As New Year Approaches, Will Lawmakers Break The Fiscal Cliff Stalemate? (The Note)

By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @amyewalter )

NOTABLES:

FISCAL-CLIFF LATEST - ENTER JOE BIDEN: After talks stalled with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell turned to Vice President Joe Biden, and all eyes are now on their negotiations. ABC's Matthew Larotonda, Jonathan Karl, and Sunlen Miller report that Vice President Biden has now re-emerged as a key player playing "a direct role" in trying to make a deal with Senate Republicans. Biden has been tapped because of his long-standing relationship with McConnell. A Democratic source says that McConnell seems to be genuinely interested in getting an agreement. The news dovetails with reports that the GOP has backed off a key Social Security measure that had stalled negotiations. According to sources, the row was sparked when the GOP offered a proposal that included a new method of calculating entitlement benefits with inflation. Called the "chained consumer price index," or Chained CPI, the strategy has been criticized by some Democrats because it would lower cost of living increases for Social Security recipients. http://abcn.ws/WenL2q

OBAMA 'MODESTLY OPTIMISTIC': With time running out for Congress to reach an agreement, a senior White House official tells ABC News that President Obama is still "modestly optimistic" that a deal can be struck to prevent middle class taxes from increasing on New Year's Day. http://abcn.ws/WenL2q

CLINTON HOSPITALIZED WITH BLOOD CLOT: ABC's Dana Hughes and Dean Schabner report: Secretary Hillary Clinton was hospitalized yesterday after a doctors doing a follow-up exam discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago. She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at New York-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours, Deputy Assistant Secretary Philippe Reines said. Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion. They will determine if any further action is required, Reines said. Clinton, 65, originally fell ill from a stomach virus following a whirlwind trip to Europe at the beginning of the month, which caused such severe dehydration that she fainted and fell at home, suffering a concussion. No ambulance was called and she was not hospitalized, according to a state department official. http://abcn.ws/TBFAd5

TODAY IN WASHINGTON: After yesterday's rare Sunday session the Senate is back today in session at 11 a.m., ABC's Sunlen Miller notes. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Vice President Joe Biden will continue to work toward a solution, an aide says. Meanwhile, on the House side, ABC's John Parkinson hears from sources that the GOP Conference will meet at some point today (a time has not been set). And while the House waits on the Senate to act on the fiscal cliff, lawmakers will consider a lengthy list of non-fiscal cliff legislation. At the White House, President Obama has no public events on his schedule.

THE NOTE:

On Capitol Hill today, finding common ground means staying on solid ground and with just hours to go before the clock strikes midnight, there are finally last-minute signs of progress in the negotiations to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Vice President Biden and McConnell had "several conversations deep into the night," ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl reported on "Good Morning America" and a spokesperson for McConnell described the talks as "good."

That's not exactly an assessment brimming with confidence, but as Karl notes, "good" is a giant leap forward from where talks had been headed over the last few days. And it comes just hours after both sides encountered what a Hill aide described as a "major setback."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pointed out yesterday that there was still "significant distance between the two sides" on several key sticking points.

And his Republican counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. said on the Senate floor: "I want everybody to know, I'm willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner."

McConnell has evidently found one in the vice president, and according to Politico's John Bresnahan, Manu Raju and Jake Sherman, "sources close to the talks said a deal is now more likely to come together but cautioned that obstacles remain, including how Speaker John Boehner and House Republican leaders react to any tentative agreement." http://politi.co/Z3UspE

Our Jon Karl notes that differences between Republicans and Democrats have narrowed on the threshold for increasing taxes on the wealthy and on the estate tax. The primary sticking point now appears to be on spending cuts.

Check ABC News throughout the day for the latest in the fiscal cliff negotiations from our reporters at the White House and on Capitol Hill. http://abcnews.go.com/politics

NOTED!

ABC's RICK KLEIN: No more kicking the can down the road - right? Except that's exactly what Congress is doing, even if it winds up doing something. The kind of mini-deal that's still in play at this late, late pre-cliff hour would actually worsen the deficit outlook - canceling a big chunk of planned tax hikes, delaying the promised tough spending cuts, and expanding spending on some items including unemployment insurance. That means it's possible that the next round of fiscal discussions will be more difficult to resolve, if resolution is even what can be reasonably expected when we get there. In many grim chapters about Washington dysfunction, this episode will be hard to beat.

"THIS WEEK" REWIND:

-SCHUMER'S ODDS: BETTER THAN 50-50. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is at least partly optimistic about a fiscal-cliff deal getting struck before the deadline, he told ABC's Jonathan Karl. There is "a real possibility of a deal," Schumer said, giving Congress and the White House "a little better than" 50-50 odds of reaching compromise. "On these big, big agreements, they almost all happen at the last minute," Schumer said. "So while an agreement is hardly a certainty, I certainly wouldn't rule it out." http://abcn.ws/Uz1O0r

-KYL: 'DIRE' CONSEQUENCES IF NO DEAL IS STRUCK. Arizona Republican sen. Jon Kyl agreed that there's a chance a deal could be struck and warned of the consequences if one isn't. "If we are not able to reach an agreement, it will be dire," Kyl said. "And that's from everybody from the Congressional Budget Office ? to the Fed chairman, probably at least another million jobs lost, an unemployment rate over 9 percent, and putting us back into recession." http://abcn.ws/Uz1O0r

-ASK JON KARL - "THIS WEEK" WEB EXTRA. ABC's Jonathan Karl, who filled in for George Stephanopoulos as host of "This Week" on Sunday, answered questions from Facebook and Twitter about his new role at chief White House correspondent. One question from Phill Goldberg on Facebook: "How do you discern fact from fiction in the very tightly-controlled White House and DC media environment?" Answer from Jon Karl: "You always need to be fearful that you're being manipulated, you have to be skeptical of what is being said to you by any official source. That doesn't mean they're outright lying to you. Outright lies in this business tend to be pretty few and far between because a source who lies to you is not going to be a source you will look to again. ? The best way to deal with that is to have multiple sources and talk to people on all sides of any given issue." WATCH the rest of the questions and answers: http://abcn.ws/ZMoT4T

THE BUZZ:

with ABC's Chris Good ( @c_good)

ANALYSIS: DEAL OR NO DEAL, CLIFF DEBACLE WILL LINGER. ABC's Rick Klein writes: The fiscal cliff is just the beginning. Regardless of whether Democrats and Republicans reach some kind of last-minute bargain to avoid the worst effects of tax hikes and spending cuts, the disaster that has been the fiscal cliff negotiations has broad implications for the Washington agenda in 2013 and beyond. The tone has been set for the new year, and possibly for the rest of President Obama's time in office: Washington's divisions are the only point that matters anymore. Call if dysfunction or call it just plain broken, just don't call it capable of even small legislative moves that involve compromise. ? The other items Obama ticked through this weekend as part of his second-term agenda-immigration reform, energy and environmental policy, infrastructure investments, gun control-look like dreams in this environment. http://abcn.ws/12SYkd5

OBAMA: A SMALL DEAL IS THE BEST HOPE. President Obama sat for an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," and ABC's Matthew Larotonda reports: With less than two days remaining for Congress to reach a budget agreement that would avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," President Obama is suggesting that a small deal remains the best hope to avoid the perilous package of spending cuts and tax increases. The president said if Republicans agreed to raising taxes on top income earners it should be enough to avoid the triggers - mandated by law - that would execute the $607 billion measure economists agree would likely put the country back in recession. "If we have raised some revenue by the wealthy paying a little bit more, that would be sufficient to turn off what's called the sequester, these automatic spending cuts, and that also would have a better outcome for our economy long-term," he said. Saying the "pressure is on Congress to produce," the president did not specify what income level his party would deem acceptable as the cutoff for those who would see their tax rates remain at current levels. The president has called for expiration of the "Bush-era" tax cuts to effect household earnings over $250,000 since the campaign, but has reportedly floated a $400,000 figure in past negotiations. Speaker John Boehner once offered a $1 million cut-off in his failed "Plan B" proposal, which failed to garner enough support among the House Republicans. "It's been very hard for Speaker Boehner and Republican Leader McConnell to accept the fact that taxes on the wealthiest Americans should go up a little bit as part of an overall deficit reduction package," the president said. http://abcn.ws/TBHYke

OBAMA: NEWTOWN WAS THE 'WORST DAY' OF HIS PRESIDENCY. ABC's Matthew Larotonda reports on the president's "Meet the Press" comments about the Newtown, Conn., school shooting: "The question then becomes whether we are actually shook up enough by what happened here that it does not just become another one of these routine episodes where it gets a lot of attention for a couple of weeks and then it drifts away," he said. "It certainly won't feel like that to me. This is something that - you know, that was the worst day of my presidency. And it's not something that I want to see repeated." http://abcn.ws/YFIr4O

OBAMA: IMMIGRATION WILL BE PRIORITY. More on the president's NBC interview, from The Washington Times' Stephen Dinan: "President Obama says immigration is his major second-term priority, on par with his push for health care in his first term, according to an interview aired Sunday that continues to boost the issue to the top of the political conversation. 'Fixing our broken immigration system is a top priority. I will introduce legislation in the first year to get that done,' Mr. Obama told NBC's "Meet the Press" host David Gregory, who had asked the president what the second-term equivalent would be to his all-encompassing push for health care during his first term. He also said he would like to expand energy production and set the economy on firmer footing." http://bit.ly/UfzMWK

FISCAL CLIFF: WHAT'S ON THE LINE? If the cliff talks fail, the average American family would see a tax hike of $3,446 according to the Tax Policy Center at the Brookings Institution, ABC's David Muir reported for "World News." Middle incomes would be hardest hit, with tax rates nearly doubling for married couples earning $60,350 - $72,300, from 15 percent to 28 percent. http://abcn.ws/ZOWZVT

OMINOUS SENATE PRAYER: 'SAVE US FROM SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS.' ABC's Sunlen Miller reports: The Senate on Saturday opened its first session in the days between Christmas and New Years since 1962 with an ominous prayer, as Congress and President Obama scramble to come up with a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. "Let us feel your presence today on Capitol Hill," Senate Chaplain Barry Black prayed, opening up the day in the Senate. "As we gather with so much work undone, guide our lawmakers with your wisdom. Lord, show them the right thing to do and give them the courage to do it." With just a matter of hours before the nation goes over the so-called fiscal cliff without a deal, Black prayed for "shelter" in the "midst of the storm, regardless of how high the waters rise," for the legislators. http://abcn.ws/VSTk0P

A 'MAJOR SETBACK' ON SUNDAY. ABC's Jonathan Karl reported Sunday afternoon: Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid on Sunday rejected the latest offer from Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, stalling tense last minute negotiations and pushing the country that much closer to the fiscal cliff as the senators seemed unable to find a bipartisan deal before automatic tax cuts and spending hikes kick in for the new year. A senior Democratic aide tells me that, although talks continue, the McConnell offer was "a major setback.' 'We are hugely disappointed,' the aide aid tells ABC News. http://abcn.ws/TBGLJr

GRAHAM: NO DEBT LIMIT INCREASE WITHOUT ENTITLEMENT REFORM. ABC's Michael Ono reports: Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Sunday that he would vote no to raise the debt ceiling, if concessions to reform Social Security and Medicare were not made, despite a previous statement by Graham to suggest that most Republicans were never willing to stomach a U.S. default back in 2011. "Why would I raise the debt ceiling again unless we address what put us in debt to begin with? I'm not going to raise the debt ceiling unless we get serious about keeping the country from becoming Greece, saving Social Security and Medicare," Graham said today on "Fox News Sunday." Graham's not alone. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in an interview earlier this month on "Fox News Sunday" that House Republicans will never give up control of the debt ceiling. "It's the only way to leverage the political process to produce more change than what it would if left alone," Boehner said. http://abcn.ws/VSW8Lv

IN THE NOTE'S INBOX:

-OP-ED: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CUT, CAP AND BALANCE? Colin Hanna, president of the conservative group, Let Freedom Ring, writes in USA Today about how, he says, we might have avoided the fiscal cliff debate altogether: "We could have avoided the current predicament. In June of 2011, a rare coalition of outside groups and Congress proposed a solution that would indeed have solved our debt crisis - it was called Cut, Cap and Balance. The plan was simple - cut current spending now, cap future spending as a percentage of our overall economy and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment through Congress and send it to the States for ratification. Unlike the super committee or the present brinkmanship between the President and Speaker Boehner, Cut Cap and Balance was a solution, not just a deal. It addressed our spending problem in the short term, medium term and long term. Had that passed, we would have cut over $100 billion in the first year, over one trillion in 10 years, capped future spending to between 18 and 20% of gross domestic product annually, and the states would now be debating the Balanced Budget Amendment individually." http://usat.ly/S04q9n

WHO'S TWEETING?

@ktumulty: Breaking news: Fiscal cliff talks remain on the precipice of progress.

@mattgutmanABC: Sen Manchin to @nytimes : "something has gone terribly wrong when biggest threat to our American economy is the American Congress."

@BuzzFeedAndrew: Jon Huntsman calls the Republican Party "devoid of a soul." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/republicans/9771589/Republican-party-is-devoid-of-a-soul-says-Jon-Huntsman.html ?

@joshledermanAP: Check out new column from @AP political editor Liz Sidoti - Gun debate revives enduring American fight http://bit.ly/Uz3bw3

@JesseFFerguson: Congrats to @amygdudley and @adamslily and new Senate comms team for @timkaine. Great pick. Great team w/ @henry_mike.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/approaches-lawmakers-break-fiscal-cliff-stalemate-note-142008997--abc-news-politics.html

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VIX and More: Portfolio Insurance for (Almost) Free

A lot of strange things happened in the financial markets late on Friday afternoon and a good deal of the craziness was in the VIX futures market, with impacts felt in the likes of VXX, which jumped 11.6% in less than an hour (the last 40 minutes of the regular session and the first 14 minutes of after-hours trading.)

The corresponding spike in the VIX futures prices pushed the front two months of the VIX futures term structure into backwardation (a downward sloping term structure curve in which front month futures contract is priced higher than the second month futures contract) for only the second day since November 2011, with the lone exception dating from May 18, 2012, when the front two month contracts were in backwardation by a mere 0.05 points.

The chart below shows how the VIX futures term structure changed over a ten-day period from December 18 to December 28. While all eight VIX futures contracts that were trading on both dates showed in increase, the magnitude of these increases were skewed dramatically toward the front months, where the January VIX futures contract jumped 38.4%, the February contract gained 28.4%, the March contract rose 21.2%, etc. Also of note, whereas the December 18^th term structure was upward sloping in an almost perfect linear fashion, by December 28^th the term structure had twisted so that the January contract is now trading at a higher level than the contracts for the February, March, April and May expirations. In fact, the market is now pricing in expectations that a VIX of about 22 will persist for the next five months.

[source(s): CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE)]

With the backwardation in the front two months of the VIX futures contracts, this also means that investors who are looking to hedge long equity exposure against an increase in volatility can now take advantage of what is essentially free portfolio insurance. Of course I am using the ?free? label loosely, but given that the short-term VIX futures (first and second month contracts) are in contango (front months less expensive than more distant months) more than 80% of the time and subject to the price decay associated with negative roll yield while in contango, I feel it is important to underscore that the short-term VIX futures roll yield is now positive, meaning that if the VIX January and February contracts do not change in price, the positive roll yield should provide a small lift to VXX, UVXY, TVIX and the other short-term VIX ETPs with a long volatility bias.

Now before anyone gets too excited about the possibility of free portfolio insurance, it is important to understand that the reason the VIX futures are in backwardation is that market participants anticipate that the VIX will decline going forward, making a long volatility hedge of limited value. So while long positions in VXX, UVXY, TVIX and their ilk are benefiting from positive roll yield at the moment, most investors consider that a decline in the VIX and VIX futures is likely to more than compensate for any gains due to roll yield, meaning that these hedges will probably be net losers when one accounts for the changes in the VIX futures and the roll yield.

[Since some of the subjects above have not come up for discussion in a fairly long time, today?s set of links is more comprehensive than usual. As always, these are not arranged in order of significance, but are grouped roughly by subject matter, with some of the more recent posts on the subject toward the top.]

Related posts:

Disclosure(s): short VXX and UVXY at time of writing

Source: http://vixandmore.blogspot.com/2012/12/portfolio-insurance-for-almost-free.html

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Self-Improvement Chapter 1: The Addiction of Depression | My Blog

December 31, 2012

I just talk about the difficulties behind being depressed and being too familiar with being depressed. There is a way to become addicted to the feeling of depression, and it?s as hard to deal with as any street drug.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Source: http://www.forselfimprovement.org/self-improvement-chapter-1-the-addiction-of-depression/

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Beckham eyeing money-spinning Chinese challenge

Britain News.Net Sunday 30th December, 2012

According to the Daily Mirror, a contract with Chinese Super League team Shanghai Shenhua would earn Beckham 250,000 pound a week and 20 million pounds in merchandising deals.

This would take Brand Beckham, which is already worth 190 million pounds, to world domination, the paper said.

TV's Pop Idol mogul Simon Fuller, a close pal and business associate of the Beckhams, is personally masterminding the move, the paper further added.

Shanghai Shenhua owner Zhu Jun has already lured former Chelsea strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka to his club.

The deal would also give Beckham and wife Victoria a chance to sell their brands in a nation of nearly one-and-a-half billion people.

A source close to Beckham said he has cracked Europe and America, and he now has the chance to become huge in China and the Far East, saying it would be a huge decision for the former Real Madrid star.

The source further said that while Beckham wants one final challenge in football, a move to China is about more than that, as it will push Brand Beckham to a whole new level. (ANI)

Source: http://www.britainnews.net/index.php/sid/211667614/scat/fad6c6ce3bc72160

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eBooks Droits de Revente Ma?tre SuperMegaPack.Net: Ebooks PLR ...

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Laptop Computer Home Business: Press Releases And Podcasts ...

Website traffic is something that a lot of people struggle with. And this is especially true with newbies. From the internet to local bookstores, there are a ton of information about how to get traffic to a website simply and easily. But if it was this easy, more people would have success, and less people would be failing.

There are so many different ways to get traffic to your website, and in this article, I want to share a few of those ways. What I'm going to reveal are 2 free traffic methods that I know (and use) that will bring you the results that you are looking for. If you're not a believer in free traffic, trust me... you have no idea of what you're missing. Here's the first traffic method that I want to introduce you to:

1) Press releases

There's a website online called "PRweb" that is the best press release site on the internet. But this acclaim comes with a price. To list a press release with this company, you will have to pay $89 just to list 1 press release. As you can see, this price is very steep. But the results that you can get are amazing.

This company has been around for a while, and I'm confident that you can use it to boost your traffic, sales, customers, and income altogether. In fact, when the big name "gurus" online want to get instant publicity on a day where their brand new product launches... they use PRweb to get them the major publicity that they are looking for. Let's take a look at another traffic technique that you can use in your online business.

2) Podcasts

Not many people online use podcasts, but I think it's a great way to learn new techniques in a snap. Some people just don't have the time to write out their lessons and information, so they simply record themselves, put it on a?computer, turn it into an MP3 file, and then upload it to the podcast directories. The most famous (and best) podcast directory on the internet is iTunes.

iTunes is owned by "Apple", and it's a great venue to promote your podcasts on. Plus it's free! You should be using this technique right away if you want to get the ball rolling on your sales and profits simply and easily. There many people who use podcasts effectively in their business. One person who I know of for sure that does this is financial expert Suze Orman.

She makes sure to mention this at the end of her show, and she offers her entire episodes via MP3 format on iTunes. If shy can do it, you can do it too - especially since you should be learning how to become a marketing expert anyway.

Podcasts and press releases are 2 great ways to get traffic and to boost your online sales in a hurry. The more you do them, the more results you will get, and the more they will benefit your business. Plus... they're free!

Good luck with using these techniques in your online business today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:?Randall Magwood is one of the most respected and highly-regarded?online marketing experts on the internet. He has a website about internet marketing that helps small business owners learn how to market their business online simply and easily. To learn more, simply visit his website here: Internet Marketing Secrets

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randall_A_Magwood

Source: http://zabih25.blogspot.com/2012/12/press-releases-and-podcasts-for-traffic.html

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How to Make Your Small Business's Online Presence Known ...

In 1995, Clifford Stoll made a bold argument that because of the limits of the Internet (at that time), e-commerce wasn?t going to fly. Of course, with 20-20 hindsight we see his argument didn?t hold water. But who else in 1995 could possibly have imagined what the Internet could ? in just a few short years ? do?

Online marketing is giving traditional marketing a run for its money ? fast. That?s why these days, if you?re running a business, regardless of its size, having a web presence is crucial.

But maintaining a website isn?t all there is to online marketing. Not so long ago, having a website was enough so that when you built it, people would find you. Sure, there was a little marketing and SEO involved.

But times have clearly changed. Having just a website is no longer enough, and the search engine marketing game has shifted into some higher gears. That?s because the way people use the Internet to find information on products and services has dramatically changed.

But the changes that have taken place in the way we do business online shouldn?t turn you off. In fact, some of the recent changes in online marketing have made it a lot easier for small businesses to compete against the big ones.

Your website?s score card
Let?s start with the website, the centerpiece of your online business presence. Take a look at how your business performs with just your website. Try answering the following questions:

• Do you receive at least five inquiries a month through your site?
• Is there a way for you to measure your site?s performance (i.e., are analytics installed)?
• If you have analytics installed in your site, do you regularly look over the stats to monitor traffic, audience interaction, and everything else that tells you about your site?s progress?
• Have you updated your site or blog within the last two to three months?
• Do you have incoming links from other websites, especially those that are related to your site?
• Do you provide a way for your audience to find basic information via your website?

?

So what?s your score? Here?s the thing: If you have more than two no?s among your answers to the above questions, chances are your web presence is not as effective as it could be. You may be missing out on crucial opportunities for your business each time visitors take a look at your site.

You should know by now that the key to an effective web presence is to operate a site that is interactive, supported by great content, and driven by engaging marketing activities.

The following are four areas you should look into to make your website the centerpiece of your business. Concentrate your energy on these items, and your site will have a more effective online presence and?perform better.

An interactive site
Having a website is a first step toward creating a strong web presence. However, it?s incredible to see how many people even today have assumed that a website isn?t necessary because of the explosion of social media. Social media has enabled the less techie entrepreneur to set up shop with just a Facebook or Twitter page.

Folks, having a website says a lot about the credibility and capability of your business. But the not-so-techie entrepreneur often finds?running a site an intimidating and tedious task. After all, it requires a firm grasp of programming and SEO, right?

Well, not actually. The good news is, along with the explosion of social media came the user-friendly features of website content management. WordPress is one of the most powerful and easy-to-use platforms; even a 12-year-old can use it to set up a working site from the ground up. With newer platforms, you can create highly engaging sites that run 24 hours a day without requiring you to learn about programming.

Also, the biggest advantage to running your small business on such newer platforms as WordPress is that they allow you to update your site easily, with fresh new content. I want to emphasize freshness, because it is one of the key ranking factors that the search engines are considering these days.

Content marketing
And of course, what?s a site without a great and highly engaging content, right? Content is still king. It still plays a huge role in attracting visitors and in ranking your site well in search.

With great content, you can attract massive followers for your business. You can also convert your visitors into paying and loyal customers.

And with great content, you can effectively position yourself as the go-to guy within your industry. But you can only achieve this if you constantly share valuable information that people will love you for.

Search marketing
A majority of the people using the Internet still use the search engines to find information on products and services. Sure, we all like to read the recommendations from people we are connected with on Facebook, but most of us still want some control over the information we?re looking for.

And because people still largely use the search engines, if your business isn?t on the first page of Google or Bing, your customers will move toward your competitors instead. Therefore, search marketing should form a huge part of your marketing activities.

Social media marketing
Lastly, one of the largest and newest challenges to achieving effective online presence for your business is immersing yourself in?social media marketing. It?s not the Holy Grail of online marketing, but getting social is a sure-fire way to achieve great exposure, higher traffic, and even conversion.

One of the keys to a successful social media marketing campaign is determining which platform is best suited to your type of business. Which audiences do you wish to interact with? Also, you need to be very determined to keep your social media marketing campaigns active by consistently posting updates on your social media pages.

To help you choose which social media platform is best for your business, remember the following:

• LinkedIn is great for B2B campaigns, and for networking with professionals and fellow entrepreneurs
• Facebook is great for finding new customers and marketing to people with whom you are already connected
• Twitter is great for marketing to strangers
• Google+ is great if you are looking to establish a strong presence not only in the social space, but also in search.

?

Conclusion
In a nutshell, in order for you to create an effective online presence for your business, you need to create an interactive site, produce high-quality content on a consistent basis, follow basic SEO rules, and establish an active social media presence.

If you?ve got questions on how to create an effective online marketing campaign for your business, contact us for a free site assessment.

About the author

I am a Content Writer, SEO and Social Media Marketing Specialist and a full-time coffee lover.

Source: http://www.audiencebloom.com/2012/12/how-to-make-your-small-business-online-presence-known-effectively/

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The Five Best Blogging Software Platforms for Small Business ...

Posted by Kasey Jones on Thursday, December 27, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

Many small business owners today aren?t familiar with the various blogging platforms, but are considering a blog for their companies. An essential component of online marketing, blogs make it possible to engage with your target audience. If you are a business owner who is unfamiliar with the platforms available to you, we?ve compiled a list of those that are easy to use and make content presentation easy. In terms of internet marketing, our favorites are listed below.

WordPress ? One of the most popular content management systems (CMS) today, WordPresss is a free open-source blogging platform that?s highly customizable and SEO friendly, making it easy for those new to blogging to use. If you have an existing company website, WordPress easily integrates so that you can add a blog without any technical skills. WordPress makes easy work of uploading images, adding blog posts, editing, and more.

Blogger ? Blogger, owned by Google, has been around nearly since blogging began and is still a good choice for bloggers today. Another free blogging platform, Blogger is safe, offers some good-looking free templates that are customizable and is easy to use. User-friendly and easy to add new posts to or edit, Blogger has become more SEO friendly and offers tools to help you design your template.

Tumblr ? Another free blogging platform, Tumblr encourages interaction similar to that you find with social media, and is amazing for SEO because it offers tons of opportunity for social sharing. Known widely for its micro-blogging capabilities, Tumblr allows users to make small ?mini? posts either in visual or text format. The amazing thing about Tumblr is that users can ?share? your posts or blurbs, then others share those users? shares, literally creating a whirlwind of activity.

TypePad ? Exceptional customer service, simplicity and security are a few features you will find with TypePad, a great choice for amateur bloggers. This highly functional blogging platform offers unmatched support when you have questions, step-by-step tutorials and intuitive software that makes simple work of getting your blog going in no time. TypePad offers different packages from basic to premium, each offering its own features. Unlike with some other blogging platforms, TypePad?s customer service typically responds within 24 hours when you open a help ticket.

Movable Type ? Another CMS (content management system) similar to WordPress, Movable Type offers free and paid versions, simple design customization and plug-ins that make enhancing your and your reader?s experience easy. Another plus ? making your blog mobile-friendly is easy which is essential considering almost everyone uses an iPhone, smartphone or other mobile device today. Movable Type lets you easily manage content and develop an interactive, engaged community. Built in RSS, plenty of tools to invite your readers to participate.

These are some of our best picks for small business owners who are considering a company blog. Today, consumers like to see the more personal side of the companies they buy from; blogging makes it possible to interact and engage with customers old and new.

Kasey Jones is a contributing writer for The KC Techgregator , an RSS blog aggregator for all of Kansas City?s best Tech, Startup, SEO, Internet Marketing, Web Design & Development and Social Media Marketing Blogs.

Source: http://championseoconsulting.com/blog/2012/12/the-five-best-blogging-software-platforms-for-small-business-online-marketing/

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Vampire Crystals (WiiWare) Review - Nintendo Life

Vampires, they don?t always suck

One fact that we all need to face is that fast-paced and frantic video games will never go out of style. Whether they?re classics being played on an arcade cabinet or new entries on a home console, intense action coupled with multiplayer mayhem can be downright addictive. Another fact that we all need to face is that romantic vampires, among other amorous undead creatures, are currently in style. Combine the two and you?ve got Vampire Crystals, a game that?s much better than any young adult novel would dare to suggest.

Vampire Crystals is a twin-stick shooter that is simple in terms of gameplay, but is also packed with content. The plot involves an evil dragon raising an army of zombies to take over Spookyland, and a couple of vampires who must intervene before things get out of hand. It?s silly and trivial, but this is definitely the type of game that concerns itself with gameplay over plot, and it does a fine job of making the action both fun and exciting.

Using a Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, the Nunchuk?s analogue stick is used to move your character around as you use the Remote to aim at your screen and hold B to shoot. A crosshair appears on screen wherever your Wii Remote is pointed, letting you know exactly where your shots are going to be fired. If you prefer a more traditional twin-stick control scheme, then you can also use a Wii Classic Controller, using the left analogue stick to move and the right stick to bombard your enemies with bullets. Controlling your character is easy to master and feels natural after just a short while.

The main campaign consists of 15 levels with three boss fights distributed in between. To complete a level, you have to kill a certain amount of zombies while also collecting crystals that randomly generate on the ground. The amount of kills and crystals that you need to accumulate are shown on the left side of your screen along with your health. Once you reach your goal, the level ends and you automatically move on to the next one. If, however, the zombies overwhelm you, or if time runs out before you accumulate enough kills and crystals, then it?s game over and you?ll have to start the level again.

Scattered throughout each stage are various items, such as power ups and extra health. Most of the power ups change the type of ammunition that your gun will fire, while others create a weaponised shield that surrounds your character or cause your character to grow to an enormous size. Conversely, there are also items that hinder your performance by reducing your health or inverting your controls. Whether helpful or harmful, the effects of any of these items are only temporary, ensuring that each level, no matter how predictable gameplay may be, will keep you on your toes.

One of the biggest issues afflicting Vampire Crystals is the intense difficulty curve. Following less of a curve and more of a spike, certain levels tend to jump in difficulty so drastically that they?ll take any player several tries just to complete. Though the difficulty can be a bit on the punishing side, all of the levels can definitely be completed, and finally finishing off a level that?s giving you trouble just makes the whole experience more rewarding. If you?re still having difficulty completing the game, then there is also the option to play through the campaign co-operatively with local friends.

Beyond the local co-op, there are three other multiplayer options available including Deathmatch, Survival, and Time Attack modes, all of which can be played with up to four players. Deathmatch, as the name implies, pits you and your opponents against each other with no other distractions to get in your way. The power ups are still available, but you don?t have any pesky zombies running around the map as well. Survival is more team-based; you try to survive an endless horde of zombies and the player who lasts the longest is deemed the winner. Finally, Time Attack mode has you and your opponents collecting crystals and fighting off zombies all while trying to run down the clock. The player with the most crystals in the end wins, regardless of who died first or more often. Each of these multiplayer modes is simple, but they?re undeniably fun. Unfortunately there's no online play, so all of your matches and scores are kept local only.

While Vampire Crystals may look like a bright and colorful zombie romp, it?s clear that much care was put into the details of its presentation. All of the environments, while often looking quite similar, have a distinct direction to them that make them all stand out from one another. The layout and design of each level varies in a way that forces you to readjust to your environment with each passing stage. The characters and textures may not be the most meticulously crafted in gaming history, but they?re crisp and clear enough to easily be differentiated form one another, even when things get a bit hectic. On a related note, in later levels when enemy characters flood the screen, there is a little bit of frame rate slowdown, but it?s nothing game-breaking, and beyond that everything flows as smoothly as one could expect from a frantic game such as this.

Vampire Crystals isn?t going to win any awards for originality, but by no means does that make it a bad game. There are some issues with frame rate slowdown later on, but beyond that it?s a fun scramble worth playing through over and over again, both solo and with some friends. Boasting classic twin-stick shooter gameplay with a variety of different power ups and multiplayer modes, this is definitely a worthy addition to any gamer?s library, even if the difficulty curve might drive you a bit batty.

Source: http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/wiiware/vampire_crystals

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Prickly Posts Fell BBC-Run Thorn Tree Travel Forum

Lonely Planet, the travel guide and guidebook giant, has temporarily closed Thorn Tree, a popular online travel forum, because of pedophilia-related posts. The BBC, which bought out Lonely Planet in 2011, made the decision to take Thorn Tree offline. BBC executives were reportedly tipped off by a user who pointed out "swearing and posts that discussed topics related to pedophilia."

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/26fc35f0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C769580Bhtml/story01.htm

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Learning gardens seek to combat childhood obesity - Colorado ...

Give a child the proverbial choice between candy and a carrot, and he?ll likely choose candy ? unless he helped grow the carrot.

The hypothesis was one of many posited by District 11 dietician Jamie Humphrey last fall as she helped to launch a large garden at the Galileo School of Math and Science.

The students proved her right.

?The little cherry tomatoes are so sweet ? the kids just eat them up like they?re going out of style,? she said.

Humphrey hopes that noshing on nutrient-dense produce is a habit the school?s students will maintain.

?If kids are choosing healthy foods versus foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat, they will make healthier food choices as they grow into adults,? she said.

A GROWING PROBLEM

Nearly a third of American children are overweight or obese, according to a 2010 report released by the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity.

As such, they?re more likely to develop conditions such as asthma and Type 2 diabetes at a young age.

For some kids, obesity is a phase. For others, it?s the start of a potentially deadly trend. Obese children are more likely to turn into obese adults. Obese adults are at a greater risk of developing a host of conditions such as heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Though Colorado is one of the more fit states in the nation, it isn?t immune to the epidemic. The percentage of obese children in the state climbed from 9.9 in 2003 to 14.2 in 2007, dropping Colorado from its position as a leader in childhood fitness to middle of the road when compared with other states, according to data released by The Colorado Health Foundation.

Among the nearly 1,700 children enrolled in Head Start and Colorado Preschool programs in El Paso County, numbers are even higher: 22 percent are obese.

?In this country, community and in our program, we have an epidemic of really young children who are suffering from obesity,? said Noreen Landis-Tyson, president of the Community Partnership for Child Development, which runs the programs in the county. ?To me, this is a resource issue, an educational issue, a stress issue.?

Sukie Jackson, director of the Ruth Washburn Nursery Cooperative, agrees that childhood obesity sometimes boils down to a lack of education, not resources.

Since 1999, the center has been home to a number of learning gardens, including a vegetable garden with a chicken coop.

Though 20 percent of the center?s students are on scholarships, the majority come from households that can afford the center?s tuition, which tops out near $4,000 a year for four half-day sessions a week.

Yet some students still battle obesity, Jackson said.

The center?s parents have been known to have passionate discussions about the differences between carrot muffins, which are considered acceptable snacks for school, and frosted carrot cake, which is not.

?You can?t assume that someone who is not on a scholarship gets good food at home,? Jackson said.

AN EFFECTIVE WEAPON

Learning gardens can?t cure childhood obesity, but studies show that they?re effective in combating it.

Travis Robinson would know. He?s the managing director of Boulder-based nonprofit The Kitchen Community, founded last year with the aim of whittling away at childhood obesity rates by connecting kids with ?real food.?

Founders chose learning gardens as their weapon of choice because they increase kids? consumption of fruits and veggies two and a half to three times. They do so by providing children with a ?basic knowledge of where their food comes from,? Robinson said.

?They don?t know what grows underground, what grows aboveground,? he said. ?It?s that basic knowledge that results in behavioral changes.?

The organization has so far helped to launch more than 20 learning gardens, including one at the Fort Carson Head Start Center, run by Landis-Tyson?s organization.

Volunteers installed the Fort Carson garden?s infrastructure in the fall, and center employees plan to sow seeds in the spring.

Come harvest season next year, they hope the garden yields a bumper crop of colorful, robust vegetables and herbs, which they plan to sneak into snacks and send home with children.

Landis-Tyson hopes that the Fort Carson center sees results similar to that of the Galileo School.

?It?s about taking the mystery out of some really healthy foods and giving kids a chance to try them,? she said.

?They?re much more likely to try something they?ve had a hand in growing than something that comes out of a can.

?Gardens take the mystery out of veggies and fruit.?

Source: http://www.gazette.com/articles/gardens-148949-carrot-learning.html

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Fighting Winter Blues With Light Therapy

Every October as the clocks are turned back, Jose Balido notices that his mood changes, almost as if his body were going into hibernation.

His limbs are heavy and he has trouble moving around. Simple household chores like loading the dishwasher seem "insurmountable," he said. But when spring arrives, the lethargy lifts.

"It took me a while to realize what it was," said Balido, owner of a travel social network site, Tripatini. "I was cranky, short-tempered, depressed, feeling hopeless and having difficulty concentrating."

Balido, 51, was diagnosed a decade ago with seasonal affective disorder or SAD. The condition affects 62 million Americans, according to Michael Terman, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at Columbia University and a leader in the field.

About 5 percent of the population experiences the most severe symptoms of SAD -- depression and hopelessness -- while another 15 percent have the so-called "winter blues" or "winter doldrums."

The vast majority never fall into full depression, according to Terman, but "plod through winters with slowness and gloominess that takes effort to hide from others."

Two decades ago, SAD was identified as a legitimate disorder by the National Institute of Mental Health. Since then, the treatment of choice has been light therapy.

Balido, who lives in Miami, sought help from Terman and now undergoes light therapy. He sits in front of a daylight simulator for a half an hour each morning before 10 a.m.

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"Within two or three days, the difference was mind-blowing," he said.

The standard treatment for SAD is 30 minutes of 10,000-lux, diffused, white fluorescent light, used early in the morning. About half the patients are helped quickly -- and when treatment is tailored to a person's individual wake-sleep cycle, remission can climb to 80 percent, according to Terman.

This year, a utility company in the northern Swedish town of Umea installed ultraviolet lights at 30 bus stops to combat the effects of SAD.

"We wanted to celebrate the fact that all our electricity comes from green sources and we wanted to do this in a way that contributed to the citizens in one way or another," said Umea Energi marketing chief Anna Norrgard in an email to ABCNews.com.

"As it is very dark where we live this time of year, a lot of us are longing for the daylight," she said. "A lot of us are also a bit more tired this time of year and I would also say we sleep a little bit more. ...We wanted to give the citizens of Umea a little energy boost, to be more alert."

The town is located about 400 miles north of Stockholm. In December, the sun rises at about 10 a.m. and sets around 2:30 p.m. Some towns north of the Arctic Circle have no daylight for several weeks in the winter.

Geography has a strong influence on the prevalence of SAD symptoms, according to Terman.

"The common wisdom is that it's worse the farther north you live, because winter days are so much shorter," he said. "Not so simple."

Columbia research shows that in North America, the incidence of SAD rises from the southern to the middle states, but levels off and stays bad from about 38 degrees North latitude (near such cities as San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.) up through the northernmost states and Canada, according to Terman.

But the problem becomes "more severe" at the western edges of the northern states and provinces.

"This important finding reveals the underlying trigger for relapses into winter depression, since the sun rises an hour more later at the western edge of a zone," said Terman, whose book, "Chronotherapy," looks at the phenomenon.

Esther Kane, a clinical counselor from Vancouver, Canada, said her practice is filled with patients as the long days descend on British Columbia.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/light-therapy-helps-winter-blues-sad-swedish-bus/story?id=18036009

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Weight Loss Pill Qsymia 'Gaining Traction'

Dec. 26, 2012 -- Sales of the prescription weight loss drug Qsymia, the first such drug to get the FDA's OK in 13 years, are increasing, despite earlier reports of sluggish interest.

For the week ending Dec. 7, more than 2,000 new prescriptions for Qsymia were filled, according to Source Healthcare Analytics, a provider of pharmaceutical market data. That compares to 1,163 filled prescriptions for the week ending Nov. 23.

Depending on who you talk to, the drug, which went on sale in mid-September, is a godsend or a disaster.

Gwen Barton, 57, of New York, participated in a Qsymia clinical trial. She dropped 50 pounds in 18 months. She gained back half of that after the trial ended, then started back on the pill in early December.

The pounds came off again. "I have lost 12 pounds so far and I'm very happy,'' she says. She wants to shed another 40 pounds on her 5-foot-5-inch frame to get to 140 pounds.

Barton offered to share her story through the public relations firm for Vivus, the maker of Qsymia.

When the FDA approved the drug earlier in 2012, Sidney Wolfe, MD, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, called the decision ''reckless.''

His opinion hasn't changed, he says. "The history of diet drugs is a disaster," he says.

Qsymia Prescriptions Up

Michael Miller, chief commercial officer at Vivus, declined to release sales figures or quote prescription numbers until January, when fourth quarter results are in.

"We are pleased," he says of sales. "We have been gaining traction."

The drug is only sold through certified mail-order pharmacies whose personnel have finished a Qsymia-provided training program.

That was part of the risk reduction that Vivus agreed to with the FDA.

Average cost of the recommended dose is $160 for a one-month supply, Miller says.

Insurance coverage is not yet common. "About 1 out of 5 prescriptions are covered," he says. "The average co-pay is $50 or $60."

How It Works

Qsymia combines two drugs already on the market: phentermine and topiramate.

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant. (It was the ''phen'' part of the popular weight loss combination pill fen-phen. After reports of lung problems and heart valve damage surfaced, related to the ''fen'' or fenfluramine, the FDA requested fenfluramine's withdrawal from market in 1997).

Topiramate may work by suppressing appetite and helping you feel full, according to the drugmaker.

Qsymia is approved only for those who have a body mass index or BMI of 30+, termed obese, or a BMI of 27+, termed overweight, with another weight-related problem such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

It is prescribed with the understanding that patients will follow a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and get regular exercise.

Barton says she walks for exercise. She drinks a lot of water and has given up fatty foods, sodas, and another old favorite, doughnuts.

Thanksgiving was not the struggle it once was. "No seconds, no thirds, I didn't bring food home," she says.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20121224/qsymia-gaining-traction?src=RSS_PUBLIC

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NRA-ILA | Fury After Paper Publishes Names, Addresses of Legal ...

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
READ MORE

? 2012 National Rifle Association of America. Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
11250 Waples Mill Rd. Fairfax, VA 22030? 1800-392-8683(VOTE)

Source: http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/in-the-news/2012/12/fury-after-paper-publishes-names,-addresses-of-legal-pistol-owners-in-new-york.aspx

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Christmas Day weather forecast: Rain with a chance of ... - NOLA.com

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy (Revised November 1, 2011)

? 2012 New Orleans Net LLC. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of New Orleans Net LLC.

Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Contact interactivity management.

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Source: http://www.nola.com/weather/index.ssf/2012/12/christmas_day_weather_forecast_1.html

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RaichuFTW Here!

Oh yeah? I've actually played PokemonMMO. Unfortunately we don't have anything dedicated to PokemonMMO itself, but we /do/ have a few dedicated pokefans that RP here. In particular, I'm part of a group of pokemon fans that roleplay in a pokemon relevant section of The Multiverse (The site's official chat RP)

If you go to the RPG chat, you can often find some of us. Namely, you can sometimes find myself, BBClock, and qbsuperstar03. We're arguably the biggest pokedorks on the site. The Muliverse is a difficult concept to grasp on it's own. (Basically, it's an RP for anything and everything you can imagine.)

You'd need to create a character for it, which involves going to the RPG chat and clicking on the "Characters" tab on the chat window. (You then scroll down to the bottom and fill out a form located there.)

That being said, you're welcome to join us. You may want to talk to one of us in the chat for more info if you decide you're interested.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/DCDBJhAe_HY/viewtopic.php

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Our Marine Corps Family, Russian Language and Russian Cooking ...

I received additional information on the possible Russian ban this evening so I'm taking a few seconds to post it before finishing the rest of my Christmas wrapping!!

So currently contacts in Russia are saying that Russians intend to pass this law at least for a short period of time to completely rework the adoption process. Admittedly, this could all change so still stand by until the process is done and Russia decides how to implement this (regarding families currently in process etc). What I've been told is that Russia intents to ban adoptions by Americans for now but leave the bi-lateral agreement in place. This will allow Russians to still monitor children previously adopted from Russia, as well as giving them the right to inspect adoptive homes and visit adopted children. This also means families will still be required to submit post placement reports. Once the ban goes into place, the American Government and American adoptive families will have to show that they respect Russia by submitting ALL post placement reports. The government will have to submit updated reports on all children via the State Department (all children adopted by American families from Russia in the past 20 years). They will have to submit reports on every adoption that has disrupted, every child that has been killed (there are still some that Russia doesn't know about) and every adopted child that has been abused and placed in foster care. And then they must allow Russia to have access to these children and a say in where and how they are placed with a new American family. The new American family will have to submit a dossier to the Russian Embassy and show up at the Russian Embassy for an interview and Russia will have to approve the adoption prior to it being finalized. The family will also have to submit the required 4 post placement reports unless they feel that additional reports are necessary.

One other report that I saw on a family's blog is that they've passed court (in Russia, Moscow Region) and been approved. However, the judge told them that if the ban goes into effect he can't guarantee that the ruling will be overturned by a higher court (a higher court or the Federal MoE can overturn the ruling any time within the 30 days after court). So there are still questions that need to be answered regarding families who have been approved in court but haven't been given physical custody of their children yet. I have no answers on this one. I could give you my best guess (that you'll be fine), but no guarantees as this is Russia.

Also - regarding current court cases, current rape and abuse cases must be won, and the perpetrators convicted and they must serve at least some time in jail (and we're not talking 18 months or time served). Russia was barred from being present in the Georgia court in the current ongoing abuse and rape case. So they can't even be present during the testimony etc. After seeing the 2 families in Pennsylvania walk with time served and another one in Pennsylvania only receive maybe 15 - 18 months of time in jail, I'm not holding out hope for this court case. And if this person walks, or receives minimum time 3 - 5 years, Russia will be furious. They want to see stiffer penalties for rapists and abusive parents. If Russia doesn't ban adoptions now, if the case in Georgia takes a turn for the worse don't be surprised if this issue comes up again and they ban adoptions then.

This has happened before. Russia has shut down before to re-work their system and that is my best guess as to what will happen. I think they'll shut down for a year or two, re-work their system, eliminate the agencies (kind of like Ukraine has but different). The rumor is they will create Russian adoptions agencies with English speaking personnel, or Russian organizations to process dossiers and families will have to go through those agencies, American agencies will not be allowed to participate. That is what part of this ban is about. In the end they'll refers the section about American's adopting (in a year or two) but they'll leave in place the ban on American adoption agencies. They also won't allow pre-identification of children at all unless you already have a sibling at home and are requesting to adopt a biological sibling of the one you already adopted. Russia will select the child that is assigned to and placed with the family. Evaluations (Homestudies) will be done, not just by an American social worker, but also by a Russian social worker that American families will have to pay for. All training will be done either by an authorized entity (medical and psychological) that Russia has approved, or done in Russia (or both). Families will travel to submit their dossier in person once it has been translated and notarized, submitted and received initial approval (like pre-approval in China). After that families will have to travel on Trip 1 to Russia. On this trip they will NOT receive a referral. They will do their 8 doctor medical and do a multi day interview with different sections of the MoE in Moscow. Then they will be sent back to the US while the MoE finished evaluating the dossier and decides which child to place with that family that would be the best match. The family won't be assigned to a specific region. Whichever child the Federal MoE in Moscow assigns them to will determine which region the family is travelling to. Whatever region the child happens to be registered in will determine what region the family goes to in the end. A translator will be chosen from a registered translation company in the region. Someone not affiliated with any agency etc. There will be an hourly rate for the translator and for a driver, both of which the Russian agency will coordinate for the family.

Now this is NOT a guarantee this is what is going to happen. This is just what Russians on the ground are hearing so nothing is set in stone. But the rumors all say that Putin wants major changes before American families are allowed to adopt again. IF the ban goes into place, I don't think it will stay for more than a year, maybe two at the most. It will give Russia time to re-work their system.

So what I've written above, may just be a rough draft. It may be Russia trying to figure out how to fix a system that has become corrupt due to American agencies will to pay bribes. Who knows what the final draft will be like. It could change, and most likely WILL change before we see the final product. But who knows what that will look like, or when we'll do this. Some families may quietly adopt privately directly with the MoE during this period. I've heard rumors that it might happen, but it's not like those families will advertise it if they're smart. And as long as they follow the rules Moscow may allow it. We'll just have to wait and see. What the changes WILL do is eliminate corrupt American agencies that are increasing prices so that many American families can't afford them. It will bring the costs down for many families adopting currently (meaning you won't see $70K for an adoption). We're probably talking $35K including all the changes because all the families will be paying the same fees and the exact same cost. The only difference in the cost will be travel costs. These changes will also eliminate the illegal photo listings that Russia is so upset about, and the pre-identification that Russia doesn't like. However, these organizations can show pictures of children who HAVE come home already with these special needs, and note that there are hundreds and thousands of children JUST LIKE THAT still in Russia waiting to be adopted. Then a family would submit a dossier stating that they are open to adopting: HIV+, TB+, HEP B+, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome or other special needs, and Russia will match them with a child that has those special needs. Honestly, I think this is the BEST thing that could happen to Russian adoptions. Yes, for a year or two adoptions may be shut down. But in the end Russia will be generous and will again welcome American families to adopt, with new rules in place and safeguards to ensure that the corruption and photo listing is eliminated from the process.

One of the safe guards that will go into place is the ban on American NGO's. This means Americans can't contribute money to NGO's. Russian Adoption Coordinators would be considered Non Profit Organizations in Russia and Non Governmental Organizations. There would be tight controls on how much money they make (as Russia prides itself on free adoptions). The only costs involved would be shipping the dossiers to Russia, translation, notarization, the translator in court and with you at the MoE, the driver, the coordinators time (hourly rate), dossier registration fee in region/federally (typically approximately $1,500 but some regions are more expensive than others), and passport. The court costs (other than translator) are waived. Also the birth certificate and adoption certificate are also waived. The fee for a passport is the equivalent of $25 US Dollars (approximately), very minimal. Of course, when you add this up over 4 trips (1 for interview, 1 for referral, 1 for court, 1 for bringing the child home) those expenses do add up. Plus you have notary and apostille costs in the US as well. Of course this means the Russian agencies will have to hire coordinators who speak fluent English and Russia is very specific about degrees. They won't be willing to accept someone who doesn't have a University Degree. They'll want a business professional who has multiple degrees and is tri-lingual etc to present these families to the MoE. I know many coordinators who had only graduated from the equivalent of High School. The MoE isn't going to accept that any more. This is where costs are going to come in. That's why I think costs will go up somewhat. But for families already paying $35,000 or more, it won't be so bad (unless you're starting over). I think for families going through the system for the first time it will be a LOT easier, but at the same time the bar will be set VERY high. Families will be expected to show up in business suits, firm handshakes, known some Russian, be comfortable wearing business dress. Women will be expected to wear jewelry, wear their hair up, wear makeup similar to Russian women. Russia is one of the most stringent countries when it comes to formality and they will expect that in these families.

I know this isn't what some families want to hear right now.

For those of you interested in learning more, I would find the interview that Dr. Federici did with the Russian news agency. It's not written, so you'll need to find someone who speaks fluent Russian. None of it is in English. I found it more interesting, what the interviewer said, and what the news person had been hearing in Russia (since they attend all the press briefing and sit through the Duma's voting and readings).

In a different twist, there are NOT 3 readings in the Federation Council. They will bring it to the floor and there will be ONE vote period. If it passes it goes to Putin. Lavrov is now recommending to Putin to 1) sign the ban for now and 2) to keep the bi-lateral agreement in place so that Russia still has rights regarding the children in the US who were adopted previously who are still considered Russian citizens.

Source: http://rebeccajmarinecorpswife.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-information-on-russian-adoption-ban.html

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FDA Backs Safety of Transgenic Fish

Transgenic AquAdvantage salmon grow twice as fast as wild Atlantic salmon. Image: Barrett & McKay Photography / AquaBounty

The first genetically engineered (GE) animal for human consumption?a fast-growing salmon?has come a step closer to the dinner table, with a piece of paperwork posted online on December 22 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA?s draft environmental assessment concludes that the fish poses no foreseeable risk to nature. After 60 days of public comment, the FDA may issue a final assessment and approval?at which time AquaBounty, of Maynard, Mass., can begin selling the fish.

However, the draft assessment was dated 4 May, suggesting that the FDA had kept its conclusions under wraps for several months. Advocates on both sides of the issue speculate that political interference may be responsible. ?I think it was controversial, and it was an election year,? says Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food and Water Watch, a Washington, D.C., group opposed to GE food animals. An FDA spokeswoman, Morgan Liscinsky, declined to comment on accusations that the process had been politicized, and says it?s possible that the agency could request further studies after the public comment period.

Delays would not shock AquaBounty's CEO, Ron Stotish, whose company has been seeking FDA approval for the fish since 1995. When he was alerted to the decision today, he didn?t initially believe it. ?I said, ?I?ll wait until I see it because I?ve received calls like this before and it never happened,?? he says. The FDA has reviewed more than 50 safety studies, including one that shows the engineered salmon poses no more of an allergic potential than a wild salmon. The engineered Atlantic salmon contains an active growth-hormone gene from a Chinook salmon that allows it to reach market weight in 18 months rather than three years.

Anti-GE groups still have a long list of concerns. Lovera would like to see more studies done on the potential health risks of the salmon, published in peer-reviewed journals and conducted by scientists with no affiliation to AquaBounty. However, it?s not clear where the money to conduct such tests would come from, as?federal research funding rarely supports GE animals.

The GE salmon are currently kept within enclosed, inland tanks to prevent the small risk that the nearly sterile females will breed with wild salmon. But Lovera still worries that once the fish are approved, manufacturers will file for permits to keep them within nets in the open ocean in order to lower costs. ?This is basically the final step and we think the FDA has given a strong signal that they will accept the fish, and that is a mistake,? she says.

Stotish counters that as part of their application, AquaBounty has promised to not sell the fish to farmers who do not have enclosed, inland tanks. After 17 years and $60 million spent trying to win FDA approval, Stotish is still cautious. ?We are not so foolish to think that this process will suddenly be normal for us,? he says.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on December 22, 2012.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8f5f7f890f5d50b63d53d1b76ee79aff

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