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Monday, December 31, 2012
Jeffrey Cufaude, Idea Architects: What I Learned from Speaking at ...
Given that I do a fair amount of public speaking each year, I wasn?t overly concerned about appearing onstage at TEDx Indianapolis.? But most of my work is done in half-day or full-day facilitated workshops or 60-minute keynotes, not a 10-minute presentation.? And while some of what I?ve gleaned presenting 5-minute IGNITE talks (on innovation and on personal priorities) applied, I learned (and relearned) a few important lessons.?
? ?
Edit ruthlessly.?
Good writing requires great editing.? This was instilled in me during my undergraduate academic work in English and reinforced throughout my professional career writing for journals and trade publications.? My initial presentation drafts tried to cover far more major themes than the final version.? Even it might have tried to do too much given the time constraints.My editing process consisted of asking myself four questions repeatedly:??
- What?s the bottom line I want people to think about and act on?? ?
- Why is this point (this example) important to include?
- Will the overall impact be lessened if it is removed completely?
- Is there a better way to show rather than tell the point I am trying to make?
? ?
It was great to speak with attendees after my talk and hear them bring up specific examples of what resonated with them: some mentioned the Edward deBono quote about crayons, some spoke about the bagged lettuce example, some noted Sondheim and George Seurat references.? I had chosen each of these metaphors or stories as memorable anchors to encapsulate the major points I was trying to make.?
Honor your voice.?
My work is almost always experiential and interactive: it's what I am known for contributing.? But I initially told myself there was no way to bring that to play in a 10-minute stage presentation with 500 people.? So my first presentation design included nothing of the sort, and I hated it.? It felt flat.? Worse yet, it didn?t feel like me and I knew I wouldn?t enjoy giving it.
Talking with a few colleagues helped me see a way into bringing more of who I am and what I believe into the presentation.? This resulted in the silent opening, perhaps the most terrifying 40 seconds I?ve ever had speaking in public.? But it achieved my primary objective: turning passive spectators into engaged learners while illustrating the main theme of my talk.? It was counterintuitive and somewhat risky, but thankfully, it worked pretty well.?
Preparation can vary.
In talking with the other speakers, I was fascinated at the varied approaches they had used to prepare their presentation: writing it out almost verbatim, using a lengthy slide deck to tell the story, rehearsing repeatedly in front of family and friends.? Some people are great at making intensely rehearsed remarks seem fresh.? I'm not.
So my approach was somewhat different.? The first and only time I went through the entire talk was the day I actually delivered it at the conference. (I've yet to watch the video of it and most likely never will). Being present is a key part of my commitment as a facilitator, and as a speaker I didn?t want to be so scripted and polished that the talk could almost be delivered on autopilot.
Instead, my rehearsal consisted of crafting the language around what I labeled ?set pieces,? the key one or two minute segments in which each thought or story was introduced.? I then ran through those enough times to get a feel for the words and the rhythm that mattered most.? I wanted their transitions and connections to simply emerge from me onstage guided by what felt right in the moment.
While slightly unorthodox in approach, I hadn?t really been too concerned about it until I received this text from a friend a few days before the event:
How goes the preparation for what might be the most important 600 seconds of your entire professional career?
(Note to self: get new friends in 2013.? LOL).
My friend was joking, of course.? It?s not like I was speaking on the mainstage at the TED Conference in Long Beach (um, Chris Anderson, I?m available though). And I?ve long believed that what a speaker should fear most is not an appropriate level of nervousness or performance anxiety when heading onstage, but instead, the absence of it.? The moment we think we have it all figured out ... that nothing can go wrong ... is the moment that everything unravels.? This is as true for speaking on a stage as it is interacting with a friend or colleague. You can't rehearse authenticity.Good speaking (or facilitating) is ultimately about good relationships.? Good relationships require being human.? So whether it is the stage at a conference or the stage on which you appear in life, it?s not about performing: it?s about you.? Share your story.? Speak on your terms.? What others make of it is beyond your control.?
And that is the ultimate lesson I hope never to forget.
Source: http://www.ideaarchitects.org/2012/12/what-i-learned-from-speaking-at-tedx.html
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
Car bombing targeting Shiites in Pakistan kills 19
Pakistani tribal policeman Amanullah Khan, receives treatment at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Twenty-one tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)
Pakistani tribal policeman Amanullah Khan, receives treatment at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Twenty-one tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)
Security men gather at the site of a suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. A suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims in southwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing several people, a government official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Pakistani volunteers carry a lifeless body out of a bus targeted in a suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. A suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims in southwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing several people, a government official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) ? A car bomb targeting a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims killed 19 people in southwest Pakistan, officials and eyewitnesses said.
Earlier Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan's troubled northwest tribal region, government officials said.
Reports conflicted about whether the car bombing was a suicide attack or the device was detonated remotely.
Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the last year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shiites, whom they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred.
In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan's Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast destroyed the bus and damaged a nearby bus also carrying Shiites.
Ahmed and a person who was riding in the second bus, Mohammed Ayan Danish, said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.
The bomber "rammed a small car into the first bus, which contained 43 pilgrims," said Danish.
But Akbar Durrani, the home secretary in Baluchistan, said the explosion was caused by a car packed with explosives that was parked beside the road and detonated by remote control.
The pilgrims who were targeted were headed to Iran, a majority Shiite country that is a popular religious tourism destination, Ahmed said.
Shiites make up around 15 percent of Pakistan's 190 million people. Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, identifiable from their facial resemblance to Central Asians.
An escalation in recent years of Sunni extremists' attacks against Shiites in Pakistan has been fueled mainly by the group Laskar-e-Jangvhi, aligned to Pakistani Taliban militants in the tribal region. More than 300 Shiites have been killed in Pakistan this year, according to Human Rights Watch.
The violence has pushed Baluchistan deeper into chaos. The province was already facing an armed insurgency by ethnic Baluch separatists who frequently attack security forces and government facilities. Now the secessionist violence has been overtaken by increasingly bold attacks against Shiites.
The sectarian bloodshed adds another layer to the turmoil in Pakistan, where the government is fighting an insurgency by the Pakistani Taliban and where many fear Sunni hard-liners are gaining strength. Shiites and rights group say the government does little to protect Shiites and that militants are emboldened by their perceived links to Pakistan's intelligence agencies.
The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, Khan said.
The 23 policemen went missing before dawn Thursday when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in Frontier Region Peshawar. Two policemen were killed in the attacks.
Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
Also Sunday, two Pakistani army soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the escalating violence, especially the continuing targeting of religions minorities, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
"These cruel acts of violence cannot be justified by any cause or grievance," Ban's spokesman said. "Their perpetrators should be brought to justice."
The secretary-general stressed the U.N.'s solidarity and support for the government and people of Pakistan and "their efforts to defend their country's institutions and freedoms in the face of the scourge of terrorism," Nesirky said.
___
Associated Press writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
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Egypt's central bank: reserves at "critical" level
CAIRO (AP) ? The Central Bank of Egypt says the country's foreign currency reserves are at a "critical" minimum level.
The bank says reserves are at the minimum level needed to pay Egypt's international obligations. It did not give a current figure. In statistics from November, the reserves stood at $15 billion, less than half what they were before last year's uprising, even with help of deposits from Qatar.
The bank said in a statement Saturday that it has introduced a new auction system for buying and selling U.S. dollars after a rush by Egyptians to sell the pound in exchange for dollars over concerns of devaluation.
Reserves have tumbled since foreign investment dried up amid the country's turmoil the past two years. Much of the reserves have gone toward propping up the currency.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-central-bank-reserves-critical-level-164608124.html
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Senate Leaders Have Not Yet Reached Fiscal Cliff Deal, Senior Aide Says
Military Health Care - $16 Billion
In his last offer to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), President Barack Obama lobbied for $16 billion in cuts from the military's health care program, TRICARE. In 2012, the president also proposed hiking fees for military personnel and veterans who receive benefits under the program in an effort to help cut the defense budget. His proposal drew significant fire from Republican lawmakers and veterans' groups.
Military Retirement Program - $11 Billion
Both sides agreed to cuts from the military retirement program. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) claimed during July 2011 talks that lawmakers had reached a tentative deal to slash <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$11 billion</a>. Under the current system, military personnel receive immediate retirement benefits after serving for 20 years. According to a recent report from the Congressional Budget Office, the appropriation cost per active military service member has <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43574" target="_hplink">increased at a higher rate</a> than either inflation or the total pay package of private-sector employees. Given the budget constraints looming before the Defense Department, the CBO floated the idea of transitioning the military retirement program to a matching-payment model.
Federal Employee Retirement Program - $33 -$36 Billion
Cantor claimed that Republicans and Democrats had agreed to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$36 billion in savings</a> over 10 years from civilian retirement programs. The president proposed a marginally more modest figure of <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$33 billion</a> in his final offer to House Speaker John Boehner. Just this year, Republicans in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform also looked to find savings from the Federal Employee Retirement System by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/house-committee-approves-measure-upping-federal-employee-contributions-to-retirement-plan/2012/04/26/gIQAuoW6iT_blog.html" target="_hplink">requiring employees to pay more of their salary</a> into their pensions, which Democrats opposed as a pay cut that would make civil service less attractive for top talent. In September 2011, the federal government employed <a href="http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?DC=Q&E=/FSe%20-%20Status/Employment%20-%20September%202012&LA=en&LO=en-us&BACK=/cognos/cgi-bin/ppdscgi.exe?toc=%2FFSe%20-%20Status&LA=en&LO=en-us" target="_hplink">over two million individuals</a>, either through the cabinets or independent agencies. Many Republicans have complained that the federal workforce has ballooned during the Obama administration, and while the raw number of employees has risen by <a href="http://www.thefactfile.com/2012/01/23/the-size-of-the-federal-workforce-rapid-growth-for-some-stagnation-for-others/" target="_hplink">14.4 percent</a> between Sept. 2007 and Sept. 2011, the percentage of public employees out of the total civilian workforce has <a href="http://www.thefactfile.com/2012/01/23/the-size-of-the-federal-workforce-rapid-growth-for-some-stagnation-for-others/" target="_hplink">remained fairly constant</a> around 1.2 percent since 2001. Much of the raw growth has been concentrated in the Department of Defense, Veteran's Affairs and Homeland Security.
Agricultural Subsidies - $30 - $33 Billion
Democrats and Republicans agreed to cut as much as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$30 billion</a> from agricultural subsidies; the main opposition fell along geographical lines rather than partisan ones. Hailing from an agriculture-heavy state, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) threatened to pull out of talks entirely if a deal included that much in subsidy reduction. The president ended up pushing for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$33 billion in cuts</a>, but that figure also included reductions in conservation programs. Baucus now tells HuffPost any cuts should be made through the farm bill, not fiscal cliff talks.
Food Stamps - $2 to $20 Billion
Cantor pushed hard for significant cuts to food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He charged that the federal government could save as much as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$20 billion over ten years</a> by eliminating waste and fraud, but the White House countered that the real number was closer to $2 billion. Instead, those cuts would force the program to scale back on the number of enrollees and the level of benefits it could offer.
Flood Assistance - $4 Billion
Obama proposed cutting <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$4 billion from flood assistance</a> funding in his final offer to Boehner in July 2011. But Hurricane Sandy straining the National Flood Insurance Program; The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/nyregion/federal-flood-insurance-program-faces-new-stress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_hplink">reports</a> that thousands of claims are being submitted daily, which could send the overall cost upwards of $7 billion for a program that suffers from a ballooning debt problem. And with climate change promising <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/climate-change-predictions-foresaw-hurricane-sandy-scenario-for-new-york-city/2012/10/31/b78de428-2374-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html" target="_hplink">future flooding disasters</a> along the eastern seaboard, cutting the program looks unwise.
Home Health Care - $50 Billion
The president offered to cut <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$110 billion over the next decade</a> from the government's health care spending, excluding Medicare. Among the programs that could lose crucial funding is home health care, where Democrats and Republicans agreed to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">$50 billion in reductions</a> over ten years. Cantor pushed for closer to $300 billion in spending cuts to health care, but Democrats appeared to stand firm.
Higher Education - $10 Billion
The president proposed cutting <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/12/fiscal-cliff-barack-obama-_n_2118739.html" target="_hplink">$10 billion from higher education</a> over the next decade, mostly from Pell grants. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/pell-grants-college-costs_n_1835081.html" target="_hplink">Over nine million students</a> relied on federal subsidized loans to afford college during the 2010-2011 school year, and the skyrocketing costs have continued to diminish the purchasing power of the Pell grant program. Obama has actively worked to make college more affordable for lower-income students. Key Republican lawmakers have attempted to cut funding for student loans; most notably, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) slashed the maximum award from $5,550 per student per year down to <a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/07/dems_students_fight_to_save_pell_grants_amidst_debt_ceiling_talks.html" target="_hplink">just $3,040</a>.
Medicaid And Other Health- $110 Billion
The original funding levels proposed by Cantor and the GOP leadership would turn the entitlement program for America's poor into little more than a block grant program, Democrats claimed during the 2011 debt ceiling talks. Under such a program, they argued that states would then <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/medicaid-to-lose-1-26-trillion-under-romney-block-grant.html" target="_hplink">drop more people from enrollment</a> and scale back on health benefits. In fiscal year 2009, <a href="http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0151.pdf" target="_hplink">over 62 million Americans</a> -- many of them children -- depended on Medicaid for their health care. But the president did agree to <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">$110 billion</a> in cuts from Medicaid and other health programs.
Medicare - $250 Billion +
Republicans pushed for a drastic overhaul to the entitlement program for America's seniors. Ryan infamously proposed turning Medicare into little more than a voucher system in which seniors would receive checks to purchase their own health care on the open market -- a plan that would ultimately <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kennethdavis/medicare-vouchers_b_1947804.html" target="_hplink">force individuals to shoulder more of the burden</a> for their health care costs. Democrats refused to accept changes similar to those in Ryan's plan. The president, however, was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">more open to other GOP suggestions</a> on Medicare. In his final offer to Boehner, he agreed cut $250 billion over the next ten years -- in part by increasing premiums for higher-income seniors and by raising the eligibility age from 65 to 67 (although over a longer time frame).
Tax Reform - $800 Billion - $1.6 Trillion
Republicans have again and again <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0511/Boehner_Medicare_Medicaid__everything_should_be_on_the_table_except_raising_taxes.html" target="_hplink">decried any attempt</a> to raise taxes, either on the highest earners or on corporations. (A Democracy Corps/Campaign for America's Future survey shows that <a href="http://www.ourfuture.org/report/2012114508/cafdemocracy-corps-election-poll-2012" target="_hplink">70 percent of voters</a> support raising taxes on the wealthiest two percent of Americans.) Instead, Boehner has pushed for a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">comprehensive tax reform bill</a> that would lower the marginal tax rates while closing loopholes and eliminating deductions in order to raise around $800 billion in additional revenues. For many Democrats, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323551004578117152861144968.html" target="_hplink">that figure simply isn't enough</a>. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday that the president was aiming for as much as <a href="http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/showing-backbone-on-the-debt/" target="_hplink">$1.6 trillion in new revenues</a>, and the president told reporters on Wednesday that it would be <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/obama-tax-cuts_n_2131256.html" target="_hplink">practically impossible</a> to raise the amount of revenue he wanted simply from closing loopholes and lowering rates.
Social Security - $112 Billion
Social Security <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14/fiscal-cliff-social-security_n_2130762.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular" target="_hplink">isn't driving the deficit</a>, yet Republicans have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">pursued drastic changes</a> to the program. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has promised that Social Security would be <a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/reid-no-messing-with-social-security" target="_hplink">off the table</a> in the on-going negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff, but Obama did concede to tying the benefits to a <a href="http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward#.UKCJftkTtS8.twitter" target="_hplink">recalculated Consumer Price Index</a> that would ultimately provide less money to retirees. Sen. Bernie Sanders claims that, under such a measure, seniors who are currently 65 years-old would see their benefits drop by <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/267079-reid-assures-sanders-he-wont-agree-to-social-security-cuts-in-debt-deal" target="_hplink">$560 a month in 10 years</a> and by as much as <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/267079-reid-assures-sanders-he-wont-agree-to-social-security-cuts-in-debt-deal" target="_hplink">$1,000 in 20 years</a>. The Moment of Truth project (led by the two former co-chairs of the president's deficit reduction commission, former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles) claims that the recalculated CPI could save as much as <a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/11767/the_social_security_cut_washington_does_not_want_you_to_understand/" target="_hplink">$112 billion</a> from Social Security over the next ten years.
Tax Loopholes And Deductions - Up To $180 Billion
Although Cantor and other GOP House members demanded that any deficit-reduction deal brokered in 2011 be classified as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/11/fiscal-cliff-talks-medicare-social-security_n_2113259.html" target="_hplink">revenue-neutral</a>, they were open to closing particular loopholes in the corporate tax code and limiting itemized deductions for individuals -- given that they were offset by other tax cuts. Out of the $50 billion in savings to be found over the next decade from closing loopholes, Cantor proposed getting $3 billion from eliminating the break for corporate-jet owners and another $20 billion from voiding the subsidies for the oil and gas industries. On the individual earner side, he proposed eliminating the second-home mortgage deduction for $20 billion, as well as limiting the mortgage deduction for higher-income households to rake in another $20 billion. He also offered to tighten the tax treatment of retirement accounts. But Democrats wanted to see even greater action taken on itemized deductions. In June 2011, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) proposed raising $130 billion in new revenues by capping itemized deductions at 35 percent for the highest income brackets. The GOP response to his proposal at the time was a resounding "no."
Bush Tax Cuts For The Wealthy - $950 Billion
Set to expire on Dec. 31, 2012, the Bush tax cuts represent one of the most controversial elements of the so-called fiscal cliff. They added over <a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/07/24/opinion/sunday/24editorial_graph2/24editorial_graph2-popup.gif" target="_hplink">$1.8 trillion to the deficit</a> between 2002 and 2009. Yet Republicans argue that an extension is necessary to create jobs and spur economic growth. But a <a href="http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/PDF/0915taxesandeconomy.pdf" target="_hplink">study</a> from the Congressional Research Service found that tax cuts for the wealthiest earners had little economic effect. The White House is pushing for a renewal only of those tax breaks for the lower- and middle-class Americans in order to save the average middle-class family <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/01/pf/taxes/fiscal-cliff-tax/index.html" target="_hplink">between $2,000 and $3,500</a> next year. Letting the cuts expire for those earning over $250,000 a year -- or the wealthiest two percent of Americans -- would haul in <a href="http://www.offthechartsblog.org/cbo-ending-high-income-tax-cuts-would-save-almost-1-trillion/" target="_hplink">$950 billion</a> in savings over the next decade, according to the CBO. Obama stressed how much the country stood to gain from such an approach Wednesday during a press conference. "If we right away say 98 percent of Americans are not going to see their taxes go up ? 97 percent of small businesses are not going to see their taxes go up," he said. "If we get that in place, we're actually <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/49821777" target="_hplink">removing half of the fiscal cliff</a>."
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/senate-leaders-fiscal-cliff_n_2385105.html
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BENEFITS OF OWNING YOUR OWN HOME BASED BUSINESS!
In these trying times, what can we do to get ahead in life? Forget the traditional answers like ?get a good job?. The days of working 40 years for a large corporation and retiring on a nice pension are history. Starting your own small business, such as a retail store or a restaurant, is even worse. Eighty percent of all new businesses fail within five years ? most within two years. Franchises are not the answer either. The average cost to get into a franchised business is $185,000. Even then, for a number of years, you end up working for minimum wages, selling products or services to strangers. Starting a home based business in Network Marketing is the way to go these days.
Some of the benefits of owning your own home-based business!
1. Financial Freedom and Security!
2. Legitimate Income Tax deductions!
3. More Time to spend with Family and Friends!
4. No Boss!
5. True Residual Income!
6. Retire in luxury and comfort, not on a social security pension that may not be there.
7. Work with people you like, not people you have to!
8. Own the Dream Home and/or Dream Car you have always wanted!
We hope you will make the decision to take control of your life. By joining or the The Ez Money Method or the GVO or any other opportunity that you see fit, you will have the opportunity to be among the many who are earning a substantial income in Network Marketing today. Our true success will come by helping others build their dreams. Let the The EZ Money Method help you begin to build your dreams today!
Below is a great video on the claim that most people fail at network marketing. I think you will find this video to be a clear explanation on what kind of people are really making this claim. God Bless.
Source: http://mwillams.blogspot.com/2012/12/benefits-of-owning-your-own-home-based.html
Berlusconi criticizes Monti's campaign about-face
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi smiles as he arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi smiles as he arrives at Milan's central train station, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Italian Premier Mario Monti announced Friday he is heading a new campaign coalition made of up centrists, business leaders and pro-Vatican forces who back his "ethical" vision of politics, aiming for a second mandate in office if his fledging reform movement wins big in parliamentary elections. Monti was appointed premier 13 months ago after his scandal-plagued predecessor Silvio Berlusconi failed to stop Italy from sliding deeper into the eurozone debt crisis. He quit earlier this month after Berlusconi pulled his party's support from Monti's government, but is now continuing in a caretaker role until the next elections. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
ROME (AP) ? Ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi sharply criticized the decision by Mario Monti to run in Italy's general elections and vowed Saturday to launch a parliamentary inquiry into the 2011 fall of his government and appointment of Monti as Italy's premier.
Berlusconi spoke out after Monti ended weeks of hedging and announced Friday he would head a coalition of centrist forces, businessmen and pro-Vatican forces running for office in Feb. 24-25 elections.
Berlusconi said he never expected Monti would renege on his repeated assurances that he "wouldn't use the public prominence as head of a technical government for an ulterior presence in politics."
He said the decision represented a "loss of credibility" for Monti, a respected economist and former European Commissioner, and said if he is elected premier he would immediately launch a parliamentary inquiry into the fall of his government.
"There was a serious wound to democracy inflicted not just on us but on all Italians," Berlusconi said as he arrived at Milan's train station after a trip from Rome.
Berlusconi's People of Freedom party, beset by local corruption scandals and still tainted by Berlusconi's ill-fated last term, trails significantly in the polls behind the center-left Democratic Party. The Democrats, headed by Pier Luigi Bersani, are expected to win the election with about 30 percent of the vote.
Monti was named by Italy's president to lead a technical government after Berlusconi, hobbled by sex scandals, legal woes and defections from his party, was forced to resign in November 2011 amid Italy's slide into the eurozone's debt crisis.
Berlusconi's party, Parliament's largest, had initially supported Monti's government, backing tax hikes, raises in the retirement age and other unpopular reforms that were deemed necessary to restore Italy's financial credibility.
But earlier this month, Berlusconi yanked his party's support, accusing Monti's government of leading Italy into a "spiral of recession." Monti promptly resigned, forcing elections to be moved up by about two months.
Monti had long said he wouldn't run for office but would be available to serve the country if asked. European leaders, however, made clear they wanted Monti to gun for a second term, and he was wooed by centrist leaders and backed strongly by the Vatican, an important force in Italian politics.
As Monti weighed whether to enter the fray, Berlusconi initially offered an alliance, aware that he could use the votes that a Monti-headed centrist coalition might bring.
But Monti publicly spurned the offer last week and by Saturday Berlusconi was returning the favor. At best, the centrists with Monti leading them are expected to garner no more than about 15 percent of the vote.
Instead, Berlusconi reached out Saturday to his onetime ally, the Northern League, which split with the billionaire media mogul over his initial support for Monti's government. From the start, the euroskeptic League refused to back Monti.
Angelo Alfano, Berlusconi's hand-picked party leader, said the discussions with the League weren't going terribly well. "Discussions with League ongoing. Some important questions, but we're not convinced and they could lead us to separate our path," Alfano tweeted.
Berlusconi noted that the League has more to gain if it joins up with his party.
"I hope we can do it, but it's not necessary because we think we can win even if we go our separate ways," Berlusconi said.
___
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Samsung To Build A Massive R&D Complex In Silicon Valley
You might finally start seeing some Android phones out in the wild around Silicon Valley. Samsung Electronics Co. just announced a major expansion of its Silicon Valley operations, which includes a gigantic 1.1M square foot headquarters for Samsung Semiconductor and a 385k square foot facility for Samsung Information Systems America.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-xbq0JvFRdQ/
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Video: Panda cub plays during exam
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50307771/
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UW-L communications alum receives top volunteer award in ...
UW-La Crosse?s Brad Quarberg, ?85, is the 2012 CASE V Distinguished Service Award Recipient.
A UW-La Crosse mass communications and political science alum received the top honor awarded annually among educational advancement professionals in the Midwest region.
Brad Quarberg, ?85, 24-year CASE V volunteer and director of News & Marketing at UW-La Crosse, received the 2012 CASE V Distinguished Service Award, given annually to the district?s top volunteer. CASE is education?s leading resource for knowledge, standards, advocacy and training in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and related activities. Quarberg received the award during the CASE V & V1 Better Together Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 11, in Chicago.
?The way in which we communicate to our colleagues and market our programs and conference has changed significantly over the last 20 years, we are grateful that Brad has always put the district ahead of current trends and produced outstanding marketing materials through a variety of mediums,? explained Carmela Kranz, a member of the CASE V board of directors.
Quarberg began working in the University Communications Office three months after earning a bachelor?s degree at UW-L. He joined CASE V in 1988 and was invited to join the CASE V Board of Directors to become editor of the district?s quarterly newsletter in 1997. He eventually became responsible for all district marketing efforts, which he continued through 2012. Quarberg is one of only three people who have chaired the district conference more than once ? in both 2003 and 2004.
Quarberg has received CASE Circle of Excellence gold and bronze awards for conference promotions. He has also received Pride of CASE V awards. And he has served on the CASE V?s Financial Review Committee.
During the award reception, Quarberg thanked his ?three families,? including his immediate family, his co-workers and his ?family? within CASE.
?Little did I know back in 1997 that I was not just volunteering, but gaining an outstanding group of wonderful professionals ? many who would eventually become close friends and family,? Quarberg explained. ?You challenged me. You gave me responsibilities that stretched my comfort zone. And, you gave me confidence.?
The Quarberg file:
Along with coordinating UW-L?s news and marketing efforts, Brad Quarberg is the editor of the university?s alumni magazine and two of its colleges? alumni newsletters. He is the university?s public information officer liaison to the UW System and coordinates the university?s crisis communications, along with leading the recent branding initiative.
Quarberg is deeply involved in servant leadership in the greater La Crosse area. Among his service: La Crosse Festivals-Oktoberfest, Rotary International, Great Rivers United Way, Coulee Region Junior Achievement, La Crosse Area Day with the Milwaukee Brewers, Habitat for Humanity, Boy Scouts of America, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Western Wisconsin Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He is a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
See past CASE V Distinguished Service Award winners.
Source: http://lantern.uwlax.edu/uw-l-communications-alum-receives-top-volunteer-award-in-advancement/
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Friday, December 28, 2012
Stamped Concrete Can Improve Your Homes Curb Appeal | The ...
Improving the look and beauty of your home does not mean that you have to use inferior or expensive materials. In fact, one of the most inexpensive, yet durable building material is stamped concrete. Concrete is well known for being versatile, durable and inexpensive. Plus, it can also be stamped with attractive designs to make it one of the most decorative building materials as well.
Stamped concrete is perfect for decks, patios and flooring both in and outside the home. Here are just a few reasons why you should choose stamped concrete over other common building materials to help improve the look of your house.
Stability
Wooden decks are strong, but concrete is much stronger, allowing it to handle heavy weights such as hot tubs with ease. Unlike wooden decks which can splinter and get hot under sunlight, stamped concrete decks will stay cool and never harm your bare feet. Plus, stamped concrete does not get slippery when wet either.
Maintenance
One of the best reasons to choose stamped concrete is its durability and low maintenance. Wooden decks last roughly fifteen years if you maintain it on a regular basis. That means annual waterproofing and frequent checks of the supporting structure to insure it is not sagging. Plus, insects are very attracted to wood which makes them highly vulnerable to ants, certain variety of bees and most damaging of all, termites.
With stamped concrete decks all you need is the occasional water sealant application every few years and that is it. Insects do not care for concrete at all, plus all you need to do is sweep it occasionally to keep it clean of dirt and debris or you can use the water hose after it has been sealed for a more thorough cleaning effort.
Versatility
Concrete is a very malleable material as well, meaning it is perfect for stamping attractive designs as well as being used in a number of ways around the home. Here are just a few ways that people use stamped concrete both in and outside their home.
-?????? Decks
-?????? Sidewalks
-?????? Driveways
-?????? Patios
-?????? Wrap Around Porches and more
Having attractive designs stamped into concrete can improve the look of your home as well as add your own sense of style. There are literally thousands of designs to choose from which means you can add your own personal touch to common areas around your home. From short walkways to large pool decks and patios, stamped concrete can reflect your own personal taste that runs through how you decorate your own home. Tying together both the inside and outside of your residence.
Price
Concrete is one of the least expensive building materials, being made from common rocks and used for thousands of years in all types of structures. Compared to wood for example, concrete is not only less expensive, it will last for generations with little maintenance.
All in all, if you are thinking about adding a new deck, walkway, wrap around porch or other type of flooring. Then you want to consider stamped concrete as your material of choice.
- Decorative Cement Colorado Springs
About the Author: Flat and Fancy, Inc. creates decorative concrete in Colorado Springs, Castle Rock, and the surrounding areas in Colorado. To learn more about stamped and decorative Colorado Springs concrete visit the website.
Comments
Source: http://www.theupperdeck.com/stamped-concrete/
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L.A. offers groceries for guns in annual buyback
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Long lines of cars and people formed Wednesday to take advantage of a guns-for-groceries exchange program that was moved up in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting.
Police officers filled bins with more than 1,500 rifles and handguns outside the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and the Van Nuys Masonic Temple, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Officials were mindful of both the massacre of students and teachers in Newtown, Conn., and a gunman's ambush that killed two firefighters in Webster, N.Y.
"All of us are still mourning the tragedy at Newtown, Conn.," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "So many young innocent children were mass-murdered in the way that they were, and now the assassination of two firefighters ... just breaks the heart of so many of us, particularly in this holiday season."
The anonymous buyback program allowed weapons to be turned in with no questions asked. Handguns, rifles and shotguns could be exchanged for $100 Ralphs grocery store gift cards. Assault weapons earned a $200 card.
The program, designed to get guns off the streets, usually is held in May. Villaraigosa decided to do it now in the wake of the Dec. 14 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The last buyback netted about 1,700 guns.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/la-offers-groceries-guns-annual-buyback-202748214.html
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Thursday, December 27, 2012
Accounting for time missed due to December 26 library closures ...
In consultation with OHR and our own HR staff, here is information regarding compensation guidelines for staff who were affected by the early closings of library facilities on December 26. Please note that there was no official university closure and the Weather or other Short Term Closure Policy will not apply. In completing your timesheets, please see the guidelines below:
- For all exempt staff that reported for work on the 26th, they will be paid for all hours they were scheduled to work.
- For all non-exempt staff (A&P and CCS) that reported for work on the 26th, they will be paid only for the hours they worked, including hours worked from home. If non-exempt staff did not work from home to fulfill their scheduled number of hours, they must take vacation or comp time to be paid for the amount of time they were scheduled or if approved by your supervisor may make up the hours within the same week.
- For all staff that had pre-approved paid leave time on the 26th, they will continue to be charged for this time from their respective leave banks.*
*This differs from university policy 6.15 guidelines/FAQ because this is not an official university closure, therefore policy 6.15 is not being invoked.
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Warm glow of Berlin's gas streetlights set to fade
Most of Berlin's gaslights, those distinctive street jewels that have spread a gentle golden glow for more than a century-and-a-half, are set to be removed. NBC's Andy Eckardt reports
By Peter Jeary, NBC News
BERLIN - As a capital city, Berlin has endured more than its fair share of division over the years.?Now new battle lines are being drawn over what some see as a fight for the city's character.
The conflict began when City Hall announced?its intention to phase out the vast majority of Berlin's historic gas lamps?as?part of an ambitious project to make the city carbon-neutral by 2050.
With nearly 43,000 gas-powered streetlights, Berlin has more than any other city in the world. In fact, more than one in six in the city are gas.
Some date back to the 19th century; others were erected immediately after World War II as the occupying Soviet forces made restoring light to the devastated city a priority.
In recent years, guided tours have been run to picturesque areas, with sightseers attracted by the?distinctive warm, yellowish glow of gas lamps.
Pete Jeary/NBC News
With nearly 43,000 gas-powered street lamps, Berlin has more than any other town or city in the world.
Pollution, expense
Think Beacon Hill in Boston or San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter - but on a much larger scale - and cue the outrage.
But with annual running costs for fuel and maintenance as much as $700 for some lamp models, and carbon dioxide emissions almost ten times that of an equivalent electric light, there are now strong financial and environmental incentives to replace gas with electric alternatives.
The city's current modernization program?(link in German) will see 8,000 highway lamps, mostly dating from the early 1950s, replaced with new electric lights.
City authorities say the figures speak for themselves.
?The energy used by those 8,000 gas lamps could power 100,000 electric lights.?And replacing them would cut energy costs by 90 percent, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 9,200 tons per year and save a chunk of the $1.6 million spent each year just on replacement gas mantles.
Pete Jeary/NBC News
Annual running costs for a gas-powered lamp can be as much as $700, and CO2 emissions almost ten times that of an equivalent electric light.
Read more about Germany from NBC News
Petra Rohland, spokeswoman for Berlin's Department of Urban Development, said the current refit would be complete by end of 2016 - and would recoup the cost within nine years.
All but a few of the city's gas-powered lamps will eventually go.
"Five percent of the historic gas lights, especially the candelabra, will be kept as originals in the future," Rohland said.
'Knock down the Brandenburg Gate'
It's a future that fills some Berliners like Paul Harrison with dread.
Harrison is a member of a growing band of preservation societies?who oppose the wholesale replacement of gas lights.
He challenges the environmental and financial arguments put forward by the city to justify the changes.
Futuristic highway glows in the dark, reports the weather?
"If we're just talking about saving money, we could knock down the Brandenburg Gate," he said ironically. "After all, that costs a lot to keep going, to keep clean."
Harrison's group, Gaslight Culture, is calling for the dismantling to be suspended - and for talks between all interested parties.
New bulb ushers in 100-watt-like LED light
"We haven't started to explore the possibilities, such as different forms of financing or even sponsorship of streets or districts," he said.
Harrison deplored what he described as ?the rejection of a working system.??And the replacement LEDs would be ?prohibitively expensive? and ?far from convincing? as alternatives.
'A living light'
Such rejection of new technology would be a disappointment to Andre Braun, who has spent years developing LED illumination that?mimics the color of gas light?(in German).
For Braun, whose workshop is on the same site as the former Berlin gas plant where his father once worked, the search for the perfect replacement is nothing short of a crusade.
Glowing plastic lets you make light bulbs in any shape
The way he talks about working with gas is reminiscent of how a fisherman might talk of the sea.
"It's so very difficult to work with," Braun said. "The extremes of temperature make it a constant battle ... unlike electricity, which is a dead light, gas gives a living light. But that's tough to recreate in an LED."
"Some people think I'm crazy to spend all this time trying to replicate the look of the gas lamp," he said. "But they are beautiful; gas lights have no glare, you can look right into them."
More world stories from NBC News:
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Singer Brandy Norwood Engaged!
Singer Brandy Norwood Engaged!
Brandy Norwood was the recipient of an awesome Christmas gift this year…a diamond engagement ring! The 33-year-old singer and “Moesha” star is engaged to marry music mogul Ryan Press! A source revealed the Christmas proposal, stating, “They are thrilled and happy and Brandy feels this is so right.” Brandy had made no secret of her ...
Singer Brandy Norwood Engaged! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/singer-brandy-norwood-engaged/
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The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday December 26, 2012
The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com
Compiled by ABC News' Carrie Halperin and Amanda Vanallen
FISCAL CLIFF
The Hill's Meghashyam Mali: " Obama to leave Hawaii for DC on Wednesday" President Obama is cutting his vacation short, leaving Hawaii on Wednesday night to return to Washington and address the looming "fiscal cliff," the White House announced. The president has been vacationing in Hawaii with his family since Saturday. The first lady and their daughters will remain in the state. LINK
The Wall Street Journal's Staff: " Budget Talks Cloud Outlook" Washington's budget gridlock is unsettling consumers and businesses, raising the risks that economic growth would be hurt next year no matter what Congress does in the coming days. LINK
The Los Angeles Times' Michael A. Memoli: " 'Fiscal cliff' to bring President Obama back early from Hawaii" President Obama will leave for Washington on Wednesday evening to restart talks on averting the "fiscal cliff," the White House said Tuesday, interrupting and perhaps cutting short altogether his traditional holiday visit to his birth state. Obama's last contact with congressional leaders was Friday, when he met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and spoke by phone with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). LINK
The New York Times' Jeremy W. Peters: " Obama to Leave Hawaiian Vacation Early to Work on Fiscal Deal" President Obama is planning to cut his Christmas vacation short and return to Washington to make a last-ditch push for a compromise on a tax and spending dispute that remains stubbornly unresolved. The White House said Tuesday that the president would leave Wednesday night. LINK
Politico's Jennifer Epstein: " Obama set to leave Hawaii on Wednesday" President Obama will leave Hawaii late Wednesday and return to the gridlock of Washington, the White House said Tuesday. After spending Christmas with his family at a house in Kailua, Obama faces the looming fiscal cliff deadline less than a week away and is set to head home at 10 p.m. HST on Wednesday - 3 a.m. Thursday on the East Coast. LINK
The Washington Post's Zachary A. Goldfarb: " Democrats push for tax cuts they once opposed" Democrats seeking a deal to avert the year-end "fiscal cliff" are trying to etch into stone the signature economic achievement of Republican President George W. Bush by permanently extending tax cuts enacted during his tenure. President Obama has put the extension of the tax cuts for most Americans at the top of his domestic agenda, a remarkable turnaround for Democrats, who had staunchly opposed the tax breaks when they were written into law about a decade ago. LINK
TRADE DEFICIT The Washington Times' Patrice Hill: " Trade deficit on course for surplus" While Washington wrestles with the nation's burgeoning budget deficits, some good news has emerged on the other deficit front: The nation's bloated trade deficit appears to be turning the corner, with at least one prominent economist predicting it will disappear altogether within a decade. LINK
BOOKMARKS The Note: LINK The Must-Reads Online: LINK Top Line Webcast (12noon EST M-F): LINK ABC News Politics: LINK The Political Punch (Jake Tapper): LINK George's Bottom Line (George Stephanopoulos): LINK Follow ABC News on Twitter: LINK ABC News Mobile: LINK ABC News app on your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad: LINK
Also ReadSource: http://news.yahoo.com/notes-must-reads-wednesday-december-26-2012-074839959--abc-news-politics.html
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Pope's Christmas message says hope mustn't die in Syria, Nigeria
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict used his Christmas message to the world on Tuesday to say people should never lose hope for peace, even in conflict-riven Syria and in Nigeria where he spoke of "terrorism" against Christians.
Marking the eighth Christmas season of his pontificate, the 85-year-old read his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message to tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square and to millions of others watching around the world.
Delivering Christmas greetings in 65 languages, Benedict used the Biblical analogy of the "good soil" to underscore his view that the hope represented by Christmas should never die, even in the most dire situations.
"This good earth exists, and today too, in 2012, from this earth truth has sprung up! Consequently, there is hope in the world, a hope in which we can trust, even at the most difficult times and in the most difficult situations," he said.
In his virtual tour of the some of the world's trouble spots, he reserved his toughest words for Syria, Nigeria and Mali.
"Yes, may peace spring up for the people of Syria, deeply wounded and divided by a conflict which does not spare even the defenceless and reaps innocent victims," he said.
"Once again I appeal for an end to the bloodshed, easier access for the relief of refugees and the displaced, and dialogue in the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict."
The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics also condemned conflicts in Mali and Nigeria, two countries where Islamist groups have waged violent campaigns.
"May the birth of Christ favour the return of peace in Mali and that of concord in Nigeria, where savage acts of terrorism continue to reap victims, particularly among Christians," he said.
CHURCH BOMBINGS
In Nigeria, the Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed hundreds in its campaign to impose sharia law in the north of the country, targeting a number of churches.
In Mali, a mix of Islamists with links to al Qaeda have occupied the country's north since April, destroying much of the region's religious heritage. They have also carried out amputations to help impose strict Islamic law on a population that has practised a more moderate form of Islam for centuries.
Benedict also held out a Christmas olive branch to the new government in China, asking is members to "esteem the contributions of religions". China does not allow its Catholics to recognise the pope's authority, forcing them to be members of a parallel state-backed Church.
Late on Monday night, Benedict presided over a Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica, where he urged people to find room for God in their fast-paced lives filled with the latest technological gadgets.
"Do we have time and space for him? Do we not actually turn away God himself? We begin to do so when we have no time for him," he said.
"The faster we can move, the more efficient our time-saving appliances become, the less time we have. And God? The question of God never seems urgent. Our time is already completely full," he said.
He said societies had reached the point where many people's thinking processes did not leave any room even for the existence of God.
"There is no room for him. Not even in our feelings and desires is there any room for him. We want ourselves. We want what we can seize hold of, we want happiness that is within our reach, we want our plans and purposes to succeed. We are so 'full' of ourselves that there is no room left for God."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/popes-christmas-message-says-hope-mustnt-die-syria-114938082.html
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Good Reads: American manufacturing, Apple's new CEO, and a father-son journey to meet two presidents
A round-up of this week's long-form good reads include takes on America's manufacturing power, how religion is faring in the US, and the power of seeing a son in a new light.
In this file photo, Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks following an introduction of the new iPhone 5 in San Francisco earlier this fall.
Eric Risberg/AP
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Things may finally be looking up for US manufacturing, James Fallows argues in the December issue of The Atlantic.?
Even in its battered condition, the American manufacturing sector is still the largest in the world, but its share of the US economy has declined from 20 percent in the early 1980s to just over 10 percent today. In the process, many high-paying jobs moved to China and other lower-wage countries, while Rust Belt communities in the United States were hard hit.
Two trends are likely to get trade winds blowing toward America again, Mr. Fallows contends. First, new technologies emerging in the US, such as 3-D printing, make it easier and faster to design, build, and refine products. Three-dimensional printing allows firms to use computerized molding systems to produce prototypes in minutes or hours. ?A revolution is coming to the creation of things, comparable to the Internet?s effect on the creation and dissemination of ideas,? one industrial design expert told Fallows.
At the same time, tumultuous changes in China are reducing its manufacturing advantages, complicating life for outsourcers and exporters. ?In China, wages are rising, workers are becoming choosier, public resistance to environmental devastation is growing, and the Chinese ?investment led? model is showing strain,? Fallows says.?
Apple?s new CEO
Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook talked extensively about management and corporate creativity in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek editor Josh Tyrangiel.
Mr. Cook succeeded Apple?s late co-founder Steve Jobs. Mr. Jobs was a major shareholder in the Walt Disney Company and had seen how executives there wasted time trying to figure out what Disney himself would have done after the founder of the company had passed away. Jobs ?removed a tremendous burden for me,? Cook says, by instructing, ?I never want you to ask what I would have done. Just do what is right.?
Apple has taken heat for poor working conditions at massive Foxconn Technology Group factories in China where many of its products are assembled. Cook told Businessweek that Apple would start producing one line of its Mac computers in the US in 2013 ? a modest sign of the brightening prospects for US manufacturing mentioned above.
Creativity, in Cook?s definition, is ?people who care enough to keep thinking about something until they find the simplest way to do it.? He laughed about corporate innovation departments saying that having one ?is always a sign that something is wrong ... you know, put a for sale sign on the door.?
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Observatory: Ramses III Had His Throat Slashed, New Study Suggests
[unable to retrieve full-text content]New CT scans of the pharaoh Ramses III, who ruled Egypt in the 12th century B.C., reveal that his throat was slit, probably in a coup attempt.
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Army teams going to Africa as terror threat grows
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A U.S. Army brigade will begin sending small teams into as many as 35 African nations early next year, part of an intensifying Pentagon effort to train countries to battle extremists and give the U.S. a ready and trained force to dispatch to Africa if crises requiring the U.S. military emerge.
The teams will be limited to training and equipping efforts, and will not be permitted to conduct military operations without specific, additional approvals from the secretary of defense.
The sharper focus on Africa by the U.S. comes against a backdrop of widespread insurgent violence across North Africa, and as the African Union and other nations discuss military intervention in northern Mali.
The terror threat from al-Qaida linked groups in Africa has been growing steadily, particularly with the rise of the extremist Islamist sect Boko Haram in Nigeria. Officials also believe that the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, which killed the ambassador and three other Americans, may have been carried out by those who had ties to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.
This first-of-its-kind brigade assignment ? involving teams from the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division ? will target countries such as Libya, Sudan, Algeria and Niger, where al-Qaida-linked groups have been active. It also will assist nations like Kenya and Uganda that have been battling al-Shabab militants on the front lines in Somalia.
Gen. Carter Ham, the top U.S. commander in Africa, noted that the brigade has a small drone capability that could be useful in Africa. But he also acknowledged that he would need special permission to tap it for that kind of mission.
"If they want them for (military) operations, the brigade is our first sourcing solution because they're prepared," said Gen. David Rodriguez, the head of U.S. Army Forces Command. "But that has to go back to the secretary of defense to get an execute order."
Already the U.S. military has plans for nearly 100 different exercises, training programs and other activities across the widely diverse continent. But the new program faces significant cultural and language challenges, as well as nagging questions about how many of the lower-level enlisted members of the brigade, based in Fort Riley, Kan., will participate, since the teams would largely be made up of more senior enlisted troops and officers. A full brigade numbers about 3,500, but the teams could range from just a few people to a company of about 200. In rare cases for certain exercises, it could be a battalion, which would number about 800.
To bridge the cultural gaps with the African militaries, the Army is reaching out across the services, the embassies and a network of professional organizations to find troops and experts that are from some of the African countries. The experts can be used during training, and the troops can both advise or travel with the teams as they begin the program.
"In a very short time frame we can only teach basic phrases," said Col. Matthew McKenna, commander of the 162nd Infantry Brigade that will begin training the Fort Riley soldiers in March for their African deployment. "We focus on culture and the cultural impact ? how it impacts the African countries' military and their operations."
Thomas Dempsey, a professor with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said the biggest challenge will be the level of cultural, language and historical diversity across the far-flung continent.
"How do you train for that in a way that would be applicable wherever they go?" said Dempsey, a retired Army colonel. He said he's not sure using a combat brigade is the right answer, but added, "I'm not sure what the answer is. The security challenges differ so dramatically that, to be honest, I really don't think it's feasible to have a continental training package."
The Pentagon's effort in Africa, including the creation of U.S. Africa Command in 2007, has been carefully calibrated, largely due to broad misgivings across the continent that it could spawn American bases or create the perception of an undue U.S. military influence there. As a result, the command has been based in Stuttgart, Germany, rather than on the African continent.
At the same time, many African nations are eager for U.S. training or support, as they work to build their militaries, battle pirates along the coast and shut down drug trafficking, kidnapping and other insurgent activities.
McKenna acknowledged the challenge, but said the military has to tap its conventional fighting forces for this task because there aren't enough special operations forces to meet the global training needs. He said there will be as many as a dozen different training segments between February and September, each designed to provide tailored instruction for the particular teams.
The mission for the 2nd Brigade ? known as the "Dagger Brigade" ? will begin in the spring and will pave the way for Army brigades to be assigned next to U.S. Pacific Command and then to U.S. European Command over the next year. The brigade is receiving its regular combat training first, and then will move on to the more specific instruction needed for the deployments, such as language skills, cultural information and other data about the African nations.
Dagger Brigade commander Col. Jeff Broadwater said the language and culture training will be different than what most soldiers have had in recent years, since they have focused on Pashtun and Farsi, languages used mostly in Afghanistan and Iran. He said he expects the soldiers to learn French, Swahili, Arabic or other languages, as well as the local cultures.
"What's really exciting is we get to focus on a different part of the world and maintain our core combat skills," Broadwater said, adding that the soldiers know what to expect. "You see those threats (in Africa) in the news all the time."
The brigade will be carved up into different teams designed to meet the specific needs of each African nation. As the year goes on, the teams will travel from Fort Riley to those nations ? all while trying to avoid any appearance of a large U.S. military footprint.
"The challenge we have is to always understand the system in their country," said Rodriguez, who has been nominated to be the next head of Africa Command. "We're not there to show them our system, we're there to make their system work. Here is what their army looks like, and here is what we need to prepare them to do."
Rodriguez said the nearly 100 assignments so far requested by Ham will be carried out with "a very small footprint to get the high payoff."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/army-teams-going-africa-terror-threat-grows-082214765.html
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