Monday, December 31, 2012

Finding the Good in the Bad: A Profile of Rita Levi-Montalcini

The Italian researcher faced prejudice and adversity as a woman and as a Jew, but went on to elucidate a growth factor essential to the survival of nerve cells


Editor's Note: Neurobiologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, a Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine in 1986, died December 30 at the age of 103. We are making this profile of her free online for the next 30 days. This story was originally published in the?January 1993?issue of Scientific American.

As a feminist in a family with Victorian mores and as a Jew and free-thinker in Mussolini?s Italy, Rita Levi-Montalcini has encountered various forms of oppression many times in her life. Yet the neurobiologist, whose tenacity and preciseness are immediately apparent in her light, steel-blue eyes and elegant black-and-white attire, embraces the forces that shaped her. ?If I had not been discriminated against or had not suffered persecution, I would never have received the Nobel Prize,? she declares.

Poised on the edge of a couch in her apartment in Rome that she shares with her twin sister, Paola, Levi- Montalcini recalls the long, determined struggle that culminated in joining the small group of women Nobelists in 1986. She won the prize for elucidating a substance essential to the survival of nerve cells. Her discovery of nerve growth factor led to a new understanding of the development and differentiation of the nervous system. Today it and other similar factors are the subject of intense investigation because of their potential to revive damaged neurons, especially those harmed in such diseases as Alzheimer?s.

The journey from Turin, where she was born in 1909, to this serene and impeccable Roman living room laden with plants and with the etchings and sculptures of Paola, a well-known artist, tested Levi-Montalcini's mettle from her earliest years. "It was a very patriarchal society, and I simply resented, from early childhood, that women were reared in such a way that everything was decided by the man, she proclaims. Initially, she wanted to be a philosopher but soon decided she was not logically minded enough. When her governess, to whom she was devoted, died of cancer, she chose to become a doctor. There only remained the small matter of getting her father, an engineer, to grant permission and of making up for the time she had lost in a girls? high school, where graduation led to marriage, not to the university. That ?annoyed me so much that I decided to never do as my mother did. And it was a very good decision?at that time, I could never have done anything in particular if I had married.? Levi-Montalcini pauses, leans forward and asks in- tensely, ?Are you married? ? She sighs with relief at the answer. ?Good,? she says, smiling.

After she received her father?s grudging consent, Levi-Montalcini studied for the entrance examination and then enrolled in the Turin School of Medicine at the age of 21. Drawn to a famous, eccentric teacher, Giuseppe Levi, she decided to become an intern at the Institute of Anatomy. There Levi-Montalcini became adept at histology, in particular at staining nerve cells.

Since Levi was curious about aspects of the nervous system, he assigned his student a Herculean labor: to figure out how the convolutions of the human brain are formed. In addition to the overwhelming undertaking of finding human fetuses in a country where abortion was illegal, ?the assignment was an impossible task to give your student or an established scientist,? Levi-Montalcini explains, her voice hardening. ?It was a really stupid question, which I couldn?t solve and no one could solve.?

She abandoned the project?after a series of unpleasant forays for subject matter?and with Levi?s permission began to study the development of the nervous system in chick embryos. Several years later she was forced to stop that work as well. Mussolini had declared his dictatorship by 1925 and since then anti-Semitism had grown in Italy. By 1936, hostility was openly apparent, and in 1939, Levi-Montalcini withdrew from the university, worried about the safety of her non-Jewish colleagues who would be taking a risk by letting her study.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=b9fd68446aacb2a829d2899104d72807

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Report: Cleveland Browns to clean house; let go of head coach Pat Shurmur, general manager Tom Heckert

Published Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 8:44 pm EST Last updated 2 hours and 23 minutes ago

Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert are expected to part ways with the organization or be fired by Monday, NFL sources told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

The Browns are under new ownership (Jimmy Haslam) and have a new CEO (Joe Banner). A shakeup was expected after the sale of the team to Haslam was approved, Banner was hired and former team president Mike Holmgren departed.

Banner had told reporters last week that a decision on Shurmur and Heckert's future with the franchise would come quickly after the season.

Shurmur and Heckert both know they will be gone following Sunday?s game, even though they hadn?t yet been informed, sources told the newspaper.

Shurmur has a 9-22 record in two seasons heading into Sunday?s finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns have had one of the youngest rosters in the league this season; 26 players have less than two years? experience, the Plain Dealer noted.

Multiple reports have named former Browns personnel executive Michael Lombardi, currently an analyst for the NFL Network, as a possible successor to Heckert.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Alabama coach Nick Saban have been linked to the potential head coach opening, according to reports. Saban is staying put, however, sources told the Plain Dealer. Saban was a Browns assistant under Bill Belichick from 1991 to 1994.

Last week, the Browns hired Alec Scheiner to be the new team president.

The Browns are expected to be one of several teams to dismiss coaches and/or general managers early this week.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-12-29/cleveland-browns-set-to-fire-pat-shurmur-tom-heckert-coach-gm-jimmy-haslam

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

'Dairy cliff' may be avoided, for a year at least

9 hrs.

Farm-state lawmakers have agreed to a one-year extension of the expiring U.S. farm bill that, if enacted, would head off a possible doubling of retail milk prices to $7.00 or more a gallon in 2013.?

The compromise measure resulted from bipartisan discussions in the House of Representatives' Agriculture Committee and talks with colleagues in the U.S. Senate, Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, the House panel's chairman, said in a statement Sunday.?

"It is not perfect - no compromise ever is - but it is my sincere hope that it will pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President by January 1," Lucas, a Republican, said.?

It was not immediately clear whether House and Senate leaders would bring the measure to a vote soon enough to avoid putting the so-called "dairy cliff" milk price spike into action.?

Separately, lawmakers are working on a last-ditch effort to avert the similarly timed "fiscal cliff," when the biggest tax increases ever to hit Americans are set to start, paired with significant federal spending cuts?

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in an interview with CNN taped Friday and aired on Sunday, urged Congress to come up with such a solution, if only an extension of the old law that expired nearly three months ago, lest milk prices start rising after Jan. 1, 2013.?

Absent a new bill or an extension of current law, milk prices would revert to rules set in 1949, the last "permanent" farm legislation in the United States. Government price supports would kick in, based on production costs 64 years ago, plus inflation. The potential retail milk price has been estimated at $6.00 to $8.00 a gallon versus current levels near $3.50.?

Lucas said in the statement that time had run out in Congress' current session to enact a new five-year farm bill, as farm-state lawmakers and the dairy lobby had hoped.?

Vilsack told CNN that soaring milk prices - if it comes to that - would ripple throughout all commodities "if this thing goes on for an extended period of time."?

The price of milk will not double on Jan. 1, if Congress fails to act. Instead, prices would rise gradually as supplies are removed from normal markets and land instead in U.S. Department of Agriculture storage facilities.?

With supplies more scarce in normal marketing channels, some milk distributors and dairy product manufacturers could have turned to imported supplies.?

The Department of Agriculture is reviewing a range of options for administering programs should a permanent law become legally effective on Jan. 1, a spokesman said on Friday.?

The Senate passed its new five-year farm bill in June, and the House Agriculture Committee followed with a version in July.?

But the House bill, with large cuts in food-stamp funding for lower-income Americans, has never been brought to a vote by the full House. The Senate and House have for months remained far apart on the issues of food stamps and crop subsidies.?

Lucas said the year-long extension "provides certainty to our producers and critical disaster assistance to those affected by record drought conditions."?

It would also mean another round of the direct subsidies to farmers that cost about $5 billion a year, and that both sides of debate had agreed earlier to eliminate.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/dairy-cliff-may-be-avoided-year-least-1C7753064

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Best paid iPad apps

Best paid iPad apps

The App Store is flooded with apps, both good and bad, so it can be overwhelming to decided which apps you're going to spend your hard earned cash (or gift cards) on. Stress no more! We've gathered up some of our all time favorite iPad apps that we believe to be worth every penny.

1Password 4

1Password is not only one of the best apps for your iPhone, but one of the best for your iPad, Mac, and PC as well. With 1Password, you can say goodbye to using the same, insecure password for all your logins all over the internet and instead give each login its own individual secure password yet only need to remember one password to gain access to them all.

1Password is not just extremely useful and practical, but it's very well designed and gives the perfect combination of functionality and beauty.

Calendars by Readdle

Apple's built-in Calendar app on the iPad is great and all, but if you yearn for something different, Calendars by Readdle by be just what you're looking for. This full-featured calendar app will sync with Google and iOS Calendar and has a great design. Calendar has support for custom repeating events and feature special keyboards for different entry elements to make it quick to enter events. You can also swipe between screens (something that you surprisingly can't do with the built-in Calendar app) and the week and day views feature a visual/spacial design that many users consider a must-have.

Tweetbot

Now you can block retweets from individual users with Tweetbot 2.3 for iPhone and iPad

Tweetbot has been one of our favorite Twitter apps for quite some time, now. It's perfect for the power tweeter, with useful features like intuitive gestures, granular notifications, and flexible mute filters all wrapped up in fun sounds and a great design.

Camera+

One of the great advantages to the iPad over the iPhone is that it's larger screen is awesome for photo editing -- especially on the Retina iPad. Camera+ was originally an iPhone photography app that focused on taking better photos, but it's come a long way since then and now includes great tools and sharing options for the iPad. And if you use an iPhone, your photos will seamlessly sync between Camera+ on your iPhone and iPad.

iMovie

The iPad is a great device for editing videos and creating movies, but with the restrictions of simply shooting video and trimming clips, the built-in Camera app doesn't give you much flexibility, but iMovie does! iMovie is a fantastic video editor because it's super easy to make fun videos in just a matter of minutes. Videographers may yearn for more, but for everyone else, iMove is an excellent video editor for the iPad.

Foldify

Foldify lets you craft folded paper art... right from your iPad

If you own a printer, Foldify will make it fun again. If you don't own a printer, Foldify will make you seriously consider rushing out to get one. The reason for that is Foldify's ability to project itself from the iPad, where the app runs, to the real world, where the app's results live. The idea is remarkable simple -- draw one pre-defined templates, then print them out, fold them up, and enjoy real, touchable, arrangeable models of what you made. The execution is even more remarkable, because the developers managed to keep the app as simple as the idea, and that's no easy feat.

Weather 2x

Weather 2x is an absolutely gorgeous weather app for both the iPhone and iPad. The included gestures are perfect and intuitive and the information is displayed and organized in a very elegant manner. If you're in the market for a full-featured weather app that includes everything under the sun, then Weather 2x isn't for you, but if you're looking for a beautiful, minimalist weather app that brings the most important information to you in an elegant package then Weather 2x may be exactly what you're looking for.

Instapaper

Instapaper is one of the most popular read-later services on the web and iPad that saves web pages and articles for offline reading and is optimized for readability on your device's screen. It offers a distraction-free text only environment with the ability to adjust fonts, text sizes, line spacing, and margins to truly satisfy your specific reading needs. You can save articles to Instapaper via a bookmarklet that you save in Safari or from one of the many Twitter, reading, and social apps in the App Store.

Reeder

If you use Google Reader, you want Reeder - plain and simple. It's an RSS reader that will sync with your Google Reader account and present your feeds on a beautiful and clean interface. You can also choose to sync with Fever and Readability and Reeder allows you to share to nearly every social service out there.

Instacast

Instacast 3 is the all new version of Vemedio's popular iPhone and iPad podcasting app. With it, Vemedio has switched out a lot of old methods for newer technologies like automatic reference counting and Core Data to make Instacast better and faster. Alongside these fancy new technologies is Instacasts new Cloud sync. Instead of using Apple's iCloud to keep your podcasts in sync, the folks at Vemedio put in a lot of work to create their own. All you need to do to use it is sign-up for a free account and all your data will be seamlessly moved to the cloud. If Apple's free Podcasts app isn't up to your needs, give Instacast a whirl.

Byword

Byword for iPhone and iPad review

Byword is a text and Markdown editor that focuses on being simple, distraction free, and beautiful. It's available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac and can keep all your work in sync via iCloud or Dropbox. It also features a special keyboard with a swipable row at the top that includes selective word and character counters, a tab key, smart paring characters, and undo key, Markdown helpers, and more.

Notability

Notability is a full-featured handwriting app that you can use to take notes, annotate PDFs, and more. The inking in Notability is quite beautiful and taking the tiniest of notes is a breeze with the zoom window or by simply pinching-to-zoom into your document. In addition to handwritten notes, Notability allows you to add text and record audio notes. It also feature a convenient auto-sync feature with Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or WebDav so that you can be assured that your notes are always backed up and accessible from anywhere.

Scanner Pro

Scan documents into your iPhone and iPad with Scanner Pro by Readdle

Some people poke fun at the idea of taking photos with an iPad, but Scanner Pro offers an unarguably awesome use for the iPad's camera -- the ability to scan documents and store them as PDFs. The resulting scans look just like a job done by a scanner, not a camera. Scanner Pro features an auto-edge detector that is very accurate and will help fix any distortion that you may have capture by not taking the photo from directly above the document. It also syncs with iCloud, Dropbox, and more to ensure that your documents are accessible from any device.

iWork: Pages, Numbers, and Keynote

Apple updates iWork apps Pages, Keynote, and Numbers

Want to create posters, write papers, design spreadsheets, and create presentations? Apple's iWork suite consisting of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote has go you covered. All three of these apps are universal for both the iPhone and iPad and sync over iCloud with their Mac counterparts.

Your favorite paid apps for iPhone?

This really is just a short list of fantastic apps out there, and we know there's some other great ones that have been left out. That's where you come in! What are the best paid apps you have installed on your iPad and use regularly? Let us know in the comments below!



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/GMRUSBGB5Yo/story01.htm

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Samsung offers free flip covers and TecTiles for GS III and Note II device registrations

DNP Samsung doles out free flip covers and Tectiles if you register your device, only S III and Note II owners may apply

If you just received a Galaxy S III or a Note II this holiday season, you could do yourself a favor and register it on Samsung's Facebook page to get even more goodies from Santa Sammy. What do you get in exchange for handing over some personal details and giving the Korean company access to your timeline? Why, a free flip cover and six TecTiles, which usually go for about $15 for a pack of five. We haven't heard much about wide adoption of these programmable NFC tags, but maybe it'll gain some traction after a recent 3.0 app update and this promotional giveaway. We're not sure why the offer doesn't extend to other Samsung phones, but maybe they just don't have enough of those pastel covers to go around.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Facebook (Samsung)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/JxxlflCl5Es/

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Reading Tea Leaves of Political Appointments Not Yet Made (Atlantic Politics Channel)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273632310?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Lawmakers, Obama in last chance talks on "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and lawmakers are launching a last-chance round of budget talks days before a New Year's deadline to reach a deal or watch the economy go off a "fiscal cliff."

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet congressional leaders from both parties at the White House on Friday at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) to try to revive negotiations to avoid tax hikes and spending cuts - together worth $600 billion - that will begin to take effect on January 1.

Members were divided on the odds of success, with a few expressing hope, some talking as if they had abandoned it and a small but growing number suggesting Congress might try to stretch the deadline into the first two days of January.

In order to be ready to legislate if an agreement takes shape, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives convened a session for Sunday.

And House Majority Leader Eric Cantor advised members to be prepared to meet through January 2, the final day before the swearing-in of the new Congress elected on November 6.

It "doesn't feel like anything that's very constructive is going to happen" as a result of the meeting with Obama, said Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker. "It feels more like optics than anything that's real.

The two political parties remained far apart, particularly over plans to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help close the U.S. budget deficit. But one veteran Republican, Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, held out the prospect that if Obama came through with significant spending cuts, Republicans in the House might compromise on taxes.

The coming days are likely to see either intense bargaining over numbers, or political theater as each side attempts to avoid blame if a deal looks unlikely.

"Hopefully, there is still time for an agreement of some kind that saves the taxpayers from a wholly, wholly preventable economic crisis," Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Democratic-controlled Senate, said on the Senate floor.

But the rhetoric was still harsh on Thursday after months of wrangling - much of it along ideological lines - over whether to raise taxes and by how much, as well as how to cut back on government spending.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the top Democrat in Congress, accused Republican House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by refusing to allow bills he did not like onto the floor of the chamber.

Reid urged Republicans in the House to prevent the worst of the fiscal shock by getting behind a Senate bill to extend existing tax cuts for all except those households earning more than $250,000 a year.

Both Reid and Boehner, as well as McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, are to meet Obama on Friday.

MARKETS EASE

U.S. stocks sharply cut losses after news of the House reconvening as investors clung to hopes of an 11th-hour deal. Even a partial agreement on taxes that would leave tougher issues like entitlement reform and the debt ceiling until later could be enough to keep markets calm.

"I'm not convinced it will result in a deal, but you could get enough concessions by both parties to at least avoid the immediacy of going over the cliff," said Randy Bateman, chief investment officer of Huntington Asset Management, in Columbus, Ohio.

Obama arrived back at the White House on Thursday from a brief vacation in Hawaii that he cut short to restart stalled negotiations with Congress.

He is likely to meet the toughest resistance from Republicans in the House, where a group of several dozen fiscal conservatives have opposed any tax hikes at all.

But Flake of Arizona said his fellow Republicans in the House and Senate are resigned to seeing some sort of increase in top income tax rates. But they will push back if Obama does not offer spending cuts.

"There will be resistance from a lot of House conservatives to a deal that does that," Flake said.

Strictly speaking, the fiscal cliff measures begin on January 1 when tax rates go up but the House might stay in session until the following day if an agreement is being worked out.

"This January 1 deadline is a little artificial. We can do everything retroactively. We have to get it right, not get it quickly," said Republican Representative Andy Harris.

Another component of the "fiscal cliff" - $109 billion in automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs - is set to kick in on January 2.

The House and Senate passed bills months ago reflecting their own sharply divergent positions on the expiring low tax rates, which went into effect during the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush.

Democrats want to allow the tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest Americans and leave them in place for everyone else. Republicans want to extend the tax cuts for everyone.

In another sign that Americans are increasingly worrying about their finances as Washington fails to address the budget crisis, consumer confidence fell to a four-month low in December.

Americans blame Republicans in Congress more than congressional Democrats or Obama for the fiscal crisis, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

When asked who they held more responsible for the "fiscal cliff" situation, 27 percent blamed Republicans in Congress, 16 percent blamed Obama and 6 percent pointed to Democrats in Congress. The largest percentage - 31 percent - blamed "all of the above."

(Additional reporting by David Lawder, Fred Barbash and Mark Felsenthal in Washington and David Gaffen in New York; writing by Alistair Bell; editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-obama-last-chance-talks-fiscal-cliff-013608295--business.html

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Blood found on borrowed car in missing girl case

This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Moris, 10, who police are searching for after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The woman, Brenda Stokes, 50, made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Police Department)

This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Moris, 10, who police are searching for after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The woman, Brenda Stokes, 50, made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Police Department)

This booking photo provided by the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nev,. Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, shows 50-year-old Brenda Stokes. Police in Las Vegas have issued a plea for information about 10-year-old Jade Morris after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman who is thought to be Stokes. Stokes was arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Clark County Detention Center )

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? A prosecutor says blood was found in a car borrowed by a woman last seen with a missing 10-year-old girl and later arrested in a razor blade slashing of a co-worker at a Las Vegas Strip casino.

Police investigating the disappearance Jade Morris expect to know Friday whether her body is the one found by a person walking a dog in an undeveloped North Las Vegas housing tract.

Jade was last seen Dec. 21.

Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy says he's awaiting results of DNA testing before saying whether the body is Jade Morris.

Prosecutor Robert Daskas convinced a judge Friday to raise bail to $600,000 for Brenda Stokes Wilson.

Wilson is jailed in the slashing case and is expected to face murder and kidnapping charges in Jade Morris' disappearance.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-28-Missing%20Girl-Bellagio%20Fight/id-b4c95969cd0a48088cc5741c563bbc5c

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Friday, December 28, 2012

5 issues facing small businesses in 2013

40 min.

In 2013, small business owners will contend with many of the same issues that made it hard to run their companies over the last 12 months.

They're also heading into the new year with a lot of uncertainty. It's unlikely that negotiations in Congress will resolve all of lawmakers' disagreements over tax and budget issues that affect small businesses. And there are still many questions about the implications of the health care law for small companies.

That points to continued caution ? and perhaps slow hiring ? among the nation's small companies.

"Uncertainty is the bane of every small business," says Scott Shane, a professor of entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management in Cleveland. "Their only rational response is to pull in their horns and slow down."

Small businesses aren't likely to get much encouragement from the economy. It's expected to grow by no more than 3 percent in 2013, according to the Federal Reserve. That's a moderate pace, better than the 1.7 percent that the economy grew during the first three quarters of 2012. But it's also far from robust.

Here's a look at some of the issues facing small businesses in the coming year:

Taxes
Lawmakers are still haggling over what's called the fiscal cliff, the combination of billions of dollars in tax increases and budget cuts. Even if Congress reaches an agreement, small business owners won't have the certainty they need, according to Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association, a group that lobbies on behalf of small companies.

"It almost surely won't be comprehensive enough that we won't be revisiting it next year," McCracken says. He's concerned that there'll be another fiscal cliff in six months ? which would mean more negotiations and more uncertainty.

Many small business owners are worried about their personal tax rates. Sole proprietors, partners and owners of what are called S corporations, all report the income from their businesses on their individual Form 1040 returns. That means their companies are in effect taxed at personal rates, which can be higher than corporate rates.

One of the most important tax provisions for small businesses, what's known as the Section 179 deduction, will shrink to $25,000 next year from $125,000 in 2012. The deduction, which applies to equipment purchases, was $500,000 in 2011. Congress can increase the deduction at any time, even after 2013 has begun. But for the time being, business owners can't count on getting a big break.

"It's a huge change for companies planning on making investments," McCracken says.

It's not known if Congress will extend the 2 percentage point payroll tax cut that workers have had for two years. If it doesn't, consumers will have less money in their paychecks to spend, and that is likely to affect retailers and any other small businesses that sell directly to the public.

Health care
Health care has been another source of uncertainty for small business owners. The new year will bring some, but probably not all, of the answers to questions about how the new health care law will affect them. Many will have to devote some time to understanding the law ? or hire someone to help them do it.

"They'll have to get their arms around the law, look at their options, learn more about the exchanges," says John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority, a lobbying group.

Under the law, companies with 50 or more employees will be required to provide affordable health care insurance for their employees starting Jan. 1, 2014. During 2013, federal and state health insurance exchanges will be set up, and owners will be able to see how much it will cost them to buy insurance. As the year begins, however, many small business owners don't know whether their states will be creating exchanges, or whether they'll have to go into the national system ? and they don't know what that will mean for their costs.

For some owners, that information will help them decide whether they will buy insurance, or whether they'll decide it's cheaper to not provide coverage and just pay the government a $2,000-per-employee fine. For those who have close to 50 workers, they may decide to not hire more workers in order to remain outside the law's jurisdiction.

Lending
Don't look for the small business lending climate to get easier in 2013. Owners who are uneasy about the economy, taxes and health care aren't expected to significantly increase their borrowing, especially as many have been paying down debt since the recession. But even those who are ready to borrow are expected to find it's still hard to get a loan. Bankers are unlikely to be more liberal in their lending policies.

Depressed lending levels may be with us well beyond 2013, says James Schrager, a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

The problem isn't just that banks are cautious about small business loans. Schrager notes that home equity loans, a traditional source of money for people starting or expanding a business, remain difficult to get, the result of the collapse in the mortgage market in 2008.

Small Business Majority's Arensmeyer is hopeful that a bill introduced in Congress this year to allow credit unions to make more loans to small businesses will get more traction when the new Congress convenes. That bill would more than double the amount of total assets that credit unions can use to lend to small businesses to 27.5 percent.

But he's also not expecting major changes in lending next year.

"Sadly, I don't think we're going to increase our access to capital overnight," he says.

Onshoring
A trend that's expected to gain speed in 2013 is what's calling onshoring. That's the term for manufacturing that had been done overseas, and that's now taking place back in U.S. factories. Apple Inc. earlier this month said it would move production of some of its Mac computers to the U.S. from China next year ? but many small businesses have already been making the switch. While Apple is an example of a big company moving in this direction, the majority of U.S. manufacturers are small businesses.

There are several reasons behind the trend. As China becomes more of a middle-class country, wages for its workers are rising, and that is lessening some of the appeal of manufacturing there for U.S. companies, says Steven Kaplan, a professor of entrepreneurship and finance at Chicago's Booth School. Over the past two decades, it was the cheaper labor in China that prompted businesses of all sizes to have everything from computers to clothes to food ingredients made in China.

The rising cost of fuel, which has made transporting goods more expensive, is another factor in onshoring.

"Manufacturing in the U.S. is relatively more attractive than it has been in 20 years," Kaplan says.

Skilled worker shortage
While companies' caution has weighed on the job market, many company owners who actually want to hire say it's hard to find workers to fill some positions.

It's becoming more difficult to find people who have the skills they need, these owners say. Many new manufacturing jobs require high-tech skills. They include positions at factories where computers are used to create products like airplane parts and machinery. And some require several years of training, says Shane, the Case Western Reserve professor. For example: A company that makes metal molds which are in turn used to create automobile dashboards. That takes a machinist who knows cutting-edge processes to make the molds.

"You cannot take someone off the street to do it," Shane says.

Because of changing technology, owners are struggling to find qualified workers in 2013.

"There's a whole level of work that's going to require skills that weren't needed in traditional jobs," says Arensmeyer. He notes that community colleges around the country are offering courses that will help train workers to fill these jobs. But training takes time, and the demand for jobs may continue to outstrip the supply of qualified workers.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/5-issues-facing-small-businesses-2013-1C7660251

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Ryan Murphy Welcomes Son Via Surrogate!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/ryan-murphy-welcomes-son-via-surrogate/

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Stranded by winter storm? Tips for fliers

NEW YORK (AP) ? A massive winter storm is disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands of fliers trying to get home after Christmas. Snow, thunderstorms, sleet, tornados and high winds have grounded planes in the nation's midsection and are expected to slow operations on the East Coast.

Delays racked up from Dallas to Indianapolis to Chicago. By 3 p.m. EST Wednesday, more than 1,100 flights nationwide had been scrapped, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.com.

More cancelations are likely throughout the evening, with Washington, New York and Philadelphia expected to see the largest problems. For instance, wind gusts at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport could exceed 50 mph Wednesday night, according to FlightAware.

Passengers are pretty much at the mercy of Mother Nature and the airlines. But there are a few things they can do to improve their odds of getting home quickly.

? If you miss your connection, the airlines will automatically rebook you on the next available flight. However, with flights at near capacity, the next open seat could be several days away. Two years ago, some Christmas fliers had to wait nearly a week to get home.

? If you're unhappy with your rebooked flight, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. But also, pick up the phone and call the airline directly, go onto the airline's website and even consider sending a Tweet.

? Consider buying a one-day pass to the airline lounge. It's a nice place to relax away from the crowd and there are usually free drinks and small snacks. But the real secret to the lounges is that the airline staffs them with some of its best ? and friendliest ? ticket agents. The lines inside will be much shorter and these agents are magically able to find empty seats where nobody else can. One-day passes typically cost $50 per person.

___

Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stranded-winter-storm-tips-fliers-203001027--finance.html

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Raimon Land puts caps on 185 Rajadamri - Property Report

Raimon Land?s 185 Rajadamri project should be completed in late 2013.

Leading property developer Raimon Land celebrated? the topping off ceremony of the company?s most exclusive project to date, 185 Rajadamri, the company announced in a press release.

The event marked an important construction milestone for the project on Rajadamri Road.? The structural work for the 35-storey 185 Rajadamri tower has been completed and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as general architectural work are proceeding as scheduled.

?185 Rajadamri?s topping off ceremony represents another big step forward for Raimon Land as we? deliver one of our best condo developments which we envisioned as an architectural masterpiece and the definitive statement of luxury living,? Hubert Viriot, chief executive officer,? Raimon, said. ?Up to now, 195 units at 185 Rajadamri have been sold.? The total project value is approximately THB9.6 billion (US$314 million).?

Scheduled for completion in late 2013, 185 Rajadamri?s state-of-the-art design promises all owners views of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Lumpini Park and Bangkok?s skyline. The condominium will feature a modern variety of units including one to four-bedroom luxury residences, duplexes and penthouses.

Filed Under: Country News ? News ? Thailand

Tags: 185 rajadmari ? Bangkok ? new residential projects ? raimon land ? Thailand

Source: http://www.property-report.com/raimon-land-puts-caps-on-185-rajadamri-26793

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Love it or Leave it: BLUETOOTH trademarks - Erik M Pelton ...

It seems like just about every new laptop, phone, portable music player, car and other hi tech item received this holiday season came equipped with ?Bluetooth? technology. Did you know that BLUETOOTH? is a registered trademark? And so is the Bluetooth symbol or logo that you see on many computer devices. Are the name and logos good ones??

Bluetooth is actually an industry standard. ?As a result it really has no direct competition. But it is a coined arbitrary name ? the words do not describe what the service is or any of its features. The industry standard is managed by a consortium of companies. Many other electronic standards are similarly managed. Those who want to use the technology and name must license the patents and trademarks from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

File:BluetoothLogo.svg

According to a Wikipedia entry, ?The word ?Bluetooth? is an?anglicised?version of the Scandinavian?Bl?tand/Bl?tann, the?epithet?of the tenth-century king?Harald I of Denmark?and parts of?Norway?who united dissonant Danish tribes into a single kingdom. The idea of this name was proposed by?Jim Kardach?who developed a system that would allow mobile phones to communicate with computers (at the time he was reading?Frans Gunnar Bengtsson?s historical novel?The Long Ships?about Vikings and king?Harald Bluetooth).[4]?The implication is that Bluetooth does the same with communications protocols, uniting them into one universal standard.[5][6][7]?

Having an arbitrary creative name makes for a strong and distinctive trademark. And having an interesting backstory, like this one for Bluetooth, make the name even more special. ?The name has a meaning that relates in some way to the purpose of the products, but only to those who know the story.

The logo apparently comes from a ?bind rune? combining letters from an old runic alphabet.

I think the name and logo are terrific. The logo is great because it looks both high tech and old fashioned at the same time, it is blue, which is suggestive of the name, and it features a ?B? shape. The name is great because it is unique, it is creative, it is protected and registered (see below), and it is memorable. The logo can appear by itself on a small mobile display and immediately convey meaning to users.

Of course, it is a lot easier to use a made up arbitrary term when you have no real competition. Users will have to use your brand whether they like it not, whether the brand is catchy or not. But regardless, Bluetooth got it right.

Here are two of the Bluetooth USPTO trademark registrations:

BLUETOOTH - (certification mark) -?TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES; COMPUTER COMMUNICATION SERVICES;?TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, COMPUTER COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING RADIO MODEMS

Trademark image(click logo for USPTO record)?-?APPARATUS FOR RECORDING, TRANSMISSION OR REPRODUCTION OF SOUND, IMAGES, AND LIGHT, NAMELY, PHONOGRAPHS, CASSETTE TAPE RECORDERS, COMPACT DISC RECORDERS, DVD RECORDERS, VIDEO RECORDERS, RADIO RECEIVERS, STILL CAMERAS, VIDEO CAMERAS, TRANSCEIVERS, RADIO AND TELEVISION TRANSMITTERS, SOUND ENCODERS AND DECODERS, VIDEO ENCODERS AND DECODERS, RADIO FREQUENCY BASEBAND PROCESSORS AND MODEMS; APPARATUS AND INSTRUMENTS FOR DATA COMMUNICATION, SATELLITE COMMUNICATION AND TELECOMMUNICATION, NAMELY, TELEPHONE, SATELLITE, AND RADIO RECEIVERS, TRANSMITTERS AND TELEPHONE HEADSETS; COMPUTER HARDWARE; COMPUTER PROGRAMS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION; COMPUTER INTERFACES, MODEMS AND PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT, COMPRISED OF PRINTERS, MICE, MONITORS, KEYBOARDS, AND DONGLE CABLES; TELEPHONE BASE STATIONS; TELEVISION APPARATUS, NAMELY, SCREENS, TUNERS, AND RECEIVERS; ELECTRONIC AMUSEMENT APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR USE WITH TELEVISION RECEIVERS; GAMES ADAPTED FOR USE WITH TELEVISION RECEIVERS, NAMELY, COMPUTER GAMES, COMPUTER VIDEO GAMES, GAME CONSOLES AND JOY STICKS; CASH REGISTERS; ELECTRONIC INSTALLATIONS FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS, NAMELY, COMPUTERS, CENTRAL PROCESSING UNITS, COMPUTER KEYBOARDS, PRINTERS FOR USE WITH COMPUTERS, CONTROL PANELS, MONITORS, PATCHBOARDS AND DISTRIBUTION BOARDS; ELECTRONIC PENS; PROTECTIVE HELMETS; ELECTRONIC RADIOS; TRANSMITTERS; TELEPHONE APPARATUS, NAMELY HANDSETS, BASE STATIONS AND RECEIVERS; TRANSMITTERS; TIME RECORDING APPARATUS, NAMELY, CLOCKS, WATCHES, ATOMIC CLOCKS;?SURGICAL IMPLANTS; SURGICAL LAMPS; CATHETER TUBES; THERMOMETERS FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES; TRACTION APPARATUS FOR MEDICAL USE; ULTRASONIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS; BASEBAND PROCESSORS AND INTEGRATED CIRCUITS USED IN MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEMS; ACUPUNCTURE INSTRUMENTS; AIR PILLOWS FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES; AUTOCLAVES FOR MEDICAL USE; BED VIBRATORS; BREAST PUMPS; ENEMA APPARATUS; TESTING APPARATUS, NAMELY, BLOOD TESTING DEVICES, BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORS, BREATH GAS ANALYZERS; HEART MONITORS; HEMO-DIALYSIS APPARATUS; WIRELESS NETWORKS FOR MEDICAL AND ORTHOPEDIC SYSTEMS AND INSTRUMENTS; ARTIFICIAL LIMBS; HEARING AIDS FOR THE DEAF;?MOTOR CARS;?PRINTED MATTER, NAMELY, STATIONERY, BUSINESS CARDS, BOOKLETS, GREETING CARDS, HANDBOOKS, POSTCARDS, POSTERS, BOOKS, PERIODICALS, MANUALS, BROCHURES, MAGAZINES AND PUBLICATIONS IN THE NATURE OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND TEACHING MATERIALS, ALL IN THE FIELD OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS; PAPER, CARDBOARD AND GOODS MADE FROM THESE MATERIALS, NAMELY, FLYERS, MANUALS AND PENS;?GAMES AND PLAYTHINGS, NAMELY, ACTION SKILL GAMES;?TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES, NAMELY, SHORT-RANGE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS, AND PERSONAL AREA NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS; CELLULAR TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION SERVICES; COMMUNICATIONS BY COMPUTER TERMINALS, NAMELY, ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF DATA AND DOCUMENTS VIA COMPUTER TERMINALS, COMMUNICATION BY TELEPHONE, ELECTRONIC MAIL SERVICES AND PAGING SERVICES; COMPUTER AIDED TRANSMISSION OF MESSAGES AND IMAGES; RENTAL OF MESSAGE SENDING APPARATUS; PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT TELECOMMUNICATIONS GOODS AND SERVICES;?CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT TO THE ORDER AND SPECIFICATION OF OTHERS;?EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, NAMELY, CONDUCTING CLASSES, SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, CORRESPONDENCE COURSES, WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING IN THE FIELDS OF DATA COMMUNICATIONS, PERSONAL AREA NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS;?TECHNICAL CONSULTATION IN THE FIELD OF DATA COMMUNICATIONS, PERSONAL AREA NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS; BASIC RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY AND ENGINEERING; COMPUTER PROGRAMMING SERVICES FOR OTHERS; LEASING OF DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT; CUSTOMER SERVICES, NAMELY, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATION, COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES, REMOTE AND ON-SITE MONITORING OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

?

Source: http://www.erikpelton.com/2012/12/26/love-it-or-leave-it-bluetooth-trademarks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=love-it-or-leave-it-bluetooth-trademarks

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Syrian refugees face harsh winter in desperate conditions

BAB AL-SALAMEH, Syria (Reuters) - Huddled inside thin plastic tents in a makeshift camp after fleeing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's bombs thousands of refugees say they face a new enemy. "The cold is killing us," many of them say.

Having survived a conflict in which more than 40,000 people are estimated to have been killed, refugees at the Bab al-Salameh camp on the Syrian-Turkish border say the winter is now a bigger threat to them than the violence engulfing their country.

"The situation here is even worse than being at home," said Waad Orfali, a 27-year-old woman, dressed in a pink headscarf, velvet pink gown and slippers, as rain pounded the camp.

"At least in the village there was a doctor," said Orfali, who escaped from the northern village of Marea about two weeks ago after snipers and air strikes forced her and her family to relocate to the relative safety of the camp.

The flimsy tents scattered across the encampment offer scant relief to the thousands of men, women and children facing freezing weather and constant rain, and colder conditions are still to come.

Earlier this month, the United Nations refugee agency said more than half a million Syrian refugees are registered or waiting in other Middle Eastern countries, with about 3,000 new people seeking refugee status and assistance daily.

"I'm three months pregnant and I've been bleeding," said Orfali, who suffered from mouth sores. She said her husband suffered from kidney stones, but that neither had been able to receive medical care at the camp.

"At home there's no water or electricity and it's the same thing here," another woman chimed.

Tents reeked of damp as the rain seeped through, soaking blankets, clothes and rugs, and with no electricity in the camp, children, many wearing a single layer of clothing and slippers with no socks, shivered in the cold.

Mothers complained they received little food. By the afternoon, they said breakfast had not even been distributed. With no running water, lavatories near the mosque stank of rubbish and sewage.

"Tell them Syria's people are full of lice," said Um Ali, a mother of 12, said. She carried her ID papers in plastic to protect them from the rain in the hope that she could use them to get supplies from the camp authorities for her children.

WE JUST WANT THE SLAUGHTER TO STOP

Some refugees here are trying to scrape together a living amid the misery. They set up stands to sell cigarettes, and children zigzag through the tents hawking sweets and chocolate.

IHH, a Turkish relief group, is running the camp. Shawkat Gukman, the IHH coordinator at Bab al-Salameh, said the camp housed about 870 tents and 6,000 people with about 200 people streaming through each day.

Gukman said IHH had not been entirely in charge of running the camp until recently. He said some 5,000 pairs of children's shoes had been given out.

Challenging conditions like a lack of water and electricity made food preparation and distribution particularly challenging, Gukman said.

"The crisis may last for years. It's not clear but the war could last for a longer time."

As the war continues, more Syrians are expected to flee.

The latest estimates indicate that the total number of Syrians who have fled during the conflict has already surpassed the 700,000 refugees that the UNHCR forecast by year-end, though more than 200,000 of them have not registered formally. Another 2.5 million or more are believed to be displaced inside Syria.

Um Ahmed, a mother of five girls and two boys, said she moved to the Bab al-Salameh camp four months ago from the Hanano district of Aleppo.

"When we first came, we were sleeping under the tires of trucks. The sun burned us," she told Reuters in her three-by-four meter tent, where she had lit a coal fire and was grilling onions she said would help fight her children's infections.

Dressed in a purple sweater and red wool skirt, Um Ahmed said she had been a supporter of Assad at the beginning of the conflict, now in its 21st month.

"He said there wouldn't be a drop of blood, and now there's a river of blood. So now I'm the most opposed to Assad after what I've seen with my eyes," she said.

Like many other refugees thrust into dire conditions, Um Ahmed has tried to keep some semblance of a home in her tent. In a vain effort to keep the tent dry, a mop is perched against the tent's corner, and there is a red basin to bathe in. One side of the tent is decorated with the Syrian rebels' flag.

Complaining of chaotic scenes when the camp authorities distribute supplies, she said: "We have too much pride and dignity," to push through queues.

"We don't want money, food or water," she said. "We just want the slaughter to stop. We dream of going back home."

(Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-refugees-face-harsh-winter-desperate-conditions-104542463.html

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Report: Women at Iran nuclear plant violate code

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? An Iranian lawmaker is saying Russian women working in the country's sole nuclear power plant do not observe the strict Islamic dress code, though they are paid extra to comply.

Under Iranian law, all women must cover themselves from head to toe in public.

A Tuesday report by the semiofficial ISNA news agency quotes Mahdi Mousavinejad, a representative of the southern Iranian port of Bushehr, where the plant is located, as saying violation of dress code by the Russian workers has had a "corrupting and negative impact" on his constituency.

Mousavinejad says he will report on the case to the Iranian parliament. He did not say how many women were involved or how much they were paid.

Russia says it will hand over the plant to Iranian engineers in mid-2013.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-women-iran-nuclear-plant-violate-code-145949965.html

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Health and Fitness: Back Pain - Some Clues to Discovering the Cause

Many people suffer from back pain which can be induced by many different factors. A single incident in a persons life can actually lead to long-lasting back pain. Oftentimes, this can also be a symptom related to being sick. More frequently, however, it comes about as the result of your daily habits, many of which you might not even be aware of. In fact, the way that we exercise, walk, and even sleep, can actually cause enough strain on our backs to cause everyday discomfort.

People that have back pain sometimes overlook the fact that their mobile device could be the source of the problem. These problems are actually affecting younger people. This is because older adults typically do not use tablets and smart phones as much as the younger generation. We are not talking about directly harming your back. It's the way we use them, which is often in uncomfortable positions. You can actually cause a great deal of strain on your back by simply bending over your device when using it or holding it in a prolonged position for too long. Although most people will not understand that their use of electronic devices is causing their back problems, over time, it is easy to see that our habitual use of certain devices is causing our difficulties.

When your posture is affected by wearing the wrong type of shoes, you may experience back pain. Women that wear high heeled shoes are most likely going to suffer from back issues because the shoes do not offer adequate support. Wearing cowboy boots can cause the same type of discomfort. You will be putting several parts of your body at risk for strain or injury if you opt for inappropriate footwear. Posture and walking in a balanced way is important for the health of your back, and this requires the right footwear. Any type of back injury is probably why you have back pain now. Many times the injury occurs to your spine which can cause a misalignment which may lead to the pain you feel. Car accidents are notorious for giving people back injuries, even if it is a small one. Spinal injuries are also prominent in contact sports like football and wrestling. If you do workouts on a regular basis that strengthen your back muscles, this can help prevent injuries from occurring. Certain exercises must be done carefully or else you may injure your spine while working out. Never read too much weight! Alway work out using the right amount in the proper style for each exercise.

Even though old age is not actually the reason for back pain, there are quite a few folks that will have had previous issues that seem more prevalent as they age. Osteoporosis is a disease primarily in women and will lessen the strength of your bones, which will make them more susceptible to fractures and breaks. Osteoarthritis can result in pain over the entire body, with the spine being the most susceptible.

On a more serious note, if you develop kidney problems you may experience back pain. This condition is not to be taken lightly. Since the kidneys are located in the region of your lower back - right about waist level - a kidney infection or kidney stones you will normally result in pain in this region. Typically, you will also have pain when you urinate and additional pains in your lower abdomen, as well as your lower back. If you're having any symptoms of this nature, it's important to see a doctor as soon as possible. Your medical provider can give you a urinalysis test and other tests, such as an ultrasound. These can help him or her determine if you have a kidney problem. Don't jump to the conclusion that, if you have lower back pain, it is caused by a kidney condition. However, if you have even the tiniest suspicion that you might have a kidney infection or other kidney problems, don't hesitate to have it checked out.

Unfortunately, even your doctor may not be able to accurately diagnose why you are having back pain. In a lot of cases, the problem is easy to ascertain. If you improperly lifted a heavy box you may pull a muscle and end up with back pain. However, in other instances, the cause isn't so obvious. In this report, we've only mentioned some of the many reasons that someone might get a backache, or more serious back pain.

Source: http://healthfitness0.blogspot.com/2012/12/back-pain-some-clues-to-discovering.html

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Helpful Advice Toward Fulfilling Your Self Improvement Goals ...

TIP! Demonstrating selfless behavior shows remarkable progress in any personal development program. If you direct your energy outward to make others? lives better, while temporarily putting your own needs second, you can greatly improve your character.

Deciding that you want to improve yourself is the first, very laudable step on the path to self improvement. Here are some great tips to help give you some ideas on what to try.

TIP! Ask others about their achievements instead of boasting about your own. You?ll be able to find out about the wonderful things the people you know have accomplished, bringing about a new-found respect and admiration for them.

If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. Look around online and try to find others that have had similar goals and see how they compare. The problem might be that your expectations were set too high, important steps were not taken, or inadequate resources were allocated in working toward your goals.

TIP! Constantly seek different experiences. Trying new things is a way to broaden your horizons.

If you are struggling with depression, try including more complex carbohydrates in your diet. Without adequate complex carbohydrates, your body may burn too quickly through serotonin. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables along with nuts, legumes and whole grains can boost the amount of these carbohydrates that you take in.

TIP! Recognizing your limits when performing physical tasks can actually help you meet your goals. You need to give it your best shot, but you also need to know when your best shot is good enough.

Spend some time doing something that makes you happy. That one thing is you must choose to be an active person and live your life, not be a spectator. Observing instead of doing causes you to appear dead to most of the world.

TIP! You should shoot to be the best at whatever it is that you do. That said, you should always possess an intense passion to achieve the greatness that you are capable of.

When most potential employers look at your education history, they look at the degree that you earned, not the school that you attended. Some large businesses, such as financial institutions, may be an exception. In the general working world, simply having a degree will open many doors for you.

TIP! One problem a lot of people who want to improve themselves face, is not properly defining their goals. Set goals that are specific and achievable, and include a timeline.

A healthy lifestyle is only the beginning of your personal development plan. Good health makes anyone feel happier. Your mind will be sharper, and you won?t have to pay for unneeded doctor visits or have to take the time off to be ill. Make it your goal to improve your health.

TIP! Read on to find out what other people do to gain success. Not only will you find information on being successful, but you will also learn about mistakes that others have already made and be able to avoid them.

A positive attitude is required for you to make any progress in your development. Having a negative attitude will only hold you back and keep you from success. Stay positive and keep telling yourself that a pleasant, upbeat attitude is the way to reach your goals.

TIP! When you start your personal development journey, always remember to focus on the fact that you are worthy of nothing less than the very best in life. You need to be aware that you owe that to yourself.

As you work with the tips, be sure to journal your thoughts and feelings and take particular note of any changes in your point of view. Do not be so hard on yourself.

Source: http://waterfilterhealth.info/helpful-advice-toward-fulfilling-your-self-improvement-goals/

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

AP: 'Odd Couple,' 'Quincy' star Jack Klugman dies

Nina Prommer / EPA file

Jack Klugman in Santa Monica, Calif., in June 2008.

By Anthony McCartney, The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's "The Odd Couple" and the crime-fighting coroner in "Quincy, M.E.," died Monday, a son told the Associated Press. He was 90.

Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.

Adam Klugman said he was spending Christmas with his brother, David, and their families. Their father had been convalescing for some time but had apparently died suddenly and they were not sure of the exact cause.

"His sons loved him very much," David Klugman said. "We'll carry on in his spirit."

Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing the type of man you could imagine running into at a bar or riding on a subway with?-- gruff, but down to earth, his tie stained and a little loose, a racing form under his arm, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.

The Odd Couple TV series intro.

His was a city actor ideal for "The Odd Couple," which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simon's play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugman?-- the sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison -- and Tony Randall?-- the fussy photographer Felix Unger -- in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Matthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 film. Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway and he learned to roll with the quick-thinking Randall, with whom he had worked in 1955 on the CBS series "Appointment with Adventure."

"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Klugman said. "A script might say, 'Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."

Reuters file

Actors Jack Klugman, left, portraying Oscar Madison, and Tony Randall, portraying Felix Unger, in a scene from their 1970's television series "The Odd Couple."

They were battlers on screen, and the best of friends in real life. When Randall died in 2004 at age 84, Klugman told CNN: "A world without Tony Randall is a world that I cannot recognize."

In "Quincy, M.E.," which ran from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner who tussled with his boss by uncovering evidence of murder in cases where others saw natural causes.

"We had some wonderful writers," he said in a 1987 Associated Press interview. "Quincy was a muckraker, like Upton Sinclair, who wrote about injustices. He was my ideal as a youngster, my author, my hero.

"Everybody said, 'Quincy'll never be a hit.' I said, 'You guys are wrong. He's two heroes in one, a cop and a doctor.' A coroner has power. He can tell the police commissioner to investigate a murder. I saw the opportunity to do what I'd gotten into the theater to do?-- give a message.

"They were going to do cops and robbers with 'Quincy.' I said, 'You promised me I could do causes.' They said, 'Nobody wants to see that.' I said, 'Look at the success of "60 Minutes." They want to see it if you present it as entertainment.'"

For his 1987 role as 81-year-old Nat in the Broadway production of "I'm Not Rappaport," Klugman wore leg weights to learn to shuffle like an elderly man. He said he would wear them for an hour before each performance, "to remember to keep that shuffle."

"The guy is so vital emotionally, but physically he can't be," Klugman said.

"We treat old people so badly. There is nothing easy about 80."

Getty, Reuters, Getty

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he was born in Philadelphia and began his acting career in college drama (Carnegie Institute of Technology). After serving in the Army during World War I, he went on to summer stock and off-Broadway, rooming with fellow actor Charles Bronson as both looked for paying jobs. He made his Broadway debut in 1952 in a revival of "Golden Boy." His film credits included Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men" and Blake Edwards' "Days of Wine and Roses" and an early television highlight was appearing with Humphrey Bogart and Henry Fonda in a production of "The Petrified Forest." His performance in the classic 1959 musical "Gypsy" brought him a Tony nomination for best featured (supporting) actor in a musical.

He also appeared in several episodes of "The Twilight Zone," including a memorable 1963 one in which he played a negligent father whose son is seriously wounded in Vietnam. His other TV shows included "The Defenders" and the soap opera "The Greatest Gift."

In a 1987 interview in the New York Daily News, he said, "once I did three hourlong shows in 2? weeks. Think we'd do that now? Huh! But then it was great. I did summer stock, played the classics. Me!"

Throat cancer took away his raspy voice for several years in the 1980s. When he was back on the stage for a 1993 revival of "Three Men on a Horse," The Associated Press review said, "His voice may be a little scratchy but his timing is as impeccable as ever."

"The only really stupid thing I ever did in my life was to start smoking," he said in 1996. Seeing people smoking in television and films, he added, "disgusts me, it makes me so angry?-- kids are watching."

In his later years, he guest-starred on TV series including "Third Watch" and "Crossing Jordan" and appeared in a 2010 theatrical film, "Camera Obscura."

Klugman's hobby was horse racing and he eventually took up raising them, too.

"I always loved to gamble," he said. "I never got close to a horse. Fate dealt me a terrible blow when it gave me a good horse the first time out. I thought how easy this is.

"Now I love being around them."

Klugman's wife, actress-comedian Brett Somers, played his ex-wife, Blanche, in the "Odd Couple" series. The couple, who married in 1953 and had two sons, Adam and David, had been estranged for years at the time of her death in 2007.

In February 2008, at age 85, Klugman married longtime girlfriend Peggy Crosby.

In 1997, Klugman was sued by an ex-girlfriend, Barbara Neugass, who claimed he had promised to support her for the rest of her life. But a jury rejected her claim.

-- Biographical material in this story was written by former AP staffer Polly Anderson.

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/24/16132005-jack-klugman-star-of-the-odd-couple-quincy-me-dies-at-90?lite

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