch with their friends.

By several groups' counts, more than 45,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched an armed offensive against drug gangs. The government stopped giving figures on drug war dead when the toll rose to nearly 35,000 a year ago.

On Thursday, Mexico's freedom of information agency sent the attorney general a letter urging it to update homicide numbers in the country's drug war to include the deaths in 2011.

The Federal Institute for Access to Public Information says it has twice appealed government refusals to release the tally.

Spokesman Nestor Martinez said Friday that the independent body will decide whether it will investigate the government at its weekly meeting next Wednesday.

The institute ruled in 2011 that the murder numbers must be public. But the attorney general's office said Thursday it was still gathering information from states to separate drug-related homicides from other killings.

Before stopping, Mexico's government had announced more than twice a year how many people had been killed in drug war attacks.

____

Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120106/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_casino_attack

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Market Vectors China ETF Offers Efficient Way To Tap Into Chinese Markets

European progress toward a resolution to their debt crisis will also help China in its efforts to engineer a ?soft landing? for the Middle Kingdom?s export-driven economy.

European officials have reportedly been courting the Chinese for months now, hoping to win a financial commitment from the growing global powerhouse. With nearly $3 trillion in currency reserves, China is one of the few entities with the financial strength to help European stocks rebound. China also has a vested interest in seeing the eurozone stabilize because Europe consumes 25 percent of its annual exports.

Beyond exports, the Chinese government is also taking steps to boost its domestic economy. On November 30, the People?s Bank of China (PBOC), China?s central bank, announced that it had cut the reserve requirement for the nation?s largest banks by 50 basis points. That marks the PBOC?s first monetary easing in three years and it?s clearly aimed at shoring up the nation?s economy. We suspect that this was simply the first step in a broad program of monetary and fiscal easing which will likely run at least through the first quarter.

However, China?s policymakers aren?t in a position to pursue measures quite as economically stimulative as in years past; between 2008 and 2011 the PBOC grew its balance sheet by about $1.5 trillion while commercial bank credit expanded by more than $4 trillion. But a wide range of stimulative policy options remain available and with inflation in China currently running at a 14-month low -- and expected to fall further in coming months -- the central bank has a relatively free hand at this point.

Further reductions in bank reserve requirements are the most obvious blunt instrument in the PBOC?s toolbox, so we expect to see another cut in the coming months.

China?s central government had been worried about the formation of a real estate bubble and the impact that it could have on domestic inflation. So over the past year and a half, Chinese authorities have been moving to cool the real estate market by requiring higher down payments or higher interest rates on home loans. These measures have achieved a slowdown, as evidenced by a decline in residential real estate transactions in 27 of China?s 35 largest cities.

With real estate prices down by double digits in many of its major markets, China is widely expected to begin loosening its stricter real estate policies, though the timing of these actions is in question. There?s also concern that the pace of Chinese construction over the past few years has left a huge overhang of unsold properties that will likely keep real estate prices depressed for at least another year.

But according to news reports, there is a healthy debate going on within the central government as to whether it should ?reheat? the real estate market. One of the most common criticisms of the Chinese real estate market is that it?s too difficult for middle class Chinese to afford property. Officials on one side of the debate believe the government should do more to help middle class families buy homes, while other officials believe the real estate market should be further dampened. At the moment, it?s unclear which side?s arguments are likely to prevail.

Despite this cautious stance toward Chinese real estate, I remain bullish on Chinese equities even though their recent performance has been weak.

Although economic growth has slowed in China -- GDP growth this year should be somewhere around 9 percent versus more than 10 percent last year -- it is still outpacing all of the developed nations. The current consensus forecast for 2012 Chinese GDP growth is 8.5 percent versus just 2.1 percent in the U.S. and Japan, and what might be an overly optimistic forecast of 0.4 percent growth in the eurozone.

At the same time, inflation is expected to cool markedly from just over 5 percent this year to 3.1 percent in 2012.

With healthy growth and low inflation, the Chinese central government has plenty of room to take stimulative measures to keep GDP growth in the neighborhood of 8 percent for some time to come.

Due to the fact that China will remain a key driver of global economic growth, I remain bullish on Market Vectors China ETF (PEK).

Weaker corporate earnings outlooks have been the most significant drag on Chinese equities; the slowing property market and the European debt crisis have shaken earnings forecasts. But as noted earlier, I expect progress to be made on both fronts in the coming year.

Market Vectors China ETF tracks the CSI 300 Index, a local market capitalization-weighted index designed to represent the 300 largest, most liquid shares traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses. It is also designed to exclude shares that exhibit higher-than-average volatility or suspicious signs of price manipulation. Market Vectors China ETF is the first U.S.-based ETF offering exposure to this index, and allows American investors to tap into the broader Chinese markets.

Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/317885-market-vectors-china-etf-offers-efficient-way-to-tap-into-chinese-markets?source=feed

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