Monday, December 31, 2012

California Democrats signal they want to reform Proposition 13

SACRAMENTO -- The third rail of California politics may not be as deadly as once thought.

Three and a half decades after the passage of Proposition 13 shook the political landscape in California and sparked a taxpayer revolt across America, voters appear to be warming up to the idea of reforming the initiative as long as protections for homeowners stay intact.

And the apparent sea change in public attitudes, combined with the two-thirds majorities Democrats now hold in both chambers of the Legislature, has emboldened some politicians to take aim at the iconic measure.

"It is time for a fix, because Proposition 13 is broken," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, who plans to introduce a bill next year aimed at forcing businesses to pay higher property taxes.

The landmark 1978 measure rolled back property taxes and capped yearly increases until a property is sold, but critics say one of its unintended consequences was shifting more of the Golden State's property tax burden from businesses to homeowners.

In addition to Ammiano's bill, two constitutional amendments heading to the Legislature would allow voters to approve local parcel taxes for schools and libraries on a 55 percent vote, rather than the 66.7 percent now required.

In a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, 58 percent of registered voters said they favored a "split roll" property tax, in which commercial properties would be

reassessed annually or semiannually according to their market value, while taxes on residential properties would continue to be capped at 2 percent annual increases. And since Democrats took full control of the Legislature in last month's election, some legislators have suggested that it's time for a so-called "split roll."

Proposition 13 has held a central place in California's political discourse since voters approved it with nearly 65 percent of the vote in June 1978. It's credited with fomenting the rise of the anti-government, anti-tax movement that swept Ronald Reagan into the White House.

"It really has symbolized an unwillingness to permit Sacramento to raise general taxes," said Max Neiman, a fellow at UC Berkeley's Institute for the Study of Government. "It's suggested a kind of decline from the time California was a leader in an array of public services."

But voters in the Golden State now seem to have a "nuanced understanding that we simply aren't going to cut our way out of the fiscal deficit, and some kind of tax increases will have to take place," Neiman said. He pointed to the passage of Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure, Proposition 30, as evidence that voters believe more revenues are needed, especially if they come largely from the wealthy.

A ballot box battle over amending Proposition 13, however, won't happen before November 2014. And it may come even later since Brown probably isn't eager to share the ballot with an issue that could blow up in his face if, as is expected, he runs for re-election.

Still, two Democratic lawmakers, Sens. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, next year will try to lower the Proposition 13 threshold for parcel taxes -- a move that would need voter approval. Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, called it a "sound idea" to give local governments the ability to "affect their own destiny," he said. "I think the public will get behind 55 percent."

The threshold for passing local school bonds is already 55 percent.

Steinberg, however, has balked at rushing through the constitutional amendments. And he said it's not yet time to take on an overhaul of Proposition 13 by creating a split-roll tax.

But Ammiano plans to introduce legislation early next year to close a loophole that allows corporations to sidestep reassessments on properties they purchase.

Ownership of a property isn't considered transferred unless 50 percent or more is sold. Critics say corporations find ingenious ways to avoid triggering reassessments.

In one of many similar cases, the wine company E&J Gallo averted a higher reassessment 10 years ago after buying the prime 1,765-acre Louis M. Martini vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, when 12 Gallo family members bought individual shares -- none greater than 50 percent. The move costs Napa County as much as $700,000 a year in taxes.

"Why should these multibillion-dollar corporations get these breaks at the expense of regular folks?" Ammiano asked.

Ammiano said he hopes the Legislature will act on his bill before the end of spring. It would not require voter approval because it would only be a statutory change.

But it's expected to kick up a firestorm of opposition from businesses.

"You'll see them feeling like they're targeted. And when that happens, you'll see them stand up and fight," said Allan Zaremberg, president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce.

A key finding in the PPIC poll that should give Democrats pause is that 60 percent of voters still support Proposition 13, said Kris Vosburgh, executive director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a group founded by the measure's co-author.

"Proposition 13 is more popular today than when it passed," Vosburgh said. "We are definitely for enforcement when we know there are documented cases of efforts to get around legitimate change of ownership. But we don't see it as an overall problem. It's all about the state trying to get more money."

Larry Stone, Santa Clara County's assessor, said even if voters approve a split roll, county assessors won't be able to carry it out without vastly expanding their staffs.

"I don't have the staff or skill set to reassess all business, commercial and industrial property every two or three years," Stone said.

Simply raising the tax rate above the base 1 percent for commercial properties would be an easier way to get more revenues, though "it doesn't avoid the inequities of Proposition 13," Stone said. "You couldn't devise a more unfair property tax system if you tried than the one we have in California."

The turning point for reformers could come when homeowners begin to realize they're carrying most of the load for property taxes, proponents say. In 55 of 58 counties, residential homeowners are paying more property taxes than businesses, after businesses had taken up much of the burden before Proposition 13, according to a study compiled by Lenny Goldberg, president of the California Tax Reform Association.

In Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties, just before the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, residential homes and all other properties shared the tax burden evenly -- 50-50. But now homeowners are responsible for 70 percent of their counties' assessed value, the study said.

"Nobody can defend the way we assess commercial property," said Goldberg, who is working with Democrats on Proposition 13 changes. "Commercial property is the biggest hole in our tax system, and we avert our eyes at the hole in the middle of the system because it's not politic to discuss this."

Contact Steven Harmon at 916-441-2101. Follow him at Twitter.com/ssharmon. Read the Political Blotter at IBAbuzz.com/politics.

Facts about PROPOSITION 13
Approved in June 1978 with 64.8 percent of the vote.
What it did: Rolled back property values for tax purposes to 1975-76 levels and created a base tax rate of 1 percent, with annual tax increases limited to the inflation rate or 2 percent, whichever is lower. When a property is sold, it is reassessed based on the selling price.
Declared constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992.
Other requirements: A two-thirds majority of the Legislature must approve all new taxes. A two-thirds vote is also required if local governments want to raise a tax for a specific purpose.
Past changes: Voters have approved four measures to amend Proposition 13, most strengthening it. In November 1978, Proposition 8 permitted a reassessment of property values in the wake of a disaster or a declining market; Proposition 60 in 1986 allowed homeowners 55 and older to transfer the assessed value of their present home to a replacement home; Proposition 39 in 2000 lowered the required supermajority necessary for voters to pass school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent; and Proposition 218, in 1996, gave the people the right to vote on all local taxes and required taxpayer approval of assessments and property-related fees.

Source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_22277586/california-democrats-signal-they-want-reform-proposition-13?source=rss_emailed

2012 ncaa tournament bracket matterhorn chris harrison girl scouts printable bracket game change own

Skin Cancer Forum - Skin Cancer Question

I have a quick question. I have a lump on my tailbone, or my coccyx, and my only knowledge of it being there is that my boyfriend gives me back rubs almost everynight, he noticed it. I have no pain and it doesn\\\\\\\'t feel hallow, more dence, should I be worried??

Source: http://ehealthforum.com/health/skin-cancer-question-t379214.html

whitney houston i will always love you breaking news whitney houston carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll i will always love you whitney cummings

Battle of the Business Class Flights - New Girl in the Air

After much deliberation, I booked business class award tickets for my trip to Morocco. ?I had a really hard time deciding between coach & business class (after all, that 20,000-mile premium would buy me a reduced mileage award making the opportunity cost pretty high), and in the end, I?m glad I chose business class?if only to satisfy my curiosity and confirm my suspicions that from now on, coach will be adequate for all my European travel.

Moroccan Marvels

  1. Booking Award Flights to Morocco
  2. Battle of the Business Class Flights
  3. Stopovers: Take ?Em or Leave ?Em?
  4. Morocco in a Nutshell
  5. Sensory Overload in the Marrakech Medina
  6. A Suggested Two-Week Itinerary for Morocco
  7. My New Favorite Hotel
  8. The Best Aspects of my Hotel Stays
  9. Giving Madrid a Second Chance

I?m not much of a fan of photos of hot towels or bowls of nuts, so I?ll save your sanity by not giving you the minute-by-minute report on my flights. ?If you?ve got specific questions, though, ask away. ?Instead, I?ll be assigning a winner to each aspect of my flight to give an overview of three airlines in one post. ?This isn?t exactly a fair competition since I didn?t have equal routings on each airline, so keep that in mind.

I flew American Airlines on my overnight transatlantic flight from New York to London, British Airways on a roughly 3.5-hour flight from London to Marrakech (considered ?intra-European? service), and Iberia Airlines on my daytime transatlantic flight from Madrid to New York.

Best Lounge

Winner: Iberia Airlines

Over the course of our trip, we tried the Admirals? Club in JFK, the British Airways lounge at London Gatwick, and the Iberia Velazquez lounge in Madrid. ?While I was thrilled with the speed of wi-fi at JFK and enjoyed the food options at LGW, Iberia had the full package. ?In addition to a decent buffet of snacks and light meals, plentiful drink options, free wifi, there were also computers and printers for use, showers, TVs in some areas, and bests of all, a relaxation/nap room that looked like I might actually want to use it on a layover.

Best Seat

Winner: American Airlines

The problem with reading too many trip reports before going on vacation is that you go into your travels with a pre-conceived notion of what to expect. ?I?ve never flown international business class in my life and assumed I was in trouble from the outright because American Airlines has angled-flat seats. ?In reality, I had no problems sleeping on AA?s seats at all and would consider another angled-flat seat in the future. ? Iberia?s lie-flats were also fine and I?d happily recommend them, but there was something about AA?s pre-set ?position #1? that cradled me so comfortably while not sleeping that AA wins. ?Sorry, British Airways, but your short-haul seating didn?t stand a chance in this category.

The Winning Seat

Best Service

Winner: British Airways

British Airways was the only airline that seemed to have genuine, friendly service on my flights. ?Iberia was great with frequent service but a bit robotic. ?American had downright snarly and inattentive service to the point of frustration. ?Our attendant on British Airways, Emma, was more than happy to help out with any request and was the perfect example of service with a smile, helping to make our short flight fly by. ?I was surprised to see that even on our short flight we were provided hot towels before our meal, pillows, blankets, and more.

Best Food

Winner: British Airways

I really expected Iberia to be the winner of this category with its Spanish cuisine, but British Airways won the best food category by a landslide. ?Ironically, they were out of the beef stroganoff option I intended on ordering for lunch and I was ?stuck? with the lamb dopiaza, which turned out to be fantastic. ?No, it didn?t look appetizing. ?No, I didn?t think I?d be happy eating lamb and lentils before spending time in Morocco eating?more lamb and lentils?but it was really quite delicious. ?No, it wasn?t a multi-course affair like on AA or Iberia, but a simple, quality meal beats a poorly-executed fancy meal any day in my book.

Hard to go wrong with lamb and beer

Best Drinks

Winner: Iberia Airlines

Fact: It is impossible to drink quickly enough to keep up with Iberia?s drink service without floating away. ?I tried, my husband tried, and we both failed. ?I started with a flute of pre-departure cava and went on from there to wine, water, wine,?dessert wine, coffee, wine, a gin and tonic (except they didn?t leave room for the tonic!), wine, and just to round things out, a final glass of wine before landing. ?And that?s after the self-serve bar in the lounge? ?They win on quality, too, not just quantity, completely beating out AA?s stingy drink service and BA?s boring options.

Cava was just the beginning...

Best Entertainment

Winner: American Airlines

Poor British Airways? short-haul service didn?t stand a chance against seatback options with both AA and Iberia. ?AA?s selection of movies and TV shows was larger and exactly suited to my preferences, meaning I had more to choose from than I had time. ?On the flipside, Iberia had exactly one movie that appealed to me, leaving a lot of free time to entertain myself on an eight-hour flight. ?Additionally, American Airlines offers noise-cancelling headphones for your use during the flight, making it even easier to enjoy that entertainment.

Best Amenity Kit

Winner: American Airlines

On long flights, a few amenities can really make a difference in your comfort, so I really appreciated that both American and Iberia offered amenity kits so I didn?t have to dig through my bag to find my own personal items. ?Both were completely adequate, with standard items like moisturizer, lip balm, toothbrush & toothpaste, eye shade, ear plugs, socks, refreshing towlette, and comb. ?So why does AA win? ?For one thing, I?m biased to the American brands they used (like Colgate toothpaste), but they also had a nicer bag and scored bonus points for including a pen and tissues.

I?m not going to declare an overall winner, though based on my short experience with British Airways, I think they?d have a fantastic transatlantic service once you factor in an internationally-configured seating arrangement rather than their short-haul product. ?Iberia was also a surprisingly pleasant experience despite the age and condition of their aircraft, though given their limited entertainment options, I might recommend that one particularly for any overnight segments. ?Unfortunately, I think I had bad luck with American Airlines simply due to my flight attendant having a bad day (or at least, I?ll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she?s normally more attentive), so I?d be willing to give them another chance since there were certainly parts of the experience I enjoyed.

All in all, my next European adventure will be in coach, but I did enjoy having some more room to spread out so maybe another business-class flight will be in my future for more distant regions of the world?we?ll see what 2013 brings!

Source: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/newgirlintheair/2012/12/30/business-class-trip-report/

martin luther king jr mlk mlk school closures being human being human chicago news

??????? ???? ??????? ?????? ?????????? ?????? - ????? ...

???? ????????, ??? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????, ??? ???, ??? ?? ??? ?????, ??? ???? ? ??? ??? ???????? ????????, ??????? ?????? ?? ??????. ? ?????????, ??????? ????? ????????, ??? ?? ??? ????. ????, ?? ?????? ??????? ????. ???????? ?? ????: http://www.priceguid...ampaign=linjame

Source: http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?showtopic=53771

geithner gabrielle giffords juliette lewis chelsea handler mitch daniels shirataki noodles prince fielder

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Syracuse Plows West Virginia, 38-14, In Snowy 2012 Pinstripe Bowl (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

NEW YORK ? The weather made passing at the Pinstripe Bowl perilous, so Syracuse sent Prince-Tyson Gulley and Jerome Smith dashing through West Virginia and the snow.

Gulley ran for a career-best 208 yards and had three touchdowns, Smith added 157 yards, and the Orange bid a blustery farewell to the Big East with a 38-14 victory Saturday.

Syracuse (8-5) will enter the Atlantic Coast Conference on a roll after finishing this season with six wins in its last seven games, capped by its second postseason victory at Yankee Stadium in the last three years.

In a bowl played in a baseball stadium, with weather more suited for a playoff game in Green Bay, the team that plays in a dome ended up being better equipped to handle the elements.

"The football Gods brought snow," said Smith, who carried a season-high 30 times. "The football Gods from Syracuse brought us some snow and it changed even West Virginia's game. They had to run a little bit more than they were used to. We ran the ball a little bit more than we're used to and did what we were supposed to do."

Syracuse finished with a season-high 369 yards on the ground and beat its former Big East rival from West Virginia, now playing in the Big 12, for a third straight time.

"They just did a better job than us at the line of scrimmage," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. "To be in a game like this when you've got to rely on your run defense to help you win and you're not able to do it, it's frustrating."

Geno Smith connected with Stedman Bailey for two touchdown passes for West Virginia (7-6), but the Mountaineers' quarterback also was sacked in the end zone in the first half and called for intentional grounding in the end zone in the third quarter to give Syracuse a second safety.

Smith, who was an early Heisman Trophy front-runner as the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start this season, was 16 for 26 for 197 yards in the final game of his record-breaking career. The NFL awaits.

Same goes for Ryan Nassib, though Syracuse didn't ask much of its talented senior quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes and an interception. His most impressive feat on this day was surviving being driven into the cold turf by Terence Garvin on a sack in the first half. Nassib missed only one play.

"It's my last game, man, nothing's going to take me out," he said.

Especially against a West Virginia team the Orange felt didn't give them much credit after two straight victories over the Mountaineers.

"It was about us going out there and getting respect," tackle Justin Pugh said. "They didn't give us any respect. We kind of said three strikes you're out. Beat them three straight times, so they really can't say anything now."

Snow fell just about all game, giving most of the field a white dusting. Fans were bundled and players not in the game tried to do the same. It took a while for those potent offenses ? both ranked in the top 25 nationally in yards per game ? to heat up, which seemed appropriate considering the conditions.

"Cold. Cold," said Jerome Smith, a junior from Delaware. "I never got a chance to play in the snow, but it was good."

His running mate from Akron, Ohio, had just a bit more experience playing in wintry weather.

"In pee-wees I played in some (snow) like this but not in high school," said Gulley, who carried 25 times. "It was fun."

A goal-line stand by West Virginia in the second quarter kept Syracuse out of the end zone, but set up the Orange for a scoring run.

Left at the 1, the Mountaineers tried to pass out of their end zone, but Geno Smith was smothered by blitzing linebackers Cameron Lynch and Siriki Diabate to make it 5-0 ? a baseball score, of course.

The Orange followed that up with a 33-yard touchdown run by Gulley to make it 12-0 with 6:07 left in the second.

The Mountaineers responded with their first sustained drive. Bailey took a quick pass, darted and broke tackles, and scooted 32 yards to the end zone to make it 12-7.

The Orange extended the lead to 12 to start the second half when they caught a break ? and a touchdown pass. Nassib's throw was tipped around the goal line, but floated safely into the waiting arms of intended receiver Beckett Wales for a 10-yard score.

West Virginia appeared to answer with a touchdown of its own. Andrew Buie broke free for a 28-yard TD run on fourth-and-2. Not so fast. A holding call on the Mountaineers wiped out the play and sent Holgorsen on to the field screaming at the officials.

It didn't help. Instead of a touchdown, a punt.

Holgorsen had nothing to say about the call and was more disappointed with how his team responded.

"We did a poor job of continuing to play. A poor job of overcoming some things," he said.

Moments later another close call, this time on a fumble by Geno Smith which was reviewed to determine if it was an incomplete pass, went Syracuse's way, and again the Orange capitalized.

On the next play, Gulley broke through the line, bounced to the outside and went 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-7 with 6:52 left in the third.

West Virginia wouldn't let Syracuse pull away. Smith found Bailey deep down the sideline, beating one-on-one coverage for a 29-yard score 1:11 later.

Back came the Orange, nine plays, 70 yards, with Gulley taking a swing pass from Nassib 10 yards to make it 33-14.

From there the 60th meeting between these teams, but first in a bowl, was a romp in the snow for Syracuse.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphdrussoap

"; 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/2012/12/29/syracuse-west-virginia-pinstripe-bowl-2012_n_2382371.html

matt groening brandon phillips summerfest summerfest fidel castro rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments

F.D.A. Approves Eliquis From Bristol and Pfizer

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Eliquis is the third anticlotting medicine to be approved recently and it is expected the backers will aggressively market their products.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/business/fda-approves-eliquis-from-bristol-and-pfizer.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

espn jeremy lin sleigh bells meek sturgis sturgis whitney houston laid to rest daytona bike week

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Auto sales to end year strong, "fiscal cliff" may weigh

DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales are expected to show a rise of 9 percent for December, capping off the best year for the industry since 2007, fueled by easier access to credit, rising home prices and pent-up demand.

But when major automakers report December sales next Thursday, a strong end to the year could be overshadowed by concerns that consumers will curb spending in January due to the "fiscal cliff."

U.S. consumer confidence fell to a four-month low in December on worries over the $600 billion in automatic spending cuts and tax increases that take effect unless Congress acts to stop them.

Overall, 2012 sales are expected to finish at 14.5 million vehicles, more than 13 percent higher than the previous year. This marks the third straight year that the industry has posted a double-digit sales gain.

Gains in 2013 are expected to slow to single-digit growth, with several analysts forecasting only modest improvements in U.S. consumer confidence and employment.

Kelley Blue Book said a tax increase for middle-income households could hold back sales growth through 2013 and beyond.

However, most analysts said the looming deadline did not hamper sales in December. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast that December's annual sales pace will be around 15.2 million vehicles, helped in part by higher incentive spending on full-sized pickup trucks.

"Given relative strength in consumer sentiment post last month's election - even in spite of the fiscal cliff - and improvements in labor data, we expect healthy retail demand to spur a strong month," Barclays Capital analyst Brian Johnson said.

Auto sales are an early indicator each month of U.S. consumer demand and industry executives have pointed to the improving housing market and consumer confidence as reasons for optimism in 2013. Higher home prices can help American car shoppers feel wealthier and translate to higher auto sales, industry research firm Edmunds.com said.

In addition, the average age of cars on the road has risen to just above 11 years, and industry experts say that will continue to drive demand.

According to TrueCar.com data, large trucks had an average discount of 11.4 percent in December, 75 percent higher than the overall industry discount of 6.5 percent. Analysts said General Motors Co in particular layered on incentives to cut its inventory ahead of its introduction of 2014-model trucks in the second quarter of 2013.

"All eyes will be on the full-size pickup segment where GM clearly got more aggressive to draw down their 139 days of inventory," RBC Capital Markets analyst Joseph Spak said in a research note.

The preferred level in the auto industry is about 80 days of supply for full-sized pickup trucks like GM's Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. Ford Motor Co had 89 days of supply for its F-Series pickup trucks.

The industry also got a boost from sales that were delayed due to Hurricane Sandy.

Johnson estimated that 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles sold this month were delayed from November due to Superstorm Sandy, which ravaged the U.S. Northeast the month before. The storm prompted many car shoppers to shift their purchases, adding about 300,000 to the annualized sales pace for December.

"We note, however, that we do not expect post-storm replacement demand to persist much beyond January," Johnson said.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman in Detroit)

(This story was refiled to correct the day of auto sales to Thursday, in the second paragraph)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/auto-sales-end-strong-fiscal-cliff-may-weigh-153215172--finance.html

john derbyshire kinkade thomas kinkade paintings easter bunny navy jet crash virginia beach isiah thomas passover

PFT: Newton fined $21K for bumping official

CaldwellAP

A decade ago, Cyrus Mehri and the late Johnnie Cochran demonstrated that the NFL was doing a poor job of giving African-American coaches fair opportunities to progress to the highest levels of the sport.? Mehri and Cochran made such a compelling case that the NFL installed the ?Rooney Rule,? which requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for every head-coaching vacancy.

Today, only a minority of head coaching jobs are filled by members of minority groups, with five African-American head coaches (Marvin Lewis, Mike Tomlin, Romeo Crennel, Lovie Smith, Leslie Frazier) and one Hispanic head coach (Ron Rivera).? That?s six, out of 32.

As Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports explains, only one of 32 teams has an offensive play-caller who also is African-American.? And as of a few weeks ago, the number was zero; Jim Caldwell inherited those duties in Baltimore once Cam Cameron was fired.

?We are very, very conscious of this issue, and it?s something that needs to be addressed,? John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, told Silver. ?We have alluded to it and spoken to it directly, and we feel our only course of action is to push more people up the pipeline.?

And that seems to be the biggest problem.? African-American coaches aren?t being positioned to naturally mature into the role of play-caller on offense.?Really, the reason why there aren?t a lot of guys calling plays is that you have to have people ascending to quarterbacks coach and jobs that lead to coordinator positions.? And that?s simply not happening,? Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told Silver.? ?There are a lot of good coaches who aren?t getting those opportunities.?

As Silver points out, only two NFL quarterbacks coaches are African-American:? Karl Dorrell of the Texans and Craig Johnson of the Vikings.? Curtis Modkins serves as offensive coordinator in Buffalo, but head coach Chan Gailey calls the plays.

?This is the biggest travesty that?s taking place in this league, and every black coach is well aware of it,? an anonymous African-American assistant for an AFC team told Silver.? ?They don?t promote you from running backs coach or receivers coach to offensive coordinator.? When guys do get coordinator titles, they have to be position coaches at the same time, and they don?t get paid as much as other coordinators, because they?re not the play-callers.? And in a lot of cases, guys believe they?re really there for locker-room reasons, to ?take care of? the minority players.?

Eventually, the absence of a pipeline of African-American offensive minds will make it hard to find viable African-American head coaches, since all current minority head coaches have defensive backgrounds.

?The whole thing we have to do in terms of building this pipeline is make teams more conscious of the fact that [position coaches] want to get involved,? Wooten said. ?I tell these running backs, receivers and quarterbacks coaches, ?Go to the head coach and general manager and tell them you want this as an opportunity to learn.?? You learn by being in game plan meetings, when plays are being installed.? You listen and learn.?

Real change may come only if the Rooney Rule, which since its adoption has been extended to G.M. positions, is also applied to coordinator jobs.? However, Wooten isn?t recommending that.

?I just feel that the head coach has to have the right to select his people,? Wooten said.? ?If they can?t see who?s the best out there for them, they?re gonna perish anyway.?

Wooten is right, but the Rooney Rule doesn?t require minority candidates to be hired.? It only requires them to be considered, an important reality given that head coaches immediately tap into their network of friends, cronies, and (sometimes) family members when filling out their staffs.? If nothing else, requiring coaches to interview at least one minority coordinator candidate will help position coaches become better prepared to interview for coordinator positions ? and eventually to get them.

In the end, it?s a simple analysis.? If the NFL believes the Rooney Rule remains viable ten years later when the number of minority head coaches has expanded to six, the NFL should take a hard look at whether the Rooney Rule should be applied one level lower, given that the number of minority play-callers is one and, as of the first of the current month, it was zero.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/27/report-newton-fined-21000-for-bumping-referee/related/

DNS Changer ernest borgnine ESPYs 2012 venus williams Freeh Report direct tv wimbledon

German finance minister says worst of euro debt crisis over | The ...

German finance minister says worst of euro debt crisis over

First Published 7 hours ago ? Updated 7 hours ago

Berlin ? Germany?s finance minister says the worst of euro area?s debt crisis appears to be over after three years of worries over Greece and other members of the group of 17 European Union countries that use the single currency.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble was quoted Thursday as telling the Bild newspaper: "I think we have the worst behind us."

Schaeuble says Greece and others have recognized that they can only overcome the crisis by implementing reforms and that the Greek government ? which has received two bailouts ? "knows that it cannot financially overburden the other euro states".

Some in Germany have expressed concern about the economy of neighboring France. But Schaeuble says the government there "knows very well that every country must constantly conduct reforms to remain competitive."


Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, click the red "Flag" link below it.
See more about comments here.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55533129-79/says-crisis-euro-worst.html.csp

kratom broncos broncos lehigh walking dead season finale matt flynn denver news

Friday, December 28, 2012

Product Spotlight: The Sunrise Walking Shoe | Footnotes - by Lamey ...

At Lamey Wellehan, we stock many different types of shoes; some of them are very unique.? One such shoe is the Sunrise Qi walking shoe, one of my personal favorites.? While the shoe was designed with medical distribution in mind, it has turned out to a great addition to the Lamey Wellehan mix.Blog2

The Sunrise walking shoe was created by a pedorthist in northern California in conjunction with leading podiatrists.? A major medical center in that area was looking for a shoe that would help reduce the rates of diabetic complications. ?The shoes were designed with special features and were constructed in various widths for both men and women.? Primary distributions of the styles were through medical facilities and only a small group of retailers have been allowed to be distributors.? Lamey Wellehan is the only family shoe store north of Connecticut to stock the brand.

There are five big features that form the DNA of the Sunrise walking shoe.? First is the addition of a silicone-based ?crash pad? under the heel area to absorb and disperse impact shock.? Second, the shoe is designed with incredible volume, which is further increased when any of the multiple inserts are removed.? This volume makes the style perfect for those who wear thick orthotics or braces.? Feature three is a forefoot shank, which is a rigid unit embedded in the front of the sole that increases energy return upon toe-off, reducing foot fatigue.?? Feature four is a rocker sole design that provides a natural roll from heel to toe which reduces flexion of the foot.? Finally, the Sunrise shoe is designed with balanced stability in mind, offering as much lateral stability as medial stability.? This is something not always found in walking shoes and is great for people who have a more bow-legged walk or those who need extra support.

Who might benefit from the Sunrise shoe?

  • ?Those with forefoot problems like metatarsalgia or arthritis
  • ?At-risk diabetics who need to reduce foot pressures
  • ?Anyone who wants comfortable walking!

I?ll be the first to admit this may not be the perfect shoe for everyone though.? It has a boxy design, offering lots of internal space around the foot for wide feet or inserts.? The result is a broad-based, bulky design that is even more apparent against today?s fashion trend toward lightweight, low-silhouette footwear.? I?ve also found the shoe to be fairly warm in the summer, due to its all-leather design and the soft layer of padding found internally above the forefoot.? Finally, the Sunrise walker won?t be found on the fashion runways anytime soon ? it has a very utilitarian style to say the least.

However, most people are amazed at how comfortable it is.? It comes in a men?s version and a woman?s version and can be found in medium, wide and extra-wide widths.? For more details, just stop into your closest Lamey Wellehan location or shop online.

Source: http://blog.lwshoes.com/product-talk/product-spotlight-the-sunrise-walking-shoe/

earthquake california earthquake california roy orbison the third man 2012 nfl draft order mohamed sanu chris polk

Miller: Tax-exempt Bonds At Risk In 'Fiscal Cliff' Debate | The ...

Treasurer?s Office

In addition to higher federal taxes, Oklahomans face another threat to their pocketbooks from the fiscal cliff, State Treasurer Ken Miller said today.

?Taxpayers in Oklahoma save an average of 25 to 30 percent on interest costs by using tax-exempt bonds as a financing tool as opposed to taxable bonds, but that could go away thanks to fiscal cliff negotiations,? Miller said.

Miller said investors accept lower interest rates due to the tax exemption and that saves billions of dollars per year in lower taxes nationwide.

?Tax-exempt bonds are the primary mechanism that states, counties, cities and school districts across the country use to finance highways, streets, bridges, water systems, school buildings and buses and many other public infrastructure projects,? he said.

Miller said this critical tool is now in danger of being eliminated as Congress and the President consider plans to either eliminate it or place a cap of 28 percent on the amount of interest bond investors can deduct from their taxable incomes.

?While fiscal sanity is sorely needed in Washington, shifting the tax burden from federal taxpayers to state and local taxpayers will not resolve the spending problem our country faces,? he said.

?A rough estimate shows that Oklahoma state government would have to spend an additional $30 million each year if the interest paid on its tax-exempt bonds were to become taxable,? Miller said. ?For counties, municipalities and school districts, the cost would be much higher.?

The tax-exempt bonds issued by the counties, cities and school districts are retired using property taxes. If the tax-exemption is capped or eliminated, interest rates paid to the bondholders would rise and so could property taxes.

Miller said another alternative would be a reduction in the capital improvement projects funded by tax-exempt bonds or cuts in funding to core areas.

?Neither of these are attractive options,? he said.

Tax-exempt municipal bonds benefit states and localities in the following ways:

? Local decision-making ? States, counties, municipalities and school districts can build projects based on local priorities and needs assessments.

?? Responsible financing ? States, counties, municipalities and school districts can borrow responsibly for capital projects. Bond issuance has remained stable relative to GDP for the past 10 years.

?? Private capital ? Bonds bring private capital to public projects. In an age of constrained federal and state budgets, this is essential. More than 60 percent of bonds are owned by individuals, either directly or through mutual funds. To continue drawing this private investment, states and localities need tax-exempt bonds.

?? Effective System ? The tax-exempt bond market has worked effectively for decades. It?s not a loophole?the tax exemption was considered a fundamental right of states when the country adopted the 16th Amendment which allowed federal income taxes, and the principle that the income should be exempt was enshrined in the very first tax federal income tax code in 1913.

?? Reciprocity ? While the federal government provides a tax exemption on state and local bond interest, the states likewise do not tax the interest on federal bonds.

?As the debate continues on how to best avoid the fiscal cliff, Washington politicians should understand that any attempt to reduce or eliminate the tax exemption on state and local infrastructure financing would have serious repercussions,? Miller said.


Short URL: http://mccarvillereport.com/?p=9750

Source: http://mccarvillereport.com/archives/9750

Waldo Canyon fire nba finals K Michelle roger clemens multiple sclerosis falling skies rodney king

New purported BlackBerry Z10 specs emerge: 1.5GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 8MP camera

To a black ESPN sports analyst, this is the critical question: Is Robert Griffin III, aka RG III, the black rookie sensation Washington Redskins quarterback, "a brother, or is he a cornball brother?" What has RG III done or said to raise a suspicion about his bona fides as a black person? More importantly, what does this have to do with appreciating ? or choosing not to appreciate ? Griffin as an athlete?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/purported-blackberry-z10-specs-emerge-1-5ghz-processor-160048161.html

jon hamm kim kardashian law school rankings jon hamm heather morris ncaa bracket predictions jeff foxworthy the bachelor finale

Whale stranded on New York City beach dies: official

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A 60-foot whale that washed up on a beach in New York City on Wednesday has died, a marine rescue official said on Thursday.

The finback whale had appeared on the beach in New York's Breezy Point neighborhood and marine conservationists had been fearful for its survival. Breezy Point, in the borough of Queens, faces the Atlantic Ocean and was devastated by flooding and fire in superstorm Sandy in October.

"Biologists have confirmed that the whale has died," said Mendy Garron, a marine mammal rescue specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Plans are currently being developed for necropsy and disposal of the carcass."

The finback is the second largest marine mammal species after the blue whale, according to the NOAA Fisheries website. An adult can reach 85 feet and weigh up to 80 tons, although northern hemisphere finbacks tend to be somewhat smaller than their southern cousins. Typical lifespan is 80 to 90 years.

(Writing by Dan Burns; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/whale-stranded-york-city-beach-dies-official-175526701.html

dark knight rises trailer dark knight rises trailer vince young vince young evan longoria ryan seacrest kentucky derby

Obama's controversial EPA administrator Jackson announces resignation

WASHINGTON (AP) ? EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the Obama administration's chief environmental watchdog, is stepping down after a nearly four years marked by high-profile brawls over global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline, new controls on coal-fired plants and several other hot-button issues that affect the nation's economy and people's health.

Jackson constantly found herself caught between administration pledges to solve thorny environmental problems and steady resistance from Republicans and industrial groups who complained that the agency's rules destroyed jobs and made it harder for American companies to compete internationally.

The GOP chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, said last year that Jackson would need her own parking spot at the Capitol because he planned to bring her in so frequently for questioning. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for her firing, a stance that had little downside during the GOP primary.

Jackson, 50, the agency's first black administrator and a chemical engineer, did not point to any particular reason for her departure. Historically, Cabinet members looking to move on will leave at the beginning of a president's second term.

"I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference," she said in a statement. Jackson will leave sometime after President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address, typically in late January.

In a separate statement, Obama said Jackson has been "an important part of my team." He thanked her for serving and praised her "unwavering commitment" to the public's health.

"Under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, including implementing the first national standard for harmful mercury pollution, taking important action to combat climate change under the Clean Air Act and playing a key role in establishing historic fuel economy standards that will save the average American family thousands of dollars at the pump, while also slashing carbon pollution," he said.

Environmental activist groups and other supporters lauded Jackson for the changes she was able to make, but industry representatives said some may have come at an economic cost. Groups also noted that she leaves a large, unfinished agenda.

"There has been no fiercer champion of our health and our environment than Lisa Jackson, and every American is better off today than when she took office nearly four years ago," said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. But she noted that Jackson's successor will inherit an unfinished agenda, including the need to issue new health protections against carbon pollution from existing power plants.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on clean air, called Jackson's tenure a "breath of fresh air" and credited her for setting historic fuel economy standards for cars and trucks, and for finalizing clean air standards.

But Scott Segal, director of the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, said Jackson presided over some of the most expensive environmental rules in EPA history.

"Agency rules have been used as blunt attempts to marginalize coal and other solid fossil fuels and to make motor fuels more costly at the expense of industrial jobs, energy security, and economic recovery," Segal said. "The record of the agency over the same period in overestimating benefits to major rules has not assisted the public in determining whether these rules have been worth it."

Other environmental groups, however, praised Jackson's clean air efforts.

"Notwithstanding the difficult economic and political challenges EPA faced, her agency was directly responsible for saving the lives of tens of thousands of Americans and improving the health of millions throughout the country," said S. William Becker of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies. "She will be sorely missed."

Larry Schweiger, head of the National Wildlife Federation, cited her climate change work and efforts to reduce carbon pollution.

Environmental groups had high expectations for the Obama administration after eight years of President George W. Bush, a Texas oilman who rebuffed agency scientists and refused act on climate change. Jackson came into office promising a more active EPA.

But she soon learned that changes would not occur as quickly as she had hoped. Jackson watched as a Democratic-led effort to reduce global warming emissions passed the House in 2009 but was then abandoned by the Senate as economic concerns became the priority. The concept behind the bill, referred to as cap-and-trade, would have established a system where power companies bought and sold pollution rights.

"That's a revolutionary message for our country," Jackson said at a Paris conference shortly after accepting the job.

Jackson experienced another big setback last year when the administration scrubbed a clean-air regulation aimed at reducing health-threatening smog. Republican lawmakers had been hammering the president over the proposed rule, accusing him of making it harder for companies to create jobs.

She also vowed to better control toxic coal ash after a massive spill in Tennessee, but that regulation has yet to be finalized more than four years after the spill.

Jackson had some victories, too. During her tenure, the administration finalized a new rule doubling fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. The requirements will be phased in over 13 years and eventually require all new vehicles to average 54.5 mpg, up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year.

She shepherded another rule that forces power plants to control mercury and other toxic pollutants for the first time. Previously, the nation's coal- and oil-fired power plants had been allowed to run without addressing their full environmental and public health costs.

Jackson also helped persuade the administration to table the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would have brought carbon-heavy tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Texas.

House Republicans dedicated much of their time this past election year trying to rein in the EPA. They passed a bill seeking to thwart regulation of the coal industry and quash the stricter fuel efficiency standards. In the end, though, the bill made no headway in the Senate. It served mostly as election-year fodder that appeared to have little impact on the presidential race.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor and Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-administrator-jackson-announces-resignation-150922263.html

beach boys tony bennett joe walsh the civil wars duggar miscarriage roman holiday belize

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Document drop: Another Obama ICE memo sabotages homeland security (Michellemalkin)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273187012?client_source=feed&format=rss

sleigh bells meek sturgis sturgis whitney houston laid to rest daytona bike week mary kay ash

India's Singh says growth won't come with "business as usual"

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's prime minister struck a downbeat note on the challenges facing the economy on Thursday, dubbing a five-year plan for average growth of 8 percent "ambitious" and warning that business-as-usual policies won't deliver higher growth.

India's GDP growth has languished below 6 percent for three straight quarters, a far cry from the near-double-digit pace of expansion before the 2008 global financial downturn.

Economic growth for the fiscal year ending in March is expected to be 5.7-5.9 percent, the slowest since 2002/03.

"I must emphasize, that achieving a target of 8 percent growth, following less than 6 percent in the first year, is still an ambitious target," Manmohan Singh told a conference of state chief ministers on the government's 2012-2017 economic plan.

The downturn prodded Singh, castigated for years of policy inertia, to launch the most daring initiatives of his tenure in September that included raising subsidized diesel prices and opening the retail and other sectors to foreign players.

Analysts say the government must take more reform steps quickly, including speeding up approvals of infrastructure projects, overhauling the tax system and reducing a swollen fiscal deficit by reining in its subsidy bill.

Although some of these measures are critical for restoring the health of the economy, they have become a victim of political gridlock in New Delhi.

One of Singh's key policy advisers, Montek Singh Ahluwalia warned at the meeting that growth could get stuck at 5.0-5.5 percent if a policy logjam continues.

"The high growth scenario will definitely not materialize, if we follow a business as usual policy," Singh said, echoing his adviser.

"Our first priority must be to reverse this slowdown. We cannot change the global economy but we can do something about the domestic constraints which have contributed to the downturn."

A sub-6 percent growth rate is damaging for a country that needs an 8-8.5 percent clip to create jobs for its burgeoning population.

The slump also makes it tougher for Singh to fund flagship welfare programs ahead of a national election due by mid-2014.

"We must remember that we are still a low-income country. We need twenty years of rapid growth to bring it to middle income level," Singh said.

ENERGY SUBSIDIES

Low growth is making it harder for the government to narrow its fiscal gap, which global ratings agencies say must be controlled if India is to avoid seeing its sovereign debt rating being downgraded to junk.

New Delhi aims to cut its deficit to 5.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2012/13 from 5.8 percent the previous year. But lackluster tax revenues and high spending on subsidies have cast doubt on its deficit reduction plan.

Growth has also been dented by funding of the deficit from domestic savings, which crowds out private investment.

Singh said that subsidies on energy products should be limited, with a phased adjustment of prices.

"Unfortunately, energy is under-priced in our country. Our coal, petroleum products, and natural gas are priced well below international prices. This also means that electricity is effectively under-priced," he said.

"Immediate adjustment of prices to close the gap is not feasible, I realize this, but some phased price adjustment is necessary."

(Additional reporting by Arup Roychoudhury,; Editing by John Chalmers)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indias-singh-says-8-percent-growth-target-ambitious-054514312--business.html

Netflix down NRA Ryan Freel Melissa Nelson foot locker champs champs

WASHINGTON: Shoppers disappoint retailers this holiday season ...

? U.S. holiday sales so far this year have been the weakest since 2008, when the nation was in a deep recession. That puts pressure on stores that now hope for a post-Christmas burst of spending.

This year's holiday season was marred by bad weather and uncertainty about the economy in the face of possible tax hikes and spending cuts early next year. Some analysts say the massacre of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., earlier this month may also have chipped away at shoppers' enthusiasm.

Sales for the two months before Christmas increased 0.7 percent compared with last year, according to a MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse report. That's below the healthy 3 to 4 percent growth that analysts had expected - and the worst year-over-year performance since 2008, when spending shrank sharply during the Great Recession.

But stores still have some time to make up lost ground. The final week of December accounts for about 15 percent of the month's sales, said Michael McNamara, vice president for research and analysis at MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse. And the day after Christmas typically is among the biggest shopping days of the year.

Indeed, there was a crowd equivalent to a busy weekend day at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta by midday on Wednesday. Laschonda Pitluck, 18, a student in Atlanta, had held off earlier because she's a student and saving all her money for college. Last year she spent over $100 on gifts but this year she's keeping it under $50.

She found 50 percent off things she bought, including a hoodie and jeans for herself at American Eagle and a shirt at Urban Outfitters. She said she would have bought the clothes if they hadn't been 50 percent off.

"I wasn't looking for deals before Christmas, I waited until after," she said. She bought boxers for her boyfriend, and was looking for a hat but couldn't find one.

In New York, the Macy's location at Herald Square also was buzzing with shoppers. Ulises Guzman, 30, a social worker, said he held off buying until the final days before Christmas, knowing the deals would get better as stores got desperate. He said he was expecting discounts of at least 50 percent.

He saw a coat he wanted at Banana Republic for $200 in the days before Christmas but decided to hold off on making a purchase; on Wednesday, he got it for $80.

"I'm not looking at anything that's original price," he said.

Holiday sales are a crucial indicator of the economy's strength. November and December account for up to 40 percent of annual revenue for many retailers. If those sales don't materialize, stores are forced to offer steeper discounts. That's a boon for shoppers, but it cuts into stores' profits.

Spending by consumers accounts for 70 percent of overall economic activity, so the eight-week period encompassed by the SpendingPulse data is seen as a critical time not just for retailers but for manufacturers, wholesalers and companies at every other point along the supply chain.

The SpendingPulse data released Tuesday, which captures sales from Oct. 28 through Dec. 24 across all payment methods, is the first major snapshot of holiday retail sales. A clearer picture will emerge next week as retailers like Macy's and Target report revenue from stores open for at least a year. That sales measure is widely watched in the retail industry because it excludes revenue from stores that recently opened or closed, which can be volatile.

In the run-up to Christmas, analysts blamed bad weather for putting a damper on shopping. In late October, Superstorm Sandy battered the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, which account for 24 percent of U.S. retail sales.

Shopping picked up in the second half of November, but then the threat of the country falling off a "fiscal cliff" gained strength, throwing consumers off track once again.

Lawmakers have yet to reach a deal that would prevent tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect at the beginning of 2013. If the cuts and tax hikes kick in and stay in place for months, the Congressional Budget Office says the nation could fall back into recession.

Shopping over the past two months was weakest in areas affected by Sandy and a more recent winter storm in the Midwest. Sales declined by 3.9 percent in the mid-Atlantic and 1.4 percent in the Northeast compared with last year. They rose 0.9 percent in the north central part of the country.

The West and South posted gains of between 2 percent and 3 percent, still weaker than the 3 percent to 4 percent increases expected by many retail analysts.

Online sales, typically a bright spot, grew only 8.4 percent from Oct. 28 through Saturday, according to SpendingPulse. That's a dramatic slowdown from the online sales growth of 15 to 17 percent seen in the prior 18-month period, according to the data service.

Online sales did enjoy a modest boost after the recent snowstorm that hit the Midwest, McNamara said. Online sales make up about 10 percent of total holiday business.

---

Mae Anderson in Atlanta and Candice Choi in New York contributed to this report.

Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/25/4375716/us-holiday-retail-sales-growth.html

Pumpkin Carving Ideas Hurricane Sandy path opm daylight savings school closings sandy Time Change 2012

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Snow, rain soak eastern U.S. in post-Christmas storms

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - The severe winter weather that hit parts of the central and southern United States on Christmas Day moved eastward on Wednesday, causing flight delays and dangerous road conditions in the Northeast and Ohio Valley.

Flights headed for New York, Philadelphia and Newark, New Jersey, were experiencing delays of more than an hour due to the inclement weather, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Nearly 900 U.S. flights had been canceled on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard and winter storm warnings in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, as well as much of the Northeast, and warned that the wintry weather would make for "treacherous" driving conditions for holiday travelers.

More than six inches of snow might fall in those regions, while the area from western New York up into central Maine could get from 12 to 18 inches, the NWS said.

As of Wednesday morning, Bloomington, Indiana, already had nearly a foot of snow and Indianapolis had about seven inches, according to AccuWeather.com.

Severe thunderstorms and widespread rain were expected from southeast Virginia to Florida, with the eastern counties in North Carolina and South Carolina under tornado watches or warnings, the NWS said.

The wet and snowy conditions follow a major winter storm system that swept through the southern United States on Tuesday, spawning tornadoes in several states and causing the deaths of at least two people in weather-related road accidents.

Twisters struck in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana, flattening houses and causing injuries, according to the weather service.

Declaring a state of emergency, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant deployed resources to the multiple counties in that state that reported damaged homes and businesses, power outages and flooding.

Tuesday's storms also contributed to a 21-vehicle pile-up that shut Interstate 40 in downtown Oklahoma City and caused power outages for tens of thousands of residents.

A Texas man died after an accident involving a toppled tree in the road, and there was another weather-related fatality on I-44 in Oklahoma, according to local authorities.

In the U.S. southeast, nearly 200,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity on Wednesday following a Christmas Day winter storm packing snow, high winds and tornadoes.

The storm dumped record snowfalls in North Texas and Arkansas.

About 1,000 people spent the night on cots at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after some 400 flights were canceled there on Tuesday due to weather, said Cynthia Vega, media relations manager at the airport.

On Wednesday morning, about 50 more flights were canceled, she said.

"We're hoping to get passengers back on track," Vega said. "It's probably going to be a little hectic at the airport."

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Additional reporting by Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Gunna Dickson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-brings-tornadoes-white-christmas-parts-south-010903992.html

free agents nfl 2012 milwaukee bucks bear grylls us news law school rankings gael glen rice jr bars

Video: Short-Term 'Cliff' Deal Still Possible?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50296406/

earth day timothy leary jonathan frid pujols watchmen hitch justin beiber

The apostle Paul: One of the important influences on Christmas

Biblical historian James D. Tabor discusses Paul's influence on Christianity and the way that we celebrate Christmas.

By Randy Dotinga / December 24, 2012

'He lays the groundwork for the Christmas story,' Tabor says of the apostle Paul. 'It's not just celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's celebrating that Mary the virgin brings forth a child who has no human father.'

Enlarge

When the world celebrates Christmas this week and Easter next year, it will walk in the steps of the apostle Paul. While he never met Jesus, Paul played a crucial role in focusing early Christianity on Jesus's birth, death, and resurrection.

Skip to next paragraph

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

In his new book "Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity," biblical historian James D. Tabor explores how this one man ? stubborn, cranky and powerful ? forever influenced a fledgling faith.

In an interview, I asked Tabor, chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, about Paul's teachings, his impact, and the never-ending debate over his legacy.

?
Q: How was Paul important to the development of Christianity?
?
A: Paul packages things ? "I believe this, this and this" ? and puts the movement on the road to the wider non-Jewish world and out of the Jewish context.

As Judaism, it's not going to go forth and become a universal faith, particularly considering the observances of Judaism that separate people and make them Jewish, like circumcision. In Paul's day, circumcision was seen as a mutilation [among non-Jews].

This was dropped, along with the dietary laws. The idea was that you didn't have to convert to Judaism in a formal way to be a Christian: You didn't have to say "I'm Jewish" to say "I follow Jesus." You could be baptized and accept Jesus as your savior and be born again, then you would be a Christian. You wouldn't be a Jew.

This separation begins to develop, and Paul really formulates that.
?
Q: How does he define what Christianity is?
?
A: The idea that to be saved, to be in favor with God, to have eternal life and spiritual salvation, is to believe that Jesus died for your sins, to accept Him as your savior, to ask [Jesus] to come into your hearts ? all of that, I think we get from Paul.

Without that, you'd have something more like a Jewish wisdom teacher, [the Jesus of] the Sermon on the Mount: Love your enemies, treat the poor justly, turn the other cheek.

If someone said,"I believe in caring for the poor and turning the other cheek and trying to treat my enemies justly and giving liberty to the oppressed," you might think that doesn't mean a new religion. That's a set of ethics.
?
Q: How does Paul convince people that he can speak for the faith?
?
A: He's going by his visions, since he's never met Jesus.

We have the 12 apostles, we have James, the brother of Jesus, and then you have Paul who comes along. He says,"I've seen the Lord, too," but he means he's seen in this visionary, clairvoyant experience.
?
Q: He comes across as quite stern. How would you describe his personality?
?
A: He was prickly, that's for sure. He was certainly fiery, and he was very dogmatic about his experiences, an absolute self-assured dogmatism that could really get in your face.

If pushed or questioned, he can start sounding nasty. And if you don't accept his authority, he can sound very arrogant and egotistical.

[In essence], he says, "Christ appeared to me last, but not least." He's saying, "I was the last of the apostles, the 13th apostle, but I worked hardest of them all. I'm not the least bit inferior."
?
Q: How did Paul affect Christianity's emphasis on the birth of Christ?
?
A: The celebration of Christmas came a couple hundred years later. But he does have a lot to do with Christmas. He comes along before the gospels are written, and he's the earliest source to say Jesus existed before his birth, and he's born of a woman, and then he's crucified and died and raised from the dead.

He lays the groundwork for the Christmas story. It's not just celebrating the birth of Jesus. It's celebrating that Mary the virgin brings forth a child who has no human father ? the divine son of God, born of a virgin in Bethlehem and worshiped by wise men and angels.
?
Q: How does Paul influence Christianity today?
?
A: With few exceptions, the branches are heavily indebted to Paul because they all share the Christian creeds.

As far as looking to Paul directly, it's more the conservative, fundamentalist Protestants who really concentrate on Paul. I don't think they would ever say this, but if you watch what they teach and emphasize, if they quote Paul, it's as if you're quoting God. Paul settles the issue.
?
Q: What about the liberal strains of Christianity?
?
A: They emphasize more of the liberal teachings of Jesus.

Paul, however, sees the message as about Jesus. He says the main message of Jesus is his crucifixion, his resurrection.

It takes St. Francis to come along and say, "Maybe it's about how we live. Wouldn't it be a challenge to live [as Jesus] taught?"

Christianity lives with that kind of tension, between Christianity as a set of beliefs, a creedal statement, and Christianity as a way of life.

Randy Dotinga is a Monitor contributor.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/qlIatlbxZBo/The-apostle-Paul-One-of-the-important-influences-on-Christmas

stephen jackson nba trade deadline ncaa tournament marchmadness mike d antoni nba trade rumors 2012 ncaa tournament schedule

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Worshippers rejoice in Jesus' Bethlehem birthplace

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) ? Pilgrims and locals celebrated Christmas Day on Tuesday in the ancient Bethlehem church built over the site where tradition holds Jesus was born, candles illuminating the sacred site and the joyous sound of prayer filling its overflowing halls.

Overcast skies and a cold wind didn't dampen the spirits of worshippers who came dressed in holiday finery and the traditional attire of foreign lands to mark the holy day in this biblical West Bank town. Bells pealed and long lines formed inside the fourth-century Church of the Nativity complex as Christian faithful waited eagerly to see the grotto that is Jesus' traditional birthplace.

Duncan Hardock, 24, a writer from MacLean, Va., traveled to Bethlehem from the republic of Georgia, where he had been teaching English. After passing through the separation barrier Israel built to ward off West Bank attackers, he walked to Bethlehem's Manger Square where the church stands.

"I feel we got to see both sides of Bethlehem in a really short period of time," Hardock said. "On our walk from the wall, we got to see the lonesome, closed side of Bethlehem ... But the moment we got into town, we're suddenly in the middle of the party."

Bethlehem lies 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Jerusalem. Entry to the city is controlled by Israel, which occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Hardock's girlfriend, 22-year-old Jennifer Gemmell of Longmont, Colorado, compared the festive spirit in Manger Square on Christmas Eve, saying "it's like being at Times Square at New Year's."

The cavernous church was unable to hold all the worshippers who had hoped to celebrate Christmas Day Mass inside. A loudspeaker outside the church broadcast the service to the hundreds in the square who could not pack inside.

Tourists in the square posed for pictures as vendors hawked olive wood rosaries, nativity scenes, corn on the cob, roasted nuts, tea and coffee.

An official from the Palestinian tourism ministry predicted 10,000 foreigners would visit Bethlehem on Christmas Day and said 15,000 visited on Christmas Eve ? up 20 percent from a year earlier. The official, Rula Maia'a, attributed the rise in part to the Church of the Nativity's classification earlier this year as a U.N. World Heritage Site.

Christians from Israel ? Arab citizens and others ? also boosted the number of visitors.

Information technology consultant Martin Wzork came to Bethlehem with his wife and young daughter from Krakow, Poland.

"My wife believes in God, so it's important for her," said Wzork, who described himself as a non-believer. "For me, it's interesting because it's a historical place and famous."

On Christmas Eve, thousands of Christians from all over the world packed the square, which was awash in light, resplendent with decorations and adorned by a lavishly decorated, 17-meter (55-foot) fir tree. Their Palestinian hosts, who welcome this holiday as the high point of their city's year, were especially joyous this season, proud of the United Nations' recognition of an independent state of Palestine just last month.

Israel, backed by the United States, opposed the Palestinian statehood bid, saying it was a ploy to bypass negotiations, something the Palestinians deny. Talks stalled four years ago.

Later Tuesday, the world's Christmas focus will shift to Vatican City, where Pope Benedict XVI will deliver his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" speech ? Latin for "to the city and the world" ? from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to thousands of pilgrims, tourists and Romans gathered in the piazza below.

The speech traditionally reviews world events and global challenges, and ends with the pope delivering Christmas greetings in dozens of languages.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/worshippers-rejoice-jesus-bethlehem-birthplace-081929930.html

gisele bundchen tom brady randy travis arrested dickens greg kelly cujo karen handel hangout

Politicians look to restrict gun magazine capacity, NRA voices opposition

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Lawmakers from both parties voiced their willingness Sunday to pursue some changes to the nation's gun laws, but adamant opposition from the National Rifle Association has made clear than any such effort will face significant obstacles.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre dismissed efforts to revive a ban on assault weapons as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies.

Democratic lawmakers in Congress have become more adamant about the need for stricter gun laws since the shooting of 20 children and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is promising to push for a renewal of expired legislation that banned certain weapons and limited the number of bullets a gun magazine could hold to 10.

"I think we ought to be looking at where the real danger is, like those large clips," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

"I think we need a comprehensive approach," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., a longtime gun rights supporter. "I'll look at all the proposals. . I think it looks at mental health, I think it looks at protecting our schools but I also think it looks at these high-volume magazines, you know, that can fire off so many rounds."

Both lawmakers appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation," where NRA President David Keene said lawmakers were asking the wrong question when discussing how many rounds a gun magazine should have.

The right question, he said: "Can we keep guns out of the hands of people who are potential killers?"

LaPierre made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.

"You want one more law on top of 20,000 laws, when most of the federal gun laws we don't even enforce?" he said.

Instead, LaPierre reiterated the group's support for putting police officers in every school.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, said he found the NRA's statements in recent days to be "really disheartening." Still, he said he agrees with some of the points the group has made about the causes behind violence in America.

"But it's obviously also true that the easy availability of guns, including military-style assault weapons, is a contributing factor, and you can't keep that off the table. I had hoped they'd come to the table and say, everything is on the table," Lieberman said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said LaPierre was "so extreme and so tone deaf" that he was making it easier to pass gun legislation.

"Look, he blames everything but guns: movies, the media, President Obama, gun-free school zones, you name it. And the video games, he blames them," Schumer said.

Lieberman said the NRA's stand on new gun rules means passing legislation next year won't happen easily.

"It's going to be a battle. But the president, I think, and vice president, are really ready to lead the fight," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-look-restrict-gun-magazine-capacity-082617451.html

rick santorum ozzie guillen castro comments phish gluten free diet barry zito mac virus santorum drops out