davin quadripartite: September 2012

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

EBRI: Individual Account Retirement Plans - IWS Documented News ...

IWS Documented News Service

_______________________________

Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach

School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies

Cornell University

16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky

New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau

________________________________________________________________________

Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

EBRI Issue Brief 375

Individual Account Retirement Plans: An Analysis of the 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances [26 September 2012]

http://www.ebri.org/publications/ib/index.cfm?fa=ibDisp&content_id=5112

http://www.ebri.org/pdf/briefspdf/EBRI_IB_09-2012_No375_IndvAccts.pdf

[full-text, 28 pages]

Press Release 26 September 2012

Ownership in 401(k) Plans Continues to Grow, While IRA Ownership Falls
http://www.ebri.org/pdf/PR989.26Sept12.IAs.pdf

WASHINGTON?Although fewer American families are participating in a retirement plan at work, more

of those with a plan are in a 401(k). At the same time, ownership of individual retirement accounts (IRAs)

is falling, according to a new report by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Analyzing the four-year period from 2007?2010, EBRI finds that the share of American families with a

member in any employment-based retirement plan from a current employer increased steadily from

38.8 percent in 1992 to 40.6 percent in 2007, before declining in 2010 to 37.9 percent.

Ownership of 401(k)-type plans among families participating in a retirement plan more than doubled from

31.6 percent in 1992 to 79.5 percent in 2007, and increased again in 2010 to 82.1 percent. But the

percentage of families owning an IRA or Keogh retirement plan (for the self-employed) declined from

30.6 percent in 2007 to 28.0 percent in 2010. In addition, the percentage of families with a retirement plan

from a current employer, a previous employer's defined contribution plan, or an IRA/Keogh declined

from 66.2 percent in 2007 to 63.8 percent in 2010.

As in the past, EBRI found that retirement plan assets account for a growing majority of most Americans'

financial wealth, outside the value of their home. The median (mid-point) percentage of families' total

financial assets comprised by defined contribution plan assets and/or IRA/Keogh assets (assuming the

family had any) increased from 2007 to 2010, and accounted for a clear majority of these assets:

? Defined contribution plan balances accounted for 58.1 percent of families' total financial assets in

2007, and that share grew to 61.4 percent in 2010.

? Defined contribution and/or IRA/Keogh balances increased their share as well, from 64.1 percent

of total family financial assets in 2007 to 65.7 percent in 2010. Across all demographic groups,

these assets account for a very large share of total financial assets for those who own these

accounts.

However, the EBRI report notes that the most recent data, along with other EBRI research, indicate that

many people are unlikely to afford a comfortable retirement. "Americans lost a tremendous amount of

wealth between 2007 and 2010, and the percentage of families that participated in an employment-based

retirement plan and/or owned an IRA decreased as well," said Craig Copeland, EBRI senior research

associated and author of the report.

However, he added, the percentage of family heads who were eligible to participate in a defined

contribution plan and actually did so remained virtually unchanged during this time. Therefore, despite all

the bad news that resulted from this period, one positive factor should be noted: "Those eligible to

participate in a retirement plan continued to participate?which may help change the likelihood of a lower

retirement standard for many Americans," Copeland said.

The report is based on the most recent data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the Federal

Reserve Board's triennial survey of wealth. The full report is published in the September EBRI Issue

Brief, "Individual Account Retirement Plans: An Analysis of the 2010 Survey of Consumer Finances,"

available online at www.ebri.org

Concerning IRAs, the EBRI report once again quantifies the degree to which IRA assets are rolled over

from employment-based retirement plans (such as defined benefit pensions or defined contribution

401(k)-type plans), and do not come from new contributions. While regular IRAs account for the largest

percentage of IRA ownership, rollover IRAs had a larger share of assets than regular IRAs in 2010.

Specifically, among total IRA assets, rollover IRAs account for 44.5 percent of assets, regular IRAs 44.1

percent, and Roth IRAs 11.4 percent. Therefore, rollover IRAs account for a larger share of assets than

regular IRAs, while the two together account for just under 90 percent of the IRA assets.

The report notes that tracking individual-account retirement plans such as 401(k)s and IRAs is important

because traditional defined benefit pension plans have long been declining in the private sector, while

defined contribution retirement plans have increased?a trend that makes it ever-more important for most

private-sector workers to build their retirement wealth through individual-account savings plans.

Consequently, the amount of assets accumulated in these accounts provides an indication of how

prepared?or unprepared?most workers' finances will be to supplement the Social Security benefits they

will receive in retirement.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute based in

Washington, DC, that focuses on health, savings, retirement, and economic security issues. EBRI does

not lobby and does not take policy positions. The work of EBRI is made possible by funding from its

members and sponsors, which includes a broad range of public, private, for-profit and nonprofit

organizations. For more information go to www.ebri.org or www.asec.org

###

________________________________________________________________________

This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

Source: http://iwsdocumentednewsdaily.blogspot.com/2012/09/iws-ebri-individual-account-retirement.html

egypt soccer riot right to work mike kelley puxatony phil josh harvey clemons college football recruiting rankings ground hog day 2012

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Former President Clinton gets $2 billion in pledges to tackle world's woes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Healthcare for athletes with mental disabilities, organic know-how for Indian farmers and solar technology for isolated communities were among the pledges made at former U.S. President Bill Clinton's philanthropic summit, which ended on Tuesday.

With its theme of "Designing for Impact" and an emphasis on improving the lives of women and girls in the developing world, heads of states, business leaders and humanitarians at the eighth annual Clinton Global Initiative made 150 new pledges valued at about $2 billion to tackle some of the world's woes.

The three-day summit, scheduled when world leaders are in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly, also featured appearances from U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, as well as Egypt's new Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi.

"I am convinced that cooperation, not conflict, will define this century," Clinton said.

The meeting is largely a networking opportunity for some of the world's power brokers to exchange ideas and forge partnerships. It also offers a chance for successful companies to highlight projects that demonstrate social responsibility.

On the opening day, Clinton asked Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke if the company would consider opening a store in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Duke noted the company has opened stores in some of the world's more troubled cities, but politely declined the suggestion.

The summit was also a family affair. Clinton introduced his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who made remarks. And their daughter Chelsea, a board member, moderated a session called "The Case for Optimism in the 21st Century."

The idea for the summit came from Clinton's frustration with attending conferences while he was president that prompted no action. When the initiative began, corporations tended to show up and write checks to fund humanitarian programs. Now many see philanthropy in terms of investment opportunities.

The pledges will impact 22 million people, the Clinton initiative said. Some of the commitments took the form of donations.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Suntech Power Holdings and the GlobalECHO Foundation teamed up to install $250,000 worth of solar panels worth $250,000 at a hospital that treats victims of sexual violence.

"When you hear the stories of what they're dealing with, you can't not help them," said Andrew Beebe, Suntech's chief commercial officer.

(Reporting By Edith Honan; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-president-clinton-gets-2-billion-pledges-tackle-021215062--finance.html

kuroda gene hackman pineda john edwards heart condition mena suvari joyful noise one life to live

'Frankenweenie' Exclusive Clip: Tim Burton Dreams Big

Young Victor Frankenstein receives an ominous, furry warning in MTV News' exclusive clip from Tim Burton's eerie stop-motion movie.
By Josh Wigler

A scene from Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie"
Photo: Disney

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1694310/frankenweenie-exclusive-clip-mr-whiskers.jhtml

Ye Shiwen OJ Murdock Olympics Live Mens Gymnastics Allison Schmitt Olympic Schedule Kyla Ross

Monday, September 24, 2012

Florida Home Equity Loan Free Helpful Knowledge Base | Exact ...

If you really find this article helpful Give it a PLUS from below and help us to spread it.

You can also find fantastic deals online. Most credit cards and other unsecured loans, high interest rates on hold. home equity loans are a excellent choice when it comes to looking for a money resource in order to pay off debt or make a large buy. Once the term of the loan ends, the homeowner may need to pay what is called a balloon payment. The higher the LTV, the more you can potentially borrow.

Yes, gone are those days when we have to search endlessly for California Home Equity Loan information or other such information like loan, home equity, fixed home equity loans or even home equity loan interest rates. All you need to do is use the rate calculator to help you choose if it is going to be a payment that you can keep up with. The convenience of one payment is one reason why Ft. After all, it?s probably the only sensible financial product out there that can lower your debt without affecting your credit. People who still have equity left in their homes can use that reserve to buy and insure their dream classic car.

Owing your own home is not simple these days, and in several condition certain people find it tough to deal with all the financial problems involved with it . While it may seem like common sense to be able to get a loan on the value you?ve built up in your own home, getting a home equity loan with a poor credit score is usually not simple. Excellent real estate houses located in the growing areas in the capital providers of loans used to a high rating to 125 percent of it. If you need more information about Georgia Home Equity Loan, and be more informed. Before applying for a home equity loan, it?s vital to realize what a home equity loan entails.

Lenders will point to the low introductory interest rate as a selling point but that is just to get you to sign. You do not necessarily have to use this line of credit. Once your refinancing has been approved and loan contract signed, your original loan will be paid off by your lender. When you receive a quote, most lenders provide an option to end the application. It is also called a line of credit.

One program that is gaining popularity is the 125% home equity loan. The very first is your ability to get excellent amount of cash for a very low interest rate. Home equity loans will normally have a fixed interest rate where with a HELCO the interest rate is normally a variable rate. To do so, just subtract your current mortgage principal from your estimated value. The repaid amount is spared from the interest and only the remaining amount is chargeable with an interest.

Land, instead, is always acquiring more value, with some very rare exceptions. Lenders will require a lapse of time of two to four years from the discharge of the bankruptcy before even considering granting you a home mortgage. Try to make your own household items, rather than spending money on them. By refinancing your home equity loan you can lower your interest rate and finance for a longer or shorter term. Remember too that there is flexibility with your refinancing.

Don?t forget to realize that this article can cover information related to Florida Home Equity Loan but can still leave some stones unturned. Note that if you do not have access to your home?s appraised value, you can just use an estimate based upon neighborhood values. This means with the new credit that you establish, following the discharge from bankruptcy, you must make all payments on time and according to the payment contract. There are no fixed interest rates in a home equity loan. The owner signs the ?loan documents? only to find out that they have really signed the property over to the contractor.

In places like the US, homeowners may be able to deduct the interest the earn on their income taxes. You have really helped to trigger off a race to get the remaining land, before the cost gets too high. It is vital to know exactly what the term ?home equity? really means. Those of you who are among the ranks of the self-employed may have already learned that it is more hard to get a loan ? let alone a home equity loan. This can make a significant difference in the amount of interest you will pay in total.

Remember, also, to leave 20% of the value of your home?s equity untouched in order to not have to pay private mortgage insurance. As an example, you own a house and it is worth $150,000 from a professional appraiser report or the local realtor ran some comparable property sales for you. those who have a excellent track record of paying back on time what they have borrowed. Equity can simply be understood as the monetary value of something you own after you deduct the amount of outstanding loan you have on it. Now, take it simple, do not mix the cash.

You have to be sure that the agreement has all the signs of being legit. It is not hard to turn a worn out item of clothing into something that looks and feels new.
home equity loan

Source: http://www.exactarticle.com/florida-home-equity-loan-free-helpful-knowledge-base.htm

whitney cummings msnbc i will always love you maine caucus whitney houston has died blue ivy carter whitney houston death

Over 500 Boots pharmacists trained to give wider cancer support

Macmillan Cancer Support and Boots UK have used their partnership to train over 500 Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists, with the aim of increasing cancer patients? access to local support and services.

The two organisations began their three-year partnership in 2010 to try and connect the wider community with Macmillan?s support services.

A recent YouGov survey of 1,001 adults diagnosed with cancer a year ago or more, found that a third of people affected by cancer do not believe they have received enough support and information outside of their healthcare team (which does not include pharmacists). In a bid to address this gap, Boots UK and Macmillan have provided training to participating pharmacists as part of their continuing professional development. These Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists will be based in Boots stores across the country.

This is the first time the role of community pharmacists has been extended to provide this type of cancer assistance, according to Boots UK and Macmillan. They believe it demonstrates the wider role that pharmacy can play in provision of cancer services.

Peter Bainbridge, director of pharmacy services at Boots UK, said the partnership means that in addition to providing medicines advice, the pharmacists can offer guidance and signpost people to Macmillan services related to the wider issues affecting those living with cancer.

Rosie Loftus, lead GP adviser to Macmillan, believes that as the number of people in the UK living with or surviving cancer increases the demand for cancer services means pharmacists are well placed to assist with the provision of information and support alongside existing primary care services. "This is an example of the ways in which the healthcare community can work collaboratively," she said.

The YouGov survey found that 45 per cent of respondents would be comfortable talking to their pharmacist about cancer and 92 per cent believed that information received outside of their healthcare team had a positive impact on their emotional, physical or financial wellbeing.

Source: http://feeds.pjonline.com/~r/pjonline/news/~3/JFO78QCsbck/over_500_boots_pharmacists_trained_to_give_wider_cancer_support

rajon rondo sunoco titanic ii babe ruth new jersey nets nba playoff schedule rondo

Topical NSAIDs provide relief from arthritis pain | Human Health and ...

Topical NSAIDs provide relief from arthritis pain | Human Health and Science September 22, 2012 5:24 pm You are here:Home Medicine Topical NSAIDs provide relief from arthritis pain Tags:?Effectiveness, health-behavior, medicine, Neuroscience, News, placebo, reference, Research, Science, sheena-derry, simply-perceive, social-bookmarking, Source

Source: http://www.humanhealthandscience.com/topical-nsaids-provide-relief-from-arthritis-pain-2-2/basic-sciences/neuroscience

higgs boson Malware Monday First Row Sports American flag Happy 4th of July 4th Of July Desserts fireworks

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Pillar To Post Acquires Six New Franchisees in the Month of ...

North America?s Largest Home Inspection Company is Proud to Welcome a New?Class of Home Inspectors this Month

September 21, 2012 // Franchising.com // Tampa, FL - Pillar To Post recently announced their newest class of franchisees, which includes six new locations spread from the West to East coast. Since January, Pillar To Post has opened almost 40 new locations, a record year for the franchise after adding 20 new locations to the system in 2011.

?It?s always exciting to celebrate this milestone with our new franchisees,? said Dan Steward, president and CEO of Pillar To Post. ?Our proven training program and strong business model prepare them for success as home inspectors and allow them to provide their communities with stellar services. We always look forward to hearing their positive feedback.?

The new September franchisees include Eric and Judi Withem serving Sacramento, Calif.; Anthony Pryor in Oakland, Calif.; Bruce MacDermott also serving Oakland, Calif.; Mark Loeb in Seminole County, Fl.; Kyle Rupp in Lititz, Pa.; and Timothy Evans in Berks County, Pa.

As the housing market continues to improve, the need for home inspectors is stronger than ever. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by the American Society of Home Inspectors, 88 percent of all homeowners believe that home inspections are a necessity prior to purchasing a home, not a luxury. These findings suggest that home inspection companies such as Pillar To Post are positioned for continued growth and increased demand.

About Pillar To Post

Founded in 1994, Pillar To Post is now the largest home inspection company in North America, located in 45 states and 8 Canadian provinces, with over 400 franchisees. The company expects to more than double that number in 2012; long-term plans include adding 500-600 new franchisees over the next five years. Pillar To Post ranked 215 on Entrepreneur Magazine?s 2012 Franchise 500 rankings. For more information, please visit www.pillartopostfranchise.com.

Media Contact:

Sanderson & Associates, Ltd.
Courtney Thomas
312-829-4350
courtney@sandersonpr.com

###

Social Reach:

Viewer Response:

Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20120921_pillar_to_post_acquires_six_new_franchisees_in_the.html

ufc on fox 2 weigh ins brandi glanville convulsions john tyler chuck elisabeth hasselbeck fran drescher

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Gallahue mental health - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

gallahue mental health Therefore, it? s relatively reliable advice that Clutter has an effect on your wellbeing. Patient education positions are far and couple of between because insurance providers will not pay for the expense. Some companies, for example USANA, allow you to sell their items, plus they do all of the footwork and research for you personally. Over time it? s really a wait and find out game and several are uneasy at the idea of where the standard of healthcare within the U. S. If you are likely to take time to build your own drink, allow it to be nearly as good quality as they can be. Call 1- 877- 237- 1336 or visit our web site to find health tests in your area! States might be identified with weight problems. Greatest Health Problems in the usa In gallahue mental health 2004, CNN News reported that America was enhancing its health however, health problems health remained as growing. Anti- oxidants like vitamins E and C are essential in stopping aging internally. This can also allow you to discover what home health united every concerned citizen thinks about the problem regarding the system, its failures and possible solutions. An extremely important component from the program is Medifast Foods: healthy, nutritionally balanced meal substitutes that can help your customers achieve their recommended weight and the load off for existence. Health farms offer fully outfitted gymnasiums using health the latest condition from the art equipment, making your exercise routine as simple and effective as you possibly can. With existence and medical health insurance you essentially erase that uneasy sense of, let? s say. Oh, I can not help it to. Is every other food or drink reported to possess as numerous health advantages as eco- friendly home tea? Students will have the ability to have prescription coverage, hospital coverage, and much more once they purchase policy using their college. The 2009 week, it had been unclear set up healthcare bill would pass, as Michigan Repetition. Seeing the March health contest here gallahue mental health on HubPages, I understood it was something which I possibly could use my one month challenge. gallahue Whether it sounds far- fetched, here is simply one reported example:

? 30 united everyone was offered soup from a ? bottomless bowl? which was pressure- given underneath the table and gradually filled again in the mental bottom without one knowing. When your site visitors stop whatsoever, you? ll tell them of what they desire to complete to remain healthy throughout. This time around you might have certain signs and symptoms and hormone discrepancy and do not realize it! Some think that universal healthcare would bankrupt America, however the Congressional Budget Office discovered that it might really save $ 100 to $ 200 billion dollars per annually, based on the Connecticut Coalition for Universal Healthcare. 5. National College: This accredited online school and campus- based institution provides several bachelor? s levels in Allied Health.

Friday, September 21, 2012

This just in (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends:

| Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/249823589?client_source=feed&format=rss

hologram pulitzer prize winners nfl 2012 schedule gmail down tim lincecum ryan oneal file taxes online

Your Privacy and FCC Broadband Measurement: What You Need to ...

Consumers should be aware that ?government transparency? also applies to the data consumers voluntarily provide to the FCC when they participate in a government-run broadband measurement program.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently?announced?a new program to measure mobile broadband performance in the United States. The FCC believes it is ?difficult? for consumers to get detailed information about their mobile broadband performance, and that ?transparency on broadband speeds drives improvement in broadband speeds.? The FCC does not, however, limit transparency to broadband speeds.?Consumers should be aware that ?government transparency? also applies to the data consumers voluntarily provide to the FCC when they participate in a government-run broadband measurement program.?Information collected by the FCC about individual consumers may be ?routinely disclosed? to other federal agencies, states, or local agencies that are investigating or prosecuting a civil or criminal violation. Some personal information, including individual IP address, mobile handset location data, and unique handset identification numbers, may be released to the public.

This blog post describes the FCC?s broadband measurement programs and highlights the personal data that may be disclosed about those who participate in them.

Consumers who wish to participate in an FCC testing program should first read all of the applicable privacy policies to understand how the government and its third-party vendors will use their data. The FCC has not yet determined how it will implement its new mobile broadband measurement program, and is seeking public input about appropriate methodologies for testing mobile performance at an?open meeting, which will be held today from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM Eastern in the FCC?s Meeting Room (TW-C305) at 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. The meeting will also be live streamed?here. Given the FCC?s poor track record describing the information it actually collects, consumers should consider raising questions regarding the FCC?s privacy policies and testing methodologies at this open meeting.

The FCC?s Broadband Measurement Programs

The FCC?s new mobile testing initiative expands its ongoing ?Measuring Broadband America? program. The current program measures the performance of residential wired and wireless broadband service in the United States using several different tests.

Under the ?FCC SamKnows Broadband Community? program, the agency tests the broadband connections of residential consumers who volunteer to use a wireless router running custom software provided by?SamKnows, a British company retained under contract by the FCC. The wireless routers, known as ?White Boxes,? began shipping to U.S. consumers in September 2010. The FCC released its?first report?on wireline broadband performance in August 2011, and a?second report?in July 2012. All network traffic generated by consumers using SamKnows flows through the White Boxes, and continuously monitors personal consumer data until the participant affirmatively opts out of the program.? SamKnows?says?its ?goal is to embed [its] software suite into internet [sic] enabled devices . . . globally.?

In March 2010, the FCC made available a software-based broadband speed test (i.e., a test that does not require hardware supplied by SamKnows) for both wired and wireless Internet access. These tests are collectively known as the ?Consumer Broadband Test.? The wireline test is still available in its ?beta? version and allows consumers to choose between two testing companies:?Ookla?and?M-Lab. The?mobile version, which was developed by Ookla and appears substantially similar to Ookla?s own?Speedtest.net app, is available for both the?Google Android?and?Apple iOS?operating systems and can be downloaded from their apps stores and the federal government?s?official web portal. These apps monitor, collect, and report a consumer?s mobile data rates, latency, and user location when initiated on the handset.

Finally, consumers who do not have broadband Internet access available at their home can submit a ?Broadband Dead Zone Reporting Form? to the FCC that includes their home address. The FCC is apparently using these reports to create a ?Broadband Dead Zone Registry.?

Why Is the FCC Asking You to Help It Measure Broadband Speeds?

The FCC?asserts?that its tests are necessary because information regarding broadband performance is not readily available to consumers and could be inaccurate. Now that the FCC has gotten into the broadband speed testing market, however, other providers of these services have begun to?question the accuracy?of the FCC?s tests and whether there is a need for government testing.

When the FCC?announced?that it had contracted with SamKnows to measure wireline broadband speeds, Ookla stated that the FCC?s plan to conduct expensive tests that gather small samples of data similar to that which is already widely available in the market ?offers little added insight into the discussion of the speed, quality, and availability of broadband connections across the nation and is an unacceptable waste of taxpayer money.? Ookla offers free broadband speed testing for wired and wireless connections at?speedtest.net, free broadband quality testing at?pingtest.net, and monthly snapshots of global broadband performance at?Net Index. In fact, the FCC?s current mobile measurement apps are based on Ookla?s free speedtest.net app.

There are many other commercial sources of broadband performance available as well. For example, PC Magazine performs?annual field tests of mobile broadband speeds?in 30 cities nationwide using three vehicles over a three-week period. In its?most recent tests, it completed 60,000 test cycles and published test results by region, carrier, and technology (3G and 4G).

Given the readily available commercial alternatives, there is no compelling reason for consumers to participate in the FCC?s broadband measurement programs. There is at least one very good reason, however, for consumers to avoid participating in the FCC?s tests. The tests collect your personal data, and once you?ve volunteered to provide it to the government, it can do virtually anything it wants with it.

The Privacy Act and Government Data Sharing

In its most recent Privacy Act filing, the FCC describes the personal information it maintains about consumers who participate in its broadband measurement programs:

The street address, city, state, and zip code, of each individual who elects to participate in the Broadband Dead Zone Report survey and each individual who participates in both the wired and wireless versions of the Consumer Broadband Test;
The Internet Protocol (IP) address of each individual who elects to participate in both the wired and wireless versions of the Consumer Broadband Test;
The unique handset identification number of each individual?s smartphone used to access the mobile Consumer Broadband Test; and
The location (in latitude and longitude) reported by each user?s handset at the moment the user initiates the mobile Consumer Broadband Test.

The use of this data is not, however, limited to the FCC.

The Privacy Act,?5 U.S.C. ? 552a, governs the collection, use, and dissemination of personal information by the federal government and its contractors. The Privacy Act generally prohibits federal agency disclosure of records maintained on individuals, but that prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. One exception allows a federal agency to share personal data with federal, state, or local agencies for civil or criminal law enforcement activities. Another exception includes ?routine use,? which allows the use of personal data for ?a purpose [that] is compatible with the purpose for which [the personal data] was created.?

The FCC?s?privacy policy?and system of records for its broadband measurement programs reveals that the agency makes liberal use of these exceptions. The FCC is routinely sharing this personal data with federal, state, or local agencies whenever ?there is an indication of a violation or potential violation of a statute, regulation, rule, or order,? and with the Department of Justice when it is relevant to litigation. There are virtually no limits on the use or disclosure of personal data by the FCC?s contractors.

IP addresses, mobile handset location, and unique handset identification numbers may be shared with FCC software partners as part of the Consumer Broadband Test application. These partners may publish the IP address, mobile handset location, unique handset identification numbers, and broadband performance data, or otherwise make this information available to the public (but the IP address is not associated with a street address).

The FCC is thus allowing its contractors to publicly disclose personal information that the FCC itself cannot publish.

The most egregious aspect of these broadband measurement programs, however, is that the FCC kept the public in the dark for more than a year by failing to disclose that its mobile testing apps were collecting user locations (by latitude and longitude) and unique handset identification numbers that the FCC?s contractors can make available to the public.?The FCC first proposed its system of records for broadband measurement on December 30, 2009, when the program was known as the ?Broadband Unavailability Survey and Broadband Quality Test.? On April 7, 2010, after it launched the ?Consumer Broadband Test? (including its mobile testing apps), the FCC?revised its system of records?to reflect the broadband measurement program it had actually implemented, with one critical exception: The FCC?s system of records did not disclose that its mobile testing apps collect user locations and unique handset identification numbers. The FCC also failed to flag the collection of this data in its?Privacy Threshold Analysis, which was conducted in May 2010.

Although the FCC?finally disclosed the collection of this data in a formal filing on July 14, 2011, the FCC?s?privacy policy?still fails to mention the collection of mobile handset locations and unique handset identification numbers. This information is also unavailable in the Android and iOS app stores or on USA.gov, where consumers are most likely to download the mobile apps.

Representative Ed Markey, the co-chairman of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, believes ?Consumers should know and have the choice to say no to software on their mobile devices that is transmitting their personal and sensitive information.? He?introduced a bill?this month that would require private companies to disclose the type of information mobile monitoring software would collect, where it would be sent, and how it would be used. The bill would also require that companies obtain consent from consumers before using sensitive information and ? ironically ? that such agreements be filed with the FCC and FTC. Markey may want reconsider whether the FCC should be given authority to oversee mobile privacy agreements given its own failures to disclose the type of data it collects and its acquiescence to its vendor demands to publicly disclose sensitive information.

Consumers who volunteer to participate in a government program deserve accurate and transparent disclosures regarding the personal information that will be collected and the protection that information will receive. The FCC hasn?t met that obligation in its broadband measurement programs. Consumers who are considering participation in the FCC?s new mobile measurement program should demand accountability from the FCC and its third-party contractors before agreeing to provide sensitive data.

Source: http://techliberation.com/2012/09/21/your-privacy-and-fcc-broadband-measurement-what-you-need-to-know-about-your-personal-data/

after christmas sales 2011 best ipad apps chris paul gift card exchange tj holmes waste management two fat ladies

Myanmar investment commission reinvents itself

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) ? Once feared for its obstructionism, the Myanmar Investment Commission has put on a fresh, investor-friendly face, and its bureaucrats are scrambling to deal with a deluge of interest even as a proposed investment law creates considerable uncertainty about how foreign companies will be treated in this long-closed Southeast Asian nation.

The new foreign investment law envisions broad powers for the already over-taxed investment commission, restricts foreign investment in 11 poorly defined areas and requires local hiring, according to a copy of the widely misunderstood legislation obtained by The Associated Press.

Investors have criticized the legislation, which has been approved by Parliament and awaits the president's signature, as too vague. Some fear it contains measures that will scare off much-needed foreign investment.

Top officials from the investment commission have said the president is likely to send the law back to Parliament for amendment, rather than sign it in its current form. Myanmar's main business lobbying group, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, met over the weekend to debate the law, an indication that its terms remain up for discussion.

The Myanmar Investment Commission is housed in a pink concrete building down a narrow lane flanked by thick flowering bushes in the country's out-sized capital Naypyitaw that former military rulers ordered purpose built. Tucked into dim offices on the ground floor, the commission is reinventing itself as the country emerges from decades of isolation that plunged one of Asia's most fertile and resource-rich countries into grinding poverty.

"We do not have enough staff," said Kyaw Zaw Maung, a thin, smiling man who took over as director of the commission seven months ago. He said his department is looking to hire 30 more people. Behind his desk a whiteboard scrawled with appointments ? Coca-Cola, Daewoo ? testifies to Myanmar's rising star status among global investors.

The commission's 20 employees sit at rows of wooden desks that face a large television snowy with static. There are papers everywhere, in plastic baskets on desks, in cardboard boxes, and clamped in folders in bookshelves. There is one shared computer in the director's office.

From April through August, it approved 21 foreign investments, up from 13 during all of last fiscal year. The increase in investor interest is likely to intensify if the contentious new foreign investment law is passed in a form that's palatable to companies overseas.

The legislation is a cornerstone of the economic reforms Myanmar is rushing to enact in the wake of sweeping political change. President Thein Sein has freed hundreds of political prisoners, eased press censorship and allowed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her party to contest special elections.

Economic reforms, however, have lagged. Many investors, particularly from the United States and Europe, are waiting for the investment law to be passed before putting money into a country that until recently was considered a pariah by the West.

"It's important to have a good understanding of this investment law," said Pierre Trouilhat, a senior projects manager at Nestle who is overseeing the company's efforts to set up in Myanmar. "It's the first thing our lawyer is going to ask us."

Greater foreign investment is also a way for Myanmar to reduce its economic reliance on China, which grew during the country's decades of international isolation. The majority of investments still come from China, which accounted for 45 percent of approvals from April through August of this year, followed by Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom, according to data provided by the commission.

Details of the new legislation, which would supplant Myanmar's existing 1988 investment law, have been opaque and shifting. Factions in the government have tussled over how much to open up the economy, underlining a difficult balancing act of attracting overseas capital without decimating local business or alienating still powerful cronies of the former military regime.

"We would like to have a law which would benefit the majority of our people," said Win Aung, president of Myanmar's Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry. "Foreign direct investment alone will not contribute to the development of our country. Local businesses and industries are also important."

A chief source of confusion has been a list of restricted activities, in which foreign investment apparently would be capped.

The latest version of the law reduces from 13 to 11 the number of "restricted" or "forbidden" areas for foreign investors, but also gives the Myanmar Investment Commission the power to restrict any manufacturing or services business it decides Myanmar nationals can do, according to a copy of the legislation.

Farming, livestock breeding, and fishing activities that can be undertaken by Myanmar nationals are singled out for restrictions in the new legislation. The remaining restrictions apply to ill-defined businesses that might harm people's health, traditional cultures or the environment; deal in toxic waste or dangerous chemicals; import technology, medicine or equipment that has not been approved for use outside the country; and businesses that lie within 10 miles of the border.

In restricted sectors, foreign investors "can propose" a 50-50 joint venture, according to the legislation. This is up from 49 percent foreign ownership in a prior version, but the new wording has left some wondering whether a foreign investor could also apply for a majority stake in a restricted joint venture. In unrestricted sectors, the law permits wholly-owned foreign businesses or joint ventures with a minimum 35 percent foreign stake.

Kyaw Zaw Maung, the investment commission director, said he fears the restrictions are so broad they could force foreign garment manufacturers to enter into joint ventures, hindering the growth of a sector that could create tens of thousands of local jobs.

The legislation also requires foreign companies to hire locals. A quarter of skilled positions must be filled by Myanmar nationals during the first two years of operation, 50 percent during the second two years, and 75 percent thereafter. All unskilled positions must be filled by locals.

The law would sweeten tax incentives for foreign investors, increasing the minimum tax holiday from three years to five years, and would allow foreign investors to lease land for 50 years, extendable for two ten year terms. There is no minimum required investment. An earlier draft had stipulated a $5 million minimum, which critics said would benefit Myanmar's large "crony" businesses by limiting competition from small and medium-sized businesses that are also a crucial engine of job creation.

The legislation would give the investment commission sweeping powers over licensing and regulating foreign business, including approving which bank a company does business with and empowering it to blacklist foreign companies or withdraw their tax incentives.

Serge Pun, a businessman who chairs the SPA group, which includes one of Myanmar's few listed companies ? Singapore-traded Yoma Strategic Holdings ? called the law "wishy-washy," and said it "breeds more confusion."

Of particular concern to him is the provision for 50-50 partnerships in restricted sectors, which he said would likely lead to deadlock between the foreign and local partners.

"There's still a lot of flaws," Pun said. "Everybody wants everything to go at breakneck speed. I think it's better for us to debate a little more."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-investment-commission-reinvents-itself-104902597--finance.html

lawrence o donnell magic johnson jetblue pilot solicitor general neighborhood watch dennis rodman dodgers sale

Thursday, September 20, 2012

7 Tips on Buying Real Estate For Investors Report is Released by ...

Published: 20 September 2012 - Written by admin in section: Buying

Phill Grove has released a report called ?7 Tips to Buying Real Estate for Investors? now available at his official website.Austin, Texas (PRWEB) September 20, 2012 Phill Grove, the creator of the 'Assignment of Mortgage Payments System' and the 'All In One-Done for You' system, has released a new report called ?7 Tips to Buying Real Estate for Investors?. This report is now available for free ?

Here is the original post:
7 Tips on Buying Real Estate For Investors Report is Released by Real Estate Maverick Phill Grove

Northern Virginia Real Estate Company Pasquali Realty Group Offers Home Buying Tips - September 19th, 2012
STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Buy property, sell energy-BofAML contrarian bet - September 18th, 2012
Atlas Advisors, LLC Launches New Foreclosure Real Estate Investment Fund: Atlas Real Estate Partners, L.P. - September 13th, 2012
When in Escrow for Your Los Angeles Real Estate, Avoid These 5 Common Problems - September 13th, 2012
The Washington Post and MRIS Join Forces to Power Local Real Estate Search on washingtonpost.com - September 13th, 2012
The First 3 Steps to Buying Studio City Real Estate - September 11th, 2012
Reports Show Housing Market is ?On Track? to Hit Normal; Sparking Offer from Real Estate Site About Investment Buying - September 8th, 2012
Top 5 Risks, Hazards and Pitfalls of Los Angeles Real Estate Auctions - September 1st, 2012
Three Features That Can Help You Determine Whether Fisher Island Homes Are Right For You - September 1st, 2012
Reports Show July New Home Sales Match 2 Year High; Sparking Offer from Real Estate Investment Site About Investment ... - August 26th, 2012
Best Time of Year to Buy Los Angeles Real Estate - August 17th, 2012
Reports Show Increase in Housing Market; Sparking Offer from Real Estate Investment Sites About Investment Buying - August 13th, 2012
Five reasons to buy real estate now - August 10th, 2012
Mortgage law to spur real estate finance sector - July 4th, 2012
EverBank buying GE real estate loan unit - July 4th, 2012
New Real Estate App Lets Home Buyers Find Properties Through Facebook - July 3rd, 2012
Real-Estate Prices Rise in China - July 3rd, 2012
Real estate transaction volumes picked up markedly in major Chinese cities - July 3rd, 2012
China Real-Estate Market Shows Improvement - July 3rd, 2012
Signs of a turnaround for residential real estate? - July 2nd, 2012
Firms set to target real estate debt - July 2nd, 2012
10 Qualities of a Good Home - July 1st, 2012
Simplyliving gets buying tips from Kelley - June 30th, 2012
The Wall Street Journal in conjunction with REAL Trends Names The Creig Northrop Team the #1 Team in the Nation for ... - June 29th, 2012
Memphis Home Buyers and Sellers Given Direct Access to Homes for Sale - June 29th, 2012
Howard Gold's No-Nonsense Investing: Overseas buyers seek shelter in U.S. real estate - June 29th, 2012
Real Estate in Amsterdam - June 28th, 2012
Top real estate agent: ?A very positive time to buy? - June 28th, 2012
Celebrity Real Estate Agents Sandi Clark & Debbie Miller To Co-Author A New Business Book,?Leading The Field ... - June 28th, 2012
Guest Post: Some Thoughts On Overseas Investing In U.S. Real Estate - June 28th, 2012
Second Quarter Luxury Real Estate Numbers Strong - June 28th, 2012
Consumer debt levels too high to maintain the current rate of real estate consumption, according to Centract Property ... - June 28th, 2012
Real Estate Market Update RE/MAX Champions June 2012: Rent vs. Buy, Time to Invest - Video - June 27th, 2012
How to BUY an As-Is House - FHA 203k World - Video - June 27th, 2012
Financial Tips before Buying Real Estate - Video - June 27th, 2012
Buying a home: Prepare by getting your finances in order - June 27th, 2012
Real Estate Buying Options - Video - June 27th, 2012
Injecting Glitz And Glamour Into Manila's Real Estate - June 27th, 2012
ATG Title and Pioneer Technology Group Announce ATG Dox, a New Consumer Benefit and Green Initiative for Real Estate ... - June 26th, 2012
How to Buy Property For Pennies on the Dollar - Video - June 26th, 2012

Source: http://www.ibizarealestate.net/7-tips-on-buying-real-estate-for-investors-report-is-released-by-real-estate-maverick-phill-grove/

whitney houston news sylvia plath whitney houston whitney houston autopsy results obama trayvon jim yong kim michael bush

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Copy Your Self After High Achievers ? Long Live The DJ

Many high achievers look for clues to success while the rest of us seem easily influenced by those who are negative thinkers. If you want to attain great things in your career, you should make an effort to model yourself after those who have been successful in their own right. Very often we learn by applying the examples of others and achieving success in a particular area is no different. We will focus in on how you can better model yourself after some of the world?s most effective business leaders and high achievers.

Self applied education is a significant step in your improvement and as away to adapt the personality traits of successful people. There are many books that you?ll be able to find that concentrate on personal development and leadership. There are self help courses that focus on success and mindset as well as biographies of great entrepreneurs that you can learn from as well. Once you start to understand what motivates great business leaders, you can start to adopt the same characteristics into your own life. Now with instruments like the iPad and the Kindle, it is simple to find all types of books to read. Moreover, there are a wide variety of online and home study courses that you can buy to help you become a high achiever.

Another component to achieving success happens to be networking. You need to associate yourself with those who can help you achieve success in your career. You will find so many networking occasions you can go to and this could be within your own industry or with other business leaders. Options will present themselves if you are able to get together with those people who have great attitude toward business and life.

Compelling stuff, we think ? what are your impressions? PinProfits is an area that provides a tremendous amount for those who are serious or need to learn. Yes, it is correct that so many find this and other related subjects to be of fantastic value. Continue reading and you will see what we mean about important nuances you need to know about. So what we advise is to really try to find out what you need, and that will usually be determined by your circumstances. The rest of our talk will add to what we have said so far.

Seminars and business functions are also something you should make the effort to attend since this can be both educational and motivating. If you take the time to make this happen, make sure you come with the intention of taking action on what you learn there. You can easily fall back to your unwanted habits if you don?t take action even though you felt pretty excited after attending the event. Nevertheless, a lot of these seminars and business events are additional great ways to network with others that are just like you. You?ll discover that these seminars are brought to you by the type of people you want to model off of so it is a great chance to speak with them.

Should you model yourself after great achievers by learning things all by yourself and networking with others in your industry, you will reach the success you desire.

Strip away the layers around Online Dating Sites, and what is there is remarkable.

Source: http://longlivethedj.com/copy-your-self-after-high-achievers/

Lupe Ontiveros London 2012 China muhammad ali Carly Rae Jepsen Opening ceremony London 2012 dancing with the stars Google Fiber

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

49ers cage Lions

Smith throws 2 TDs, San Francisco defense handles potent Detroit offense in 27-19 win

By JANIE McCAULEY

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:36 p.m. ET Sept. 16, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO - Two weeks in, the San Francisco 49ers are playing like one of the NFL's best ? and you can shake on that.

San Francisco stymied 2011 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, then record-setting Matthew Stafford in Week 2.

These Niners are doing it on offense, too.

Vernon Davis caught touchdown passes of 21 and 23 yards from Alex Smith, and San Francisco beat the Detroit Lions 27-19 on Sunday night in a September showdown of NFC powers that hardly lived up to its hype.

"Two playoff teams, back to back, and we came back out here tonight and did it again," running back Frank Gore said. "We came out here and started the game fast, and then we finished it."

This stingy, opportunistic defense denied Stafford another milestone and again is making its mark as one of the league's elite facing the top offenses and most prolific passers.

Smith completed 20 of 31 throws for 226 yards and extended his franchise-record streak of passes without an interception to 216. He led the reigning NFC West champion Niners (2-0) to their ninth straight win in the series since the Lions' last victory on Sept. 25, 1995. Smith took a hard hand to the helmet from John Wendling late and bloodied his nose, then found Davis again.

"He's as tough as a $2 steak," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "I grew up eating a lot of them. I know what I'm talking about."

The 49ers ran their home winning streak against the Lions to 12 games since Detroit's last victory at Candlestick Park on Nov. 2, 1975.

And no heated greeting after this one. Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz met each other with a friendly hello and handshake during pregame warmups, then an uneventful shake and half-hug when time expired.

"I thought it went good," Harbaugh said.

Gore carried 17 times for 89 yards and a 1-yard touchdown, just missing his second 100-yard game this year and fourth in the series.

Calvin Johnson caught eight passes for 94 yards, but that was hardly enough as the Lions (1-1) didn't get closer than the 20 until their final drive on a cool, windy night by the bay. San Francisco's secondary kept Megatron from catching a touchdown pass for the second straight matchup, forcing Stafford to rely heavily on the running game.

Another impressive outing by a defense that shut down Rodgers in a 30-22 win over the Packers last week at Lambeau Field.

"That's our 'D,'" tight end Delanie Walker said. "They're some dogs."

Stafford finished 19 for 32 with 230 yards, one touchdown and an interception, missing a chance to become the first player in NFL history to throw for 350 yards in five straight games. Drew Brees of the Saints also did so in four consecutive games last season.

Stafford threw for 355 yards in last week's 27-23 win over St. Louis at home but also had three interceptions before halftime for the first time ? and said he couldn't do that again for the Lions to win. He never got in sync.

"We didn't do a job enough job in anything," Schwartz said. "Whether it was the run game, the pass game, defense, special teams. We need to play better in all phases. We left a lot of opportunities on the field."

The 49ers dominated on both sides of the ball 11 months to the day after rallying for a 25-19 win at Ford Field to hand Detroit its first defeat following a 5-0 start. It ended with excitable Harbaugh's firm handshake and backslap that ignited Schwartz ? and they had to be separated leaving the field.

There were some hot tempers Sunday, too. After Davis and Walker drove Cliff Avril to the sideline while blocking on a running play, Avril kicked Walker in the helmet and poked Davis in the eye ? though Walker didn't feel like it was intentional. Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus and 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown pushed and shoved after a big hit by Patrick Willis on Johnson in the first quarter.

Smith exploited Detroit's depleted, frustrated secondary at every opportunity. On his TD, Davis easily beat Wendling, starting as regular safety Louis Delmas recovers from knee surgery.

Smith hit Michael Crabtree on the left sideline for a 17-yard gain, then Davis scored on the next play. The Lions were without rookie cornerback Bill Bentley because of a concussion sustained last week and cornerback Chris Houston with an ankle injury.

David Akers kicked field goals from 36 and 48 yards for San Francisco a week after connecting from 63 yards to tie an NFL record.

Jason Hanson finished with field goals of 38, 41, 40 and 48 yards. He also missed one off the right upright on a 40-yard attempt late in the second quarter. The Lions scored their lone touchdown on Stafford's 9-yard TD pass to Brandon Pettigrew with 1:29 remaining.

"I don't think as an offense we've hit our stride yet," Stafford said. "We moved the ball really well at times today against a really good defense, and we didn't take advantage of our opportunities in the red zone like we need to."

The 49ers ended their streak of 26 quarters spanning six straight regular-season games without a turnover, and 36 consecutive quarters without a lost fumble since Davis lost one Nov. 6 last year at Washington. San Francisco was trying to match the 2010 Patriots for the NFL record of seven games without a turnover.

After Hanson's first field goal, Kendall Hunter fumbled the kickoff return after being stripped by Tahir Whitehead and Kassim Osgood recovered. It marked the first career lost fumble in 18 games for the second-year halfback.

But Ahmad Brooks batted down a pass on third down in the ensuing series as the Lions had to settle for another field goal.

San Francisco's defense delivered again on Detroit's next series. On third-and-6 from the 20, Stafford threw down the middle of the field with nobody even close and safety Dashon Goldson jumped in for an interception.

"We know what our defense is going to give us," Gore said. "We need to match them."

More news

The crucial headlines from Week 2

??Peter King and Mike Florio recap some top moments in Week 2 games, highlighting Tom Coughlin and Greg Schiano's heated words surrounding a supposed-to-be handshake moment.

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

49ers cage Lions ? |? ??Highlights

Alex Smith threw two touchdowns to Vernon Davis, Frank Gore ran for 89 yards and a score and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 27-19 on Sunday night.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49056542/ns/sports-nfl/

boxing news Coptic Christian saturday night live julio cesar chavez jr Topless Kate university of texas UT Austin

Only children are significantly more likely to be overweight, European study finds

ScienceDaily (Sep. 17, 2012) ? Children who grow up without siblings have a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than children with siblings. This is the finding of a study of 12,700 children in eight European countries, including Sweden, published in Nutrition and Diabetes.

The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, was one of the participating universities in the study.

The study was conducted under the framework of the European research project Identification and prevention of Dietary and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS), where researchers from various parts of Europe study diet, lifestyle and obesity and their health effects on children aged 2 to 9 years.

The study shows that only children have a more than 50 percent higher risk of obesity compared to their peers with siblings. The results were controlled for other influential factors, such as gender, birth weight and parental weight.

In the study, the children's measured BMI was linked to a parental questionnaire that included questions relating to the children's eating habits, television viewing habits and amount of outdoor play time.

"Our study shows that only children play outside less often, live in households with lower levels of education more often, and are more likely to have televisions in their bedrooms. But even when we take these factors into account, the correlation between singleton status and overweight is strong. Being an only child appears to be a risk factor for overweight independent of the factors we thought might explain the difference," says Monica Hunsberger, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, who contributed to the study.

"The fact that only children are more susceptible to obesity may be due to differences in individual family environment and family structure that we were not able to measure in sufficient detail. To better understand the causality, a follow-up study of these families will start next year," says Lauren Lissner, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Over 22 million children in Europe are estimated to be overweight. The study shows that obesity among children in general is three times more common in southern countries such as Italy, Spain and Cyprus than in Sweden and other northern countries.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Seahawks Defeat Cowboys: Marshawn Lynch Rolls In Russell Wilson's First NFL Win

SEATTLE -- Marshawn Lynch and the Seattle Seahawks took control of the clock and the scoreboard in the second half, shutting down Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.

Lynch ran for 122 yards and a 3-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Seattle's special teams came up with two huge first-quarter plays that led to 10 points, and the Seahawks beat the Cowboys 27-7 on Sunday.

Michael Robinson forced Felix Jones to fumble on the opening kickoff that led to a short field goal, and Malcolm Smith blocked Chris Jones' punt which Jeron Johnson returned for a touchdown to give Seattle (1-1) a 10-0 lead in less than 5 minutes.

Rookie Russell Wilson threw for 151 yards in his first NFL victory, directing a 90-yard scoring drive in the third quarter capped by a 22-yard touchdown strike to Anthony McCoy to give Seattle a 20-7 lead.

Romo threw a 22-yard TD to Miles Austin in the second quarter, but that was the only sustained drive the Cowboys (1-1) could mount on the Seahawks' stout defense.

Lynch finished with 26 carries and ran for 104 yards in the second half as Seattle dominated possession. He had a dynamic 36-yard run in the third quarter, carrying tacklers in the open field, and Seattle rebounded from its season opening loss at Arizona where the Seahawks failed to score in the closing seconds.

Wilson was 15 of 20 passing, including 6 of 8 in the second half, and a passer rating of 112.7. Steven Hauschka kicked field goals of 21 and 25 yards for the Seahawks.

Romo finished 23 of 40 for 251 yards, but was able to direct only one scoring drive despite having extra time to prepare for the Seahawks. Dallas was trying to open the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 2008, but now heads home to face Tampa Bay wondering if they're more like the team that knocked off the New York Giants in the season opener or the one that flopped in Seattle.

Romo was trying to put in the past the demons of his last visit to Seattle ? the 2006 NFC wild-card game where Romo bobbled the snap of a potential game-winning field goal in the final minutes then was tripped up on his way to the end zone short of the winning score. For all the victories Romo has earned for the Cowboys since, that bobble remains a defining chapter in his career.

Dallas' early special teams meltdown didn't help Romo in erasing those memories, but he was guilty of mistakes himself. Down 10-0, the Cowboys drove to the Seattle 24, only to see Romo make a rushed decision to throw into traffic where his pass was intercepted by Brandon Browner. Romo nearly had two other passes intercepted and never was able to mount a drive of longer than 45 yards in the second or third quarters as Seattle took control.

Dallas had 112 total yards in the first quarter and just 184 over the final three quarters ? 51 of those coming in the final minute of the game. Kevin Ogletree, a star with two touchdowns in the Cowboys opener, was held without a reception.

From the opening kickoff, Romo and the Cowboys were playing from behind. Jones' fumble was recovered by Earl Thomas at the Dallas 29. The Seahawks drove to the 3, but Wilson's third down pass for Sidney Rice was nearly intercepted by Bruce Carter and Seattle settled for the first of two short field goals from Hauschka.

Dallas went three-and-out on its first possession with the drive stalling after Witten dropped a third down pass. The Cowboys punt barely left Jones' foot as Smith reached out with his right hand to block the kick, which one-hopped perfectly into the hands Johnson, who strolled in for the Seahawks second blocked punt return for a touchdown in their last six games dating to last season.

Seattle played without left tackle Russell Okung, who suffered a bone bruise in his left knee late in the Week 1 loss at Arizona. Without Okung, the duty of keep DeMarcus Ware off the back of Wilson fell to Frank Omiyale and he did a more than serviceable job. Other than pressuring Wilson on a deep pass for Golden Tate in the first half, Ware's name was rarely mentioned.

___

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/16/seattle-seahawks-marshawn-lynch-cowboys_n_1888998.html

woolly mammoth belize resorts nikki minaj grammy performance shel silverstein niki minaj grammy performance grammys 2012 deadmau5

0 - Malecare's Advanced Prostate Cancer

Off-line I have received a number of additional questions about the use of imaging with c11 choline (see my post at http://advancedprostatecancer.net/?p=3433). The questions ranged from what is c11 choline to how it compares to some of the other more sensitive PET scans contrasts that are being used to identify specific locations of recurrent advanced prostate cancer.

Choline is a naturally occurring B vitamin complex which is necessary for the health of the normal cell structure and signaling; neurotransmitters and for general cell metabolism.

C11 choline is a synthetic version choline that releases beta decay that can be visualized by Positron Emission Tomography, or a PET scan.

Choline is rapidly taken up by prostate cells (contrary to the general impression glucose, which is used in other scans, is not rapidly taken up by prostate cells) and will allow prostate cancer metastasis to be visual.

Since prostate cells metabolize the c11 choline the PET images will show metabolic activity, not structural abnormalities like old bone breaks or arthritis.

The goal of using this type of scan is to determine if a man?s rising PSA after receiving primary treatment is a sign that their cancer is systemic (in this case meaning that that it spread to multiple locations) or is still focal (or just spread to 1 or 2 spots). If the disease is focal there can be a discussion of a treatment approach that could specifically target these prostate cancer spots.

If you do decide to explore c11 choline scans remember that like other scans it does have a high rate of false positives, so any treatment plan should include confirmation that the ?hot spots? are in fact advanced prostate cancer metastasis.

There are other non-FDA approved scan contrasts that are also being used in various places in the United States. They include [18F]fluoroethylcholine-based PET/CT scans and Feraheme-based MRIs, however like the c11 choline scans they are not fool proof.

Unfortunately, current technology remains lacking. There is no imaging test today that has been shown to to have really high accuracy. Despite this, in some men, these scans are able to identify recurrent micro-metastasis in some men with early forms of prostate cancer recurrences.

Joel T Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.

Source: http://advancedprostatecancer.net/?p=3439

gizmodo cnet iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims Clara Schumann

NHL on ice: Lockout all but set with no bargaining

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman listens as he meets with reporters after a meeting with team owners, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 in New York. The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players expires Saturday at midnight. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

NHL Players Association executive director Donald Fehr, left, is joined by Boston Bruins' Zdeno Chara, center, and Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby as he speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. Fehr says a lockout can be avoided and that's up to the league. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal leaves the locker room after the NHL hockey team's informal workout at Raleigh Center Ice on Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, in Raleigh, N.C. Staal was taking his gear, which is normally stored in the lockers, with him as the players will not be allowed to use the facility in the event of an NHL lockout. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Ethan Hyman) MANDATORY CREDIT

Florida Panthers hockey player Stephen Weiss talks to the media after an informal skate, Friday, Sept. 14, 2012, in Coral Springs, Fla. With a lockout drawing ever closer, the NHL and the players' union are in touch with each other after a day of internal meetings. But no new negotiating sessions are scheduled for Friday, one day before Commissioner Gary Bettman has said he will lock out the players. This would be the NHL's fourth work stoppage since 1992.(AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The NHL said there will be no bargaining with the players' union Saturday, leaving nothing to stop a lockout.

This will be the league's fourth work stoppage since 1992, and this latest action adds to a landscape of labor unrest across American professional sports. The lockout will be the third to hit a major sports league in 18 months, following ones in the NFL and the NBA.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email that the sides have spoken by telephone, but there will be "no formal bargaining" before the midnight deadline. He had conferred with players' association special counsel Steve Fehr, the brother of NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, to see if there would be face-to-face talks.

This was the third straight day the sides spoke by phone but avoided the negotiating table.

"Today we suggested that the parties meet in advance of the owners' self-imposed deadline of midnight tonight," Steve Fehr said Saturday in an emailed statement to the AP. "Don Fehr, myself and several players on the Negotiating Committee were in the city and prepared to meet. The NHL said that it saw no purpose in having a formal meeting.

"There have been and continue to be private, informal discussions between representatives of both sides."

For nearly a year, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said he would lock out players if a collective bargaining agreement wasn't set by the time the current one expires.

It now appears unlikely that training camps will open next week. The regular season had been scheduled to begin Oct. 11, but that is also in peril.

"There's a lot of stuff that still needs to be sorted out. Hopefully things will heat up in the next couple of weeks," said forward Milan Lucic, who agreed to a three-year extension with the Boston Bruins on Saturday that will pay him an average of $6 million annually. "There's obviously a little bit of concern, but right now all you can do is stay optimistic and stay positive and hope that a deal will get done."

All four of the major leagues in the United States ? football, basketball, baseball and hockey ? have gone through labor negotiations within the past couple of years. Both the NFL and NBA went into lockouts, and though the NFL missed no regular-season games, the 2011-12 NBA season was shortened. Some have suggested that the fact MLB did not have a work stoppage has to do with the fact that baseball has no salary cap, allowing for more wiggle room in negotiations.

While the NHL lockout might not wipe out the whole season as the one in 2004-05 did, a sizeable chunk of games could be lost without productive talks soon.

In jeopardy are a couple of key items on the calendar: the New Year's Day outdoor Winter Classic at 115,000-seat Michigan Stadium between the host Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs; and, the Jan. 27 All-Star game hosted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of the league's struggling small-market teams.

The sides traded proposals Wednesday, but neither new offer moved them closer to a deal. The lack of progress then made a lockout almost inevitable.

"I think it's fair to say there was no realistic expectation to avoid lockout as of developments on Wednesday and Thursday," Daly told the AP.

Bettman has insisted that hockey management is determined to come away with economic gains, even if it forces another work stoppage. Damage is certain to occur almost immediately, and there is no telling how jilted fans and sponsors will react to another shutdown, especially if it lasts through the fall and into the winter.

Players are concerned management hasn't addressed the league's financial problems by re-examining the teams' revenue-sharing formula. Having made several big concessions to reach a deal in 2005, the union doesn't think it should have to make more this time after record financial growth.

Bettman has repeatedly said that the NHL won't operate under the CBA that ended the previous lockout in July 2005. Once that lockout was imposed in September 2004, the sides didn't get back together again until December.

Players absorbed a salary-cap system and took an immediate 24 percent rollback of existing contracts in 2005 in exchange for 57 percent of hockey-related revenues. The NHL now says that figure is too high, and is willing to have another league shutdown to reduce that share to 49 percent to 47 percent.

Its original offer was to cut it to 43 percent, and an updated proposal raised it to 46 before another new offer pushed it a little higher Wednesday, the last time the sides met at the negotiating table.

The most recent proposal from the league ? with a six-year term ? came in direct response to one put forth by the union earlier Wednesday that was rejected as being similar to the players' two previous offers.

Instead of making a percentage-based offer, the union is seeking a deal that would guarantee players annually at least the $1.8 billion in salaries paid out last season.

Bettman said the league's latest offer would be pulled off the table once the current CBA expired because immediate damage caused by a lockout would force the NHL to reassess what it could then offer.

In the previous lockout, both sides dug in over the salary cap. Owners wouldn't make a deal without it, and players sacrificed a full season before finally agreeing to a cost-certainty system for teams.

Without such a philosophical difference this time, the sides merely have to figure out a way to divide hockey revenues that grew from $2.1 billion to $3.3 billion under the expiring deal.

On Friday, the Quebec labor relations board rejected a request from the players' association for a temporary injunction against a potential lockout in Quebec. But the board also ruled that more hearings are needed to make a final decision on a request by 16 members of the Montreal Canadiens and the players' association to declare a lockout illegal in the province. No date was set for those hearings.

With the ruling, Canadiens players will be locked out with their colleagues, at least for now.

Daly said in a statement the league was "extremely appreciative" of the decision.

"We are hopeful that this ruling will cause the players' association to cease pursuing these needless distractions and instead focus all of its efforts and energies on making progress at the bargaining table," he said.

Likewise, the union was "pleased" with the ruling because it rejected the NHL's request to dismiss the case.

"The ruling acknowledges that the players have raised issues about the legality of the NHL's planned lockout that require a full hearing on the merits," union general counsel Don Zavelo said in a statement.

"We remain confident that the lockout is prohibited by the Quebec labor code and look forward to presenting our case to the commission in the near future. Should the NHL carry out its threat to lock out the players in Quebec, it will do so at its own risk."

The NHLPA argued that because it isn't certified as a union with the province, its members can't be locked out under Quebec labor law.

A similar request was filed late Thursday with the Alberta labor relations board. NHLPA director of operations Alexandra Dagg said the aim was to prevent players from the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames from being locked out.

In Alberta, the union will argue that proper labor negotiating procedure wasn't followed, including using a mediator.

The current contract was agreed to in 2005, and Bob Goodenow resigned as union head two weeks later. After stints by Ted Saskin and Paul Kelly, the union in 2010 turned to Donald Fehr, who led baseball players through three work stoppages in the 1980s and '90s.

Players struck in April 1992, causing 30 games to be postponed. This would be the third lockout under Bettman. The 1994-95 lockout ended after 103 days and the cancellation of 468 games.

The most recent lockout was finally settled in July 2005 ? 301 days into the work stoppage and a month after the league would usually have awarded the Stanley Cup. It marked the first time a North American professional sports league lost an entire season because of a labor dispute, and the first time the Stanley Cup wasn't handed out since 1919, when a flu epidemic caused no champion to be crowned.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-15-NHL%20Labor/id-a0a785b614f24535aabdd4b01be2be86

game of thrones season 2 trailer sag award winners girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick

davin quadripartite