Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/obama-vacation-home-first-look/
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Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
November/December Personal Finance Newsletter | Keener ...
December 26, 2012 by Jean Keener, CFP, CRPC, CFDS?
The November/December Personal Finance Newsletter is now available. ?It includes information on the 2013 retirement plan limits and an update on investment market performance. ?There are also two articles relevant to the fiscal cliff negotiations ? a review of the considerations in harvesting long term capital gains and a discussion of the special dividend payments many companies are making this year. ? In addition, the 2013 schedule for Keller free retirement planning workshops is listed, and an article on giving wisely to charity. ?Please click here to read the newsletter.
Filed under: Featured Posts, Investing, Legislative Changes, Living Well, News, Newsletters, Retirement, Taxes, Your Finances
Tagged: charitable giving, Investing, Retirement, Taxes
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What we learned about humanity in 2012
The controversial extinct human lineage known as "hobbits" gained a face this year, one of many projects that shed light in 2012 on the history of modern humans and their relatives. Other discoveries include the earliest known controlled use of fire and the possibility that Neanderthals or other extinct human lineages once sailed to the Mediterranean.
Here's a look at what we learned about ourselves through our ancestors this year.
We're not alone
A trove of discoveries this year revealed a host of other extinct relatives of modern humans. For instance, researchers unearthed 3.4-million-year-old fossils of a hitherto unknown species that lived about the same time and place as Australopithecus afarensis, a leading candidate for the ancestor of the human lineage. In addition, fossils between 1.78 million and 1.95 million years old discovered in 2007 and 2009 in northern Kenya suggest that at least two extinct human species lived alongside Homo erectus, a direct ancestor of our species. Moreover, fossils only between 11,500 and 14,500 years old hint that a previously unknown type of human called the "Red Deer Cave People" once lived in China.
Bones were not all that scientists revealed about modern humans' extinct relatives in 2012. For instance, scientists finally put a face on the hobbit, a nickname for a controversial human lineage. Anthropologist Susan Hayes at the University of Wollongong in Australia reconstructed the appearance of the 3-foot (1-meter) tall, 30-year-old female member of the extinct humans officially known as Homo floresiensis, which were first discovered on the remote Indonesian island of Flores in 2003. [Image Gallery: A Real Life 'Hobbit']
DNA extracted from a recently discovered extinct human lineage known as the Denisovans ? close relatives of Neanderthals ? also revealed new details about this group, which once interbred with modern humans. The Denisovan genome that was sequenced belonged to a little girl with dark skin, brown hair and brown eyes, and displayed about 100,000 recent changes in our genome that occurred after the split from the Denisovans. A number of these changes influenced genes linked with brain function and nervous system development, leading to speculation that we may think differently from the Denisovans.
Genetic analysis also suggested the only modern humans whose ancestors did not interbreed with Neanderthals were apparently sub-Saharan Africans. These findings are just one tidbit regarding the closest extinct relatives of modern humans that was revealed this year. Scientists also found that the unusually powerful right arms of Neanderthals might not have been due to a spear-hunting life as was previously suggested, but rather one often spent scraping animal skins for clothes and shelters. Archaeologists also suggested that Neanderthals and other extinct human lineages might have been ancient mariners, venturing to the Mediterranean Islands millennia before researchers think modern humans arrived at the isles.
Humans' tool use
Ancient artifacts revealed this year also have shown how tool use has helped humanity reshape the world ? and perhaps inadvertently reshape humanity as well.
For instance, ash and charred bone, the earliest known evidence of controlled use of fire, reveal that human ancestors may have used fire 1 million years ago, 300,000 years earlier than thought, suggesting that human ancestors as early as Homo erectus may have begun using fire as part of their way of life. Controlled fires and cooked meat may have influenced human brain evolution, allowing our ancestors to evolve to have larger, more calorie-hungry brains and bodies.
Discoveries involving ancient weapons also revealed that humans learned to make and use these tools far earlier than scientists thought. For instance, what may be ancient stone arrowheads or lethal tools for hurling spearssuggest humans innovated relatively advanced weapons about 70,000 years ago, while a University of Toronto-led team of anthropologists found evidence that humans in South Africa used stone-tipped weapons for hunting 500,000 years ago, which is 200,000 years earlier than previously suggested.
Even the seemingly innocuous discovery this year of the first direct signs of cheesemaking from 7,500-year-old potsherds from Poland might help reveal how animal milk dramatically shaped the genetics of Europe. Most of the world, including the ancestors of modern Europeans, is lactose intolerant, unable to digest the milk sugar lactose as adults. However, while cheese is a dairy product, it is relatively low in lactose. Transforming milk into a product such as cheese that is friendlier to lactose-intolerant people might have helped promote the development of dairying among the first farmers of Europe. The presence of dairying over many generations may then, in turn, have set the stage for the evolution of lactase tolerance in Europe. As such, while cheese might just seem to be a topping on pizza or a companion to wine, it might have changed Western digestive capabilities.
Other clues regarding the diet of ancient relatives also emerged. For example, 2-million-year-old fossils suggest humans' immediate ancestor may have lived off a woodland diet of leaves, fruits and bark, instead of a menu based on the open savanna, as other extinct relatives of humanity did. In addition, fragments of a 1.5-million-year-old skull from a child recently found in Tanzania suggest that later members of the human lineage weren't just occasional carnivores but regular meat eaters, findings that help build the case that meat-eating helped the human lineage evolve large brains.
Humans still evolving
When it comes to the future of humanity, research this year added to accumulating evidence that natural forces of evolution continue to shape humanity. Church records of nearly 6,000 Finns born between 1760 and 1849 showed that despite humans radically altering their environments with behavior such as farming, human patterns of survival and reproduction were comparable with those of other species.
One researcher at Stanford University has even suggested that humans are getting dumber over time, having lost the evolutionary pressure to be smart once we started living in densely populated settlements several millennia ago. However, other scientists dispute this notion, pointing at geniuses such as Stephen Hawking, and suggest that rather than losing our intelligence, people have diversified, resulting in a number of different types of smarts today.
Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.
Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/learned-humanity-2012-152654897.html
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Video: Tracking the Great Commodity Correction
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50296184/
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Russia's new spaceship will fly you to the moon, let you swing among the stars
Russia's protracted attempts at replacing the aging space warhorse that is Soyuz may finally bear fruit. RSC Energia has announced that it has finished the design of a prototype spacecraft under the country's Prospective Piloted Transport System -- the equivalent of the Orion program. The as-yet unnamed craft is expected to be ready for testing by 2017, and unlike the current model, will be fully reusable. It's been designed not only as a taxi to take cosmonauts (and the odd multi-billionaire) to the International Space Station, but also ferry crews to the moon. That is, of course, assuming that Elon Musk doesn't get there first and make the moon his summer home.
Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt
Via: Moon Daily
Source: Ria Novosti
France says won't defend Central African Republic government against rebels
BANGUI (Reuters) - France's military will not defend Central African Republic's government against advancing rebels, French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday, and regional African leaders tried to broker a ceasefire deal.
Insurgents on motorbikes and pickups have driven to within 75 km (45 miles) of the capital Bangui in recent weeks, threatening to end President Francois Bozize's nearly 10 years as leader of the turbulent, resource-rich country.
"If we have a presence, it's not to protect a regime, it's to protect our nationals and our interests and in no way to intervene in the internal business of a country, in this case the Central African Republic," Hollande said, speaking on the sidelines of a visit to a wholesale food market outside Paris.
"Those days are over," he added.
The comments came after a plea from Bozize's government for French military support to stop the SELEKA rebel coalition, which says it will topple the president unless he implements in full a previous peace deal.
CAR Foreign Minister Antoine Gambi declined to comment on Hollande's remarks in a phone interview with Reuters but said the government supported talks with the rebels.
Officials from around central Africa are due to meet in Bangui later on Thursday to open talks with the government and rebels to end the crisis, and a rebel spokesman said fighters temporarily halted their advance for dialogue.
"We will not enter Bangui," Colonel Djouma Narkoyo, the rebel spokesman, told Reuters by telephone. Previous rebel promises to stop advancing have been broken.
The atmosphere remained tense in Bangui the day after anti-rebel protests broke out, and residents were stocking up on food and water in preparation for a rebel push into the city, built up on the banks of a river.
CAR soldiers deployed at strategic sites and French soldiers reinforced security at the embassy after protestors threw rocks at the building on Wednesday.
In Paris, the French Foreign Ministry said protecting foreigners and embassies was the responsibility of CAR authorities.
"This message will once again be stressed to the CAR's charge d'affaires in Paris, who has been summoned this afternoon," a ministry spokesman said.
He also said France condemned the rebels for pursuing hostilities and urged all sides to commit to talks.
France has 250 soldiers in its landlocked former colony as part of a peacekeeping mission and Paris in the past has ousted or propped up governments - including by using airstrikes to defend Bozize against rebels in 2006.
Bozize came to power in a 2003 rebellion that overthrew President Ange-Felix Patasse.
However, France is increasingly reluctant to directly intervene in conflicts in its former colonies. Since coming to power in May, Hollande has promised to end its shadowy relations with former colonies and put ties on a healthier footing.
Some 1,200 French nationals live in CAR, mostly in the capital, according to the French foreign ministry, where they typically work for mining firms or aid groups.
French nuclear energy group Areva mines the Bakouma uranium deposit in CAR's south - France's biggest commercial interest in the country - and uses the uranium to power nuclear plants in France.
The rebel push through a string of towns has highlighted the instability of a country that has remained poor since independence in 1960 despite rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds. Average income is barely over $2 a day.
A military source and an aid worker said the rebels had got as far as Damara, 75 km (47 miles) from Bangui, by late afternoon on Wednesday, having skirted Sibut, where some 150 Chadian soldiers had earlier been deployed to try and block a push south by a rebel coalition.
With a government that holds little sway outside the capital, some parts of the country have long endured the consequences of conflicts in troubled neighbors Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo spilling over.
The Central African Republic is one of a number of nations in the region where U.S. Special Forces are helping local forces track down the Lords Resistance Army, a rebel group responsible for killing thousands of civilians across four African nations.
(Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-troops-protect-nationals-not-car-government-hollande-095315934.html
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Self Improvement Tips That Can Get You Out Of Your Slump | Gifts ...
Head to a movie with your best friend if anxiety is a problem in your life. You will be out and about but not have to socialize as much. It can also be an effective way for you to become more comfortable with being near a large group of people.
TIP! Everyone screws up sometime and does something they should not. Stress is just as harmful to the body as eating bad foods.
If you do not know how to grow personally, you have come to the right place! Keeping an open mind and using the tips that this article will provide you will help you reach any personal development goals you may have.
Learn the habits that successful people practice, and build them into your own life. Concentrate on practicing some vital core habits at first, and keep at it until they become second nature to you. New habits are developed over approximately twenty-one days so a little patience will go a long way when you are improving your habits.
TIP! Understand that there is a divide between where you are and where you wish to go. You cannot successfully make the journey from here to there if you do not know the intervening territory.
When you are pursuing your personal development goals, having setbacks can be discouraging and make you feel like a failure. Failure is just a learning experience incognito. Failure is simply another method of determining what have been losses in your life and what have been your strengths. When you look at it from that perspective, failure can be considered a good thing, as it helps you know more about your personal makeup.
Begin a special savings for emergencies. Most of the time, it seems that the smallest unexpected expense adds more credit card debt. All you will need to do is save a couple of dollars per week. This will be able to get you through a short term crisis like unemployment or a large unexpected health care bill.
TIP! Knowing what you want out of life and how to get there are great tools for personal development. Broad objectives are extremely useful and can lend a positive outlook on life.
Find a book that you can turn to for encouragement. For some people, that would be a religious text, and for others, it might be something like an inspirational book of quotes. Knowing that there is some source of encouragement to which you can turn will improve your mental state and make it easier to face life?s challenges.
Ultimate happiness may lie in assuming a manageable amount of risk. Most people don?t want to risk feelings of rejection or failure, so they never travel from their comfort zone, eventually causing dissatisfaction. If you take risks, chances are you will be happier.
TIP! Being selfless is an important part of personal development. If you understand the importance of caring for others at your own expense, you can build stronger character.
Making yourself number one, and not overextending yourself, is very important. Do not focus on your own happiness to the exclusion of others? needs, but definitely make it a priority. They key is to stay true to your beliefs, and then you can have a much greater chance at happiness in your self improvement.
You may find it helpful to discuss your issues with a counselor or other trusted professional, such as your pastor. They are trained to help you with issues, and also are experienced. These impartial listeners can provide a sympathetic ear or help you deal with troublesome areas of your life. Talking to someone who knows how to listen and help will make you happier, and allow you to reach your goals.
TIP! Several people have difficulty meeting someone worthwhile to date. You should consider using the Internet.
Setting and reaching some short term goals can jump start your path to a happy, healthy life. By taking some time our for yourself to focus on both strengths and weaknesses, you will notice overall self-improvement.
Accomplish the things in life you want to accomplish. Sitting and thinking about the life you want will not get you that life. Take action, and turn your dreams into reality.
TIP! When trying to handle depression, focus on your diet and increase your complex carbohydrates. If your complex carb intake is lower than recommended, your body won?t produce enough serotonin.
Find out how successful people improved themselves. Studying the processes used by others will help you better develop your own personal development strategies. Reading about the lessons they have learned will have a positive impact on your own self improvement.
Choose one element of your life to focus on improving. If you focus all your efforts on that one thing, then the change will come faster and easier. By slowly introducing things one at a time, it is much easier to stick with these personality changes in the long-term.
TIP! Examine your inner self instead of your external appearance. It really does not matter what expensive clothing you wear, or if you look like someone from a magazine shoot.
Remove the disorganization from all aspects of your life. If you are able to get your life organized and keep it that way, you will see a real boost to your self-confidence. This will also lead to less stress because the disorganization contributing to it will be eliminated. It is soothing to know that everything is where it belongs.
Take a notebook around with you to jot ideas in. Keep a small notepad and pen with you at all times. If an idea grabs you while you are on the subway, write it down, then do something about it when inspiration strikes.
TIP! If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. One way to check yourself is to go online and read what others have experienced when aiming for the same kind of achievements.
Use the knowledge you have and be modest in order to live your life to the fullest. You can learn from the situations that you deal with on a daily basis. Ensure you can recognize what circumstances can?t be changed in your life. You will be less likely to bit off more than you can chew if you remain modest. Use the wisdom gained from past mistakes to make your future choices more positive and empowering.
Pick up a book to find out more about personal development. Having a good personal development book can give you insight and advice that will make a difference in your life forever. Be sure that you pick out a book that has been favorably reviewed because a lot of the times, these type of books can be poorly written.
TIP! Have a clear understanding of the obstacles between you and your success. This seems to be hard from some people.
When working on your personal development, you need to value yourself and what is best for your life. Make reaching your goals one of the most important aspects of your life.
Do what you can to remove unnecessary stress from your life. To avoid stress, try to remain calm when something unexpected happens. You should remember that not everything is perfect, and try to fix the problem when it arises.
On the road to personal development, treat your body with respect. Never allow yourself to become dehydrated or overly hungry. By doing that, your body will perform better later on in the future. If you disregard your body?s intelligence, you might find in the future that it will not be able to take care of you.
TIP! Make sure that you have specific and tangible personal development goals. If you have more tangible goals in mind, you?ll be able to better resolve how you might accomplish them.
It is essential to have a clearly outlined goal, when working toward improving self improvement. Create a specific goal for yourself. A specific goal will often achieve the desired results.
When you are trying to improve yourself, you should aim to have a high amount of self-discipline. You should strive to control your temptations and increase your self control. You can conquer many desires such as lust, drunkenness, or greed. Using self-control and restraining from these horrid vices can protect you from the negative effects they may have on your body and mind.
TIP! Even if you feel the need to change and grow, you will not do so until you choose to. Unless you understand and accept the fact that it will require change, personal growth will be almost impossible for you to achieve.
By using love, you can re-energize your faith and get closer to your self improvement goals. You must have love to have faith. You will also make decisions guided by your core beliefs. Faith and love can lead you to help those in need, and believe in people when they need it most, especially yourself.
Everyone needs to exercise, not just people who want to lose weight. There are lots of good, healthy reasons for exercising. For one thing, exercise stimulates your brain to produce chemicals that improve your mood.
Growing as a person requires improving your health. Exercising and eating nutritious foods are core to a healthy lifestyle, but you also need to be able to stay with your regimen. When you are healthy, you feel your best and therefore can be more effective in all the other areas of your life.
Become awesome at something you?re passionate about. Your aspiration to greatness is usually pointed to by your passion. No one can be perfect at everything, but we all aspire to provide inspiration to others. Enhance your standing in your niche, and your self-esteem will climb too.
A leader knows how to be modest, yet assertive. Be critical yet gentle in your approach, and remember, one must learn how to serve before he can lead. A leader is a person of integrity and virtue. These are admirable qualities for anybody to possess, so work on being more like a leader today.
When you?re looking for employment, having a degree is often essential. It typically does not matter what school that degree came from though. However, there are some instances, such as with financial institutions, that this may not be the case. Obtaining the degree in the first place should be the primary goal.
It?s often said that listening is no less important than speaking when it comes to effective communication. This is very true for personal development skills. Always pay attention to what you are telling yourself. You will have a hard time finding what your goals are if you are not listening to yourself.
One interesting trait the might be worth developing is called ?sexual capital.? Sexual capitol does not mean employing your sexuality as a tool in procuring what you want out of life. This means to use charisma instead. Not everyone has good social skills, but these can help you go farther in all aspects of your life.
Avoiding a decision means missing out on an opportunity when engaging in personal development. This may mean you need to make decisions without having perfect information about the outcomes of those decisions. Being able to make good decisions sometime requires you to trust your instincts. Even when you make a bad decision, you can learn valuable lessons from your experience. A bad choice will just open up the door for a better one.
You should now have a better idea how to maintain an optimistic outlook and plan. Keep any eye out for new information and use this information towards your self improvement.
Source: http://www.giftsforhappiness.com/self-improvement-tips-that-can-get-you-out-of-your-slump/
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