100 Days Until ?Taxmageddon? | Student News Daily

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NOTE: ?After being in session for only two weeks in September, Congress has now adjourned until after the November 6 elections. The ?lame duck? session [the time between Election Day and the start of the newly elected Congress in January]?is the next possibility for legislative activity. The Senate will return for the week of Nov. 15, break for the week of Thanksgiving and return again on Nov. 29 for a period of time yet to be determined. The House?s schedule likely will be similar. (from pscpa.com).

(by Ryan Ellis, Americans for Tax Reform) ? Sept. 23rd marked the start of the 100-day countdown to ?Taxmageddon? ? the date the?largest tax hikes in the history of America?will take effect.? They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2013:

First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief

In 2001 and 2003, the Republican controlled Congress enacted several tax cuts for small business owners, families, and investors (later [extended until Dec. 31 2012] by President Obama and the Democrat controlled Congress in 2010).? The following tax hikes will occur on January 1, 2013:

Personal income tax rates will rise on January 1, 2013.? The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which the majority of small business profits are taxed).? The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent.? All the rates in between will also rise.? Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates.? The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

• The 10% bracket rises to a new and expanded 15%
• The 25% bracket rises to 28%
• The 28% bracket rises to 31%
• The 33% bracket rises to 36%
• The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

Higher taxes on marriage and family coming on January 1, 2013.? The ?marriage penalty? (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of taxable income.? The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.? The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.?

Middle Class Death Tax returns on January 1, 2013.? The death tax is currently 35% with an exemption of $5 million ($10 million for married couples).? For those dying on or after January 1 2013, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million.? A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.

Higher tax rates on savers and investors on January 1, 2013.? The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 23.8 percent in 2013.? The top dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 43.4 percent in 2013.? This is because of scheduled rate hikes plus Obamacare?s investment surtax.

Second Wave: Obamacare Tax Hikes

There are?twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare.? Some have already gone into effect (the tanning tax, the medicine cabinet tax, the HSA withdrawal tax, W-2 health insurance reporting, and the ?economic substance doctrine?).? Several more will go into effect on January 1, 2013.? They include:

The Obamacare Medical Device Tax begins to be assessed on January 1, 2013.? Medical device manufacturers employ 409,000 people in 12,000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax on gross sales ? even if the company does not earn a profit in a given year. Exempts items retailing for <$100.

The Obamacare Medicare Payroll Tax Hike takes effect on January 1, 2013.? The Medicare payroll tax is currently 2.9 percent on all wages and self-employment profits.? Starting in 2013, wages and profits exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of married couples) will face a 3.8 percent rate.

The Obamacare ?Special Needs Kids Tax? comes online on January 1, 2013.??Imposes a cap on FSAs of $2500 (now unlimited).? Indexed to inflation after 2013. There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.? There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education.? Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education.? This Obamacare cap harms these families.

The Obamacare ?Haircut? for Medical Itemized Deductions goes into force on January 1, 2013.? Currently, those facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction for medical expenses to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI).? The new provision imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI. Waived for 65+ taxpayers in 2013-2016 only.

Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2013, they?ll be in for a nasty surprise?the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) won?t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired.? These tax increases will be in force for BOTH 2012 and 2013.? The major items include:

The AMT will ensnare over 31 million families, up from 4 million last year.? According to the left-leaning?Tax Policy Center, Congress? failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families?rising from 4 million last year to 31 million.? These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level.? The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.

Full business expensing will disappear.? In 2011, businesses can expense half of their purchases of equipment.? Starting on 2013 tax returns, all of it will have to be ?depreciated? (slowly deducted over many years).

Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.? There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place.? The biggest is the loss of the ?research and experimentation tax credit,? but?there are many, many others.? Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.

Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.? The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.? Tax credits for education will be limited.? Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.? Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.? Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.? The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.

Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed.? Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA.? This contribution also counts toward an annual ?required minimum distribution.?? This ability will no longer be there.

Published at ATR.org on Sept. 21. ?Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from?the Americans for Tax Reform.? Visit the website at?ATR.org.

Questions

NOTE TO STUDENTS: ?Before answering the questions, read the information under ?Background? below.

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1. ?When are massive tax increases set to take effect?

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2. ?Why are taxes set to increase by such an unprecedented level?

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3. ?What can be done to prevent the 2013 tax increases?

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4. ?Who will be affected if nothing is done about the tax increases?

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5. ?Ask a parent what tax bracket your family is in. ?If Congress and President Obama don?t act, by how much will your family?s tax rate increase?

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6. ?a) ?Which of the tax increases do you think will most affect your family?

b) ?Ask a parent to answer the same question. ?Discuss your answers.

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7. ?How do you think raising taxes on businesses will affect jobs?

Free Answers ? Sign-up here to receive a daily email with answers.

Background

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The tax cuts enacted by Congress in 2001 and 2003 ? often referred to as the Bush tax cuts ? provided a broad range of tax relief, including lower tax rates on income, long term capital gains, and qualified dividends. We dodged the expiration of these lower taxes back in 2010 when Congress extended the tax cuts for two years (through 2012). Now cuts are set to expire on December 31, 2012, and any action will likely come down to the wire as it did in 2010.

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It?s difficult to predict what will happen, but three scenarios are possible:

• All the tax cuts could expire if Congress and the president fail to reach an agreement before December 31. In this case, the new Congress could act in 2013 to reinstate some of or all the tax cuts. [If Democrats win a majority in Congress, they will most likely leave the new, increased tax rates.]
• The tax cuts could be extended temporarily, giving Congress time to act on a permanent solution ? possibly by reforming the tax code.
• Some type of compromise could be reached in the lame duck session [the time between Election Day and the start of the newly elected Congress in January], with some taxes extended or modified and others allowed to expire.

One area of uncertainty is income tax rates. Without action, the 25%, 28%, 33%, and 35% tax rates will increase, and the 10% tax bracket will go away.

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The tax rates on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, which are currently 15% (0% for taxpayers in the lowest two income brackets) are also set to change. Without Congressional action, the long-term capital gains rate would revert to 20% for most taxpayers and to 10% for those in the 15% income tax bracket in 2013. Qualified dividends, meanwhile, would go back to being taxed as ordinary income, so for some investors, the top tax rate could rise to 39.6%.

The Washington Post aptly called the unprecedented $494 billion tax hike ?Taxmageddon,? and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke described it as a ?massive fiscal cliff.? Whatever you [call it], it?s a really big deal.

Despite all the warnings, President Barack Obama has kept his silence while Congress has made no apparent effort to prevent this impending calamity to families and the economy. The prevailing wisdom is that ?something will get done? in a lame duck session of Congress after the election. But why wait? And why after the election?

Here?s why you should be worried. For starters, remember that this is the same President who in 2009 promised, ?if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime.? ?That?s a vow he?s broken, and in 2013, things are going to get even worse if [by the end of 2012] Obama doesn?t lead and Congress doesn?t act. ?

Source: http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/100-days-until-taxmageddon/

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Immune system molecule affects our weight

ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2012) ? Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified a molecule in the immune system that could affect hunger and satiety. The researchers hope that new treatments for obesity will benefit from this finding.

Interleukin-6 is a chemical messenger in our immune system that plays an important role in fighting off infection. However, recent research has, surprisingly, shown that it can also trigger weight loss. Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have been investigating and managed to identify the specific types of brain cells that are targeted by the interleukin-6 molecule.

The results show that the cells that are affected by interleukin-6 produce substances that not only affect our sense of hunger and fullness but also control the body's ability to burn fat. "Interleukin-6 increases levels of substances in the brain that trigger weight loss, which could explain why high levels of this molecule lead to weight loss," says doctoral student Erik Sch?le, who is presenting the results in his thesis.

It is known that our normally low levels of interleukin-6 in the brain increase dramatically during an infection, typically accompanied by reduced hunger and fatigue.

"Our previous findings would indicate that interleukin-6 can play a key role in regulating the metabolism of healthy individuals too," says Erik Sch?le.

"This is clearly substantiated by our finding that mice which lack interleukin-6 get fat, and that the metabolism of rats injected with interleukin-6 directly into the brain increases."

Although it is not yet fully understood how interleukin-6 in the brain affects bodyweight, the researchers have concluded that anyone whose brain produces plenty of interleukin-6 could be protected against overweight. The thesis also shows that our gut bacteria indirectly affect the substances in the brain that regulate bodyweight.

"This is both surprising and new. It could in the long run lead to people fighting obesity by changing what they eat in line with how it affects the brain," says Erik Sch?le.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/kLNOIAsttL4/120924080257.htm

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Sale New ? Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting 2012 ? Complete ...

Sale New ? Sage Peachtree Pro Accounting 2012 ? Complete Product ? 1 User ? GU0228

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Evaluate the potential of a new market ? Case Study | The Business ...

This case study demonstrates the power of what I call ?down and dirty? exploratory telephone research really well?

Background
One of my (Linda Mattacks) clients was a company that supplied enterprise-wide business systems solutions to a diverse range of companies around the globe. Its solutions had been adopted by companies in the construction industry in the USA and Europe, but never in the UK.

An independent salesman had presented the client with a UK construction industry database and claimed he could sell to it. The client wasn?t convinced and, before committing to an expensive three-month trial period of sales and marketing activity, wanted me to research ?100m+ turnover construction companies in the UK.

With the salesman?s full cooperation, this client provided 50% of his database, from which I would need to select the target audience for the research project. The salesman was meanwhile using the other half of his database to make prospecting calls and even gave me his tip on how to approach the companies: This was to wait until the Secretary/PA was likely to have left the office for the day and attempt to make direct contact with the Chief Executive Officer. I did wonder whether he was seriously trying to be helpful or deliberately setting me off on a false trail. Anyway, it didn?t ?sit right? with me so I decided fairly immediately to file the tip rather than follow it.

Data sanity check
Knowing close to zero about the UK construction industry the first thing I did was obtain a count from a couple of business list providers to double check the size of the universe.

This showed there to be around 80 construction companies in the UK with a turnover of ?100m+ rather than the 250 on the full database supplied by the salesman. Closer inspection of ?my? half of this database revealed that he had parent companies and lots of subsidiaries that each showed as separate companies.

Let?s continue the examination of this case. There are several reasons I?ve labelled this project ?down and dirty? and none of them are anything to do with it being wrong or underhand:

1 Research briefing
The attitude of the individual who commissioned the research was very much ?You just get on with it and find out if there?s a market for us? and, even when I could get hold of him, he wouldn?t sit down to give a proper briefing. Oh, terrific, I don?t think!

2 The research objectives
So I figured out that there were three main objectives we needed to achieve:

• Identify principal drivers and constraints upon the use of integrated business systems in the UK construction industry
• Establish the opportunity for our client to feature in the re-engineering of business systems within UK construction companies
• Ascertain what would make choosing our client a viable solution

3 Time restrictions
This client was a man who did not want to hang around. The research had to be planned, executed and results presented within four weeks. There was no time for:

• The usual desk research of the industry (the Internet was still in its infancy and information was nowhere near as widely, easily and swiftly available as it is today)
• Preparation, design and testing of a research questionnaire call guide
• Putting together, briefing and training a team of telephone researchers

4 Practical considerations

There was the small matter that:

• Re-engineering a ?100m+ company?s business systems requires major investment and has enormous potential impact on the business, which meant that interviews would have to be held at director level in order for the findings to have any meaning and authority
• Getting telephone interviews with Board level directors of ?100m+ turnover companies at short notice is not easy

5 Resultant implications
This was a project that was fraught with potential pitfalls and could easily have failed to achieve sufficient useful information within the allotted time.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because it leads on to a:

Big Tip

• The chances of ever having ideal circumstances and conditions to carry out any kind of exploratory telephone research are virtually negligible
  • Go with what you have
  • Check out what ?facts? you can before you start
  • Then get on with it ? you are not going to publish the results as a business paper ? you?re going to use them to ascertain and evaluate market opportunities
  • If you wait for the ideal moment to present itself it will never happen

Back to this research project?

The project became focused on identifying and interviewing key figures in leading construction companies which, in turn, led to additional information gathering from other influencers in the industry (consultants, associations and an IT/construction industry think tank that I uncovered along the way) to round out the picture.

Research results
It was a fascinating, extremely focused, four weeks and I ended up becoming something of a mini expert on the industry and on the differences between the workings of the sectors within the industry. I ultimately conducted twenty depth telephone interviews with a mixture of Decision Makers and Influencers. The outcome provided us with a sound understanding of the state of the construction industry at the time and these were the top level findings:

• There was a readiness amongst the major players, those with ?400m+ turnover, to re-engineer their business systems ? the rest would watch and wait and probably follow suit
• The research also unearthed differences in attitude to re-engineering business systems in different sectors of the industry
• It highlighted misconceptions about the client?s solution and a need for the client to demonstrate understanding of and involvement with the construction industry
• It confirmed that any possibility for change only existed where there was a Board Director ?champion? ? if the interest emanated from IT Director level it was doomed to failure
• The Board Director?s views prevailed even where there was resistance from the IT Director
• It brought requests from Board Directors of two major ?400m+ turnover companies for an exploratory meeting with the client

As a result the client was able to weigh the pros and cons of what cost and effort would be required to successfully actively target the industry, and the likely monetary returns, based on facts rather than assumptions.

The value of the results of this research project being delivered to the client within his specified time frame, (together with the unexpected bonus of high level introductions to two potential clients) was such that he readily and promptly paid the project fee of ?12,000.

All this type of research will cost your company is someone?s time, the application of intelligent thought and a small addition to the company?s phone bill!

Set aside some thinking time

• If you can involve other members of your team, so much the better
• Brainstorm ideas for free-form telephone research

Taken from training material originally developed and delivered by Linda Mattacks

Source: http://tonystitt.co.uk/business-development/the-telephone/evaluate-the-potential-of-a-new-market-case-study

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Striking SA miners sign deal to end 5-week strike

MOOINOOI, South Africa (AP) ? Striking platinum miners in South Africa have signed a wage deal ending a bloody 5-week strike at the Lonmin PLC mine that had spread to the gold and chrome sectors of the industry which anchors the economy of Africa's richest economy.

The agreement for the company's 28,000 miners ends a strike with political and economic repercussions, but does not resolve rage engendered by the country's huge inequality and the government's failure to address massive unemployment and poverty.

Reporters watched as representatives of three unions, of strikers not represented by any union, and the London-registered company signed the deal late Tuesday night.

Lonmin agreed to pay a gross of 11,078 rand ($1,385) to rock drill operators who had been demanding a take-home wage of 12,500 rand ($1,560)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/striking-sa-miners-sign-deal-end-5-week-210825811--finance.html

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Government wins temporary freeze of military detention order

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The government won an emergency suspension of a ruling that blocked the indefinite military detention of terrorism suspects after arguing it would hurt America's ability to fight wars overseas.

An appeals court order late on Monday granted a temporary stay sought by the Justice Department after a judge had ruled unconstitutional part of a statute that authorizes indefinite military detention for people deemed to have "substantially supported" al Qaeda, the Taliban or "associated forces."

The government had asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Monday to freeze the ruling by U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest.

The Justice Department, which represents U.S. President Barack Obama, argued the judge's September 12 injunction barring enforcement of a portion of the National Defense Authorization Act's "Homeland Battlefield" provisions would harm U.S. war efforts abroad.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed in January by former New York Times war correspondent and Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges and others. They said they had no assurance that their writing and advocacy activities would not fall under the scope of the provisions.

The United States argues that the plaintiffs had no basis to fear being locked up for their activities, and that the judge's order interfered with the president's powers at a time of war.

Monday night's order by Circuit Judge Raymond Lohier said the district court's order is stayed until an appeals panel considers the issue.

Carl Mayer, a lawyer for Hedges, said Tuesday that the order was procedural and "we are confident the district court opinion will be vindicated."

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment.

The cases are Hedges et v. Obama, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-cv-331 and Hedges et v. Obama, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 12-3176.

(Reporting By Grant McCool and Basil Katz; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/government-wins-temporary-freeze-military-detention-order-154141311.html

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Generation Y battles to shape Pakistan's future

Khalida Brohi, 23, helps women in a remote part of Pakistan to "unleash their own potential" and battles against honor killings and for women's rights. "I want to change how people perceive women in Pakistan," she says.

By Amna Nawaz, NBC News

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Khalida Brohi's new life began when another girl's life ended.

Born and raised in Pakistan's remote, conservative province of Balochistan, Brohi was?16 years old?when the community's traditions collided with her own personal beliefs.

"I found out about a girl who was murdered in the name of honor," she recalls. "I knew her and why she was killed. She wanted to marry someone she liked and she was killed just for that. When I found out about this girl, I knew that was the turning point in my life."

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While still a teenager, Brohi founded Sughar Women's Program, a nonprofit organization with the mission of educating women about their basic rights. In many conservative communities across Pakistan, a woman's world extends only so far as the walls of her home. Their social interactions are restricted to family members and opportunities are defined by husbands, fathers and elder brothers.

But training and micro-loans provided by Brohi's group have resulted in CDs, books and embroidered handbags the women produce being sold across the country as well as at a flagship Sughar store in Karachi.

Now 23, Brohi is somewhat of a veteran in her field, and she's not alone.

In Pakistan's largest city, 'Old Glory' is flammable and profitable

All over Pakistan, where the majority of the 180-million-strong population is under the age of 30, members of Brohi's generation are striking out on their own to work toward change in their country, at an age when most are still finding their footing in life.

These social innovators, "change-makers" and "new radicals," as they've been called, represent an increasingly influential segment of civil society, in a country where the decision-making power has always been confined to limited circles.

'Demographic disaster'
Born, raised, and educated in Pakistan, but increasingly connected to the rest of the world through affordable telecommunications and readily-accessible social networks, many members of this generation are flexing their muscle in unprecedented ways when it comes to shaping Pakistan's future.

Ex-ambassador: US, Pakistan should 'divorce'

Their emergence, in some part, is a reaction to their circumstances. A 2009 study on the attitudes and needs of Pakistani youth, conducted by the British Council's Pakistan office, predicted a looming "demographic disaster," if social and economic changes weren't made to support the next generation.

Muhammed Muheisen / AP

Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.

Half of Pakistan's population is under the age of 20; two-thirds have yet to celebrate their 30th birthdays. To meet the expectations of this group, the study found the country would need to create 36 million new jobs by 2019. Fifty percent of those surveyed felt they weren't qualified to secure a good job; 79 percent felt Pakistan was headed in the wrong direction.

Growing importance, declining reputation
Many members of so-called Generation Y grew up under a military dictatorship or watched the same two political leaders bounce in and out of office. Their formative years were spent watching Pakistan's importance grow on the world stage, while its reputation has declined. They've come of age under the specter of war, watching a burgeoning and aggressive media fill the headlines and airwaves with stories of terrorism, corruption and political crises.

Red Cross halts most Pakistan aid in wake of beheading

After watching previous generations succumb to disillusionment, Brohi believes her peers are uniquely positioned to make lasting change.

"My generation is amazing. It's energetic. It's filled with anger," Brohi says. "They want something new in this country. And they want to take the reins in their hands now."

Happiness over 9/11
Ali Abbas Zaidi knows all about that anger. When he went to school on September 12, 2001, he was shocked by what he found.

"Some of my friends, they were congratulating each other," Zaidi says. "They were like, 'Congrats -- 3,000 people have died in America.'"

Zaidi, a soft-spoken 26-year old who was studying to become an aeronautical engineer, smiles in disbelief as he recounts the story.

Ali Abbas Zaidi is founder of the Pakistan Youth Alliance, a group which campaigns against extremism. "Something is wrong with the way we teach our kids," the 26-year-old says. "A lot of the youth population in Pakistan have extremist tendencies ... and we challenge that."

"That was the changing point for me," says Zaidi. "I was like, 'How can you be so sick,' you know? Being a human being that you're happy on the death of 3,000 innocent people?"

Zaidi worked to trace back the dominant collective mindset he saw in so many of his peers. He found elements perpetuated early in life by the educational system, and reinforced at various stages by religious, social, and political leaders. It is a mindset, he says, that glorifies violence and conservatism, and leaves the country's youth vulnerable to manipulation by ideological and cultural forces.

Veiled women in Pakistan rally for the hijab

Zaidi says his generation -- roughly 100 million people -- has become walking, talking "time bombs."

"If you don't correct them, if you don't guide them to being more peaceful citizens of this country and as a global citizen it will be disastrous for us, and for the world," he warns.

To balance the prevailing narrative and work to engage members of his generation, Zaidi founded the Pakistan Youth Alliance (PYA) in 2007.

Counter-terrorism workshops
Besides mobilizing some of his 50,000 Facebook followers for social welfare and relief work, Zaidi taps into this network as he seeks to change the dominant national dialogue. He and his fellow PYA members hold counter-terrorism workshops across the country, inviting local community members to debate them on religion and politics. They organize marches to peacefully protest policies with which they disagree. They've even organized street theater performances in parts of the country's rural and volatile northwest, with the goal of provoking local community members to engage and discuss.

"The older generation didn't realize that their voices mattered," Zaidi adds. "I think my father's generation was very apathetic. And they're responsible for what is happening in this country now. So our generation, we have to be responsible for what happens next."

Aid workers become targets in Pakistan

Blogger Sana Saleem, 24, has been writing for as long as she can remember. But it wasn't until 2008 that she realized how easily her voice could be quieted.

A controversial event called "Draw Muhammad Day" appeared on Facebook, drawing the ire of Muslims worldwide, many of whom object to any imagery of their prophet. Pakistan's government censorship agency leapt into action, banning Facebook and thousands of other websites, including Saleem's blog, all deemed to be in breach of the government's controversial blasphemy law.

Sana Saleem, 24, campaigns against "controversial issues that are not talked about" including Internet freedom and minority rights. "I want to see a Pakistan where diversity is thriving," she says.

"We've seen how social spaces can be constricted by using these laws, and this was just a side step of doing something similar in cyberspace," Saleem says. "We just felt that this was a dangerous precedent the government was setting."

'Rape threats'
She and a group of fellow journalists founded Bolo Bhi, which means "Speak Up" in Urdu, to organize and protest the government bans. The reaction was swift and fierce.

"A lot of hate we got was based on the claim that we were favoring porn, that we were favoring objectionable content, that we were somehow trying to spread immodesty," says Saleem. "Because a lot of our members were women, most of the threats were really vile, and they ranged from acid attack threats to rape threats."

By lending her face and name to the cause, Saleem became a target for the vocal, conservative forces in Pakistan that often bully and harass dissenting voices into silence.

"It puts you in a spotlight where it's either you're with them or you're against them," Saleem says. "What really scares me is the polarization here; the two ends have become such extremes, where the one hand has much more power and guns, and we have only our voices and the motivation to make change happen."

An embattled minority: Christians in Pakistan

Over the years, Bolo Bhi has become a safe space where controversial issues ? like gender-based violence, minority rights, and Internet freedom ? are given a forum. The seven core members of the group use the platform to raise awareness, enable discussion, and advocate for change on matters traditionally not acceptable for public discourse.

For Saleem, an effort launched to preserve her own voice in society, has grown into a mission to help her generational peers find their own.

"The youth [in Pakistan] is sort of suffering from an identity crisis, trying to battle between what Pakistan was in the past, and also moving forward," says Saleem. "How do we create the society that Pakistan was meant to be, and that was lost in those decades?"

NBC News' Waj Khan contributed to this report.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/10/13682714-new-radicals-pakistans-generation-y-battles-to-shape-countrys-future?lite

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Benchmark?s Matt Cohler: Ads On Mobile Will Be Better Than On The Web, More Like TV

Mobile looks like a threat to the growth of Facebook's profits, because advertisers aren't spending much and users aren't enjoying the experience. But Matt Cohler, thinks that mobile ads are going to be huge, "bigger than the web." Formerly a Facebook executive and now a general partner with Benchmark Capital, he compares the mobile ad experience to television. "It's?a lot more like a TV than a web browser ever was," he says in an interview with Michael Arrington today at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. "[With the web] you'd get 12 different things going on at the same time. It's not that immersive. The smartphone is one screen for the user to focus on, in a device they have a deep emotional connection to."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WWykEnCcfps/

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Egypt's tour guides protest lack of security

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's tour guides are rallying to protest the lack of security at tourist attractions, claiming they are attacked by souvenir vendors and unlicensed competitors fighting for turf at famed sites like the Valley of the Kings tombs in Luxor or Cairo's medieval citadel.

Tourism, a top foreign currency earner, has suffered from the turmoil following the 2011 uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Faten Abou Ali, a spokesman for the guides' union, says President Mohammed Morsi's new government is not paying attention to the industry.

About 150 guides gathered outside Cairo's Egyptian Museum Sunday. A spokeswoman for the guides, Gladys Haddad, says 40 attacks against guides were recorded over the last year, including harassment of women. Tourism officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-09-Egypt-Tourism/id-12995ef6baf04919ac699605c286b048

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Preparing for Bankruptcy: What Documents You&#39;ll ... - epica Finance

Bankruptcy comment

Alright readers, we?re launching a new series called: Preparing for Bankruptcy. If you are a reader in the mist of a bankruptcy or considering bankruptcy, this is the series for you.

We?ll aim to provide you with everything you need to makes this confusing,?convoluted?decision easier than expected. Nobody likes the idea of bankruptcy but sometimes, it?s the only?option?for?financial?freedom ? own it.

As you are preparing for bankruptcy you will want to take time to make sure you have all the documents you will need. By taking everything you need to your Attorney?s office you will ensure your case gets filed as quickly and accurate as possible.

Some of the documents your attorney, and later your assigned bankruptcy trustee may ask for may seem like overkill, however they just need to get an accurate picture of your financial past and present. With that said, let?s dive in?

• Paystubs and all income for 6 months prior to your appointment: This is for you and your spouse even if you are the only one filing bankruptcy. This includes any source of income that comes into your household. Social Security, Pensions, Part Time jobs etc. Also bring current statements of any Health Savings Accounts, IRA?s and Retirement Funds.
• Business Records: if applicable for any businesses you own
• Tax Records: with your W-2?s for at least 3 years back
• Bills: Current documentation on every debt you owe to anyone. Credit cards, Medical Bills. If you owe someone money, bring proof. If you have a debt that has gone to collections try to being documentation from the original debt holder. You should also bring proof of any child support payments or alimony payments you make.
• Loan Paperwork: For any Mortgages, Automobiles, and Personal Loans. Bring original paperwork if possible. You may be asked to provide statements showing the values of any real estate and automotive property you own.
• Bank Statements: You may need up to a year of back bank statements for all of the accounts you may hold.
• Identification: Bring picture ID, Social Security numbers for everyone in your household
• Proof of your Pre-Bankruptcy counseling if you have already completed it
• Insurance policies for your Home and Automobiles

If you think you may need proof of it, bring it with you for your appointment. It is a safe bet that if you earn it or owe it you need proof of it.?Neglecting to list all your debts or income can affect your bankruptcy case.

It may take you a good amount of time to collect your required documents, so confirm when you make the appointment what documents will be required in your case. If you know that you may be filing soon, start a file and gather this paperwork as you are preparing for bankruptcy so you will have it on hand. The best advice of all is to be honest and upfront with your Attorney and the Township trustee as you can, and provide what paperwork they need as quickly as possible. After all they are there to help.

Next, choose the right lawyer for your situation

In our next post of this series, we?ll cover why choosing the right bankruptcy lawyer for your situation is so critical and provide a few tips that should make this process a lot easier.?If you live in Arizona, I personally know a great Arizona?bankruptcy?lawyer?over at Scott Hyder Law, but the likelihood that you do is minimal so you?ll want to check into this next article so you can make the right choice for your life-changing decision.

Related articles

Source: http://epicafinance.com/preparing-for-bankruptcy-what-documents-youll-probably-need/

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Potential drug for treatement of Alzheimer's disease investigated

ScienceDaily (Aug. 31, 2012) ? A compound developed to treat neuropathic pain has shown potential as an innovative treatment for Alzheimer's disease, according to a study by researchers at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and Anesthesiology Institute.

"Cleveland Clinic dedicated two years of research into the examination of this compound and our findings show it could represent a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease," said Mohamed Naguib, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. "Development of this compound as a potential drug for Alzheimer's would take many more years, but this is a promising finding worthy of further investigation."

In a study published online in the Neurobiology of Aging, the compound MDA7 induced beneficial immune responses that limited the development of Alzheimer's disease. Treatment with the compound restored cognition, memory and synaptic plasticity -- a key neurological foundation of learning and memory -- in an animal model.

Neuroinflammation is an important mechanism involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The MDA7 compound has anti-inflammatory properties that act on the CB2 receptor -- one of the two cannabinoid receptors in the body -- but without the negative side effects normally seen with cannabinoid compounds.

Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, fatal brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. About 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease. With the aging of the population, and without successful treatment, there will be 16 million Americans and 106 million people worldwide with Alzheimer's by 2050, according to the 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report from the Alzheimer's Association.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cleveland Clinic, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jiang Wu, Bihua Bie, Hui Yang, Jijun J. Xu, David L. Brown, Mohamed Naguib. Activation of the CB2 receptor system reverses amyloid-induced memory deficiency. Neurobiology of Aging, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.06.011

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/muqNWHO4LZM/120831123750.htm

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