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Monday, December 31, 2012
Install CM10.1 ROM Based on Android 4.2.1 on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 P7510 [Guide]
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Source: www.ibtimes.com --- Sunday, December 30, 2012
Installation guide to update Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 P7510 with Android 4.2.1 CM10.1 ROM. ...
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Eric Chua : Life, Business and Real Estate in Singapore ? Rise ...
Tons of companies and individual business owners reach more customers and increase their sales through Online marketing. Website marketing generates interest in your products a number of different ways. If you would like to learn more about affiliate marketing, you may find the following information useful.
You must get more subscribers if your goal is making more money. A website split test could be an excellent method to gauge what approaches will work most effectively to attract new business. This type of test splits the readers into two groups, and each group views a different version of a webpage. You?ll discover which methods are working best when you look at the subscription numbers for each site version.
You should make sure you know the answer to their inquiries. People visit your website in a quest for further information. If you do not provide prompt and accurate responses, they will move on. So, provide all your sites visitors with lots of helpful information that keeps them coming back for more which can eventually lead to a sale.
TIP! Look for feedback and comments from every part and place in your website and business design. This is often critical in determining your success, as how you perceive things is not always the same as how others see them.
Make and upload a viral video to help assist your internet marketing plan. Be sure to include a link that goes back to your website in the video description. This will tremendously affect the amount of users that you get to visit your site on a regular basis.
Creating and maintaining an interesting blog is a great way to draw in visitors. You must post regularly so that there is always new content for visitors to read. Keeping your content fresh and updating it often will help to draw repeat visitors to your site.
Advertise your company on popular websites online. This can really help get your name out there and is worth the initial investment in the long run. The trick here is to find a site that?s in your niche and to make sure that you?re advertising on a popular page that receives a lot of hits.
TIP! Email is a great marketing tool. Come up with informative, intriguing newsletters for your customers.
Establishing your credibility among your customers is essential. As you develop your marketing plan, you should only consider facts and statistics that are easily proven and valid. Present client testimonials, test results, and expert endorsements that could be proven if needed.
Make sure that all images placed on your site include captions. The algorithm of the search engine will determine the way your website content is ranked when your keyword is struck. Your site?s pages will rise more quickly in the search engine results when your images include strong, relevant captions.
TIP! You must take advantage of every tool at your disposal to be successful in Internet marketing. If you or your company falls behind the curve, your potential customers will catch on and begin to doubt your abilities.
Offer at least one free service for your customers. People may check out your site simply to take you up on your offer of something free and could even find something else that interests them. For instance, if your website offers financial services, you could provide a free program to help calculate tax returns.
Offer a free gift with purchase ? this is a great way of making your customers feel like they are valued. Customers want to feel as if they?re getting the better end of the deal. Of course, you still need to profit. So you need to find a happy medium. Something like an information product or an eBook works great for a freebie. You can give this out indefinitely without it having a negative effect on your profit margin.
In conclusion, many businesses use Internet marketing to sell products and services. Internet marketing uses methods such as search engine optimization and advertising to generate sales interest. If you remember the advice in this article, you can use Online marketing to seriously boost interest in your own products and services.
TIP! Emails are vital to effective Internet marketing. Keep your emails clean and keep them protected.
Join me on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/maynaseric
Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/rise-above-the-competition-with-these-web-marketing-techniques
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
monsignor winfield: Education & Reference 2016: Petal the Owl ...
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Source: http://bajibokotota.blogspot.com/2012/12/monsignor-winfield-education-reference.html
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Hands-on with Jolla's Sailfish OS (video)
We recently had the chance to spend time with David Greaves and Vesa-Matti Hartikainen of Jolla and take Sailfish OS for a spin. As you might recall, this open source mobile OS builds upon Mer (a fork of MeeGo that includes Qt) and uses the Nemo framework with a custom UI. Like any decent Linux-based OS, it supports both ARM and x86 devices. The company is also behind the Sailfish SDK which is in the process of being finalized but is still open to developer feedback (the source code is available). After seeing Jolla's various demo videos and noting some UI similarities with MeeGo (swipes) and, strangely, with BB10 (peek gestures), we were eager to experience Sailfish OS for ourselves.
If you're wondering why the mobile OS is usually shown running on Nokia's N950 developer handset, that's because Jolla employs many ex-MeeGo engineers, so the OMAP-based phone was a natural fit. We were first given a walkthrough of Sailfish OS, then allowed to play with it. Many apps are still being worked on and some are still off-limits (we got in trouble for launching the camera), but what we saw was pretty solid. Take a look at the gallery below, then hit the break for our hands-on video and first impressions.
Continue reading Hands-on with Jolla's Sailfish OS (video)
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Nokia
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/29/hands-on-with-jollas-sailfish-os-video/
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
#3 Ethics without Philosophers (the Appalling State of Affairs in ...
Could someone without a business degree become a marketing consultant?? No? Then how is it that people without philosophy degrees are becoming ethics consultants? [1]? Is it that people don?t know that Ethics is a branch of Philosophy just as Marketing is a branch of Business? Doubtful.
According to IEET readers, what were the most stimulating stories of 2012? This month we?re answering that question by posting a countdown of the top 16 articles published this year on our blog (out of more than 600 in all), based on how many total hits each one received.
The following piece was first published here on Jan 25, 2012 and is the #3 most viewed of the year.
?
Is it just the typical male overstatement of one?s expertise? [2]? Perhaps.? Is it that people think they already know right from wrong, they learned it as children, there?s really no need for any formal training in ethics?? Possible.? I have certainly met that attitude in business ethics classes and ethics committees. [3]?
Or is it that ethics consultants (advisors, officers, practitioners, and so on) don?t really act as consultants about ethics?? They act as consultants about managing ethical behavior.? No, not even that.? Ethical consultants, practitioners, officers, focus on how to increase the likelihood that employees will follow some specific professional code of ethics or, more likely, the ethical rules the company?s elite want them to follow. [4] [5]
As far as I can see, business ethics taught by business faculty, ethics programs run by managers, and so on ? any applied ethics taught by non-philosophers ? is superficial at best.? [6] First, following a code is just an appeal to custom, an appeal to tradition, which philosophers consider a weak basis, an error in reasoning:? just because most people do it that way, doesn?t mean it?s right; just because you?ve always done it that way doesn?t mean it?s right.?
Second, legal moralism is prevalent: if it?s legal, it?s right, and if it?s not illegal, it?s not wrong.? Few philosophers (and I daresay few intelligent people) accept this equivalence of moral rightness and legality.? After all, slavery was once legal, and even at that time many considered it wrong and had excellent arguments to support their position (which is, to some extent, why the law changed ? ethics should determine law, not the other way around).?
Third, the so-called ?media test? and ?gut test? are essentially nothing but appeals to intuition, which is nothing more than childhood conditioning that makes us say X ?feels wrong?.? I think it far better to approach ethical issues with thought, to consider the many rational approaches to making decisions about right and wrong, such as an appraisal of values, principles, consequences, and so on.
A second weakness of ethics as done by non-philosophers is that what takes place is usually preaching not teaching.? That is, course material consists of ?This is the right thing? and ?Do this in this situation? ? professors simply convey simply the current conventions and standard practices and legal obligations.? The underlying principles and values are unexamined, and likely to be inadequate or contradictory in any case.?
The human resources director or management executive is simply not equipped to examine the principles and values enshrined in the code she or he advocates [7], nor to approach an ethical issue with any rigor (for example, to figure out whether affirmative action programs are really fair, to determine if a proposed advertising campaign is really coercive, or to decide if anticipated environmental destruction is ethically justifiable), let alone teach various ways of making decisions about right and wrong.?
Philosophers are.?
Not only are they equipped to approach ethical issues with rigor, they look at the principles and values involved in such approaches; they would consider whether one should conform to the codes that are so taken for granted by those in business, whether those codes are at all adequate.? A philosopher?s focus is thus more fundamental.? And therefore prerequisite.? That is why the business ethics as done by non-philosophers is so alarming: it?s building a house without a foundation ? or, rather, convincing people to live in the house, without examining the foundation.?
A very rudimentary version of a philosopher?s ?methodology for ethical decision-making?? would be something like this:
1. Identify the ethical issue, the question to be answered.
2. Identify the relevant facts, consulting all involved.
3. (a) Identify the relevant moral principles and values.
? (b)? Rank them.
4. (a) List all the decision options.
? (b) Identify the consequences for each option.
5.? Align the options with the values and principles ? which are upheld, which are violated?
6.? Decide what?s the ?rightest? thing to do.
7.? Repeat the process for deciding about the ?rightest? way of doing it.
I present below notes that I made for analyses of ethical problems presented while I served on the ethics committee of a local hospital in order to show what a philosophically trained person can do, in comparison to what non-philosophically trained people would do (which is, I suspect, to judge by past experience, just sort of sit around and say things like ?Well, I think you should do this? and ?I think this is the right thing to do? ? something no different than, no better than, what the physicians would?ve gotten in the lunch room).? (Which is why they brought the matters to the ethics committee!)
I.? A Nephrology Questionnaire was presented to the committee by Dr. X.
The basic question underlying the questionnaire is this: Who gets dialysis?
This question can be framed as:
(1) a futile treatment question
(2) as an allocation of resources question
The first had already been discussed, the main issues being the definition of ?futile? and whether we have a moral obligation to provide futile treatment.
With regard to the second, decisions can be made according to the following three criteria:
i) medical value in prolonging life, alleviating pain, and/or enhancing life ? key questions are ?How much value?? and ?How likely is the value to be achieved?? and central conflict would be between the ?best outcome? approach (an end point approach) and the ?most in need? approach (a beginning point approach)
ii) self worth ?? key question here is ?Does the person have a high or low quality of life?? (and is a subjective standard or an objective standard used to determine this?)
iii) social worth ? key question here is ?Does the person contribute to or cost society?? (this would include consideration of emotional and/or economic dependents)
These three criteria can be used
- simultaneously (consider all three at the same time)
- serially (if, and only if, the first criterion is met ? that is, the dialysis does have medical value ? is the next criterion considered)
These three criteria can be given equal or different weight.
One can judge:
- according to consequences (in which case the ?best outcome? might weigh heavily, but one would have to ask outcome for who, the patient only, or for the family, or for society as a whole)
- according to rights (do all have equal rights to the treatment, in which case we toss a coin or consider ?first come, first served?)
- according to justice (are some more deserving than others?)
One can also, of course, combine these approaches: for example, a person might by lifestyle forfeit their rights and so another might be more deserving.
II.? Dr. Y was faced with a request by a mother to employ aggressive management for her newborn son who?s longevity is limited (following a premature birth and surgery for a severe fetal anomaly).?
I identified six ethical issues involved the decision faced by Dr. Y:
(1) the conflict between physician and patient/proxy issue:
- the physician can override patient/proxy requests in some circumstances, one of which is a request for futile treatment, another of which is a request for harmful treatment unbalanced by benefit; this may be especially defensible if the proxy has already made an ethically questionable decision (in this case, the decision to carry to term with full knowledge of the defect)
objection: patient/proxy requests must always be fulfilled
response: this position simply seems indefensible
(2) the futile treatment issue:
(i) the ?aggressive practices? requested fall into the category of ?futile treatment? (they won?t cure the condition)
(ii) the ?aggressive practices? won?t prolong life - and if they do, such life is of ?insufficient? quality (must define ?insufficient?, perhaps by reference to mental abilities, physical abilities, and presence of pain) and/or the prolonging is too short-term to be worthwhile (must define ?worthwhile?, perhaps as above)
(iii) the ?aggressive practices? won?t alleviate pain
objection: treatment would alleviate parents? pain
response: this would be using baby as a means to others? end; such alleviation doesn?t override lack of benefit to baby; such alleviation doesn?t override harm to baby
objection: life should be maintained at all costs in all cases
response: this position is indefensible
?
(3) the harmful treatment issue:
- the ?aggressive practices? requested fall into the category of harmful treatment unbalanced by benefit because there is physical trauma involved and/or because there is no resulting recovery, minimal prolonging (quality and quantity), and/or minimal alleviation of pain
(4) the DNR issue:
- the physician should (a) make a DNR order (b) against the proxy?s wishes
- re (a), arguments re futile treatment apply
- re (b), arguments re conflict apply
- also, proxies don?t have medical expertise
- also, proxies are biased by love/emotion
objection: parents bear the consequences the most
(5) the euthanasia issue:
- the physician should (a) provide euthanasia, (b) against the proxy?s wishes
- re (a) and (b), if the patient is in pain, especially/but only (?) serious pain, which is resistant to alleviation and/or there is no hope of recovering to a certain quality of life ( must define ?certain? perhaps as above with ?insufficient?)
- re (b), if the proxy?s wishes are clearly not in the patient?s best interests (in this case, we can?t use the ?patient?s previously expressed wishes? standard, nor the ?patient?s would?ve expressed wishes? standard)
objection: life should be maintained at all costs in all cases
response:? this position seems indefensible
objection:? passive, but not active, euthanasia is acceptable
response:? there is not difference if the motive, intention, and consequence are the same
objections: euthanasia is illegal in Canada
response:? ethics overrides legalities
(6) the allocation of resources issue:
- probably doesn?t apply in this case, but if it does, it seems merely to strengthen most of the preceding arguments (rather than add any)
To see similar differences in business, one need only compare business ethics articles with papers written by philosophers.? The philosophers will deal, in depth, with any one of a number of difficult issues; for example, if the issue is advertising, she or he might investigate the various kinds and degrees of influence and deception; the rights of persons to be free from intrusions in their physical, sonic, and visual space;? the difference between private and public space; the special rights of children given their undeveloped cognition; the relevance of what?s advertised and how it?s advertised; and so on.? The managers will present a checklist for making sure their marketing campaigns don?t break any laws.? The former will contain arguments, the latter mere assertions.?
How has this terrible misunderstanding, this doing ethics without philosophers, come about?? Perhaps the problem lies with the term ?applied ethics?.? Business people take it to mean applying ethical codes, setting up policies and procedures that conform to ? well, there?s the problem: which ethics?? (And perhaps only a philosopher would ask this question)
Perhaps the problem is that philosophers have understood ?applied ethics? to mean applying ethical analyses ? identifying and examining the ethical issues in business.? Because ?ethics? doesn?t mean ?moral rules?; ?ethics? means ?the study of moral rules?.? This is a common misunderstanding.? A term with a very specific meaning among specialists has been adopted and used erroneously in the general population.[8]
But I can?t help wondering if it hasn?t just been a case of blatant appropriation.? Business has hijacked ethics as a marketing tool, just as it did with environmentalism, and turned it into something superficial and useless. Managers aren?t really not interested in the substantial, fundamental matters.? They just want a new way to attract customers and clients and so increase profits.? Indeed the blurb for an ethics seminar titled ?Integrity Wins?, offered by and for ethics practitioners, not philosophers, described its purpose as ?explor[ing] how ethical issues ? can affect the legal status, revenue generation, and perceived trustworthiness of your organization.?? A subscription form for The Corporate Ethics Monitor says this:
?Successful executives, investor relations professionals, and independent corporate directors understand that business ethics is not a fad.? They know why companies are beefing up their ethical management, training and compliance programs.? They understand that high-profile misconduct can cause serious repercussions for a company ? including alienation of customers, suppliers, employees, investors and business partners.? Therefore, quite apart from a desire to avoid fines and other financial penalties resulting from ethical problems, an effort to identify potential points of ethical weakness can pay off in higher morale and productivity, an enhanced reputation, and a healthier bottom line.?
Nothing is said about doing the right thing because it?s the right thing!?
However, I don?t want to put the blame solely on business.? If philosophy faculty didn?t have such disdain for business, and if they took a little responsibility for their discipline, there would be more preparation for philosophy majors to be ethics practitioners.? Philosophy departments should advise their students of careers as ethics officers and consultants; they should encourage their students to, therefore, take courses in business (if they want to be come a business ethics officer) or science (if they want to become ethics consultants in bioethics or environmental ethics), because without a background in business or science, philosophers won?t know which questions to ask, what difficulties to anticipate (for example, ethical belief in intercultural business is a real thorny issue ? philosophy students will have to grapple with moral relativism in a big way?).? Philosophy departments could even arrange to have their applied ethics courses team-taught; this would require business, similarly, to dampen their disdain for philosophy.?
But since my readers are more likely in business, not philosophy, I?ll have to encourage you to take the initiative.?
Some philosophers are not satisfied with discussing whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no one?s there.? And some of us are every bit as hard-nosed and hard-edged as business people ? logic underlies critical thinking and errors in thinking are errors, there?s no ?maybe? about it.? Don?t dismiss the philosophy faculty.? Approach them.? Seek out the person who teaches the Contemporary Moral Issues course or the one who teaches the Critical Thinking course.? (Avoid those who teach Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Aesthetics; and run away as fast as you can from those who teach Kant and Derrida.)?
Work together.? The philosophy professor can provide the applications of ethical theory to issues in business, and the ethical analyses of various decisions, but you can identify the intrusions of current business practice and policy and procedure that complicate or change those applications and analyses.?
REFERENCES
[1] I have only anecdotal information here.? I did send a three-item questionnaire to survey the Ethics Officer Association (U.S.), the Ethics Practitioners Association of Canada, and the Canadian Center for Ethics and Corporate Policy.? In the first case, I was informed they have no way to track the education status of their members as that was not one of the questions asked on their membership application, and apparently they were not interested in sending my three questions to their members; in the second case, again, I don?t think my questions got passed on; in the third case, my questions did get passed onto the Board of Directors, but no further, and I received three replies ? one person had a B.A. in Science and an M.B.A., another indicated that he was a Chartered Accountant, and the third had a B.A. and an LL.B. with no particular training in ethics.?
[2] Most ethics consultants are men, I believe.
[3] Though, of course, childhood ethics doesn?t tell you who gets the kidney and at what price.
[4] Since ?developing methodologies to inform decision-making? (a common part of the job description) surely refers to making decisions that accord with the company code ? because methodologies for making ethical decisions already exist: are ethics practitioners intending to reinvent or surpass Aristotle, Kant, Mill, McIntyre, and the many, many others who have developed ways to determine what is right?
[5] And yet even at this rudimentary level, they fail.? Perhaps the biggest obstacles to ethical behavior are bonuses for behavior that increase profit.? Dangling such a carrot in front of someone for doing the profitable thing makes it harder, not easier, to do the right thing.? High salaries, which will be lost if one loses one?s job, which will happen if one doesn?t increase profit, is another way exactly not to ?encourage compliance?.? So of course if a company were really serious about their ethics, they?d give bonuses for doing the right thing, whether or not profit is increased or decreased.?
[6] Of all the conferences I?ve attended only for the ethics practitioner one was I told what to wear.? Philosophers don?t care; they understand it?s not important.?
[7] Consequently, ethical codes remained unexamined and, therefore, more often than not, useless.? Partly, this is because there is no definition: what exactly is professionalism, for instance?? Excellence?? Integrity?? The latter, so often listed as value in codes of ethics, is nothing more than non-hypocrisy: having integrity means that if you think X is right, you should do X.? It doesn?t indicate what is right in the same way that, for example, ?honesty? or ?beneficence? does.? Examination reveals that ?transparency? and ?accountability? are similar to integrity.? I?ve even seen ?objective? listed in a code of ethics ? again, qualified attention to definition would reveal that objective isn?t a moral value.
And partly this is because of internal conflict and lack of prioritization.? For example, one code I looked at says employees ?shall act in a manner that is in the best interests of their clients and employer consistent with the public interest.?? That one item alone is fraught with internal conflicts.? It doesn?t take a genius to imagine an instance in which the best interests of the client collide with the best interests o the employer, let alone the public interest.? When they collide, when, for example, honesty conflicts with loyalty, or providing the highest quality of service conflicts with providing the highest return to shareholders, which one is to take precedence?? The code doesn?t say. I?ve seen no code of ethics provide a means of ranking values, a means of resolving such conflicts.
[8] The term ?philosophy? is itself is another example: to philosophers, it means something like ?the critical examination of fundamental concepts?, but to the general population it means simply ?a certain view of or attitude toward life?.?
Source: http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tittle20121229
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Last ditch effort to avoid fiscal cliff under way
President Barack Obama pauses during a statement on the fiscal cliff negotiations with congressional leaders in the briefing room of the White House on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Washington. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Barack Obama pauses during a statement on the fiscal cliff negotiations with congressional leaders in the briefing room of the White House on Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in Washington. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. waits for her car as she leaves a meeting at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, after a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
President Barack Obama pauses while he speaks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington after meeting with Congressional leaders regarding the fiscal cliff, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. leaves the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, after a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. arrives at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, for a closed-door meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders to negotiate the framework for a deal on the fiscal cliff. The negotiations are a last ditch effort to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The end game at hand, the White House and Senate leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday night to prevent middle-class tax increases from taking effect at the turn of the new year and possibly block sweeping spending cuts as well.
"I'm optimistic we may still be able to reach an agreement that can pass both houses in time," President Barack Obama said at the White House after meeting for more than an hour with top lawmakers from both houses.
Surprisingly, after weeks of postelection gridlock, Senate leaders sounded even more bullish.
The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said he was "hopeful and optimistic" of a deal that could be presented to rank-and-file lawmakers as early as Sunday, a little more than 24 hours before the year-end deadline.
Said Majority Leader Harry Reid: "I'm going to do everything I can" to prevent the tax increases and spending cuts that threaten to send the economy into recession. He cautioned, "Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect."
House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican who has struggled recently with anti-tax rebels inside his own party, said through an aide he would await the results of the talks between the Senate and White House.
Under a timetable sketched by congressional aides, any agreement would first go to the Senate for a vote. The House would then be asked to assent, possibly as late as Jan. 2, the final full day before a new Congress takes office.
Officials said there was a general understanding that any agreement would block scheduled income tax increases for middle class earners while letting rates rise at upper income levels.
Democrats said Obama was sticking to his campaign call for increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though in recent negotiations he said he could accept $400,000.
The two sides also confronted a divide over estate taxes.
Obama favors a higher tax than is currently in effect, but one senior Republican, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, said he's "totally dead set" against it. Speaking of fellow GOP lawmakers, he said they harbor more opposition to an increase in the estate tax than to letting taxes on income and investments rise at upper levels.
Also likely to be included in the negotiations are taxes on dividends and capital gains, both of which are scheduled to rise with the new year. Also the alternative minimum tax, which, if left unchanged, could hit an estimated 28 million households for the first time with an average increase of more than $3,000.
In addition, Obama and Democrats want to prevent the expiration of unemployment benefits for about 2 million long-term jobless men and women, and there is widespread sentiment in both parties to shelter doctors from a 27 percent cut in Medicare fees.
The White House has shown increased concern about a possible doubling of milk prices if a farm bill is not passed in the next few days, although it is not clear whether that issue, too, might be included in the talks.
One Republican who was briefed on the White House meeting said Boehner made it clear he would leave in place spending cuts scheduled to take effect unless alternative savings were included in any compromise to offset them. If he prevails, that would defer politically difficult decisions on curtailing government benefit programs like Medicare until 2013.
Success was far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust ? even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013 ? in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday working.
In a brief appearance in the White House briefing room, Obama referred to "dysfunction in Washington," and said the American public is "not going to have any patience for a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. Not right now."
If there is no compromise, he said he expects Reid to put legislation on the floor to prevent tax increases on the middle class and extend unemployment benefits ? an implicit challenge to Republicans to dare to vote against what polls show is popular.
The president also booked a highly unusual appearance on Meet the Press for Sunday, yet another indication of his determination to retain the political high ground that came with his re-election.
The guest list for the White House meeting included Reid, McConnell, Boehner and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.
Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and the meeting was still going on at the White House when stocks closed lower for the fifth day in a row.
The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans. He made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.
Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.
Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.
Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.
Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.
______
Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
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Friday, December 28, 2012
How to fix your cholesterol without prescription drugs
(NaturalNews) Though many people still do not realize this, our bodies actually need cholesterol in order to survive, as the brain and central nervous system rely on this important fat to both protect the integrity of neurons and promote proper neural communication and function. But sometimes cholesterol fails to properly assimilate where it needs to go inside the body, or the size and density of cholesterol particles get out of whack due to an underlying health condition or poor diet and lifestyle, which is what commonly gets attributed to chronic health problems such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
The tendency among conventional practitioners, of course, is to address this chronic cholesterol imbalance by trying to artificially lower it, as "high cholesterol" has become a popular buzz phrase for ill health, and therefore it must be reduced by whatever means possible. But like all other drug-based approaches to disease, this focused, cholesterol-lowering approach fails to address the underlying causes of high cholesterol, which include things like insulin resistance and diabetes. In fact, high cholesterol itself is actually a symptom of another underlying health condition, rather than a condition in and of itself.
"The singular focus on treating cholesterol as a means to prevent heart attacks is leading to the deaths of millions of people because the real underlying cause of the majority of heart disease is not being diagnosed or treated by most physicians," wrote practicing physician Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D., in a 2011 piece on cholesterol for The Huffington Post. "Abnormal cholesterol levels are just a downstream problem that is mostly a result of 'diabesity' or the continuum of blood sugar and insulin imbalances that range from pre-diabetes to full-blown end stage diabetes."
What this means is that simply popping the latest cholesterol drug will do little, if anything, to actually fix your cholesterol problems. In fact, Dr. Hyman explains that cholesterol drugs, even if they initially appear to bring cholesterol levels back into a healthy range, actually lead to more deaths from heart attack and heart disease in the long run because they treat the symptom rather than the disease, and create harmful side effects in the process. In the end, if dietary and lifestyle changes are not instigated, people with disease-induced high cholesterol will face the same ill outcomes of heart disease and death, regardless of whether or not they take cholesterol drugs.
"Drugs don't treat the underlying causes of chronic illness," added Dr. Hyman in his report. "It is not our genes which haven't changed much in 20,000 years, although they may predispose us to environmental and lifestyle triggers of illness. The causes of chronic disease are rooted in what we eat, how much we move, how we face stress, how connected we are to our communities and toxic chemicals and metals in our environment."
So what can you do to practically address your cholesterol issues in such a way as to also address the underlying health conditions that are causing it? The first thing Dr. Hyman suggests is to 1) get properly tested for cholesterol, which includes testing for cholesterol particle size and density. Healthy circulating cholesterol should be "light and fluffy," he says, rather than small and dense. You can ask your doctor specifically for such a test, which Dr. Hyman says is available through popular testing companies like Labcorp and LipoScience.If it is determined that your cholesterol particles are too small and dense, the next step is to 2) test for metabolic syndrome. Dr. Hyman has created a helpful list of five steps you can take to determine whether or not you have this under-diagnosed condition, and these steps can be found towards the bottom of the following article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
High cholesterol can also be indicative of a chronic inflammation problem, which means you may need to 3) make significant and potentially drastic dietary changes to correct it. Oddly enough, eating low-cholesterol and low-fat foods, including refined vegetables oils rather than saturated fats, is a common cause of chronic inflammation. Health and fitness expert Charles Poliquin explains in the following article more of the specifics as to how inflammation is actually the culprit in heart disease rather than high cholesterol: http://www.charlespoliquin.com
4) Reducing your carbohydrate intake and boosting your complex protein intake is another great way to not only quell any inflammation that might be linked to your high cholesterol, but also to feed your body the nutrients it needs to remedy metabolic syndrome and diabetic conditions. This means 5) eliminating processed flours and refined sugars, and 6) replacing them with proteins and healthy fats from grass-fed meats, nuts and other whole foods. Eating more coconut oil, grass-fed butter, raw milk, and trace mineral-rich sea and earth salt can also help address the underlying causes of high cholesterol.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.nativeremedies.com
http://www.charlespoliquin.com
http://www.psychologytoday.com
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/038489_high_cholesterol_prescription_drugs_natural_remedies.html
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Frequency Tunes Out the Noise When Tuning In to Videos
One of the most irritating things about enjoying videos, movies, and TV shows online is the sheer number of places you must navigate to in order to get the content. Each of the major television networks havs its own channel, some of which serve up some full episodes some of the time, while others just serve up teaser clips and ongoing snippets, like the opening monologues for "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson."
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
What Women Should Know About Estate Planning
Caring for yourself is a top priority. ?A durable power of attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to make legal and financial decisions for you when you cannot.
Everyone has an estate and needs a plan.? An estate is simply what you own when you die ? a home, bank accounts, investments, personal property.? A will or living trust enables you to determine who will receive those assets.
There?s a different between a will and a living trust.? A will does not take effect until you die; a living trust can hold assets for your benefit while you are alive.
Trusts are not just for the wealthy.? A trust can be a good way to achieve your goals, even if you?re not rich ? including protecting assets from creditors and ex-spouses.
Spouses get additional tax breaks. ?Assets that are received as gifts or inherited are not taxed, and a surviving spouse can add a deceased spouse?s unused estate tax exclusion to her own.
Once widowed, tax planning is more important.? When one spouse dies, the unlimited marital deduction no longer applies, but there are still a number of tax-saving strategies surviving spouses can use to preserve assets.
You shouldn?t own your own life insurance policy.? To avoid taxes, your life insurance policy should be owned by the beneficiary or by a trust.
Fill out beneficiary forms and keep them updated.? Retirement accounts are distributed to whomever is listed on a beneficiary form, and that form trumps a will bequest.
Keep cash on hand.? Cash is crucial to cover expenses should a spouse suddenly die; keep a joint account for this purpose.
An experienced Annapolis estate planning attorney can help you understand all your options for estate planning.? Experienced Estate Planning Attorney Seth B. Zirkle can discuss all your options and create a plan with you.? Call Mr. Zirkle at Hyatt & Weber, P.A. today at 410-505-4553.
Source: http://hyattweberestateplanning.com/estate-planning/what-women-should-know-about-estate-planning/
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McElroy has concussion, Sanchez to start for Jets
New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, right, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, right, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, bottom, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, front left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) ? The New York Jets' wacky quarterback situation took yet another twist.
Greg McElroy has a concussion ? which he didn't reveal until Thursday ? and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the New York Jets' starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday.
Coach Rex Ryan walked into his news conference before practice, took the podium and opened with: "You're not going to believe this."
McElroy, preparing to make his second NFL start in place of the benched Sanchez, was lifting weights Thursday morning and started experiencing headaches, Ryan said. McElroy went to the team's training staff and then revealed he was suffering concussion-like symptoms after being sacked 11 times in the Jets' 27-17 loss to San Diego last Sunday.
McElroy and head trainer John Mellody then went to Ryan to tell the coach the news. Ryan was not certain exactly when McElroy suffered the concussion.
"We come to find out that Greg wasn't exactly truthful with our training staff after the game," said Ryan, who acknowledged he was "stunned" to hear it. "He never disclosed that he had symptoms after the game to our trainers. Right now, he's being evaluated for a concussion."
Ryan said there was no way he would play McElroy against the Bills and the third-stringer will "definitely be out." McElroy had been listed on the injury report Wednesday with a mild abdominal strain, but was a full participant in practice and was expected to play without any issues.
"I admire his courage and everything else, but you have to be truthful and I think that's the lesson learned here with the medical staff," said Ryan, who added he would speak to the entire team about concussions after practice. "The fact he really wanted to play, I understand the competitive side of Greg and all that, but the most important thing is the health of the players.
"Obviously, I feel fortunate that something like this showed up without him going out there and putting himself in harm's way."
Ryan chose to start Sanchez over Tim Tebow because the team has just two practices and a walkthrough to prepare before the game.
"Mark has had success earlier in the season against Buffalo and he's very familiar with them," Ryan said. "That's the reason I'm going with Mark."
Sanchez appeared to be on his way to a solid season when he threw three touchdown passes in the Jets' season-opening 48-28 win over the Bills. It ended up being his best game of a lousy season. Sanchez was benched for the first time in his four-year career after turning the ball over five times at Tennessee on Dec. 17. McElroy leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart to start against the Chargers.
"I know he believes in himself," Ryan said of Sanchez, "and any competitor would want this opportunity."
After finding out about McElroy's condition, Ryan spoke with both Sanchez and Tebow to tell them of his decision.
"Obviously, Tim's not happy with that, as you'd expect," Ryan said.
The news comes on the heels of some tension between Ryan and Tebow last week, when the popular backup quarterback told the coach he was "disappointed" at not getting the start and wanted to play "regular quarterback." ESPN New York first reported Sunday that Tebow asked out of the wildcat, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that to The Associated Press. The two met again last Friday to clear the air, and Tebow reiterated that he was willing to do anything the team asked him to do.
Tebow insisted Wednesday that he did not refuse to do anything and acknowledged that Ryan might have misinterpreted what he said.
"It was just me asking to get an opportunity to play the position I love, which is quarterback," Tebow said. "It wasn't me asking out of anything."
Ryan said he understands that Tebow is frustrated at the situation and by not starting, but again would not disclose anything that was said between the two in their conversations last week.
Tebow will be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday at Buffalo, and could play ? but it won't be as the starter.
"Obviously, he'd like a shot at it," Ryan said, "but with the situation the way it is, it's a short window, really, to get the preparation time in and I just think it's best for our football team."
With the way the season has played out, from the quarterback controversies to the injuries suffered by key players, Ryan was asked if this is the strangest year he has ever experienced in the NFL.
"Yeah, I would say that's pretty accurate," Ryan said, laughing. "And, we've had some strange ones."
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Egypt's government sets priorities after charter
CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's government asked parliament Wednesday to prioritize legislation to organize parliamentary elections, regulate the media and fight corruption as the upper chamber held its first session with temporary new powers granted by the constitution.
The Islamist-dominated Shura Council, the traditionally toothless upper house, was granted temporary legislative powers under the new constitution and began its work a day after the official results of the referendum were released, showing the charter passed with a nearly 64 percent "yes" vote. It will legislate until elections for a new lower house are held within two months.
The disputed, Islamist-drafted constitution deeply divided the nation, though its supporters insisted it would pave the way for more stability in Egypt and the building up of state institutions.
President Mohammed Morsi has had legislative powers for months since a court dissolved the law-making lower house of parliament.
In its first act after the constitution passed, the Shura Council convened to swear in 90 new members appointed by Morsi. Two-thirds of the council's 270 members are elected, and one-third are appointed by the president.
Speaking to the council, the Cabinet minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohammed Mahsoub, said the government will prepare new legislation for parliament to discuss, including a law to regulate the upcoming parliamentary elections, anti-corruption laws, and laws to organize Egypt's efforts to recover money from corrupt officials from the era of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Mahsoub said such bills can be ready as early as next week, when the council convenes again for its regular working session.
He said the government also wants to draft laws to revise maximum and minimum wages, expand social insurance coverage and regulate the media, as well as institute Egypt's first freedom of information act. Such bills, he said, are in line with the new constitution.
"I congratulate the Egyptian people on behalf of the government for the passing of the constitution of the second republic, which establishes a modern democratic state where the people's voices are heard and where injustice, dictatorship, repression, nepotism and corruption take a back seat," Mahsoub told the session.
"At this critical time for the nation, this respected council is required to pass a set of laws for the state to complete building its institutions," he said.
Mahsoub called on the opposition to join in national reconciliation and participate in state institutions.
The main opposition group has rejected the constitutional process and questioned the legitimacy of the charter itself, saying it was rushed through without enough national consensus.
The largely liberal and secular opposition has rejected presidential appointments to the upper house. It says it will instead contest the upcoming parliamentary elections and hopes to achieve a sizeable representation to challenge the constitution.
The opposition will be watching the Shura Council to see whether new legislation increases civil liberties and addresses poverty and social inequalities ? or increases the ability of the state to crack down on its critics and impose an Islamist rule, as many fear.
Critics say the new constitution enshrines Islamic rule in Egypt, restricts freedoms and ignores the rights of women and minorities.
Mahsoub addressed growing fears in Egypt of an impending economic crisis.
"The government reassures all about the economic situation," said Mahsoub. "We don't have an economic problem; essentially it is a political problem that is affecting the economic situation ... We call for reconciliation to impact positively on the economy."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-government-sets-priorities-charter-142132944.html
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PHP Web Development Beneficial For Online Business | Web ...
In today?s competitive world ?f business over th? internet, ???r? online business website needs latest web technology solutions w?th best web application development. B?t th?r? ?r? intense competitors wh?n ?t comes t? developing ?n eye-catching website ?nd m?k?ng ?t function effectively ?r perform f??t ?nd easy multi-tasking. Th?r? ?r? ?? many platforms f?r website designing l?k? static HTML, flash websites ?nd many more. PHP ?? one such platform th?t effectively works th? best f?r custom cutting-edge web solutions. Another major feature f?r opting PHP ?? th? cost advantage. Designing, customizing, developing ?nd modifying PHP based websites ?? done well w?th affordable investment. Major web development companies offer professional web services ?n PHP including website development, developing web application, CMS development, custom PHP website development, static/dynamic ?nd interactive MYSQL websites designing ?nd much more w?th PHP web Development.
PHP ?? very well known ?nd recognized programming language f?r custom website development w?th ?t? fully functional scripting language. Significantly ?t ??n b? quickly mixed up ?nt? HTML easily. PHP Development ?? quite easy ?? opposed t? ?t? competitors such ?? ASP.Net, Coffee ?nd ??m? ?th?r. PHP Website Development g?t uncomplicated format, techniques ?nd features ?nd ???r? programmer ??n understand ?t quite quickly. Th?r? m?? b? ??m? efficient alternatives available f?r th? development ?f efficient website, b?t PHP web development fits th? best.
Extensive Benefits ?f PHP Web Development:
? A website developed w?th PHP w?ll h??? f??t data processing ?nd easy functionality.
? It ??n r?n ?n ?ll th? OS systems such ?? Unix, Unix l?k? ?nd Windows.
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Hiring a dedicated PHP web developer w?ll offer excellence ?nd keeping ?f time along w?th efficiency t? ???r web development. Th? companies ??n work out ?n ??m? ?th?r primary areas ?f development ?ft?r selecting th? affordable PHP developer.
All th? above advantages avail w?th affordable cost price f?r web development through open source PHP Web Development, ?n best ?h???? f?r ?n? online business organization t? come up w?th modern th??ght? ?nd try t? fulfill th??r requirement w?th better services. Dedicated PHP developer works timely t? meet ???r requirement w?th client interaction ?b??t work updates ?nd regular interaction. Th?? w?ll produce working reviews t? ??? ?nd one ?f th? points th?? w?ll provide ??? ?? th??r easy development style. W? provide professional PHP developers ?nd PHP programmers well experienced ?n PHP t? offer ??? quality website development services.
Along w?th th? latest PHP development ?nd excellence ?n PHP web development w? ?r? anxious t? satisfy ??r client needs ?nd give th?m best quality work. O?r dedicated PHP Developers ?nd Programmers ?r? resourceful ?ll th? time f?r project customization. S? ?f ??? ?r? looking f?r highly skilled PHP developer t? g?t custom PHP web development ???t ?t?rt w?th ?? t? Hire PHP Developers ?nd PHP Programmers.
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Source: http://www.bitarray.info/48-php-web-development-beneficial-for-online-business.html
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Ask Single Dating Diva: Dating After Divorce
Question:
Dear Single Dating Diva,
I?ve recently divorced and I was wondering how soon is too soon to start dating after a divorce? I?m afraid of falling into a rebound relationship but I don?t want to be alone. ?What should I do?
Sincerely,
Cautiously Confused
Answer:
Dear?Cautiously Confused,
Thank you for your question! I totally know where you?re coming from. ?This question can apply to anyone coming out of any type of long term relationship. ?Being divorced myself, I?ve gone through the same thing as you and had the same trepidation. ?I think whether you?re ready or not is completely up to you. ?What I mean is that it really depends on how you feel. ?I will use myself as an example. ?My marriage ended way before it actually ended. ?By the time we were officially separated, and then divorced, it had been years. ?I checked out way before it was officially over. ?Once I was completely free, I felt ready to date again, however, it took about two years for me to be ready for another relationship.
Rebound relationships are a risk you have to take. ?The best advice I can give is to take it slow. ?Don?t rush into anything. ?I wrote about rebound relationships a while back, you can read my post The Rebound for more details, but essentially I talk about dating right after a divorce being an ego booster. ?Right after leaving a long term relationship you feel at your lowest and these liaisons help you out of your rut. ?What?s important is that you?re honest with yourself and the other person you?re dating. ?You don?t want to get too attached too fast and you don?t want them getting the wrong impression.
I?m all about getting out there and having fun and being your fabulous self, just do it the right way. ?See it as an opportunity to start fresh, to re-discover yourself and find the RIGHT person this time around. ?That?s what I did. ?I dated a lot but it helped me narrow down what makes me happy and what kind of man I want to be with.
Simply put, you know when you?ll be ready to date again. ?Just take it slow and have fun. ?You?ve been given another chance at finding happiness with someone who is better for you. ?Take advantage of this opportunity and find that person ? and remember ?It?s better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone? (Marilyn Monroe).
Your Sister in Dating Bliss,
Single Dating Diva
Winner of ?Best Overall Dating Blog 2012?
Source: http://singledatingdiva.com/2012/12/26/ask-single-dating-diva-dating-after-divorce/
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Half Of Americans Would See Their Taxes Go Up If This Obamacare ...
WASHINGTON -- New taxes are coming Jan. 1 to help finance President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Most people may not notice. But they will pay attention if Congress decides to start taxing employer-sponsored health insurance, one of the options in play if lawmakers can ever agree on a budget deal to reduce federal deficits.
The tax hikes already on the books, taking effect in 2013, fall mainly on people who make lots of money and on the health care industry. But about half of Americans benefit from the tax-free status of employer health insurance. Workers pay no income or payroll taxes on what their employer contributes for health insurance, and in most cases on their own share of premiums as well.
It's the single biggest tax break allowed by the government, outstripping the mortgage interest deduction, the deduction for charitable giving and other better-known benefits. If the value of job-based health insurance were taxed like regular income, it would raise nearly $150 billion in revenue in 2013, according to congressional estimates. By comparison, wiping away the mortgage interest deduction would bring in only about $90 billion.
"If you are looking to raise revenue to pay for tax reform, that is the biggest pot of money of all," said Martin Sullivan, chief economist with Tax Analysts, a nonpartisan publisher of tax information.
It's hard to see how lawmakers can avoid touching health insurance if they want to eliminate loopholes and curtail deductions so as to raise revenue and lower tax rates. Congress probably wouldn't do away with the health care tax break, but limit it in some form. Such limits could be keyed to the cost of a particular health insurance plan, the income level of taxpayers, or a combination.
Many economists think some kind of limit would be a good thing, because it would force consumers to watch costs, and that could help keep health care spending in check. Obama's health law took a tentative step toward limits by imposing a tax on high-value health insurance plans. But that doesn't start until 2018.
Next spring will be three years since Congress passed the health care overhaul, but because of a long phase-in, many of the taxes to finance the plan are only now coming into effect. Medicare spending cuts that help pay for covering the uninsured have started to take effect, but they also are staggered. The law's main benefit, coverage for 30 million uninsured people, will take a little longer. It doesn't start until Jan. 1, 2014.
The biggest tax hike from the health care law has a bit of mystery to it. The legislation calls it a "Medicare contribution," but none of the revenue will go to the Medicare trust fund. Instead, it's funneled into the government's general fund, which does pay the lion's share of Medicare outpatient and prescription costs, but also covers most other things the government does.
The new tax is a 3.8 percent levy on investment income that applies to individuals making more than $200,000 or married couples above $250,000. Projected to raise $123 billion from 2013-2019, it comes on top of other taxes on investment income. And while it does apply to profits from home sales, the vast majority of sellers will not have to worry since another law allows individuals to shield up to $250,000 in gains on their home from taxation. (Married couples can exclude up to $500,000 in home sale gains.)
Investors have already been taking steps to avoid the tax, selling assets this year before it takes effect. The impact of the investment tax will be compounded if Obama and Republicans can't stave off the automatic tax increases scheduled at the end of the year if there's no budget agreement.
High earners will face another new tax under the health care law Jan. 1. It's an additional Medicare payroll tax of 0.9 percent on wage income above $200,000 for an individual or $250,000 for couples. This one does go to the Medicare trust fund.
Donald Marron, director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, calls the health care law tax increases medium-sized by historical standards. The center, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, provides in-depth analysis on tax issues.
They also foreshadow the current debate about raising taxes on people with high incomes. "These were an example of the president winning, and raising taxes on upper-income people," said Marron. "They are going to happen."
Other health care law tax increases taking effect Jan. 1:
_ A 2.3 percent sales tax on medical devices used by hospitals and doctors. Industry is trying to delay or repeal the tax, saying it will lead to a loss of jobs. Several economists say manufacturers should be able to pass on most of the cost.
_ A limit on the amount employees can contribute to tax-free flexible spending accounts for medical expenses. It's set at $2,500 for 2013, and indexed thereafter for inflation.
Also on HuffPost:
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/obamacare-tax-hike_n_2362422.html
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Eric Chua : Life, Business and Real Estate in Singapore ? Buying ...
From securing financing to finding the right real estate to buy, the entire process of purchasing can leave you tired and frustrated. Preparing yourself to make smart real estate decisions through self-education is extremely important.
Be moderate in your real estate negotiations. Many times people are too aggressive because they are trying to get the best price, and they end up losing out entirely. Be clear about what you want, but let your lawyer and real estate agent negotiate, since they have experience with those types of negotiations.
Before you put the furniture in your home, and all your belongings as well, get some insurance. If you put off buying insurance, you?ll be sorry if there is an unpredictable act of nature that causes irreparable harm.
TIP! Never forget your primary goals while investing in property. Figure out whether you are trying to meet your long-term goals or your short-term ones.
Have a professional inspector look at the home you are interested in. Buying a house that requires renovations is a decision that can cost you a lot of money if you don?t know what you are getting into. This can cost you a ton and it could cause you to have to make other homing arrangements while the renovations are happening.
If you plan to purchase a house that has a nice view, don?t base your purchase solely on that fact. Even if you love the view, and you want to sell it later on, the buyer might not agree. Therefore, do not over pay for a home simply because you are entranced with the view.
If you made the seller an offer that was rejected, they may still find some way to make the home affordable so you buy it. Perhaps the seller will offer to cover the closing costs or pay for the some of the property?s needed repairs .
TIP! Ascertain that any real estate appraiser that you hire has a a minimum of five years experience. Never hire the appraiser recommended by your real estate agent.
When you are looking to purchase a new house, think about your long term picture. At the moment you might not have kids, but if this is a place where you plan on living for awhile then you might want to check out the local school situation to ensure it is suitable for your kids.
When purchasing a house, be sure that you are the one employing the professional workforce you need. It could be tempting to consult with house inspectors or appraisers that the seller chooses, but do not do it. Nobody likes to spend their money on things that they can get for free. However, the best option is to hire those individuals you feel comfortable with and have a level of trust with. This is one situation where learning the truth can potentially save you thousands of dollars and much heartache.
TIP! Before you start shopping for a new house, take a look at what?s in your credit report. Get a copy of the report and check it very carefully, report any discrepancies that are there.
You need to expect extra fees or costs if you are buying a home. The closing costs are usually calculated by adding the prorated taxes, bank points and down payment. Closing costs of a home can have extra things included like school taxes or improvement bonds!
Hiring a quality Realtor is a necessity for you when you are ready to buy. This information can be easily obtained through reviews on the Internet and also from the Better Business Bureau. You can also ask family, co-workers, or friends for recommendations.
Look for programs that assist with down payments. There are quite a few available, and there is sure to be one that is just right for you. When you add this with the seller taking responsibility for closing costs, you can greatly reduce the needed funds for making your initial home investment.
TIP! When negotiating your sales contract, ask for a home warranty. When you buy a brand-new home, get the builder to provide a warranty, or get the seller of a pre-owned home to provide you with at least a one-year warranty.
Research the properties you?re interested in prior to buying them. There are a number of features to look at when buying rental property. The most important feature is ease of maintenance. How is the condition of the property and how much upkeep will it require in the future? The second key feature to consider is the location of the property. Especially with property that you plan to rent, location can make all the difference. You need to ensure that your tenants can get to where they need to go and that the property is near commonly used retailers and service providers. Thirdly is the median income for the area. This differs from physical location since high rent areas are better locations than those with lower rent. Location doesn?t always matter as much in areas where the rent is higher then average. It can be much more of an issue when options are limited in areas with lower rents.
Use the information here as your initial vantage point in procuring the knowledge and resources you want in your search for a new home. Make certain that you use any information here that may be useful so that you don?t run into a lot of common problems. With this advice in mind, you won?t need luck to be successful in your search for a new home that will bring you happiness and comfort for many years to come.
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www.facebook.com/maynaseric
Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/buying-real-estate-will-be-easy-if-you-follow-these-tips-3
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