In honor of her 28th birthday on Oct. 25, we're looking back at the pop star's bold style -- both good and bad!
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Friday, October 26, 2012
How Slight Sleep Deprivation Could Add Extra Pounds
New analysis shows that metabolic effects caused by even a couple nights with less than six hours of shut-eye may feed obesity
Sleep more to weight less?: Research from controlled trials is accumulating to suggest that just skipping a couple hours of sleep could make for big--and not so great--biological consequences for your body. Image: iStockphoto/iPandastudio
Getting seven to eight solid hours of sleep each night might seem an almost impossible luxury to many people. But not getting enough sleep is known to impair mental function and increase the risk for heart disease, among other ill effects. Accumulating evidence also suggests that even short-term, partial sleep deprivation could pave the way for weight gain and other negative metabolic consequences.
More than 28 percent of adults in the U.S. report that they get less than six hours of sleep a night, with this cumulative deprivation becoming more common in the past three decades. And now that more than 35 percent of U.S. adults are currently obese, researchers have been searching for potential links between the two conditions, in hopes of reducing the increasing health and economic burden of obesity. Establishing lack of sleep as a risk factor for weight gain could have important clinical and public health effects, possibly allowing people to make simple lifestyle changes to improve their metabolic health.
A new report, published online October 24 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, reviews 18 carefully controlled laboratory studies that tested human subjects' physiological and behavioral responses to sleep deprivation as they relate to metabolic health.
Reena Mehra, an associate professor of medicine who studies sleep and health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and who was not involved in the new analysis, notes that the new paper is "a well done review of the experimental data."
The researchers found that studies of people without sleep-related conditions who got consecutive nights of four to six hours of sleep revealed a wide range of negative effects involving appetite hormone signaling, physical activity, eating behavior and even fat-loss rates. "From a population health perspective, this helps to get people to understand that sleep deprivation really does have an impact on your health," Mehra says.
To sleep, perchance to eat less
Perhaps some of the best-documented effects of sleep deprivation on weight are based on two powerful hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is involved in sending hunger signals and leptin helps to tell you that you are full. In one study, after just two consecutive nights of four-hours' sleep, test subjects had a 28 percent higher ghrelin (hunger) hormone level and 18 percent lower leptin (satiety) hormone level in their blood compared with subjects who had spent 10 hours a night in bed. In the same study, for those who were sleep deprived, "self-reported hunger and appetite ratings significantly increased by 24 percent and 23 percent, respectively," noted the authors of the review paper, which was led by Julie Shlisky, a researcher at The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at Saint Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. "The greatest increase in appetite rating was for energy-dense, high-carbohydrate foods," Shlisky and her co-authors noted. Other studies found additional increases in fat and saturated fat consumed by those suffering from sleep deprivation. One study also found a change in another eating signal called peptide YY, which is thought to tell the body it is full after eating enough. It dropped off in a group of subjects who had been allowed only five hours in bed for two nights, suggesting that these sleepy subjects would be more inclined to eat more given the opportunity.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ca7ed817a52ff309fda8eaabe7b0be61
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Apple announces 7.9-inch iPad mini with a 1,024 x 768 display, A5 CPU and optional LTE for $329
Well, hello there, the worst-kept secret in tech. Apple's iPad mini is the company's newest device, a 7.9-inch tablet that's designed to go toe-to-toe with Google's Nexus 7. For now, it'll sit alongside the iPad 2 and fourth-generation iPad, and as it packs the same 1,024 x 768 display as the second-generation slate, apps will carry across without any resizing. While Phil Schiller didn't mention Google or the Nexus 7 by name, the rival slate (and Google's app library) was compared to the newest iOS device. On stage, he claimed that the screen, which is .9-inch larger than the Nexus 7, gives the iPad mini 35 percent more display area than Google and ASUS' collaboration.
On the hardware size, the 7.2mm thick, .68 pounds device has been manufactured with an "all new" process that gives it the same anodized edges as you'll find on the iPhone 5. If you were hoping for equal specifications to the big-daddy iPad, you may be mildly disappointed. While it will pack a 5-megapixel camera and an LTE modem (if you opt to buy a cellular model), it's running the last-generation A5 CPU. However, the slower internals and less potent display may account for how the company has been able to squeeze out a claimed 10 hours of use despite the constrained space for a battery. Pre-orders for the $329, 16GB WiFi-only model begin on Friday (October 26th) and will begin shipping on November 2nd. The cellular-equipped models will begin shipping a few weeks afterward on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, with the 16GB base model costing $459, running all the way to $659 for the 64GB unit.
For more from this event, follow along in our liveblog!
Apple announces 7.9-inch iPad mini with a 1,024 x 768 display, A5 CPU and optional LTE for $329 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/apple-ipad-mini/
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Ex-Goldman banker: 'It's absolutely worse since the financial crisis ...
FORTUNE -- The muppet show is just getting started.
Greg Smith, author of a new Wall Street tell-all that accuses Goldman Sachs, his former firm, of ripping clients off, says the financial crisis and new regulations have done little to curb bad behavior on Wall Street. In fact, in Smith's opinion, they've done the opposite. "It's absolutely gotten worse since the financial crisis," Smith told Fortune when we caught up with him before a ping-pong match in one of his first interviews since finishing the book.
You probably remember Smith, or have read about him recently. He's the former Goldman banker, who, earlier this year, quit his job via the New York Times. In an opinion piece, Smith wrote that the culture at Goldman had turned "toxic," and no longer one he could be a part of. He said bankers at the firm openly talked of abusing clients, who Goldmanites called "muppets" behind their backs.
But the piece was light on details. Smith's new book, which is titled "Why I Left Goldman Sachs" and comes out on Monday, elaborates on the op-ed some. Smith says during the financial crisis, Goldman charged clients a huge fee, up to 20%, when they wanted out of an investment that was pitched as ultra safe. He says in the summer of 2011, when the European debt crisis was at its worst, Goldman regularly pushed its clients into, and out of, investments tied to banks in France and Spain. Often the firm was taking the opposite position of what it was telling clients. Goldman's best accounts were told to steer clear entirely.
MORE: Vampire Pong: Ex-Goldman banker takes on a pro
More recently, Smith says, Goldman and others have been trying to sell pension funds a complicated derivative that carries high fees, but offers little more than the asset allocation advice you would get from a run-of-the-mill financial planner for much less.
In general, Smith paints a picture of Goldman as used-car salesman. Clients who didn't verify prices often paid much more than they needed to. When clients made mistakes, Goldman corrected them to the firm's advantage. The result is that Smith says Goldman's least sophisticated clients, which Smith says are often the managers of pension and mutual funds, who invest money on behalf of firemen, teachers and regular individuals, get the firm's worst products at the worst prices. Hedge funds, which typically work for the 1%, get Goldman's best advice.
But while there is plenty that appears ethically wrong, nowhere in the 250-page book is any real evidence that either Goldman or anyone at the firm broke the law. Goldman says its own investigation following Smith's March op-ed piece turned up no evidence of wrong-doing. In the week leading up to the publication of Smith's book, Goldman leaked an internal report that Smith had asked for a million dollar bonus and a promotion a few months before leaving the firm. Both were denied.
MORE: Nike will be just fine without Lance
Smith calls Goldman's allegation that he quit over pay a total fabrication. He says his bonus was hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that it was more than most of his peers. "Of course, I asked for more," says Smith. "Everyone does."
Smith says the fact that Goldman can claim it did an investigation and found nothing wrong is a problem with the law, not his account. "The frustrating thing is that much of the behavior that I describe in the book is legal. Unethical, but not illegal."
MORE: Goldman hits back at Greg Smith
Smith says things have gotten worse since the financial crisis. According to Smith, many of the activities that took advantage of clients paid off during the financial crisis for Goldman. As a result, he says, many of the people who took that road have wound up in leadership positions at the firm. What's more, at a time when investment banks are seeing their profits pinched, firms are more willing to turn against their clients for a buck.
New regulations may also be adding to the problem. Before Dodd-Frank, Wall Street firms used to wall off their proprietary trading groups - the divisions that make risky trades with the firm's own money. Now that activity has been relocated to the desks that are supposed to be focused on buying and selling orders for clients, in order to hide prop trading from regulators. That gives the firm's own traders more direct access to client information, and a greater ability to abuse it.
"A lot of people are caught up in a system that asks for morally dubious decision making," says Smith. "I wrote the book about Goldman, but it's really about the industry as a whole."
Source: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/10/22/greg-smith-goldman-sachs-worse/
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Postgrad system 'failing economy'
22 October 2012
Last updated at 21:38 ET
The postgraduate system in the UK's universities is failing to produce the number of highly skilled staff needed by a modern economy, a report warns.
The Higher Education Commission says the system is geared towards attracting overseas students, rather than training more UK students.
The report warns that the UK is falling behind in investing in research.
A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokeswoman said: "We recognise there are some concerns."
The study from the Higher Education Commission calls for urgent reform of the postgraduate sector, saying that in its present state it will cause long-term problems for the UK's economy.
Postgraduate research has become increasingly important for innovative, hi-tech industries.
Tuition feesBut the Higher Education Commission, an independent group of education and business leaders, warns that the UK's current system seems to neglect UK students and instead is driven by universities wanting to recruit overseas students who pay high levels of tuition fees.
It says this risks making the UK the "education outsourcing capital of the world" - training international students rather than providing home-grown talent for UK firms.
Continue reading the main story?Start Quote
End Quote Graham Spittle Higher Education Commission and IBM chief technology officerThe postgraduate sector needs to be brought in from the cold?
Without an expansion of UK postgraduate students, it will mean UK firms will have to recruit more staff from overseas - or even have to re-locate to countries with a higher skilled workforce, the report says.
"We can't compete with countries like China and India on numbers, but we can compete, and win, on ideas and innovation. The postgraduate sector needs to be brought in from the cold and hardwired into the UK's strategy for economic growth," said Graham Spittle, IBM's chief technology officer, who chaired the group preparing the report.
The report identifies the scale of the growth of overseas postgraduate students - up 200% since 1999 - compared with a rise of 18% for UK students.
Within the group of countries in the wider European education area, it says that apart from England and Wales, the only other countries to have so few home students staying on for postgraduate are Andorra and Kazakhstan.
It calls for a reform of the support available for postgraduate students - so that they will not be deterred by higher tuition fees or difficulties in getting loans.
Earlier this year a report from the 1994 Group of research intensive universities warned of a looming crisis in postgraduate education - with a warning that successive governments had failed to address the problems facing this sector.
The vice chancellor of Oxford University has also highlighted his concerns about the funding of postgraduate studies.
A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokeswoman said: "We have asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England to monitor and review participation in postgraduate study as part of a longer-term assessment of the impact of the funding changes."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-20034164#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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Monday, October 22, 2012
Self Catering Holiday Guest Comments Isle of Wight October
Latest holiday comments from guests to our Isle of Wight self catering cottages. Read more comments for each cottage by clicking on the cottage image or name.
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Funeral for slain Lebanon official ends in clashes
BEIRUT (AP) ? Lebanese security forces unleashed a barrage of gunfire and tear gas in central Beirut on Sunday to disperse hundreds of protesters trying to storm the government headquarters after the funeral of a top Lebanese intelligence official killed by a car bomb.
The speedy ignition of the protests demonstrated the flammability of the country's divisive and sectarian politics. The protesters blamed the assassination on the government of neighboring Syria and consider Lebanon's current government to be too close to that embattled regime.
Many also chanted against Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that dominates the government and serves as the Damascus regime's closest Lebanese ally.
As the battle raged, with protesters and security personnel pelting each other with hunks of concrete, metal bars and tear gas canisters, former Prime Minister Fuad Saniora appealed for calm.
"The use of violence is unacceptable and does not represent the image that we want," Saniora said in a televised address.
Even before Friday's bombing, the civil war in Syria had set off violence in Lebanon and deepened tensions between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad's regime. The assassination has laid bare how vulnerable Lebanon is to renewed strife, threatening to shatter a fragile political balance struck after decades of civil strife ? much of it linked to Syria.
Sunday's clashes erupted after the funeral for Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, who was killed along with his body guard by a Beirut car bomb on Friday. Al-Hassan, 47, was a powerful opponent of Syria in Lebanon.
He was buried in Martyrs Square in downtown Beirut near former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, another anti-Syrian politician who was assassinated by a truck bomb in 2005.
Syria denied any role in Hariri's killing, but outrage in Lebanon expressed in massive street protests forced Damascus to withdraw its tens of thousands of troops from the country and end nearly 30 years of military and political domination of its smaller neighbor.
The scene at Sunday's funeral was faintly reminiscent of the huge, anti-Syria gatherings in 2005. But the crowd was far smaller than after Hariri's death.
More than 1,000 people walked about a quarter mile from the funeral site toward the stately, hilltop government headquarters. Only a few hundred clashed with the guards, tearing down metal barricades and hitting the guards with the sticks from their flags and placards.
The guards withdrew behind a tall barricade of concertina wire, which the protesters broke through, putting them within 50 meters (yards) of government headquarters. A few guards fired shots and one plainclothes officer pulled a pistol from his belt and fired over the protesters' heads. Then a roar of automatic gunfire erupted, sending the protesters scattering for cover.
It was unclear whether the guards fired in the air or shot blanks, but no protesters appeared to be injured.
In a telephone call with Lebanon's Future TV, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged the protesters to stop their attack.
"We are peace supporters and against violence," he said.
The security forces appeared woefully unprepared and their numbers were smaller than those usually deployed for much less contentious rallies.
After about an hour of clashes, more guards arrived, along with scores of helmet-clad commandos. They stood shoulder to shoulder across the road and blocked the protesters from advancing further.
Unrest broke out elsewhere in Lebanon, too. Protesters blocked major roads in Beirut and in the north with rows of burning tires and briefly closed the country's main highway to the south, the national news agency said.
Clashes also broke out in the northern city of Tripoli, with residents of two neighborhoods that support opposite sides in Syria's civil war exchanging gunfire.
Security officials have said six others were killed in the car bomb on Friday, and scores were wounded. But Lebanon's National News Agency said on Sunday that the final toll death toll was three: al-Hassan, his guard and a civilian woman.
The discrepancy could not be explained, though security officials said the other five victims were counted based body parts found at the blast site.
Al-Hassan headed an investigation over the summer that led to the arrest of former Information Minister Michel Samaha, a Lebanese politician who was one of Syria's most loyal allies in Lebanon.
"He was killed while he was defending his country," said Samer al-Hirri, who traveled from northern Lebanon to attend the funeral.
France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it was likely that Assad's government had a hand in the assassination.
"Everything suggests that it's an extension of the Syrian tragedy," he told Europe-1 radio.
Sunday's protests quickly overshadowed the stately funeral for al-Hassan and his bodyguard.
Before the funeral, giant posters of al-Hassan were set up around Beirut calling him a "martyr of sovereignty and independence."
Thousands of mourners packed central Martyrs Square as soldiers carried in two flag-draped coffins.
"We came for Lebanon's future to show that we will not be scared," said mourner Rama Fakhouri, an interior designer. Many chanted that al-Hassan was a "martyr" who was struck down while trying to protect Lebanon.
TV footage showed al-Hassan's wife Anna, his young sons Majd and Mazen, and his parents, shedding tears near his coffin.
But the mood quickly changed. At one point, a Sunni cleric, Osama Rifai, gave a fiery speech, telling the crowd not to "be like women" and "take out their swords." Lebanese journalist Nadim Qutaish also called on mourners to "storm the government headquarters."
Both men's comments were carried live on TV and crowds of protesters approached the government headquarters soon after.
Al-Hassan's killing has set off a new round of political wrangling in Lebanon.
Before the clashes, Saniora called on Prime Minister Najib Mikati to resign, calling his Cabinet the "government of assassination."
"Staying in your post means that you approve of what happened," he said, adding that al-Hassan's killers "had domestic help."
Many of Lebanon's Sunnis see Mikati's government as too close to Syria and the Assad regime, which is dominated by the Alawites ? an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
A member of Mikati's Cabinet, Ahmad Karami, told the LBC TV station that the prime minister "is not clinging to the post but will not resign under pressure because of the chaos in the country."
Some Lebanese see al-Hassan's killing and Sunday's violence as an extension of Syria's civil war into Lebanon. While Lebanon's Sunnis have largely backed the uprising, many others, especially Shiite Hezbollah, have stood by Assad.
For the protesters, the connection was clear.
"The Syrian regime started a war against us and we will fight this battle until the end," said protester Anthony Labaki, a 24-year-old physiotherapist.
For years after Syria's 2005 pullout from Lebanon, there was a string of attacks on anti-Syrian figures in the country with impunity. Assad managed to maintain his influence in Lebanon in the years afterward through Hezbollah and other allies.
Samaha, the former minister arrested in al-Hassan's investigation, remains in custody. He is accused of plotting a wave of attacks in Lebanon at Syria's behest.
Syrian Brig. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, one of Assad's most senior aides, was indicted in absentia in the August sweep that saw Samaha arrested. Samaha's arrest was an embarrassing blow to Syria, which has long acted with impunity in Lebanon.
___
Elizabeth A. Kennedy and Barbara Surk contributed reporting from Beirut.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/funeral-slain-lebanon-official-ends-clashes-171803163.html
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Playable Races!
Since the Time of Troubles The dark church of Bane's power has waned, but The High Priest of Darkness, Lord Balthazar, has devised a sinister plot to secure power and converts for the his dark master.
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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.I don't steal good ideas; I replicate them.
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Plagiarism - Member for 0 years
I'll have a posting order made before we get things rolling, we may not get up to 11 or more though so no real reason to worry about that yet.
As for balance, this game will be strictly RP, and doesn't have to adhere to the rules quite as much as if we brought out the books and dice. If I find a character that I believe is OP or broken in any way I'll whip out the nerf-stick and beat it until everyone's happy.
The classes, every base class is up for grabs IF you can make it believable. Minotaur psions and pixie samurai will need an excellent backstory before I say yes. As for prestige, and multiclassing, as we progress through the storyline PM me about it and I'll try to squeeze in some NPC trainers... I'm pretty much open to everything at this point, there's a lot more freedom to be had since it's going to be strictly roleplay.
All that I ask is that the characters be believable.
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Gunz4Legz - Member for 1 years
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The Joys of Screenwriting | Slice of Americana Films
The joys of screenwriting are many with so many different creative paths a writer can take.
There is frustrations screenwriters face when writer?s block happens and words are not hitting the page when working on a movie script, but overall the joys of screenwriting outweigh any frustrations. That is just my view.
The Joys of Screenwriting
Each screenwriter enjoys their own unique creative process and journey when creating a script. Screenwriters have different motivations for writing movies and that is cool.
(Very interesting article on Adam Volk via Film Junk)
Personally speaking no two screenwriters work exactly the same. Some screenwriters work alone and others with writing partners.
Writing screenplays changes depending on if it is a work-for-hire gig with a limited budget to keep in mind or a spec script a writer plans on pitching to an agent or studio.
I have never felt there is a wrong way to write a screenplay as long as you are making progress and following the traditional format that screenplay software like Final Draft provides.
There is a standard industry format for screenplays, so you can?t just create your own or your screenplay will go in a garbage can most likely. Agents and producers rarely bother reading screenplays out of the standard format.
The logic is if a screenwriter does not know the script format then they most likely do not know how to tell a story either.
For me writing screenplays is a relaxing process. I greatly enjoy creating stories with characters and scenes that I hope will be seen by movie viewers.
The beauty of screenplay unlike physical production of a movie is you do not need really any major film investor money to start.
Only your storytelling imagination, a computer, screenwriting software and I recommend reading a few books on screenwriting if you are new to it.
What bums me out is when I talk to people that have a movie idea, but do not take the next step to write a screenplay.
Movie ideas are cool, but it is like the saying about opinions ? finish the punch-line in your mind here.
I know not everyone is comfortable screenwriting, but it is sad when truly talented undiscovered screenwriters stay undiscovered because they simply do not do the work to finish a screenplay.
They are living a ?Woulda coulda shoulda? screenwriting existence. I have a casual acquaintance that is my biggest critic. ?I would have wrote it different Sid? is one of their favorite lines to me.
Critics do not bother me. And maybe they could have written a better screenplay, but they will never know because they never take the chance and put in the effort.
In any genre of writing, writers write! Talkers just talk. Sure, there is always that fear of putting your creative self out there and having people say your work sucks.
It will happen. Thin skin in the entertainment business does not work and if you have thin skin you are going to be hurt.
That is what the entertainment business is built on heaping praise or tearing someone down. I have a tremendous respect for actors at all levels from indie to studio because they are putting themselves on public view.
I feel much more comfortable behind the scenes writing, directing and producing entertainment.
I have no creative desire to be in front of the camera like actors, so when people chatter to me about screenwriting without ever actually writing I take it in stride and smile.
My friendly advice is if you feel a passion for screenwriting give it a go. There are great books out there to help give you an idea of how to go about it along with screenwriting software like Final Draft so you do not have to sweat worrying about proper format and screenwriting groups.
One of the biggest boosts in my opinion is social media. Just from Twitter there are an outstanding group of screenwriters that connect and share helpful information through #SCRIPTCHAT
If you have a Twitter account I would recommend following these screenwriting creative souls:
@GoIntoTheStory
@VerbaVitae
@jeannevb
@kim_garland
@scripteach
The joys of screenwriting will feed that creative storytelling hunger you have. This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing FADE OUT
Source: http://www.sidkaliflicks.com/the-joys-of-screenwriting/
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Sunday, October 21, 2012
Trendspotting: US States Warming up to Renewable Energy Heating ...
by travisbradford on October 20, 2012
Of the fifty U.S. states, four territories and one District of Colombia, almost forty of them have some kind of renewable energy requirement on the books and of those forty, only about fourteen allow some type of thermal renewable energy to meet at least a portion of its renewable portfolio standard. But that might be changing.
A quiet trend is emerging with two states leading the way.? In recent months, both Maryland and New Hampshire have tipped the scales in favor of thermal renewables by passing or amending innovative, groundbreaking laws that will significantly drive up the use of thermal renewable energy in their states and beyond.
via Trendspotting: US States Warming up to Renewable Energy Heating and Cooling, Part 1 | Renewable Energy News Article.
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Taxes go up in 2013 for 163 million workers
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama isn't talking about it and neither is Mitt Romney. But come January, 163 million workers can expect to feel the pinch of a big tax increase regardless of who wins the election.
A temporary reduction in Social Security payroll taxes is due to expire at the end of the year and hardly anyone in Washington is pushing to extend it. Neither Obama nor Romney has proposed an extension, and it probably wouldn't get through Congress anyway, with lawmakers in both parties down on the idea.
Even Republicans who have sworn off tax increases have little appetite to prevent one that will cost a typical worker about $1,000 a year, and two-earner family with six-figure incomes as much as $4,500.
Why are so many politicians sour on continuing the payroll tax break?
Republicans question whether reducing the tax two years ago has done much to stimulate the sluggish economy. Politicians from both parties say they are concerned that it threatens the independent revenue stream that funds Social Security.
They are backed by powerful advocates for seniors, including AARP, who adamantly oppose any extension.
"The payroll tax holiday was intended to be temporary and there is strong bipartisan support to let that tax provision expire," said Sen. Orrin of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "The continued extension of a temporary payroll tax holiday has serious long-term implications for Social Security and, frankly, it's not even clear that it has helped to boost our ailing economy."
The question of renewing the payroll tax cut has been overshadowed by the expiration of a much bigger package of tax cuts first enacted under President George W. Bush. The Bush-era tax cuts also expire at the end of the year, and Congress is expected to try to address them after the election, in a lame-duck session.
The payroll tax cut could become part of the mix in negotiations that could go in many directions. But lawmakers in both political parties say they doubt it.
"I think there's a growing consensus that Congress and the president can't continue to divert such a critical revenue stream from Social Security," said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, a senior Republican on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. "I think more and more Americans understand that that payroll tax cut, while politically appealing, is endangering Social Security."
Before he was named as Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., disparaged the payroll tax cut, calling it "sugar-high economics" that wouldn't promote long-term growth.
Social Security is funded by a 12.4 percent tax on wages up to $110,100, rising to $113,700 in 2013. Half is paid by employers and the other half is paid by workers. For 2011 and 2012, Congress and Obama cut the share paid by workers from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent.
A worker making $50,000 saved $1,000 a year, or a little more than $19 a week. A worker making $100,000 saved $2,000 a year.
The beauty of the tax cut is that is shows up in weekly paychecks, giving workers more money to spend or save. The downside is that some workers may not notice a $19-a-week increase in pay, making them unlikely to credit the politicians who made it happen.
Under the law, Congress is reimbursing Social Security for the lost revenue, estimated at $103 billion in 2011 and $112 billion in 2012. But Congress didn't cut spending or raise other taxes to offset the lost revenue, so the payroll tax cut is being financed with borrowed money, adding to the national debt.
Democrats are more willing to defend the tax cut, saying it helped prop up the economy during a rough stretch while providing what amounted to a 2 percent pay increase to millions of middle-income workers. But they, too, are concerned about maintaining Social Security's source of revenue.
"I think people realize that was a temporary thing," said Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska.
Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, a senior Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, said he thinks there is evidence that the tax cut helped the economy. But, he added, "I'm not sure that it met expectations."
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said she, too, wants to let the tax cut expire.
Larry Summers, Obama's former economic adviser, is a lonely voice in Washington calling to extend the payroll tax cut. He said in a recent speech that the economy is too fragile to reduce workers' incomes.
Obama pushed for the tax cut in late 2010 as a way to increase workers' take-home pay to help boost consumer spending and provide a spark for the economy. Economists were divided on the economic benefits. Many said it probably helped increase consumer spending but there was no consensus on the magnitude.
The initial tax cut was for only a year, and many Republicans in Congress wanted to let it lapse at the end of 2011. But Obama and Democratic lawmakers successfully fought to extend it through 2012.
Obama, however, didn't include the tax cut in his 2013 budget proposal, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress this year that he saw no reason to extend it again.
White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage wouldn't rule out an extension but wouldn't commit to one, either.
"The president fought extremely hard last year in the face of Republican opposition to ensure that the payroll tax cut was extended," Brundage said. "There are a number of tax issues that Congress will have to deal with at the end of the year, this being one of them, and we will continue to evaluate all of the options available to us at that time."
Romney's campaign hammers Obama almost every day for proposing to let Bush-era tax cuts expire for individuals making more than $200,000 and married couples making more than $250,000. But Romney's tax plan would let the payroll tax cut expire, an issue he doesn't mention on the stump.
Romney's campaign declined to discuss the issue.
___
Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/psst-taxes-2013-163-million-workers-134512956--election.html
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Self Help Tips For Happiness And Success | Curtis Fillers's ...
TIP! It is vital to watch your health when developing yourself to your full potential. A healthy lifestyle includes working out and watching what kind of food you eat, and you must be able to acquire the characteristic of being able to remain motivated to do it.
It?s very important to work on personal development. This can range from developing better personal finances or a healthier lifestyle. You really need to focus on yourself and what you can do to improve yourself. You may never stop developing yourself personally, because there is always a way to improve in some area in your life. You can lead a healthy and happy life by establishing and continuing good spending habits.
TIP! Everyone makes unhealthy food choices every now and then. Admit your poor choices, and move on with your life.
There are things you can do throughout the day to accomplish more work while at your job. One trick to doing this, is to take more breaks. This may seem like it is counterproductive, but if you take a break you will reduce the amount of stress you have and get more done.
TIP! Set realistic, attainable goals for yourself to ensure that you are envisioning an achievable, healthy lifestyle. Figure out what you do and do not do well, and you will learn a lot about yourself.
If personal development is an important goal in your life, be sure to feed your faith with love. Love is a vital ingredient to faith. You should constantly look for ways to give meaning to your faith. Serve others when they need help, and commit yourself to doing things that demonstrate your love.
TIP! Learn how to get through trying situations without letting your emotions get the best of you. Stay graceful under fire, and you will gain confidence that helps in your day to day life.
Compose a pep talk for yourself. Take a small sheet of paper and write down every positive attribute you possess. Carry this list with you at all times, and take it out when you need to pick yourself up. Take it a step further and record yourself reading your list. What are the benefits of this?
TIP! Begin a fund for emergency purposes. It appears as though every time something unexpected happens, we charge more to our credit cards.
Research different individuals who are currently, or have been successful in the past, and see how they got to that point of success. Learn from their mistakes and think about following a similar path if your goals correspond to theirs. If you read about what they know, it will impact your life in a positive way.
TIP! Set personal development goals that are clearly defined and can be realistically measured. Having goals will allow you to better problem solve on how to get there.
Instead of bragging about your accomplishments, ask those around you about what they are most proud of and what they?ve achieved. This will enable you to learn about others and to develop a great deal of respect for the people around you.
Personal Development
TIP! It is important when you are working on your personal development that you know what you plan to do in your life. Long-term goals are a tremendous thing to have and can make a big difference in your perspective.
Always read from multiple sources on personal development. A good personal development book can give you great advice and ideas that can change your life. It is always best to check the reviews for a book. Self improvement books can be very poorly written.
TIP! As you begin your personal development journey, accept that fact that you truly do deserve the best of everything! Commit to taking good care of yourself by providing yourself with only the best. If you make every effort to improve, then you have nothing to regret.
Your physical limitations should be your guide when working toward achieving a goal. Take your best shot, but know when you have reached your limit. Taking good care of yourself should not be sacrificed for any aspiration, no matter how coveted. This will end up being counter-productive in your personal development.
TIP! If you are looking to achieve success in your life, start by studying those who have already attained great success. Then, intertwine some of their habits into your own success plan.
Listening is equally as valuable as speaking when you are communicating. This is true when bettering yourself. Ensure you are taking time to listen to yourself. Listening to what you tell yourself will help you know what you need and how to best improve yourself.
TIP! The way that you feel mentally has a large effect on how you feel physically. Exercise on a regular basis, and eat a healthy diet filled with nutritious foods.
Wherever you happen to be, when a great idea strikes your brain, write it down. Make sure you have a notepad on you at all times. Making quick notes about the inspiration as it strikes you will jog your memory and add to the potential that you will later incorporate into a thoughtful creative process.
TIP! Identify your personal values to help you determine your personal development plan. Focusing on areas contrary to your values does not make sense.
Usually what brings your happy mood down is stress. When we have to deal with stress, it takes its toll on the body in a physical and mental sense. To be able to think clearly, it is important to eliminate stress. Schedule in relaxation times throughout the day, clearing your mind in a peaceful setting. Taking a little bit of time for yourself will help you stay calm, and keep your goals in mind.
TIP! It is vital for you to enhance your strengths, by working within your comfort zone. Your skill set is unique to you, and the diversity of skills from one person to the next is what makes this world so great.
If you?re not living up to the goals that you set for yourself, take a good hard look at what may be wrong. Do some research online for examples of goals and ideas that are similar to yours, then compare your own goals to your findings. You might need to be more realistic or gain the proper information you need to succeed.
TIP! Choose one aspect that you want to improve and put your effort into that. While there may be a number of aspects that you?d like to work on, concentrating on one aspect at a time makes it more likely that you will succeed.
Stay humble. In the cosmic overview, humans are just a small blip. We can all learn from other people, and no single person knows all. Keep this in mind, and you will have limitless potential for growth. It?s not possible to learn everything first hand, so increase your knowledge by soliciting information from others.
TIP! Are you finding it hard to meet someone special? Don?t ignore online matchmaking services. Approximately 40% of all couples these days met online.
Try to pay attention to your inner beauty and not outer. It makes no difference if you are the prettiest or wear the costliest designer clothes. Your personality is what will prevail in your life. You should work on becoming a better person on the inside rather than worrying about how to improve your outer appearance.
TIP! Don?t just respect people who have power or something to offer you; treat everyone with respect. How they are treated speaks more of you than them.
Do not expect to accomplish your goals and transform your life without deciding to do so and taking action. When we consciously choose to change, it is easier to do so.
Sexual Capitol
TIP! In order to help with depression, try to add extra complex carbohydrates to your diet. Serotonin can be depleted without enough complex carbs in your diet.
Sexual capitol is an important new trait that?s being researched. Sexual capitol does not mean employing your sexuality as a tool in procuring what you want out of life. This means to use charisma instead. Developing this kind of social skills will help you deal with people.
TIP! Excessive alcohol use can lead to liver, kidney and circulatory disorders. Are you a smoker, or do you regularly engage in something that is bad for you? Our bodies are important to maintain, and should be treated with care.
People who have particularly intractable problems should try therapy. While self-help books help to a certain degree, seeing a therapist has more personalized substance to it. Sometimes, the best solution comes about through the simple act of talking with a trained therapist. Books don?t provide the give and take, back-and-forth communication, that a personal meeting with the therapist can.
TIP! Try to look at each new day as being better than the previous one. Work towards constant and continuous improvement.
It may become discouraging to begin developing better personal habits and lifestyles, but once you start noticing your life developing towards a better future, you will never want to stop. You can always develop better ways to do things and it?s important to always try hard towards any self improvement goals you have.
Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/curtisfillers/blog/self-help-tips-for-happiness-and-success/
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
The Infused Spirit of Jason Lalli
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Poet Jason Lalli talks about his experiences running Infuse Open Mic and co-organizing the inaugural Phoenix Festival of the Arts. ... There can be great entertainment without having to be controversial and profane.
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'Moderate Mitt' or the 'most anti-immigrant candidate ever'?
Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama spar at the second presidential debate. (Shannon Stapleton/AP)
As Mitt Romney continues to climb in the polls, some campaign watchers are crediting his momentum to a shift to the center on key issues. Former President Bill Clinton even joked about the supposed move last week at a Democratic rally for President Barack Obama in Las Vegas.
"I thought, 'Wow, here's old Moderate Mitt,'" Clinton said, referencing Romney's performance in the first presidential debate, where the former governor of Massachusetts said he was against tax cuts for the wealthy. "'Where ya been, boy?'"
On Thursday, two days after the second presidential debate, the Associated Press chimed in, writing that Romney has moved to the center on a range of issues in a bid to win over on-the-fence voters in swing states. (Just last February, while battling through a hard-fought Republican primary, Romney described himself as a "severely conservative" politician.) And it noted the same areas in which other media outlets and pundits have said the shift is taking place: taxes, women's issues?and immigration.
But there's a hole in the argument: Immigration stakeholders on both the right and left say they have yet to see "Moderate Mitt" appear on this particular issue. In fact, Romney's immigration policies are regarded as some of the most conservative of the last half-dozen presidential cycles.
"If you're someone who favors robust enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, Romney is the best presidential candidate that you've had in decades," Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies told Yahoo News. (The center is a conservative think tank that advocates for reduced legal immigration and an end to illegal immigration.) "I would say that he has generally not etch-a-sketched [on the issue]," Camarota added.
Frank Sharry, the executive director of the liberal immigrant advocacy group America's Voice, tweeted after the second debate that Romney is "the most anti-immigrant candidate ever."
While Romney has shifted slightly away from the days of the primary?when he touted the endorsement of Kris Kobach, who drafted Arizona's law targeting illegal immigrants, and recalled firing "illegals" who had worked in his yard, through a contractor, in Belmont, Mass.?his comments on immigration during the town hall debate differed more in tone than substance.
On Tuesday night, Americans heard the candidates discuss their visions for the country's immigration system for the first time when an undecided voter asked what Romney would do "with immigrants without their green cards that are currently living here as productive members of society."
Romney first responded by slamming President Obama for failing to keep his promise to pass his version of immigration reform, which would have included a path to citizenship for many of the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants. The governor also praised America as a "nation of immigrants" and said he wants to increase high-skilled legal immigration.
But Romney went on to espouse views seen as anathema to earlier Republican presidential candidates, who were eager not to alienate Hispanic voters by seeming unwilling to even consider a path to citizenship.
"There are 4 million people who are waiting in line to get here legally. Those who've come here illegally take their place. So I will not grant amnesty to those who have come here illegally," Romney said, a position he also held in the primary.
The GOP challenger also defended his "self-deportation" policy that he introduced in the primary. It proposes that many of the nation's illegal immigrants will voluntarily leave the country if employers are forced to check immigration status, making mass deportations unnecessary. (At the debate, Obama characterized Romney's self-deportation policy as "making life so miserable on folks that they'll leave.")
The sole point that Romney appeared to drift center-ward on immigration turned out to be a case of misinterpreted wording. Romney said that military service should be "one way" for young illegal immigrants who were brought to the country by their parents to gain legal residency. This suggested that Romney was open to creating more routes to legal residency for these young people, such as attending college.
Such a position would put Romney closer in line with the Democrat-backed Dream Act, which would give citizenship to people under 30 who join the military or attend college, and which Romney has vowed to veto.
But a Romney aide told Yahoo News that the candidate still thinks military service should be the only route to permanent residency.
Romney's decision to stay the course on immigration is an interesting one, as top Republicans?including Romney?have warned that the party is "doomed" if it cannot attract the fast-growing demographic of Hispanic voters, who will make up 9 percent of the electorate this year.
[Political junkie? Sign up for the Yahoo! News Daily Ticket newsletter today]
The Romney campaign is betting, then, that his economic message will be more important to this block of voters than its immigration one. Hispanic voters are by no means a homogenous or single-issue group, and polls show that, like most voters, they care most about the economy and jobs, with immigration trailing behind.
But Republican strategists stress that a hostile-sounding tone on immigration issues can alienate many Latino voters, no matter the candidate's economic platform. And a Latino Decisions poll shows that more than half of all Hispanic voters know at least one person who is undocumented, meaning the issue is personal.
The most recent Pew Hispanic Center poll has Romney picking up just 21 percent of the Hispanic vote, compared with 69 percent for Obama. (Romney is polling much better among Latinos in the swing state of Florida, however, where a strong Cuban-American presence tends to boost Republican candidates.)
George W. Bush picked up more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004, while John McCain slipped to 31 percent in 2008. The downward trend is not good news for the GOP. But some conservatives argue that embracing legalization measures will not necessarily help Republicans reverse the downward slide. The New York Times' Ross Douthat writes that "a party's overall brand matters more than its stance on a single issue", and that embracing restrictionist policies doesn't mean forfeiting the Hispanic vote.
Romney seems willing to break from tradition. Republican President Ronald Reagan signed the first immigration reform bill in 1986, offering legalization to nearly 3 million people in the country. George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and John McCain?as well as their Democratic rivals?all supported legalization measures to some degree either while running for president or in office. Bob Dole, however, ran on a platform in 1996 that would have allowed public schools to deny entrance to children who couldn't prove their citizenship. (Dole voted for Reagan's legalization 10 years earlier.)
Matt Barreto, a pollster with Latino Decisions and a political science professor at the University of Washington, said he thinks Romney's performance in the debate is unlikely to gain him any ground with Latino voters.
"I thought with his answers on immigration he continued to dig himself into a hole," Baretto said. "He had a chance there to perhaps make some overtures." Barreto added that Romney's use of the phrase "undocumented illegals" to refer to young illegal immigrants "certainly isn't going to help him."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-moved-center-immigration-122025670--election.html
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Friday, October 19, 2012
Vendor Spotlight of the Month: Marin Rosche ... - YOUnique Weddings
One of the reasons brides and grooms hire us is because of our knowledge of the best wedding vendors in San Diego. ?YOUnique Weddings has created wonderful relationships with many wedding professionals in the industry and we want to share some of our favorites with you!
Every month, we focus on one of our favorite vendors and show you just how wonderful they are! ? We have selected these vendors based on their professionalism, excellent communication, kindness, and passion for what they do. ?We fully trust them and think that you should too. ?Hopefully, these ?spotlighted vendors? will be just what you are looking for!
This month?s spotlight is on?the very talented Marin Rosche Photography! ?She takes absolutely stunning photographs that capture those very special moments on your big day! ?Don?t believe us??Take a look at these unbelievable photographs and get to know Marin and her company from the questionnaire that we asked her to fill out below.
Marin Rosche Photography:
1. ?What services do you offer?
Marin Rosche Photography offers wedding and engagement photography.
2. ?Can you please give an example of your best work and explain why it?s your favorite?
The weather Gods were basically calling for the end of the world.? We?re talking unheard-of weather for San Diego, with a 300% chance of rain.? But it really didn?t matter, because the bride and groom embraced the crazy weather, and allowed it to make their wedding day even more romantic and intimate.? Regardless of rain (hail) or shine, they shared their love, and celebrated their love, with their amazing family and friends, and nothing else mattered.? We stepped outside into a storm, only to find a few minutes with the sun shining and the clouds parting.? This frame is indicative of the day.? Not posed, absolutely no given direction.. just an image captured that was simply true to the moment, with real joy, real love, and real happiness.? I love this moment because it was a real, true, honest moment.
3. ?What do you like most about working in the wedding industry?
Absolutely the relationships!? The bride and groom, the vendors, the families, the wedding guests.. you have the opportunity to meet and connect with some great people under an exciting circumstance, and I think that really stays with you.
4. ?What is the best advice or a tip you have for brides and grooms?
Be present.? This will allow you to truly feel your wedding day.? Time has a way of passing us by, and the wedding day goes so quickly, so be present and you will build yourself an incredible memory.
5. ?What sets you apart from other vendors in your field?
I draw my style from a very natural and organic place, which represents me as a photographer and the way I view my environment.? Also, I don?t believe in Photoshop!?
6.? What do you want brides and grooms to know most about your company?
I apologize for the clich?, but I love what I do.? Simple.? Let?s become friends and the picture-taking will easily follow.?
7. ?How can brides reach you?? Contact Information?? Where are you located?
I am based in Thousand Oaks, Ca. but I work all through California, out of state, and internationally, too.? Call, email, send a message in a bottle.. either way!
My website is??http://marinroschephotography.com/?
Email:? marinroschephotography@gmail.com?
Phone:? 858.699.5631
?
Marin Rosche not only takes amazing photographs that capture the true emotions and beauty that each moment holds, but she is also a joy to be around. You will feel totally comfortable in front of her camera because she will truly become your friend in the months leading up your wedding. ?She will be sure to create photos that not only last forever, but that can bring you right back to that special day each and every time you look at them.
We would be happy to guide you to more of our favorite vendors in San Diego so?contact us?today to set up and appointment! ?And, stay tuned for next month?s vendor pick of the month!
With Love,
Alicia
San Diego Wedding Planner
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Source: http://blog.younique-weddings.com/2012/10/18/vendor-spotlight-of-the-month-marin-rosche-photography/
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Violent Mexico border state is snapshot of nation
PROGRESO, Mexico (AP) ? Every Sunday, some 100 people gather for pick-up baseball games in a dusty open field marked only by a dirt mound and rusted bleachers. It's the event of the week for this small northern Mexico town of 800 people where there is just one gas station and no supermarket, bank or high school.
Despite the crowd, nobody is willing to admit they were there the afternoon of Oct. 7 or saw the shootout just outside the ball field in the heart of Coahuila state. Mexican marines gunned down Heriberto Lazcano, a founder and top leader of the Zetas drug cartel and the biggest kingpin netted so far in President Felipe Calderon's six-year assault on organized crime.
Days later, no one would even admit to playing in the game. "We don't like sports," said one teenager waiting for his school bus last week when an Associated Press reporter asked him and his friends if they had played that Sunday. The players in the weekly games are largely in their teens.
Some townspeople do say they heard the explosions from grenades that Lazcano reportedly tossed as he ran for his life, but insist that they were home at the time and that they thought it was fireworks.
The reluctance to speak isn't surprising.
Cartel wars in neighboring states have made Coahuila a hideout for the Zetas, much like the remote "Golden Triangle" area of northwestern Mexico, where the world's most-wanted drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is rumored to seek cover.
"Coahuila is for the Zetas what the Sierra Madre is for El Chapo ... easily defensible, sparsely populated and relatively easy to get in and out of," said security expert Samuel Logan, co-author of a recent book on the Zetas.
Silence and fear govern Coahuila's rugged mining and agricultural terrain, home to 95 percent of Mexico's coal reserves.
The state provides the latest snapshot of a bloody drug war that's killed well over 50,000 people since 2006 and the nation's uncertainty as President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto brings Mexico's old ruling party back to power when he takes office Dec. 1.
"It used to be really quiet here. The women would bring out their rocking chairs and stay up late, talking and playing bingo," said a 31-year-old local television reporter, who didn't want to be quoted by name because he has received threats. "Nobody does that anymore."
Drug cartels have always operated in Coahuila. But its mountainous terrain made large-scale smuggling difficult and unattractive to cartels warring for major transport arteries through Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa.
As recently as 2006, the biggest narco news in Coahuila was a kiddie party in the town of Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Texas, allegedly sponsored by Gulf Cartel leader Osiel Cardenas Guillen, who sent bicycles, toys and a cake with "Happy Children's Day, from your friend Osiel" written in icing.
Lazcano started out in organized crime working for Cardenas, with his band of former army special forces serving as assassins for the Gulf Cartel.
The two gangs didn't split until 2010. But as early as 2008, residents of Progreso and nearby towns say they started to notice the arrival of very young, strange men, who rode around in caravans of pickups with large-caliber weapons and vests marked "Federal Police."
From their tattoos and beer drinking, locals knew the men weren't police, especially when they started extorting used-car dealers, liquor stores, nightclubs and bars. Some farmers were even forced to grow marijuana for them.
Now, the bloody headlines come almost daily.
Earlier this month, a confrontation in Piedras Negras between state officers and suspected cartel members left five suspects dead, including the nephew of another top Zetas cartel leader, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales.
Hours later, gunmen shot down state Gov. Ruben Moreira's nephew, who is the son of Humberto Moreira, a former Coahuila governor and former head of Pena Nieto's party. He preceded his brother as part of the political dynasty that runs the state, known as "Los Moreira."
The body of the 25-year-old, Jose Eduardo Moreira, was discovered Oct. 4 inside his pickup truck on a rural road on the outskirts of Ciudad Acuna, a town across the border from Del Rio, Texas. He had been shot twice in the head in what investigators believe was a revenge killing. Several police officers are suspected of involvement.
Lazcano was killed four days later when marines said they happened upon him by accident in Progreso. His body was later stolen by gunmen from a funeral home in the nearby town of Sabinas after marines left it unguarded. The Mexican navy said it didn't know they had brought down a top capo, even though U.S. law enforcement officials say they had confirmed his identity before the body was stolen.
Before the killing, residents had heard that Lazcano owned a ranch in the next town over from Progreso, with land butting up to the Sierra de Muzquiz mountains, where he could disappear if necessary. Lazcano's co-leader, Trevino, is also rumored to use Coahuila as a hideout.
When the AP tried to contact a miner who lives near the ranch, a relative replied by email: "Because most people have been threatened or extorted over the phone, and most likely the lines are tapped, he doesn't feel comfortable sharing any information."
The violence has only stoked running political turmoil in the state. Humberto Moreira resigned as president of Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party in December because of the $3 billion in state debt racked up during his time as governor. The former state treasurer is on the run, and a close former aide is under investigation for amassing unexplained wealth.
Earlier this year, six state and federal officials working in Coahuila were arrested on charges of protecting the Zetas.
Neither the Moreira brothers nor Coahuila state Attorney General Homero Ramos responded to requests for comment.
Humberto Moreira also often gets blamed for the violence.
"Many people believe when Humberto Moreira became governor, he let the Zetas in," said a 71-year-old retired movie theater worker in Sabinas. He also declined to be quoted by name out of fear of retaliation.
The Moreira brothers now appear to be estranged, though neither has acknowledged that publicly. While Humberto Moreira said fighting drug cartels was the job of the federal government, his brother has gone after them aggressively with a special state police force. Some people speculate that the crackdown cost his nephew his life.
The governor didn't attend his nephew's funeral, though he has said he will run down the killers to the full extent of the law.
Diana Iris Garcia's knows what it's like to lose a son. Her 23-year-old disappeared in 2007 with his boss and another man on their way to a marble mine. She has worked since then to find out what happened, and says authorities have done little to investigate. In 2009, she was among the first to join Forces United for Our Disappeared in Coahuila, a group of people seeking justice for relatives that not too long ago had no reason to exist in the state.
"One time in a meeting with Humberto Moreira, we said we didn't want one more person to suffer the pain we were going through," said Iris, 55. "Sadly, it happened to him."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/violent-mexico-border-state-snapshot-nation-080501362.html
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
Beyonce At The Super Bowl: Our Halftime Game Plan!
Here are five things we'd love to see from the superstar singer come February.
By Nadeska Alexis
Beyoncé
Photo: Beyonce.com
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1695690/beyonce-super-bowl-halftime-wish-list-destinys-child.jhtml
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