Pa. railroad calendar delivered 63 years late

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) ? A northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper has just received a calendar to help ring in the new year ? except the year is 1950.

Scranton's The Times-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/S23ykD ) a mail carrier delivered it 63 years late without explanation on Friday.

The large tube contained a 1950 Pennsylvania Railroad calendar addressed to James Flanagan, former general manager of The Scranton Times.

The calendar includes a holiday greeting from a railroad executive dated December 1949. Flanagan died that month.

A U.S. Postal Service spokesman says lost mail is sometimes found when a machine is dismantled or office space is renovated.

Times-Tribune publisher Bobby Lynett says he'll see if the Steamtown National Historic Site railroad museum is interested in the calendar. If not, he'll display it in the newspaper's offices.

___

Information from: The Times-Tribune, http://thetimes-tribune.com/

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-12-31-Decades-Late%20Delivery/id-693f01d29102451db50dc69483713e26

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Fiscal cliff deal would pale against expectations

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Whether negotiated in a rush before the new year or left for early January, the fiscal deal President Barack Obama and Congress cobble together will be far smaller than what they initially envisioned as an alternative to purposefully distasteful tax increases and spending cuts.

Instead, their compromise, if they do indeed cut a deal, will put off some big decisions about tax and entitlement changes and leave other deadlines in place that will likely lead to similar moments of brinkmanship, some in just a matter of weeks.

Republican and Democratic negotiators in the Senate were hoping for an accord as early as Sunday on what threshold to set for increased tax rates, whether to keep current inheritance tax rates and exemptions and how to pay for jobless benefits and avoid cuts in Medicare payments to doctors.

An agreement would halt automatic across-the-board tax increases for virtually every American and perhaps temporarily put off some steep spending cuts in defense and domestic programs.

Gone, however, is the talk of a grand bargain that would tackle broad spending and revenue demands and set the nation on a course to lower deficits. Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner were once a couple hundred billion dollars apart from a deal that would have reduced the deficit by more than $2 trillion over 10 years.

The trimmed ambitions of today are a far cry from the upbeat bipartisan rhetoric of just six weeks ago, when the leadership of Congress went to the White House to set the stage for negotiations to come.

"I outlined a framework that deals with reforming our tax code and reforming our spending," Boehner said as the leaders gathered on the White House driveway on Nov. 16.

"We understand that it has to be about cuts, it has to be about revenue, it has to be about growth, it has to be about the future," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said at the time. "I feel confident that a solution may be in sight."

And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., offered a bold prediction: "There is no more let's do it some other time. We are going to do it now."

That big talk is gone for now.

Senate negotiators were haggling over what threshold of income to set as the demarcation between current tax rates and higher tax rates. They were negotiating over estate limits and tax levels, how to extend unemployment benefits, how to prevent cuts in Medicare payments to doctors and how to keep a minimum income tax payment designed for the rich from hitting about 28 million middle class taxpayers.

But the deal was not meant to settle other outstanding issues, including more than $1 trillion in cuts over 10 years, divided equally between the Pentagon and other government spending. The deal also would not address an extension of the nation's borrowing limit, which the government is on track to reach any day but which the Treasury can put off through accounting measures for about two months.

That means Obama and the Congress are already on a new collision path.

Republicans say they intend to use the debt ceiling as leverage to extract more spending cuts from the president. Obama has been adamant that unlike 2011, when the country came close to defaulting on its debts, he will not yield to those Republican demands.

As the day ended Saturday, there were few signs of success on a scaled-back deal, but no one was declaring a stalemate either.

Lawmakers have until the new Congress convenes to pass any compromise, and even the calendar mattered. Democrats said they had been told House Republicans might reject a deal until after Jan. 1, to avoid a vote to raise taxes before they had technically gone up, and then vote to cut taxes after they had risen.

Republicans said they were willing to bow to Obama's call for higher taxes on the wealthy as part of an agreement to prevent them from rising on those less well-off.

Democrats said Obama was sticking to his campaign call for tax increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though in recent negotiations he said he could accept $400,000. There was no evidence of agreement even at the higher level.

Obama, who once proposed nearly $1.6 trillion in tax revenue over 10 years, would get about half of that if he succeeded in getting a $250,000 threshold over 10 years. At a $400,000 level, the revenue figure drops to about $600 billion over a decade.

Republicans want to leave the estate tax at 35 percent after exempting the first $5 million in estate value. Officials said the White House wants a 45 percent tax after a $3.5 million exemption. Without any action by Congress, it would climb to a 55 percent tax after a $1 million exemption on Jan. 1. Obama's proposal would generate more than $100 billion in additional revenue over 10 years.

Democrats stressed their unwillingness to make concessions on both income taxes and the estate tax, and hoped Republicans would choose which mattered more to them.

___

Associated Press writer David Espo contributed to this article.

___

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fiscal-cliff-deal-pale-against-092838299.html

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Superwoman Spirit: Friend making Monday FMM

I am not real big on resolutions but I find myself kind of making them anyway. ?One of mine is to fill my life with things that inspire me. ?One of the things that inspire me is reading amazing blogs. My inspiration meter gets filled up by seeing the possibility in myself through others. ?Since I am just getting back into the groove of things here today I am going to take an easy route on this blog post and do FMM (Friend Making Monday) from All The Weigh. ?You can also go to All The Weigh and participate by answering these same questions and linking them up in the comments. Thanks for making it easy on me Kenlie!

The topic is 2013

1.?Share one thing that you plan to do for yourself in 2013.? Find myself again. ?Sounds corny but I seriously have gotten lost the past 2+ years and I miss me.?

2.?Share a good habit that you will continue doing into the new year.? Meditating. ?I have just started learning how and it is amazing. ?Love having this tool in my tool box of life. ?Thanks Kat!

3.?Do you make new year?s make resolutions? If so, do you typically stick to them??By default yes but if I made a huge statement with a new year's resolution I would most likely stress myself out and fail. ?So I just go with the flow and what feels right at the moment. ?It works better for me that way. ?I guess I am just not good under pressure. ?

4.?Do you have any health goals for the new year??Yes! ?Just better health in general. ?I do plan to start exercising again and mindfully eating. ?This refers right back to #1.

5.?Share one thing that you plan to do in January.?Make myself a schedule. ?I am tired of waking up overwhelmed and guessing what to do for the day. I need more structure for sure.

6.?Do you have any travel plans for the coming year? If so, where are you most excited to go??There are several in the wish box that include a couple trips to California and possibly Oregon but the wish box has to match up with the money and time boxes. ?So far looking good ;)?

7.?What are your plans for New Year?s Eve??Home, family, card games and movies. ?I am relishing every single new year that the Rottens are still in the house. ?I know it will change all to soon.?

8.?What are your resolutions for 2013??Go with the flow.?

9.?What are you looking forward to most over the next 12 months? Reconnecting with my inspiring friends. ?Finding the parts of me that I have lost and really embracing the possibility of what can be.

10.?Share something unique that you hope to do in 2013.?That is tough one! ?Try new things. ?Step outside my comfort zone. ?Maybe not so unique but it will be more than enough for me!

Now it's your turn to answer these questions. ?Don't forget to go come back and link up your post in the comments and say hi to someone new! ?

Source: http://www.superwomanspiritblog.com/2012/12/friend-making-monday-fmm.html

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iPad or Surface Giveaway

Second last day of this year people!!!

And what better way than to usher in the new year with an awesome giveaway right?

So welcome to the iPad or Surface giveaway event hosted by

Bay Area Mommy, The Frugal FilAm,

I'm A Full Time Mummy (yup, that's me!!) and Shopaholic Mommy!

Get a chance to win either a 16GB iPad with retina display ($499) or a 32GB Microsoft Surface Tablet ($499)!!!

Already have a tablet? No problem! You can opt for the cash equivalent via Paypal!

Giveaway runs from December 30, 2012 at 12:01AM EST through January 20, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.

Open worldwide.

If winner is outside the US, he/she will get the cash equivalent. Must be 18 years or older to be eligible.

** Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment. For any questions regarding this giveaway, please contact Bay Area Mommy.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ImAFull-timeMummy/~3/4CH93NbG_e4/post.aspx

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Tax filing delays are?another 'fiscal cliff' worry

With some investments already feeling the pain of the looming cliff, millions of Americans are at risk of being affected. The first to consider is the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, according to CNBC's Jackie Deangelis.

By Allison Linn, TODAY

If you?re the type of person who likes to file your income tax return as soon as possible, then you?ve got another reason to be frustrated by the fiscal cliff stalemate in Washington, D.C.

Most of the tax changes being discussed as part of the fiscal cliff negotiations would go into effect in 2013, meaning that taxpayers would first have to account for them when they went to file those tax returns in early 2014.

But a handful of the provisions under discussion could affect Americans? 2012 taxes. The down-to-the-wire negotiations in the nation's capital could leave the IRS scrambling to adopt the changes in its systems, delaying the agency?s ability to accept some people?s returns.

?Congress oftentimes waits until the last minute to pass legislation, and then that in a turn affects the IRS,? said Bob Meighan, vice president with tax software provider TurboTax.

---

That's definitely been the case this time around. Just a few days before the end of the year, Congress has not been able to come to an agreement over a series of tax increases that are scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1. President Barack Obama said Friday that he was "modestly optimistic" a deal could still be reached to avert going over the so-called fiscal cliff.?

Acting IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller has already warned that there could be serious filing delays if Congress doesn?t provide a patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax. An IRS spokesman said Friday that the agency did not have any further information beyond the warnings Miller gave to lawmakers in a letter earlier this month.

The AMT is a provision in the tax code that was designed to ensure that wealthy taxpayers have to?pay at least a minimum amount of taxes. It was never indexed for inflation, however, so Congress has had to provide temporary fixes over the years to ensure that lower-income taxpayers aren?t affected.

That hasn?t happened yet this year because of the fiscal cliff stalemate. In the letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp earlier this month, Miller, the acting IRS commissioner, warned that if Congress doesn?t provide a patch this year, then the IRS would have to make significant programming changes to account for that.

?In that event, given the magnitude and complexity of the changes needed, I want to reiterate that most taxpayers may not be able to file their 2012 tax returns until late in March of 2013, or even later,? Miller wrote in the Dec. 19 letter.

Miller also warned that as many as 30 million additional taxpayers could be subject to the AMT if a patch isn?t put in place.

For now, Miller said the IRS is acting as if Congress will provide an AMT patch.

Meighan, of TurboTax, said his company also has prepared its software as if a patch will be in place. But he said the company also is ready to?switch gears quickly if it must.

Meighan said a few other provisions under discussion as part of the fiscal cliff negotiation could affect a minority of taxpayers in 2012. Those include a deduction teachers get for school supplies they purchase for their classrooms and a tuition and fees deduction that applies to some students.

"It's really gotten to a point now where you have the ideological divisions in the country overlapped now with the partisan divisions," said CNBC's Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood.

The IRS has had to ask people to delay filing their returns before. In 2010, Congress passed last-minute tax law changes on Dec. 17. As a result, the IRS said it wouldn?t be able to accept returns with itemized deductions until February of 2011 because it needed time to adjust its systems.

If people are forced to wait to file their tax returns, that would also mean a delay in getting tax refunds. Roberton Williams, a senior fellow with the Tax Policy Center, said that in turn could have some effect on the economy because many people count on that money to pay off debt or buy big-ticket items.

If the AMT isn?t patched at all, he noted, that would be an even bigger economic hit because some taxpayers wouldn?t get their expected refund at all.

?That will have a major effect on the economy,? Williams said. ?It will be pulling a lot of money out of the economy that people are expecting.?

Despite the Congressional deadlock, experts say they are still assuming a deal will be made to put the patch in place.

?For most people, come 2013 they?ll be able to file their taxes, they?ll get their refund and life goes on,? Meighan said.

{"contentId":"16216387","totalVotes":"20882"}

When do you usually file your taxes?

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Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/12/29/16216387-heres-another-fiscal-cliff-worry-tax-filing-delays?lite

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Clear Lake (Houston) Texas - Two Little Brown Birds

BirdForum is the net's largest birding community, dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE! You are most welcome to register for an account, which allows you to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Source: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=247429&goto=newpost

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Pakistan seeks help to rescue 23 missing police

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Pakistani officials pressured tribal elders Friday to help rescue 23 policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban during attacks on their posts in the country's troubled northwest tribal region.

Also Friday, missiles fired from unmanned U.S. aircraft killed four suspected militants at a training center elsewhere in the remote frontier area, the main sanctuary for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in the country, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The 23 tribal policemen went missing before dawn Thursday when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in the Darra Adam Khel tribal region. Two policemen were also killed in the attacks.

Senior political officials held a meeting in the main northwest city of Peshawar on Friday with tribal elders from both the villages where the attacks took place, said government administrator Naveed Akbar Khan. Tribal law stipulates that the elders could be punished for attacks that occurred in their areas.

Officials gave the elders until Monday to rescue the missing policemen and arrest the culprits, said Khan. If they fail to do so, authorities may take punitive action, such as cutting off monthly allowances they receive from the government. The elders said they would do everything they could to help, said Khan.

Security forces have also launched an operation to try to recover the missing policemen.

The U.S. missile strike Friday occurred in Gorbuz village in the North Waziristan tribal area, said Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Three missiles hit a suspected militant training center in the village, they said.

The U.S. rarely speaks publicly about the covert CIA drone program in Pakistan, but officials have said privately that the strikes have killed many senior Taliban and al-Qaida commanders.

____

Associated Press writer Rasool Dawar contributed to this report from Peshawar.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-28-Pakistan/id-f4772b672d7746e5bea1c09e615104a4

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San Diego Relocation Specialist Launches New Real Estate Website

By carhall, on December 28th, 2012

In order to better serve the wants of those relocating to the San Diego area, San Diego relocation expert news release distribution Melanie Hurwitz has just launched a new website, SanDiegoCountyHomes Featuring extensive property lists and community info, the site is a single-stop destination for home purchasers and sellers throughout the region. ?Whether you are moving to Oceanside, CA from across the land or you'd like to get more updates on the property market in San Diego County as a whole, I invite you to check out my new site,? asserts Hurwitz. ?Here you can flick thru my featured properties, search the MLS, access a selection of home-buying and selling articles, learn more about the different communities in the area, and more.? An expert in every kind of residential real-estate, from luxury homes for sale in Carlsbad, CA to homes on acreage, Hurwitz has been a property pro for more than thirteen years. A California native, she is also an approved broker in Oregon, having relocated and established a successful property business there before moving back to California. ?I've also got a technological, marketing and client service background thanks to the years I spent working at several hitech firms here in the San Diego area,? she asserts. ?It has helped me keep recent on the newest technological progress in the property industry.? Located in Vista and associated with New Beginnings Property, Hurwitz has a particular experience in property in the North San Diego County area. These include properties in Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, Escondido, Hidden Meadows, Fallbrook and Bonsall.

Guaranteed by the Worker relocation Council (AKA Worldwide ERC(R)), she is also an Authorized Home Specialist (CRS), a Commissioned Buyer?s Representative (ABR), and a Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource (SFR). To discover more about Melanie Hurwitz?s services and the real-estate market in San Diego County, visit SanDiegoCountyHomes.

Source: http://www.whmoving.com/san-diego-relocation-specialist-launches-new-real-estate-website/

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Benutzer:RubensteinMoores462 ? Game Server Wiki - Darrell ...

Aus Game Server Wiki

You might have come across the two words 'physical therapy' already, but until now you have zero knowledge what it is. Then today is your lucky day because you can read everything about physical therapy below.

Physical therapy is actually a treatment procedure that's aimed at curing particular medical conditions and stopping them from ever occurring again. Physical therapy achieves this through promotion of body strength, function, movement and by concentrating on the muscles, nerves, and other systems of the body.

Physical therapy can actually be further subdivided into several types. First is orthopaedic physical therapy which takes place in the hospital after a patient has undergone surgery. Then there?s paediatric physical therapy which assists infants, children and adolescents in improving their gross and fine motor skills, strength, cognitive functioning and balance. Thirdly, there's geriatric physical therapy which involves helping older individuals who are having troubles because of aging.

Then there's neurological physical therapy that's aimed at helping individuals who are have neurological disorders like cerebral palsy, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and many others. Heat physical therapy is yet another type that utilizes heat to relax and heal stiff joints and muscles. Lastly there's speech therapy which is for children with speech difficulties and for those who have problems with eating and swallowing.

Now that you know the different types of physical therapy, you must now learn about its benefits. Number one advantage is that physical therapy can pave the way for an individual to become normal again and be free of any pain and ailments like back pain New York or sciatica NYC. Physical therapy can also assist an individual who has been immobile to gain some amount of movement and flexibility. Additionally, this method of treatment also betters the overall health and fitness of the patient. Physical therapy also assists children with developmental problems and muscle and joint weaknesses perform better.

All of the above physical therapy benefits can be experienced only by a patient who keeps a bright and hopeful outlook in life. Additionally, he or she must always do what the therapist asks of him or her.

So do you want to try out physical therapy? Then, try out best physical therapy NYC where you?ll get supreme New York physical therapy that you can?t find in any other centres of physical therapy New York City.

Source: http://gserver.sampos.ch/wiki/index.php/Benutzer%3ARubensteinMoores462

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Source: http://collins33.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/benutzerrubensteinmoores462-game-server-wiki.html

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Up to two feet of snow forecast for Northeast

The Weather Channel's Eric Fisher reports from Lewiston, Maine, where snow is rapidly accumulating. The winter storm, which traveled from Texas up through the Midwest, is threatening to dump up to 2 feet of snow on parts of the Northeast.

By Tracy Connor and Alastair Jamieson, NBC News

A winter storm?swept into the Northeast on Thursday, where it was expected to bring up to two feet of snow, drenching rain, possible flooding ? and a new round of travel headaches.

By mid-morning, more than 850 flights had been canceled, and more than 5,500 were delayed, according to FlightStats.com.

That was down from the previous day, but still frustrating for thousands of passengers stranded at airports.

At Philadelphia International Airport, assistant principal Tomorrow Jenkins was desperate to get to Orlando, Fla., where her high school?s band was slated to perform at a Rutgers University bowl game Friday.

Her flight had been delayed and canceled, and she missed a connection. ?I?m a little anxious,? she told NBCPhiladelphia.com at the airport, where dozens of flights were scrapped on Thursday.

Passengers on a Southwest Airlines jet bound for Florida from Long Island faced an unexpected wait after the Boeing 737 went off the runway and got stuck in the grass. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said officials were investigating if wet weather was a factor in the mishap, which caused no injuries.

An American Airlines flight that landed safely in Pittsburgh on?Wednesday night got stuck in snow for about two hours on the tarmac, the Associated Press reported.?

The Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, where all flights had been grounded until Wednesday afternoon after the storm passed, still had two dozen cancellations on the board.

Read more at weather.com

A passenger who had been stuck on a plane at the gate there for three hours on Christmas night recorded an American Airlines pilot apologizing for the situation.

?I've made more personal phone calls than I know what to do with,? the pilot said in an audio recording obtained by WFAA-TV.

?I've spent my last quarter, to be honest with you. It's beyond reproach. I have no words to tell you... to tell you how sorry I am. This is way above our heads... by people that obviously, in my humble opinion, don't have a clue what they're doing,? said the pilot.

The airline said in a statement that the weather caused delays in de-icing and that it was only being safe.

The weather system, which developed just before Christmas, has already spawned twisters, high winds, icy roads, and record snowfall in the nation?s midsection, where it was blamed for a dozen deaths.

On Thursday, it was set to bury the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast in up to 16 inches of snow.

Showers and thunderstorms will hit the Southeast while residents in the Northeast can expect snow over the weekend. The Weather Channel's Kelly Cass reports.

?The heaviest snow will fall from western New York through the Adirondacks into Vermont, New Hampshire and northern Maine,? Weather Channel meteorologist Michael Palmer told NBC News.

By daybreak, towns from Pennsylvania to western New York were blanketed in white.

Coudersport, Pa., and Walworth, N.Y, each got socked with 15 inches of snow, and there was about a foot on the ground in Smith Crossroads, W.V.; Frostburg, Md., Woodford, Vt.; and Port Huron, Mich., the National Weather Service reported.

Where there isn?t snow, there will be rain: From coastal New Jersey into southeast Massachusetts, localized urban flooding is possible with minor to moderate coastal flooding.

In New Jersey, flooding and high winds forced the closure of parts of Brick Township, local officials told the Weather Channel's Mike Seidel.

On one of the busiest travel days of the year, bad weather has forced airlines to cancel or delay flights. NBC's Katy Tur reports.

Across most of the country, it will be colder than normal as arctic air dominates.

The storm also left freezing temperatures in its aftermath, and forecasters said parts of the Southeast from Virginia to Florida saw severe thunderstorms.

The Weather Channel's?Michael Palmer and?The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More content from NBCNews.com:

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/27/16186146-winter-storm-expected-to-bring-up-to-two-feet-of-snow-to-northeast?lite

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No deal in sight as deadline for fiscal deal nears

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Progress toward avoiding the "fiscal cliff" seemed stalled Thursday, as the Senate's top Democrat accused Republican House Speaker John Boehner of acting in dictatorial ways that prevent a solution to looming tax hikes and spending cuts.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, speaking in the Senate chamber, said the nation appears headed over the cliff because of a lack of progress in negotiations as the Dec. 31 deadline nears. He blamed House Republicans, who last week opposed Boehner's efforts to pass a narrowly crafted bill that would raise tax rates only on the very wealthiest Americans, prompting Boehner to cancel a vote on the bill.

Reid said the House is "being operated with a dictatorship of the speaker."

"John Boehner seems to care more about keeping his speakership than about keeping the nation on sound financial footing," Reid said.

Reid said the GOP-controlled House easily could have passed a White House-approved plan with a majority of Democratic votes and a few dozen Republican votes. But House leaders generally avoid such tactics, because they might alienate the Republican caucus and jeopardize the speaker's job.

Also Thursday, the White House said Obama, before leaving Hawaii, called Boehner, Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The White House statement said the president got an update on the "fiscal negotiations," but offered no detail on who, exactly, was negotiating and whether those talks were getting anywhere.

Obama was returning from vacation to the deadline showdown in the nation's capital, with even a stopgap solution now in doubt.

The House has passed a Republican plan to avert the fiscal cliff, and the Senate has passed a Democratic version. Their deficit-reduction projections differ by hundreds of billions of dollars over 10 years. Many Washington insiders say the gap could be bridged if partisan positions were not so firmly entrenched.

Leaders of the two parties are essentially daring each other to let the year end without resolving the pending confluence of higher taxes and deep spending cuts that could rattle a recovering but still-fragile economy.

Adding to the mix of developments pushing toward a "fiscal cliff," Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday informed Congress that the government was on track to hit its borrowing limit on Monday and said he would take "extraordinary measures as authorized by law" to postpone a government default.

Still, he added, uncertainty about the outcome of negotiations over taxes and spending made it difficult to determine how much time those measures would buy.

In recent days, Obama's aides have been consulting with Reid's office. But Republicans have not been part of discussions, suggesting much still needs to be done if a deal, even a small one, is to be struck and passed through Congress by Monday.

At stake are current tax rates that expire on Dec. 31 and revert to higher rates in place during the administration of President Bill Clinton. All in all, that means $536 billion in tax increases that would touch nearly all Americans. Moreover, the military and other federal departments would have to cut $110 billion in spending.

But while economists have warned about the economic impact of tax hikes and spending cuts of that magnitude, both sides appear to be proceeding as if they have more than just four days left. Indeed, Congress could still act in January in time to retroactively counter the effects on most taxpayers and government agencies, but chances are that a large deficit reduction package would be put off.

House Republican leaders on Wednesday said they remain ready to negotiate but urged the Senate to consider or amend a House-passed bill that extends all existing tax rates. In a statement, the leaders said the House would consider whatever the Senate passed. "But the Senate first must act," they said.

Aides said any decision to bring House members back to Washington would be driven by what the Senate does.

Reid's office responded shortly thereafter, insisting the House act on Senate legislation passed in July that would raise tax rates only on incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. Obama has been pushing for a variant of that Senate bill that would include an extension of jobless aid and some surgical spending reductions to prevent the steeper and broader spending cuts from kicking in.

For the Senate to act would require a commitment from McConnell not to demand a 60-vote margin to consider the legislation on the Senate floor. McConnell's office says it's too early to make such an assessment because Obama's plan is unclear on whether extended benefits for the unemployed would be paid for with cuts in other programs or on how it would deal with an expiring estate tax, among other issues.

What's more, Boehner would have to let the bill get to the House floor for a vote. Given the calendar, chances of accomplishing that by Monday were becoming a long shot.

___

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-deal-sight-deadline-fiscal-deal-nears-082405286.html

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Helen Hall Ramaglia, Author, Foster/Adopt Mother, Foster Care Alumni

Helen Hall Ramaglia?is an author, Foster/Adoptive Mother, Speaker and Advocate for kids in foster care.? She is Founder and Executive Director of Fostering SuperStars, a nonprofit organization designed to enrich the lives of children placed in foster care by serving as a primary connector to organizations, partnerships and providers to meet many of their needs that would normally go unmet.??Fostering SuperStars matches each child with a mentor/advocate, enrolls each child in life skills camp, and ensures that each child receives a seasonal wardrobe twice a year.? Fostering SuperStars will also connect each child who desires it with an organization that provides horseback riding/therapy.

?

Helen says that we must fully understand the heart and life of a foster child before we can effectively foster, adopt or work with this vulnerable population of extraordinary children.? She shared her story with The Teen Toolbox blog readers to help America walk in the shoes of a child who has experienced physical, mental and emotional abuse, was removed from everything they had known, was provided shelter from the State and strangers, and thrust into adulthood totally unprepared.

?

Helen?s early years were filled with violence, trauma, and loss. Helen was thrust into foster care at the age of eleven.? Although she had suffered significant abuse from her father and believes that being placed in foster care literally saved her from death at the hands of her father, Helen was re-traumatized by the separation from everything she had known and the uncertainty of what to expect.? She never had a chance to say goodbye to anyone and no one explained the foster care system to her nor informed her what would become her home.? Helen was even placed in several juvenile detention centers before being placed in a long-term foster home.

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Helen was placed in a safe family but still had many unmet needs.? She never learned about personal hygiene and grooming from her foster mother and never received counseling services while in care.? During her teenage years Helen stopped talking as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder.? Her foster parents did not realize the effects of the trauma she had experienced and reacted negatively to many things Helen said or did.? When Helen advocated for herself she was labeled as having a ?smart mouth?.? Because of this experience, Helen warns us that well-meaning foster parents who provide a home free from violence can still ?add insult to injury? for the children in their care thus all foster parents should be trained in positive parenting techniques.

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In 1976, Helen became the first foster child to leave the United States and live in another country.? Without warning or explanation, Helen woke up one morning to find that her sister had been taken from Europe and returned to the US.? No one ever came looking for her.? She was invisible to a system that did not remain in contact with her to ensure her safety and stability.? Helen graduated high school at age 16 and received no guidance or support regarding higher education from her foster family.? At age 17 she returned to the US but to a different state from where she departed.? Low self-esteem and little valuable communication skills led Helen to sleeping pills.? With few options, Helen was married and soon became pregnant because she had never learned about birth control.? There was also a time in her young adult life that she experienced homelessness.

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Helen had never been taught how to make good decisions but for the first time in her life she was ready to set goals and follow a plan to reach them.? She was 35 and decided to write a book.? Prior to this awakening, every day in her life was about sheer survival.? She lacked basic interpersonal dynamics and knowledge of social norms. She was jittery and nervous and felt that her words had no meaning.? The book was a catalyst for Helen to do something with her life and an avenue to ?become whole?.? She began to watch influential people and read about their personal journeys.? Helen also got the courage to reach out to people and connect as a way of filling personal gaps in her life.?

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Helen?s book?From Foster To Fabulous ? One Little Girl?s Journey Through Abuse, Foster Care, Aging Out and Life Beyond helps us all understand the emotional baggage that weighs many children in foster care down.? Her faith in God got her through many terrible ordeals and she believes that all children can find it in themselves to overcome obstacles with guidance and support.?

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When asked what we can do to better support teen girls in foster care, Helen replied that every girl should be connected with lifetime mentorship.? A person (not an authority figure) who will not leave them when they age out but stick with them, teach them about life, and connect them with needed resources.? She also believes that we should do a better job of training foster parents and holding schools and workers accountable to ensure that children are safe and thriving.? Helen also wishes that every child in foster care could have a stand in family during the holidays which can be very challenging for many young people.

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Helen truly found her voice at age 45. She and her husband became foster parents to a special needs sibling group of two toddlers and an infant who had been in seven prior placements.? She began to fight for them and has never looked back.? The Ramaglia family has adopted the toddlers who are now thriving 6 and 7 year olds.? Helen and her husband are also the parents of two biological children.? Helen is a 2012 Angel in Adoption Award winner, a Points of Light award winner, and trainer.? ?She is using her voice to advocate for changes for all children in foster care.? ?

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As we wrap up our 6^th Annual?Pack A Purse Drive? in December 2012, we will use the Teen Toolbox blog as a platform to spread inspiration and hope by highlighting the triumphs of successful women foster care alumni.

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Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer

The Teen Toolbox provides youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS? Programs.? We are committed to supporting and raising awareness about the needs and potential of teenagers in the foster care system.

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Tags: aging out, foster care, foster care alumni, Pack A Purse, Packaged For Sucess, youth empowerment

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Posted in Child Welfare Worker Toolbox Foster Care Alumni Foster Parent Toolbox Foster Youth Toolbox Packaged For Success? by Nicki Sanders

Source: http://theteentoolbox.com/helen-hall-ramaglia-author-fosteradopt-mother-foster-care-alumni/

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LG?s latest projector system is powered by freaking lasers

13 hrs.

Gary Merson , HD Guru

Until now, all consumer front projector systems?produced light using lamps or in rare cases LEDs. The new?LG HECTO FP system, on the other hand, uses lasers for illumination instead. Yes, lasers.

As LG announced on Wednesday, the new projector system uses lasers and a Texas Instruments DLP chip to form images. Typical home front projectors require around a 9 to 12 foot distance from the lens to a 100-inch screen. The LG HECTO requires only a 22-inch throw to fill the screen and can be placed on the floor or the mounted to the ceiling.

The LG HECTO Laser Projection TV will be sold as a complete system with a 100-Inch diagonal screen, a built-in ATSC TV tuner, HDMI switching and a Wi-Fi connection for streaming video.

Specifications include a rated 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 1080p resolution, 3 HDMI inputs, an optical audio input, RS-232 interface. Audio is produced by two 10W built-in speakers. The projector measures 5.7-inches high. The HECTO Laser projector does not have 3-D capability. LG has not? provided a brightness rating, a key specification. (Lasers offer the promise of very high intensity using low power.)

The screen is a fixed design and unlike theater screens its surface is black not white. LG claims the system will render a vivid, high contrast crisp image, even in lighter viewing environments.

The Laser TV supports LG's Smart TV platform and will stream movies via Netflix?and?YouTube as well as other services and?apps via its built-in Wi-Fi wireless Internet connection. The HECTO also includes LG's latest Magic Remote control.

LG claims its laser based illumination system has a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours, which is 5 times or more the life of traditional mercury-based lamps.

The LG HECTO Laser projector will be demonstrated at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show early next month. We expect pricing and availability to be announced at the show.

Have a question for the HD Guru? Send an?email.

More?from HD Guru:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/lgs-latest-projector-system-powered-freaking-lasers-1C7660219

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Video: Americans are more scared of guns than "fiscal cliff" (cbsnews)

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

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Nintendo granted patent for multi-display Panorama View feature on Wii U

Nintendo lays claim to one of the more advanced implementations of dual-display gaming; its Panorama View Feature lets you move around the Wii U controller to see a different perspective than what's shown on the external TV screen. The company was just granted a patent for this very technology, and the document goes into great detail about the gyrosensors used to determine the controller's change in position. It's a lot simpler in practice than in theory -- just take a glance at the image above or peek at our hands-on demo of the concept at E3 2012 (embedded below the break).

Continue reading Nintendo granted patent for multi-display Panorama View feature on Wii U

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: USPTO

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/26/nintendo-granted-patent-for-multi-display-panorama-view-feature/

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Video: One man works 100 jobs in one year

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50296649/

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WeChat Trademark And Tencent' s Problem in Trademark ...

(By You Yunting) In recent, several medias have interviewed the author on the squatting of ???? trademark, which is the name of a LBS software of Tencent Inc. (the ?Tencent?), and the English name of it is WeChat. The story of it is: A company admitted in Beijing (the ?Beijing Company?) made its trademark application of ???? in Class 38 on 17^th January of 2011. Tencent, who runs WeChat (????) software, made its own application several a week later on 24^th. For the first application principle, Tencent?s application has been refused by the authority. And part of Beijing Company?s application has also been refused, while part of it was opposed. Currently, WeChat (????), the hit product of Tencent, is with no any records in Class 38, which is the most related class for the app.

But it seems that the problem occurred is not limited to this. As checked by the author, Tencent has only applied its trademark in Class 9 and Class 38, not covering all other classes related to the software, which also contributed to the fall of some prominent classes. By the rough retrieval, the Class 35 of online advertising, the Class 36 of finance, Class 41 of online gaming and Class 42 of program design, website and date exchange have all been first registered by third parties. And it is beyond the question that the above registration would impair the control of Tencent over the WeChat (????) brand, and the further progress of the brand. As the professional engaging in the trademark protection and has the experience in large scale company of the IPR management, the author would like to discuss the issue on how to settle the Internet companies in trademark management.

I. The process of the new product launching

The issue to some extent is mainly resulted by the internal process defect of Tencent, and that once experienced by the author. In 2005, Shanda launched three new products, including EZbox, EZpod and EZmini. But the product releasing was not informed to the management department in advance, which led to the squatting of the names of the new products and no remedy could be found to fully recover that losses. For that incidence, the IPR department as the author worked in at that time shall of no excuse to take the liability, but the development of the products is under confidence and would not be released in prior. Aside from the liability taking, we made the remedies as follows:

(1) To make the supplementary trademark application of the product;

(2) To take over the power of domain name application so that to ensure the synchronized application of domain name and trademark;

(3) To make the rules on the management of trademark, copyright and patent within the company, and to demand the signing by the IPR department before the releasing of the new product;

(4) To deliver the IPR training to all the staffs of the company, and as got known by the author in last month, a PPT made for internal training in 2005 is still spreading among the legal departments of some online game companies.

II. The problem of matching between the application and amounts of new product

If the author is still working in the IPR department, undoubtedly I would be headache with the trademark management, for what faced me is a company with millions of products and would update its library each month. And therefore you could imagine the major liability on the shoulder of me and my colleagues, for the accident may happen in every single absence of mind. Tencent, as a company with the market value above billions, shall surely have its own IPR management system, and yet not known for what reason, the giant could precluded its popular app from the management system this time. As showed in Baidu library, WeChat (????) was officially launched in January of 2011, but not until December of that year did Tencent registered its Chinese name a trademark. That may be accused of its development team is resided in Guangzhong, apart from the headquarter in Shenzhen or Beijing, the town concentrating Tencent?s main business.

In addition to the avoidance of the mistake making, to make a better job shall also be taken into account. Generally, each company shall have its general trademark application form, which indicates the scope of 10 most popular products or services. But considering Tencent has thousands of products, and each of them is with different function and service object. Once to select the generic product when registering the trademark, it is obviously that the purpose of product protection could not be fulfilled. Shanda used to own a coded product, and when made the original application, the product chose was as same as those for the online games, but as later found by the company, the original application did not include the coded product, and thereby the company has to remake its application for no other alternatives are available. But once the careful selection is made for each single product, the IPR department could not feed that demand for the limitation on the staff numbers. And for the large companies like Tencent, the outsourcing of the business to other companies would also bring the risk of trade secret violation.

In addition, the application catalogue of the trademark office is updating from time to time, and how to make the company get the most matching application over their latest product or service is also an issue for the company. Like on 14^th December of 2012, the State Trademark Office updated many products that maybe applied the trademark in accordance with the latest issued classification. And the classes related to Tencent include Class 9 of computer gaming software, Class 28 of game console, Class 38 of online BBS and Class 42 of software operation [SaaS],etc.

III. The issue of synchronization of the trademark protection and product development

About two years ago, the author once wrote an article ?Legal Enlightenment of Tencent Trademark Application Strategy?, which is focusing on the trademark registration of Tencent. And of my views then, ?Tencent would make a full-class registration for the most important product, while for some ordinary product the registration would only cover the most related class?. But the question is, all the products have their own process of development, some originally not eye-catching products could be the ?star? product someday in the future. And by then, whether the trademark and other IPR protection measures of the company could keep pace with the development is essential to the company, or otherwise the problems could be foreseen.

At the end of 2011, namely the start of WeChat, the trademark registration by Tencent in Class 9 and Class 38 would not arise any problems. But with the rapid development of it since the beginning of 2012, from instant messaging software to a platform of the network communication, the trademark protection then shall keep pace with the product development. But to our disappointment, Tencent has not made that all-class registration, which has directly led to the squatting by others in the class of E-commerce, gaming and online finance. That is not a question to be seen in single, but a systematic problem. When the business department is focusing on the product development, they would not know how many skills in the trademark application. But as the management organ of IPR department, due to being trapped in the tedious and detailed works, and combating with piracy, lawsuit and competition with the rival, they are highly possible could not spare more time to the legal protection on the product. After the event, we suggest Tencent to develop a rapid protection system on the product protection. And to evaluate the rapid developed product and the protection from IPR department.

Lawyer Contacts

You Yunting?86-21-52134918? youyunting@debund.com/yytbest@gmail.com

Disclaimer of Bridge IP Law Commentary

Source: http://www.chinaiplawyer.com/wechat-trademark-tencent-problem-trademark-management/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wechat-trademark-tencent-problem-trademark-management

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Iran media report new cyberattack by Stuxnet worm

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? An Iranian semi-official news agency says there has been another cyberattack by the sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet, this time on the industries in the country's south.

Tuesday's report by ISNA quotes provincial civil defense chief Ali Akbar Akhavan as saying the virus targeted a power plant and some other industries in Hormozgan province in recent months.

Akhavan says Iranian computer experts were able to "successfully stop" the worm.

Iran has repeatedly claimed defusing cyber worms and malware, including Stuxnet and Flame viruses that targeted the vital oil sector, which provides 80 percent of the country's foreign revenue.

Tehran has said both worms are part of a secret U.S.-Israeli program that seeks to destabilize Iran's nuclear program.

The West suspects Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, a charge Tehran denies.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2012-12-25-Iran-Cyberattack/id-7554756bb2fc44d2a14fb3e07c17c558

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Official: Navy SEAL died of apparent suicide

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan.

Navy SEAL Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pa., died Saturday of a non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

A U.S. military official said the death "appears to be the result of suicide." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the death is still being investigated.

"The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate," said Capt. Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, which manages all Virginia-based Navy SEAL teams. "We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving."

"As we mourn the loss and honor the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission," Smith added Sunday.

A U.S. military official confirmed Price was from Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL Team 4, which is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to stave off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan. Price is survived by a wife and a daughter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/official-navy-seal-died-apparent-suicide-213239200.html

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Will retiring boomers be a drag on economy? Many say no ...

WASHINGTON -- With millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age, fears are mounting of the economic impact if they follow the pattern of previous generations by curbing spending and draining Social Security and Medicare benefits.

But the 78 million boomers ? born from 1946 to 1964 ? have always broken the mold in terms of setting trends, and some investors and business and community leaders see their retirement as no different. They see an unprecedented, multi-billion-dollar opportunity to offer new products and services to an active demographic group that?s expected to live longer than previous generations.When Elizabeth Reighard started her fitness training business in Myrtle Beach, S.C., four years ago, most of her students were in their mid-30s. But now her client list is made up mainly of boomers, such as Mary Smith, 58, who hired Reighard to help her ?keep up with the grandkids.?The demand for fitness trainers such as Reighard is expected to jump 24 percent over the next decade, largely because of baby boomers who want to stay healthy longer, according to the Department of Labor?s Occupational Outlook Handbook released in March.?I?m seeing it more and more. Seniors know they have to be in better shape to have less aches and pains,? said Reighard, who?s also a boomer. ?Yeah, we?re getting older, but our bodies feel good. . . . I look in the mirror and I might look 51, but I feel 25.?The Census Bureau projects that Americans 65 and older will make up 19 percent of the population by 2030.Community and business leaders in places such as the coastal towns of Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Bluffton, S.C., are looking to the growing retirement community to help rekindle local economies. They?re rethinking sporting and shopping developments, as well as art centers, to attract on-the-go retirees looking for an array of easily accessible activities.On the labor front, the health care industry is the most obvious benefactor of a longer-living active community. Demand for home health aides is expected to grow 70 percent over the next decade, according to the Department of Labor.Demand also will be high in less obvious fields, such as for architects, who will be called on to build senior-friendly communities; financial advisers, to help boomers plan their retirements; recreation workers, who?ll lead boomer-tailored excursions; and job trainers, who?ll teach the new workers called on to replace retirees.?It?s only in Washington that 100 million people are viewed as an unaffordable cost and financial burden,? said Jody Holtzman, a senior vice president at AARP. ?In the private sector, 100 million people are called a market and an opportunity.?Concern about a drain on entitlements from retiring baby boomers has increased as talks intensify over avoiding the fiscal cliff. Boomers have been depicted as the elephant in the room. The Congressional Budget Office warned in June of a shortfall for entitlement programs, as aging boomers would consume a ?significant and sustained? share of benefits from Social Security, Medicare and long-term-care services financed by Medicaid, the health care program for the poor.Those projections fail to take into account that boomers are expected to work longer and they?ve never followed in the footsteps of previous generations, said Matt Thornhill, an author of "Boomer Consumer," a book that examines marketing to the baby boomer generation.Boomers have broken the mold during each stage of their lives, Thornhill said. When they were hungry babies and busy parents needed practical ways to feed them, Gerber put strained peas in a jar and became a billion-dollar company. The parents of boomers moved their families out to the suburbs and bought fancy homes stocked with modern appliances. Much of it was paid for with credit cards, which previously didn?t exist.?We became the generation of consumption and personal gratification,? Thornhill said. ?Boomers are not going to spend at all like the prior generations did at 65. They?re going to spend at boomer levels. And there?s millions more of them.?Jeet Singh, who helped develop e-commerce software used by online retailers such as Best Buy and J. Crew, said retirees hadn?t been treated with respect in terms of offering them well-designed high-quality products that meet their needs without announcing their ages. ?You just can?t fight the numbers,? said Singh, a co-founder of Redstar Ventures and previously Art Technology Group. ?All these people are out there. They have needs. Whether it?s what they eat, what they buy, where they shop, how they vacation. And I?m not even talking about health care, which is in itself a massive market.?In Myrtle Beach, community leaders see opportunity in boomers? wealth and desire for independent lifestyles. The 65 and older population in Horry County grew 56 percent from 2000 to 2010 and it now makes up 17 percent of the county, according to census data. Brad Dean, the head of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, expects a ?tidal wave? of boomers coming to t for the weather, the beach and an array of sporting and entertainment activities. He said boomers were the leading purchasers of homes after the real estate crash. ?We think we?re on the cusp of a large influx of baby boomers,? Dean said. ?But already, in the last 18 months, we?ve seen a steady number of baby boomers either relocating to the market or reinvesting in the market. They?re one of the few generations who had enough wealth to be able to do that.?A year ago, Myrtle Beach financial manager Aaron Slatton got two or three calls a week from retirees. Now the owner of Grand Strand Retirement Solutions receives two or three calls a day from boomers seeking advice on how to stretch their retirement savings.Jennifer Jones-Poore, a co-owner of Express Watersports in Myrtle Beach, said that about half of her off-season customers were boomers who wanted to scuba-dive, parasail or kayak.?It?s encouraging when you have a 65-year-old come in here and he can out-swim you,? she said. The town of Hilton Head Island has no official plan or tactics in place to attract boomers, but Mayor Drew Laughlin is exploring ways to stoke the community?s struggling arts hub and bring a University of South Carolina Beaufort satellite campus to the island. He said retirees wanted cultural and educational amenities in addition to sandy beaches, golf and tennis.The nearby town of Bluffton has grown more than 800 percent in the past decade, largely from empty nesters and retirees. William Court, of Court Atkins Architects, is among the local architects who are designing custom-built, high-end homes for retirees. Many of the new homes are one story, but others may be designed with elevators and wider doors to accommodate wheelchairs.People want to know, ? ?How can I stay in this house as long as possible? What things can we do in the design process that will make this house more accessible . . . for the long term?? ? he said. Twenty percent of Beaufort County, which encompasses Hilton Head and Bluffton, is 65 or older. Their population grew 76 percent from 2000 to 2010.Sam Farber created Oxo Good Grips in 1990 when he noticed that his wife had trouble holding kitchen tools because of arthritis, according to the company?s history. Farber saw a business opportunity in creating more comfortable cooking tools. Oxo now makes more than 850 products that appeal across generations.Holtzman of AARP likes to share that story when he?s trying to inspire new entrepreneurs. He?s met with hundreds of venture capitalists, encouraging them to ask one additional question when entrepreneurs approach them seeking startup money: ?What?s your 50-plus plan???The one question a startup doesn?t want to get from its board of directors is this one: ?Why did you leave money on the table by ignoring a market of 100 million people with $3.5 trillion to spend?? there are? he said. Chris Adams contributed to this report.

Conley, who writes for The Island Packet of Hilton Head, S.C., reported from there.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/23/3977244/will-retiring-boomers-be-a-drag.html

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Monday Brief: EiCs name their Best Devices of 2012

Mobile Nations Podcast Feed Mobile Nations on iTunes Mobile Nations YouTube	The checkered, slow history of stories about Android updates 5 Android apps to help with last-minute holiday shopping Motorola said to be working on the 'X Phone' to bring the ultimate Android eXperience
BlackBerry L-Series to be named the BlackBerry Z10 at launch? RIM CEO: 'We are very very confident in BlackBerry 10' Research In Motion Q3 Analysis and the BlackBerry Roller Coaster	webOS Synergy Google sync safe from Google's ActiveSync shut down webOS Ports hackathon on Wednesday to update Internals apps to Enyo 2 Nexus 7 dual-Touchstone charging mod
Instagram realizes it needs to start making money, decides to do it with your photos and identity Apple releases iOS 6.0.2 software update, bug fixes and iOS 6.1 beta 4 now available to developers 2012 iPhone and iPad gift guides	Nokia begins Windows Phone 8 OS update for AT&T and Rogers Nokia improves Lumia 920 camera. We do a before and after comparison Samsung ATIV S unboxing and hands-on

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/0XYD4KZtOb4/story01.htm

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AP source: Swisher, Tribe reach $56M, 4-year deal

CLEVELAND (AP) ? The Indians' pitch to bring Nick Swisher "home" worked.

Two people familiar with the negotiations said Swisher has agreed to a $56 million, four-year contract with the Indians, who used the free agent outfielder's deep Ohio connections to convince him to join the club. The people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because Swisher must take a physical before the deal can be finalized. The Indians are expected to announce Swisher's signing after Christmas, one of the people said.

The Indians will not comment until Swisher completes his physical.

"Wow! What a crazy few weeks," Swisher said on Twitter. "Hey Cleveland! Are you ready? Because I'm coming home!"

Swisher's deal includes a $14 million option for 2017 that could become guaranteed based on plate appearances the previous year.

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was excited about the club's newest addition.

"Welcome to the Tribe (at)nickswisher, pumped to get ya," Kipnis tweeted.

The 32-year-old Swisher spent the last four seasons with the New York Yankees, taking advantage of the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. A switch-hitter, Swisher hit .272 this season with 24 homers and 93 RBIs.

Swisher will fill an outfield hole for the Indians, who traded Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati. Swisher will play right, with recently acquired Drew Stubbs likely taking over in center with Michael Brantley shifting from center to left field.

Swisher, who was born in Columbus and played at Ohio State, visited the Indians earlier in the week. The club used Swisher's ties with the Buckeyes to convince him to join a team that won just 68 games last season following an historic collapse in August.

During his tour of Progressive Field, Swisher watched a video presentation on the stadium's giant scoreboard that featured messages from current Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer and basketball coach Thad Matta, who urged him to sign with the Indians. Later, Swisher and his wife, actress JoAnna Garcia, had lunch with former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who was at the school when Swisher played there.

Swisher's signing is a significant win for the Indians, who have been in the market for an outfielder throughout the offseason. During the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., they offered Shane Victorino a $44 million, four-year contract before he agreed to a $39 million, three-year deal with Boston.

Seattle, Texas and Boston were believed to be interested in Swisher, an All-Star in 2010 who was regarded as the second-best free agent hitter this offseason behind Josh Hamilton. The Indians have been desperate to add power and Swisher, who has hit at least 22 homers in each of the past seven seasons, will bolster the middle of new manager Terry Francona's lineup.

Swisher's value may have been damaged by several poor postseasons with the Yankees. He batted .162 in the postseason for New York with seven RBIs and 38 strikeouts in 130 at-bats.

Swisher spent four seasons with Oakland and one with the Chicago White Sox before joining the Yankees.

The Indians will lose their second-round pick in next year's amateur draft as compensation for signing Swisher, and the Yankees will get an extra selection following the first round.

It's been a busy offseason for Indians general manager Chris Antonetti, who is trying to fix a team that has lost at least 93 games in three of the past four seasons.

Antonetti fired manager Manny Acta and replaced him with Francona, the former Boston manager who has spent the past few weeks meeting with his new players. Antonetti also signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds and was part of a three-team, nine-player deal that sent Choo to the Reds for Stubbs and brought Cleveland prized pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from Arizona.

The signing of Swisher will take some pressure of Antonetti, who has been criticized by fans for several moves in recent years.

His agreement was first reported by the New York Daily News.

Now that they've landed Swisher, the Indians are expected to focus on improving their starting pitching. The club agreed to terms with left-hander Scott Kazmir to a minor league deal this week, pending a physical. The Indians still need to add a designated hitter and there remains interest in Travis Hafner, who was limited to just 66 games last season because of injuries and remains an unsigned free agent.

___(equals)

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-23-Indians-Swisher/id-53f38485d3574d599b83b3ce1a730a42

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