Sunday, September 30, 2012

Romney Needs To Articulate His Plans For Dealing With Interest On Our Debt

ell us how you are going to deal with the interest on our debt ballooning once you and a Republican Congress start peel back the layers of liberalism that are strangling America


So, here we are.? It is four years after ?Hope and Change?.? That slogan proved to only be more psychobabble from a babbling fool who rode the saying right into the White House.

And here we are with Romney, as bad as he is, but still much better than Obama, struggling to overtake the Messiah in the polls.? Yes, I know most of those polls are oversampling Democrats by seven to ten percent.

The economy is struggling.? As a result, interest rates have been kept artificially low to prevent the United States? debt situation from blowing up.? This has been done for one reason and one reason only: to keep President Obama from looking like the complete nincompoop that he is.? And that?s it isn?t it?? That?s the big, old elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about: what happens when things turn around and we no longer have cheap money?

Right now, thanks to cheap money and low interest rates, payments on the debt of the United States for FY2011 were $454.4 billion [1].? The gross federal debt at the time was $14.8 trillion.? That?s a rate of just 3%.

  • In 2008 we paid $451 billion on $10 trillion in debt for a rate of 4.5% [2].
  • In 2003 we paid $318 billion on $6.7 trillion in debt for a rate of 4.7%.
  • In 1994 [3] we paid $296 billion on $4.7 trillion in debt for a rate of 6.3%.

So, we see that in better times, people demand more return on their investment.? We, as a nation, have to pay a higher rate to get people to buy our debt in the good times.? What?s worse is that as buying our debt becomes riskier, people get uppity and demand more return for greater risk.? We are over 100% debt to GDP ratio right now.? Want to know how hard it is to get people to keep buying debt with that sort of a relationship?? Just ask Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

Something that I have not heard Mitt Romney utter a single word about is what he is going to do, not if, but when we are required to start paying people more to take on our debt.? I know he talks about cutting federal spending.? But the fact is that if he cuts $1 trillion from our yearly spending, that only prevents us from adding to the debt we already owe.? In order to reduce the debt, deeper cuts are in order.? And no plan I have seen out of the Romney/Ryan camp comes even close to cutting $1 trillion for a fiscal year.

Realizing that Mitt is going to continue deficit spending for the foreseeable future, our debt load is going to increase.? When the economy heats up, investors will demand more and the interest rate on our debt jumps.? Where?s that extra money going to come from?

Paying interest on trillions of dollars is a lot of money.? I know Mitt knows it.? I know Obama doesn?t have a clue about such things.? So what?s the plan?? Where do we get the dollars?? Obama?s philosophy is to abuse our children, print more money, and tell them to work harder for less.

Any plans Mitt?? Want to share them with us?

Look, I know it is scary to talk about this stuff.? But it needs to be talked about.? When America starts to recover, we are going to have to deal with real world economics once again.

And Mitt, if you want to be taken seriously as the adult in the room, God knows Obama can?t be, then you need to spell it out.? Tell us how you are going to deal with the interest on our debt ballooning once you and a Republican Congress start peel back the layers of liberalism that are strangling America, but not cutting to the point where we are no longer spending like drunken sailors.? We all know you aren?t willing to go all the way and do what really needs done.

I know the standard line Mitt likes to throw out there.? He talks about how we can ?grow? our way out of our debt problem.? But the kind of debt we are dealing with requires more than ?growth?.? It requires sacred cows to be carved up and sacrificed for the good of this Republic.? Because not only is continuing to spend more than we have a problem, figuring out how to pay back the interest on that money is going to be one Hell of a feat in itself.


J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author from Pittsburgh, PA who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the lead editor contributor to American Conservative Daily.? He is the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts cafepress.com/rightthings. His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at libertyreborn.com

J.J. Jackson can be reached at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Canadafreepresscom/~3/PLgOHzSi96s/49898

budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson whitney houston funeral video tyler perry whitney houston r kelly

Schwarzenegger admits affair with Brigitte Nielsen

AAA??Sep. 29, 2012?12:31 PM ET
Schwarzenegger admits affair with Brigitte Nielsen
By JULIET WILLIAMS and MICHAEL R. BLOODBy JULIET WILLIAMS and MICHAEL R. BLOOD, Associated Press?THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STATEMENT OF NEWS VALUES AND PRINCIPLES?

FILE - In this Feb 11, 2009 file photo, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bust of Abraham Lincoln are seen in profile during a celebration of Lincoln's 200 birthday held at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento, Calif. Schwarzenegger, who came to office during California's historic 2003 recall election, will soon be releasing his autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

FILE - In this Feb 11, 2009 file photo, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bust of Abraham Lincoln are seen in profile during a celebration of Lincoln's 200 birthday held at the California Museum of History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento, Calif. Schwarzenegger, who came to office during California's historic 2003 recall election, will soon be releasing his autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

FILE -- In this April 15, 2004 file photo, Actor Danny DeVito, left, waves as he walks through the Capitol with long-time friend, movie co-star and current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Sacramento, Calif. Schwarzenegger, who came to office during California's historic 2003 recall election, will soon be releasing his autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

FILE - In this June 13, 2007, file photo, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, and former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, joke around before a legislative group photo is taken at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. In one of his last formal acts as governor, Schwarzenegger used his executive powers to grant clemency to Nunez' son, who was involved in a fatal stabbing and pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2009 file photo, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger brings the sword he used in the movie "Conan The Barbarian," to the conference table before the start of budget negotiations with legislative leaders at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Schwarzenegger, who came to office during California's historic 2003 recall election, will soon be releasing his autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

FILE -- In this file photo taken Oct. 5, 2003, Republican gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, playfully strums a guitar to the Twisted Sister song, "We Ain't Going to Take it Anymore," during a campaign rally held at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Schwarzenegger, the former governor, who came to office during California's historic 2003 recall election, will soon be releasing his autobiography, "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story."(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)

(AP) ? Arnold Schwarzenegger is confirming that he had a "hot affair" with actress Brigitte Nielsen at a time he and Maria Shriver were dating and already living together.

Schwarzenegger and Nielsen co-starred in the 1985 film "Red Sonja." Nielsen write in a memoir published last year that she and Schwarzenegger had an "outrageous affair" while making the movie and that she did know until later that he was involved with Shriver.

In his memoir "Total Recall," coming out Monday, Schwarzenegger writes that he and Nielsen did indeed have a "hot affair," but he knew it wouldn't last. In fact, their "fling" only made him realize that he wanted to marry Shriver.

Nielsen would soon marry Schwarzenegger's fellow action star, Sylvester Stallone.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-09-29-Schwarzenegger%20Book/id-c6ea363463d84d66a31d3a53838a3097

wrestlemania country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs game of thrones game of thrones season 2 wrestlemania 28

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Band 1 Discussion

Living in the Limelight

Two bands, linked by a few threads both musical and personal, are now set to headline their first big tour together. What comes of this odd arrangement? (Open)

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Living in the Limelight?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

This topic is for discussion of the material and dynamics of Band 1, Izzie's band.

User avatar
Erik7622
Member for 1 years



Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: Abridged*, AceofSpade, Ahri*, Akantha, Alexa [Bot], Alexander Hamilton*, angelpink, Animality Opera, Aramay*, Arceius*, Armageddon, AzricanRepublic*, barney_fife*, BBClock, bizarre1*, Blazewind*, blondegamer, bnrdhdu*, Buddywazzizname*, C4L3N*, CalamityJane, Calvazara*, Canibelle*, Centi85, ChaosBlade*, cheater0611*, Colonel_Masters, coolkat31*, cucumbersome*, CussingChild*, D.Angel, Dante Angelico*, Dark Star*, DeadlyxSunshine, delfiler, dig17*, Digital_Muse*, digs, dimon lord*, Draruto, ElvenEllis*, Essence*, evilfang, Faithy, FamishedPants, fauxreality*, Fencer*, FizzGig*, Flame1819*, Flexar*, FollowerOfDarkPaths*, ForestofFlames*, FrostedFlames*, Gamer_Templar, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Guardian Angel, gypsyprincess, iCat*, Imbecile, jackrules158*, Jadeling Hawkins*, Jaybt9*, JEDH3*, John_234*, JustQuit*, KiraArsenic*, Kuroe, Lady Inali*, Lainpinky131, Layla*, LeagueOfI*, lovechanningforever*, Lufia*, Mad?Hatter, MarchHare*, Marcus, MartianJusticiar, masato22*, Memento-Mori*, Merchant*, Mr. Baneling Squishy*, MSNbot Media, Nekohina*, NethanielShade*, Nikias, Nivienne*, NorthernSoul, NotAFlyingToy*, NotSoHeartless, Nulix*, OpalePhantasmagoria*, OverTheRainbow*, panic.azimuth*, Passionate Shadow*, Patcharoo*, Percy, PirateofPie, Porecomesis*, PreachingLegionary, Princess Awinita*, PrincessBoy*, Protoman X, Psyche, qbsuperstar03*, Ran_Akuma, Roku Mushabuki*, Rougeshadow*, Ryusaki Miyako, Saarai*, Saikua*, Saint Crash*, Saxious, Selmaina, Seveneleven*, shadereen*, ShadowsoftheNine*, Shifter13*, Shiki29*, Shiva, shrubvera, snipergirl24, Something?*, Sonicx00*, Sorella*, StandardFiend, Stealingspace*, SunniBunny*, SuperQ19, tachyglossus, Tainted Twinkee, Tanman*, Tash*, TechGorilla*, TemplarWarden*, Terrus*, The Illusionist*, The Painkiller*, TheChaplain*, TheFlag, TheStrange29, Thundergod1020*, Tiamat-theCuller, tigerking1292*, Tonks*, True Grave*, TwiliXDragon*, Twisty*, Uncertainly*, Vain, ValaunDae'Voth, Vestiline*, Wake, Whispers..x*, WhySoSerious?*, XShishioX, Yahoo [Bot], YoureStillAnInnocent*, zeno3111*, zody

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/p3Q5vkzW2HQ/viewtopic.php

warren buffett 2012 nfl schedule dishonored april 18 delonte west vanessa williams nicklas backstrom

Union asks NFL owners to end officials lockout

NEW YORK (AP) ? The NFL players' union has sent an open letter to team owners calling on the league to end the lockout of on-field officials.

The players hint that the lockout could violate the collective bargaining agreement that ended their own lockout last year, citing a lack of a safe working environment.

Domonique Foxworth, president of the NFL Players Association, Drew Brees and Scott Fujita are among the union members who signed the letter. They tell the owners that the lockout "has led to a deterioration of order, safety and integrity."

They also ask why Commissioner Roger Goodell issues suspensions and fines "in the name of player health and safety" while the regular officials the league entrusts to maintain health and safety are locked out.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/union-asks-nfl-owners-end-officials-lockout-172912782--nfl.html

anne hathaway klimt bastille day breaking bad breaking bad food network star jeremy lin

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Fantasy football in the future of online gaming ... - Review PC Software

So something I wanted to talk about today which caught my eye is the online game of fantasy football. More then that how people are also using mock drafts in fantasy football a lot as well it seems. Now I?ll admit I wasn?t fully aware of all of this myself so I decided to dig into it a little bit. In case you?re wondering what fantasy football is exactly what the name says.

It?s all online based where you get to set up, run, manage and play your own football team against other teams. I guess the amount of time people are putting into it is really picking up now with football season coming up. While I had known about this form of entertainment for a while I hadn?t really looked into it until recently. One of the things that got me interested was the fact that at work (I work at a place with computers all day. Go figure, lol) I always noticed that whenever he had the chance one of my co-workers would be on such a site. On top of that he was always doing research of all kinds. Reading up about players, their records, how they were expected to perform. It?s actually interesting.

The game basically uses some complicated system to determine things such as how good a player is, how much they improve for the fantasy season, how well your team does against others and such. I looked and tested it out a little bit myself. Not being a huge sports fanatic (despite the fact I live in Ohio, lol) I doubt I was nearly as skilled as he was, lol. Regardless it was interesting though. I found there?s a lot of useful information I got from him, the internet, forums and other places on how to sharpen your skills on it. The most interesting part he told me is that right now he was playing for free and had done that for the last three seasons. But apparently you can play for real money. He said if he does good this season he?s going to personally begin playing for some real cash as well. While I don?t see myself being that good for a while that sounds pretty cool to say the least.

There?s a ton of sites out there for fantasy sports and the one he was using (which I decided to check out) was fan duel.?It seems to be one of the more popular sites and has a ton of sports as well. In case you?re wondering the betting portion is completely legal. I was curios myself just in case I ever get food enough at this to play for money. Apparently it?s all legal since this is considered to be a game of skill and not chance so the government is fine with this. I guess for practice in predicting things one thing a lot of people will do is play three section first and also try out mock drafts at sites like fantasy football calculator.?I can say that personally I?m not a big sports fan but I love strategy. I?ve always excelled at real time strategy, RPGs, chess, checkers, pretty much any game that makes you think. There?s a ton of detail to these games so I can see why doing this would appeal to people. So even if you?re not ready to start winning money I definitely suggest to check this out right now, try it, play it, let me know what you think. Then you can brag to all of your friends about your fantasy football team which you personally put together.

Source: http://www.reviewpcsoftfree-cheap.com/pcgames/fantasy-football-in-the-future-of-online-gaming-mock-drafts-are-already-catching-on/

april 9 albatross louis oosthuizen phil mickelson 10 year old gives birth c. difficile carmelo anthony

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Pandora Is Getting Demolished Thanks To A ... - Business Insider

Summary

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers... More ?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/pandora-stock-2012-9

jonathan frid pujols watchmen hitch justin beiber lamar odom perfect game

Thursday, September 6, 2012

S&P 500 ends near flat, but Apple supports

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed flat on Tuesday as investors continued to await clarity on European Central Bank plans to shore up heavily indebted countries, but the market ended off its lows on strength in Apple Inc .

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 54.90 points, or 0.42 percent, at 13,035.94. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 1.64 points, or 0.12 percent, at 1,404.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 8.09 points, or 0.26 percent, at 3,075.06.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-500-ends-near-flat-apple-supports-200857177--finance.html

ice t downton abbey new york knicks president day lin j.r. smith espn jeremy lin

Monday, September 3, 2012

On The Net Loans ? Have Enough Finance With A Very Few Clicks

A rapid unexpected expense will be able to batter your silence and leave one in financial stress and anxiety. If your loan amount can be high, we can lend from different guaranteed loan schemes. That experts claim personally visiting the variety of lenders and understanding the finer points was not just cumbersome, but also took up time and effort. Moreover, the lenders had to manage altogether different particular borrowers and its queries. At this stage, the money with the payday lender might be transferred to the applicant?s banking accounts within a short time of time.

Seek for an online site that reveals straight up what terms around the loan can possibly be. Right before you decide to try this here are a few things you should be aware of. Under the software, the lender will be able to record only financial particulars although not fiscal past credit profile. One of the advantages of this loan is that you should not go to the actual lender?s land-based office since loan is refined and approved on the web. Right after filling the request you will want to submit it in the website of this kind of loan. Therefore, usually you grab the loan approval punctually.

Generate a thorough research before trying to find an online bank loan. People obtain online loans regarding small and massive sums of money and for any host of various reasons. Timely repayment from the borrowed money will let you repair your previous credit errors as time passes. By means of online loans, lending agencies do not need to deal with the shopper traffic. Various nations have stated mistakes regarding these funding options. Simply click apply at allow them the means to help you find money today without the need of leaving your house or office and receive speedy online funding.

This is only a small list that is popular online borrowing products no credit verify available. The exact quantity approved through unsecured loans relies on the income plus present financial condition of this borrower. Web-based technology that took the emergence of your online loans is introduced later. The size of this finances will be determined dependant upon ones creditability. To purchase loan online, you just require some require data to apply for in a simple online application like your title, address, bank account, social security wide variety, about age and so on. Depending on your financial requirements, you can also make an application for these loans.

Home loan Term ? the duration belonging to the loan repayment time, usually 15 and / or 30 years. To start with, the process is straightforward thanks to the straightforward and hassle no cost application, secondly and more to the point, you may save about the costs of records and documentation mixed up in offline process. This is because of the fact that the mortgage lender saves money for overheads with over the internet loans and hands this saving onto you. This is because that the application for the loan process in financial institutions and lending companies is fairly long as you must go through the effort of waiting, falling in series and preparing what?s needed and paper works deparately needed for the application. The primary reason behind this is that him and i all look to find the best alternative which affords the convenience and ease to obtain a loan. Focus on to call the web lender and make a prior information for any late repayment.

It is because of on line lenders that bad credit rating people are also being qualified for loans. So, it is regarded as short-term financial pattern where borrowers is going to hold comparatively high mortgage rates. Not surprisingly, the word ?online? in most cases suggests convenience and also affordibility. Since almost all of the lenders are offered online, with a proper research of this market borrower can simply locate lenders selling the loans within low rates.

Check out our website today and find all the information you need on More like this.

Source: http://publicfeedback.net/?p=22396

easter derbyshire the matrix oceans 11 ferris state hockey mary poppins john derbyshire

Sunday, September 2, 2012

$25 for a 3-in-1 iPhone Compatible Lens Kit

Pages:1
Replies:No replies
Tags:None

No Ratings?

5?

?0%


4?

?0%


3?

?0%


2?

?0%


1?

?0%


To rate, click on the rating bars



Jump To: ????Back to the top

Source: http://www.pricenetwork.ca/ddeal/_25_for_a_3_in_1_iPhone_Compatible_Lens_Kit-334353.html

national wear red day gunner kiel gunner kiel groundhog soulja boy did the groundhog see his shadow punxsutawney phil

Boomers retiring to rural areas won't find doctors

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) ? Nina Musselman had no trouble finding a family doctor when she retired to rural Oregon nine years ago to be closer to her children. But then that doctor moved away, leaving her to search for another who would take Medicare.

After a year of going from doctor to doctor, she finally found one who stuck.

As record numbers of baby boomers go into retirement, many are thinking about moving from the places they needed to live to make a living, and going someplace warmer, quieter or prettier.

If they choose small towns like Grants Pass, 250 miles south of Portland, they could well have a hard time finding a family doctor willing to take Medicare, even supplemental plans, rather than private insurance.

"It's a sad situation for seniors," she said.

There are several reasons boomers, the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964, could face difficulties finding a doctor if they retire to small towns over the next 20 years.

First, many primary care doctors prefer to live and work in urban areas because of greater cultural opportunities, better schools and job opportunities for spouses.

Also, Medicare pays rural doctors less per procedure than urban physicians because their operating costs are supposedly less. That makes rural doctors less likely to accept Medicare patients.

With cuts to Medicare reimbursement for doctors targeted under the federal health care overhaul, the shortage is likely to get even worse, said Mark Pauly, professor of health care management at the University of Pennsylvania.

That is, unless increasing reimbursements for nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants encourages those providers to take up the slack, Pauly said.

If the Medicare cuts go through, "the doctors are saying: "We're out of here,'" Pauly said. "The least they are saying is: 'We'll treat Medicare patients like we treat Medicaid patients,' which is mostly not."

Still, there is some good news, depending on where you live.

Pauly said the Affordable Care Act "puts a lot of emphasis on wellness programs and primary care. Nurses, especially nurse practitioners, are intended to play a major role there."

In Oregon, Washington and 14 other states, nurses and nurse practioners "can operate independently of doctors, writing prescriptions, ordering tests, and even running clinics," Pauly said.

Nationwide, the 22.5 percent of primary care doctors who practice in rural areas roughly matches the 24 percent of Medicare patients living there, said Dr. Roland Goertz, chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians board.

A survey of academy members nationwide shows 83 percent take new Medicare patients. But there is an overall shortage of primary care physicians that still makes it hard for retirees to find a family doctor.

The real problem, he said, is that the health care system "has not supported a robust, adequate primary care workforce for over 30 years."

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, rural areas need about 20,000 primary care doctors to make up for the shortages, but only about 16,500 medical doctors and 3,500 doctors of osteopathy graduate yearly.

"We are always trying to recruit doctors. We are barely keeping even," said Lyle Jackson, the medical director at the Mid-Rogue Independent Physician Association, a cooperative of doctors in Josephine County, where Musselman lives.

Taking part in the Medicare Advantage program, which pays a higher rate to doctors than standard Medicare, helps, but is still not enough, said Jackson, a former family physician.

A 2009 survey of doctors in the Oregon Medical Association showed concern over Medicare reimbursement rates topping the list of 23 issues, with 79 percent rating it as very important, said Joy Conklin, an official at the association.

The survey showed 19.1 percent of Oregon doctors had closed their practices to Medicare, and 28.1 percent had restricted the numbers of Medicare patients.

That really becomes evident in Josephine County, which attracted retirees after the timber industry collapsed.

Low taxes, cheap housing, wineries, a symphony and low traffic put it in top 10 lists for retirement communities. The 2010 census puts the number of people older than 65 at 23 percent, compared to 14 percent for the state.

But the website County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, which gathers a wide range of health care data nationwide, shows 933 patients for every primary care physician in the county, nearly 50 percent higher than the national 631-to-one rate.

At the Grants Pass Clinic, Dr. Bruce Stowell said they are no longer taking new Medicare patients. Medicare pays about 45 percent of what commercial insurance pays.

As it is, their proportion of Medicare patients is double that of a similar Portland practice.

"We used to get a steady stream of high-quality (resumes) from U.S.-trained and U.S.-born physicians," he said. "Over the last year, that stream has declined into a trickle. Very few (doctors) are choosing to go into primary care."

Schools are turning out more nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

How well they fill the doctor gap will depend largely on how much independence states give them to practice, said Tay Kopanos, director of health care policy for state affairs at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Meanwhile, overall demand for primary care will be increasing as more people can afford it under the Affordable Care Act, said Joanne Spetz, a health care policy professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Atul Grover, chief of public policy for the American Association of Medical Colleges, said the nation is facing a tough time recruiting for primary care as well as other specialties that treat Medicare patients, such as oncologists.

When he decided to become a primary care doctor in the 1990s, it was because of a widespread belief that health maintenance organizations were going to be hiring all the doctors.

He said they wanted primary care doctors to emphasize wellness and prevention. Now, many graduates are moving into specialties that do procedures, such as surgery, because Medicare pays more for them than plain-old office visits.

Also, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped the number of residencies paid by Medicare, so there is no quick way to increase the numbers of doctors in general, let alone in rural areas, he said.

"An entire year's worth of doctor production is needed to deal with the (rural-area) shortage just today," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boomers-retiring-rural-areas-wont-doctors-173644311.html

love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact usssa baseball alex o loughlin the godfather

Pakistan-Israel Dialogue continues!

Over the last few months, I have engaged in a series of conversations with Pakistani writers and academics through mutual friends. These talks have been a rare and fascinating opportunity to see their country through their eyes rather than through Western media sources. We?ve discovered some surprising common concerns and a mutual desire to stay in touch. We would like to write posts? occasionally for one another so that our audiences can share these understandings as well. The following is an introduction by Abdul, one of the participants,?who writes his own blog tackling the stories of Pakistan that are seldom told abroad. Here he?describes his site and his interest in our dialogue ? I wrote?a similar introduction?last week for his readers.?

By Abdul Nishapuri

First of all I would like to send my appreciation to my friends?Paul Rockower?and Waleed Ziad in particular, for inviting us to engage in?people-to-people contactbetween Pakistanis and Israelis. I would also like to thank Dahlia Scheindlin (of +972 Magazine) for?her recent post in this series?in which she has outlined the need for such a dialogue between the two countries.

LUBP presents itself as Pakistan?s alternative media and is known for its non-mainstream views and discourses on issues of human rights, democracy and politics. It is a voluntary project and not sponsored or affiliated with any religious or political group.? It continues to publish on topics or positions that are considered taboos in Pakistan?s mainstream society and politics.

Given the increasing dominance of the Saudi-sponsored Wahhabi-Deobandi extremist ideology and the brutal treatment of dissenting voices of journalists and scholars by the military state, many of our contributors use pen names as a precaution for their personal safety.

Therefore, it was relatively easy for us to engage with Dahlia, and freely discuss our views on the informal contact between the two countries. From the Pakistani side, we have been able to express such views without any fear of reprisal from religious fanatics, politically correct political parties and repressive military apparatus.

What do we seek to gain from this dialogue? Here are a few things that come to my mind:

1. To develop a genuine people-to-people contact (instead of State-sponsored and State-controlled, elitist, shallow contact) between Israel and Pakistan;

2. To make the people of Pakistan aware that there exists an Israel which is much different and larger than the one seen through the narrow Saudi Arabian or Iranian lenses frequently used in Pakistan;

3. To make the people of Israel aware that Pakistani society can be much more inclusive and tolerant if liberated from the shackles of Islamism which, in Pakistan, is mainly sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the tiny but financially powerful Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf;

4. To make people of Pakistan aware that there are bold voices in Israel which oppose the occupation and seek a political resolution. Pakistanis can learn about the diversity of approaches, and open dialogue among those committed to ending the occupation.

5. To make the people of Israel aware of the extreme brutalities that certain ethnic and religious groups (Balochs, Pashtuns, Shias, Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus, etc.) in Pakistan are currently facing at the hands of the military state and its Jihadist and Islamist proxies.

6. To make the people of Pakistan aware of the internal religious and political diversity of the people of Israel;

7. To make the people of Israel aware of how mainstream media (both Pakistani and international media) twists and misrepresents certain news about Pakistani society and its people;

In reaction to a question on my Facebook and Twitter, the response to the prospects of Pakistan-Israel dialogue has been clearly positive. Out of a total of 76 feedbacks that I received, 90 percent were in support of the dialogue while less than 10 percent expressed concerns due to political reasons and clouded judgement, e.g.,? ?Israel is an illegitimate State,? ?Jews cannot be our trusted friends,? ?Israel is an occupier? etc.

Therefore, it is imperative that we have this dialogue. I cannot speak for my friends in Israel but amongst upper-middle class Pakistanis (including expats), there is a mindset that has internalized opposition to Israel?s policies. The resulting conspiracy theory laden mindset and borderline anti-Semitism has prevented many Pakistanis from having a much needed dialogue ? a dialogue that will only help in clearing the resentment and understanding each other.

I am aware that our friends at +972 have always wanted to bring the voices of both Israeli and Palestinian communities. Thus our contact is also an opportunity for Pakistanis to encounter both Israeli and Palestinian communities.

At LUBP, we value diversity and heterogeneity ? both of opinion and of the social makeup of Pakistan. At the time of Partition in 1947, there were significant Jewish communities in Pakistan ? especially in the metropolis of Karachi. Their subsequent departure, along with that of other targeted groups, has damaged our social fabric and pluralist society. We hope that we can rebuild a Pakistan in which people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds feel equally valued and included. Acceptance of difference is consistent with our egalitarian interpretation of Islam and is also an integral part of the tolerant culture of the Subcontinent.

Overall, we are very excited to build such a relationship between Pakistani and Israeli and Palestinian bloggers. We understand that members of this dialogue in their respective countries may be subject to harsh criticism.? However, as an alternative media outlet we are willing to accept such challenges which will only strengthen our resolve to develop better understanding between our nations. Long live Pakistan, Israel and Palestine.

About the author: Abdul Nishapuri is founder-editor of Let Us Build Pakistan (LUBP), Pakistan?s leading blogzine with a specific interest in building a democratic, progressive and inclusive society. He tweets at @AbdulNishapuri

Source: http://levantine18.blogspot.com/2012/08/pakistan-israel-dialogue-continues.html

pekingese ups tcu football westminster bonnaroo 2012 lineup twisted metal sea lion

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Data Stories: Annicka Campbell on the Digital Love Project

August 31st, 2012

While I was perusing social data proposals for SXSW panels, I came across the Digital Love Project submission. ?The Digital Love Project is a study of the full life cycle of romantic partnerships through ethnographic analysis of digital-social picture and video sharing. Through review of thousands of visual-social data points ? from first glance to ultimately tying the knot ? we observe trends about romantic partnerships that change the way we think about driving relevance.? I thought this would make a great Data Story, so I reached out to one of the researchers, Annicka Campbell of SapientNitro, for an interview.?

1. What was the genesis of deciding to do the Digital Love Project?

My co-author Melissa Read and I both have backgrounds in the social sciences ? I was trained as an anthropologist, and Melissa has a PhD in digital marketing psychology. We?re both fascinated by the behavioral implications of social media, and so a few months ago we decided to embark on an ethnographic analysis of romantic partnerships as expressed through social. Our theory was that our findings would illuminate new ways for marketers to build more meaningful relationships and experiences for consumers online. It?s been a pretty fun (and often funny) experience, and we?re hoping that this combination of marketing insight and humor could translate really well for SXSW Interactive attendees.

Annicka Campbell of the Digital Love Project

Annicka Campbell of the Digital Love Project

2. How has displaying relationships on social media changed how people behave?

Great question. Since the term ?relationship? is so broad, we?ve focused on analyzing people in serious romantic relationships. We found that the relationship sharing process has become somewhat standardized; we identified a set of relationship milestones that couples are almost expected to share in social. This could mean posting joint vlogs or ?selfies,? crowdsourcing engagement proposals, or having wedding attendees post with a customized hashtag. We?ve even seen instances of people updating their Facebook relationship statuses at the alter, which is obviously on the far end of the spectrum. Call them the digital rules of engagement, perhaps. We actually think that these behaviors are making romantic relationships more interactive and collaborative than ever before. Of course, there can be negative implications of this behavior, as well.

3. What social media publishers get the most love from those in love? What channels are people using to display their love?

This is such a great question. What we?ve found is that it often hinges on age ? age of those in-love, and the age of the relationship. For teenagers, tools like Tumblr and Facebook provide a very public space to flirt and date in the passive presence of their friends, which I think is really important at that age. What really surprised us is that this is also true for more mature people.

Right now, we?re really focusing on the impact of geo-location in romantic relationships in our analysis. A few years ago I met an ex-boyfriend through Twitter?s ?Nearby Tweets? feature. It was really convenient, initially, because he lived across the street from me! Of course, when we broke up, the geolocation API haunted me every time I left my apartment (at least for a few weeks).

Melissa Read  of the Digital Love Project

Melissa Read (Ph.D) of the Digital Love Project

4. By studying Facebook relationship changes, researchers were able to find out that breakups spiked highest around the holidays. What are some of the interesting takeaways you?ve learned about relationships by studying them online?

I loved the findings of David McCandless and Lee Byron?s project ? and of course, how beautifully those findings were visualized. Some of what we?ve found is similar, particularly during wedding season, back-to-school season, and spring break.

We also found that social media is being used a feedback tool for people in relationships. This might mean instagramming a photo of a dinner cooked together as a way to express appreciation to them. Conversely, this could also mean using Facebook to give negative feedback to your significant other. I?m fascinated by the way some couples use social media tools like Tumblr as sort of a ?relationship backchannel? where they document and discuss the life they share together, with both their online and offlline friends. I think that our long national obsession with the negative effects of oversharing and narcissism online is passing. We increasingly view social media as tools to grow meaningful relationships, and perhaps even contribute something of value to our culture. Just look at Facebook introducing a same-sex marriage status option a few months ago.

5. What do you want people to take away from what you learned, especially marketers? How do marketers reach in-love couples besides targeting wedding ads at the newly engaged?

We?ve found that there are very tactical takeaways for marketers as it relates to engaged couples. As the economy continues to improve, we?ve seen that the wedding industry has really rebounded, as well ? we spend $74 billion dollars per year on weddings, and that fact alone has obvious implications for marketers within that industry. We?re seeing event marketers using Pinterest to drive sales, planners using tools like Evernote to make the planning process more collaborative, and photographers incorporating Instagram into their toolkit.

Again, the tactical implications for that industry are interesting, but we?re trying to think even bigger. The idea that social media are being used as to establish, build and optimize romantic relationships in new and innovative ways ? well, switch out ?romantic relationships? with ?consumer-brand relationships? and we have the beginning of a really interesting discussion

Today is the last day for SXSW panel voting, so if this is a topic that interests you, be sure to get your vote in for the Digital Love Project.?

Source: http://blog.gnip.com/digital-love-project/

superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012 nfl mvp lana del rey snl performance nick diaz sheryl sandberg superbowl recipes