Barack Obama will sign the deportation order Justin Bieber?

<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* bleu 280 */ google_ad_slot = "8164661108"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d4YX04qfgYsk9PlKZ0oIJj8UF9ECA-meTdA_3281Y643UWXQBzKqy0C9FLFd5euVBu_GIOkp7WQ2o6N7fkV_hd-GVumH7WxLHD5zAd7Jwt0cilcS-8dm_iWyku5Qx8AYCMVdkLvZ/s1600/Barack+Obama+will+sign+the+deportation+order+Justin+Bieber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Barack Obama will sign the deportation order Justin Bieber?" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d4YX04qfgYsk9PlKZ0oIJj8UF9ECA-meTdA_3281Y643UWXQBzKqy0C9FLFd5euVBu_GIOkp7WQ2o6N7fkV_hd-GVumH7WxLHD5zAd7Jwt0cilcS-8dm_iWyku5Qx8AYCMVdkLvZ/s1600/Barack+Obama+will+sign+the+deportation+order+Justin+Bieber.jpg" title="Barack Obama will sign the deportation order Justin Bieber?" /></a></div><br />It seems that the scandal with the arrest of Justin Bieber does not come away with the singer - perhaps soon Barack Obama will sign the deportation order Canadian artist from the U.S.. The fact that Americans are not willing to close their eyes to trick celebrities. The other day they wrote a petition to the presidents annul green card Bieber and thereby forbid him to remain in the country.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* biner3 */ google_ad_slot = "7346003106"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture," reads the petition. "We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive, and drug abusing, Justin Bieber deported and his green card revoked. He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieber from our society.</blockquote><br />Petition just six days collected more than 100,000 signatures, indicating that the behavior of the mass discontent Justin. Most likely, Obama in this matter will take the side of their compatriots and deny the right to be a singer, to live and work in the United States.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_PFv-yOlC4MgGI6T9GV7XkQfAM1aIOEIqWDF1cVvrjRDymC-tH-LOvGDFVpA0-i-xAQNe8lxmjfOotmDAb5xTyzm58Mt7e-kkCrUD_PoEJzBxhBb8xziyf1YAPrzykRafqO__Lt0/s1600/Justin+Bieber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Justin Bieber" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_PFv-yOlC4MgGI6T9GV7XkQfAM1aIOEIqWDF1cVvrjRDymC-tH-LOvGDFVpA0-i-xAQNe8lxmjfOotmDAb5xTyzm58Mt7e-kkCrUD_PoEJzBxhBb8xziyf1YAPrzykRafqO__Lt0/s1600/Justin+Bieber.jpg" title="Justin Bieber" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOteqjY8C9UaGCmrpyiROhxoRqz9-_8nF-akF8EYxYO1mYMDYUhMGOdCYFUu3aPK2h0BQva-YLpRowiOeWV5sRk1UXVq3Uv4aTGi5Njc02IMq_G750I3zcsLhbHj7UORRyaSs2O7Y/s1600/Americans+require+deportation+from+the+United+States+Justin+Bieber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Americans require deportation from the United States Justin Bieber " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOteqjY8C9UaGCmrpyiROhxoRqz9-_8nF-akF8EYxYO1mYMDYUhMGOdCYFUu3aPK2h0BQva-YLpRowiOeWV5sRk1UXVq3Uv4aTGi5Njc02IMq_G750I3zcsLhbHj7UORRyaSs2O7Y/s1600/Americans+require+deportation+from+the+United+States+Justin+Bieber.jpg" title="Americans require deportation from the United States Justin Bieber " /></a></div><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* boton */ google_ad_slot = "4392536701"; google_ad_width = 200; google_ad_height = 90; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>

Barack Obama will sign the deportation order Justin Bieber?

It seems that the scandal with the arrest of Justin Bieber does not come away with the singer - perhaps soon Barack Obama will sign the de...

Read more »

STOCK MARKET CRASH BEGINS

<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">*****Wall Street WARNING*****</span></span></b><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">FED tapers $10 BILLION</span> </span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-CU0kmcxmKgntZ6VqJDzaWO6_utOTddX8a-PdUwjMxDHhlAzGLpm7vgHU1SmypvuHgzvdlI0BR7i0J9fR2LaV70KvudaDJyQEwGFs_KNRyBpAZvqN_PDhza-pDlN7c8JxdYwB9GCKMs/s1600/Wall-Street-sign-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-CU0kmcxmKgntZ6VqJDzaWO6_utOTddX8a-PdUwjMxDHhlAzGLpm7vgHU1SmypvuHgzvdlI0BR7i0J9fR2LaV70KvudaDJyQEwGFs_KNRyBpAZvqN_PDhza-pDlN7c8JxdYwB9GCKMs/s1600/Wall-Street-sign-001.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><b><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-stays-the-course-by-tapering-another-10-billion-2014-01-29?dist=countdown" style="color: red;">http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-stays-the-course-by-tapering-another-10-billion-2014-01-29?dist=countdown</a></b><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">INDEXES TURN <span style="color: #cc0000;">BLOOD RED</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">GET OUT NOW!</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">This is what we call a CAPITULATION</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">LOOK OUT BELOW</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><!-- Start FreeStockCharts.com Chart Widget --> <br /><div align="center" width="100%"><iframe frameborder="0" height="390" scrolling="no" src="http://widgets.freestockcharts.com/WidgetServer/InteractiveChartWidget.aspx?guid=62d55d90-1330-472b-bdbe-4fc452a367bc&w=500&h=390" style="border: none;" width="500"></iframe></div><!-- End FreeStockCharts.com Chart Widget --></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>...developing...</b></div>

STOCK MARKET CRASH BEGINS

*****Wall Street WARNING***** FED tapers $10 BILLION http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fed-stays-the-course-by-tapering-another-10-billion-2...

Read more »

The Obama "MY R.A. Account" replaces I.R.A. accounts

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Obama MY R.A.</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The LOW INCOME retirement plan</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>  </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Quasi-SOCIAL SECURITY </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GUARANTEED DECENT RETURN and LOW RISK </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>This is just something to get folks started.  That's the name of the game...</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IOVhxYvbsuk?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b>...developing...</b></div>

The Obama "MY R.A. Account" replaces I.R.A. accounts

  The Obama MY R.A. The LOW INCOME retirement plan   Quasi-SOCIAL SECURITY  GUARANTEED DECENT RETURN and LOW RISK This is just something to ...

Read more »

Senator Ted Cruz questions Attorney General Eric Holder

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Does the IRS target conservative Americans?</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Is there justice in the Department of Justice? </b></span></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YXnzZzLyCnQ?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bJqouOxZzMs?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Senator Ted Cruz questions Attorney General Eric Holder

Does the IRS target conservative Americans? Is there justice in the Department of Justice?

Read more »

Raw Dog's Uncle Ernie discusses STACKERS

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More YOU TUBE workshops on GOLD and SILVER stacking:</b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvKNx7Ra2ul9LOuHzsHzhGy0V5B29SJX1RSqIJMfpyvuD4N-5wrHIhZm1v48s2q3f8eT75cwSCKyxgjAJJCntTwRkt72L1hKAVlAS2wHZ6i4hGPj7Tg5vz7CDe1yVKxZy-NwvXxdZk9g/s1600/ErnieVeritimosRawDoglookPIC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvKNx7Ra2ul9LOuHzsHzhGy0V5B29SJX1RSqIJMfpyvuD4N-5wrHIhZm1v48s2q3f8eT75cwSCKyxgjAJJCntTwRkt72L1hKAVlAS2wHZ6i4hGPj7Tg5vz7CDe1yVKxZy-NwvXxdZk9g/s1600/ErnieVeritimosRawDoglookPIC.JPG" width="256" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11X1m8z8VhNExWOexdietk7bLrY4XOna7U_TFDQthOMINTImjTPYozUYIzzXEfRunGdPQg-utiIG3Nje6xunRWKi6fOkqB7CJXX_6fxZbIDIgaKmcX3cJn_80xztQy9EB22O_y2K6IqA/s1600/RawDogshapeshifting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11X1m8z8VhNExWOexdietk7bLrY4XOna7U_TFDQthOMINTImjTPYozUYIzzXEfRunGdPQg-utiIG3Nje6xunRWKi6fOkqB7CJXX_6fxZbIDIgaKmcX3cJn_80xztQy9EB22O_y2K6IqA/s1600/RawDogshapeshifting.JPG" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Actually there may be a conspiracy theory here on SHAPE SHIFTING or who knows what else...</b></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Perils of TOO MUCH STACKING</b></span><br /><br /></div><b>Uncle Ernie discusses the dangers and perils of too much stacking and what kind of effect it may have on your financial solvency...</b><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/168SCWHBL10?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe>

Raw Dog's Uncle Ernie discusses STACKERS

More YOU TUBE workshops on GOLD and SILVER stacking: Actually there may be a conspiracy theory here on SHAPE SHIFTING or who knows what else...

Read more »

Woman Kidnapped as Baby by Own Mom Now Tells Her Side of the Story (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg16Y_GS36nV34pVlUuaIXYCWoXSkGF4cTuQLzXFlNW7OG6ygS7TEcjv6dXCJvKI71Vo8nqUKzetw_JsHfCJkXcb8oNhQpju0ocvX_QGDOt9ssS2rkYshm0Nsziws6yFoYEaNsAb7lbLw/s1600/samantha_635x250_1390955004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg16Y_GS36nV34pVlUuaIXYCWoXSkGF4cTuQLzXFlNW7OG6ygS7TEcjv6dXCJvKI71Vo8nqUKzetw_JsHfCJkXcb8oNhQpju0ocvX_QGDOt9ssS2rkYshm0Nsziws6yFoYEaNsAb7lbLw/s1600/samantha_635x250_1390955004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">At age 20, Samantha Geldenhuys learned some shocking news. And "shocking" is probably an understatement for describing the discovery: The beloved mother who'd raised her was also her kidnapper and had been wanted by authorities for nearly two decades. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Shortly after losing custody of the little girl in a South Carolina court, Dorothy Barnett kidnapped her daughter in 1994, taking her on a journey across four continents, and sparking a case that soon became one of the biggest child-abduction mysteries in U.S. history. The story was back in </span><a data-rapid_p="1" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2512047/Kidnapped-girl-located-Australia-20-YEARS-going-missing.html" style="background-color: white; color: #990033; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the media spotlight</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> in November 2013, when Samantha and her mom were tracked down in Australia and Barnett was arrested. But until Monday night, the world had not heard from Samantha, née Savanna Todd, who spoke in an </span><a data-rapid_p="2" href="http://yhoo.it/1i8pRhI" style="background-color: white; color: #990033; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">exclusive interview</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"> with Australian news show “Today Tonight.” In the broadcast, she says she is firmly on her mother's side.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><a data-rapid_p="3" href="http://yhoo.it/1bekj2R" style="background-color: white; color: #990033; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">More on Shine: Kidnapped Mother and Her Daughter Reunite Through Facebook After 44 Years</a><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">“I backed my mom on the first day because I knew who she was and I knew what she did would be for a valid reason,” Samantha says, adding that her mom had a right to be heard. “The truth hasn’t been told just yet.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">According to the report, Barnett alleges that she lost custody of her daughter thanks to an orchestrated campaign against her — including claims of mental illness and violent outbursts — by her ex-husband and Samantha's father, Benjamin Harris Todd. “I just lost custody of my 9-and-a-half-month-old nursing baby to a very, very evil man,” Barnett explains in a video she made back in 1994, shown in part on “Today Tonight,” copies of which she left with friends before fleeing the country.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><a data-rapid_p="4" href="http://yhoo.it/1eemlBA" style="background-color: white; color: #990033; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">More on Yahoo: Police Charge Mother of Missing Tennessee Baby</a><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Todd did not return a phone call seeking comment from Yahoo Shine. Samantha Geldenhuys could also not be reached for comment. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">After leaving the United States with her daughter, Barnett went on the run, kicking off a journey that would take her and her baby girl to Germany, France, Malaysia, Singapore, and finally South Africa in just the first two years. There, Barnett married Juan Geldenhuys, who became privy to her secret. Savanna Todd became Samantha  Geldenhuys, the couple had a son together, now 17; and the family moved first to New Zealand and later to Australia, where Barnett and Geldenhuys eventually separated. Samantha finished high school in Australia and began studying for her nursing degree before her stepdad — the man she knew as her father— died of cancer, according to the news report. Soon after, Samantha’s mom was arrested and taken to Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre, where she is currently awaiting a hearing and possible extradition to the United States</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Samantha tells “Today Tonight” she was, of course, stunned to learn of her history, she understands why her mother kidnapped her. “She became the most incredible woman when she’d realized that she’d saved me. Whatever the case, she succeeded in what she wanted to do, and it wasn’t easy along the way,” she insists. “She gave up everything that she loved, she knew, and started anew just for me.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">That new life came crashing down after a simple slip-up: Former friends of Barnett heard her call Samantha by her birth name, Savanna. They became suspicious, did a little investigating, and got in touch with Todd. It then took two years for the FBI to make the arrest, on international parental kidnapping and passport violations.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">As for how Barnett explained the unfathomable situation to her unsuspecting daughter: “She just said there had been an event 20 years ago, that she was being arrested due to her having had a previous marriage and conceiving me within the marriage, and it became unsafe and had to flee to protect me,” Samantha recalls, crying. “I remember saying, ‘Dad’s just been taken away from us — they can’t take you.’” </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">Since learning the truth, Samantha remains steadfast about her not being damaged in any way by her mother’s actions, and she says she won’t go back to using her old name. “A name does not change who you are,” she says. “Savanna can be a remembrance of what happened 20 years ago, but Samantha is who I am and who I will be.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">As for her mom, who could up to 23 years in prison if convincted, Samantha adds, “She’s a strong woman.”</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">yahoo.</span></div>

Woman Kidnapped as Baby by Own Mom Now Tells Her Side of the Story (BLOG)

At age 20, Samantha Geldenhuys learned some shocking news. And "shocking" is probably an understatement for describing the discove...

Read more »

Obama vows to flex presidential powers in speech (Blog)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM76FSUz0DgSP_rw1e566xVjRGPbrTxwBDy0NJOGwgRJsHmkz-ExcP8lH94nXLf8Jde_3GqLU99kEAd7YPovMvYaZSOMaAiLtQVl0P-_NrxqtrFKIlrKwkOVJmD6o6_VsZpZa5Jcl2dfs/s1600/d00117f6-f886-4a3e-b7ff-e2dc6b70e3ff_AP384086764278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM76FSUz0DgSP_rw1e566xVjRGPbrTxwBDy0NJOGwgRJsHmkz-ExcP8lH94nXLf8Jde_3GqLU99kEAd7YPovMvYaZSOMaAiLtQVl0P-_NrxqtrFKIlrKwkOVJmD6o6_VsZpZa5Jcl2dfs/s1600/d00117f6-f886-4a3e-b7ff-e2dc6b70e3ff_AP384086764278.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_6997" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to energize his sluggish second term, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday night in his State of the Union address to sidestep Congress "whenever and wherever" necessary to narrow economic disparities between America's rich and poor.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8008" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"America does not stand still and neither do I," Obama declared in his prime-time address before a joint session of Congress and millions of Americans watching on television.He unveiled an array of modest executive actions to increase the minimum wage for federal contract workers and make it easier for millions of low-income people to save for retirement.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Draped in presidential grandeur, Obama's hour-long address served as the opening salvo in a midterm election fight for control of Congress that will quickly consume Washington's attention. Democrats, seeking to cast Republicans as uncaring about the middle class, have urged Obama to focus on economic mobility and the gap between the wealthy and poor. His emphasis on executive actions was greeted with shouts of "Do it!" from many members of his party.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Declaring 2014 a "year of action," Obama also sought to convince an increasingly skeptical public that he still wields power in Washington even if he can't crack through the divisions in Congress. Burned by a series of legislative failures in 2013, White House aides say they're now redefining success not by what Obama can jam through Congress but by what actions he can take on his own.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Indeed, Obama's proposals for action by lawmakers were slim and largely focused on old ideas that have gained little traction over the past year. He pressed Congress to revive a stalled immigration overhaul, pass an across-the-board increase in the federal minimum wage and expand access to early childhood education — all ideas that gained little traction after he proposed them last year. The president's one new legislation proposal calls for expanding an income tax credit for workers without children.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-video go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="8" data-uuid="fb6a1931-0da6-35d7-b1f8-bf852c36fbf5" href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/president-supports-minimum-wage-increase-015942600.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="President Supports Minimum Wage Increase"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 169px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;">President Supports Minimum Wage Increase</span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">Play video</span><span class="icon-play icon-white-play-xsmall" style="background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="President Supports Minimum Wage Increase" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="169" src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/TME9V9cIbdqfNHquCgmuew--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE2OTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.abcnewsplus.com/1571f5d65a0729cb068e6d19f72732a0" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Republicans, who saw their own approval ratings fall further in 2013, have also picked up the refrain of income inequality in recent months, though they have cast the widening gap between rich and poor as a symptom of Obama's economic policies.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"Republicans have plans to close the gap, plans that focus on jobs first without more spending, government bailouts and red tape," said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., in the Republicans' televised response to the president's speech. "We hope the president will join us in a year of real action, by empowering people, not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes, and fewer jobs."</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8013" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The economy and other domestic issues, including health care, dominated the president's address. He touched only briefly on foreign policy, reiterating his threat to veto any new sanctions Congress might levy on Iran while nuclear negotiations with the Islamic republic are underway and touting the drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan this year.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8020" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">In an emotional high point, Obama singled out Cory Remsburg, an Army Ranger who was a guest of first lady Michelle Obama. Remsburg, who was nearly killed in Afghanistan during one of his 10 deployments, rose slowly from his seat and was greeted by long and thunderous applause from the president and lawmakers.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8026" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Even as Washington increasingly focuses on income inequality, many parts of the economy are gaining strength, with corporate profits soaring and the financial markets hitting record highs. But with millions of Americans still out of work or struggling with stagnant wages, Obama has found himself in the sometimes awkward position of promoting a recovery that feels distant for many.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-video go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="9" data-uuid="eabeb446-f717-398e-b042-e74bd27d029c" href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/president-obama-women-deserve-equal-015658117.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="President Obama: Women Deserve Equal Pay"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 169px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;">President Obama: Women Deserve Equal Pay</span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">Play video</span><span class="icon-play icon-white-play-xsmall" style="background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="President Obama: Women Deserve Equal Pay" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="169" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/aEtsoj6CyIcisCjkQqwTyw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE2OTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.abcnewsplus.com/d309e95d6efdc9e455276aa33aebbe09" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8032" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead," Obama said. "And too many still aren't working at all."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The president garnered some of his loudest applause — at least from Democrats — when he took on lawmakers who oppose his signature health care law, which floundered in its initial rollout last fall. Obama said that while he doesn't expect to convince Republicans on the merits of the law, "I know that the American people aren't interested in refighting old battles."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The president's speech drew an eclectic mix of visitors to the House chamber. Among those sitting with Mrs. Obama were two survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, as well as Jason Collins, an openly gay former NBA player. Republican House Speaker John Boehner brought business owners from his home state of Ohio who say Obama's health care overhaul is hurting their companies. Willie Robertson, a star of the television show "Duck Dynasty," also scored a seat in the House gallery, courtesy of the Republicans.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Though Obama sought to emphasize his presidential powers, there are stark limits to what he can do on his own. For example, he unilaterally can raise the minimum hourly wage for new federal contractors from $7.25 to $10.10, as he announced, but he'll need Congress in order to extend that increase to all of America's workers.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The executive order for contractors, which Obama will sign in the coming weeks, is limited in its scope. It will not affect existing federal contracts, only new ones, and then only if other terms of an agreement change.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-video go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="10" data-uuid="cfbde7f4-3087-3271-ba07-b42689e8e159" href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/president-obama-pushes-immigration-reform-014639107.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="President Obama Pushes Immigration Reform"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 169px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;">President Obama Pushes Immigration Reform</span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">Play video</span><span class="icon-play icon-white-play-xsmall" style="background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="President Obama Pushes Immigration Reform" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="169" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/cmNuFxUzAv4YrN6Wnj29OQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE2OTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.abcnewsplus.com/23938d60e0aec341025698a7d560fb3e" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Republicans quickly panned the executive initiative as ineffective. Said Boehner: "The question is how many people, Mr. President, will this executive action actually help? I suspect the answer is somewhere close to zero."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">White House officials countered by saying many more working people would benefit if Congress would go along with Obama's plan to raise the minimum wage across the board.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"Give America a raise," Obama declared.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Among the president's other executive initiatives is a plan to help workers whose employers don't offer retirement savings plans. The program would allow first-time savers to start building up savings in Treasury bonds that eventually could be converted into traditional IRAs. Obama is expected to promote the "starter" accounts during a trip to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The president also announced new commitments from companies to consider hiring the long-term unemployed, the creation of four "manufacturing hubs" where universities and businesses would work together to develop and train workers, new incentives to encourage truckers to switch from dirtier fuels to natural gas or other alternatives and a proposed tax credit to promote the adoption of cars that can run on cleaner fuels, such as hydrogen, natural gas or biofuels.</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-video go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="11" data-uuid="12d06030-853a-36b5-832c-31a222444dae" href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/affordable-college-obama-39-education-015333087.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Affordable College on Obama&#39;s Education Agenda"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 169px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;">Affordable College on Obama's Education Agenda</span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">Play video</span><span class="icon-play icon-white-play-xsmall" style="background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="Affordable College on Obama&#39;s Education Agenda" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="169" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/l5FmAqf2xwEz_GDs10ENYQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE2OTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.abcnewsplus.com/5a5766c9795fba6861da00f1a9ac39c9" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The president's go-it-alone strategy is in many ways an acknowledgment that he has failed to make good on two major promises to the American people: that he would change Washington's hyper-partisanship and that his re-election would break the Republican "fever" and clear the way for congressional action on major initiatives.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Some Republicans have warned that the president's focus on executive orders could backfire by angering GOP leaders who already don't trust the White House.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"This isn't the American way, courts have not supported his past attempts, and he only does damage to the American people's confidence in government when he doesn't work with Congress to pass real reforms," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Obama isn't abandoning Congress completely. He made a renewed pitch for legislation to overhaul the nation's fractured immigration laws, perhaps his best opportunity for signing significant legislation this year. But the odds remain long, with many Republicans staunchly opposed to Obama's plan for creating a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million people already in the U.S. illegally.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Seeking to give the GOP some room to maneuver, Obama did not specifically call for a citizenship pathway Tuesday, saying only, "Let's get it done. It's time."</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-video go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="12" data-uuid="4a6e7b5e-acde-318e-a6fd-356f9cbf47d7" href="http://news.yahoo.com/video/president-obama-touts-affordable-care-020719670.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="President Obama Touts Affordable Care Act Successe&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 169px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;">President Obama Touts Affordable Care Act Successe …</span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">Play video</span><span class="icon-play icon-white-play-xsmall" style="background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="President Obama Touts Affordable Care Act Successe&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="169" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ncSZtYLiBi9SVAtGClplUA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE2OTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/video/video.abcnewsplus.com/e05ac2fcbd666768714d3713ac006e84" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Opening a new front with Congress, the president called for an extension of the earned-income tax credit, which helps boost the wages of low-income families through tax refunds. Obama wants it broadened so that it provides more help than it does now to workers without children, a view embraced by some Republicans and conservative economists.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Obama singled out Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has proposed replacing the tax credit with a federal wage supplement for workers in certain low-paying jobs. Unlike Obama, however, Republicans have suggested expanding the tax credit as an alternative to increasing the minimum wage.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Pivoting briefly to foreign policy, Obama reaffirmed that the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan will formally conclude at the end of this year. But he said a small contingent of American forces could be left behind if the Afghan government quickly signs a bilateral security agreement, a prospect that looks increasingly uncertain.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8054" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The president also warned lawmakers in both parties against passing new economic sanctions against Iran while the U.S. and international partners are holding nuclear negotiations with the Islamic republic. He renewed his commitment to veto sanctions legislation if it passes, arguing that a new round of penalties would upend the sensitive diplomacy.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8038" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">___</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_8046" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Associated Press writers Josh Lederman, Jim Kuhnhenn, Nedra Pickler and Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.</div></div>

Obama vows to flex presidential powers in speech (Blog)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to energize his sluggish second term, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday night in his State of the Union address...

Read more »

NASA puts out call for commercial lunar landers (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbKelhIWDOwkjkm-4ZvOEWdjZ8Oxxj_YmIz2e6Jyubftxwy2Xo-3tjyIM5MSM05RCugIob3owtJZ-c3dNOdOJvpFxSJslmjc1388t0kt0MjzSb6cwRljbzY9yTuzYkQ_-b3gEoovNoLk/s1600/2014-01-27T213104Z_1_CBREA0Q1NRV00_RTROPTP_2_OBAMA-SPACE.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbKelhIWDOwkjkm-4ZvOEWdjZ8Oxxj_YmIz2e6Jyubftxwy2Xo-3tjyIM5MSM05RCugIob3owtJZ-c3dNOdOJvpFxSJslmjc1388t0kt0MjzSb6cwRljbzY9yTuzYkQ_-b3gEoovNoLk/s1600/2014-01-27T213104Z_1_CBREA0Q1NRV00_RTROPTP_2_OBAMA-SPACE.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_4328" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Under a new program called Lunar Catalyst, U.S. space agency NASA will provide free technical expertise, equipment, facilities and software to help selected companies develop lunar landers, officials said on Monday.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_5111" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The intent of this initiative is to stimulate and help commercialization," Jason Crusan, who oversees NASA's advanced exploration programs, said during a conference call with prospective bidders on Monday.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_5120" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Development of commercial lunar landers would join a growing list of space transportation services that have attracted interest from U.S. companies, including Boeing Co and Alliant Techsystems Inc.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">NASA already has turned over cargo deliveries to the International Space Station to privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, and Orbital Sciences Corp. The companies hold NASA flight services contracts worth a combined $3.5 billion.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">NASA wants a balanced approach in which its contributions will help accelerate the development of industry projects, Crusan said during a follow-on conference call with reporters.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"If a team came in and wanted everything from NASA and (wanted) us to build the landing service for them, that's not really much of a partnership."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) also is looking to buy rides commercially for its astronauts. At least three firms, SpaceX, Boeing and privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp, are in the running for NASA funding to help get their spaceships ready for test flights before the end of 2017.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_5143" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Companies interested in Lunar Catalyst have until March 17 to submit business plans and proposals to NASA, which could decide to purchase hardware or services at a future date, Crusan said.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_5137" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The agency, for example, is developing a mission to mine water on the moon and intends to partner with Canada and other countries to develop a rover and a lander. If those plans fall through, however, NASA could look to buy the equipment from, or partner with, U.S. companies, Crusan said.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978657155_5128" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">NASA already has contracts to buy lunar science and technical data from several teams competing in the $30 million Google X Prize competition to land and operate a privately owned vehicle on the moon before the end of 2015.</div></div>

NASA puts out call for commercial lunar landers (BLOG)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Under a new program called Lunar Catalyst, U.S. space agency NASA will provide free technical expertise,...

Read more »

Taylor Swift Thought She Won Album of the Year Grammy, Beyonce and Jay Z Open Show With "Drunk in Love:" Top 5 Stories (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhj9PNH_o27e5lZSOhyphenhyphenUn_7-FvPmdZeriH1Mi972bPfk1sCrw6ksRw_xmfqMRsMFPoLXOFpgYsZRn6Dtck0druwToHaGeuz1Le2p9VpHfioASYPgTgvH9jWMUNNgM5ggT4FRpYPM1Rap4/s1600/Taylor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhj9PNH_o27e5lZSOhyphenhyphenUn_7-FvPmdZeriH1Mi972bPfk1sCrw6ksRw_xmfqMRsMFPoLXOFpgYsZRn6Dtck0druwToHaGeuz1Le2p9VpHfioASYPgTgvH9jWMUNNgM5ggT4FRpYPM1Rap4/s1600/Taylor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1170" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1169"><a data-rapid_p="8" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/taylor-swift" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1168" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Taylor Swift</a> </strong>thought she won the Grammy for Album of the Year, <a data-rapid_p="9" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/beyonce-knowles" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1181" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1180">Beyonce</strong></a> and <strong><a data-rapid_p="10" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/jay-z" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jay Z</a> </strong>gave a sexy "Drunk in Love" performance, and <strong id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1187">Sean Lowe</strong> and <strong>Catherine Giudici </strong>wed on live TV: See Us Weekly's top 5 stories from Monday, Jan. 27 -- and the biggest moments from Sunday night you may have missed! -- in the roundup.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1195" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong>1.</strong> <a data-rapid_p="11" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/taylor-swift-thought-she-won-album-of-the-year-grammy-watch-her-hilarious-reaction-2014271" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1194" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Taylor Swift Thought She Won Album of the Year Grammy: See GIF of Hilarious Reaction</a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1200" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The other side of <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-person" data-rapid_p="12" href="http://celebrity.yahoo.com/celebs/taylor-swift/614" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;">Taylor Swift</a>'s surprise face. The pop-country superstar, 24, didn't exactly clean up at the 2014 Grammys inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles Sunday, Jan. 26. Although nominated in several major categories -- and pulling off an admirable, headbanging piano rendition of "All Too Well" onstage -- the awards-circuit veteran went home empty handed.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong>2.</strong> <a data-rapid_p="13" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/beyonce-jay-z-open-grammys-2014-with-sexy-intimate-drunk-in-love-performance-2014261" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beyonce, Jay Z Open Grammys 2014 With Sexy "Drunk in Love" Performance</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Starting things off with the biggest bang ever! Beyonce and Jay Z kicked off the Grammys 2014 inside L.A.'s Staples Center Sunday, Jan. 26 with a performance that'll be difficult to top. Although rapper Jay Z, 44, is the one up for multiple statues this year for his Holy Grail album, Blue Ivy's mom and dad selected a duet-track from <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-person" data-rapid_p="14" href="http://celebrity.yahoo.com/celebs/beyonce/6" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;">Beyonce</a>'s late-December surprise album, "Drunk in Love" for their set. (Us Weekly was first to reveal that the super-couple would be performing together.)</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong>3.</strong> <a data-rapid_p="15" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/bachelor-wedding-recap-sean-lowe-catherine-giudici-get-married-on-live-tv-2014261" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Bachelor Wedding Recap: Sean Lowe, Catherine Giudici Get Married on Live TV -- All the Details, Plus Pictures!</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Can you feel the love tonight? Ten months after the world watched them get engaged on the season 17 finale of ABC's <em>The Bachelor</em>, Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici made history by saying "I do" in the franchise's first-ever live TV wedding. On Sunday, Jan. 26 -- with their closest friends and relatives in attendance, and millions of fans watching from home -- the couple pledged their eternal, undying devotion to each other in a ceremony at the gorgeous Four Seasons resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, Calif.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong>4. </strong><a data-rapid_p="16" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/queen-latifah-pulled-aside-by-ryan-lewis-for-madonnas-grammys-entrance-2014271" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Video: Queen Latifah Pulled Aside By Ryan Lewis for Madonna's Grammys Entrance</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Went off with a few hitches! <strong><a data-rapid_p="17" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/queen-latifah" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Queen Latifah</a> </strong>officiated the weddings of 33 couples during a performance by<a data-rapid_p="18" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/madonna" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><strong>Madonna</strong></a>, <strong>Mary Lambert</strong>, <strong>Macklemore & Ryan Lewis </strong>at the 2014 Grammy Awards in L.A. on Sunday, Jan. 26 -- but suffered a few technical difficulties in the beginning of the now-historic act.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;"><strong>5. </strong><a data-rapid_p="19" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ramona-singer-husband-mario-separated-real-housewives-of-new-york-stars-domestic-dispute-2014271" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ramona Singer, Husband Mario Separated: Real Housewives of New York Star's Domestic Dispute</a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390978493769_1429" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Another <em>Housewives </em>marriage is on the rocks. After 27 years together, <em>Real Housewives of New York</em>'s <strong><a data-rapid_p="20" href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/ramona-singer" style="color: #324fe1; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Ramona Singer</a> </strong>and husband <strong>Mario </strong>have separated, two sources confirm to Us Weekly -- with both Ramona, 56, and Mario, 60, already dating other people.</div></div>

Taylor Swift Thought She Won Album of the Year Grammy, Beyonce and Jay Z Open Show With "Drunk in Love:" Top 5 Stories (BLOG)

Taylor Swift   thought she won the Grammy for Album of the Year,  Beyonce  and  Jay Z   gave a sexy "Drunk in Love" performance, a...

Read more »

What to Expect From Janet Yellen's Fed (Musical Tribute)

<a href="http://insights.wm.ml.com/articles/q-and-a-what-to-expect-from-janet-yellens-fed.html#fbid=TEPUGjjL0LI">Q&A: What to Expect From Janet Yellen's Fed</a><br /><br /><div style="color: #666666;"><i>Beyond that, <span style="color: red;">I wouldn't be surprised if the Fed under Yellen lowers the unemployment-rate threshold</span> that could trigger an increase in interest rates. A number of years ago, the Fed introduced this idea of a 6.5% unemployment threshold for considering rate hikes. But that threshold is almost certainly out of date. That's because the unemployment rate continues to drop for the wrong reasons: We keep getting a decline in the number of people looking for work. The Fed wants strong job growth, not people abandoning the labor force. And so it has to decide whether to throw it away or go to lower the level. <span style="color: red;">Our feeling is the Fed will lower it to 6% or perhaps 5.5%.</span></i></div><br />And how long would we expect that unemployment rate to stay at 5.5%?<br /><br />The following chart shows the 30 year moving average of the unemployment rate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcot_2pxT07oZE3QGGyZYrOEperp_z__vM6GrnFvz0r2wvM5-YOb0epqHyzG0ZD7w8t1dnn2kAT8RoMD2oiIOw3jF2MFrtABPnHX5K0BAMkrzqhTnp1FCZRKic7EHvYEt-oiNszmrC7KU/s1600/Unemployment+Rate+over+the+Long-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcot_2pxT07oZE3QGGyZYrOEperp_z__vM6GrnFvz0r2wvM5-YOb0epqHyzG0ZD7w8t1dnn2kAT8RoMD2oiIOw3jF2MFrtABPnHX5K0BAMkrzqhTnp1FCZRKic7EHvYEt-oiNszmrC7KU/s320/Unemployment+Rate+over+the+Long-Term.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />Note that 5.5% seems like a pipe dream over the long-term (unless we can somehow magically undo the permanent damage done in the 1970s).<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/12tce-THLUE" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />Yellen love you long time.<br /><br />(Shame on me for going there, lol. Sigh.)<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/UNRATE">St. Louis Fed: Unemployment Rate</a>

What to Expect From Janet Yellen's Fed (Musical Tribute)

Q&A: What to Expect From Janet Yellen's Fed Beyond that, I wouldn't be surprised if the Fed under Yellen lowers the unemployment...

Read more »

Ever Wonder Why Make Up Is Multi Billion Dollar Industry?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmBJ3ZpcQLZPelDi6haNnTdqACPKwk-P04QGBch1JsfFSlKXzNms5mKxMgyV6dddiG_qDoJ0yCsPZjJ-qtlLWrw64r7XneYcxc0n7-05Wak0r5zArghi3MSydDidB10fwtjd-GN5XwAHg/s1600/20506941_1_xlarge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmBJ3ZpcQLZPelDi6haNnTdqACPKwk-P04QGBch1JsfFSlKXzNms5mKxMgyV6dddiG_qDoJ0yCsPZjJ-qtlLWrw64r7XneYcxc0n7-05Wak0r5zArghi3MSydDidB10fwtjd-GN5XwAHg/s640/20506941_1_xlarge.jpeg" /></a></div><br />Now add 20 years and 40 pounds to that.

Ever Wonder Why Make Up Is Multi Billion Dollar Industry?

Now add 20 years and 40 pounds to that.

Read more »

Revolution Of Love: first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus

<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* bleu 280 */ google_ad_slot = "8164661108"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><br /><b>Tonight aired American Music Channel will program MTV Unplugged, which will be presented to record acoustic concert Miley Cyrus. This show would be the most common, if not a guest star singer - actress sings with pop queen Madonna. </b><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* biner3 */ google_ad_slot = "7346003106"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhINa2kGkXK9mlj2GuNseFW6XTRhYQwVsUc3Fq6A_f_LDAhHx9GYWHP_0erP5uVfvuhvRMZenePKArgp7XASTJjMcBRnhVwFTe1zm0g16o0oOVXJDekqvrOkIvKU5uDEGhtRWDtl2/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhINa2kGkXK9mlj2GuNseFW6XTRhYQwVsUc3Fq6A_f_LDAhHx9GYWHP_0erP5uVfvuhvRMZenePKArgp7XASTJjMcBRnhVwFTe1zm0g16o0oOVXJDekqvrOkIvKU5uDEGhtRWDtl2/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /> Apparently, the producers decided to transfer even more pumped up to the project - the network has the first picture sharing rooms Madge and Cyrus. So far, one can only guess what will happen on stage. We only know that the concert will sound exactly the composition Like a Virgin. <br /> <br /> By the way, the singer themselves delighted with the collaboration. Madonna on a page in a social network has a picture in which she is depicted with Cyrus: <br /> <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><b> M & M! Never tell us that we can not stop! # Revolutionoflove </b></blockquote><br /> Well, look forward to broadcast the show - certainly flamboyant singer came up to his speech, something extraordinary!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIdVsPXgsjziFr7aqRevjIQ3zFChcPVTDm7bnWJs98LXf-uD3Q5N_rwjxHqBYskmcVbbkadw8kzq2FgumY5k4PxQmIUe12dcXib38nCVIUVooWu5_ZAfhWLFX87gZHO-lyLhh7SOj/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIdVsPXgsjziFr7aqRevjIQ3zFChcPVTDm7bnWJs98LXf-uD3Q5N_rwjxHqBYskmcVbbkadw8kzq2FgumY5k4PxQmIUe12dcXib38nCVIUVooWu5_ZAfhWLFX87gZHO-lyLhh7SOj/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+1.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5DrLvx3h9yKRooxqSfFIXo7I0V-BX5A1P68BGW2SubJZUpws6CWDqZeUFblEOtGNIi6yUDKRR_PfUk7ne8vJ-tydIwEdMPCzYngqalmjA1ubj0lM6aCOHBoClGDEXW3mbNp76KMT/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5DrLvx3h9yKRooxqSfFIXo7I0V-BX5A1P68BGW2SubJZUpws6CWDqZeUFblEOtGNIi6yUDKRR_PfUk7ne8vJ-tydIwEdMPCzYngqalmjA1ubj0lM6aCOHBoClGDEXW3mbNp76KMT/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+2.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dhxlnx5U1idKru6lFubfkYB0imLPK0jWzMBvIfYCZSlTkX2cgxKdbSnFbGJqIRQm1y3u3cGrBTEWlehLZX2Ss-RQCWkiyRx8ggKMV1SkGhsg0Wzx4PSoU51HdPfGkL-8ldCnYqdY/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dhxlnx5U1idKru6lFubfkYB0imLPK0jWzMBvIfYCZSlTkX2cgxKdbSnFbGJqIRQm1y3u3cGrBTEWlehLZX2Ss-RQCWkiyRx8ggKMV1SkGhsg0Wzx4PSoU51HdPfGkL-8ldCnYqdY/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+3.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRdKdakQipiBTLWa888Z-nbypOdWCxIp45XN6sBcimp2w-lP7VMOr44v9zIOjdlmyjvOTPyp_Wc22P_qUY43VJ4J29aTDzrvc-QL4yYdpD-bnxX5PE2ryfKfipAX8WErpfwjYE6OU/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRdKdakQipiBTLWa888Z-nbypOdWCxIp45XN6sBcimp2w-lP7VMOr44v9zIOjdlmyjvOTPyp_Wc22P_qUY43VJ4J29aTDzrvc-QL4yYdpD-bnxX5PE2ryfKfipAX8WErpfwjYE6OU/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+4.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaiXGoU7gl3ckiqXubpx5c41oSAOvDMnms5cKNzJCGQLaMHT_lkA6jAGgp8s5AmvILyPpAjrcBjIyv80ITsx_-UfZTn2jKeNbVm8LccX_LUbDy_iAJ3MANp09E2v0Gj3NYQGU4uUA/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpaiXGoU7gl3ckiqXubpx5c41oSAOvDMnms5cKNzJCGQLaMHT_lkA6jAGgp8s5AmvILyPpAjrcBjIyv80ITsx_-UfZTn2jKeNbVm8LccX_LUbDy_iAJ3MANp09E2v0Gj3NYQGU4uUA/s1600/first+photos+with+performances+Madonna+and+Miley+Cyrus+5.jpg" title="first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus" /></a></div><br /><script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- boton --><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:90px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-8441125172513237" data-ad-slot="4392536701"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script>

Revolution Of Love: first photos with performances Madonna and Miley Cyrus

Tonight aired American Music Channel will program MTV Unplugged, which will be presented to record acoustic concert Miley Cyrus. This show w...

Read more »

Our Manufacturing Employment Boom Bubble

The following chart shows the annual change in manufacturing employees. I'm using semiannual data to filter out some of the noise.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjS_nuzPQRcbX9S2RLA1hXaITSvup6lKNI9oIwZ9bVuoestwxz9OjOeotVv2m8H9duBYCblezyipvDOX-UMpPHMc9K973XL43lu9pakSfzhkLEzobUMQwV29dNHAOYiiP8wrMbu2fvG0/s1600/Our+Unsustainable+Manufacturing+Employment+Boom.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjS_nuzPQRcbX9S2RLA1hXaITSvup6lKNI9oIwZ9bVuoestwxz9OjOeotVv2m8H9duBYCblezyipvDOX-UMpPHMc9K973XL43lu9pakSfzhkLEzobUMQwV29dNHAOYiiP8wrMbu2fvG0/s320/Our+Unsustainable+Manufacturing+Employment+Boom.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />How can people be optimistic about the future of long-term employment when looking at that chart? Is it because they are looking at the following chart instead (and cherry picking just the good stuff)?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-ophX43bFp_qLHlh4yeBxrQmUkMq1bSlO5AM4qA57ARR2dh8scxZ0nhJQ6Cra_a-HRdA7-LQrbATw4HruxTHcXh5W43iB0nvZNt-NVxMOcYAzyN1DUDt_oKzF0-ZKaVe5-U4Jt90Xk8/s1600/Manufacturing+Employment.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-ophX43bFp_qLHlh4yeBxrQmUkMq1bSlO5AM4qA57ARR2dh8scxZ0nhJQ6Cra_a-HRdA7-LQrbATw4HruxTHcXh5W43iB0nvZNt-NVxMOcYAzyN1DUDt_oKzF0-ZKaVe5-U4Jt90Xk8/s320/Manufacturing+Employment.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><b>Cherry Picked Goodness</b><br /><br />1. The growth rate is <b>still</b> positive! Hurray!<br />2. It's different this time! Woohoo!<br />3. Thanks to the Fed, recessions are now impossible!<br /><strike>4. We've lost more than 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000. 12 million to go.</strike><br /><br />Can't you see that we're being Khan'd?<br /><br /><i style="color: red;">He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking.</i> - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/quotes?item=qt0454861">Spock, The Wrath of Khan (1982)</a><br /><br />One-dimensional thinking: The growth rate is still positive.<br />Two-dimensional thinking: The growth rate is positive but slowing.<br />Three-dimensional thinking: Somethin's poppin' and it ain't <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_Pop">popcorn</a>.<br /><br />This is not investment advice. As always, just opinions.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rta">St. Louis Fed: Manufacturing Employment Growth</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=rtb">St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Manufacturing</a>

Our Manufacturing Employment Boom Bubble

The following chart shows the annual change in manufacturing employees. I'm using semiannual data to filter out some of the noise. Click...

Read more »

dining room updates

I've been meaning to tell you, my mom is a genius. Of course I knew this already, but let me just share with you her latest example of genius-ness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B-0NGIw1iCcWktukVP_RCf-5pTjA5pBjK0_v6xeuuPoekoDIgXuTX9Y6-Jzy4e9i8hYX__IALRFKXEqEBeKl8XdCyOQIKD_8FT48bnsQpdtgJ585VrhyR050eqrde3PuB_MVjtBifWMC/s1600/DiningRoomLBDBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_B-0NGIw1iCcWktukVP_RCf-5pTjA5pBjK0_v6xeuuPoekoDIgXuTX9Y6-Jzy4e9i8hYX__IALRFKXEqEBeKl8XdCyOQIKD_8FT48bnsQpdtgJ585VrhyR050eqrde3PuB_MVjtBifWMC/s1600/DiningRoomLBDBefore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I am generally happy with my dining room and <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/08/refinishing-bench-part-2.html" target="_blank">the church pew</a> works like a charm to corral the girls during dinner but there was one small problem with the layout. When anyone over the age of 16 sat at the pew, they had a good chance of knocking their head against the mirror before dessert was served.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinAipmvBJK9A7a4PX7WogGuFpCO7IgJU_7SmesLuLhTdf2QZmpB-3WnP-33bEGCAVfS7mkRNj0-b-QLnbeZq4mFdRpnWcjiWiKRDCi8h8mMRz64QE-s-nIEabD2Xc7ibbVeBSuk3IlWqI/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWayBefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinAipmvBJK9A7a4PX7WogGuFpCO7IgJU_7SmesLuLhTdf2QZmpB-3WnP-33bEGCAVfS7mkRNj0-b-QLnbeZq4mFdRpnWcjiWiKRDCi8h8mMRz64QE-s-nIEabD2Xc7ibbVeBSuk3IlWqI/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWayBefore.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br />So often I would blather to my mom on the phone about wanting to put something behind the bench to create a bit of breathing room between guests and the big O (that would be the mirror, not Oprah). A console would be perfect, but I can't find a console that is as long as the bench and isn't thousands of dollars. Blah blah blah. It was probably around this point in the conversation that my mom would tell me she had to go so she didn't have to listen to this conversation...yet again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS6nsvTqVe-jSRhRDUb0G4-sKL3Oui0AomZn7HAIaDbYKu41uyDxJ61u-e0JjCQyIo29KaD-WJoKW3P7fOe7Yd8Ew802ZAF9LH4O04eI6wFDbwOkuAx6q5KFXF1CGDDWXWmFkl8oQLQK-/s1600/PA239782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS6nsvTqVe-jSRhRDUb0G4-sKL3Oui0AomZn7HAIaDbYKu41uyDxJ61u-e0JjCQyIo29KaD-WJoKW3P7fOe7Yd8Ew802ZAF9LH4O04eI6wFDbwOkuAx6q5KFXF1CGDDWXWmFkl8oQLQK-/s1600/PA239782.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Then we were downstairs (pre-family room makeover) and she said, "What about this console for behind the pew?" Uh, that's not long enough mom, duh. And it's too deep. To which the smarty pants said, "not if you cut it in half."<br /><br />Mind blown.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin59wWPeTaw3hOPCr056j41PiazEVMi8OlNktvRoNgPMc27Qk3Cx28_Mmg5CGG5gNHnq6X5FTbKIqj1wNJBrrQFmAdGUf_OwgcS8v0wGNQ3R0BeN0ER7GDT833mfXddDSshA5fV-Hlzott/s1600/consoletablebefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin59wWPeTaw3hOPCr056j41PiazEVMi8OlNktvRoNgPMc27Qk3Cx28_Mmg5CGG5gNHnq6X5FTbKIqj1wNJBrrQFmAdGUf_OwgcS8v0wGNQ3R0BeN0ER7GDT833mfXddDSshA5fV-Hlzott/s320/consoletablebefore.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br />I should clarify that this woman is a furniture lover of the first degree and doesn't normally condone furniture mutilation. But this particular piece was a random HomeGoods buy (we all have a few of those around the house) and is by no means precious.<br /><br />So of course I took that sucker outside as quickly as I could, measured to find the exact middle of the table and asked the hubs to buzz that sucker in half. We kept the tape down as he cut to prevent any splitting and in no time flat I had myself one. long. console.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOPIiUq7d2ZztlVS4LYi2-OEaakhLpdfr77mCiW3mVOax6_vZWlwt-GcAverytAQVQU4MnDVWSgxEhipvkjtDrf9CcHWGklM1FwbVnrxjERO3gSDYwbaGtznTdqgDf_PSlc8qYranY3nj/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOPIiUq7d2ZztlVS4LYi2-OEaakhLpdfr77mCiW3mVOax6_vZWlwt-GcAverytAQVQU4MnDVWSgxEhipvkjtDrf9CcHWGklM1FwbVnrxjERO3gSDYwbaGtznTdqgDf_PSlc8qYranY3nj/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" width="474" /></a></div><br />Although each side of the now super long console still had two legs to hold it up, it was a bit wobbly. To remedy this we just screwed each side of the console into the wall to hold it in place and we were done.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzdyYze4Dd9kXWV9uRicQEkN0G31romoXaqygvN8gvJKi7eYSCQ-IsBcjrDrZP81rxCET5mxyqCW7imIXE9M8KLwo3lyBRGrPwRfXHsAeCY53DUveEex_1lcbTlAkUQjm2oNilfFZklGR/s1600/bluediningroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzdyYze4Dd9kXWV9uRicQEkN0G31romoXaqygvN8gvJKi7eYSCQ-IsBcjrDrZP81rxCET5mxyqCW7imIXE9M8KLwo3lyBRGrPwRfXHsAeCY53DUveEex_1lcbTlAkUQjm2oNilfFZklGR/s1600/bluediningroom.jpg" width="626" /></a></div><br />So nothing earth shattering but now all of my dinner guests can enjoy themselves without bonking their head in the middle of an animated story. (we host a lot of animated storytellers at our house). And really I'm a fan of little updates to a room. It feeds my constant appetite for change without chucking a room and starting over again every few months ($$$$$$)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmTaepAvQFn_Hjs9DX92YcJdOi8aHhXzb0cnixV1Uv4_UelYpAtxvq1SK_TAFByz1F79bPuUbu2qU84SMihj98v1J_uilQDUGGGkxmeWXxGAwLp0XzOaCKdg34YtLy1IFpvkTGEDzQssD/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmTaepAvQFn_Hjs9DX92YcJdOi8aHhXzb0cnixV1Uv4_UelYpAtxvq1SK_TAFByz1F79bPuUbu2qU84SMihj98v1J_uilQDUGGGkxmeWXxGAwLp0XzOaCKdg34YtLy1IFpvkTGEDzQssD/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm643g4DwKS11NJ2BtA5M4OQOQs9sQZ2Nf0K1wUpVOivhjzVLdr0yiQzr5MaxxMU_HJOAvwIq_gysalCNVoRzdiBs9wl5nY_AbmB7pkEXNMm3qAj40fPlW_mRane8slFGCH-xs-JDvHw3t/s1600/diningroombenchcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm643g4DwKS11NJ2BtA5M4OQOQs9sQZ2Nf0K1wUpVOivhjzVLdr0yiQzr5MaxxMU_HJOAvwIq_gysalCNVoRzdiBs9wl5nY_AbmB7pkEXNMm3qAj40fPlW_mRane8slFGCH-xs-JDvHw3t/s1600/diningroombenchcloseup.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br />The runner is a temporary one I made from fabric leftovers and extra ribbon. It will hang out until I find a more permanent replacement one day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rKPlIk-KGvjQPJvsWO9sM2CX9G8SiONuAG5-pwEf8mix71RVXlsgj8G2zywHvT3pJHNrp1rAoqVDDCZ9YnjDK1pCqQMQCVltI-Ad0OBiXTyqw51VR7vEmuXCOgV6ISFYDNAVKcEXkRT1/s1600/LBDDiningRoomTIGHT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rKPlIk-KGvjQPJvsWO9sM2CX9G8SiONuAG5-pwEf8mix71RVXlsgj8G2zywHvT3pJHNrp1rAoqVDDCZ9YnjDK1pCqQMQCVltI-Ad0OBiXTyqw51VR7vEmuXCOgV6ISFYDNAVKcEXkRT1/s1600/LBDDiningRoomTIGHT.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECP20g5DzAQUPqgKwESmgn_LPB5o9JcNv15tUiala0hxjoRqa4SKh07fxaYWPuYTG7eFrF3nSkbOq2DzJ6oP9Hy88U-ltuo4tNvL8cfbRLKVZsGoB7iWWemUO8GTYbKuTzeQfdgmj3Hgv/s1600/LBDDiningRoomOtherSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECP20g5DzAQUPqgKwESmgn_LPB5o9JcNv15tUiala0hxjoRqa4SKh07fxaYWPuYTG7eFrF3nSkbOq2DzJ6oP9Hy88U-ltuo4tNvL8cfbRLKVZsGoB7iWWemUO8GTYbKuTzeQfdgmj3Hgv/s1600/LBDDiningRoomOtherSide.jpg" width="620" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6RUgZoF1xHFs1x4eKRIQfCHkWvU1HUE8JoR_t3pU6q6Fzt-gcaptVkJwOMHyAT3L79BpDCQ_CJMr1pDJEbqbtQ41F8-7821qTxzqZln0QXtedRG1jrcobeO13egmt8I9SOjZpcp6FUFk/s1600/LBDDiningRoomDetails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6RUgZoF1xHFs1x4eKRIQfCHkWvU1HUE8JoR_t3pU6q6Fzt-gcaptVkJwOMHyAT3L79BpDCQ_CJMr1pDJEbqbtQ41F8-7821qTxzqZln0QXtedRG1jrcobeO13egmt8I9SOjZpcp6FUFk/s1600/LBDDiningRoomDetails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OWajuM0A4Jsejqf7-JDqLLRXErhaPEumQA_FngN2KXYXNXS_-H0-PztuJ2zJubTnYJOGySPTfwApF7maQR9ASwPUP2wI0G5nYenqXwy74gFqOdE5qt2d2-2g0TbWl0_9HvBQOXde2WHz/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OWajuM0A4Jsejqf7-JDqLLRXErhaPEumQA_FngN2KXYXNXS_-H0-PztuJ2zJubTnYJOGySPTfwApF7maQR9ASwPUP2wI0G5nYenqXwy74gFqOdE5qt2d2-2g0TbWl0_9HvBQOXde2WHz/s1600/LBDDiningRoomWIDE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />What about you? Do you make a lot of little changes around the house to pacify the 'itch'? Ever cut a piece of furniture in half? I'm willing to rent my mom out to anyone who needs her, although maybe I should ask her first.

dining room updates

I've been meaning to tell you, my mom is a genius. Of course I knew this already, but let me just share with you her latest example of g...

Read more »

Marijuana Put My Crohn’s Disease Into Remission and It’s Not A Joke

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="http://uploads.medicaljane.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/crohnscannabis.jpg" class="decoded" height="228" src="http://uploads.medicaljane.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/crohnscannabis.jpg" width="400" /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'I feel compelled to share now, although I don’t really want to, because <a href="http://now.msn.com/marijuana-reduces-crohns-disease-symptoms-in-meir-medical-center-study">a new study</a> has proven smoked marijuana has a near 100% success rate in putting Crohn’s Disease into remission. I am sick of everyone making jokes about my involvement in the marijuana legalization movement; I’m sick of having to stay quiet about what I do around family or in public for fear or upsetting someone’s delicate sensibilities about “drugs” like marijuana. Let me tell you a thing or two about drugs, marijuana and Crohn’s Disease. It’s not a joke and it is not about “getting high” for me.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://www.ladybud.com/2013/05/15/marijuana-put-my-crohns-disease-into-remission-and-its-not-a-joke/">more... </a></span>

Marijuana Put My Crohn’s Disease Into Remission and It’s Not A Joke

  'I feel compelled to share now, although I don’t really want to, because a new study has proven smoked marijuana has a near 100% succ...

Read more »

Use This Technique to Keep Your Blood Pressure in Line

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Meditation and Blood Pressure" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18066" height="276" src="http://renegadehealth.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Meditation-and-Blood-Pressure.jpg" width="400" /></div><br /><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'Typical lifestyle modifications for high blood pressure include reduced sodium, increased exercise, and a healthier diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables. Several studies have indicated that meditation may also help, including recent research out of Kent State University that shows mindfulness-based stress reduction was just as effective as some medications.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s more on what the science has found, and how you may take advantage of it to keep your blood pressure where it needs to be as you age.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2014/01/27/use-this-technique-to-keep-your-blood-pressure-in-line">more... </a></span>

Use This Technique to Keep Your Blood Pressure in Line

'Typical lifestyle modifications for high blood pressure include reduced sodium, increased exercise, and a healthier diet that emphasize...

Read more »

Why No Parent Should Support CBD-only Legislation

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Why No Parent Should Support CBD-only Legislation" src="http://www.ladybud.com/wp-content/themes/responz/themify/img.php?src=http://www.ladybud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/BrandenHospitalCBD.jpg&w=474&h=&a=t" width="474" /></div>Photo Credit: Renee Petro<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'In recent weeks, there has been an explosion of newly proposed legislation on CBD-rich cannabis extracts, the type of medical marijuana featured as a treatment for epilepsy in Sanjay Gupta’s “Weed” special in the summer of 2013. Parents fighting for the lives of their epileptic children are desperate for treatment that works, and the power with which these parents can fight should not be underestimated. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">One would imagine their strong voices would be a huge boon to the reform movement, but instead what has happened is the creation of a great divide: CBD-only vs. whole plant medical marijuana. And in the pediatric cannabis advocacy community, the debate has gotten really ugly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">While advocates for broader medical marijuana legislation often cite a “no child left behind” policy – meaning that children with cancer, autism, and other conditions would respond better to medicine with higher levels of THC – there is another part of the debate that has been largely missing from the media coverage:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>According to parents who have been effectively treating their children’s epilepsy with cannabis for years, CBD-rich extracts alone are unlikely to provide adequate seizure control without THC supplementation.'</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read <a href="http://www.ladybud.com/2014/01/27/why-no-parent-should-support-cbd-only-legislation/">more... </a></b></span><br /><br />

Why No Parent Should Support CBD-only Legislation

Photo Credit: Renee Petro 'In recent weeks, there has been an explosion of newly proposed legislation on CBD-rich cannabis extracts, th...

Read more »

6 Reasons Calorie Counting Is Crazy

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="6 Reasons Calorie Counting Is Crazy " height="253" src="http://cdn.greenmedinfo.com/sites/default/files/ckeditor/Sayer%20Ji/images/calorie_counting.jpg" width="400" /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'Despite the fact that every lasting healthy lifestyle (whole foods, Paleo, vegetarian, low-carb, low-glycemic, Mediterranean, etc.) focuses on what we eat rather than how much we eat, the mainstream still seems to insist that if we just counted our calories more conservatively, we could end the obesity epidemic. The proven fact is that calorie-counting approaches fail 95.4% of the time. That's a higher failure rate than quitting smoking cold turkey.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Blindly eating less to cure obesity is like breathing less to cure allergies. It may offer temporary "relief" but ultimately fails because it is masking symptoms rather than fixing causes. Will eating only 1,200 of anything cause you to lose weight? Yes. So will cutting off your leg. That doesn't mean either is a good idea.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/6-reasons-calorie-counting-crazy">more... </a></span>

6 Reasons Calorie Counting Is Crazy

'Despite the fact that every lasting healthy lifestyle (whole foods, Paleo, vegetarian, low-carb, low-glycemic, Mediterranean, etc.) foc...

Read more »

Is Ayahuasca Showing Promise as an Alternative Cancer Treatment?

<img alt="Alternative Cancer Treatment Ayahuasca" class="featured-full-width-top wp-post-image" src="http://i2.wp.com/ultraculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/alternative-cancer-treatment-ayahuasca.jpg?resize=620%2C350" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">'A Brazilian scientist reviews scientific and anecdotal evidence, concludes that further research into the use of ayahuasca as an alternative cancer treatment is warranted</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">According to a review of evidence of the use of ayahuasca in treating illness, both traditionally and currently, Brazilian scientist Eduardo E. Schenberg has suggested that the Amazonian hallucinogenic brew is worthy of further study as a potential alternative cancer treatment—for some types of the disease.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Read <a href="http://ultraculture.org/blog/2014/01/27/ayahuasca-showing-promise-alternative-cancer-treatment/">more... </a></span><br /><br />

Is Ayahuasca Showing Promise as an Alternative Cancer Treatment?

'A Brazilian scientist reviews scientific and anecdotal evidence, concludes that further research into the use of ayahuasca as an altern...

Read more »

Doctors began to withdraw from the coma Michael Schumacher

<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* bleu 280 */ google_ad_slot = "8164661108"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><br /><h3><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Just a few minutes ago, the media published the latest news on the health of Michael Schumacher, who for almost a month in a coma: the legendary German racing driver takes the first signs of awakening.</b></span></h3><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* biner3 */ google_ad_slot = "7346003106"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCKLWWUlNIlm3ZDjCYLYSts6zq6JFAfKvL937NW4uqwCsf84XViPW91lkZhyphenhyphentOOgkePAQ5OdqBivPtrekh4Rk_nxgV_-sZihaeWU7rhiNfXPejcT70PzIYSAfM5iEZHqoRlva96Rd/s1600/Doctors+began+to+withdraw+from+the+coma+Michael+Schumacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Doctors began to withdraw from the coma Michael Schumacher" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCKLWWUlNIlm3ZDjCYLYSts6zq6JFAfKvL937NW4uqwCsf84XViPW91lkZhyphenhyphentOOgkePAQ5OdqBivPtrekh4Rk_nxgV_-sZihaeWU7rhiNfXPejcT70PzIYSAfM5iEZHqoRlva96Rd/s1600/Doctors+began+to+withdraw+from+the+coma+Michael+Schumacher.jpg" title="Doctors began to withdraw from the coma Michael Schumacher" /></a></div><br />According to French media reports, doctors at the University Hospital in Grenoble, where Schumacher was rushed after received a head injury while skiing in the Alps, gradually began to withdraw from his coma. However comment on this news hospital staff refused: <br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Only medical team and manager Michael Schumacher have the right to declare anything. </blockquote><br />Reported that first doctors want to fully awaken sevenfold world champion in the class "Formula 1 "and then talk to reporters on this subject. <br /><br />addition, the manager Sabina Star Who urges do not believe any rumors concerning her health ward - true only official statements. <br /><br />Recall that last week the media reported that, according to some reputable professors in the field of neurosurgery, the driver may forever remain in a vegetative state.<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8441125172513237"; /* boton */ google_ad_slot = "4392536701"; google_ad_width = 200; google_ad_height = 90; //--></script><script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script>

Doctors began to withdraw from the coma Michael Schumacher

Just a few minutes ago, the media published the latest news on the health of Michael Schumacher, who for almost a month in a coma: the leg...

Read more »