Garcia Bernal feels Chile's pain in latest film

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) ? Gael Garcia Bernal, best known for his role as a young Ernesto "Che" Guevara in "The Motorcycle Diaries," says his latest film has taught him a great deal about the pain that Chileans suffered during a long dictatorship.

The Mexican actor stars in "No," which revisits a publicity campaign that helped oust Gen. Augusto Pinochet from power after 16 years of his brutal regime.

Garcia Bernal plays Rene Saavedra, an advertising hotshot, drawn into a 1988 referendum TV campaign who tries to persuade people to vote "No" to eight more years of Pinochet. His character uses adverts that feature catchy jingles, a rainbow graphic and dancing Chileans ? from cowboys and housemaids to cooks and miners ? to sell them the idea that positive change could end the regime.

The publicity stunt worked when the strongman, who once compared himself to the best Roman emperors, was ousted with 55 percent of people voting "no." Pinochet's removal paved the way for the country's return to democracy and more than two decades of economic prosperity.

Garcia Bernal said he grew up with a group of Latin American exiles but didn't fully understand their suffering until he shot the film about the referendum in Chile.

"This made me realize the profound pain caused by the dictatorship and it hit me hard," he told The Associated Press ahead of the film's premiere in Santiago on Monday. "The director wanted to make a movie about the history of what went on in 1988, as well as an introspection and reflection on democracy."

Chile remains highly divided over Pinochet's rule. Even the mere mention of his name makes many Chileans cringe with the memories of him shutting down Congress, outlawing political parties and sending thousands of dissidents into exile, while his police tortured and killed thousands more.

But to his loyalists, Pinochet remains a fatherly figure who oversaw Chile's growth into economic prosperity and kept it from becoming a socialist state. Chile's government estimates that 3,095 people were killed during Pinochet's rule.

"Before this campaign no one dared to talk, so when they were finally given a chance, the knee-jerk reaction could have been let's tell the world about everything that's wrong with Pinochet ? his countless atrocities and about those who have died. But the minds behind the campaign said 'no,' let's use another way," Pablo Larrain, the film's director told the AP.

"They said? the way to oust Pinochet is to show something positive about what would come next, to tell people: 'the happiness is coming,' and that was the turning point. The dictatorship was dumbfounded, they didn't know how to react and a very original campaign came from this that finally defeated Pinochet."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/garcia-bernal-feels-chiles-pain-latest-film-033203261.html

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Brides say wedding venue cancels, refuses to refund money

By Shellie Bailey-Shah KATU Problem Solver Published: Jul 26, 2012 at 10:06 PM PDT Last Updated: Jul 26, 2012 at 10:06 PM PDT

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Source: http://www.katu.com/news/problemsolver/Brides-say-wedding-venue-cancels-refuses-to-refund-money-163976036.html

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Direct Tax Code : legalnews :: Legal India : Law Information Portal of ...

Direct Tax Code vis-?-vis Income Tax Act,1961

Direct tax is the tax which is charged directly on the tax payer. ?In other words direct tax is that tax that is deducted from one?s salary.

In the general sense, a direct tax is one paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed which is? accompanied by a tax return filed by the taxpayer). Examples include some income taxes, some corporate taxes, and transfer taxes such as estate (inheritance) tax and gift tax. Some commentators have argued that ?a direct tax is one that cannot be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else, whereas an indirect tax can be.
Direct Taxation in India:

Direct taxation in India is governed by Income Tax Act, 1961 and? taken care by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (?CBDT?); it is a division of Department of revenue under Ministry of Finance. CBDT is governed by the Revenue Act, 1963. CBDT is given the authority to create and control direct taxes in India. The most important function of CBDT is to manage direct tax law followed by Income Tax department.
Under Income tax Act, 1961(?Act, 1961?), taxes are charged on the basis of residential status and not on the basis of citizenship. The assesses are charged based upon the following factors

• Resident
• Resident but not ordinary resident.
• Non-resident.

Capital gains tax, personal income tax, tax on corporate income and tax incentives all come under the purview of direct tax.

An?income tax?is a?tax?levied on the?income?of individuals or businesses (corporations or other legal entities. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a?corporate tax, corporate income tax, or profit tax.

Direct Tax Code:

TheDirect Tax Code (?DTC?) is said to replace the existing?Act in?India. It is expected to be enforced from?2012. During the budget 2010 presentation, the?finance?minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee reiterated his commitment to bringing into fore the new DTC into force from 1^st?of April, 2011, but same could not be fulfilled and now it will be applicable from?1st April, 2012.[1]

The draft DTC along with a Discussion Paper was released in August, 2009 for public comments. Since then, a number of valuable inputs on the proposals outlined in these documents have been received from a large number of organizations and individuals. These inputs have been examined and the major issues on which various stakeholders have given their views have been identified. This Revised Discussion Paper addresses these major issues. There are a number of other issues which have been raised in the public feedback, which, though not part of this Discussion Paper, will be considered while finalising the Bill for introduction in Parliament.

?The key objective underlying the proposed enactment of the DTC is to mitigate the uncertainty and complexity created by the existing patchwork of direct tax legislations and annual finance acts,?. ?At the same time, the DTC has not lost sight of the need for flexibility and ensures that amendments ? of tax rates, for instance ? can be accommodated within the schedules to the DTC. While the DTC has proposed to lower corporate tax rates simultaneously it incorporates new provisions which will result in broadening the tax base,?.

One aim of the new tax code is to provide a system which takes into account the increase in cross-border mergers and acquisitions undertaken by Indian companies over the last few years. In addition, while lowering corporate tax rates, the DTC aims to remove the administrative burden on foreign companies and investors for whom the country is now a leading target for investment. By implementing the new code, the Government of India also intends to streamline and simplify legislation, as well as iron out many ambiguities in the current system[2].

The issues which this Revised Discussion Paper addresses are:

??????? i.??????????? Residential status of foreign companies;

????? ii.??????????? Taxation of Companies;

??? iii.??????????? Minimum Alternate Tax;

??? iv.??????????? General anti avoidance Rules;

????? v.??????????? Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement;

??? vi.??????????? Branch Profit Tax;

? vii.??????????? Royalties and Fees for Technical services;

1. Controlled Foreign Companies;

??? ix.??????????? Wealth Tax.

Comparative Analysis of provisions :

DTC discusses the test of residence of a person for tax purposes. The tax residence of companies (that is, where companies are established or carry on business) is usually based on either place of incorporation (legal seat), location of management (real seat) or a combination of the two. The DTC provides that a company incorporated in India will always be treated as resident in India. However, a company incorporated abroad (foreign company) can either be resident or non-resident in India. It has been proposed in the DTC that a foreign company will be treated as resident in India if, at any time in the financial year, the control and management of its affairs is situated ?wholly or partly? in India (it need not be wholly situated in India, as at present).

Generally, the test of residence for foreign companies is the ?place of effective management?or ?place of central control and management?. At the same time, it is noted that the existing definition of residence of a company in the Act based on the control and management of its affairs being situated wholly in India is too high a threshold.? Place of effective management? is an internationally recognized concept for determination of residence of a company incorporated in a foreign jurisdiction.[3]

A company is said to be Resident in India only if, the company is controlled and managed wholly partly in India at any time during the said financial year[4].

A company is said to be Resident in India if the place of effective management of company is in India. ?Place of effective management of company? means-

• the place where the board of directors of the company or its executive directors, make their decisions; or
• In a case where the board of directors perform their functions.?
• Impact:

Such proposed change may create difficulties in implementation as their could be difference of opinion in regard to where is placed effective management

1. Taxation?of companies:

Under present legislation, the Domestic companies and Foreign companies are taxed at different rates, where there income exceeds 1 crore but DTC has proposed to make a uniformity in taxation of Domestic and Foreign companies at a same rate.

Under present law, Domestic companies are taxable @ 33.90% where income exceeds?`?1 crore and Foreign companies are taxable @ 42.33% where income exceeds?`?1 crore.

Under DTC, the proposal is to tax all companies including the foreign companies @ 30% and thus, to make a uniformity in taxation of companies.

Marginal relief for domestic companies.Welcome proposition for foreign companies- relief of about 13% on tax rates. However, profits of Indian branches of foreign companies will be subject to additional ?Branch Profits Tax? leviable @ 15%.

1. Minimum Alternate tax:

The DTC has proposed a Minimum Alternate Tax (?MAT?) on companies calculated with reference to the ?value of gross assets?. The economic rationale for the assets tax is that investors can expect ex-ante to earn a specified average rate of return on their assets, hence it provides an incentive for efficiency.Computation of MAT with reference to gross value of assets will require all companies to pay tax even if they are loss making companies or operating in a cyclical downturn[5]

Under present law, MAT rate is @ 19.93% (inclusive of surcharge and education cess) where income exceeds?`?1 crore. Tax credit for MAT paid is available for 10 years.

Under DTC, MAT is proposed to be taxed @ 20% without any surcharge and education cess.Credit for MAT is proposed for 15 years.[6]

After such proposed change MAT rate of tax increases slightly but Credit for MAT gets extended from 10 years to 15 years.

1. General Anti Avoidance Rules (?GAAR?):

DTC deals with the provisions of the General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR). The harmful effects of tax avoidance on the tax base, on tax equity and on the compliance regime have been discussed at length. The need for general anti avoidance provisions instead of legislative amendments to deal with specific instance of tax avoidance has also been discussed. The GAAR provisions apply where a taxpayer has entered into an arrangement, the main purpose of which is to obtain a tax benefit and such arrangement is entered or carried on in a manner not normally employed for bona-fide business purposes or are not at arm?s length or abuses the provisions of the DTC or lacks economic substance.

There is no provision with respect to GAAR in the present law.

The following safeguards are also proposed for invoking GAAR provisions:-

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes will issue guidelines to provide for the circumstances under which GAAR may be invoked.
• GAAR provisions will be invoked only in respect of an arrangement where tax avoidance is beyond a specified threshold limit.
• The forum of Dispute Resolution Panel (?DRP?) would be available where GAAR provisions are invoked.
• Impact

Such proposed change can lead to harassment and hardship for taxpayers.

1. 5.????? DOUBLE TAXATION AVOIDANCE AGREEMENT (?DTAA?):

Under the current provisions of Act, 1961, the Domestic law and DTAA, the one which is more beneficial to taxpayer will apply But DTC provides that, DTAA will not have preferential status over the domestic law in the specified circumstances.

The current provisions of the Income-tax Act provide that between the domestic law and relevant DTAA, the one which is more beneficial to the taxpayer will apply. However, this is subject to specific exceptions e.g., the taxation of a foreign company at a rate higher than that of a domestic company is not considered as a less favourable charge in respect of the foreign company.

It is proposed to provide that between the domestic law and relevant DTAA, the one which is more beneficial to the taxpayer shall apply. However, DTAA will not have preferential status over the domestic law in the following circumstances:-

• when the General Anti Avoidance Rule is invoked, or
• when Controlled Foreign Corporation provisions are invoked or
• when Branch Profits Tax is levied. [7]
• Impact:

This limited treaty override is in accordance with the internationally accepted principles. Since anti-avoidance rules are part of the domestic legislation and they are not addressed in tax treaties, such limited treaty override will not be in conflict with the DTAAs. Further this will not deprive any taxpayer of any intended tax benefit available under the DTAAs.

1. Branch profit tax:

Under DTC additional levy of Branch Profit Tax (?BPT?) @ 15% is proposed. The same is to be levied on the total income for the financial year as reduced by the amount of income tax thereonForeign Companies liable to pay branch profit tax on total Income reduced by corporate tax.

There is no provision with respect to BPT in the present law.

Under DTC, it is proposed to levy Additional branch profit tax @ 15% on all foreign companies having any form of PE in India.

This can have dampening effect on foreign trade transactions and volumes.

1. Royalties and Fees for Technical services:

The ambit of fees for technical services (?FTS?) widened to include development & transfer of design, drawing , plan & software or similar services. The ambit of Royalty widened to include the consideration for use/right to use of transmission by satellite, cable, optic fibre, ship or aircraft and live coverage of any event

Currently, royalty and FTS are taxable @ 10% on gross income for foreign companies[8]

Under DTC, Royalty and FTS proposed to be taxed @ 20% on gross income for foreign companies

Rate of tax on these income is proposed to be doubled. Can adversely affect import of technology in the country.

1. Controlled foreign companies (?CFC?):

It is proposed to introduce Controlled Foreign Corporation provisions so as to provide that passive income earned by a foreign company which is controlled directly or indirectly by a resident in India, and where such income is not distributed to shareholders resulting in deferral of taxes, shall be deemed to have been distributed. Consequently, it would be taxable in India in the hands of resident shareholders as dividend received from the foreign company[9].

There are no rules concerning CFCs in the current legislation.

CFC provisions have been introduced to tax passive income earned by a foreign company (controlled directly or indirectly by a resident in India).

Under proposed CFC rules, even income of such foreign companies not distributed to shareholders would be deemed to be distributed and consequently taxable in India in the hands of resident shareholders as dividend received from the foreign company.

The proposal can affect outbound investments. There is no provision for getting credit for taxes paid abroad. This can result in double taxation.

1. Wealth tax:

DTC deals with the levy of wealth tax. Under the DTC, wealth-tax will be payable by an individual, HUF and private discretionary trusts. It will be levied on net wealth on the valuation date i.e. the last day of the financial year. Net wealth is defined as assets chargeable to wealth-tax as reduced by the debt owed in respect of such assets. Assets chargeable to wealth-tax shall mean all assets, including financial assets and deemed assets, as reduced by exempted assets. Exempted assets include stock in trade, a single residential house or a plot of land etc. The net wealth of an individual or HUF in excess of Rupees fifty crore shall be chargeable to wealth-tax at the rate of 0.25 per cent. [10]

Wealth tax Act, 1957 is applicable but there is no wealth tax is levied on companies.

Wealth tax is proposed on wealth exceeding?`?1 crore. Tax generally on non-productive assets. However value of equity in preference shares held by a resident in controlled foreign company will be liable to tax.

Companies hitherto non-taxable will be taxable. Favourable aspect is that limit of?`?30 lakh gets extended to?100 lakh.

CONCLUSION:

Thus, it can be said that the key objective underlying the proposed enactment of the DTC is to mitigate the uncertainty and complexity created by the existing patchwork of direct tax legislations and annual finance acts,?.
One aim of the new tax code is to provide a system which takes into account the increase in cross-border mergers and acquisitions undertaken by Indian companies over the last few years. In addition, while lowering corporate tax rates, the DTC aims to remove the administrative burden on foreign companies and investors for whom the country is now a leading target for investment. By implementing the new code, the Government of India also intends to streamline and simplify legislation, as well as iron out many ambiguities in the current system.
However, the professional community is divided over the logic and scope of some of the Code?s provisions and some experts are anxious about the impact such legislation will have on business and investment activity. The need to maintain a balance between reaping tax rewards under the new legislation and maintaining the interest of businesses and investors is of utmost importance. There is some anxiety as to whether the DTC achieves this balance, especially given the Government of India?s reputation for enforcing tax legislation. ?Since there is a direct correlation between taxation and economic growth, tax policies need to be directed so they achieve objectives such as increasing growth, savings and investments, consumption, and so on,?. ?Although the goals of the DTC are laudable, some of the provisions raise concerns stemming largely from an unsatisfactory experience with the manner of enforcement of tax provisions at the field level.?

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[2]http://www.financierworldwide.com/article.php?id=7632

[3]Revised discussion paper on DTC June 2010,? Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance)

?

[4]Section 6 of Income Tax Act, 1961

[5]Revised discussion paper on DTC June 2010,? Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance)

?

[6]Section 115 JB of Income tax act, 1961

[7]Revised discussion paper on DTC June 2010,? Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance)

?

[8]Section 115 A Income Tax Act, 1961

[9]Revised discussion paper on DTC June 2010,? Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance)

?

[10]Revised discussion paper on DTC June 2010,? Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue (Ministry of Finance)

?

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July 31st, 2012 | 9 views | ?Print This Post | ?Email This Post | Category: Legal Articles
Tags: 1961 act, BPT, Branch Profit Tax, CBDT, Capital gains tax, Central Board of Direct Taxes, DTAA, Department of revenue, Direct Tax, Direct Tax Code, Direct Taxation in India, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, GAAR, Income Tax Act, Income Tax Act 1961, Income-Tax Department, Minimum Alternate Tax, Ministry of Finance, Residential status of foreign companies, Revenue Act, Revenue Act 1963, Tax, Taxation of Companies, Wealth Tax, corporate tax, enforcement of tax provisions, general anti-avoidance rules, income tax, indirect tax, personal income tax, tax on corporate income, tax policies, tax provisions, transfer tax

Source: http://www.legalindia.in/direct-tax-code

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Will Facebook and Zynga keep going down?

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/MinyanvilleMedia/posts/394472117284494

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Dewhurst, Cruz appeal to bases on Texas runoff eve

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ? The two Republicans vying for the U.S. Senate nomination in Texas spent the final hours of their white-hot runoff race rallying their bases Monday, with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst making a hard appeal to veterans and tea party-backed Ted Cruz taking his anti-establishment message to radio and television stations.

The race is being watched nationally as a test for the tea party against well-entrenched Texas Republicans who aren't used to losing. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994. Whichever candidate wins Tuesday's runoff will be an overwhelming favorite against the Democratic nominee in November for the right to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Dewhurst, who once looked like a slam-dunk for the job, is now believed to be in a major fight after failing to win a majority in the nine-candidate GOP primary on May 29. He has overseen the Texas Senate from the powerful lieutenant governor's post since 2003 and has been endorsed by popular Gov. Rick Perry and much of the state's Republican establishment.

Cruz is the son of a Cuban immigrant who has a fiery public speaking style that has fired up grassroots groups.

An Air Force veteran who also was stationed in Bolivia for the CIA, Dewhurst spoke Monday in San Antonio at one of the oldest Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in the country, flanked by Perry and Peter Holt, the owner of the city's NBA franchise, the Spurs.

His voice cracked as Dewhurst described his father, Lt. Col. David H. Dewhurst, who was a World War II pilot who was home from the fighting when he was killed by a drunk driver when his son was just 3.

"This is a crusade. My dad flew 85 missions. He didn't have a chance to fly his 86th," the lieutenant governor said, close to tears. "Let's make this his 86th mission."

His comments came after retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot Jake Ellzey said at the same rally, "I dare Ted Cruz to come in to any VFW post anywhere in the state and talk about fighting."

"Mr. Cruz, you're not a fighter because you've never worn the uniform," Ellzey said.

Asked if that was a fair assessment, Dewhurst said, "I agree with the commander."

"Normally, I've found in my life that the louder you speak, probably, the less of a fighter you are," he continued. "All the fighters I've had a chance and the honor to serve with didn't pat themselves on the back, were pretty humble men and women."

Cruz describes himself as the race's only true fighter for conservative values. A spokesman for his campaign, James Bernsen, said Monday that Ellzey's and Dewhurst's comments offended him as a veteran of the Iraq war.

"I find it offensive to make it a litmus test," Bernsen said. "Ted is very supportive of the military. But this is not something that should be politicized, period."

Cruz has received millions from national conservative groups including the anti-tax Club for Growth, which have targeted Dewhurst as too moderate for occasionally working with Democratic state senators to ensure key legislation got approved over the years. An energy business owner, the lieutenant governor has lent his campaign $24.5 million.

At Monday's rally, Ellzey addressed the out-of-state support for Cruz, saying that "1.8 million Texas veterans know that a slash and burn mentality as espoused by the tea party is only going to hurt our veterans."

Dewhurst and Perry then headed to Dallas for a fundraiser with top Republicans donors. They also appeared at a Dewhurst phone banking center in the city with the Republican primary's third-place finisher, ex-Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and former NFL running back and ESPN commentator Craig James, who finished fourth. Both have since endorsed Dewhurst.

Cruz, meanwhile, made 11 appearances on radio stations throughout Texas and also had a string of television interviews, including addressing a national audience on Fox News Channel.

Early voting ended Friday, and about 3.3 percent of registered Republicans cast ballots ? a stronger turnout than expected, especially for a runoff coming so deep into summer doldrums. The initial primary was delayed from Super Tuesday to May because of a legal battle over redistricting maps drawn by the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature.

"We are seeing a high turnout which I think is terrific because everything we're seeing is that conservatives are energized and excited and showing up to vote," Cruz said on the Joe Pags Show on WOAI radio in San Antonio. "This race will come down 100 percent to turnout."

Voting totals in Harris County ? which includes Houston, where both Dewhurst and Cruz live ? were solid, with more than 70,000 GOP ballots cast early, while nearly 34,000 Republicans voted early in Dallas County.

That could be good news for Dewhurst, who won Dallas County with about 24,500 votes during the primary. But also receiving strong support there in May was Leppert, who took 23,000 primary votes. If Leppert voters now go for Dewhurst, higher turnout could be good news for the lieutenant governor in Dallas County.

Cruz, meanwhile, won Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, during the primary. Nearly 35,000 people voted early there in runoff balloting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dewhurst-cruz-appeal-bases-texas-runoff-eve-214438818.html

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FOREXAK.COM ? How Retail Traders Maximize Forex Trading ...

image by theonlymadman

How Retail Traders Maximize Forex Trading Opportunities ? Marketwatch news and update details. I hope you will find useful information for making trading decision today.

SYDNEY, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ? The latest City Index client survey shows that forex is the second most traded instrument in terms of trade volume and value.

Trading forex with City Index Australia is generating more interest and popularity among retail traders particularly with the recent gains of the Australian dollar against other currencies.

Aussie Dollar Gains Strength

Kara Ordway, Forex Strategist at City Index Australia said, ?The Australian dollar has shown some resilience not only against the US dollar but also against the Euro during the past few months. And this is creating some support for the Aussie.?

With the lingering issues in Europe and tentative economic growth in the US, the Aussie dollar may continue to be supported at its current level or slightly higher range.

In turn, this could create more trading opportunities particularly for short-term and active forex traders.

Role of Forex in your Portfolio

Miss Ordway added, ?As equity markets around the world continue to suffer due to negative sentiment, we are seeing traders getting more active in forex trading,?

?There is definitely room for forex trading in a retail trader?s portfolio and I think more people are realising that and acting on it now.?

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The full range of platforms available will provide you access to global market news, charts and market analysis that could help with your trading strategies.

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City Index is a leading global provider of margined foreign exchange and CFD trading. As a group, we transact in excess of 1.5 million trades every month for individuals in over 50 countries worldwide. To learn more visit: http://www.cityindex.com.au/

SOURCE City Index Australia

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Words used in this article:

Source: http://www.forexak.com/article/8561-forexak-com-how-retail-traders-maximize-forex-trading-opportunities-marketwatch-news-and-headlines/

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Fatherly advice/Dr. Michael O'Donnell Urges Two-Parent Homes for ...

HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Section State, Page 2, 2 STAR Edition

By JEAN PAGEL (with Associated Press)

Dear Dad, you?re falling down on the job.

Show a bit more respect to Mom. Praise daughters with the same kudos that sons get. Above all, spend time with your kids.

Advice like that ? from the Southwest Center for Fathering at Abilene Christian University ? aims to demystify fatherhood and make men realize just how crucial they are for their children.

The center echoes a line from the chorus of trendy ?family values? speeches these days: Two-parent homes tend to promote stability and happiness.

?I know it?s not politically correct,? said Michael O?Donnell, the center?s [former] executive director. ?It feels sanctimonious to say that one form of family is better. But research backs it up.?

O?Donnell collects data on fathering in an array of manila folders and videotapes.

It is here ? where O?Donnell incorporates that data for Christian and secular seminars.

The seminars train men to conduct seven-week sessions for wanna-be-better dads. About 400 men have earned ? certification to lead such fathering groups at churches and social agencies nationwide.

Men come to the groups for peer support, O?Donnell said. They leave with heavy doses of parental platitudes (consistency, awareness, nurture) and assignments, such as reading bedtime stories to their children.

?We?re finding the male presence is stabilizing, dynamic, brings balance,? O?Donnell said. ?We tell men the greatest gift they can give their children is to love their mother.?

What?s evident, he said, is that children suffer when their busy dads ignore them or desert the home.

Father absenteeism exacerbates a child?s academic struggles, low self-esteem and aggressive behavior, O?Donnell said. Boys tend to take up drug use; girls become more sexually promiscuous.

?The two-parent family is still the best social institution ever invented to rear children,? he said. ?We don?t want to burden single moms, but we shouldn?t hold them up as the ideal.?

Not necessarily, says the National Women?s Law Center.

Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the Washington, D.C.-based group, applauded efforts to get men involved with family life. But she emphasized that good families need not resemble Ward and June Cleaver?s.

?We do take issue with the assertion that a two-parent family is always better than a single-parent family, or anything in any way that would demonize single-parent families that are doing a good job,? she said.

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 3.4 million Texas children in two-parent homes in 1990.

Single mothers in Texas were raising 758,617 children that year, the census said. Homes headed by single Texas fathers contained 155,196 children.

O?Donnell said America has begun holding men accountable. The wakeup call goes beyond political rhetoric and feel-good television ads, he said.

O?Donnell, [former] president of the Texas Council on Family Relations, [had taken] his pro-Dad message to the United Nations. He ? summarize[d] feedback from more than 4,000 well-adjusted teen-agers, who said in surveys they feel less stressed growing up with two parents at home.

His point in Vienna: The world faces a potential fathering crisis, especially in war-torn nations.

But Luther Cammack in Abilene already sees an improved outlook.

Cammack, 67, has adopted his 10-year-old grandson. Together they worked on school projects and built a prize-winning Boy Scout derby car, Cammack bragged.

Sessions with a fathering group persuaded him to allot special time for his grandkids ? time he didn?t spend with his own four children years ago, he said.

?It?s more fun,? Cammack said. ?We play catch. I can catch a ball better now than I could in high school.?

David Cory, community organization specialist for Children?s Protective Services in Abilene, pointed out that children need adult role models from both sexes.

Cory said his agency?s No. 1 problem arises when fathers shrug off their financial and emotional duties.

He offered a pre-Father?s Day word of advice for men who put in too many hours at the office.

?They?ve got a precious gift,? Cory said. ?The reward that they get from spending time (with their kids) will last a lot longer.?

?

Copyright notice: All materials in this archive are copyrighted by Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspapers Partnership, L.P., or its news and feature syndicates and wire services. No materials may be directly or indirectly published, posted to Internet and intranet distribution channels, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed in any medium. Neither these materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use.

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Posted in Fathering, In The News
Tags: Center for Fathering, Dads, Dr Michael O'Donnell, Fathering, Houston Chronicle, two-parent families

Source: http://parchedground.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/fatherly-advicedr-michael-odonnell-urges-two-parent-homes-for-stability/

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Stranded walrus calf in Alaska lagoon is safe

A stranded walrus calf has been rescued from Alaska lagoon and is believed to have separated from a larger group of calves, the Alaska SeaLife Center says.?

By Associated Press / July 27, 2012

In this photo taken Saturday, a Pacific walrus male calf is under care at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska after it was stranded near Barrow.

Alaska SeaLife Center/AP

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A Pacific?walrus?calf is under care at a marine rehabilitation center after it was found stranded near Barrow, Alaska.

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The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward says in a release that the male calf is estimated to be 4 to 6 weeks old.

Officials report a large group of?walrus?floated on sea ice past Barrow on July 17, and believe this calf became separated from them. Barrow fishermen saw the calf in a lagoon.

Staff members at the Alaska SeaLife Center say the calf appears to be in good health.

It's the first?walrus?calf at the center since 2007. Four calves were cared for at the center between 2003 and 2007.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/3WW1N7W5uPE/Stranded-walrus-calf-in-Alaska-lagoon-is-safe

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myKaZoo Music & myKaZootv Partnership With Universal Music ...

?New Companies Providing Parent-Friendly,

Educational and Entertaining Media for Kids Ages 2 to 8

Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), announced today a partnership with two leading music industry executives, Rick Dobbis and Richard Ellis, to create myKaZoo Music and myKaZootv, two multi-platform children?s and family entertainment companies designed to reach parents and kids where they live today. Together, the new companies will bring a fresh approach to family music, presenting top kid-centric artists via new media platforms and marketing initiatives designed to expand the category.

Headquartered in Los Angeles and New York, myKaZootv (http://www.mykazootv.com) launches in January with a 24/7 interactive kids? music video channel. In addition, the myKaZoo Music label (Http://www.mykazoomusic.com), in partnership with UMe, will debut on February 7th with Farmer Jason?s Nature Jams. ?We are excited about partnering with Jason for our first release.? Beginning with this incredible collection of songs and our future artists releases, we will bring family entertainment brand to a broad, new audience,? said Resnikoff.

Several initiatives will extend the reach of myKaZoo music and videos this year. In addition to the online presence for myKaZootv, the company is partnering with Kabillion TV On Demand, which reaches over 40 million digital households and is available on Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and local MSO?s. Beginning in March, Kabillion will feature a block of KaZoo music videos that will be updated weekly. Kidtoon Films, an on-going matinee program that brings kid-friendly content to movie-going families every month at a 120 theatre locations nationwide, has partnered with MyKaZoo TV to include music videos into its 2012 programming schedule.

myKaZoo Music and myKaZootv enter the children?s entertainment scene at a time when 80 percent of children under age 5 use the Internet and 60 percent of children under ages 3 watch videos online (Ganz Cooney Center), and when 1 in 4 mothers allow their preschool children to interact with a mobile phone (Parenting Group/BlogHer). The company aims to tap into new marketing opportunities to reach today?s super-connected families, while tapping into the similar explosion of professionally produced, smart and child-appropriate programming that the savviest family music artists create every day.

myKaZoo is a joint project of Rick Dobbis, former president of Sony Music International and owner of the entertainment company R-DOG, LLC , and Richard Ellis, founder and owner of the youth entertainment marketing company 12to20 and a former major music label executive.

myKaZootv and myKazoo Music will both focus on content acquisition and wide-ranging marketing programs, which will be announced soon. ?We see a vast potential in the $1.2 billion children?s entertainment genre,? says Ellis. ?There are hundreds of independent artists around the country making great music and videos with little coordinated access to national publicity, marketing and distribution. We aim to create a next-generation music distribution and marketing company to reach parents and children where they live ? online and via new technologies.? Dobbis agrees, saying, ?We are evangelists for the category. We believe in what these artists are creating and want to give this underdeveloped genre the support and exposure it deserves.?

myKaZoo Music is the company?s family music label, launching in partnership with UMe. ?We will have global reach due to our partnership with the leading music company in the world, but we?ll operate like an indie label,? notes Dobbis. ?The partnership with UMe will bring smart, artist-driven family music to more people and places than ever before.?

myKaZootv is an always-on, interactive multi-channel video platform, broadcasting music videos for children ages 2 to 8, with features that make it better than television. Beginning with an online presence offered free to parents and kids, the channel will soon be accessible via handheld devices (phone and tablet platforms), and cable television. The channel offers parents and kids a safe, focused environment showing hundreds of entertaining music videos by top artists, kid hosts and humorous educational interstitials, all organized by topic and artist and easily selected by young viewers. Visit http://www.mykazootv.com to view the first video and game features on the site.

The first release for myKaZooMusic is Farmer Jason?s Nature Jams (February 7, 2012), which offers a high-value, kid-friendly gift package of 16 original songs, 4 music videos and a colorful 20-page booklet. ??Farmer Jason sings along with special guest artists (including Mike Mills from R.E.M., Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, Iris DeMent, Brandi Carlile, Hank Williams III, Webb Wilder and Tommy Ramone of The Ramones) about nature and active play. With these engaging songs and videos, Farmer Jason and ?buddies?- hope to motivate children to get outside and experience nature firsthand. myKaZootv will also premiere additional music videos based on these songs in early 2012. Farmer Jason is Jason Ringenberg, also known for his alt-country band Jason and the Scorchers. This regularly touring artist has also built a fervid international fan base for his kids? music and public TV videos.

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) is the centralized U.S. catalog and special markets entity for Universal Music Group.? Working in conjunction with all of the company?s record labels, UMe provides a frontline approach to catalog management, a concentration of resources, a greater emphasis on strategic marketing initiatives and opportunities in new technological fields.?UMe is also designed to aggressively develop a cohesive and strategic approach to maximizing catalog repertoire by initiating and implementing integrated marketing campaigns, direct to consumer programs, brand management initiatives and strategic partnerships.

For more information about myKazoo, visit www.mykazootv.com.

Source: http://www.therisinghollywood.com/2012/07/27/mykazoo-music-mykazootv-partnership-with-universal-music-enterprises-offers-a-global-approach-to-family-music-content-programming/

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Former aide to Canadian PM charged with influence-peddling

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A former top aide to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was charged with influence-peddling on Friday, a move that could embarrass a government that came to power stressing accountability.

Police said Bruce Carson was "alleged to have accepted a commission for a third party in connection with a business matter relating to the government." Carson's lawyer declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

Harper's office said in March 2011 it had asked police to investigate Carson, a senior adviser to the prime minister until 2009, on the grounds that he had apparently broken conflict of interest laws.

Canadian media linked this to a range of lobbying work done by Carson, who has previous criminal convictions for fraud.

"Any individual who doesn't respect our laws must face their full force as well as the consequences that come with them," said Andrew MacDougall, Harper's chief spokesman.

It was the first time in living memory than an adviser to a prime minister has been charged with influence-peddling.

"This reaches right onto the prime minister's office ... and has to call into question the judgment of the prime minister for hiring him in the first place," said Scott Andrews, a legislator with the opposition Liberal Party.

The charge is the latest ethics problem to hit the ruling Conservatives, who came to power in early 2006 after a kickback scandal helped bring down the former Liberal government.

In March the federal ethics commissioner ruled that Industry Minister Christian Paradis had violated the Conflict of Interest Act by telling bureaucrats to set up a meeting with a former Conservative legislator who wanted to do business with Ottawa.

The commissioner is now looking into allegations that Paradis -- also the cabinet minister responsible for Quebec affairs -- tried to move a government office into a building owned by an associate of his family in Quebec.

This week the former campaign manager for Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Peter Penashue apologized for exceeding spending limits during last year's federal election campaign.

The next federal election is scheduled for October 2015.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Frank McGurty)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-aide-canadian-pm-charged-influence-peddling-182150705.html

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CULVER CITY: Child Victim of Pit Bull Attack to Settle Lawsuit

CULVER CITY, California ? ?The Santa Monica City Council approved a possible $325,000 settlement to compensate 7-year-old Zachary Rasmussen for injuries the boy sustained in a vicious pit bull attack at Memorial Park in nearly two years ago, according to an article posted by the Culver City Patch.

The attack on the child left him with some brain damage and the lawsuit requested compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, future health care expenses and damages for pain and suffering.

Attorneys for Rasmussen filed a lawsuit in March 2011 against both the city and the owner of the dog named Monster who in October 2010 jumped up and knocked open an unlocked gate at the park?s fenced small dog run. The child was attacked on his head, neck, shoulders and back, according to the lawsuit.

The city acknowledged its own negligence played a role in the unprovoked attack. Deputy City Attorney Lance Gams told council members that the service gate opened by the dog was one that was rarely used. He advised the council to approve the settlement to avoid trial and the potential that a jury might award the boy more than $1 million, the article said.

The approval of a Los Angeles Superior Court judge is required before the settlement is deemed to be official, the report said.

Dog Attack Statistics

More than 1,000 Americans are injured every day by dogs, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to dogsbite.org most attacks involve American Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers and mixes of these two breeds, as well as wolf hybrids. Additionally, the report said 77 percent of attacks cause bodily harm, 73 percent of dog attacks are inflicted on children and 68 percent result in a fatality.

Victims of dog attacks and their families may hold the owners of these animals both financially and sometimes criminally liable for their injuries. For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients injured or have lost loved ones due to negligence. Our legal team has also handled hundreds of wrongful death claims for families of victims of dog attacks.

The law firm has a proven track record supported by settlements ranging from several thousand dollars to millions.

Seegmiller is a California and Nevada Personal Injury Law Firm with a track record of proven results. There is no cost to clients until our experienced team of lawyers and legal professionals have won your case. Finding the best dog bite attorney can mean you will get the settlement you need to get your life back on track. Compensation for your injuries, loss of wages and pain and suffering can?t take away the trauma of the attack, but it can help you rebuild your life.

Call us today at 1-855-275-9378 to speak with the staff at our dog bite law firm. Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside and in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Source: http://www.theseegmillerlawfirm.com/blog/culver-city-child-victim-pit-bull-attack-settle-lawsuit?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=culver-city-child-victim-pit-bull-attack-settle-lawsuit

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Bee Window's $36000 Home Improvement Giveaway Continues All ...

July 26, 2012

Who but Bee Window of Indiana would continue year after year to give away $36,000 ? 3 contests each year worth $12,000 each ? in home improvement products to our loyal customers? That?s right ? in case you?ve forgotten, our 2012 Giveaway continues straight-on through the entire year. We?ve already had one drawing this year worth $12K in products, with the next giveaway drawing scheduled for August 31^st ? right in the heart of the dog days of summer. There are no strings attached ? if you win the drawing, you get the $12,000 in home improvement products! Imagine winning $12K of Andersen replacement windows! Or $12K in sunroom installation supplies! How?s about winning twelve thousand dollars? worth of kitchen and bathroom remodeling products?! What?s the catch? There is no catch, but you can?t win if you don?t enter to be selected by random luck, chance, circumstance or fate.

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Get in on this great ongoing contest ? you won?t regret it and your house will certainly be thankful if you?re the lucky winner. Take some time to meet some of our past winners here, ?then take the chance to win your share of this year?s $36K Home Improvement Giveaway products. Sign up today, folks!?

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Earnings Preview: Arch Q2 profits seen lower

ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Arch Coal Inc., one of the world's biggest coal producers, is scheduled to report earnings for the second quarter before the market opens on Friday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Analysts may be especially interested in Arch's performance so far this year because of the challenges coal miners have faced from weaker demand in the global economy. The coal industry and its stocks have been battered as utilities switched to cheap natural gas from coal to generate electricity. Natural gas prices are the lowest in years because of huge supplies from booming production. And the mild winter across much of the nation didn't put much of a dent in the gas surplus.

Prices for thermal coal used by power plants recently reached the lowest levels in two years as inventories have grown, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said earlier this month. They suggested that mining companies should continue to cut back production and delay or cancel expansion plans.

Arch has done that, announcing plans last month to lay off about 750 workers in the Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia coalfields. Arch blamed the move on market pressures and a challenging regulatory environment that it said has pushed U.S. coal consumption to a 20-year low.

Since then, BMO Capital Market analyst Meredith Bandy has lowered the rating on Arch to "Underperform" from "Market Perform," citing relatively high debt levels, deteriorating margins and weak demand for Appalachian coal.

Among the first of the coal sector's big players to report each quarter, rival Peabody Energy ? the world's biggest private-sector coal company ? on Tuesday said its second-quarter earnings fell on soft demand. Peabody trimmed its 2012 production outlook and forecast lower-than-expected earnings for the third quarter.

Citing what he called "a choppy market environment," Peabody Chairman and CEO Gregory Boyce said "the industry experienced significant headwinds in the second quarter, with declining global thermal coal prices as well as low U.S. natural gas prices driving record high U.S. utility coal stockpiles."

St. Louis-based Patriot Coal Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this month as it deals with reduced demand due to a myriad of factors including mild weather, a shaky global economy and cheap natural gas.

WHY IT MATTERS: On the heels of Peabody's lower third-quarter outlook, Analysts likely will be eager to hear whether Arch plans any additional pullbacks or alters its earnings guidance for this quarter and the rest of the year.

WHAT'S EXPECTED: On average, analysts polled by FactSet expect Arch to report a loss of 18 cents per share on revenue of $997 million.

EARLIER SHOWING: Arch said its net income over the first three months of this year slipped to $1.2 million, or a penny a share, compared with $55.6 million, or 34 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue was up 19 percent at $1.04 billion.

LAST YEAR'S QUARTER: During last year's second quarter, Arch's profit fell sharply as it produced less coal and costs rose. Net income dropped to $11.1 million, or 6 cents per share, compared with $66.2 million, or 41 cents per share, a year earlier.

STOCK PERFORMANCE: Peabody shares dropped nearly 38 percent during the second quarter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/earnings-preview-arch-q2-profits-seen-lower-194750497--finance.html

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Int'l Vietnamese martial arts tournament opens - The latest news on ...

The third general Vietnamese martial humanities (Vovinam) tournament
opened in HCM City on Jul 25, attracting 51 teams from 15 countries
and territories worldwide.

Vietnam has 15 teams competing during a event.

This is a large eventuality imprinting a new growth of Vietnamese traditional
martial arts, that are apropos renouned in Europe, Africa, Australia
and America .
After 4 days of competition, oversea
teams will take partial in a martial humanities festival from Aug 1 ? 3 in
Binh Dinh executive province.-VNA

Source: http://www.vietnamnews.us/society/intl-vietnamese-martial-arts-tournament-opens/

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Steny Hoyer: Neither party is spoiling for a fight over a government shutdown

The end of the fiscal year is typically a flash point for partisan battles, but not with a 'fiscal cliff' looming after November elections. Even GOP conservatives are accepting higher spending levels, rather than risk a government shutdown.

By David Grant,?Staff writer / July 25, 2012

House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D) of Maryland speaks at a Monitor-hosted breakfast for reporters on July 25 in Washington, D.C.

Michael Bonfigli/The Christian Science Monitor

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America, do not worry: Congressional leaders say they don?t want to shut the government down come Sept. 30, when the fiscal year expires. The question is, however, how exactly they?re going to keep the doors open with only six working days in September, the month after Congress?s month-long August recess.

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?We have a very short time to do it,? said House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D) of Maryland at a breakfast sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday. Hoyer said, referring to government funding, ?I think the political judgment is going to be, ?Let?s not fight about this.? "

With much attention focused on the year-end fiscal cliff and Congress enveloped in electric election-year debates over taxes, regulation, and health care, a potential showdown over government funding has gone largely under the radar.

That?s in part because Republican leaders in the House ? the seat of discontent about previous extensions of government funding ? say they are going to keep the lights on.

?Our goal would be to make sure the government is funded and any political talk of a government shutdown is put to rest,? House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio told reporters on Tuesday.

In fact, the GOP is willing to swallow two bitter pills to make sure the nation doesn?t see a government shutdown fight. First is continuing funding to implement President Obama?s health-care reform legislation, something more than 120 GOP House members signed a letter to the speaker opposing. Second is continuing government discretionary spending at an annual rate of $1.047 trillion, the level stipulated by last summer?s Budget Control Act. The House?s most conservative members have pushed for an annual rate of $958 billion, while the plan by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin called for annual discretionary outlays of $1.029 trillion.

That second pill is one that could be expected to stick in the craw of some of the most conservative members of Congress, who dug in their heels on, among other issues, raising the national debt ceiling in order to extract lower government spending.

But several dozen members in both chambers have signed on to a push by Sen. Jim DeMint (R) of South Carolina, among others, to vote for a six-month extension of current government funding in a process known as a ?continuing resolution,? or CR, partly to avoid political blowback from a government shutdown fight.

In an election year, one might expect Democrats to pursue anything that could put the heat to the GOP ? and vice versa. But Democrats, who ripped the GOP for holding up government funding in the past, are willing to deal.

?Certainty is good for the economy, good for the country, good for the federal agencies,? Mr. Hoyer said. ?I don?t necessarily have a preference, although I would certainly not be opposed to a six-month [CR]."

?They?re making a political judgment, which I think is correct, that if they proceed to shut down government in September, it will hurt them badly at the polls,? he added. ?They?ve made a pragmatic judgment, not a philosophical or fiscal one.?

Hoyer pointed out that Congress has, effectively, six working days in the entire month of September. Capitol Hill is out both the first and last weeks of the month on recess, and that leaves precious little time for jamming through anything except for the simplest extension of government funding.

But how long will the extension be? Many on Capitol Hill expected September?s funding extension would be some 90 days, pushing government funding into the lame-duck session after the November election. That would lump it in with weighty fiscal decisions on more than $600 billion in higher taxes and lower spending that Congress is expected to deal with (even if only to punt those issues into 2013).

But congressional conservatives? move to support a six-month extension shook that calculus somewhat.
?
What will happen in September? It?s unclear ? but in a year of high partisan rancor, the parties seem, for once, to be avoiding a potential fight.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/ZLs8rM8B8z8/Steny-Hoyer-Neither-party-is-spoiling-for-a-fight-over-a-government-shutdown

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Cracking Up: Cracking Up: Remembering Grandpa Mac

as published at www.ocregister.com on July 25th, 2012:

"Don't bend the cards."

I'll never hear that phrase again without thinking of my Grandpa Mac. Last week, he became my first grandparent to pass away.

Not only were we not to bend the cards while shuffling, but Grandpa's voice will live on to remind us not to "play out of turn" and to avoid unscrupulous "table talk" with our partner while playing his favorite card game: Hand and Foot.At his funeral, many of his trademark phrases were shared over the podium as his five kids took turns remembering him, and the congregation of his life chuckled knowingly as we predominately heard catchphrases sputtered from his role as officiator of thousands of family card games.

Going to Grandpa and Grandma Mac's for dinner the second Sunday of the month was a ritual for many of their 21 grandkids who circulated through their town while attending college. And just as we knew Grandma would always serve her delicious soft rolls, homemade jam, and Jello topped with whipped cream, we knew as soon as the table was cleared of dishes, a box of Rook cards would fill their void. Grandpa would then shuffle and disperse the cards with the skill of a Vegas dealer as our eyes assessed our hand's ability to win the round, and our ears perked up to his jocular pre-game banter and occasional break into song.

However, once the first card was flipped, the game was on and so better had you be...

Read the rest:

Cracking Up: Remembering Grandpa Mac - OC Moms - The Orange County Register

Source: http://crackingupmotherhood.blogspot.com/2012/07/cracking-up-remembering-grandpa-mac.html

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How People Spend Money on Their Pets | TBN Ranch

My Little Man

I think you?ll? find this article interesting about where our pets fit into today?s economy? and our budgets.

72.9 million American households own a pet, and they will spend $52,870,000,000 caring for them. For more fun facts and cool graphs read The Economics of Pet Ownership.

amy elizabeth, TBN Ranch

amy elizabeth, writer poet, author. Lives in the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert on a small hobby farm.

Source: http://tbnranch.com/2012/07/24/how-people-spend-money-on-their-pets/

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How the Dog Days of Summer Put Your Pet's Health at Risk ...

By petMD Jul 24th 2012

The dog days of summer (or every day in regions that are balmy year-round) present numerous hazards and stressors associated with warm weather and summertime festivities for our pets.

Summertime Climate Changes

Increased heat creates a variety of health risks for pets. Unlike humans, cats and dogs primarily expel heat through their respiratory tract (trachea and lungs) and skin; they lack the ability to sweat. Therefore, acclimating to hot and/or humid climates is more challenging to our feline and canine companions.

Pets that are brachycephalic (short-faced, like the English Bulldog, Pug, or Shih Tzu for dogs, and the Burmese, Himalayan, and Persian for cats), geriatric, juvenile, overweight/obese, or sick have a more challenging time acclimating to a hot environment than their healthy, adult mesaticephalic (medium-faced) counterparts.

In warmer temperatures, adjust your home and car climate to better suit your pet's needs. Provide air conditioning and well circulated air to keep your pet cool both indoors and during vehicular travel.

Avoidance of Hyperthermia

Exposure to heat and the sun also puts your pet a risk for hyperthermia (elevation in the body's core temperature). In comparison to humans, dogs and cats have a higher resting temperature (100-102.5?F +/- 0.5?F). Life threatening health issues can arise when the body temperature rises above the high normal limit. Only a few minutes to hours are needed, pending the climate and the pet's ability to compensate for the heat. Prolonged hyperthermia can cause lethargy, diarrhea, vomit, multi-system organ failure, prolonged blood clotting times, seizures, coma, and death.

RELATED: Aggression In Dogs Toward Familiar People

One of the most lethal summertime environments for pets is inside the glass and steel coffins that are our automobiles. A Stanford University Medical Center study reports that a "car's interior can heat up by an average of 40?F within an hour, regardless of ambient temperature. Eighty percent of the temperature rise occurred within the first half-hour." As your car's interior gets hotter, so will your pet's body temperature.

Unforeseeable circumstances could keep you occupied for longer than initially anticipated, so never leave your pet unattended in a non-climate controlled car, even on relatively cool day. Additionally, provide continuous circulating ventilation with air conditioning during your trip.

Use Shade or Sunscreen to Protect Your Pet's Skin

Despite the thick hair coat adorning most dogs and cats, sunburn is a realistic risk during summertime months, or for pets living in balmy climates. Pets with pink skin (often paired with light or white hair) should wear some form of sun protection or be confined to the shade. The nose, ears, and other areas having exposed skin can be covered with a pet-specific sun screen free from salicylates and zinc oxide, both of which are toxic if ingested. Epi-Pet Sun Protector Sunscreen is the only product currently on the market that meets the Food & Drug Administration's standards for safety for dogs. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends sunscreen application at least 30 minutes prior to sun exposure.

Keep Your Pet's Temperature Regulated Through Proper Groomin

Properly caring for your pet's coat is also essential to maintaining normal body temperature. A well groomed coat and healthy skin permits circulation of air at the surface and transfer of heat out of the body.

RELATED: Extreme Fear And Anxiety In Dogs

Underlying metabolic diseases (canine hypothyroidism and Cushing's disease, feline hyperthyroidism, etc.), and skin allergies and infections can also negatively impact a pet's skin and its ability to regulate body temperature.

The addition of an omega fatty acid supplement (fish or flax oil, etc.) can also improve the overall health of your pet's skin and coat and potentially permit increased resistance to heat and sun damage. Omega 3 and 9 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin, while also benefitting the joints, nerves, and cardiovascular organs (heart, lungs, blood vessels, etc.).

Cautiously Exercise Your Pet and Provide Proper Hydration

Schedule an examination with your veterinarian before actively engaging in new activities to ensure your pet is healthy enough for a summertime fitness program. Provide rest, shade, and voluntary or administered hydration at least every 15 minutes to ward off hyperthermia and dehydration. If your pet refuses to run or walk, never force it to continue.

Due to the negative health implications associated with heat and sun exposure, it's safest to exercise caution when exercising your pet - even a healthy pet. Avoid vigorous outdoor activity in excessively hot or humid environments. Dawn, dusk, and evening hours are best from a temperature perspective, but they are also the prime feeding times for disease transmitting mosquitoes and other biting insects.

RELATED: Anxiety And Compulsive Disorder In Dogs

When warmer weather arrives, plan ahead and prioritize safety to ensure your pet does not suffer ill health effects from the "dog days of summer."

--Dr. Patrick Mahaney

How the Dog Days of Summer Put Your Pet's Health at Risk originally appeared on petMD.com

Source: http://www.pawnation.com/2012/07/24/how-the-dog-days-of-summer-put-your-pets-health-at-risk/

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