An art group is protesting outside the Smithsonian Institution over the removal of a gay artist's video that depicted ants crawling on a crucifix.
The scene in the video drew complaints from the Catholic League as well as incoming Republican leaders in Congress who said the Smithsonian was misusing its public funding, though its exhibits are privately funded.
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough said he decided to remove the video to head off controversy. Clough has said the exhibit is the first to explore gay themes in art history.
About 30 people, many from the New York-based group Art Positive, picketed Monday and called for Clough to step down.
The video, "A Fire in My Belly," explored the subject of AIDS.
WOWWWWWWWW!!!
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Monday, January 31, 2011
Fla. judge strikes down Obama health care overhaul!
A federal judge declared the Obama administration's health care overhaul unconstitutional Monday, siding with 26 states that sued to block it, saying that people can't be required to buy health insurance.
U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson agreed with the states that the new law violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties. He went a step further than a previous ruling against the law, declaring the entire thing unconstitutional if the insurance requirement does not hold up.
Attorneys for the administration had argued that the states did not have standing to challenge the law and that the case should be dismissed.
The final step will almost certainly be the U.S. Supreme Court. Two other federal judges have already upheld the law and a federal judge in Virginia ruled the insurance mandate unconstitutional but stopped short of voiding the entire thing.
At issue was whether the government is reaching beyond its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce by requiring citizens to purchase health insurance or face tax penalties.
Vinson said it is, writing in his 78-page ruling that if the government can require people to buy health insurance, it could also regulate food the same way.
"Or, as discussed during oral argument, Congress could require that people buy and consume broccoli at regular intervals," he wrote, "Not only because the required purchases will positively impact interstate commerce, but also because people who eat healthier tend to be healthier, and are thus more productive and put less of a strain on the health care system."
Obama administration attorneys had argued that the health care system was part of the interstate commerce system. They said the government can levy a tax penalty on Americans who decide not to purchase health insurance because all Americans are consumers of medical care.
But attorneys for the states said the administration was essentially coercing the states into participating in the overhaul by holding billions of Medicaid dollars hostage. The states also said the federal government is violating the Constitution by forcing a mandate on the states without providing money to pay for it.
Florida's former Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum filed the lawsuit just minutes after President Barack Obama signed the 10-year, $938 billion health care bill into law in March. He chose a court in Pensacola, one of Florida's most conservative cities. The nation's most influential small business lobby, the National Federation of Independent Business, also joined.
Officials in the states that sued lauded Vinson's decision. Almost all of them have Republican governors, attorneys general or both.
"In making his ruling, the judge has confirmed what many of us knew from the start; ObamaCare is an unprecedented and unconstitutional infringement on the liberty of the American people," Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.
Other states that joined the suit are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
*Don't these states have better things to do than to fight a mandated healthcare law? You would think they would be on the grind creating jobs for the people who reside those states. That isn't the case. It's all about fighting President Obama and his healthcare law. WHAT A POLITICAL HOT MESS!*
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U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson agreed with the states that the new law violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health insurance by 2014 or face penalties. He went a step further than a previous ruling against the law, declaring the entire thing unconstitutional if the insurance requirement does not hold up.
Attorneys for the administration had argued that the states did not have standing to challenge the law and that the case should be dismissed.
The final step will almost certainly be the U.S. Supreme Court. Two other federal judges have already upheld the law and a federal judge in Virginia ruled the insurance mandate unconstitutional but stopped short of voiding the entire thing.
At issue was whether the government is reaching beyond its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce by requiring citizens to purchase health insurance or face tax penalties.
Vinson said it is, writing in his 78-page ruling that if the government can require people to buy health insurance, it could also regulate food the same way.
"Or, as discussed during oral argument, Congress could require that people buy and consume broccoli at regular intervals," he wrote, "Not only because the required purchases will positively impact interstate commerce, but also because people who eat healthier tend to be healthier, and are thus more productive and put less of a strain on the health care system."
Obama administration attorneys had argued that the health care system was part of the interstate commerce system. They said the government can levy a tax penalty on Americans who decide not to purchase health insurance because all Americans are consumers of medical care.
But attorneys for the states said the administration was essentially coercing the states into participating in the overhaul by holding billions of Medicaid dollars hostage. The states also said the federal government is violating the Constitution by forcing a mandate on the states without providing money to pay for it.
Florida's former Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum filed the lawsuit just minutes after President Barack Obama signed the 10-year, $938 billion health care bill into law in March. He chose a court in Pensacola, one of Florida's most conservative cities. The nation's most influential small business lobby, the National Federation of Independent Business, also joined.
Officials in the states that sued lauded Vinson's decision. Almost all of them have Republican governors, attorneys general or both.
"In making his ruling, the judge has confirmed what many of us knew from the start; ObamaCare is an unprecedented and unconstitutional infringement on the liberty of the American people," Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.
Other states that joined the suit are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
*Don't these states have better things to do than to fight a mandated healthcare law? You would think they would be on the grind creating jobs for the people who reside those states. That isn't the case. It's all about fighting President Obama and his healthcare law. WHAT A POLITICAL HOT MESS!*
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*Join The Conversation*
Gov't advising Americans to cut down on salt!
The government is telling half of the U.S. population to drastically cut their daily salt intake.
That's the advice to consumers — and the food industry — as the government issues new dietary guidelines, which are the recommendations behind the popular food pyramid.
For the first time, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, which issue the guidelines every five years, are telling people who are 51 and older, all African-Americans and anyone suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease to cut the amount of sodium they eat daily to little more than half a teaspoon.
That group includes about half of the population and those who are most at risk of having higher blood pressure due to the amount of salt they eat. For everyone else, the government continues to recommend about a teaspoon a day — 2,300 milligrams, or about one-third less than the average person usually consumes.
The assault on salt is aimed strongly at the food industry, which is responsible for the majority of sodium most people consume. Most salt consumption doesn't come from the shaker on the table; it's hidden in foods such as breads, chicken and pasta.
It has long been known that too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other problems. But cutting the salt won't be easy.
The prestigious Institute of Medicine has said it could take years for consumers to get used to the taste of a lower-salt diet. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the government is trying to be realistic while targeting the highest-risk groups.
"I think it's important for us to do this in a way that doesn't create an immediate backlash," he said. "If we fail to get our arms around the obesity epidemic, especially in our children, we're going to see a significant increase in health care costs over time."
A number of major food makers have announced plans during the past few years to cut sodium in their products as pressure from health advocates, consumers and regulators has built.
Kraft Foods Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Heinz Co., Campbell Soup Co. and Bumble Bee Foods Inc. are just some of the companies that have committed to lowering sodium levels. But it's often a multiyear process to dial down the sodium, largely so consumers do not detect the changes in taste.
Campbell's said Monday that it now sells over 200 lower sodium products, which they say is eight times the number of reduced sodium foods they offered five years ago.
But it's unclear if the industry will be able to cut enough to satisfy the new guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt intake.
Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, said food companies will have to make cuts for the reductions to work.
"Even the most motivated consumer can make only a certain amount of progress before it's clear that we need extra support from the food industry," Koh said.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the heightened interest in the dangers of too much sodium could help somewhat. But she believes the FDA will have to take action for the companies to reduce enough salt to matter.
"The companies are only going to do it if there's a really strong push," she said.
New York City has already pushed a little, launching a campaign with the goal of cutting salt consumption by at least 20 percent in five years. That's modeled on a plan carried out in Britain which set voluntary salt reduction targets for 85 categories of processed foods.
Consumers still have some control. To reduce the risk of disease from high sodium intake, the guidelines say people should:
_Read nutrition labels closely and buy items labeled low in sodium.
_Use little or no salt when cooking or eating.
_Consume more fresh or home-prepared foods and fewer processed foods, so they know exactly what they are eating.
_Ask that salt not be added to foods at restaurants.
_Gradually reduce sodium intake over time to get used to the taste.
Other recommendations in the guidelines are similar to previous years — limit trans fats, reduce calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars, eat fewer refined grains and more whole grains, consume less than 300 mg per day of cholesterol. The guidelines also recommend eating less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats — full-fat cheese and fatty meats, for example.
The government promotes these guidelines to consumers by using a symbolic pyramid. Introduced more than five years ago, it doesn't specify recommended amounts of foods but directs people to a USDA website that details the guidelines. That replaced an old pyramid that specified what to eat after surveys showed that few people followed it.
USDA food pyramid: www.mypyramid.gov
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: www.cnpp.usda.gov
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
That's the advice to consumers — and the food industry — as the government issues new dietary guidelines, which are the recommendations behind the popular food pyramid.
For the first time, the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, which issue the guidelines every five years, are telling people who are 51 and older, all African-Americans and anyone suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease to cut the amount of sodium they eat daily to little more than half a teaspoon.
That group includes about half of the population and those who are most at risk of having higher blood pressure due to the amount of salt they eat. For everyone else, the government continues to recommend about a teaspoon a day — 2,300 milligrams, or about one-third less than the average person usually consumes.
The assault on salt is aimed strongly at the food industry, which is responsible for the majority of sodium most people consume. Most salt consumption doesn't come from the shaker on the table; it's hidden in foods such as breads, chicken and pasta.
It has long been known that too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other problems. But cutting the salt won't be easy.
The prestigious Institute of Medicine has said it could take years for consumers to get used to the taste of a lower-salt diet. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the government is trying to be realistic while targeting the highest-risk groups.
"I think it's important for us to do this in a way that doesn't create an immediate backlash," he said. "If we fail to get our arms around the obesity epidemic, especially in our children, we're going to see a significant increase in health care costs over time."
A number of major food makers have announced plans during the past few years to cut sodium in their products as pressure from health advocates, consumers and regulators has built.
Kraft Foods Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Heinz Co., Campbell Soup Co. and Bumble Bee Foods Inc. are just some of the companies that have committed to lowering sodium levels. But it's often a multiyear process to dial down the sodium, largely so consumers do not detect the changes in taste.
Campbell's said Monday that it now sells over 200 lower sodium products, which they say is eight times the number of reduced sodium foods they offered five years ago.
But it's unclear if the industry will be able to cut enough to satisfy the new guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt intake.
Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, said food companies will have to make cuts for the reductions to work.
"Even the most motivated consumer can make only a certain amount of progress before it's clear that we need extra support from the food industry," Koh said.
Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the heightened interest in the dangers of too much sodium could help somewhat. But she believes the FDA will have to take action for the companies to reduce enough salt to matter.
"The companies are only going to do it if there's a really strong push," she said.
New York City has already pushed a little, launching a campaign with the goal of cutting salt consumption by at least 20 percent in five years. That's modeled on a plan carried out in Britain which set voluntary salt reduction targets for 85 categories of processed foods.
Consumers still have some control. To reduce the risk of disease from high sodium intake, the guidelines say people should:
_Read nutrition labels closely and buy items labeled low in sodium.
_Use little or no salt when cooking or eating.
_Consume more fresh or home-prepared foods and fewer processed foods, so they know exactly what they are eating.
_Ask that salt not be added to foods at restaurants.
_Gradually reduce sodium intake over time to get used to the taste.
Other recommendations in the guidelines are similar to previous years — limit trans fats, reduce calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars, eat fewer refined grains and more whole grains, consume less than 300 mg per day of cholesterol. The guidelines also recommend eating less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats — full-fat cheese and fatty meats, for example.
The government promotes these guidelines to consumers by using a symbolic pyramid. Introduced more than five years ago, it doesn't specify recommended amounts of foods but directs people to a USDA website that details the guidelines. That replaced an old pyramid that specified what to eat after surveys showed that few people followed it.
USDA food pyramid: www.mypyramid.gov
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: www.cnpp.usda.gov
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Sunday, January 30, 2011
8 Friends Who Drain Your Wallet!
Are your friends bad for our wallet?
We all know them: the bridezilla who forces her bridesmaids to pay $500 for their gowns, the hapless friend who "loses" his wallet whenever the dinner check comes around and the spouse whose shopping addiction is threatening your mortgage, not to mention your marriage. In the world of money, these well-meaning friends do more harm to your wallet than good, and it goes without saying they can damage your self-respect, too.
We decided to round up these common culprits by asking a few readers to share their tales of wallet woe. The stories weren't pretty, but thanks to our arsenal of personal finance experts who lent a sympathetic ear and their sage advice, these readers should never feel peer-pressured to overspend again and, more importantly, neither will you.
The Charlie Brown
Better known as the guilt tripper, Charlie Brown is the money-toxic friend who's perpetually plagued by finance issues and makes you feel crummy for spending on things you enjoy. Here, we present Exhibit A:
Linus: "Hey, Charlie! Want to try Burger King's new stuffed steakhouse burger? I heard it's great!"
Charlie: "Aw shucks, Linus, I can't afford it. I only have 35 cents to my name and that burger costs at least $4."
"Whether you're splurging or saved up, if somebody is expressing a sort of pressure to you for you to either say, 'Oh my treat,' just say, 'What do you want to do?'" suggests Julia Scott, a journalist and founder of BargainBabe.com. "Say hey, 'I'd love to see you, let's get together,'" she says. But "if somebody is the worrywart about money, put the ball in their court so they can choose a low cost activity that takes the pressure off." Or suggest something free to do instead.
The Bridezilla
Who doesn't love poking fun at bridezillas? They're catty, self-absorbed and love to splurge on their big day—that is, until you feel pressured to spend along with them. Before you know it, you're shelling out $400 for a gown you'll only wear once, a four-night booze fest in Vegas and not one, but two, bridal showers. Toxic!
Carl Richards, the brains behind those clever New York Times napkin sketches that explore consumers' relationship with money, says the key to handling these brazen brides-to-be is to discuss these costs upfront. "It's just really important to have boundaries," Richards says. "Talking about it early and often can help. The last place you want to be having any discussion is at the cash register when all the preparations have been made and there's no time to think about or explain the consequences."
Scott agrees: "Declining to participate [in the wedding] is a great way to get out of money constraints," she says, "especially if it's someone who isn't close with you." But if the relationship means more and skipping the nuptials will put it on ice, Scott says not to do it. "Think of spending the money as an investment in the relationship instead."
'The Secret' Spendthrift
The law of attraction might bring great abundance and joy into your life, but it certainly won't pad your wallet—just ask the real estate agent Richards knew who once leased a Bentley to upgrade his image. "He wrote affirmations that he was going to make a million dollars next year selling real estate," Richards recalls, "but pretty soon he realized that the universe doesn't write a check and he got into major debt."
"Secret" Spendthrifts are especially tricky to deal with because they "care more about image more than reality," Richard says, and the "danger" for anyone associating with them is that it looks fun to have fancy things rather than create realistic financial goals to earn those coveted items. Pretty soon you can be living beyond your means as you try to keep up with your friend, or even worse, buy into his sham of a budget strategy. "Putting too much faith in creating an image of success" can be misleading to everyone involved, warns Richards. "You have to remember that hope is not a budgeting strategy."
The Perpetual Winner
This money-toxic friend never seems to lose, or at least that's what she wants you to think. "My dentist will not stop talking to me—with his hands in my mouth—about all the great investments he's made. He bought Google at this time, sold this stock at the right time, etc., etc., etc." Richards says. "That can be just as toxic because you walk away from those interactions thinking, 'God what a loser I am! How come I'm not leveraging to invest in foreign currencies?'"
Besides inciting serious wallet-envy, these friends mask a real insecurity. "The fact is that the tax returns don't lie," says Richards. "There's usually another side to the story that nobody talks about."
To shirk their bravado and feel like a winner yourself, "imagine these people as a tax return or a balance sheet," says Richards. "When they start bragging, just think, 'That's great, but if I saw their tax return, it might tell a different story.' You just have to remember that chances are that if it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it is."
The Mooch
When she was in her 20s, pharmacist Nath Jones didn't mind buying her friends a drink or two. But once they started charging "$200 bar tabs for two and three $15 martinis" on her credit cards, she tells MainStreet, "I lost about 15 really good friends as I changed my attitude about generosity. My rule went from 'good times and generosity' to 'Would this person spend this much on me?' Usually the answer was no."
The next time the Mooch in your life comes around asking for a handout, just say no. "It's insanity!" Richards exclaims. He suggests telling your friend he made a mistake by enabling the behavior. "If that's bothering you, stop going shopping with the guy."
If you're dealing with the Dinnertime Mooch, a popular variant of the usual Mooch, here are other ways to dodge his behavior:
- Research and plan what you'll eat ahead of time, then only bring enough cash for your order.
- Do not, we repeat, do not flash the plastic.
- If you're reluctant to dine with this friend—or even meet the friend, period—get busy. Schedule an appointment to be somewhere, says Richards. "There's a difference between lying and concealing information. Some things are better off unsaid."
Mr. Big Stuff
An ancestor of the Perpetual Winner, Mr. (or Ms.) Big Stuff puts a price tag on friendship and feels compelled to one-up everyone. In the end, it's all talk, talk, talk, but the negativity clouds your mind—and makes you spend just to keep up with him.
Presentation specialist Constance Dunn has "a close friend who is a classic," she says. "She's a moneyed gal who must quench her every whim, and have the best seats or suits in the house or the night's a bust." Thankfully, Dunn "changed this dynamic via two actions: Giving back by doing no- to low-cost things that she finds invaluable, such as helping her with her pets or mail and having a straight conversation about our budget differences," Dunn says, "and taking her to elegant places that are also affordable for me."
Another way to address the issue, says Scott, is to "talk about things that aren't money." If the conversation still doesn't change and you decide to bring up the issue, do it discreetly. "Never chide a friend in front of others," Scott says. "Do it when it's between the two of you and let them know it makes you uncomfortable." Just don't ask them to change, she warns. "Letting them know it makes you feel uncomfortable is enough. If they know that, they might be more careful about you."
The Shopaholic Spouse
Michael Duncan, managing director of United Capital New York, sees his fair share of shopping addicted spouses, including twice-wedded/Secret Spendthrift wives who "didn't define what their second relationship would mean to them before they got married" and plunged themselves into bankruptcy while hoping their second husband would pay off the debt.
The fact is "money conversations are very difficult for spouses," Duncan says, "and usually the lack of them stems from insecurity of some sort, although sometimes there's no basis for the insecurity at all."
Michael Duncan, managing director of United Capital New York, sees his fair share of shopping addicted spouses, including twice-wedded/Secret Spendthrift wives who "didn't define what their second relationship would mean to them before they got married" and plunged themselves into bankruptcy while hoping their second husband would pay off the debt.
The fact is "money conversations are very difficult for spouses," Duncan says, "and usually the lack of them stems from insecurity of some sort, although sometimes there's no basis for the insecurity at all."
The Macroeconomic Moron
Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich, hates this money-toxic friend the most. "Every day this guy is angry about the government, shaking his fists and saying 'Obama did this, look at Wall Street that,'" he says. "Then you ask them, 'Have you read even one book about personal finance?' No. 'Have you contributed to your 401(K)?' No. It's more fun to complain than automate their finances."
The way to shut these misinformers down—and keep them from making you fear going outside—is to realize that tax policy doesn't affect your wallet at an everyday level and put them in their place. "Tell them, 'That's interesting, What do you think that I should be doing with my money?'" Sethi says. "Try to be more specific. What you will both realize is it's fun and easy to talk about things that are up in the air. People usually have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to day-to-day money management. Ask what they're going to do and watch the abstraction fall apart. They're just ranting about something abstract."
*All credit to "TheStreet" (http://www.thestreet.com/) for a real eye opening article. It's about time people started talking about finances and how friendships are often affected by poor financial decisions. Real talk for Real people.*
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We all know them: the bridezilla who forces her bridesmaids to pay $500 for their gowns, the hapless friend who "loses" his wallet whenever the dinner check comes around and the spouse whose shopping addiction is threatening your mortgage, not to mention your marriage. In the world of money, these well-meaning friends do more harm to your wallet than good, and it goes without saying they can damage your self-respect, too.
We decided to round up these common culprits by asking a few readers to share their tales of wallet woe. The stories weren't pretty, but thanks to our arsenal of personal finance experts who lent a sympathetic ear and their sage advice, these readers should never feel peer-pressured to overspend again and, more importantly, neither will you.
The Charlie Brown
Better known as the guilt tripper, Charlie Brown is the money-toxic friend who's perpetually plagued by finance issues and makes you feel crummy for spending on things you enjoy. Here, we present Exhibit A:
Linus: "Hey, Charlie! Want to try Burger King's new stuffed steakhouse burger? I heard it's great!"
Charlie: "Aw shucks, Linus, I can't afford it. I only have 35 cents to my name and that burger costs at least $4."
"Whether you're splurging or saved up, if somebody is expressing a sort of pressure to you for you to either say, 'Oh my treat,' just say, 'What do you want to do?'" suggests Julia Scott, a journalist and founder of BargainBabe.com. "Say hey, 'I'd love to see you, let's get together,'" she says. But "if somebody is the worrywart about money, put the ball in their court so they can choose a low cost activity that takes the pressure off." Or suggest something free to do instead.
The Bridezilla
Who doesn't love poking fun at bridezillas? They're catty, self-absorbed and love to splurge on their big day—that is, until you feel pressured to spend along with them. Before you know it, you're shelling out $400 for a gown you'll only wear once, a four-night booze fest in Vegas and not one, but two, bridal showers. Toxic!
Carl Richards, the brains behind those clever New York Times napkin sketches that explore consumers' relationship with money, says the key to handling these brazen brides-to-be is to discuss these costs upfront. "It's just really important to have boundaries," Richards says. "Talking about it early and often can help. The last place you want to be having any discussion is at the cash register when all the preparations have been made and there's no time to think about or explain the consequences."
Scott agrees: "Declining to participate [in the wedding] is a great way to get out of money constraints," she says, "especially if it's someone who isn't close with you." But if the relationship means more and skipping the nuptials will put it on ice, Scott says not to do it. "Think of spending the money as an investment in the relationship instead."
'The Secret' Spendthrift
The law of attraction might bring great abundance and joy into your life, but it certainly won't pad your wallet—just ask the real estate agent Richards knew who once leased a Bentley to upgrade his image. "He wrote affirmations that he was going to make a million dollars next year selling real estate," Richards recalls, "but pretty soon he realized that the universe doesn't write a check and he got into major debt."
"Secret" Spendthrifts are especially tricky to deal with because they "care more about image more than reality," Richard says, and the "danger" for anyone associating with them is that it looks fun to have fancy things rather than create realistic financial goals to earn those coveted items. Pretty soon you can be living beyond your means as you try to keep up with your friend, or even worse, buy into his sham of a budget strategy. "Putting too much faith in creating an image of success" can be misleading to everyone involved, warns Richards. "You have to remember that hope is not a budgeting strategy."
The Perpetual Winner
This money-toxic friend never seems to lose, or at least that's what she wants you to think. "My dentist will not stop talking to me—with his hands in my mouth—about all the great investments he's made. He bought Google at this time, sold this stock at the right time, etc., etc., etc." Richards says. "That can be just as toxic because you walk away from those interactions thinking, 'God what a loser I am! How come I'm not leveraging to invest in foreign currencies?'"
Besides inciting serious wallet-envy, these friends mask a real insecurity. "The fact is that the tax returns don't lie," says Richards. "There's usually another side to the story that nobody talks about."
To shirk their bravado and feel like a winner yourself, "imagine these people as a tax return or a balance sheet," says Richards. "When they start bragging, just think, 'That's great, but if I saw their tax return, it might tell a different story.' You just have to remember that chances are that if it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it is."
The Mooch
When she was in her 20s, pharmacist Nath Jones didn't mind buying her friends a drink or two. But once they started charging "$200 bar tabs for two and three $15 martinis" on her credit cards, she tells MainStreet, "I lost about 15 really good friends as I changed my attitude about generosity. My rule went from 'good times and generosity' to 'Would this person spend this much on me?' Usually the answer was no."
The next time the Mooch in your life comes around asking for a handout, just say no. "It's insanity!" Richards exclaims. He suggests telling your friend he made a mistake by enabling the behavior. "If that's bothering you, stop going shopping with the guy."
If you're dealing with the Dinnertime Mooch, a popular variant of the usual Mooch, here are other ways to dodge his behavior:
- Research and plan what you'll eat ahead of time, then only bring enough cash for your order.
- Do not, we repeat, do not flash the plastic.
- If you're reluctant to dine with this friend—or even meet the friend, period—get busy. Schedule an appointment to be somewhere, says Richards. "There's a difference between lying and concealing information. Some things are better off unsaid."
Mr. Big Stuff
An ancestor of the Perpetual Winner, Mr. (or Ms.) Big Stuff puts a price tag on friendship and feels compelled to one-up everyone. In the end, it's all talk, talk, talk, but the negativity clouds your mind—and makes you spend just to keep up with him.
Presentation specialist Constance Dunn has "a close friend who is a classic," she says. "She's a moneyed gal who must quench her every whim, and have the best seats or suits in the house or the night's a bust." Thankfully, Dunn "changed this dynamic via two actions: Giving back by doing no- to low-cost things that she finds invaluable, such as helping her with her pets or mail and having a straight conversation about our budget differences," Dunn says, "and taking her to elegant places that are also affordable for me."
Another way to address the issue, says Scott, is to "talk about things that aren't money." If the conversation still doesn't change and you decide to bring up the issue, do it discreetly. "Never chide a friend in front of others," Scott says. "Do it when it's between the two of you and let them know it makes you uncomfortable." Just don't ask them to change, she warns. "Letting them know it makes you feel uncomfortable is enough. If they know that, they might be more careful about you."
The Shopaholic Spouse
Michael Duncan, managing director of United Capital New York, sees his fair share of shopping addicted spouses, including twice-wedded/Secret Spendthrift wives who "didn't define what their second relationship would mean to them before they got married" and plunged themselves into bankruptcy while hoping their second husband would pay off the debt.
The fact is "money conversations are very difficult for spouses," Duncan says, "and usually the lack of them stems from insecurity of some sort, although sometimes there's no basis for the insecurity at all."
Michael Duncan, managing director of United Capital New York, sees his fair share of shopping addicted spouses, including twice-wedded/Secret Spendthrift wives who "didn't define what their second relationship would mean to them before they got married" and plunged themselves into bankruptcy while hoping their second husband would pay off the debt.
The fact is "money conversations are very difficult for spouses," Duncan says, "and usually the lack of them stems from insecurity of some sort, although sometimes there's no basis for the insecurity at all."
The Macroeconomic Moron
Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You to Be Rich, hates this money-toxic friend the most. "Every day this guy is angry about the government, shaking his fists and saying 'Obama did this, look at Wall Street that,'" he says. "Then you ask them, 'Have you read even one book about personal finance?' No. 'Have you contributed to your 401(K)?' No. It's more fun to complain than automate their finances."
The way to shut these misinformers down—and keep them from making you fear going outside—is to realize that tax policy doesn't affect your wallet at an everyday level and put them in their place. "Tell them, 'That's interesting, What do you think that I should be doing with my money?'" Sethi says. "Try to be more specific. What you will both realize is it's fun and easy to talk about things that are up in the air. People usually have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to day-to-day money management. Ask what they're going to do and watch the abstraction fall apart. They're just ranting about something abstract."
*All credit to "TheStreet" (http://www.thestreet.com/) for a real eye opening article. It's about time people started talking about finances and how friendships are often affected by poor financial decisions. Real talk for Real people.*
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THE OFFICIAL "INTERNATIONAL DIVA DAY" TEE! Get it today to celebrate!
Ladies, get the official "International Diva Day" tee today! Remember it's our day to celebrate "International Diva Day" Feb 20. Let's all band together and be the fabulous Diva's we were born to be.
Get it today at www.cafepress.com/DivasHouse
and show your "Diva" status!
Get it today at www.cafepress.com/DivasHouse
and show your "Diva" status!
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THE OFFICIAL DIVA'S NATION TEE! Get Yours Today!
A tee for all Diva's! Get it today and wear with Diva's Pride!
Order today at www.cafepress.com/DivasHouse
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Order today at www.cafepress.com/DivasHouse
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Saturday, January 29, 2011
Chaos engulfs Cairo as Mubarak points to successor!
CHAOS! CHAOS! CHAOS!
With protests raging, Egypt's president named his intelligence chief as his first-ever vice president on Saturday, setting the stage for a successor as chaos engulfed the capital. Soldiers stood by — a few even joining the demonstrators — and the death toll from five days of anti-government fury rose sharply to 74.
Saturday's fast-moving developments across the north African nation marked a sharp turning point in President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule of Egypt.
Residents and shopkeepers in affluent neighborhoods boarded up their houses and stores against looters, who roamed the streets with knives and sticks, stealing what they could and destroying cars, windows and street signs. Gunfire rang out in some neighborhoods.
Tanks and armored personnel carriers fanned out across the city of 18 million, guarding key government buildings, and major tourist and archaeological sites. Among those singled out for special protection was the Egyptian Museum, home to some of the country's most treasured antiquities, and the Cabinet building. The military closed the pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo — Egypt's premier tourist site.
But soldiers made no moves against protesters, even after a curfew came and went and the crowds swelled in the streets, demanding an end to Mubarak's rule and no handoff to the son he had been grooming to succeed him.
"This is the revolution of people of all walks of life," read black graffiti scrolled on one army tank in Tahrir Square. "Mubarak, take your son and leave," it said.
Thousands of protesters defied the curfew for the second night, standing their ground in the main Tahrir Square in a resounding rejection of Mubarak's attempt to hang onto power with promises of reform and a new government.
Police protecting the Interior Ministry near the site opened fire at a funeral procession for a dead protester, possibly because it came too close to the force. Clashes broke out and at least two people were killed.
A 43-year-old teacher, Rafaat Mubarak, said the appointment of the president's intelligence chief and longtime confidant, Omar Suleiman, as vice president did not satisfy the protesters.
"This is all nonsense. They will not fool us anymore. We want the head of the snake," he said in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. "If he is appointed by Mubarak, then he is just one more member of the gang. We are not speaking about a branch in a tree, we are talking about the roots."
The crackdown on protesters has drawn harsh criticism from the Obama administration and even a threat Friday to reduce a $1.5 billion foreign aid program if Washington's most important Arab ally escalates the use of force.
Thousands of passengers were stranded at Cairo's airport as flights were canceled or delayed, leaving them unable to leave because of a government-imposed curfew. Several Arab nations, meanwhile, moved to evacuate their citizens.
The cancelations of flights and the arrival of several largely empty aircraft appeared to herald an ominous erosion of key tourism revenue.
The protesters united in one overarching demand — Mubarak and his family must go. The movement is a culmination of years of simmering frustration over a government they see as corrupt, heavy-handed and neglectful of poverty.
Egyptians were emboldened by the uprising in Tunisia — another North African Arab nation, and further buoyed by their success in defying the ban on gatherings.
At the end of a long day of rioting and mass demonstrations Friday, Mubarak fired his Cabinet and promised reforms. But the demonstrators returned in force again Saturday to demand a complete change of regime.
The president appeared to have been preparing his son Gamal to succeed him, possibly as soon as presidential elections planned for later this year. However, there was significant public opposition to the hereditary succession.
The appointment of Suleiman, 74, answers one of the most intriguing and enduring political questions in Egypt: Who will succeed 82-year-old Mubarak?
Another question is whether his appointment will calm Egypt's seething cities.
Mubarak appointed Suleiman shortly after the U.S. said he needed to take concrete action to achieve "real reform." Suleiman is well known and respected by American officials and has traveled to Washington many times.
Before word that Mubarak had picked his first vice president, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. wanted to see Mubarak fulfill his pledges of reform.
"The Egyptian government can't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat," Crowley said on his Twitter account. "President Mubarak's words pledging reform must be followed by action."
As the army presence expanded in Cairo Saturday, police largely disappeared from the streets — possibly because their presence seemed only to fuel protesters' anger. Egyptian police are hated for their brutality.
On Friday, 17 police stations throughout Cairo were torched, with protesters stealing firearms and ammunition and freeing some jailed suspects. They also burned dozens of police trucks in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. On Saturday, protesters besieged a police station in the Giza neighborhood of Cairo, looted and pulled down Egyptian flags, then burned the building to the ground.
There were no clashes reported between protesters and the military at all, and many in the crowds showered soldiers with affection.
One army captain joined the demonstrators in Tahrir Square, who hoisted him on their shoulders while chanting slogans against Mubarak. The officer ripped apart a picture of the president.
"We don't want him! We will go after him!" demonstrators shouted. They decried looting and sabotage, saying: "Those who love Egypt should not sabotage Egypt!"
Some 200 inmates escaped a jail on the outskirts of the city, starting a fire first to cover their breakout. Eight inmates were killed during the escape.
On Saturday, feelings of joy over the sustained protest mingled with frustration over the looting and Mubarak's refusal to step down.
"To hell with Mubarak; We don't serve individuals. We serve this country that we love, just like you," yelled another soldier to protesters from atop a tank scrawled with graffiti that said: "Down with Mubarak!"
Like Mubarak, Suleiman has a military background. The powerful military has provided Egypt with its four presidents since the monarchy was toppled nearly 60 years ago. He has been in charge of some of Egypt's most sensitive foreign policy issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Suleiman, additionally, is widely seen as a central regime figure, a position that protesters were likely to view with suspicion.
Mubarak also named his new prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, the outgoing civil aviation minister and fellow former air force officer.
Both appointments perpetuate the military's overriding role in Egyptian politics.
Suleiman's frequent trips to Israel could be held against him by a population that continues to view the Jewish state as a sworn enemy more than 30 years after the two neighbors signed a peace treaty.
With the two occupying the country's most important jobs after the president from the military, Gamal, a banker-turned-politician, appears out of the running for his father's job.
A leaked U.S. diplomatic memo said Gamal and his clique of ruling party stalwarts and businessmen were gaining confidence in 2007 about controlling power in Egypt and that they believed that Mubarak would eventually dump Suleiman, who was seen as a threat by Gamal and his coterie of aides.
Gamal launched his political career within the ranks of the ruling National Democratic Party, climbed over the past 10 years to become its de facto leader, dictating economic policies and bolstering his own political standing.
Gamal's close aide and confidant, steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz, resigned from the party on Saturday, according to state television. Gamal and Ezz are suspected of orchestrating the rigging of the last parliamentary election in November, making sure the ruling party won all but a small fraction of the chamber's 518 seats.
"There is nothing short of Mubarak leaving power that will satisfy the people," Mohamed ElBaradei, the country's leading pro-reform activist told The Associated Press on Saturday. "I think what Mubarak said yesterday was an insult to the intelligence of the Egyptian people."
Buildings, statues and even armored security vehicles were covered in anti-Mubarak graffiti, including the words "Mubarak must fall," which by morning had been written over to say "Mubarak fell."
The military extended the hours of the night curfew imposed Friday in the three major cities where the worst violence has been seen — Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. State television said it would begin at 4 p.m. and last until 8 a.m., longer than the 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. ban Friday night that appeared to not have been enforced.
The Internet appeared blocked for a second day to hamper protesters who use social networking sites to organize. And after cell phone service was cut for a day Friday, two of the country's major providers were up and running Saturday.
In the capital on Friday night, hundreds of young men carted away televisions, fans and stereo equipment looted from the ruling National Democratic Party, near the Egyptian Museum.
Others around the city looted banks, smashed cars, tore down street signs and pelted armored riot police vehicles with paving stones torn from roadways.
Banks and the stock market will be closed on Sunday, the first day of the week, because of the turmoil.
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With protests raging, Egypt's president named his intelligence chief as his first-ever vice president on Saturday, setting the stage for a successor as chaos engulfed the capital. Soldiers stood by — a few even joining the demonstrators — and the death toll from five days of anti-government fury rose sharply to 74.
Saturday's fast-moving developments across the north African nation marked a sharp turning point in President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule of Egypt.
Residents and shopkeepers in affluent neighborhoods boarded up their houses and stores against looters, who roamed the streets with knives and sticks, stealing what they could and destroying cars, windows and street signs. Gunfire rang out in some neighborhoods.
Tanks and armored personnel carriers fanned out across the city of 18 million, guarding key government buildings, and major tourist and archaeological sites. Among those singled out for special protection was the Egyptian Museum, home to some of the country's most treasured antiquities, and the Cabinet building. The military closed the pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo — Egypt's premier tourist site.
But soldiers made no moves against protesters, even after a curfew came and went and the crowds swelled in the streets, demanding an end to Mubarak's rule and no handoff to the son he had been grooming to succeed him.
"This is the revolution of people of all walks of life," read black graffiti scrolled on one army tank in Tahrir Square. "Mubarak, take your son and leave," it said.
Thousands of protesters defied the curfew for the second night, standing their ground in the main Tahrir Square in a resounding rejection of Mubarak's attempt to hang onto power with promises of reform and a new government.
Police protecting the Interior Ministry near the site opened fire at a funeral procession for a dead protester, possibly because it came too close to the force. Clashes broke out and at least two people were killed.
A 43-year-old teacher, Rafaat Mubarak, said the appointment of the president's intelligence chief and longtime confidant, Omar Suleiman, as vice president did not satisfy the protesters.
"This is all nonsense. They will not fool us anymore. We want the head of the snake," he said in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. "If he is appointed by Mubarak, then he is just one more member of the gang. We are not speaking about a branch in a tree, we are talking about the roots."
The crackdown on protesters has drawn harsh criticism from the Obama administration and even a threat Friday to reduce a $1.5 billion foreign aid program if Washington's most important Arab ally escalates the use of force.
Thousands of passengers were stranded at Cairo's airport as flights were canceled or delayed, leaving them unable to leave because of a government-imposed curfew. Several Arab nations, meanwhile, moved to evacuate their citizens.
The cancelations of flights and the arrival of several largely empty aircraft appeared to herald an ominous erosion of key tourism revenue.
The protesters united in one overarching demand — Mubarak and his family must go. The movement is a culmination of years of simmering frustration over a government they see as corrupt, heavy-handed and neglectful of poverty.
Egyptians were emboldened by the uprising in Tunisia — another North African Arab nation, and further buoyed by their success in defying the ban on gatherings.
At the end of a long day of rioting and mass demonstrations Friday, Mubarak fired his Cabinet and promised reforms. But the demonstrators returned in force again Saturday to demand a complete change of regime.
The president appeared to have been preparing his son Gamal to succeed him, possibly as soon as presidential elections planned for later this year. However, there was significant public opposition to the hereditary succession.
The appointment of Suleiman, 74, answers one of the most intriguing and enduring political questions in Egypt: Who will succeed 82-year-old Mubarak?
Another question is whether his appointment will calm Egypt's seething cities.
Mubarak appointed Suleiman shortly after the U.S. said he needed to take concrete action to achieve "real reform." Suleiman is well known and respected by American officials and has traveled to Washington many times.
Before word that Mubarak had picked his first vice president, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. wanted to see Mubarak fulfill his pledges of reform.
"The Egyptian government can't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat," Crowley said on his Twitter account. "President Mubarak's words pledging reform must be followed by action."
As the army presence expanded in Cairo Saturday, police largely disappeared from the streets — possibly because their presence seemed only to fuel protesters' anger. Egyptian police are hated for their brutality.
On Friday, 17 police stations throughout Cairo were torched, with protesters stealing firearms and ammunition and freeing some jailed suspects. They also burned dozens of police trucks in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. On Saturday, protesters besieged a police station in the Giza neighborhood of Cairo, looted and pulled down Egyptian flags, then burned the building to the ground.
There were no clashes reported between protesters and the military at all, and many in the crowds showered soldiers with affection.
One army captain joined the demonstrators in Tahrir Square, who hoisted him on their shoulders while chanting slogans against Mubarak. The officer ripped apart a picture of the president.
"We don't want him! We will go after him!" demonstrators shouted. They decried looting and sabotage, saying: "Those who love Egypt should not sabotage Egypt!"
Some 200 inmates escaped a jail on the outskirts of the city, starting a fire first to cover their breakout. Eight inmates were killed during the escape.
On Saturday, feelings of joy over the sustained protest mingled with frustration over the looting and Mubarak's refusal to step down.
"To hell with Mubarak; We don't serve individuals. We serve this country that we love, just like you," yelled another soldier to protesters from atop a tank scrawled with graffiti that said: "Down with Mubarak!"
Like Mubarak, Suleiman has a military background. The powerful military has provided Egypt with its four presidents since the monarchy was toppled nearly 60 years ago. He has been in charge of some of Egypt's most sensitive foreign policy issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Suleiman, additionally, is widely seen as a central regime figure, a position that protesters were likely to view with suspicion.
Mubarak also named his new prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, the outgoing civil aviation minister and fellow former air force officer.
Both appointments perpetuate the military's overriding role in Egyptian politics.
Suleiman's frequent trips to Israel could be held against him by a population that continues to view the Jewish state as a sworn enemy more than 30 years after the two neighbors signed a peace treaty.
With the two occupying the country's most important jobs after the president from the military, Gamal, a banker-turned-politician, appears out of the running for his father's job.
A leaked U.S. diplomatic memo said Gamal and his clique of ruling party stalwarts and businessmen were gaining confidence in 2007 about controlling power in Egypt and that they believed that Mubarak would eventually dump Suleiman, who was seen as a threat by Gamal and his coterie of aides.
Gamal launched his political career within the ranks of the ruling National Democratic Party, climbed over the past 10 years to become its de facto leader, dictating economic policies and bolstering his own political standing.
Gamal's close aide and confidant, steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz, resigned from the party on Saturday, according to state television. Gamal and Ezz are suspected of orchestrating the rigging of the last parliamentary election in November, making sure the ruling party won all but a small fraction of the chamber's 518 seats.
"There is nothing short of Mubarak leaving power that will satisfy the people," Mohamed ElBaradei, the country's leading pro-reform activist told The Associated Press on Saturday. "I think what Mubarak said yesterday was an insult to the intelligence of the Egyptian people."
Buildings, statues and even armored security vehicles were covered in anti-Mubarak graffiti, including the words "Mubarak must fall," which by morning had been written over to say "Mubarak fell."
The military extended the hours of the night curfew imposed Friday in the three major cities where the worst violence has been seen — Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. State television said it would begin at 4 p.m. and last until 8 a.m., longer than the 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. ban Friday night that appeared to not have been enforced.
The Internet appeared blocked for a second day to hamper protesters who use social networking sites to organize. And after cell phone service was cut for a day Friday, two of the country's major providers were up and running Saturday.
In the capital on Friday night, hundreds of young men carted away televisions, fans and stereo equipment looted from the ruling National Democratic Party, near the Egyptian Museum.
Others around the city looted banks, smashed cars, tore down street signs and pelted armored riot police vehicles with paving stones torn from roadways.
Banks and the stock market will be closed on Sunday, the first day of the week, because of the turmoil.
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EMILY POST SAYS: "GOOD MANNERS IS A GOOD THING!"
Take a "que" from the "Diva" herself "Emily Post." The creator of all things manners and then some.
When it comes to laying down the law on what good manners are about; Emily Post is the source that comes to mind. Her book "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home" is a source for all who want know how to be polite and what to do in public. It's a book all parents and "men" should keep as a staple on their bookshelves.
Emily was the philosopher when it came to offering ways to live; saying "manners are made up of trivialities of deportment which can be easily learned if one does not happen to know them; manner is personality-the outward manifestation of one's innate character and attitude toward life."
Excerpt: A FEW MAXIMS FOR THOSE WHO TALK TO MUCH-AND EASILY!
*The faults of commission are far more serious than those of omisson; regrets are seldom for what you left unsaid.
The chatterer reveals every corner of his shallow mind; one who keeps silent cannot have his depth plumbed.
Don't pretend to know more than you do. To say you have read a book and then seemingly to understand nothing of what you have read, proves you half-wit. Only the very small mind hesitates to say "I don't know."
Above all, stop and think about what you are saying! This is really the first, last and only rule. If you "stop" you can't chatter or expound or flounder ceaselessly, and if you think, you will find a topic and a manner of presenting your topic so that your neighbor will be interested rather than long-suffering.
Remember also that the sympathetic (not apathetic) listener is the delight of delights. The person who looks glad to see you, who is seemingly eager for your news, or enthralled in your conversation; who looks at you with a kindling of the face, and gives you spontaneous and undivided attention, is the one to whom the palm for the art of conversation would undoubtedly be awarded.*
For all that want to refine themselves or start your children off on the right foot read "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home" By Emily Post.
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When it comes to laying down the law on what good manners are about; Emily Post is the source that comes to mind. Her book "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home" is a source for all who want know how to be polite and what to do in public. It's a book all parents and "men" should keep as a staple on their bookshelves.
Emily was the philosopher when it came to offering ways to live; saying "manners are made up of trivialities of deportment which can be easily learned if one does not happen to know them; manner is personality-the outward manifestation of one's innate character and attitude toward life."
Excerpt: A FEW MAXIMS FOR THOSE WHO TALK TO MUCH-AND EASILY!
*The faults of commission are far more serious than those of omisson; regrets are seldom for what you left unsaid.
The chatterer reveals every corner of his shallow mind; one who keeps silent cannot have his depth plumbed.
Don't pretend to know more than you do. To say you have read a book and then seemingly to understand nothing of what you have read, proves you half-wit. Only the very small mind hesitates to say "I don't know."
Above all, stop and think about what you are saying! This is really the first, last and only rule. If you "stop" you can't chatter or expound or flounder ceaselessly, and if you think, you will find a topic and a manner of presenting your topic so that your neighbor will be interested rather than long-suffering.
Remember also that the sympathetic (not apathetic) listener is the delight of delights. The person who looks glad to see you, who is seemingly eager for your news, or enthralled in your conversation; who looks at you with a kindling of the face, and gives you spontaneous and undivided attention, is the one to whom the palm for the art of conversation would undoubtedly be awarded.*
For all that want to refine themselves or start your children off on the right foot read "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home" By Emily Post.
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Toni Braxton Facing Foreclosure Again!
Once again, Grammy-winning and financially-challenged singer Toni Braxton is facing foreclosure. The Wall Street Journal reports that the holder of Braxton's mortgage debt won bankruptcy court approval to start proceedings against her home in Duluth, Georgia. Braxton doesn't own the property, a trust does. She owes $1.5 million on her mortgage, while the property itself been appraised at $1.2 million. She took out the mortgage in 2004 with Wells Fargo Bank and the lender later transferred its interest in the debt to a trust set up to administer a pool of mortgages for investors in those securities.According to the WSJ, Braxton earlier told the bankruptcy court she had wanted to stay in the home.
Braxton, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation last fall. She listed debts of $10 million and $50 million with assets in the $1 million to $10 million range. Creditors include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Internal Revenue Service and Neiman Marcus. She had previously filed bankruptcy in 1998. The IRS had also filed a lien against her for $396,000.
Braxton also had a home in Henderson, Nevada that she bought in 2007 for $2.6 million. The home was listed as a foreclosure on Realtor.com for $1.15 million and sold on September 17 for $1.060 million. Braxton and her four sisters, all aspiring singers, have a new reality television show "Braxton Family Values" which will run on the WE Network this April. Earlier this month it was also reported that she is mulling over posing for Playboy.
*WOW! You would of thought Toni Braxton learned her lesson after the conversation she had with Oprah years ago. I guess that went in one ear and out the other. I hope she get's it together.*
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Braxton, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation last fall. She listed debts of $10 million and $50 million with assets in the $1 million to $10 million range. Creditors include Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Internal Revenue Service and Neiman Marcus. She had previously filed bankruptcy in 1998. The IRS had also filed a lien against her for $396,000.
Braxton also had a home in Henderson, Nevada that she bought in 2007 for $2.6 million. The home was listed as a foreclosure on Realtor.com for $1.15 million and sold on September 17 for $1.060 million. Braxton and her four sisters, all aspiring singers, have a new reality television show "Braxton Family Values" which will run on the WE Network this April. Earlier this month it was also reported that she is mulling over posing for Playboy.
*WOW! You would of thought Toni Braxton learned her lesson after the conversation she had with Oprah years ago. I guess that went in one ear and out the other. I hope she get's it together.*
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Industry debuts new U.S. food labels, critics pan!
U.S. grocers joined with food and drink makers to unveil a new system on Monday for putting nutritional information on packages ahead of plans from U.S. regulators, who have called for clear and accurate labels to help fight obesity.
Critics were quick to question the front-of-package labeling move by industry, saying it appeared to be an attempt to circumvent federal regulators and to distract consumers from the unhealthy ingredients in some packaged foods.
The new program from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is called "Nutrition Keys" and will list calories, saturated fat, sodium and total sugars on the front of packages.
The Nutrition Keys icon on some products also will display information about "nutrients to encourage" -- such as potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and also protein, the industry groups said.
Nutrition Keys icons could begin appearing on packages as early as 2011, they said.
Backers said the program was developed in response to a request from First Lady Michelle Obama, who has taken on childhood obesity as her signature issue.
"We share First Lady Michelle Obama's goal of solving childhood obesity within a generation," said Pamela Bailey, president and chief executive of the GMA.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two-thirds of American adults and 15 percent of children are overweight or obese. In some states, the childhood obesity rate is above 30 percent.
Expanding waistbands are a growing problem for U.S. policymakers. Children today are likely to have a shorter life span than their parents -- which will affect their ability to work and pay taxes, while threatening to drive up health care costs. Military recruitment also has been hampered because many young people are too overweight and out of shape to serve.
Critics, who have tangled with food makers before, were skeptical about the new labeling plan, in part because it fails to differentiate between good and bad nutrients.
"The industry's unveiling today of its front-of-package labeling system is troubling and confirms that this effort should not circumvent or influence FDA's effort to develop strong guidelines," Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said in a statement.
DeLauro, the former chair of a subcommittee that sets FDA funding, was a fierce critic of "Smart Choices" a controversial industry-led nutrition labeling program.
In October 2009, FDA warned companies that the agency was investigating if nutrition claims on the front of packages were misleading and called out the "Smart Choices" labels. Officials said they were developing a proposal for those labels and exploring if consumers would benefit from a single symbol to give a quick, accurate idea of nutritional content.
Food makers like Kellogg Co, which sells Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes breakfast cereals, scrapped "Smart Choices" labeling shortly after the FDA criticism.
The Institute of Medicine and the FDA have been working to develop reports and potential guidelines for what type of nutrition information should be permitted and required on the front of food packages, said Kelly Brownell, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.
"There is much at stake," said Brownell. "Millions of people see thousands of products each day and deserve a labeling system that helps them understand nutrition information rather than misleads them."
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer group, said: "It's unfortunate the industry wouldn't adopt a more effective system or simply wait until the (FDA) developed a system that would be as useful to consumers as possible."
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*Join The Conversation*
Critics were quick to question the front-of-package labeling move by industry, saying it appeared to be an attempt to circumvent federal regulators and to distract consumers from the unhealthy ingredients in some packaged foods.
The new program from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is called "Nutrition Keys" and will list calories, saturated fat, sodium and total sugars on the front of packages.
The Nutrition Keys icon on some products also will display information about "nutrients to encourage" -- such as potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, iron and also protein, the industry groups said.
Nutrition Keys icons could begin appearing on packages as early as 2011, they said.
Backers said the program was developed in response to a request from First Lady Michelle Obama, who has taken on childhood obesity as her signature issue.
"We share First Lady Michelle Obama's goal of solving childhood obesity within a generation," said Pamela Bailey, president and chief executive of the GMA.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says two-thirds of American adults and 15 percent of children are overweight or obese. In some states, the childhood obesity rate is above 30 percent.
Expanding waistbands are a growing problem for U.S. policymakers. Children today are likely to have a shorter life span than their parents -- which will affect their ability to work and pay taxes, while threatening to drive up health care costs. Military recruitment also has been hampered because many young people are too overweight and out of shape to serve.
Critics, who have tangled with food makers before, were skeptical about the new labeling plan, in part because it fails to differentiate between good and bad nutrients.
"The industry's unveiling today of its front-of-package labeling system is troubling and confirms that this effort should not circumvent or influence FDA's effort to develop strong guidelines," Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said in a statement.
DeLauro, the former chair of a subcommittee that sets FDA funding, was a fierce critic of "Smart Choices" a controversial industry-led nutrition labeling program.
In October 2009, FDA warned companies that the agency was investigating if nutrition claims on the front of packages were misleading and called out the "Smart Choices" labels. Officials said they were developing a proposal for those labels and exploring if consumers would benefit from a single symbol to give a quick, accurate idea of nutritional content.
Food makers like Kellogg Co, which sells Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes breakfast cereals, scrapped "Smart Choices" labeling shortly after the FDA criticism.
The Institute of Medicine and the FDA have been working to develop reports and potential guidelines for what type of nutrition information should be permitted and required on the front of food packages, said Kelly Brownell, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.
"There is much at stake," said Brownell. "Millions of people see thousands of products each day and deserve a labeling system that helps them understand nutrition information rather than misleads them."
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit consumer group, said: "It's unfortunate the industry wouldn't adopt a more effective system or simply wait until the (FDA) developed a system that would be as useful to consumers as possible."
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Foods that Promote Happiness!
If you’re feeling as blue as the skies above, you will be happy to know that a few spoonfuls of the right foods may turn that frown upside down! Whole foods contain vital nutrients that provide both physical and psychological benefits. Read on to discover which foods contain those mood-boosters to help you smile your way to longevity.
Fun with Folate
Eat folate-rich foods: Leafy greens like kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, bok choy, legumes, sunflower seeds, oranges, melons, beets, and fortified whole grains
Why? Folate, also know as folic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for cell division, DNA synthesis, and healthy blood cell production. Research at the University of York and Hull York Medical School has found a link between depression and low levels of folate. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for men and women is 400 micrograms and 600 micrograms for pregnant women. To keep you smiling, increase your intake of folate-rich foods. A cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the RDA of folic acid. Plus, the fiber and protein will satisfy you longer, stabilize blood sugar, and also promote a better mood. Additional bonuses: Folate can also decrease homocysteine, an amino acid that is linked to heart disease. Low levels of folate can cause anemia, while pregnant women must increase their folate levels to prevent fetal neural tube deficiencies.
Boost Your B6
Eat B6 foods: bananas, chicken breast, garlic, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, sunflower seeds, broccoli, red bell peppers, watermelon, avocados, and potatoes
Why? Vitamin B6 plays a role in red blood cell metabolism, protein metabolism, and synthesis of neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. It also helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and increases the amount of oxygen carried to your tissues. Low levels can lead to an increase of homocysteine, anemia, headaches, and depression. The RDA for adults from age 19 to 50 is 1.3 mg/day and approximately 1.6 mg for individuals over 50. The next time you’re feeling down, grab a banana and munch your blues away!
Go Fish!
Eat omega-3-rich foods: fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and herring, flaxseeds, walnuts, and algae
Why? DHA omega-3 essential fatty acid maintains healthy brain function and is vital for fetal brain and eye development. Current research also demonstrates the association between intake of omega-3 fatty acids and depression. A meta-analysis study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that depression was significantly improved in patients with unipolar and bipolar disorders after taking three daily fish capsules for eight weeks. Eat the oily fish listed above -- a 3-ounce serving of salmon contains between 1.1 - 1.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Supplementing with high quality fish oil capsules may be an alternative if you don’t consume fish on a regular basis. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 can be found in flaxseeds, walnuts, and algae. Toss a tablespoon of sunflower seeds or walnuts into a creamy cup of unsweetened low-fat yogurt for a mega mood boost!
Good Carbs, Bad Carbs
Eat good carbs: whole grains, fruits, vegetables
Why? Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Whole grains, fruits, and veggies supply us with prolonged energy, fiber, and multiple nutrients that our bodies need for optimal health. Good quality carbohydrates can also trigger serotonin synthesis. Recognized as the “happy hormone,” serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that affects our mood and sleep. The next time you feel blue, instead of reaching for that bag of chips or sugary cookies, opt for unrefined, unprocessed carbohydrates that will provide you with sustained energy and an improved mood. Toss that muffin and enjoy a whole grain cracker with a tablespoon of natural nut butter for a delicious and uplifting snack!
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
—Dr. Mao
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*Join The Conversation*
Fun with Folate
Eat folate-rich foods: Leafy greens like kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, bok choy, legumes, sunflower seeds, oranges, melons, beets, and fortified whole grains
Why? Folate, also know as folic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for cell division, DNA synthesis, and healthy blood cell production. Research at the University of York and Hull York Medical School has found a link between depression and low levels of folate. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for men and women is 400 micrograms and 600 micrograms for pregnant women. To keep you smiling, increase your intake of folate-rich foods. A cup of cooked lentils provides 90% of the RDA of folic acid. Plus, the fiber and protein will satisfy you longer, stabilize blood sugar, and also promote a better mood. Additional bonuses: Folate can also decrease homocysteine, an amino acid that is linked to heart disease. Low levels of folate can cause anemia, while pregnant women must increase their folate levels to prevent fetal neural tube deficiencies.
Boost Your B6
Eat B6 foods: bananas, chicken breast, garlic, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, sunflower seeds, broccoli, red bell peppers, watermelon, avocados, and potatoes
Why? Vitamin B6 plays a role in red blood cell metabolism, protein metabolism, and synthesis of neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. It also helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and increases the amount of oxygen carried to your tissues. Low levels can lead to an increase of homocysteine, anemia, headaches, and depression. The RDA for adults from age 19 to 50 is 1.3 mg/day and approximately 1.6 mg for individuals over 50. The next time you’re feeling down, grab a banana and munch your blues away!
Go Fish!
Eat omega-3-rich foods: fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, and herring, flaxseeds, walnuts, and algae
Why? DHA omega-3 essential fatty acid maintains healthy brain function and is vital for fetal brain and eye development. Current research also demonstrates the association between intake of omega-3 fatty acids and depression. A meta-analysis study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that depression was significantly improved in patients with unipolar and bipolar disorders after taking three daily fish capsules for eight weeks. Eat the oily fish listed above -- a 3-ounce serving of salmon contains between 1.1 - 1.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Supplementing with high quality fish oil capsules may be an alternative if you don’t consume fish on a regular basis. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 can be found in flaxseeds, walnuts, and algae. Toss a tablespoon of sunflower seeds or walnuts into a creamy cup of unsweetened low-fat yogurt for a mega mood boost!
Good Carbs, Bad Carbs
Eat good carbs: whole grains, fruits, vegetables
Why? Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Whole grains, fruits, and veggies supply us with prolonged energy, fiber, and multiple nutrients that our bodies need for optimal health. Good quality carbohydrates can also trigger serotonin synthesis. Recognized as the “happy hormone,” serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that affects our mood and sleep. The next time you feel blue, instead of reaching for that bag of chips or sugary cookies, opt for unrefined, unprocessed carbohydrates that will provide you with sustained energy and an improved mood. Toss that muffin and enjoy a whole grain cracker with a tablespoon of natural nut butter for a delicious and uplifting snack!
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
—Dr. Mao
Diva's Nation
*Join The Conversation*
Friday, January 28, 2011
Literary Diva Presents: "INTERNATIONAL DIVA DAY!"
This is a day for all the "Diva's" or for the the "Diva's" in your life. International Diva Day will be celebrated on Feb. 20th of every year. Starting this Feb 20th 2011, get your "Diva" celebration on and solidify your "Diva" status on the day made for you. So mark your calenders for "INTERNATIONAL DIVA DAY."
This is day was created by "Literary Diva of Blogtalk Radio." By all standards she is a Diva that wants all women to feel like they to are true "Diva's."
Get your official "International Diva Day" tee@ www.cafepress.com/DivasHouse today!
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Comcast to take over NBC Universal at midnight!
The nation's largest cable TV company, Comcast Corp., was set to take control of NBC Universal on Friday after the government shackled its behavior in the coming years to protect online video services such as Netflix and Hulu.
The deal's closing was to occur shortly before midnight EST Friday, Comcast spokesman John Demming said.
The takeover gives the cable-hookup company 51 percent control of NBC Universal, which owns the nation's fourth-ranked broadcaster, NBC; the Universal Pictures movie studio and related theme parks; and a bevy of cable channels including Bravo, E! and USA.
The combination had raised fears that Comcast might abuse its control of NBC Universal to favor its most valuable customers: the 23 million who rely on it for cable TV service and the 17 million who pay for Internet connections.
But the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission imposed conditions that prevent Comcast from keeping to itself NBC Universal's popular shows such as "The Office" and movies including "Despicable Me" for the next several years.
NBC's "30 Rock" on Thursday night spoofed Comcast's impending takeover from General Electric Co. As a clock bell sounded, a neon "GE" atop an office building fizzled out and was replaced by a "K" inside a swoosh resembling Comcast's logo.
"Wow, out with GE, in with Kabletown," said Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon. "Seems like one of us should sing 'The Circle Game' right now."
Conditions imposed on Comcast were serious, though.
Regulators forced Comcast to make the full suite of NBC Universal content available as a single package to online competitors on terms comparable to those reached with more established rivals such as Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV.
NBC Universal is also expected to match new deals for smaller chunks of programming between other media firms and online video providers if it has comparable programming on hand. As an example, NBC Universal might have to make the Bravo channel's "The Real Housewives of New York City" available to Netflix Inc. if Viacom Inc. cuts a similar deal for "Jersey Shore."
The company also had to give up the decision-making power associated with its 32 percent share of Hulu, the online video service it co-owns with Disney, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners. Hulu is one of the services that makes viewing "30 Rock" possible online.
The rules highlight the new battleground for entertainment in the home between traditional power players such as Comcast, which has lost subscribers in the economic downturn, and companies such as Netflix, which added them with its cheap service and compatibility with a range of devices. Netflix ended the year with 20 million customers after adding 3.1 million during the fourth quarter, by far the most during any three-month period since its service launched in 1999.
In the deal, Comcast was to pay General Electric about $6.5 billion in cash and contribute its pay TV channels such as E! Entertainment Television and The Golf Channel, worth $7.25 billion, to NBC Universal.
GE's stake in NBC Universal was to drop to 49 percent from 80 percent, but GE plans to diminish that to zero by being paid out from the venture over about seven years. Earlier this week, GE bought out the 20 percent stake held by France's Vivendi SA for $5.8 billion in order to complete the deal.
As part of Comcast's takeover, NBC Universal changed its corporate logo to NBCUniversal — without the space, the peacock or the globe silhouette. Officially, the company's name is still NBC Universal, but the space-less design is meant to represent the unity of its two main divisions.
Ahead of a town hall meeting with their new corporate bosses on Thursday, some 25,000 NBC Universal employees each received a certificate for 25 Comcast shares, worth $22.84 each on Friday; a family pass to one of the Universal theme parks; and other materials, including a "Big Idea Book" in which they were to record their own.
*Very interesting that this deal even went down. It comes down to; what will Comcast with do with it's new mega power? Time will tell.*
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The deal's closing was to occur shortly before midnight EST Friday, Comcast spokesman John Demming said.
The takeover gives the cable-hookup company 51 percent control of NBC Universal, which owns the nation's fourth-ranked broadcaster, NBC; the Universal Pictures movie studio and related theme parks; and a bevy of cable channels including Bravo, E! and USA.
The combination had raised fears that Comcast might abuse its control of NBC Universal to favor its most valuable customers: the 23 million who rely on it for cable TV service and the 17 million who pay for Internet connections.
But the Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission imposed conditions that prevent Comcast from keeping to itself NBC Universal's popular shows such as "The Office" and movies including "Despicable Me" for the next several years.
NBC's "30 Rock" on Thursday night spoofed Comcast's impending takeover from General Electric Co. As a clock bell sounded, a neon "GE" atop an office building fizzled out and was replaced by a "K" inside a swoosh resembling Comcast's logo.
"Wow, out with GE, in with Kabletown," said Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon. "Seems like one of us should sing 'The Circle Game' right now."
Conditions imposed on Comcast were serious, though.
Regulators forced Comcast to make the full suite of NBC Universal content available as a single package to online competitors on terms comparable to those reached with more established rivals such as Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV.
NBC Universal is also expected to match new deals for smaller chunks of programming between other media firms and online video providers if it has comparable programming on hand. As an example, NBC Universal might have to make the Bravo channel's "The Real Housewives of New York City" available to Netflix Inc. if Viacom Inc. cuts a similar deal for "Jersey Shore."
The company also had to give up the decision-making power associated with its 32 percent share of Hulu, the online video service it co-owns with Disney, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners. Hulu is one of the services that makes viewing "30 Rock" possible online.
The rules highlight the new battleground for entertainment in the home between traditional power players such as Comcast, which has lost subscribers in the economic downturn, and companies such as Netflix, which added them with its cheap service and compatibility with a range of devices. Netflix ended the year with 20 million customers after adding 3.1 million during the fourth quarter, by far the most during any three-month period since its service launched in 1999.
In the deal, Comcast was to pay General Electric about $6.5 billion in cash and contribute its pay TV channels such as E! Entertainment Television and The Golf Channel, worth $7.25 billion, to NBC Universal.
GE's stake in NBC Universal was to drop to 49 percent from 80 percent, but GE plans to diminish that to zero by being paid out from the venture over about seven years. Earlier this week, GE bought out the 20 percent stake held by France's Vivendi SA for $5.8 billion in order to complete the deal.
As part of Comcast's takeover, NBC Universal changed its corporate logo to NBCUniversal — without the space, the peacock or the globe silhouette. Officially, the company's name is still NBC Universal, but the space-less design is meant to represent the unity of its two main divisions.
Ahead of a town hall meeting with their new corporate bosses on Thursday, some 25,000 NBC Universal employees each received a certificate for 25 Comcast shares, worth $22.84 each on Friday; a family pass to one of the Universal theme parks; and other materials, including a "Big Idea Book" in which they were to record their own.
*Very interesting that this deal even went down. It comes down to; what will Comcast with do with it's new mega power? Time will tell.*
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Pennsylvania School Experiments With Segregation!
WHAT A WAY TO GET MEDIA ATTENTION!
*NOT A GOOD LOOK*
A Pennsylvania high school says some students are separated by race, gender and language for a few minutes each day in an effort to boost academic scores, raising controversy over the historically contentious issue of segregation in schools.
The initiative is a pilot program intended to capitalize on "enriching students' experiences through mentoring" and is derived from school research "that shows grouping black students by gender with a strong role model can help boost their academic achievement and self esteem," according to a statement from McCaskey East High School in Lancaster.
"Educators immediately noticed strong bonds being formed between all students and mentor teachers," the statement said.
The junior class at McCaskey East is voluntarily segregated by the students, who organize themselves "by gender, race and/or language," said school spokeswoman Kelly Burkholder.
But some school experts say the experiment is misguided.
"When we talk about reducing the achievement gap, do we mean merely reducing the discrepancy of test scores of white students and students of color?" asked education consultant Sam Chaltain. "Or do we mean reducing the predictive impact that things like race, class and gender have on all aspects of student engagement, performance and learning?"
The school's principal defended the policy.
"One of the things we said when we did this was, 'Let's look at the data, let's not run from it. Let's confront it and see what we can do about it,'" said school principal Bill Jimenez. "In visiting the classrooms, I saw students planning their path for success after graduation."
But while McCaskey East students are "segregated" for six minutes each day and 20 minutes twice a month, some say other school systems in the country appear to be reverting to real segregation.
Last month, the NAACP held a three-day education summit in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Wake County School Board, bolstered by the election of four new conservative members last year, ended the school system's 10-year-old diversity policy that used the number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches to assign students to schools.
They plan to replace the policy with a "neighborhood schools system" that critics say will establish real segregation.
"School boards across this country are rolling the clock back to the time before Brown vs. the Board of Education," NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a statement. "The NAACP will not let this happen."
The 1954 case from Topeka, Kansas, ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning an earlier ruling in a decision that determined "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."
But as educators look for new ways to improve student aptitude, some point out that McCaskey East High School could have the right idea. A national study from UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies claims to show that girls from single-sex schools have an edge over their co-ed peers.
*NOT A GOOD LOOK*
A Pennsylvania high school says some students are separated by race, gender and language for a few minutes each day in an effort to boost academic scores, raising controversy over the historically contentious issue of segregation in schools.
The initiative is a pilot program intended to capitalize on "enriching students' experiences through mentoring" and is derived from school research "that shows grouping black students by gender with a strong role model can help boost their academic achievement and self esteem," according to a statement from McCaskey East High School in Lancaster.
"Educators immediately noticed strong bonds being formed between all students and mentor teachers," the statement said.
The junior class at McCaskey East is voluntarily segregated by the students, who organize themselves "by gender, race and/or language," said school spokeswoman Kelly Burkholder.
But some school experts say the experiment is misguided.
"When we talk about reducing the achievement gap, do we mean merely reducing the discrepancy of test scores of white students and students of color?" asked education consultant Sam Chaltain. "Or do we mean reducing the predictive impact that things like race, class and gender have on all aspects of student engagement, performance and learning?"
The school's principal defended the policy.
"One of the things we said when we did this was, 'Let's look at the data, let's not run from it. Let's confront it and see what we can do about it,'" said school principal Bill Jimenez. "In visiting the classrooms, I saw students planning their path for success after graduation."
But while McCaskey East students are "segregated" for six minutes each day and 20 minutes twice a month, some say other school systems in the country appear to be reverting to real segregation.
Last month, the NAACP held a three-day education summit in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Wake County School Board, bolstered by the election of four new conservative members last year, ended the school system's 10-year-old diversity policy that used the number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches to assign students to schools.
They plan to replace the policy with a "neighborhood schools system" that critics say will establish real segregation.
"School boards across this country are rolling the clock back to the time before Brown vs. the Board of Education," NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous said in a statement. "The NAACP will not let this happen."
The 1954 case from Topeka, Kansas, ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning an earlier ruling in a decision that determined "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."
But as educators look for new ways to improve student aptitude, some point out that McCaskey East High School could have the right idea. A national study from UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies claims to show that girls from single-sex schools have an edge over their co-ed peers.
"Single-sex education appears to produce favorable outcomes for female students, especially in terms of their confidence, engagement and aspirations, most notably in areas related to math and science," the 2008 study said.
*This is taking black people back into a time where segregation was a staple. This school should be sanctioned or lose funding especially for those 6 min or 20 min classes. Again, not a good look for a race of people whose trying to move beyond racial tensions and have a place in American society. WHAT A HOT MESS!*
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Rise in Some Head and Neck Cancers Tied to Oral Sex: Study!
(HealthDay News) -- There's a worrisome uptick in the incidence of certain head and neck cancers among middle-aged and even younger Americans, and some experts link the trend to a rise in the popularity of oral sex over the past few decades.
That's because the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major trigger for these cancers, and HPV can be transmitted through this type of sexual activity.
"It seems like a pretty good link that more sexual activity, particularly oral sex, is associated with increased HPV infection," said Dr. Greg Hartig, professor of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
According to Dr. William Lydiatt, professor and chief of head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the overall incidence of head and neck cancers is going down, largely because fewer people are smoking (tobacco and drinking are the major traditional risk factors).
But the incidence of cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue have been going up over the past decades, he said. And those are the ones that are more likely to test positive for HPV.
"It's gotten to the point now where 60 to 70 percent of all tonsil cancers in the U.S. are HPV-related," Lydiatt said.
Although the link between HPV and these types of cancers is indisputable, the association with oral sex is strong but a little more speculative, experts say.
A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that younger people with head and neck cancers who tested positive for oral HPV infection were more likely to have had multiple vaginal and oral sex partners in their lifetime.
In the study, having six or more oral sex partners over a lifetime was associated with a 3.4 times higher risk for oropharyngeal cancer -- cancers of the base of the tongue, back of the throat or tonsils. Having 26 or more vaginal-sex partners tripled the risk.
And the association increased as the number of partners -- in either category -- increased.
The researchers also reported that cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue have been increasing every year since 1973, and wrote that "widespread oral sex practices among adolescents may be a contributing factor in this increase."
The researchers concluded that in their study, oral sex was "strongly associated" with oropharyngeal cancer, but noted that they could not "rule out transmission through direct mouth-to-mouth contact" such as French kissing.
In 90 percent of cases of HPV infection in the body, the immune system clears HPV naturally within two years, according to federal health agencies, but in some cases, certain types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer or less common malignancies, such as oropharyngeal cancer. A 2010 Swedish study, in fact, suggested that the rise in oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer in a number of countries "is caused by a slow epidemic of HPV infection-induced [cancers]."
HPV tends to be site specific, explained Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, an adjunct instructor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In other words, it tends to stay wherever it first enters the body, be it the vagina (which in some cases could lead to cervical cancer), or the mouth and throat.
So does the increase in incidence mean that recent generations are having more sex than their grandparents?
"The general consensus on the street is that because people's [sexual] practices have changed over time, we're seeing an increase in these cancers," said Hartig. "I don't know why they're having more oral sex [but] the concept of having oral sex is something that seems less obscure to you than it did to your parents or grandparents."
"The thought would be that the Baby Boomers -- the 60s and early 70s generation -- probably had more freedom in sexual relationships in general, including oral sex," added Dr. Bert W. O'Malley, Jr., chair of otorhinolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
And at least in terms of oral sex, that appears true for those younger than Boomers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, in 2002, some 90 percent of males and 88 percent of females aged 25 to 44 reported ever having oral sex with a partner of the opposite sex.
Comparable figures from 1992 showed that about three-quarters of men aged 20 to 39 and closer to 70 percent of women aged 18 to 59 having ever given or received oral sex.
The silver lining is that the HPV-related head and neck cancers are eminently more treatable than those attributable to smoking or drinking, even though they tend to be diagnosed at a later stage.
"[HPV-related head-and-neck cancers] have been a lot easier to treat. You can use less-intensive radiation," said Dr. D.J. Verret, clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and a facial plastic surgeon in Plano, Texas.
About 85 percent of non-smoking people with HPV-positive tumors survive. That number drops to 45 or 50 percent in people who smoke and are HPV-negative, Lydiatt said.
And tongue and tonsil cancers remain relatively rare in the United States. The other good news -- at least for the younger set -- is that there is a relatively new vaccine to prevent against HPV infection. It's not going to help those who are already infected, but it "absolutely" could help those who aren't yet infected with the ubiquitous virus, Verret said.
Meanwhile, people, especially younger people, need to realize that smoking is not the only risk factor for head and neck cancer. If you find a lump in your neck, even if you're only 20 or 30, "pay attention to it," Lydiatt said.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on head and neck cancers.
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*Join The Conversation*
That's because the human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major trigger for these cancers, and HPV can be transmitted through this type of sexual activity.
"It seems like a pretty good link that more sexual activity, particularly oral sex, is associated with increased HPV infection," said Dr. Greg Hartig, professor of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
According to Dr. William Lydiatt, professor and chief of head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, the overall incidence of head and neck cancers is going down, largely because fewer people are smoking (tobacco and drinking are the major traditional risk factors).
But the incidence of cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue have been going up over the past decades, he said. And those are the ones that are more likely to test positive for HPV.
"It's gotten to the point now where 60 to 70 percent of all tonsil cancers in the U.S. are HPV-related," Lydiatt said.
Although the link between HPV and these types of cancers is indisputable, the association with oral sex is strong but a little more speculative, experts say.
A 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that younger people with head and neck cancers who tested positive for oral HPV infection were more likely to have had multiple vaginal and oral sex partners in their lifetime.
In the study, having six or more oral sex partners over a lifetime was associated with a 3.4 times higher risk for oropharyngeal cancer -- cancers of the base of the tongue, back of the throat or tonsils. Having 26 or more vaginal-sex partners tripled the risk.
And the association increased as the number of partners -- in either category -- increased.
The researchers also reported that cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue have been increasing every year since 1973, and wrote that "widespread oral sex practices among adolescents may be a contributing factor in this increase."
The researchers concluded that in their study, oral sex was "strongly associated" with oropharyngeal cancer, but noted that they could not "rule out transmission through direct mouth-to-mouth contact" such as French kissing.
In 90 percent of cases of HPV infection in the body, the immune system clears HPV naturally within two years, according to federal health agencies, but in some cases, certain types of HPV can lead to cervical cancer or less common malignancies, such as oropharyngeal cancer. A 2010 Swedish study, in fact, suggested that the rise in oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer in a number of countries "is caused by a slow epidemic of HPV infection-induced [cancers]."
HPV tends to be site specific, explained Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, an adjunct instructor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In other words, it tends to stay wherever it first enters the body, be it the vagina (which in some cases could lead to cervical cancer), or the mouth and throat.
So does the increase in incidence mean that recent generations are having more sex than their grandparents?
"The general consensus on the street is that because people's [sexual] practices have changed over time, we're seeing an increase in these cancers," said Hartig. "I don't know why they're having more oral sex [but] the concept of having oral sex is something that seems less obscure to you than it did to your parents or grandparents."
"The thought would be that the Baby Boomers -- the 60s and early 70s generation -- probably had more freedom in sexual relationships in general, including oral sex," added Dr. Bert W. O'Malley, Jr., chair of otorhinolaryngology--head and neck surgery at the University of Pennsylvania.
And at least in terms of oral sex, that appears true for those younger than Boomers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, in 2002, some 90 percent of males and 88 percent of females aged 25 to 44 reported ever having oral sex with a partner of the opposite sex.
Comparable figures from 1992 showed that about three-quarters of men aged 20 to 39 and closer to 70 percent of women aged 18 to 59 having ever given or received oral sex.
The silver lining is that the HPV-related head and neck cancers are eminently more treatable than those attributable to smoking or drinking, even though they tend to be diagnosed at a later stage.
"[HPV-related head-and-neck cancers] have been a lot easier to treat. You can use less-intensive radiation," said Dr. D.J. Verret, clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and a facial plastic surgeon in Plano, Texas.
About 85 percent of non-smoking people with HPV-positive tumors survive. That number drops to 45 or 50 percent in people who smoke and are HPV-negative, Lydiatt said.
And tongue and tonsil cancers remain relatively rare in the United States. The other good news -- at least for the younger set -- is that there is a relatively new vaccine to prevent against HPV infection. It's not going to help those who are already infected, but it "absolutely" could help those who aren't yet infected with the ubiquitous virus, Verret said.
Meanwhile, people, especially younger people, need to realize that smoking is not the only risk factor for head and neck cancer. If you find a lump in your neck, even if you're only 20 or 30, "pay attention to it," Lydiatt said.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on head and neck cancers.
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*Join The Conversation*
Court puts Emanuel back in Chicago mayor's race!
Minutes after finding out that Illinois' highest court had put him back in the race for Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel was at a downtown transit station, shaking hands and talking about a congratulatory phone call from President Barack Obama.
The scene after the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in Emanuel's favor served as a reminder that he was still the front-runner. He had barely broken stride during the three days his campaign was in doubt after a lower court threw the former White House chief of staff off the ballot because he had not lived in Chicago for a full year before the Feb. 22 election. Emanuel is still far ahead in the polls, millions of dollars ahead in fundraising, and again reminding voters of his friends in the highest of places — even as he tries to win votes in train stations and bowling alleys.
The scene after the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in Emanuel's favor served as a reminder that he was still the front-runner. He had barely broken stride during the three days his campaign was in doubt after a lower court threw the former White House chief of staff off the ballot because he had not lived in Chicago for a full year before the Feb. 22 election. Emanuel is still far ahead in the polls, millions of dollars ahead in fundraising, and again reminding voters of his friends in the highest of places — even as he tries to win votes in train stations and bowling alleys.
"The good news is now that we have the Supreme Court decision, it's behind us," he said a short time later during a debate with other candidates. "Hopefully this will be the last question about it for all of us, including myself."
*One things for certain, Rahm Emanuel is unstoppable. He is on the path to becoming Chicago's next Mayor.*
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Mubarak appears on TV, defends security forces!
Embattled President Hosni Mubarak has appeared on television for the first time since protests erupted demanding his ouster, and he says he will press ahead with social, economic and political reforms.
He is defending security forces' crackdown on protesters.
Protesters have seized the streets of Cairo, battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters, and defying a night curfew enforced by a military deployment. It is the peak of unrest posing the most dire threat to Mubarak in his three decades of authoritarian rule.
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He is defending security forces' crackdown on protesters.
Protesters have seized the streets of Cairo, battling police with stones and firebombs, burning down the ruling party headquarters, and defying a night curfew enforced by a military deployment. It is the peak of unrest posing the most dire threat to Mubarak in his three decades of authoritarian rule.
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Huge parking fines inspired parking watch app!
Massive parking fines inspired one Australian man to create an iPhone app that lets users warn each other when parking officers are spotted lurking near their cars.
"The idea was pretty much born out of frustration," said Joseph Darling of "ParkPatrol," the app developed by his Sydney-based firm to help users avoid tickets that cost what he said was at least $82 Australian ($81) a shot -- and often more.
"I could show you a list of maybe 20 to 30 parking tickets that I had last year, in my town, just by being a normal driver. I must have spent thousands of dollars."
The final straw came when he was ticketed in his own neighborhood despite a parking permit that he pays hundreds of dollars for each year.
The app lets users "sign in" and report sightings of parking officers with a single push of a button. Cartoon faces wearing a police cap then appear plotted on a map of the area, along with a notice thanking them.
The app will also alert users if a parking officer is spotted in their area and how close. Notification options for 500 meters (1,640 ft), 200 meters and 100 meters are available.
The free app is available in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Roughly 80 percent of users are in Australia, but it is also used in England, Spain, France and Germany, Darling said.
"With an active community, it's pretty accurate. We reckon around 90 percent," he added.
Future versions, currently being finished, will include an alert function for when parking time has expired. The company is also finalizing an Android version.
Next on the drawing board? A similar app that allows women to report sightings of handsome men.
*This is very interesting. What a way to not get a ticket. Next up major American cities, where the fines are hefty. Can you say Philly!*
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"The idea was pretty much born out of frustration," said Joseph Darling of "ParkPatrol," the app developed by his Sydney-based firm to help users avoid tickets that cost what he said was at least $82 Australian ($81) a shot -- and often more.
"I could show you a list of maybe 20 to 30 parking tickets that I had last year, in my town, just by being a normal driver. I must have spent thousands of dollars."
The final straw came when he was ticketed in his own neighborhood despite a parking permit that he pays hundreds of dollars for each year.
The app lets users "sign in" and report sightings of parking officers with a single push of a button. Cartoon faces wearing a police cap then appear plotted on a map of the area, along with a notice thanking them.
The app will also alert users if a parking officer is spotted in their area and how close. Notification options for 500 meters (1,640 ft), 200 meters and 100 meters are available.
The free app is available in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Roughly 80 percent of users are in Australia, but it is also used in England, Spain, France and Germany, Darling said.
"With an active community, it's pretty accurate. We reckon around 90 percent," he added.
Future versions, currently being finished, will include an alert function for when parking time has expired. The company is also finalizing an Android version.
Next on the drawing board? A similar app that allows women to report sightings of handsome men.
*This is very interesting. What a way to not get a ticket. Next up major American cities, where the fines are hefty. Can you say Philly!*
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