Bacon Shortages, Free Speech, and the Making of a President

President Reagan famously exhorted Mikhail Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall," in a Berlin speech. Does it matter if a president is a great orator?

Photo by Mike Sargent/AFP/Getty Images.

?How To Measure for a President: Suppose the presidential campaign was settled by a job interview. Here?s what we should look for,? by John Dickerson. As we enter the home stretch of the presidential campaign, John Dickerson explores what qualities a candidate needs to be a good president. He argues that candidates must know how to play politics, and he also talks about what it takes to manage a White House staff.

??Pop Art: The brilliant redesign of the soda can tab,? by Tom Vanderbilt. It?s been 35 years since Jimmy Buffett ?blew out [his] flip flop/ and stepped on a pop top.? Now Tom Vanderbilt explores the simple engineering marvel that replaced the old, dangerous metal scraps. But oddly enough, attaching the tab to the can still hasn?t kept kids from swallowing it.

?The World Doesn?t Love the First Amendment: The vile anti-Muslim video shows that the U.S. overvalues free speech,? by Eric Posner. In this provocative piece, University of Chicago law professor Eric Posner puts American regard for freedom of expression in an international context?and suggests we might be the ones in the wrong.

?Why You Hate Cyclists: Partly because of jerks like me. But it?s mostly your own illogical mind,? by Jim Saksa. What explains the never-ending war between drivers and bikers? Not maniac cyclists?science: ?When it comes to cyclists, once some clown on two wheels almost kills himself with your car, you furiously decide that bicyclists are assholes,? Saksa writes, ?and that conclusion will be hard to shake regardless of countervailing facts, stats, or arguments.?

?Human Rights, the Death Penalty, and Affirmative Action: What will the Supreme Court decide in this term?s first big cases?? by Emily Bazelon. On the docket this fall: Does a 1789 anti-piracy statute allow cases against foreign corporations in American courts for human rights abuses on foreign soil? Can we execute defendants who are found mentally incompetent to help their lawyers with appeals? And will the Court strike down affirmative action? Emily Bazelon offers a preview.

?How Can We Stop Pedophiles? Stop treating them like monsters,? by Jennifer Blyer. Pedophiles might struggle with sexual attraction to children for years before they abuse, but mandatory reporting requirements discourage them from seeking help. Jennifer Blyer recommends treating pedophilia as an unchangeable neurological condition and teaching mental health professionals how to offer treatment?before it?s too late.

?Who Was the Most Religious President of All Time? They called him ?The Deacon,?? by Forrest Wickman. This week, The New Yorker?s r Nicholas Lemann wrote that Mitt Romney ?would arguably be the most actively religious President in American history.? But which president holds the title right now? Forrest Wickman suggests it?s Jimmy Carter, who went door-to-door introducing himself as a peanut farmer/missionary.

?House of Pain: Obama may be president. Democrats may keep the Senate. But the House isn?t going anywhere,? by David Weigel. Nancy Pelosi tries to convince reporters that Democrats can take back the House, but David Weigel?s not buying it?especially not after the 2011 redistricting. ?That would mean that the people who drew the districts didn't do very good jobs,? a pollster tells Weigel.

?There Will Be No Bacon Shortage: How a British trade association press release sent the Internet into a senseless panic,? by Matthew Yglesias. We won?t run out of bacon, but we might have to pay a bit more for it. Matthew Yglesias traces the bacon shortage rumor back to its source.

?NFL 2012: The scab refs and the NFL slide deeper into incompetence,? by Drew Magary. The referee lockout is finally over. Relive the madness with Week 3 of Slate?s season-long NFL roundtable with Deadspin, where Drew Magary, Chris Kluwe, Barry Petchesky, and Stefan Fatsis analyze the botched call heard around the world.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=c3a18876c312c72a6333cd5d111a75ac

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Why The Future Of Insurance Will Be Mobile And What Will It Mean ...

Anybody out there who doesn't have a mobile device, raise your hand...just what I thought.

The explosion of mobile phones and apps in the everyday lives of consumers--and agents--is powering big changes in the business of insurance. ?Heightened customer expectations are getting formed by the changing mobile landscape; new generations of customers; new competitors, and the ferocious pace of mobile tech-enabled innovation that is radically reshaping how customers become informed, purchase, and get service.?

In our new report, the first of Forrester's Mobile Insurance Playbook, we examine how mobile forces are driving customer expectations and how customer demands are going to influence new insurance business models.

Consider that:

• Consumers are living La Vida Mobile.? Mobile is a pervasive element in the daily lives of insurance customers.?With more mobile devices available within easy reach, US consumers are tapping into this ready convenience to research, buy, and service their financial needs, including insurance. ?And how about those Millennial insurance customers? ?More than one in four told us that they use mobile as their main personal financial channel.?
• Agents are becoming proficient mobile tool users.??The tablet form factor looks almost purpose-built for the needs of agents. ?From their hi-def displays to fast boot-up and super portability, agents are ardent tablet-ers, and half the agents in an informal survey at the end of last year cited mobile as one of their leading business initiatives.?

These forces, along with others, are pressuring insurance digital teams to leverage mobile?s power to deliver the right information at the right time and in the right customer experience. And the role that mobile is playing is putting mobile on the agenda of insurance boards. ?How can digital insurance teams make sure that those mobile investments pay off by delivering a business impact? ?By making mobile apps:

• Simple. Mobile apps are getting easier to use.?In 2012, it's just plain nonsense to think that users should be hunched over tiny mobile keyboards typing in data. ?Smart insurers are turning to capabilities like photo image capture as in Progressive's quoting, claiming, and bill pay "take a picture" options; voice control like in American Family's DreamVault home contents inventory app; and the "bump" feature that Geico's Connect app offers that enables drivers other than the named insured(s) on the policy, to download and share their digital ID cards.
• Ubiquitous.Mobile apps means that insurers can be by their customers' sides whenever needed or wanted. ?Along with expected bill pay and FNOL functions, smart digital insurers are building apps that fill other needs for consumers. ?Esurance's mobile app has ?"feed a craving" functionality that lets users find anything from coffee to cupcakes. It points out my favorite cupcake joint, Eat Cake--my reward for a hard day of analyst toil--but I am overly familiar with their location, so I really don't need Esurance's ?help finding it, but it will help me if I need a cupcake fix when I'm on the road.
• Personal. Mobile apps capture my information to create a personal experiences. While researching this report, I got introduced to a lot of cool mobile apps that used my personal information to do good--like pointing out my excellent cornering and how I interpret posted speed limits--in a new way. ?Two that caught my attention (and you'll hear more about this in upcoming blog) are BRIGHTdriver and DriveScribe, with each taking a different angle on the experience: ?BRIGHTdrive's game approach versus DriveScribe's shriller utility approach.?
• Empowering.Mobile apps also have to put needed information into the hands of consumers, and that can be anything from finding an agent as evidenced in Texas Farm Bureau's excellent agent locator to CastLight Health's health care cost transparency mobile app (and unfortunately, it has to be offered through an employer) that let's consumers see how their medical providers were rated by other consumers as well as their price for the procedure (See screen shot below). ?Both mean that consumers can find the right provider at the right price for them.
• Reassuring. Mobile apps act as safety nets for users, letting them summon everything from tow trucks to vehicle recalls. Security First, a Florida home insurer, grabbed our attention with their Storm Center functionality, offering a variety of hurricane tools from check lists, open Red Cross shelters, and the location of their Mobile Recovery units (See screeen shot below). Aviva UK Health offers a mobile My Stress Kit app that could help me better manage my stress so I don't speed and eat too many cupcakes.?

Through these SUPER capabilities, mobile has changed the way that customers envision an insurance company: We can now hold it in the palm of our hand and our entire relationship with an insurance company ? from quotation through to claim ? could take place through this single device. ?That means that mobile will be the catalyst for insurance transformations that will ripple beyond just how customer interactions are changing. The impact of mobile will be felt across the insurance industry and ecosystem. Products, payments, distribution, underwriting, operations, and even what constitutes intellectual property will look very different, from the "lights-out" insurer (meaning a different focus for agents) to the new lease on life that mobile will offer for usage-based insurance.?

So how do you think the ?business of insurance will be influenced by mobile through the end of the end of the decade? Tell us and tell us what you think of our take on the future.

??

Source: http://blogs.forrester.com/node/8294?cm_mmc=RSS-_-MS-_-78-_-blog_1257

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Saturday Morning Breakfast & Baseball: Ozzie Drama, New Rays Ballpark, Ichiro & His Bats, and More

In today's B&B, we look at (more) Ozzie Guillen drama in Miami, a potential new Rays ballpark that won't happen, Ichiro's obsession with his bat care, biased announcers, Glen Perkins going pitch-by-pitch through a save with Joe Posnanski, and the result of Citi Field moving in their fences.

Welcome to Saturday, everyone! With the changes to Twinkie Town and the whole SB Nation, I was going to try to create a new account for myself. You see, I've been logging in through Facebook this whole time, which is why my whole name always appears whenever I author an article or game thread. This morning, I decided to fix that with a new account, and so I came to Twinkie Town with that mission in mind. However, I quickly found that my desired username "Bryz" has already been taken... and then I remembered why. Long ago, I created an account with that username, except I immediately forgot the password. Thus, the username is already in use by myself, ugh. So, it looks like I'll be stuck with most of my full name for now, meaning that I'll remain just as famous as Ryan Rowland-Smith when it comes to baseball and hyphenated last names.

• Just like in Boston with Bobby Valentine, it's becoming messy down in Miami with Ozzie Guillen. We all know him quite well from his White Sox days, and it looks like his actions just aren't as fun when the team isn't winning. First, let's backtrack a bit. Closer Heath Bell, who was a big Marlins free agent signing last offseason, has been pitching awfully this year. He was stripped of the closer role and despite pitching better of late, hadn't received it back from Ozzie. Bell went on a Miami radio show to complain about Ozzie, saying "It's hard to respect a guy that doesn't tell you the truth." Bell would later say that he was taken out of context, but if this wasn't a big deal, he wouldn't have had to backtrack and say that his words were twisted. Anyway, Ozzie then went on a radio show himself to complain about Bell, and to make it really awkward, the media walked into the clubhouse right as the Marlins team was listening to Ozzie trash Bell on the air. To make it even worse, Ozzie was asked if he respected Bell and his response was, "As a player, yes. As a guy, I don't know." Showtime must be kicking themselves for ending "The Franchise" early with this team, and I bet either Ozzie or Bell will leave the team sometime before next season.
• Darryl LeClair is a developer in St. Petersburg, FL, and he has an idea on getting a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. That's not a bad idea, considering that Tropicana Field is essentially Metrodome South, except instead of having a roof that interfered with an outfielder's ability to catch fly balls, it has catwalks that interfere with an outfielder's ability to catch fly balls. However, there are some issues. First, no one knows how the stadium will be funded. Second, the Rays and MLB haven't announced if they even want LeClair working on the ballpark. Third, LeClair's proposed land for the park is only 12 acres (Target Field is built on only 12 acres, but that doesn't mean it's recommended for all parks). Finally, which surprisingly wasn't mentioned in the article, the Rays are contracted to play in Tropicana Field for the rest of eternity until 2027. But hey, good luck to ya, LeClair.
• Alright, saying he's obsessed was probably the wrong word. It's more like he's meticulous. Ichiro Suzuki recapped how he takes care of his bats, which involves a black case that dehumidifies the bats. Ichiro believes that a bat with too much moisture becomes spongy and "sweaty," which will soften the impact of the bat meeting a baseball. It's a pretty interesting read, especially when we learn that he actually once broke a bat in a fit of anger back in 1999. Even more interesting is that he later called the bat manufacturer to apologize.
• We have another story on bias and baseball announcers, but last time dealt with race. This time, we're looking at an announcer's bias towards his team he's covering, and you will be absolutely shocked to hear who came out with an easy victory in this department. None other than the man that touts the White Sox, Hawk Harrelson. Yes, it wasn't even close, as Hawk and his partner Steve Stone combined to say 103 biased comments (saying "we," calling the Sox "good guys," his annoying phrases) in a single game, while the 2nd place team was the Cleveland Indians with 23. The link above is the Wall Street Journal article about the study, while this is the tallies for every team in the league. Two things: The Twins ranked rather high (tied for 7th), but Dick 'n' Bert had only 9 biased comments during the game that was analyzed, and I'm shocked the Marlins guys didn't have more during the game (5th, 15 comments). You should watch MLB Network to catch my drift.
  
• Our once hated, now beloved reliever Glen Perkins walked Joe Posnanski through his recent save against the Yankees from Wednesday night. The reason Posnanski approached him was to focus on how an athlete bounces back from a significant mistake. In Perk's case, he allowed a solo home run with 2 outs to Andruw Jones that cut the lead to 1, but he bounced back to strike out Jayson Nix to end the game. You get some pretty cool insight on what Perkins does to get ready before an appearance, how he approaches each batter (he doesn't want to know who he's facing until he gets to the mound), and how a player's cleats helped him relax on the mound.
• Finally, here's another #CrankyBryz rant, but it's tame compared to my last one. After repeated complaints, the New York Mets finally moved in their fences to appease the hitters. Well, it certainly worked, as 47 more home runs were hit this year compared to last. However, the new fences ended up benefiting the opposition slightly more than the Mets, as the road teams hit 25 HR that would not have cleared the old fences, while the Mets hit 21 of those cheap dingers. The reason moving in the fences annoys me is because it's seemingly always done with the home hitters in mind, but it completely ignores the pitchers and the fact that moving the fences will benefit the opponents as well. In this case, while it was a small difference, it helped the Mets' opponents more than the Mets themselves. Target Field is becoming more hitter-friendly this year, but this is still something you should remember the next time the spacious confines of the Twins' home ballpark is mentioned.

The Twins and #SpoilerTour2K12 continues this afternoon against the Tigers. It's my final game for this season, and perhaps I'll see you there!

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Source: http://www.twinkietown.com/2012/9/29/3427370/saturday-morning-breakfast-baseball-ozzie-drama-new-rays-ballpark

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Why I Hate Elevator Pitches | Business 2 Community

Fellow PBB writer, Scott Bradley, nearly had me rolling my eyes when he wrote about why your personal brand needs an elevator pitch. But he saved me from serious eye strain when he avoided making the cardinal sin most elevator pitch writers make.

The sin of being too clever.

Scott?s strategy is a good one. A good elevator pitch is an ?effective value proposition.? It tells people what you do. And it has to be ?simple and memorable.? That is, it needs to take much less than the 30 seconds we?re usually told it should take ? your elevator pitch should be no more than 2 sentences ? and it needs to be something people will remember.

But memorable is not clever. Memorable is short, punchy, and to the point.

The Goal is to Get People to Talk to You

The whole point of an elevator pitch is to get people to talk to you about what you do. To want to learn more. To ask questions.

And their first question should not be a puppyish tilting of the head followed by a quizzical ?Huh??

Several years ago, one friend?s elevator pitch was ?We make your company more memorable.?

She changed it after Kyle Lacy, my Branding Yourself co-author, and I made fun of her.

?That could be anything,? we said. ?Sky writers, a guy wearing a sandwich board, or someone who will punch people in the mouth while shouting your company name.?

The problem was, she had been told to use her elevator pitch because it would get people?s interest and get them to talk to her.

It?s not a bad strategy if you?re stuck on a transcontinental flight with someone and you both forgot your headphones. But in every other elevator pitch situation, you don?t have that long to gain someone?s attention, so you don?t want to waste the first 10 seconds of that interaction ? not to mention that chance to make a good first impression ? by saying something that makes you have to explain what it is you do anyway.

Just tell me what you do, and we can skip the unnecessary stuff. If I like what you have to say, and I need it at that particular moment, I?ll ask for more. If I don?t, we?ll make polite conversation until I can figure out a way to leave without appearing rude.

It?s About Timing

In a recent blog post on Linda Formichelli?s Renegade Writer, Melissa Breau talked about how it?s important to have perfect timing when you?re pitching.

Case in point: Melissa landed a copywriting client because she started Twitter-following a well-known entrepreneur and she mentioned that she was a writer in her bio. It wasn?t overly clever ? ?we put your dreams down on paper? ? and it wasn?t overly boring either ? ?#Writer. #GrammarNerd. These opinions are my own.? Instead, it explained that she was a copywriter, which is what her client needed at exactly that moment.

(By the way, let me break away for a minute and talk about how much I loathe: 1) #Hashtags in Twitter bios. They make you seem desperate; and, 2) Statements that tell me your tweets are your own. If your company lawyers make you say that, fine. If they don?t, don?t. I already figured that the personal account with your own name and photo was a dead giveaway that these were your opinions.)

Melissa?s bio, her Twitter elevator pitch ? her ?Twitch?? ? describes what she does: ?Copywriter and book editor.?

And what did her new client need? A copywriter.

It is, as Scott Bradley said, simple and memorable.

It was, as Melissa Breau said, perfect timing.

She wrote the right pitch, and it reached her new client at the right time.

KISS ? Keep It Short and Simple

The point is this: it doesn?t matter what you say, how clever your pitch is, or whether it?s 5 seconds or 8 seconds long. What matters is the person you?re talking to needs exactly what you offer at that very time. If they don?t, no amount of clever patter, no matter how much effort you put into it, no usage of the latest corporate jargony bullshit will save you.

Make your elevator pitch simple, clear, and direct.

?I?m a copywriter.?
?I?m a forensic accountant who investigates corporate embezzlement cases.?
?I?m a personal injury attorney specializing in bicycle versus construction equipment accidents.?

Don?t fluff it up, don?t be clever, and don?t try to come up with something that will ?make them ask questions.?

Either the other person is interested in what you do because they need it, or they?re not. And no amount of verbal trickery is going to make them interested. So be simple, be direct, be as self-explanatory as you can.

Remember, you only have 15 seconds to impress someone. Don?t spend that time explaining your elevator pitch. Just say what you should have said all along.

Author:

Erik Deckers is a writer. That?s it. Just a writer. Nothing more. Oh, and he?s a business owner. He?s the co-owner of Professional Blog Service. He?s also the co-author of Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself. His new book, No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing. Also, his opinions are his own, but they should be embraced by the general populace.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/strategy/why-i-hate-elevator-pitches-0289171

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Estate Planning For Sdn Bhd Shareholders ? SharesInv.com

By Lee Khee Chuan

Wisdom doesn?t automatically come with old age. Nothing does ? except wrinkles. It?s true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.

-Abigail Van Buren

Tom and Harry (not their real names) own a successful chain of retail shops, as equal shareholders of a Sendirian Berhad (Sdn. Bhd.) company in a city of 600,000 residents.

They recently rejected an offer to sell their company for RM2,000,000 believing that the business was worth much more. Besides, they wanted to expand their business. Among the many keys to their success is their ability to work long hours with each other and to complement each other?s strengths.

Their estate planner did ask what would happen if either of them were not around or became disabled and could not contribute to the business.

Tom, a widower, was especially threatened by the thought. Harry, who cares for his semi-invalid mother, recognised the threat of disability. They asked what they should do. The adviser recommended a funded business continuation agreement. This is an arrangement that provides for the transfer of the share ownership to a party who will continue to operate the business. They thought about it briefly, but delayed acting on the idea when sales activity exploded in anticipation of the year-end season. Tom died of a heart attack just before the holidays ended.

Tom had a simple will drawn up after his wife?s death. Unfortunately, it did not expressively address his business shareholding. He left all his assets in a testamentary trust for his minor children. His brother serving as an executor and trustee is concerned because of the lack of cash in the trust.

In the last few years, Tom had been buying up land from the handsome income earned from his business as he always told his friends land is the best investment. Beside his shareholdings in the Sdn Bhd, he also owns a detached house, but not much in the way of bank savings, because he always thought that by keeping too much cash in the bank, the money is not working hard enough for him.

To raise cash for Tom?s testamentary trust, the trustee planned to liquidate the Sdn Bhd, believing the sale of the shares to be a quicker and easier approach than trying to sell or continue the business. Harry is distraught because he prefers to continue the profitable business. Clearly the two shareholders, the trustee (holding on trust for Tom?s minor children) and Harry, have conflicting objectives.

What could Tom and Harry have done to prevent this unfortunate entanglement?

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS
1. Realistically assess the implications of your withdrawal from the business, if you are the primary, or only, share?holder, do you have the quality of management in place to enable you to leave the Sdn Bhd without having to sell your shareholdings?

It is just simplistic thinking to assume that the potential for the unlimited life of the Sdn Bhd will solve all business continuation problems.

Business structure alone will not guarantee suc?cess. You must create the environment that will give the new owners the optimal chance to succeed, espe?cially if your future income depends on it.

2. Hire and train successor-owners long before your planned departure. If your business is not the kind that can be easily sold for cash in the open market (and most can?t), create your own market by setting up the key people in-house to be the purchasers. Don?t assume you can bring in someone talented to take your place a few months before you depart. It takes time to find, recruit, and develop successor-managers who can become successor-owners.

3. Enter into a buy-sell arrangement. A written agreement is critical. By contracting with the ultimate purchaser, you create a guaranteed mar?ket for your business in the event of your death or dis?ability.

You also improve the likelihood of a market for your share when you voluntarily retire. An agreement can avoid the problem of surviving shareholders end?ing up in business with a surviving spouse or the chil?dren?s trustee.

To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step to knowledge.
- Benjamin Disraeli, British politician (1804 ? 1881)

Lee Khee Chuan, is a Securities Commission and Bank Negara-licensed financial adviser representative with Standard Financial Planner (SFP) Sdn Bhd. He holds a B.A. from National University of Singapore and is a Chartered Financial Consultant ( ChFC ) and Certified Financial Planner? ( CFP? ) For more information, please visit: www.lkcestateplanning.com

The Shares Investment editorial team welcomes constructive feedback on our coverage and content. We would also be delighted to answer any questions on the above article. Leave us a comment below, and we'll get back to you shortly!

Source: http://www.sharesinv.com/articles/2012/09/28/estate-planning-for-sdn-bhd-shareholders/

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Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank Take On "The Homesman" With Tommy Lee Jones

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Are Meryl Streep and Hilary Swank joining Tommy Lee Jones on the American prairie?

With the American Film Market just around the corner, a number of pre-sales projects have begun to circulate among buyers, including "The Homesman" with Streep and Swank part of the package, TheWrap has learned.

In May it was announced that Jones would write, direct, produce and star in the period piece, which follows a pioneer, played by Jones, and a frontier woman as they escort three insane women across the American prairie.

No additional cast was announced at that time. Now an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap that buyers are being presented with a pre-AFM package that includes the two A -list actresses.

Swank will play the frontier woman, but it was not clear which role Streep would play. Streep also starred with Jones this year in "Hope Springs."

Michael Fitzgerald will produce "The Homesman" through his Ithaca Films label, while Jones will produce through The Javelina Film Company. Luc Besson's EuropaCorp. is producing financing and distributing the film internationally.

Jones made his directorial debut with TNT's "The Good Old Boys." His first feature as both a producer and director was the 2005 drama "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," which was also produced by Fitzgerald and EuropaCorp. He recently directed an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's play "The Sunset Limited" for HBO.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meryl-streep-hilary-swank-homesman-tommy-lee-jones-231714818.html

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Essential Tips On Lighting Up Your Home | What is How to

Do you want to know a secret that will help you transform your home without having to tear down any walls or spend a crazy amount of money? Well it is actually quite simple; it is all in the lighting. Put that expensive antique piece that you think you need for your bathroom down first, it will not do you much good if your home lighting is not in order. Lighting is one of the most important elements of your home d?cor.

So many homeowners jump on to every home improvement wagon that comes their way but they miss out on this one crucial thing. You can get your house looking pretty good with some home improvement projects, but if you want it to look great, then you will need to do something about your lights.

This is easier said than done though. Home lighting is an intricate process that requires you to know the function of every room, and the type of lighting that will best complement that function. This article breaks the process down for you.

Most of the time spent within this room will be with the lights off, but for those few minutes before you turn them off you want your lights to create a good, relaxing mood. Whether it is the children?s bedroom or the master suite, there is one thing you will need to do in terms of lighting that is similar in both of them; you have to make it calming.

The bedroom is the retreating place for most people, children and adults combined, when life throws at them things that they find hard to handle. A couple of lamps that are well positioned should work to relax the person and calm them down. Bright, harsh lights should be avoided at all costs, as they just increase anxiety.

However, some aspects of bedroom lighting that will differ depending on whose bedroom it is. The color of the lights for example, can be determined by the gender of the occupant. For younger children as well, you should have a nightlight on the standby for them-most children are afraid of the dark. As for the master bedroom, well the lighting should be able to create the mood you need to get things going.

The lighting requirements in the kitchen are the complete opposite of those in the bedroom. In the kitchen, the brighter the room the better. You will be handling elements that are potentially dangerous; you had better be able to see what you are doing!

This however does not translate into using lighting that is harsh to the eyes. There are creative ways in which you can provide adequate lighting in the kitchen, which is at the same time beautiful and decorative.

• Family room and dining room

The family room is essentially, where you should spend most of your time as a family. Seeing as it is going to be a hub of activity most of the time, you want light fixtures that cannot easily be knocked over by someone playing. You also want lighting that is soft to relax the family but not romantic as such, that would be out of place. As for the dining room, a chandelier hanging over the dining table would produce a grand effect that everyone will love!

This is where you groom yourself every single morning; you should have enough light so that you can see yourself properly. You will not be able to make much use of natural lighting here, as large windows will tend to make the occupant of the bathroom feel too exposed, so you should make artificial lighting work to your full advantage.

Hanging a couple of nice light fixtures by the mirror is a neat trick. It makes the lights reflect throughout the room and makes the bathroom look so beautiful. You will also have the lights just where you need them to be, so that you can see yourself properly.

You should note that when it comes to lighting up your home, natural lighting is best. In all these rooms with the exception of the bathroom, installing bigger windows to allow in more sunlight would completely transform your house.

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Byline

Chad is a blogger for Access Fixtures, a provider of quality light fixtures.

Source: http://www.whatishowto.net/2012/09/28/essential-tips-on-lighting-up-your-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=essential-tips-on-lighting-up-your-home

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Methods For Decreasing Eye Strain - Health and Fitness Tips Daily ...

These days, many individuals encounter puffy eye strain. When eye strain remains untreated, it could lead to a number of eye problems, from headaches and neck discomfort to become in a position to long term eye problems like myopia. Amongst some main reasons why vision strain happens have a tendency to be : spending an excessive amount of time in the computer, reading books for lengthy hours, as well as inadequate sleeping routine. Given that we are now living in a demanding world today, we frequently encounter eye strain once inside a while. Beneath are some simple directions on how we are able to prevent eye strain from occurring.

1. Identify the causes of vision strain. When the cause behind discomfort within the face and dizziness is because of pc glare, then a appropriate eyeglasses is essential.
?
2. Massage your eyes because they?re dry out and tired. The symptoms of eye tension may be avoided if one would take good care of his / her eye like instilling eye drops, spend much less quantity of time in watching Tv, adjust the actual lighting within the space, inside them for hours sufficient sleep.

3. Transfer your computer screen both decrease or higher. To quit occurrence of attention strain, adjust the specific brightness from the Pc screen and try to position the monitor lower or perhaps much more your eye level. Consider replacing your Computer maintain track of with a larger one, and location some screen defense to stop the glares that produce eye strain. ?

4. Sporting eyeglasses outdoors is generally suggested especially in the event you invest your primary time sitting on the great outdoors to read books. When the eyes are exposed to the sun ?s UV rays, it?ll be drained; nevertheless, wearing protective sunglasses can quit this occurrence. Take additional care since our own eyes are hypersensitive especially in the event you take some medicines, or if we have a tendency to remain below the sun for lengthy hours.

5. Simple vision workouts. Normal vision exercises are helpful in stopping eye strain. It will usually be essential to check with the eye physician for the appropriate exercises that will be concerning assist any type of eye strain.

So, that?s they?re easy ways to prevent eye strain. Taking care of our personal eyes is very important indeed. Have your doctor appear at your eyes regularly which means you know the underlying issues aside from eye stress.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 at 12:20 am and is filed under Eyes and Vision. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://fitnesstipsdaily.org/eyes-vision/methods-for-decreasing-eye-strain/

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Source: http://garytran.typepad.com/blog/2012/09/methods-for-decreasing-eye-strain-health-and-fitness-tips-daily.html

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Samsung Galaxy Camera swings past the FCC with AT&T-capable 3G

Samsung made much ado of the Galaxy Camera coming in both 3G and 4G versions, but it wasn't clear just which carriers would let us upload photos when away from WiFi. The FCC might have just given out a big clue with approval filings for two 3G editions. As it's been tested for US clearance, the Android point-and-shoot in its EK-GC100 and EK-KC100 guises has support for HSPA-based 3G on the 850MHz and 1,900MHz bands used by AT&T and larger Canadian carriers -- a possible hint of Big Blue's ongoing connected devices push, but not a very promising discovery for most T-Mobile users or any CDMA customers. Before anyone bemoans the absences of LTE or support for more American networks, however, we'd note that this is just one filing and might not represent the totality of Samsung's US plans, if we're indeed looking at one or more US-bound examples. We'll keep an eye out ahead of the Galaxy Camera's international launch in October to see if there's anything more in the FCC's cards.

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Camera swings past the FCC with AT&T-capable 3G originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 19:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Ir31Q8ZbFC0/

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Single-Family ? Warren, MA 01083 now has a new price! | Realty D ...

ATTN: FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! GREAT OPEN KITCHEN & LIVING RM WFIREPLACE GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING. FRESHLY PAINTED & NEW CARPETS! IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PRIVACY THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! LARGE BACK YARD GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING! GREAT STORAGE SHED FOR YOUR LAWN EQUIPMENT, LIVING AREA DOES NOT INCLUDE FINISHED LOWER LEVEL, COULD BE AN INLAW SET UP! FAILED TITLE V, SOLD AS IS! HURRY THIS WON?T LAST LONG!

This is a Split Entry style home and features 5 total rooms, 1 full bath, 3 bedrooms, 1.07 Acres, and is currently available for $79,900.

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Source: http://www.realtykim.com/blog/single-family-warren-ma-01083-now-has-a-new-price-7

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Euro worries spark share selloff, Spanish yields jump

LONDON (Reuters) - Shares fell around the world on Wednesday and the European single currency hit a two-week low as popular opposition within the euro zone to austerity unnerved investors already worried about a weak global growth outlook.

The main focus was on Spain: protesters clashed with police on Tuesday as Madrid prepared to unveil its 2013 budget on Thursday; and the Catalonian government, which oversees the country's biggest regional economy, called a snap election which could jeopardize plans for economic reforms.

A general strike in Greece and signs of dissent among key euro zone officials over new policies to tackle the region's debt crisis were also combining to take the gloss off recent moves by the European Central bank to calm markets.

"Once again, it shows that when the ball is back in the governments' court, I think there's all this room for disappointment," said Tobias Blattner, European economist for Daiwa Capital Markets.

"I think we just see that the governments are not living up to expectations, are not implementing what they promised."

The renewed concerns over the euro zone's ability to tackle its financial crisis have sparked a sharp rise in volatility on equity markets, leading to the worst day since June for the S&P 500 index on Tuesday and subsequent falls across Asia.

As a result the MSCI world equity index <.miwd00000pus> was down 0.7 percent at 332.70 points and had retraced all the gains made after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a new round of aggressive monetary easing last week.

Adding to the negative sentiment, Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser said on Tuesday that the Fed's latest stimulus measures will not do much to boost economic growth or lower unemployment and raises the risk of longer-run inflation.

In Europe, the main blue chip STOXX 50 index <.stoxx50e> was down 1.78 percent, its biggest one-day fall since early August, led by declines in Spanish and Italian markets which were more than two percent lower. <.ibex><.ftmib/>

The FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> had shed 1.1 percent to 1,107.42 points, having risen 0.4 percent on Tuesday. It is still up over eight percent for the September quarter.

SPANISH PAIN

The growing problems facing Spain, exacerbated by uncertainty over when the government might request an international bailout, pushed the euro down 0.4 percent to $1.2848, its lowest level since September 12.

"The Spanish story does seem to be deteriorating. We are seeing Spanish bond yields pushing higher this morning and that's being echoed by a slightly lower euro," said Daragh Maher, currency strategist at HSBC.

Spain's benchmark 10-year bond yields rose 23 basis points to 6.00 percent, while the cost of insuring the debt against a default has also risen sharply.

Spain faces a big week with not only next year's national budget set to be unveiled; also due for release are plans for new structural reforms for the economy and the results of stress tests on the Spanish banking sector.

Madrid faces a difficult task in reducing its budget gap in an economy which the central bank said on Wednesday is still contracting at a "significant rate".

Economically important Catalonia's decision to hold early elections only added the pressure on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who conceded in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that he would ask for a bailout if the country's borrowing costs remain too high for too long.

"Ahead of these elections, we will have that classical political paralysis. So I think the government in Catalonia will probably not try its hardest to meet the targets," said Daiwa's Blattner said of goals set for reducing public deficits.

"All the targets for the year as a whole for Spain I think are now under threat."

Meanwhile Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's statement on Tuesday confirming he would not run in an election due next year added to the weakness spilling over from Spain into its bond markets. Italian 10-year bond yields were up 9 basis points to 5.2 percent.

Commodities markets remain focused on the health of the global economy and signs that slowing growth may be putting a brake on demand.

Brent crude oil futures were down 67 cents to $109.75 a barrel, their second drop in three days, and U.S. crude declined 72 cents to $90.65 per barrel.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.8 percent at $8,210.50 per metric ton (1.1023 tons), although this followed a gain of more than 1 percent on Tuesday.

"With worries about Europe and Spain in focus this week, and lingering anxiety over China's economic growth, we see the risk of gains in Q3 turning out to be a false dawn," said ANZ Bank's metals analyst Nicholas Trevethan.

(Reporting by Richard Hubbard; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-fall-wariness-over-spain-005357387--finance.html

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Santorum, DeMint endorse Akin in Mo. senate race

Missouri Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., speaks during a news conference at the start of a statewide bus tour, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, in St. Louis. Akin is hoping that donors displeased by his much-criticized remarks about rape will reopen their checkbooks. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Missouri Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., speaks during a news conference at the start of a statewide bus tour, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, in St. Louis. Akin is hoping that donors displeased by his much-criticized remarks about rape will reopen their checkbooks. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin won two high-profile Republican endorsements Wednesday, a day after guaranteeing his candidacy would continue despite calls for him to quit because of comments about rape and pregnancy he since has apologized for.

Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum and Sen. Jim DeMint, a tea party favorite, announced support for Akin's challenge to Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. They called Akin a "principled conservative" ? the same phrase Akin uses to describe himself at campaign events.

"If Republicans are to win back the Senate and stop President Obama's liberal agenda, we must defeat Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri," Santorum and DeMint said in a joint statement. They added: "We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse."

Santorum easily won Missouri's nonbinding Republican presidential primary in February.

Akin had faced pressure to quit the campaign after a TV interview aired Aug. 19 in which he said women's bodies have a natural defense against pregnancy in cases of what he called "legitimate rape."

Tuesday was the deadline for Missouri candidates to get a court order to withdraw from the Nov. 6 ballot. Akin let the deadline pass and instead embarked on a statewide bus tour.

Akin repeatedly has apologized for the rape comment, but lost support from top national Republicans, including presidential nominee Mitt Romney. The Republican National Committee, the campaign apparatus for GOP senators and Crossroads, a group affiliated with Republican strategist Karl Rove, all dropped their involvement in Missouri's Senate race ? eliminating millions of dollars of advertising that could have aided Akin.

In a fundraising email Wednesday, Akin said the Santorum and DeMint endorsements "are huge for our campaign and show that real conservative leaders are stepping up, because they know how important it is that we defeat Claire McCaskill and take back the Senate."

McCaskill's campaign called the endorsements a "predictable influx of 'support' from the extreme wing of the Republican Party" that doesn't change the fact that Romney and other prominent Republicans wanted him out of the race.

"You can tell these endorsements are 'enthusiastic' just by the way these Republicans waited until they were stuck with Todd Akin to finally support him," McCaskill spokesman Erik Dorey said sarcastically.

Akin, a six-term congressman from suburban St. Louis, has been trying to rebuild his campaign through online fundraising appeals and an anti-establishment message. He has been aided by former Republican presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker. Gingrich headlined a fundraiser for Akin this week.

As the dropout deadline passed, McCaskill began running an ad in Missouri highlighting Akin's comment about rape, alongside previous comments he made that were critical of Social Security, Medicare, the federal minimum wage and federally financed student loans.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-09-26-Missouri%20Senate/id-a5a8494edf874589a10b339fbdd3021c

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Home Improvement | Home Improvement Tips

Posted by admin on September 26th

Home Improvement

Article by Emma McCann

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Everybody always needs to do a bit of home improvement whether it is in the bathroom, kitchen, garden or bedroom a household everywhere is always ready for a little home improvement. Home improvement can sound like a chore something you have to do rather than what you want to do and we all know that when we need to do it, it is no longer appealing but when we want to do something we can easily find the time and money.

Home Improvement is a great DIY option as it allows you to make the changes to your home in your own time, do it your own way and within the guidelines of your own budget. Home improvement can be as little as fixing a loose screw in the wall, to replacing a washing machine, to re-designing your kitchen. Wickes is a great starting point to find out what you will need, why you need it and how much it will cost you to do it.

Fixing up your home has become a weekend ritual for many couples or families who are waiting to sell their property and while they wait they make the sensible decision to make small home improvement to

Pages: 1 2 3

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Source: http://sevensalehouse.com/home-improvement/

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?Getting? vs ?Being? in Relationships | Couple Checkup Blog

For those who work with dating and engaged couples, it may be hard to fathom that any of these blissfully happy couples will eventually divorce and/or become discontented in their relationship.? If you ARE a dating or engaged couple, you may believe that nothing could cause you to question your relationship with your beloved. Yet 40-50% of marriages still end in divorce and, of the marriages that endure, many partners report discontent and unhappiness.? How can such hopeful beginnings go awry???

One factor may be that there is an unbalanced effort into the development stage of a relationship compared to the maintenance of a relationship.? A wedding is a perfect example of the ?getting? vs. ?being? contrast.? How much effort do couples put into getting married, compared to being married?? To the extent that culture reflects (and some would argue, creates) reality, think about the products and services designed around getting married, in contrast to the products and services designed around maintaining marriage.? Couples and their families spend, on average, $20,000 on a wedding and receive an average of 200 wedding gifts, with an average value of $70-100.??

Money is just one expression of value.? Another is time. If you have ever started a relationship, you know that the process of getting connected with someone requires time and effort.? If you have planned a wedding, you know they take a good amount of time and preparation.? Do you invest the same amount and quality of time listening to, learning about, and thinking about your partner as you did when you were getting to know him or her?? If you are in a long-term relationship, is it easy to falsely assume that you know your partner?s feelings and ideas about the many issues in your lives?? What behaviors and attitudes did your relationship benefit from during the ?getting?/developing stages that you can bring into the ?being? stages of your relationship?

Source: http://www.couplecheckupblog.com/2012/09/getting-vs-being-in-relationships/

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Texas district's new policy allows educators of either gender to paddle male, female students

SPRINGTOWN, Texas - Like many schools in Texas, "spare the rod and spoil the child" might be considered the motto at Springtown High School.

But when two teenage girls there reportedly suffered bruises after being paddled by male assistant principals, some parents complained. They weren't upset about the punishment itself, but instead that the school violated the policy requiring an educator of the same sex as the student to dole out the paddling.

So the school district has changed its policy ? to expand, not abolish, corporal punishment. Board members voted Monday night to let administrators paddle students of the opposite sex, after Superintendent Michael Kelley cited a lack of women administrators to carry out spankings.

The new policy says a same-gender school official must witness the paddling, which is just one "swat," and that parents also can request one spanking per semester. In all cases, a parent must give written permission and request it in lieu of another punishment, such as suspension or detention.

"I personally think Texas is getting a black eye because of this," Kelley told The Associated Press. "People are assuming a school district can do whatever it wants because of this. That's not the case."

Texas law allows schools to use corporal punishment unless a parent or guardian prohibits it in writing. The issue of the student or educator's gender is not addressed, and there are no state standards on the minimum or maximum ages of students who can be spanked, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Cathi Watt, whose daughter was one of the two girls recently paddled, said Tuesday that she's OK with paddlings in schools "because they need it once in a while, and I got them when I was a kid." But she said the male administrator used too much force, so she does not support the new policy.

Watt said her 16-year-old daughter, Jada, deserved to be spanked after she spoke sarcastically to a teacher and an assistant principal, "but she did not deserve to be bruised."

"And what kind of message does it send these boys?" Watt said. "Is it telling them that it's OK to hit a girl?"

Texas is one of 19 states allowing schools to spank students, but 97 of the nation's 100 largest school districts have banned corporal punishment, according to the Center for Effective Discipline.

About 75 per cent of the state's school districts use corporal punishment, including Springtown, a town of about 2,700 located about 30 miles northwest of Fort Worth, according to People Opposed to Paddling Students, a group based in Houston. Some of the major districts, including Fort Worth, don't paddle students.

"It is never OK to hit a child. ... Men should not be padding teenage girls, because there is a sexual connotation with teen girls but also with teen boys," said Jimmy Dunne, president of People Opposed to Paddling Students.

State Rep. Alma Allen, D-Houston, thinks schools should never spank children, but her bill to abolish corporal punishment in Texas schools never passed. She said the compromised version of her bill, which did become law, was that parents could opt in.

"Parents can choose whether to spank their children at home," Allen said. "When you send a child to school, it should be a place to be motivated ? not a place to be beaten."

___

AP video journalist John Mone and writer Terry Wallace in Dallas contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-districts-policy-allows-educators-either-gender-paddle-030019783.html

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&#39;50 Shades of Grey&#39; Says About Our Sexuality - Psychology Today

I admit, I have not read 50 Shades of Grey. Because of that, I wouldn't pretend to know what either the storyline or the writing style says about female sexuality. What I will note, however, is that the sheer success of this erotica novel has raised some notable questions about what interests women when it comes to sex. Some have suggested that the book's focus on a BDSM relationship appeals to a woman's desire to be dominated. Others say the novel's success is a good sign for feminism, openly proclaiming that women have a natural interest in sex. Many have suggested that the book could be "spicing things up" in the bedrooms of its readers. One CafeMom.com headline declared that "50 Shades of Grey Could Turn Moms Into Sex Kittens."

Yet, my speculation is of a different nature. My concern is whether the popularity of a text like 50 Shades of Grey reflects a more pressing psychological matter regarding sexuality. Does it really reconnect readers with their desire to be physically intimate? Or does it merely point out how easy it can be for us to lose touch with our own sexuality? How much are we drawn to real romance, connection, passion, and affection with a partner? And how much are we drawn to fantasy? Are our actions moving us toward or away from having a close and fulfilling sexual relationship?

In the course of my career, I've noted countless male and female clients, couples, and friends who've complained of having lost the spark in their intimate relationship. In more extreme examples, a person may "lose interest" in sex altogether. Yet, in an overwhelming number of cases, there is something else keeping couples from getting close and staying close on both a physical and emotional level. This is an obstacle that's far less tangible to describe than "I'm just not in the mood" or "I'm just too exhausted." What seems to elude these people is a true desire to be personal during sex.

When two people first get together, the sexual relationship is often described as fun, wild, passionate, or even casual. When I mentioned this to a friend, she described a scene from Sex and the City in which the main character exclaimed about her relationship with her boyfriend, "We don't have wild sex. We used to, but now we have sweet sex. Wild always beats out sweet." This skewed mentality has more implications than one might imagine about how many people start to view sex more negatively in the course of a long-term relationship. Yet, a 2009 Psychology Today blog titled "The Lazy Way to Stay in Love" points out how gentle or sweet "bonding behaviors," like skin-to-skin touch, eye contact, and hugging, act as "a practical means of restoring and sustaining the harmonious sparkle in a relationship."

In his blog "Alive Sexuality," my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, described the cause of this shift that so often takes place in intimate relationships.

Most people view their mutual patterns of withholding and their diminished sexual attraction to each other as part of the normal course of events and mistakenly place the blame on the familiarity, routine, and daily contact inherent to a committed relationship. In truth, once people have been damaged in their basic feeling about themselves in their early lives, they find it difficult to offer or to accept love and close companionship. They hold on to their negative self-image, because to change would lead to anxiety.

As things get closer within a couple and when feelings start to deepen, sex often becomes more intimate and personal. While for many, this is one of the most exciting aspects of falling in love, it can also come at a cost. Getting close to someone brings emotional challenges that many of us aren't prepared for. This can be particularly true when it comes to sex.

One woman I worked with described feelings of being trapped by her husband, for whom she'd long felt deep attraction and love. Seemingly out of the blue, she'd started having strange thoughts when they were being sexual. When asked to describe these "critical inner voices" in the second-person, a key step in "voice therapy," she shouted, "What does he want from you? Don't let him get too close. He's just using you. Don't trust anyone." These thoughts were confusing to her, because even as she was saying them outloud, they didn't sound like her point of view.

Critical thoughts that arise during sex, whether directed toward ourselves or our partner, support our self-protective defenses and encourage us to push a loved one away. If we ignore these thoughts and remain present in the moment and feel love being directed toward us, even though this may bring up feelings of sadness, it will ultimately challenge the fundamental and flawed ways we view ourselves. Maintaining intimacy can also raise the stakes in our relationship, causing us to fully feel the preciousness of our partners, ourselves, and of life in general. This poignant emotional reaction can ignite fear in us on an existential level. With more to lose, we are more likely to put our guard up or pull away from being close. This also explains why it may be easier for us to tolerate less personal sexual interactions, as they fail to stir up these deeper emotions.

Once we start listening to our critical inner voices, we've often interrupted a real connection we have with our partner. At those moments, when you start to get lost in your head, it's valuable to try to stay in close emotional contact with your partner. You can make an effort to focus on your feelings as opposed to your thoughts, or you can talk to your partner about what is going on in your mind. This may seem awkward or embarrassing at first, but it can lead to a much closer and more satisfying experience.

The scene I've described above may not paint the graphic or risqu? picture of sex that you'd find in 50 Shades of Grey, or any erotica text for that matter. But anyone entering into a relationship will learn that maintaining the excitement and romance that so many find appealing in the pages of these fantasy books in our real lives means having to look inward at ourselves. What do physical closeness and intimacy mean to us? Are we making an effort to maintain a personal experience? What critical inner voices might be getting in our way? When we challenge our defenses, we stay close to our real feelings of love and attraction. We find a way to keep passion alive, to have fun, to relax, and to enjoy our sexuality at a deeper and more sustainable level. We learn that "sweet sex" doesn't mean dull, routine, or "vanilla." In fact, it can mean just the opposite. So the question about sex isn't just, what do we really want? But once we've gotten what we want, can we tolerate it?

To read more from Dr. Lisa Firestone on intimacy visit PsychAlive.org

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201209/what-50-shades-grey-says-about-our-sexuality

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Obama summons world leaders to reject extremism

President Barack Obama addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Barack Obama addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Barack Obama addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

President Barack Obama addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama, foreground, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, upper left, and General Assembly President Vuk Jeremic before addressing the 67th session of the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? Confronting global tumult and Muslim anger, President Barack Obama exhorted world leaders Tuesday to stand fast against violence and extremism, arguing that protecting religious rights and free speech must be a universal responsibility and not just an American obligation.

"The impulse towards intolerance and violence may initially be focused on the West, but over time it cannot be contained," Obama warned the U.N. General Assembly in an urgent call to action underscored by the high stakes for all nations.

The gloomy backdrop for Obama's speech ? a world riven by deadly protests against an anti-Islamic video, by war in Syria, by rising tension over a nuclear Iran and more ? marked the dramatic shifts that have occurred in the year since the General Assembly's last ministerial meeting, when democratic uprisings in the Arab world created a sense of excitement and optimism. Obama had tough words for Iran and condemned anew the violence in Syria as Bashar al-Assad tries to retain power.

Six weeks before the U.S. presidential election, an unmistakable campaign element framed Obama's speech as well: The president's Republican rival, Mitt Romney, has tried to cast him as a weak leader on the world stage, too quick to apologize for American values.

Romney, speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative forum just miles from the U.N., avoided direct criticism of Obama in deference to the apolitical settings of the day, but he said he hoped to return a year later "as president, having made substantial progress" on democratic reforms.

Obama, likewise, avoided direct politicking in his speech but offered a pointed contrast to his GOP opponent's caught-on-tape comment that there is little hope for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Among Israelis and Palestinians," Obama said, "the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on a prospect of peace."

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's opening state-of-the-world speech to the General Assembly's presidents, prime ministers and monarchs sketched the current time as one when "too often, divisions are exploited for short-term political gain" and "too many people are ready to take small flames of indifference and turn them into a bonfire."

The leaders are assembled here as anger still churns over a made-in-America video that mocked the Prophet Muhammad. The video helped touch off protests throughout the Muslim world that have left at least 40 people dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

Obama, a onetime professor of constitutional law, delivered what amounted to a lecture on what he presented as the bedrock importance of free speech, even if it comes at a price.

He stressed that just as the "cruel and disgusting" video did not reflect U.S. values, the backlash against it did not represent the views of most Muslims. Still, he said, "the events of the last two weeks speak to the need for all of us to address honestly the tensions between the West and the Arab world that is moving towards democracy."

Obama said the notion of controlling information is obsolete in the Internet age, "when anyone with a cellphone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button." But he said leaders must be swift to respond to those who would answer hateful speech with violence and chaos.

In his last international address before the November elections, the president had strong words for the leaders in Iran and Syria but broke no new ground on any actions the U.S. might take.

He warned that while there is still hope of resolving the dispute over Iran's nuclear program through diplomacy, "that time is not unlimited." Without laying out specifics, he added: "The United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in an interview with The Associated Press, dismissed the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions and claimed that despite Western sanctions his country was better off than it was when he took office in 2005. And he said a new world order needs to emerge, away from American "bullying" and domination.

"God willing, a new order will come together and we'll do away with everything that distances us," Ahmadinejad said. "Now even elementary school kids throughout the world have understood that the United States government is following an international policy of bullying."

"Bullying must come to an end. Occupation must come to an end," he said in a wide-ranging interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

As for the rising violence in Syria, Obama told the U.N. delegates, "The future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people. If there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world today, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings. We must remain engaged to assure that what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence."

In the AP interview, Ahmadinejad said Iran was one of nearly a dozen countries forming a new contact group to try to end the 18-month-old civil war in Syria. The group would include 10 or 11 countries in the Middle East and elsewhere and meet in New York "very soon," Ahmadinejad said.

Obama's defense of free speech was respectfully received by world leaders. Yet it was clear that different understandings abound on the proper exercise of free expression.

The foreign minister of Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, said Obama's speech was a "clarion call" for all nations to reject intolerance, calling it "an issue that galvanizes all of us." But Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa added that freedom of expression should be exercised with consideration to morality and public order.

Dina Zakaria, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood's political party Freedom and Justice, said cultural differences between the U.S. and the Muslim and Arab world over the limitations of freedom of expression will persist.

"No one can argue against freedom of expression, but the Western understanding of it is different from ours," she said. "Will this freedom allow for contempt of religion? For us it is different. For us it is a red line as Muslims and Christians as well."

Obama did not hesitate to underline some of the hopeful developments in the world under his watch.

"The war in Iraq is over, and our troops have come home," he said. "We have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014. Al-Qaida has been weakened, and Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals."

In one lighter moment in a somber speech, Obama drew laughter from the Assembly with one comment in his remarks on free speech: "I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day."

___

Benac reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Pennington at the United Nations and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-09-25-UN-General-Assembly-Obama/id-2b9b2753b53b4889b7b38bbd6cb87245

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The LLVLC Show (Episode 616): Dr. J. Renae Norton Helping To ...

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In Episode 616 of ?The Livin? La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore,? we?ve got a neuropsychologist and eating disorder specialist named Dr. J. Renae Norton joining us to talk about the reality of eating disorders. On her web site web site, Dr. Norton states: ?Our mission is to provide a warm and safe environment where the individual with anorexia, bulimia, obesity or an emotional eating disorder, can get the help she needs to establish and/or restore healthy relationships.? These eating disorders have not been adequately treated in the proper customized, holistic manner for the individual as they should be.

That?s why Dr. Norton has become so vested in helping people through her practice in Cincinnati, Ohio called the Norton Center for Eating Disorders & Obesity where she has a true passion for helping kids avoid falling into the eating disorder trap. She?s written the first in a series of children?s books on this subject called How Maji Gets Mongo Off the Couch!. The ?one-size-fits-all? approach for treating people with eating disorders is that much worse because it delays the healing process from beginning sooner than later. Listen in as I talk with Dr. Norton about the growing epidemic of eating disorders and what she does to help heal her patients from this. ENJOY this engaging conversation!

Listen to Dr. J. Renae Norton discuss disordered eating:

She?s always been interested in nutrition

She has ?struggled? to find the most healthy foods

Her patients with anorexia gave her ?a challenge?

The success rate for anorexia treatment is ?abysmal?

She thought anorexia was a ?reaction to obesity?

New bulemirexia that combines two eating disorders

When she started using nutrition, outcomes improved

She was ?astonished? by the kind of food we eat

People and practitioners have no idea what?s in food

The neurotoxins in baby formula that shocked her

Ingredients in processed foods are ?very damaging?

Genetically-modified foods negatively impact health

We have ?unbelievable food pollution? with crap food

Children are addicted to these food additives

The food pollution addiction model she uses

The ?ruthless cycle? of poor nutrition to medications

Food additives ?damage? parts of the brain

You can ?reverse the effects? with proper nutrition

People think our ?food is safe? but it?s really not

Whether eating disorders are more prevalent today

Younger and younger women (6 year olds) with anorexia

Older women in 30s are also dealing with anorexia

Teenage girls used to be the primary anorexic

Men now make up about 10% of people with anorexia

Bulimirexia is a ?dangerous? new eating disorder

Purging is ?extremely hard on the body?

People with these disorders are addicted to food

Food pollution and food addiction lead to obesity

The coffee shop story with a sugar-addicted kid

They are ?so hyped up? waiting for their sugar hit

Addiction hits the ?same part of the brain? drugs do

Parents tell her it?s not ?fair? to rest of family

They have no idea how damaging pretzels and chips are

People think canola oil is healthy, but it?s not

Agave syrup is not good for you either (fructose)

Even people eating ?healthy? get eating disorders

When lifestyle changes begin, there?s ?push back?

Kids have become accustomed to the ultra-sweet taste

Over time, your child will come to love natural foods

Easing into switching to real, whole foods works well

The story of the kids who love chicken nuggets

Making your own healthy chicken nuggets at home

Almond and coconut flour are excellent cooking ones

Dr. Norton?s ?Recipe Corner? on her web site

The grains that have not been adulterated yet

Why kid?s book is effective to communicate message

It?s ?fun to do a rhyming book? for children

Most effective form of exercise for kids is just play

Organized sports not for all kids, but all can play

Mongo discovers how much fun it is to be outside

Mongo?s weight normalizes by the end of the book

Playing is not about the kid?s aptitude but attitude

Her next kid?s book Let?s Eat on eating clean

Maji gets Mongo to thoroughly enjoy drinking water

The books on eating disorder, green and inclusion

Cycles Of Shame book on adult eating disorders

Anorexics have a higher mortality rate than anything

Obese people earn 18% less in lifetime than non-obese

This generation will live shorter lives than parents

The ?catastrophic implications? of obese children

Type 2 diabetes used to be ?adult onset diabetes?

Sugar and processed food is ?driving? Type 2 diabetes

Even during pregnancy diabetes can begin to develop

There are four ways you can listen to Episode 616:

1. Listen at the iTunes page for the podcast:

2. Listen and comment about the show at the official web site for the podcast:

3. Download the MP3 file of Episode 616 [34:05m]:

4. Listen on the Stitcher app?NO DOWNLOADING!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FINANCIALLY SUPPORTING THIS PODCAST! Brand new interview expert guests are being lined up for your listening enjoyment and I can?t wait for you to hear them share about what a healthy lifestyle change looks like! Your continued financial support and faithfulness to listening is essential to keeping this podcast alive and well and we THANK YOU so very much for your support! If these podcast interviews on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from the most provocative and thought-provoking diet, fitness, and health experts have helped you in any way, then won?t you consider helping us out by clicking on the DONATE button below:

We love making these exclusive health interviews featuring the world?s top nutrition and fitness experts available to you at no charge so that the positive low-carb message can get out there to the people who need to hear it the most. Now that we?ve expanded the podcast to air three days weekly, your generous donations of any amount are greatly appreciated to continue the education in the months and years to come.

Did you like what you heard from Dr. J. Renae Horton regarding eating disorders today? Tell us about it in the show notes section of Episode 616. Pick up a copy of Dr. Norton?s children?s book How Maji Gets Mongo Off the Couch! and visit her web site at EatingDisorderPro.com to keep up with her great work. Coming up on Tuesday, we?ll have integrative physician and functional medicine practitioner Dr. Frank Lipman who will share about the great work he is doing promoting healthy living in his New York City-based wellness clinic. And finally Wednesday, I welcome fellow low-carb diet advocate and health activist Kent Rieske to discuss his science-minded book looking at the nutritional component to heart disease and diabetes.

JOIN US ON THE ?ASK THE LOW-CARB EXPERTS? PODCAST THIS WEEK: Coming up in Episode 28 of ?Ask The Low-Carb Experts? on Thursday, September 27, 2012 at 7PM ET, we delve deeply into the science supporting carbohydrate-restricted diets as we welcome health and fitness researcher Jonathan Bailor, author of The Smarter Science Of Slim: What the Actual Experts Have Proven About Weight Loss, Dieting, & Exercise, Plus, The Harvard Medical School Endorsed Program To Burn Fat Permanently (listen to my podcast interview with Jonathan in Episode 570 of ?The Livin? La Vida Low-Carb Show?). He spent over a decade examining literally thousands of pages of research data to learn so much about the facts regarding low-carb diets and has become well-versed at the overwhelming evidence supporting this healthy way of eating. Start getting me your questions about anything regarding low-carb diet research for me to ask Jonathan about about by e-mailing them to AskTheLowCarbExperts@gmail.com no later than 3PM ET on the date the podcast airs. You can also ask your question LIVE on my show by calling (712) 432-0900 or Skype the show for FREE by calling the username freeconferencing.7124320900. Whether you call or Skype, be sure to use the access code 848908. Listen LIVE and leave us a review at iTunes if you like what you hear. This is your chance to interact with the best nutritional health experts in the world, so don?t be bashful.

If you have something to share about what you heard on ?The Livin? La Vida Low-Carb Show,? then drop us an e-mail at our dedicated podcast e-mail address?LLVLCShow@gmail.com. We?d love to hear from you about what you think about the show, interview guest suggestions, show topics, and anything else you want to share! I LOVE hearing from my listeners, so share what?s on your mind. And we?d love it if you left us a review for the podcast on iTunes?just CLICK HERE and leave us a few sentences about what impact the podcast has made on your life.

Source: http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/the-llvlc-show-episode-616-dr-j-renae-norton-helping-to-correct-disordered-eating/15781

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