Microsoft launches new Office for consumers

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp launched its new Office software on Tuesday, featuring constantly updated, online access to documents from a range of devices as the world's largest software company attempts to tailor its most profitable product to a mobile generation.

The new Office suite of applications - including desktop staples Outlook email, Excel charts, Word and PowerPoint - marks the first overhaul since 2010 and aims to beat back growing competition from Google Inc's free online apps.

"The notion of an always up-to-date streaming version of Office comes directly from how people are using devices today," said Kurt DelBene, head of Microsoft's Office unit, in a phone interview. "You really want all your content to roam with you. We see that as an opportunity to deliver what customers are asking for."

The consumer-focused version of the new software, called Office 365 Home Premium, launched on Tuesday. After downloading the basic programs online, users can access the latest versions of all Office applications from up to five devices on a subscription basis for $100 a year.

The software will be updated online, marking a change from the past where users had to wait years for upgrades to installed software.

The new Office largely adopts the look of last year's Windows 8, with a cleaner, more modern-looking design and includes touch-screen capability.

The 'ribbons' showing commands in Word and Excel are mostly unchanged. For the first time the package includes online calling and video service Skype, which Microsoft bought in 2011.

Users' work can be stored in remote data centers - known as 'the cloud' - and the latest version of a document accessed from any licensed device with a browser that the user wants to work on.

GOOGLE KILLER

Two and a half years in the making, the new Office is designed to counter the growing popularity of Google Apps, a collection of online-only, Office-style applications Google provides free for home users and sells to businesses for $50 per user per year.

Microsoft is hoping its move into online services, alongside its new Surface tablets, pushes it back into the forefront of mobile computing, which has been led by Google's Android software and Apple's combination of slick hardware and apps.

"Today's launch of Office 365 Home Premium marks the next big step in Microsoft's transformation to a devices and services business," said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft chief executive, in a statement.

The new Office will run natively on Microsoft's own Surface tablets - both the 'RT' and Pro versions running on ARM Holdings and Intel Corp chips respectively - but it will not run natively on Apple's iPad, disappointing some iPad users who are also Office fans.

"We have not said that we will do rich client software on the iPad at this point," said DelBene, although he did not rule out producing such software in the future. "We've been very logical in our approach. I'm pleased with the software we have delivered for the iPad to date," he said.

Microsoft's SkyDrive online storage system and its OneNote note-taking software are available as iPad apps and iPad users can use limited Web versions of some Office applications.

The iPad issue has been a long-time quandary for Microsoft, which might gain more mobile users by making Office available on the iPad, but also removes a major incentive to buying its own competing Surface tablet.

The rollout of Office 365 for corporations, Microsoft's core market, has already started, but the new product will not be officially launched until February 27. The new Office applications have been available to large volume business customers since December.

Microsoft estimates that 1 billion people worldwide use some part of Office and the unit that produces Office is Microsoft's most profitable, edging out the flagship Windows division for the last few years. It now accounts for more than half of Microsoft's overall profit.

Sales dipped last quarter as consumers held off in anticipation of the new Office, but analysts expects sales to ramp up again this quarter.

"Microsoft has been criticized not only for pricing, but also for not innovating Office quickly and being slow to respond to the move to the Web or to mobile," said Michael Silver, an analyst at tech research firm Gartner. "Office 2013 addresses some of the criticisms, but Microsoft still has the power to maintain its pricing levels."

(Reporting By Bill Rigby; Editing by Matt Driskill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-launches-office-consumers-140454374--sector.html

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The Surprisingly Comfortable Mio Alpha Heart Rate Watch Does Away With Those Pesky Chest Straps

The Mio Alpha made a bit of a splash on Kickstarter earlier this year when it promised a heart rate-sensing watch that didn't use chest straps or similar encumbrances to measure your exertion. They went $200,000 over their goal of $100,000 and just started shipping in time for pre-marathon season.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fA9R1wFw4Cc/

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African forces to take over Mali job: Hollande

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Monday it would be up to African forces to tackle Islamist rebels in the northern part of Mali once the main towns in the region were retaken.

At a news conference in Paris, Hollande said "we are in the process of winning the battle" but acknowledged the harder part was still to come and that it would largely be a task for Malian and African forces.

After retaking several cities, including the northern town of Gao at the weekend, French and Malian troops sealed off the fabled desert town of Timbuktu on Monday after Islamists, who had taken control early last year, fled a French-led offensive.

Hollande said French troops would take a step back once the job of retaking key towns was complete.

"Then the Africans can take over the baton," Hollande said.

"They are the ones who will go into the northern part, which we know is the most difficult because that's where the terrorists are hiding."

In the face of a two-week-old French-Malian counter-attack, rebels have pulled back into the Saharan desert and mountains.

Military experts fear they could carry on a gruelling hit-and-run guerrilla war against the government from there.

Hollande sent French fighter jets to Mali on January 11 and now have around 3,500 troops on the ground. There are a further 1,900 soldiers as part of the growing pan-African force.

As French and Malian troops push into northern Mali, African troops from a U.N.-backed continental intervention force expected to number 7,700 are being flown into the country.

"It's up to the Africans to permit Mali to restore its territorial integrity," Hollande told a news conference.

"Once territorial integrity is restored the French will only stay to train and direct. Just as we went into action rapidly, we will draw back to the starting points."

A third northern town, the Tuareg seat of Kidal, in Mali's rugged and remote northeast, remains in rebel hands.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/african-forces-over-mali-job-hollande-054517896.html

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Researchers identify new target for rheumatoid arthritis

Monday, January 28, 2013

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery have identified a potential new target for drugs to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a protein known as IRHOM2. The finding could provide an effective and potentially less toxic alternative therapy to tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers (TNF-blockers), the mainstay of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and could help patients who do not respond to this treatment. Efforts to develop drugs that hone in on this new target are underway.

"This study is an elegant example of the capacity of basic science cell biologists to work with translational rheumatologists to address a clinically relevant question at a basic level," said Jane Salmon, M.D., Collette Kean Research Chair and co-director, Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, and an author of the study. "We have identified a clinically relevant target that can be applied to patients in the near term." The study will appear online, ahead of print, on January 25, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and in the February 2013 print issue.

Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, is triggered, in large part, by TNF-alpha, a small signaling protein usually involved in launching protective systemic inflammatory responses. With excessive TNF production, however, immune cells can become activated inappropriately and cause tissue inflammation. This produces a number of diseases, including RA. While TNF-blockers help many RA patients, these treatments are very expensive, and some patients do not respond. For this reason, researchers have been searching for alternative targets in patients with inflammatory diseases against which drugs can be directed.

"TNF can be thought of as a balloon tethered to the surface of cells. To work, it must be cut loose by signaling scissors called TACE (TNF-alpha converting enzyme)," said Carl Blobel, M.D., Ph.D., program director of the Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program at HSS. While blocking TACE could be another way to treat rheumatoid arthritis, researchers know this strategy would likely have side effects since patients lacking TACE are prone to skin infections and intestinal lesions.

Earlier this year, HSS investigators demonstrated that the TACE scissors are regulated by molecules called IRHOM1 and IRHOM2, which are thought to wrap around TACE and help it mature into functional scissors. They also demonstrated that mice that are genetically engineered to lack IRHOM2 lack functional TACE on the surface of their immune cells and don't release TNF. Surprisingly, these mice are healthy, and do not develop skin or intestinal defects.

In the current study, HSS researchers set out to investigate why this paradox exists. After examining tissues of IRHOM2-deficient mice, they found that IRHOM2 regulates TACE on immune cells, whereas IRHOM1 is responsible for helping TACE mature elsewhere in the body, such as in brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen cells. "IRHOM2 appears to have a more restrictive and exclusive function in immune cells," said Dr. Blobel.

The researchers then set out to determine whether blocking IRHOM2 could be a strategy to treat RA. They used a mouse model that mimics human rheumatoid arthritis in mice genetically engineered to be deficient in IRHOM2. They found that these rodents did not develop inflammatory arthritis and were otherwise healthy.

"When we tested mice that don't have IRHOM2 in a model for inflammatory arthritis, we found they were protected and they were protected as well as mice that didn't have any TNF," said Dr. Blobel. "Because TNF is the driver of rheumatoid arthritis in human disease, as evidenced by how well anti-TNF drugs work, we feel that this provides a completely new angle on blocking TNF release. It would be wonderful to be able to inactivate TACE in a tissue-specific manner and IRHOM2 provides a unique mechanism for us to do so."

Using drugs that inactivate IRHOM2 in humans, clinicians will be able to block the function of TACE only in immune cells. "We can prevent the deleterious contribution of TACE to rheumatoid arthritis patients and preserve its protective function in skin and intestines," said Dr. Blobel. "With IRHOM2, we have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to inactive TACE only in certain cell types, and not in others, and there is currently no other effective way of doing that."

The researchers say the next step is to identify antibodies or pharmacological compounds that can be used to block the function of IRHOM2 and are safe in patients. These HSS investigators are currently working to identify and test such agents. "In theory, IRHOM2-targeted drugs will have less toxicity than TNF alpha blockers," said Dr. Salmon. "They block TNF release only from specific cells, those known to contribute to joint inflammation and damage."

###

Hospital for Special Surgery: http://www.hss.edu

Thanks to Hospital for Special Surgery for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126480/Researchers_identify_new_target_for_rheumatoid_arthritis

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Could Scottish, Catalan independence votes reshape Europe?

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - The separatist flag of Catalonia - with its yellow and red stripes, blue triangle and white star - was a rare sight on the streets of Barcelona a decade ago. Now, it is almost ubiquitous.

Two thousand km to the north in Scotland, the blue-and-white saltire has always been popular. But that flag too increasingly symbolizes something new, that after more than 400 years within the United Kingdom Scotland may be on the verge of demanding a divorce.

For all the focus on the risk of the euro zone falling apart, some suspect this decade may be better remembered as the time when two of Europe's most permanent states began to break apart.

Pro-independence parties in Scotland and Catalonia are preparing for referendums next year that they hope could see their regions secede for good - which some analysts suspect might encourage others in Europe to follow suit.

There are considerable differences between the two regions. Scotland has always been referred to as a separate "country" within the United Kingdom, while Catalonia's claims to self rule are rooted in the history of the Middle Ages.

Prime Minister David Cameron's government has agreed to co-operate with the autumn 2014 Scottish referendum, though it is campaigning vigorously against any split.

In contrast, Madrid has declared it will fight a Catalan referendum on constitutional grounds. The separatist parties that run the region are keen to push ahead anyway and match Scotland with a 2014 vote.

Some suspect the two campaigns will feed off each other in the months to come. Each cause is marshalling a similar range of emotional, practical and cold-blooded economic arguments as well as trading off widespread frustration with those in power in the traditional national capital.

Alfred Bosch, leader of the Republican Left, or ERC, bloc in Spanish parliament that has long lobbied for independence, said separatist politicians in Spain do keep an eye on what's happening in Scotland.

In both countries "there are the underlying emotional arguments for independence, then there are the more rational economic ones. What we are seeing is that they are coming together."

Polls vary, but at least one survey has suggested more than half of Catalonian voters would vote for a separate state if given the chance. That compares to figures of just over a third in Scotland - although those on both sides of the argument in that country say it is entirely possible numbers could change between now and the final vote.

Pro-independence activists in both countries are quick to stress they see themselves as part of a wider trend. The number of countries of the world has almost trebled since 1945 as African and Asian states broke free of colonial masters and with the fall of the Soviet Union creating a plethora of new nations across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

In Brussels, Scottish and Catalan parties are already forging something of an alliance with Belgian Flemish parties.

"The global trend has been moving in this direction for some time," Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for external affairs for the pro-independence Scottish government, told Reuters recently.

"Many countries which were not independent 20 years ago have gained their independence and are now full members of the European Union."

ECONOMIC CRISIS, ALIENATION

The modern contours of both Britain and Spain were drawn in the 15th and 16th centuries just as they began hundreds of years of imperial expansion that brought wealth and power.

Neither nation embarked on the kind of deliberate centrally coordinated efforts to build a national identity seen in newer nations such as Germany and Italy under Bismarck and Garibaldi respectively - or in France under Napoleon.

What may be giving fuel to the cause of separatism now is a growing sense of frustration and alienation from the powers-that-be in London, Madrid and many other capitals. The economic crisis, it seems, has made that even more pronounced.

"Whatever happens, these movements are going to have an impact. You're going to get more calls for devolution," said David Lea, Western Europe analyst at Control Risks.

"Part of it is obviously the crisis, but there are other factors as well: the rise of social media, much broader unhappiness with the status quo."

In Edinburgh, the rise of the Scottish National Party - now a majority government in the parliament - is seen more a result of their perceived administrative competence and a lack of enthusiasm for London-based parties than widespread pro-independence sentiment. The SNP hopes that is already changing as the referendum nears.

In Catalonia, one of the richest areas of Spain, there is widespread anger over what many see as too much money passing to the rest of the country. The Catalan independence movement has also proved increasingly effective at tapping into the wider sense of anger at government and big business produced by still-deepening economic woes.

"For me, it's something sentimental I got from my father," salesman Miquel Blas, 35, says of his attachment to the idea of Catalan independence. "But the real support for independence has come with the crisis."

Another Barcelona resident, real estate agent Maria Caralt, 40, says intertwining the two issues is unhealthy, however.

"People talk about independence and they talk about the crisis and they all get mixed together," she says. "But I still think independence is a good idea. It would be better and easier to manage a small country."

Not one of those who spoke to Reuters on the streets of Barcelona were enthusiastic about maintaining a unified state. Those who planned to vote against independence cited their cynicism about politicians in general and said they doubted that leaders of a separatist Catalonia would run it any better.

THE WORLD IS WATCHING

In London and Madrid, mainstream political parties opposed to independence are already beginning to work together to fight the pro-independence campaigns, though some analysts believe a coordinated effort could end up inflaming Catalan and Scottish opinion, instead.

The debate is being watched well beyond Europe. Far-flung states such as Russia and China with restive minority populations are concerned that the breakup of a major European state could fuel separatist feeling at home.

British and Scottish officials say they have already received queries from their U.S. counterparts on the issue and say Washington is noticeably lukewarm about the prospect that two key NATO allies might be about to radically change.

Fiona Hill, a former official at the U.S. National Intelligence Council and now head of the Europe program at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC., says London and Madrid don't seem to realize how important this is seen to be beyond their borders.

"We are talking about two of the oldest states in Europe," Hill said. "I had a senior Balkan official ask me if it was the end of the multi-ethnic state."

If the unexpected happens and Scotland and Catalonia do vote for independence, no-one knows what it would mean in practice.

While those pushing for independence in both say they would want to remain within the European Union, most experts believe the new countries would have to apply for membership, which Madrid and London might be tempted to block, perhaps cutting them off at least temporarily from employment in the EU.

It is also unclear how an independent Scotland could continue to use sterling or Catalonia the euro, although in principle there would be no way for Britain or Spain to stop them. National debt and natural resources, from water rights to Scotland's share of North Sea oil, would all have to be negotiated.

If Catalonia votes for independence but Madrid attempts to block it from splitting off, long-simmering resentment on a host of issues could spill out into violence on the streets.

So far, however, the biggest lesson from these independence movements appears to be a positive one: they have been relatively effective while remaining peaceful, compared to more violent separatists such as the IRA in Northern Ireland or ETA in Spain's Basque country.

"If that was the first lesson of this decade of the 21st century, I think that would be a beautiful thing," says Catalan separatist politician Bosch.

(Additional reporting by Braden Phillips in Barcelona; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/could-scottish-catalan-independence-votes-reshape-europe-132307741.html

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US economy gets lift from housing, other tailwinds

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. economy is a study in contrasts.

The housing, banking and auto industries are surging back to health and that has helped push the stock market to a five-year peak. Higher prices for homes and stocks tend to make people feel wealthier and spend more.

Yet unemployment remains high and hiring modest. The end of a Social Security tax cut is shrinking already flat pay. Federal budget fights have put businesses and consumers on edge.

Balanced between those tailwinds and headwinds, the economy is struggling to accelerate. By the end of this year, though, many analysts think the tailwinds will succeed in boosting growth and fueling a more robust economy in 2014.

"There is some underlying momentum," says Paul Edelstein, U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight. "It's not as strong as we would like, but it's there and it's building."

Uncertainty about government spending cuts could be defused by summer, and any spending cuts that do take effect will likely be phased in over several years. Also, for the first time since the recession ended 3? years ago, several key areas of the economy are simultaneously driving growth, which means the strength is more broadly based:

? HOUSING

The nation has finally worked off the excesses of the housing bubble. Once there were too many homes for sale; now, there are too few to meet demand. That is pushing up home prices, construction and hiring ? trends that could accelerate U.S. economic growth in 2013 by a full percentage point, economists say.

Home prices rose 7.4 percent in the 12 months that ended in November, according to CoreLogic. It was the largest 12-month gain in six years.

Housing starts will reach 970,000 this year, according to Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS, a 24 percent jump from 2012. That's far above the 554,000 homes started in 2009 after the housing bust, though still below the roughly 1.5 million associated with a healthy market.

Construction companies will add 140,000 jobs this year, Newport forecasts, up from a scant 18,000 last year.

? AUTOS

Struggling consumers put off car purchases for years. Now, pent-up demand is being released: Sales reached a 5-year high of 14.5 million last year. Analysts expect sales to reach 15.5 million this year, though still short of the recent peak of around 17 million in 2005.

Production and hiring at automakers and their suppliers are increasing as a result. The auto industry added 52,000 jobs last year, the third annual gain after a decade of declines.

? BANKING

The financial crisis hammered banks and choked off loans to businesses and consumers. But lending has been rebounding.

Mortgage and auto loans are rising. Commercial and industrial loans rose 2.2 percent in the July-September quarter from the same period a year earlier. Bank profits reached their highest level in six years that same quarter, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Bank of America boosted the value of its mortgage loans 33 percent in the October-December quarter compared with a year earlier.

? STOCK MARKET

The Standard and Poor's 500 stock index has more than doubled from its low in 2009 and is just 4 percent shy of its record high set in 2007.

The S&P index has jumped 5.4 percent this month in response to healthy news on housing and corporate profits. The sidestepping of the fiscal cliff at the start of the year helped, too. Higher stock prices are boosting Americans' wealth, providing more fuel for spending and growth.

Stocks are getting a lift from Main Street investors for a change. In a reverse from their behavior for most of the past five years, small investors are buying more stocks instead of selling them. Investors put nearly $13 billion into U.S. stock mutual funds in the first two weeks of 2013, according to the Investment Company Institute, a trade group for funds.

In another sign of rising confidence, investors are shifting out of ultra-safe investments such as U.S. Treasurys. The interest rate, or yield, on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond topped 2 percent on Monday for the first time since April. Bond yields rise when their prices fall.

___

In the short term, the economy's headwinds are still restraining growth. They include:

? BUDGET FIGHTS

The heaviest millstone weighing down the economy is the rift between President Barack Obama and Republicans over taxes and spending.

Further talks are expected this spring as several deadlines arrive: Across-the-board spending cuts are set to kick in March 1. Financing to run the government will expire by March 27, raising the threat of a government shutdown. And the federal borrowing cap must be raised by May 18 or the government could default on its debt.

Haziness around future tax and budget policy may already be restraining growth. A report from the Federal Reserve last week suggested that some employers delayed hiring late last year because of uncertainty over the fiscal cliff.

? SLUGGISH HIRING

Job gains have held steady for the past two years at about 150,000 a month. That's only about enough to slowly reduce the unemployment rate, now at 7.8 percent.

Even in sectors that are recovering, many companies aren't yet adding jobs. Some are even cutting, especially in financial services. Bank of America, for example, has shed about 15,000 jobs in the past year.

In a robust recovery, monthly job gains are usually 250,000 or more. That's what it would take to rapidly reduce unemployment and force employers to raise pay to attract workers.

? FEW PAY RAISES

For now, high unemployment is limiting pay. When employers have lots of job applicants to choose from, they have little incentive to give raises.

Hourly wages rose just 2.1 percent last year, only slightly above consumer inflation, which was 1.7 percent. Consumer spending, which drives about 70 percent of the economy, can't improve much until pay or job growth accelerates. Americans still are still reluctant to run up credit card debt to pay for extra consumption.

A temporary Social Security tax cut expired this year, reducing Americans' take-home pay. It will cost a typical household making $50,000 a year about $1,000. A household with two high-paid workers will lose up to $4,500. The drop in pay could slow consumer spending.

The Social Security tax cut, in place for two years, was allowed to expire in the deal reached between the White House and Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff.

___

Most economists expect the higher Social Security tax to bite hardest in the first three months of the year. But after Americans adjust to the sudden cut, its impact should lessen over time.

If federal budget issues can be resolved, the economy could start to accelerate. Analysts forecast only modest growth this year of about 2 percent. But they think growth will strengthen as the year goes on.

JPMorgan Chase, for example, forecasts that the economy will grow at an anemic annual rate of just 1 percent in the January-March quarter. But as the drag from higher taxes fades and the debt ceiling is resolved, growth could pick up to a decent 3 percent pace by the October-December quarter.

Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial, expects housing and other tailwinds to accelerate growth this year ? as long as budget "shenanigans" don't dampen consumer and business confidence as they did in 2011.

"Could we get 3.5 percent growth by the end of this year?" she asks. "If we can get over this budget stuff, absolutely."

__

Follow Chris Rugaber on Twitter at https://Twitter.com/ChrisRugaber

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-economy-gets-lift-housing-other-tailwinds-193658007--finance.html

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Egyptian mourners bury 35 killed in Port Said riot

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Thousands of people who have turned out for a mass funeral for 35 people killed in rioting in the coastal city of Port Said are chanting against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Mourners in the funeral procession were shouting "There is no God but Allah, and Morsi is God's enemy" after praying for the dead Sunday at the city's Mariam Mosque.

There were no police or army troops in sight, but the funeral procession briefly halted after gunfire rang out. The source of the gunfire was not immediately known.

Health officials say at least 37 people were killed, including two policemen, in rioting on Saturday. The violence erupted after a court handed down death sentences to 21 local fans involved in a deadly melee at a soccer game last year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egyptian-mourners-bury-35-killed-port-said-riot-115329316.html

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Canuckclicks Article Directory: Starting a Consulting Business Is a ...

With so many people having a tough time nowadays, one of the best kinds of businesses to start is one that helps make people's lives easier or provides a sense of security for them.

Of course you also need to make some good money for yourself at the same time. Starting a consulting business is a great way to do both.

One of the reasons starting a consulting business is a great idea is because many small business owners simply don't have the time to research cutting-edge marketing techniques, they have to work on developing their products and services.

This is invariably why a lot of businesses can end up failing. Without promoting their business and developing market attention toward their products and services they tend to fall short in their customer base and never see the profits their business could have made.

That's where you'll come in as a business consultant. Let's take a look at what you can expect:

* As a business consultant you'll have the lucrative responsibility of staying up to date with the cutting edge innovations of internet marketing strategies and by applying these strategies to your clients marketing needs you'll be bringing them potentially hundreds of thousands of costumers month after month.

* As your client's profits grow so will your reputation.

* As you keep them ahead of their competition they'll keep coming back to you so they can maintain the steady growth of their business.

Having said that, here are some key benefits of becoming a small business internet consultant:

* there's almost no start-up capital needed

* you don't need any experience or years of expensive education

* charge the right price for your services and you won't need many clients to start making a decent income

* once your clients know they can depend on your services you'll have a steady source of income just from their demand to keep their market in good maintenance

* you can expand your business to make even more money

When you are ready to take on more clients you can do so by developing a team of people who specialize in the different aspects of internet marketing.

By finding the right person online to handle each part of your client's needs, you'll be providing your service to your clients even faster than before and will be able to increase your fees to a higher level than you did when you were first starting a consulting business.

Source: http://canuckclicks.blogspot.com/2013/01/starting-consulting-business-is-great.html

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U.S. House budget chief: automatic spending cuts "going to happen"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Automatic spending cuts postponed at the start of the year will go into effect as scheduled in March but "no one" is talking about allowing a U.S. government shutdown, the Republican House of Representatives Budget Committee chairman said on Sunday.

The automatic spending cuts had been delayed by two months as part of the deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and deep spending reductions - known as sequestration - that had loomed at the beginning of this month.

"I think the sequester is going to happen," Representative Paul Ryan, chairman of the House budget panel and the party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, told the NBC program "Meet The Press."

House Republicans, most of whom had strongly opposed any tax rate increases in the "fiscal cliff" debate, have now started to shift their focus away the issue of tax increases and toward the spending cuts.

"We think these sequesters will happen because the Democrats have opposed our efforts to replace those cuts with others and they've offered no alternative," Ryan said.

In the debate over how to get America's fiscal house in order, Democrats have argued for a combination of tax increases and public spending cuts. Republicans have favored spending cuts without higher taxes.

Some Republicans have called for delaying the planned spending cuts in defense while increasing cuts in other areas of the federal government. The Pentagon said on Friday it had begun laying off most of its 46,000 temporary and term employees and cutting maintenance on ships and aircraft in an effort to slow spending before nearly $50 billion in new cuts are due to go into effect on March 1.

Following a showdown over raising the U.S. debt ceiling in 2011, President Barack Obama and Congress agreed that $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts in domestic and military spending over 10 years would begin at the start of this year unless lawmakers took action to rein in spending. That was postponed until the beginning of March in the "fiscal cliff" deal.

Ryan said the automatic cuts would take place as scheduled because Democrats have not offered alternatives to Republican proposals for spending cuts.

STOP-GAP SPENDING

March 27 is the expiration date for a stop-gap government funding measure. If Congress does not authorize a new spending bill by that date, government agencies and programs would have to start shutting down. In such a scenario, military activities could be curtailed and federal employees put on unpaid leave.

While Republicans in the past have threatened similar shutdowns to press for spending cuts, the tactic could backfire. Republican-led government shutdowns in 1995 and 1996 met with strong public disapproval.

Ryan played down a potential fight with Democrats over the stop-gap spending measure.

"No one is talking about shutting the government down," Ryan said.

The House last Wednesday passed a Republican plan to allow the government to keep borrowing money through mid-May, clearing it for quick enactment after the top Senate Democrat and White House endorsed it.

The measure includes a measure requiring the House and Senate to pass a formal budget resolution by April 15. Under the provision, if either chamber fails to meet this deadline, lawmakers' pay would be suspended until they pass a budget.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to pass it unchanged before sending it to the president.

Ryan also signaled little appetite for a renewed debate with Democrats on further tax increases after the "fiscal cliff" deal that included higher tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.

"We already offered that back in the 'fiscal cliff' negotiations," he said. "The president got his additional revenues. So that's behind us."

He said if Democrats keep raising taxes, it would weaken the likelihood Congress could accomplish "decent tax reform."

(Reporting by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-house-budget-chief-automatic-spending-cuts-going-185521841--business.html

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The Zen Of LTBH Investing In Volatile Small Caps: Organova, A ...

Ah, Grasshopper, so you are troubled by the changing value of your share in Organova Holdings, Inc. (ONVO.PK)? You say in June it was worth $10.90 and three weeks later it was worth $1.93. You say that throughout most of December, it was worth little more than $2.00, but Monday of this week it rose to $6.00 before falling Tuesday to as low as $4.00, and now you wonder about tomorrow? Sit down Grasshopper, stop pulling your hair, and listen to how a LTBH Zen Master waits for a butterfly to stop its fluttering and alight.

Transformative Technologies and the LTBH Investor

We are long-term, buy and hold ("LTBH") investors, you and I, and so we hold a mixture of value and growth equities. A subcategory of our growth equities is companies possessed with the potential of a transformative technology.

By transformative technology, we mean a unique, proprietary product with the potential to fundamentally change a significant aspect of the market.

Some of companies with transformative potential are large and established, like International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) with its big data and carbon nanotube technologies or ABB, Ltd. (ABB) with its direct current circuit breaker. These companies lumber across the earth with nary a sideways glance; there are no predators large enough to harm them, only choosing a wrong path leading to a barren landscape threatens their existence.

Others are smaller and fear predators; they scurry through the underbrush, eating smaller creatures but growing in confidence, companies like Nuance Communications, Inc. (NUAN) with voice-recognition technologies or Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (CLNE) providing natural gas fueling to truckers.

And still others are the smallest of all, tiny little companies just emerging from their nests or pupa, companies like Arcam AB (AMAVF.OB) selling a few dozen high end 3D printers annually to aerospace and medical companies, or Organova Holdings, Inc., developing the 3D printing of human tissue.

It is these babes that cause us such worries, Grasshopper. Like little ONVO, recently emerged and starting to flutter its wings. If we watch it too closely, we become dizzy with its ups and downs. The Zen of LTBH investing, Grasshopper, is to visualize the path and not watch the fluttering.

The LTBH Philosophy

Remember, Grasshopper, why we are LTBH investors and not day traders, mutual fund, or ETF investors:

• Equity markets offer superior returns to many other investing options, so we ask not whether to invest in equities, we ask how to invest in equities
• We know the path of frequent trading costs more in broker fees, capital gains taxes, time and energy
• We know what we cannot know; professional traders have the edge in timeliness of information, speed of execution, and transaction costs
• We know that, with discipline, we can win against mutual funds (because of their burden of fees and expenses and, in some cases, our ability to invest in smaller companies) and we can win against ETFs (because of their expenses and our ability to be more selective).

The LTBH Rationale for Investing in Organova

Remember, Grasshopper, the reasons why we invested in Organova. Its transformative technology is the 3D printing of human tissues for drug discovery and development, biological resources, and therapeutic implantation. It is conceivable that one day Organova machines could print entire human organs like a liver, a kidney or a heart to be therapeutically implanted into a person and save their life. This potential is the very embodiment of a transformative technology.

Yet we also know that Organova is still a delicate creature. It is a long way from having a proven product and it is incurring substantial operating losses. In the third quarter of 2012, according to its 10Q filing and an excellent Seeking Alpha article by PropThink, it had essentially three sources to its $469,238 operating revenue:

• $298,800 in collaboration fees from United Therapeutics (UTHR)
• $75,000 in collaboration fees from Pfizer (PFE). This collaboration expired in December 31, 2012 and is expected to be replaced with a new agreement, but no such agreement has yet been announced.
• $95,500 from a National Institutes of Health grant

We know its expenses are running at 182% of revenues, comprised of selling, general and administrative expenses at $550,157 and research and development expenses at $304,251. But still the tiny company expresses confidence in its financial position. At September 30, 2012, they report having working capital of $7.2 million, "sufficient to fund our ongoing operations? for at least the next 12 months." In addition, Organova is in the process of resolving outstanding stock options that will remove a large liability from its balance sheet and position it to move from OTC to the NASDAQ capital markets in 2013.

What is Organova's Future Value?

We do not know what the future holds for Organova, only that it lies somewhere on a continuum between nothingness and becoming a multi-billion dollar behemoth. The possibilities are likely distributed on a bell-shaped curve with some outcome towards the middle as the most likely.

But with this knowledge, and some simple probability calculations, we can formulate an estimate of Organova's long-term value and thus find a Zen-like peace as the market flutters before us. Consider Organova's future as depending on two key issues: (1) proving great value in the 3D printing of human tissue and (2) establishing exclusivity or dominance with this technology. If both of these issues develop strongly in Organova's favor, it will become fabulously valuable. But there's a high degree of risk that one or both may not fully occur. There may be as yet undiscovered technical reasons why 3D printing is not feasible, or why it will be supplanted by another, superior method of creating human tissue. Another company may invent an alternative method for 3D printing of human tissue without violating Organova's intellectual property rights.

Using these two issues, we can project a range of potential outcomes for Organova and lay the basis for calculating an expected present value of the stock. As an example, I would propose that each of the following five scenarios are potential outcomes for Organova:

• Scenario #1: Organova has minimal value (five year target share price $0 to $2). 3D printing of human tissue proves to have little value. Organova may go out of business, be acquired by someone else, or survive as a small company selling a limited number of 3D printers to research organizations.
• Scenario #2: Organova has a value of $100 million to $500 million (five year target share price $2 to $10). Organova has annual earnings of $10 to $25 million a few hundred to a few thousand 3D printers annually, plus supplies and technical support, again to research organizations.
• Scenario #3: Organova has a value of $500 million to $2 billion (five year target share price $10 to $40). 3D printing of human tissues becomes a standard mainstream research methodology and Organova is the premier provider of this technology. Many thousands of printers are sold annually. Organova trends towards annual earnings in the range of $50 to $100 million.
• Scenario #4: Organova has a value of $2 to $5 billion (five year target share price $40 to $110). 3D printing of human tissues becomes an accepted therapeutic methodology for creating implants. There are competitors who have created alternatives around Organova's intellectual property protections. Organova shows the potential to generate eventual earnings in the hundreds of millions.
• Scenario #5: Organova has a value of more than $5 billion (five year target share price more than $110). 3D printing of human tissues is an accepted therapeutic methodology and there are effectively no competitive alternatives. Organova has the potential to generate tens of billions in revenues and billions or more in earnings.

Don't Panic! Stay Calm. Ommmm?

So, Grasshopper, do you know that it's not the fluttering of the stock price that concerns us, it's the journey's end. If you agree with the assumptions I've described, we can assign probabilities to each, estimate what Organova's value might be if each scenario occurred, and then calculate an expected value. (If you don't agree with the assumptions I've described, it's a simple exercise to create your own). Look at this table I've drawn here in the sand:

Expected Organova Share Value

	5Y Target	NPV	Prob.	Value
Scenario #1	$0.00	$0.00	20%	$0.00
Scenario #2	$2.00	$1.24	20%	$0.25
Scenario #3	$10.00	$6.21	20%	$1.24
Scenario #4	$40.00	$24.84	20%	$4.97
Scenario #5	$110.00	$68.30	20%	$13.66
				$20.12

In Scenario #2, for example, Organova shares would have an estimated value of $2.00 in five years. Discounting this by 10% per year, we calculate a Net Present Value of $1.24. We assume this scenario has a 20% chance of occurring, so the expected value of Scenario #2 is $0.24. By adding the expected value of all the outcomes we identified, we arrive at a share value today that reflects our expected returns: $20.12.

Meditate on this, Grasshopper, for this guides us to know where our "buy", "sell" and "hold" prices lie. If the price tomorrow hits $20.12, we should sell. We might even sell for a little bit less than this in order to grab a sure thing. But we aren't going to sell for, say, $12.00 what we think is worth $20.12.

To find our "buy" and "hold" points, we must reflect deeply on what our table of probabilities is telling us. One thing it tells us that there's a 60% chance that Organova isn't worth more than $6.21 today. The only reason we're not selling at $6.21 is because we're hoping that Scenario #4 or #5 will occur and Organova is a "home run" stock. Yet our assumptions say that, much as we might hope this will happen, the odds less than 50%.

So, Grasshopper, I would certainly not "buy" Organova at more than $6.21. In fact, being somewhat cautious, I would likely split the difference between the $6.21 and the $1.24 and use the resulting $3.72 as the most I would pay. My rationale is that $3.72 is the point where I have a 50% chance of getting at least a 10% return on my investment over the next five years. (Note, however, that if I get less than a 10% return, it will probably only be a little less; on the other hand, if I get more than a 10% return, I might get much, much more).

I believe, Grasshopper, that LTBH investors should have a small place for volatile small-cap stocks in their portfolios. Not just one, but several because the chances of any one being a home run is small, but the return from a home run will offset losses from the others which don't develop.

As we hold these stocks, we need to realize that there are others who trade using different philosophies. There will be great volatility in many small stocks. Don't let the fluttering of the butterfly become a fluttering in your stomach. Keep your eye on the prize, Grasshopper. We LTBH investors are not looking to sell at $4 or $6 or $10; while we continue to believe this stock can be a home run, we're holding. I find that doing this sometimes requires the patience of a Zen master.

Disclosure: I am long ONVO.PK, AMAVF.OB, IBM, ABB, CLNE, NUAN. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. (More...)

Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1135101-the-zen-of-ltbh-investing-in-volatile-small-caps-organova-a-case-in-point?source=feed

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French, Malian forces regain control of Gao

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? French and Malian forces took control of the radical Islamist stronghold of Gao on Saturday, marking a major advance in their bid to oust al-Qaida-linked extremists who have controlled northern Mali for months.

The capture of the town comes just two weeks after France launched its military offensive in support of the shaky central government of the former French colony. It is unclear what kind of resistance French and Malian troops will face in the coming days, though French officials were already praising recent battlefield successes.

Swooping in by land and by air and under the cover of darkness, French and Malian forces came under fire Saturday morning and continued to face sporadic "acts of harassment" through the day, Col. Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman in Paris, said. He had no immediate estimate on casualties.

Just before evening, the French Defense Ministry issued a statement saying the whole town of Gao had been liberated, and government control was already being established ? notably with the return Saturday of the town's mayor, Sadou Diallo, who had fled to Mali's capital Bamako far to the west.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement earlier Saturday that French-led forces had captured the key bridge and airport in Gao, and jihadist fighters whom they encountered "saw their means of transport and their logistics sites destroyed."

The Islamists first seized control of Gao and two other northern provincial capitals ? Timbuktu and Kidal ? in April last year during the chaotic aftermath of a coup in the distant capital.

Before the joint air-land operations, French forces carried out "an important phase of air strikes" around Gao and Timbuktu, with nearly 30 bombs fired from fighter jets over the previous two days, France's military said in yet another statement.

More French and African troops and equipment were being sent to Gao, the military said. Troops from Chad and Niger "should arrive in the Gao area very soon," it added.

Elsewhere in Mali, French and Malian troops supported by a tactical air group carried out a night-time "reconnaissance offensive" toward Lere, "where several terrorist elements were noticed a few days earlier," the military said.

Two Rafale jets have been added to the campaign, bringing France's total deployment to 12 fighter jets as part of the code-named Operation Serval in Mali, the military said.

Nouhoum Maiga, a deputy mayor in Gao, confirmed Saturday that the French had come by land and air late Friday.

Gao has been under the control of the al-Qaida-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad, or MUJAO, for months.

On Friday in a show of might, the Islamist radicals destroyed a bridge near the Niger border with explosives, showing that the extremists still remain a nimble and daunting enemy.

Since France began its military operation Jan. 11 with a barrage of airstrikes followed by a land assault, the Islamists have retreated from three cities in central Mali: Diabaly, Konna and Douentza.

The Islamists, though, had maintained control of the majority of the territory in Mali's north, most importantly the cities of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.

The announcement that Gao's airport had been taken marked the first official confirmation that French and Malian forces had reached the city. Previously the closest they had been was Hombori, a town some 155 miles (250 kilometers) away.

The French currently have about 2,500 forces in the country and have said that they will stay as long as needed in Mali, a former French colony. However, they have called for African nations to take the lead in fortifying the Malian army's efforts.

There are currently some 1,750 troops from neighboring African countries, including Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin, Senegal, Niger and Chad.

The French-led mission began after the Islamists surged the farthest south yet and took the town of Konna. On Saturday, the Malian military allowed international journalists to enter the town for the first time since the conflict began.

Residents described the civilian casualties that took place during the French air strikes, including one that left three women and a child dead. Officials have said at least 11 Malians died in the military effort to retake the town.

Souleymane Maiga said the women were preparing food in the courtyard underneath a mango tree when he heard the helicopters overhead.

"I ran and hid between the walls of our courtyard," he said. "After it was over, I went to the house and I opened the door and that's when I saw that they were dead."

Only a toddler survived, Maiga said.

"They were one on top of the other. The baby was crying," he said. "I tried to feel for a pulse to see if there was any life, but I found that they were all dead."

___

Keaten reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Rukmini Callimachi and Baba Ahmed contributed to this report from Konna, Mali.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-malian-forces-regain-control-gao-182552364.html

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Attorney Writing and Marketing - The Crab Chronicles

I am very excited to announce that I have started a new small business called

The Write Rainmaker

Providing website copy, blogs, articles, newsletters, email blasts and more, for attorneys who want to increase their web presence and attract new clients.

I have been a paralegal since 1985, and I have a Master's degree in Creative Writing. I've been blogging for more than 7 years now, and I understand a good bit about SEO [Search Engine Optimization]. I've already been writing for several lawyers now, for a couple of years, but I am ready to expand my business.

I just launched a new blog devoted to The Write Rainmaker. Check it out!

So I've been working on some marketing materials for myself, and what I've got so far is below. I'm still working on a logo image.

What can I do?

Write weekly blog posts that will be picked up by search engines

Write and/or edit articles for the firm website

Write up case results for your website

Compose and manage email blasts to clients

Review your website and advise on ways to make the content more layman-friendly

Find speaking engagements for you so you can connect with possible clients.

Help you evaluate ways to make your website more appealing

?

Why lawyers need help with website marketing:

1. The lawyers who stay busy are the ones who have websites picked up by Google searches, because that's how most people find lawyers now.
2. Lawyers are in the business of practicing law, not writing for websites.?
3. Most lawyers write like lawyers. They need someone who can understand legal lingo and convert it to simple, direct language for a layman.

Why use me?

• 7 years as a blog writer and editor
• 28 years experience as a paralegal
• Master's degree in Creative Writing
• My rates are cheaper than the companies who "specialize" in writing lawyer blogs and websites
• I'm available to talk when it's convenient to you, not just 9-5
• I don't require contracts or up-front payments
• Impeccable references - you can talk to other lawyers who have used my services [for instance my friend James Radford]

I am still working on a Facebook page and new blog or website specifically for the The Write Rainmaker. In the meantime, if you know somebody who could use my services, please pass along a link to this page! Thanks!

Dee

thompsondee@bellsouth.net

Oh - and if you are not a lawyer but still would like me to help you write website materials or a blog, I am happy to discuss that with you!

Source: http://deescribbler.typepad.com/my_weblog/2013/01/attorney-writing-and-marketing.html

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Kerry: 'Do what we must' to stop Iran on nukes

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Sen. John Kerry, President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of state, said Thursday that the United States will "do what we must" to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon even as he signaled that diplomacy remains a viable option with Tehran.

Testifying at his confirmation hearing, and with Senate approval a foregone conclusion, Kerry addressed a range of concerns raised by members of the Foreign Relations Committee, from his past outreach to Syrian President Bashar Assad to GOP concerns about the nomination of Republican former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary.

"The president has made it definitive ? we will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Kerry said in his opening statement. "I repeat here today: Our policy is not containment. It is prevention, and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance."

Pressed on Iran and its nuclear ambitions, Kerry said he was hopeful that the U.S. and other nations could make progress on the diplomatic front, but that Tehran needs to understand it must prove that its program is for peaceful purposes.

"It is not hard to prove," he said, stressing that "intrusive inspections" are required.

In an unexpected exchange, Kerry found himself defending Obama's controversial pick of Hagel to be the next defense secretary against GOP criticism.

Sen. Bob Corker, the senior Republican on the panel, expressed concerns about Hagel's support for an 80 percent reduction of U.S. nuclear weapons, a major issue for the Tennessee lawmaker and his home state. The Y-12 nuclear facility is located near Oak Ridge, Tenn., and any cuts would have an impact on local jobs.

"I know Chuck Hagel. I think he is a strong patriotic former senator, and he will be a strong secretary of defense," Kerry said of Hagel, who like Kerry served in Vietnam.

The Massachusetts senator urged lawmakers to be realistic, arguing that an 80 percent cut is an aspiration that would be unlikely in the current climate.

On Syria, Kerry was asked about his outreach to Assad, now an international pariah after months of civil war and unending violence against his citizens.

Kerry said there was a moment where Syria reached out to the West but that the moment has long passed.

"History caught up to us. That never happened. And it's now moot, because he (Assad) has made a set of judgments that are inexcusable, that are reprehensible, and I think is not long for remaining as the head of state in Syria," the senator said. "I think the time is ticking."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a fierce critic of Obama's policy on Syria, said the status quo is unacceptable with the United Nations estimating that 60,000 have been killed and the heavy influx of refugees in Jordan and Turkey.

After a recent visit to the refugee camps, McCain warned that Syrians frustrated with the U.S. response will be a recruitment target for extremists.

"We can do a lot more without putting American boots on the ground," McCain said. "Otherwise, we will be judged harshly by history."

Kerry said it was imperative to continue discussions with Russia and others in dealing with Syria, but he was realistic.

"I don't have optimism," he said.

The hearing was an odd juxtaposition. Kerry has served on the committee during his entire 28 years in the Senate and has chaired the panel for the last four. On Thursday, he sat at the witness table, his voice at times cracking from emotion, facing his colleagues and friends.

Obama chose Kerry to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who introduced the senator. "John is the right choice," Clinton told the panel. "He will bring a record of leadership and service that is exemplary."

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the incoming chairman who presided over the confirmation hearing, noted that Kerry was the first senator on the panel in a century to ascend to the Cabinet post. Corker told Kerry, "you've almost lived your entire life for this moment."

A lone protester shouting about the Middle East interrupted the hearing. Just as Kerry completed his prepared testimony, the woman began shouting about the Middle East and was escorted from the room.

The Vietnam War, a long, bitter conflict that decimated a generation of draft-age men, played a prominent role at the hearing.

In his testimony, Kerry alluded to his controversial moment before the committee some 42 years ago, when the decorated Vietnam veteran testified about his opposition to the war, and famously asked, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

"Today I can't help but recognize that the world itself then was in many ways simpler, divided as it was along bi-polar, Cold War antagonisms," Kerry said. "Today's world is more complicated than anything we have experienced ? from the emergence of China to the Arab Awakening: inextricably linked economic, health, environmental and demographic issues" as well as issues such as proliferation.

McCain, who also introduced Kerry, said their friendship took root with their work on a committee seeking to resolve the status of POWs and missing in action from Vietnam as well as efforts to ensure normal U.S. relations with Vietnam during President Bill Clinton's administration.

"Helping to establish a relationship with Vietnam that serves American interests and values, rather than one that remained mired in mutual resentment and bitterness, is one of my proudest accomplishments as a senator, and I expect it is one of John's as well," McCain said. "Working toward that end with John, and witnessing almost daily his exemplary statesmanship, is one of the highest privileges I've had here."

The hearing is the first of three for Obama's national security nominees, and the least controversial.

Hagel will face tough questions about his past statements on Israel, Iran, nuclear weapons and defense spending at his confirmation hearing next Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. John Brennan, the president's choice for CIA director, will be quizzed about White House national security leaks and the use of unmanned drones at his hearing next month.

The job of the nation's top diplomat would be the realization of a dream for Kerry, whom Obama passed over in 2008 when he chose Clinton. When Joe Biden became vice president, Kerry replaced the former Delaware senator as chairman of the committee.

Obama nominated Kerry after Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, removed her name from consideration following criticism from Republicans over her initial comments about the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Kerry, 69, is the son of a diplomat and has served as Obama's unofficial envoy, using his skills of persuasion with leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In advance of the hearing, Kerry said he plans to divest holdings in dozens of companies in his family's vast financial portfolio to avoid conflicts of interest if he is confirmed.

He notified the State Department earlier this month that within 90 days of his confirmation he would move to sell off holdings in three trusts benefiting him and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. In the Jan. 8 letter to the department's Office of the Legal Adviser, Kerry said he would not take part in any decisions that could affect the companies he has holdings in until those investments are sold off.

Kerry is the wealthiest man in the Senate, worth more than $184 million, according to a 2011 Senate disclosure.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Stephen Braun contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-must-stop-iran-nukes-171414491--politics.html

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Brooke Shields To Join Lifetime's 'Army Wives' And More Casting News

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Broken

"In the premiere episode, "Broken," reality and myth begin to merge as the fairytale characters awaken from Evil Queen Regina's broken curse and remember who they were. But to their dismay, they aren't transported back to fairytale land. To make matters worse, Rumplestiltskin - aka Mr. Gold - in an effort to gain the upper hand in his power struggle with Regina, has introduced magic into the town. In fairytales magic has its place, but in our world it can have unfathomable consequences. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land, Prince Phillip awakens his sleeping beauty, Aurora (Sarah Bolger, "The Tudors"), but discovers that he and his traveling companion, Mulan (Jamie Chung, "Sucker Punch," "The Hangover Part II"), will soon have to face a deadly foe, on the Season Premiere of "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/brooke-shields-army-wives_n_2546920.html

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N.M. State Rep Takes Heat for Abortion Bill

New Mexico State Rep. Cathrynn Brown has come under attack for a bill she recently introduced that would brand survivors of rape and incest who become pregnant and chose to have abortions as felons.

On Wednesday, Brown, a Republican from Carlsbad, submitted House bill 206, which equates a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest as evidence, meaning that terminating the pregnancy would constitute destruction of evidence.

"Tampering with evidence shall include procuring or facilitating an abortion, or compelling or coercing another to obtain an abortion of a fetus that is the result of criminal sexual penetration or incest with the intent to destroy evidence of the crime," the bill reads.

A spokeswoman from NARAL, which supports abortion rights, said the group was keeping an eye on the legislation.

"Any elected official who wants to put criminal liability on survivors of rape or incest is cold-blooded," said Donna Crane, policy director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

The New Mexico Democratic Party pegged the bill as another attack in the "war on women."

"This is a sad day for women, and really a sad day for all New Mexicans," Javier Gonzales, chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party, wrote in a statement Thursday. "Instead of focusing on the No. 1 priority of bringing jobs to New Mexico, Republican lawmakers continue their war on women by introducing this atrocious piece of legislation. It's like Republicans were wearing blinders when the results came in last November, because Republicans lost numerous seats on this very issue, but they apparently did not get the message."

Brown's office responded today, saying any characterization of the bill as targeting survivors was "a misinterpretation of the intent of the legislation." The Current-Argus of Carlsbad reported that Brown blames "a drafting error" for this mistake.

Brown plans to submit a new bill "to make the intent of the legislation abundantly clear."

"House Bill 206 was never intended to punish or criminalize rape victims," Brown said in a statement emailed to ABC News. "Its intent is solely to deter rape and cases of incest. The rapist - not the victim - would be charged with tampering of evidence."

Scott Forrester, spokesman for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, said the party "would have to look at any new legislation introduced."

"But this is what she introduced," Forrester said of House bill 206. "This is what New Mexicans are seeing, and they're outraged by what Rep. Brown has introduced."

Constituents and critics outside New Mexico took to Brown's Facebook page to express that outrage. Many took personal digs at the Republican state lawmaker, even going so far as to comment on a recent picture of her son's graduation, asking, "Are you teaching your son to be a rapist?"

Nine representatives co-sponsored the legislation, according to Forrester. But with a Democratic majority in both New Mexico's House and Senate, the bill wouldn't seem to have much chance of passing.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/n-m-state-rep-takes-heat-abortion-bill-000548365--abc-news-politics.html

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