Worst fiscal policy ideas of 2012

TaxVox's Lump of Coal Awards covers a broad swath of fiscal policy missteps for the year.

By Howard Gleckman,?Guest blogger / December 26, 2012

Tea party members on stage dance to their theme song sung by Lloyd Marcus, left, in Boston in this 2010 file photo. But the tea party has been silent on the fiscal cliff and long-term debt.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor/File

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TaxVox proudly presents its 2012 Lump of Coal awards, Thelma and Louise edition, for the worst fiscal policy ideas of the year. The winners are:

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Howard Gleckman is a resident fellow at The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, the author of Caring for Our Parents, and former senior correspondent in the Washington bureau of Business Week. (http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org)

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10. California. The Golden State probably deserves a lifetime achievement Lump of Coal Award for its inability to balance its budgets, its government-by-initiative, and its endless bouts of fiscal wishful thinking. What, that bump in capital gains tax revenue won?t go on forever?

9. President Obama for proposing to pay for major corporate tax reform by eliminating a handful of minor tax preferences, including subsides for the purchase of corporate jets. Nothing wrong with corporate reform or with ditching the airplane subsidy. The problem is Obama had already pledged to use the same tax break to help reduce the deficit. Physics question: Can a jet flying at the speed of light pay for two things at once?

8. Congress? decades-long inability to require online retailers to collect sales taxes, just as their bricks-and-mortar competitors must. C?mon gang, even Amazon says it will start collecting sales taxes for online sales. Maybe lawmakers are waiting for free shipping.

Fees undermine fliers' ability to compare fares

FILE - This Dec. 21, 2012 file photo shows travelers walking to a ticketing desk at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. For many passengers, air travel is only about finding the cheapest fare. But as airlines offer a proliferating list of add-on services, from early boarding to premium seating and baggage fees, the ability to comparison-shop for the lowest total fare is eroding. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

FILE - This Dec. 21, 2012 file photo shows travelers walking to a ticketing desk at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. For many passengers, air travel is only about finding the cheapest fare. But as airlines offer a proliferating list of add-on services, from early boarding to premium seating and baggage fees, the ability to comparison-shop for the lowest total fare is eroding. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? For many passengers, air travel is only about finding the cheapest fare.

But as airlines offer a proliferating list of add-on services, from early boarding to premium seating and baggage fees, the ability to comparison-shop for the lowest total fare is eroding.

Global distribution systems that supply flight and fare data to travel agents and online ticketing services like Orbitz and Expedia, accounting for half of all U.S. airline tickets, complain that airlines won't provide fee information in a way that lets them make it handy for consumers trying to find the best deal.

"What other industry can you think of where a person buying a product doesn't know how much it's going to cost even after he's done at the checkout counter?" said Simon Gros, chairman of the Travel Technology Association, which represents the global distribution services and online travel industries.

The harder airlines make it for consumers to compare, "the greater opportunity you have to get to higher prices," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, whose members include corporate travel managers.

Now the Obama administration is wading into the issue. The Department of Transportation is considering whether to require airlines to provide fee information to everyone with whom they have agreements to sell their tickets. A decision originally scheduled for next month has been postponed to May, as regulators struggle with a deluge of information from airlines opposed to regulating fee information, and from the travel industry and consumer groups that support such a requirement.

Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Air and Southwest Airlines ? with backing from industry trade associations ? are asking the Supreme Court to reverse an appeals court ruling forcing them to include taxes in their advertised fares. The appeals court upheld a Transportation Department rule that went in effect nearly a year ago that ended airlines' leeway to advertise a base airfare and show the taxes separately, often in smaller print. Airlines say the regulations violate their free-speech rights.

At the heart of the debate is a desire by airlines to move to a new marketing model in which customers don't buy tickets based on price alone. Instead, following the well-worn path of other consumer companies, airlines want to mine personal data about customers in order to sell them tailored services. You like to sit on the aisle and to ski, so how would you like to fly to Aspen with an aisle seat and a movie, no extra baggage charge for your skis, and have a hotel room and a pair of lift tickets waiting for you, all for one price? You're a frequent business traveler. How about priority boarding, extra legroom, Internet access and a rental car when you arrive?

"Technology is changing rapidly. We are going to be part of the change," said Sharon Pinkerton, vice president of Airlines for America, which represents most U.S. carriers. "We want to be able to offer our customers a product that's useful to them, that's customized to meet their needs, and we don't think (the Transportation Department) needs to step in."

If airlines have their way, passengers looking for ticket prices may have to reveal a lot more information about themselves, such as their age, marital status, gender, nationality, travel history and whether they're flying for business or leisure. The International Air Transport Association, whose 240 member airlines cover 84 percent of global airline traffic, adopted standards at a meeting earlier this month in Geneva for such information gathering by airlines as well as by travel agents and ticketing services that would relay the data to airlines and receive customized fares in return.

"Airlines want, and expect, their (ticket) distribution partners to offer passengers helpful contextual information to make well-informed purchase decisions, reducing the number of reservations made based primarily or exclusively on price," said a study commissioned by the association.

Consumer advocates question how airlines would safeguard the personal information they gather, and they worry that comparison shopping for the cheapest air fares will no longer be feasible.

"It's like going to a supermarket where before you get the price, they ask you to swipe your driver's license that shows them you live in a rich zip code, you drive a BMW, et cetera," Mitchell said. "All this personal information on you is going out to all these carriers with no controls over what they do with it, who sees it and so on."

The airline association said consumers who choose not to supply personal information would still be able to see fares and purchase tickets, though consumer advocates said those fares would probably be at the "rack rate" ? the travel industry's term for full price, before any discounts.

It's up to individual airlines whether they price fares differently for travelers who don't provide personal information, said Perry Flint, a spokesman for the international airline association.

The stakes, of course, are enormous. Since 2000, U.S. airlines have lost money for more years than they've made profits. Fee revenue has made a big difference in their bottom lines. Globally, airlines raked in an estimated $36 billion this year in ancillary revenue, which includes baggage fees and other a la carte services as well as sales of frequent flyer points and commissions on hotel bookings, according to a study by Amadeus, a global distribution service, and the IdeaWorksCompany, a U.S. firm that helps airlines raise ancillary revenue. U.S. airlines reported collecting nearly $3.4 billion in baggage fees alone in 2011.

One expense airlines would like to eliminate is the $7 billion a year they pay global distribution systems to supply flight and fare information to travel agents and online booking agents like Expedia. Airlines want to deal more directly with online ticket sellers and travel agents, who dominate the lucrative business travel market. Justice Department officials have acknowledged an investigation is underway into possible anti-trust violations by distribution companies.

Airlines also have been cracking down on websites that help travelers manage their frequent flier accounts. The sites use travelers' frequent flier passwords to obtain balances and mileage expiration dates, and then display the information in a way that makes it easier for travelers to figure out when it makes more sense to buy a ticket or to use miles.

"What the airlines are trying to do right now is reinvent the wheel so they can hold all their information close to their chest," said Charles Leocha, founder of the Consumer Travel Alliance. "As we move forward in a world of IT, the ownership of passenger data is like gold to these people."

By withholding information like fee prices, he said, "we are forced to go see them, and then we are spoon-fed what they want to feed us."

___

Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-26-Airline%20Fees/id-075e28f18b4d44eaaf9235e30f392373

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MintLife Blog | Personal Finance News & Advice | 7 Staggering Stats ...

A couple of weeks ago the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (hereafter ?CFPB?) published the results of a study hoping to further clarify the happenings at the three national credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

These three companies maintain over 200,000,000 credit files each and countless pieces of our personal and financial information.

The numbers from the study are impressive, to say the least.

Monthly updates from 10,000 companies

Each month our creditors update the information for our active accounts.

These updates include balance changes, late payments, adding new accounts, and removing information deemed to be inaccurate.

Credit files contain over 1,300,000,000 accounts

Yes, that?s billion ? with a ?B.? The massive number of accounts includes auto loans, mortgages, credit card accounts, and student loans.

Of the 1.3 billion accounts, 58% are plastic

That?s right, some 754 million of the accounts on credit reports are credit cards.

The list of cards includes general use credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) and retail store credit cards. Four percent of the accounts on credit reports are auto loans and seven percent are mortgages.

This makes sense because it?s very easy to have several credit cards, while it?s not as easy (or necessary) to have several mortgages or auto loans.

Disputes are dominated by collections

Consumers have the right to challenge the validity of the information on their credit reports.

In fact, in 2011, the credit bureaus received 8,000,000 consumer disputes, which challenged around 35,000,000 credit file entries and about 40% of those disputes were specific to debt in collections.

According to the CFPB, debt in collections is five times more likely to be disputed than a mortgage loan.?But these numbers don?t suggest that credit reports are loaded with errors or that collections are disproportionately incorrect.

According to the Consumer Data Industry Association (hereafter ?CDIA?), the trade association of the credit bureaus, some 30% of disputes are submitted by credit repair organizations where collections are a likely target.

We?re not claiming our credit reports

The CFPB?s study suggests that fewer than 20% of consumers ?obtain? copies of their credit report each year.

However, in my interviews with the CDIA, the percentage of free credit reports claimed via the only official source, annualcreditreport.com, is closer to 4%.

Regardless, the numbers are abysmal.

The 80/20 rule doesn?t apply

You?ve heard of the 80/20 rule, right? That rule, formally known as the Pareto Rule, means 80% of X comes from 20% of Y.

As a hypothetical example, ?80% of car accidents are caused by 20% of drivers.? The rule is meant to underscore that the majority of the volume of something is being caused by a small number of causes.

Well, when it comes to data on a credit report, the 80/20 doesn?t apply?and it?s not even close.

According to the CFPB?s study, 76% of the information contained in your credit files comes from 100 companies.

And, because there are over 10,000 companies providing data to the credit bureaus, the ?rule? would be the 76/1 rule, as 76% of credit data is being provided by only 1% of the companies that furnish data to the credit bureaus.

If that?s not impressive enough, 10 companies alone provide 57% of the account information and 72% is provided by 50 companies.

Most disputes require assistance from the original source

When a consumer submits a dispute to the credit bureaus, which happens ~8 million times each year, the credit bureaus are able to resolve 15% of them without involving the furnishing party (normally a lender or collection agency).

That means 85% of the time when you dispute an item with a credit bureau they?re passing your dispute on to the furnishing party asking them to take on the legally required burden of investigating your dispute.

John Ulzheimer?is the President of Consumer Education at?SmartCredit.com, the credit blogger for?Mint.com, and a contributor for the?National Foundation for Credit Counseling.? He is an expert on credit reporting, credit scoring and identity theft. Formerly of FICO, Equifax and Credit.com, John is the only recognized credit expert who actually comes from the credit industry. The opinions expressed in his articles are his and not of Mint.com or Intuit.?Follow John on Twitter.

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Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/credit/7-staggering-stats-about-credit-reports-1212/

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'Stink Bug' Offers Comfort To Young Cancer Patients ? CBS Denver

DENVER (CBS4) ? It?s a title that catches your eye and imagination: The Stink Bug Project. Founded by a young cancer patient, it brings together patients, pets and prisoners.

Twelve year old Allison Winn is a cancer survivor. She received her little dog, Coco, after her last chemotherapy treatment.

?She?s definitely like the best dog ever.? That?s how Allison describes her canine companion.

Coco came to Allison by way of the K-9 Companion program at Colorado Prisons, a program where inmates train dogs.

Allison felt that other young cancer patients would benefit from a pet. That?s why she started ?The Stink Bug Project.?

(credit: CBS)

She bakes and sells dog treats to help raise money to buy inmate-trained dogs for other sick kids. Her inspiration for ?Stink Bug? came from a bug she drew near the end of cancer treatment to say goodbye to cancer.

A few months after doctors found a tumor on Oscar Martinez?s ribs, Newton the yellow lab moved into his house thanks to ?Stink Bug.?

?When I stay home from school and I don?t feel good,? Oscar said, ?he?s like my friend and he will hang out with me.?

(credit: CBS)

But Allison isn?t doing her good work alone. The Rocky Mountain Children?s Health Foundation supports her project.

It also makes sure the families have all the help they need.

?They?re able to help me with gas vouchers or food if I needed food, they?d give me vouchers to go grocery shopping,? explained Oscar?s mom, Rachel Martinez.

(credit: CBS)

Rachel took a year?s leave of absence to be with Oscar during his treatment. But at first, she didn?t want to accept help.

?Sometimes you have to have the help,? Rachel said through tears. ?It?s nice for people to be there to offer that and be able to do that for you when you need it. It?s great.?

But it?s not just the support of the people, those four-footed furry friends provide plenty of comfort as well.

LINK: rmchildren.org

Source: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/12/24/stink-bug-offers-comfort-to-young-cancer-patients/

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Tips for Submitting a Great HostingCon Speaking Session Proposal ...

If you?re interested in submitting a proposal for speaking at HostingCon in 2013, you probably saw that we issued our call for speaking proposals earlier this month. We?re going to be accepting speaking proposals until January 14.

All the specific details on how and where to submit a proposal are available here. For some insight on what makes a good proposal, read on.

As you may already know, sessions are selected based on the combined input of attendees (whom we invite to vote via the HostingCon website, our advisory board, who vote on sessions but also discuss them in depth, and the HostingCon staff, who will attempt to steer

The fact is, we get a lot more submissions than we?re going to be able to use. It?s possible, even likely, that we?re going to receive more good quality submissions than we have room for in the program. What I?m getting at is that it is completely inevitable that we?re going to have to turn down plenty of okay, even good submissions for sessions at HostingCon 2013.

That means, if you want to present at the show, your proposal is going to have to stand out from the crowd. With that in mind, here are some tips for how to submit the kind of proposal that will have the biggest impact on the people (attendees, advisors and staff) who will ultimately make the decision.

Complete the Whole Submission Form

There are a lot of fields in the form. If you have a pre-written submission that doesn?t quite fit the form we?ve constructed, take the time to fill out the parts of the form you haven?t pre-written. All the information we?ve requested in the form, we?ve requested for a reason. It will help the people responsible for voting have a complete understanding of the session you want to present. An incomplete speaking submission looks different from the rest of the submissions we receive in a negative way. And think about what it implies about the quality of the final product (the actual HostingCon presentation). It?s a simple way to get a leg up: make sure you fill out the whole form.

Make it Original and Specific

As I said, we?re going to receive a very long list of submissions. And given that the hosting business is a somewhat narrow area of focus, it is inevitable that we?re going to see a lot of duplication in the speaking proposals. I can promise you a proposal on ?understanding and mitigating the DDoS threat,? will be one of several. Consider ways around this. Try making your presentation and proposal more specific in the subject it addresses ? rather than look at a general subject area, compare a couple of similar technologies, or provide a plan for building a particular strategy. Secondly, talk to the colleagues (or competitors) who might pitch a similar sessions, and collaborate on a panel discussion.

Make it Unique to HostingCon

We realize that speaking at tech industry conferences is a regular exercise, but in addition to standing out from similar sessions that others might have pitched to HostingCon, make sure your pitch stands out from other sessions you might have presented at other events this year. This one is pretty simple: in the interest of making the HostingCon program a valuable and unique experience for everyone that attends, we definitely will not be considering sessions that are repeats of past HostingCon content, or sessions that have been presented at other events. An important note: if you delivered a session at HostingCon last year, or are delivering a presentation at a conference in early 2013, and you?re pitching a similar (but different) session to HostingCon, make sure it?s clear how your HostingCon session is different. Don?t leave it up to the audience, advisors and staff of HostingCon to figure out how it is different. Make it very clear.

Don?t Make it Sounds Like a Sales Pitch

This is extremely important. It is one of our highest priorities that HostingCon?s educational program is among the best educational resources there is for hosting businesses. And we hear very strongly from the HostingCon community that attendees do not want to sit through sales pitches in the educational program. The obvious result of this is that we have no tolerance for sales pitches in the program. Not only do we not ask a speaker to return if we receive negative feedback about their session being ?pitchy,? but we also actively attempt to weed out those sessions while building the program. Your session should not be a sales pitch. Obviously, we want our speakers to talk about subjects in which they have a lot of expertise, but if possible, avoid pitching a session that has to do with your product, specifically.

Important note: you may not think your session is a sales pitch, however that may not be apparent from your proposal. If your proposal sounds like a sales pitch, not only is it unlikely to be voted up by the HostingCon community, it is likely to be flagged as pitchy by the HostingCon staff.

So, if your session has to do with a subject matter that is particularly close to your products, make it very clear in the proposal how you?re going to avoid making your session a sales pitch.

Write to the Content Track

As you?ve probably seen (or will see, if you submit a speaking proposal), the HostingCon program will be divided into four tracks: Sales and Marketing; Industry Trends; Technology; and Business Development. Each of those subjects demands a different sort of presentation.

Sales and Marketing: There?s a place for marketing theory and broad strategy in the HostingCon program, but Marketing is also a track that benefits from specifics about what works and what doesn?t work in online marketing.

Industry Trends: Clearly, ?industry trends? casts a wide net, but for this track we?re looking for some insightful discussion off the issues that are disrupting or otherwise impacting the hosting business, on a large scale, and in specific situations. Presentations that will give attendees access to research or data are great here.

Technology: One thing we frequently hear from attendees is that they want the tech track to be more technical. It?s an ongoing effort for us to get deeper dives, and more practical sessions. We absolutely are not looking for tech sessions that are too general or too surface.

Business Development: For the business development track, we?re looking for practical sessions on operating or building business for hosting providers ? examples could include staffing and HR, building partnerships, or other activities related to the operations of a business, hosting or otherwise.

Something Truly Unusual will certainly Stand Out

Given that almost every speaking proposal will assume some variation of a presenter, standing in front of a group, going through a slide deck, creative attempts to change up the format will almost certainly stand out from the crowd. Why not do a live critique of an attendee?s homepage, from a sales point of view? Stage a lively debate between opposing points of view. If the subject matter is good, I promise you these proposals will get noticed.

Give Attendees Some Practical Take-Aways

Theoretical discussions of business issues have a place, but one of the things we strive for in the HostingCon program is to have each session produce some practical, actionable advice that the attendees can walk away ready to apply to your business. Try to include in your proposal some insight into what you?ll offer attendees in terms of practical take-aways.

Other things we like:

-?? ?Panel discussions
-?? ?Case studies
-??? Speakers who are real subject-matter experts

That?s probably enough for now. Of course, it?s possible to write an excellent HostingCon speaking proposal without following any of this advice. However, if you?re looking for some insight, I hope this will help you appreciate how to grab the attention of the HostingCon community, and submit a proposal that will be recognized.

Thanks. And see you in Austin.

Source: http://www.hostingcon.com/blog/tips-submitting-great-hostingcon-speaking-session-proposal/

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Pakistan, Afghanistan trying to turn Taliban into political movement

KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is genuine about backing a nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government's goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters.

Pakistan is seen as critical to U.S. and Afghan efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan, a task that is gaining urgency as NATO troops prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014 and hand over security responsibilities to government forces.

"They have told us that they share the vision contained in our roadmap which is basically to transform the Taliban from a military entity into a political entity to enable them to take part in the Afghan political process and peacefully seek power like any other political entity in Afghanistan," the official said, referring to Pakistan.

"This is the vision that they share."

The official's remarks signaled unprecedented optimism from Afghanistan that Pakistan - long accused of backing Afghan insurgents - was now willing to put its weight behind reconciliation efforts, which are still in early stages and vulnerable to factionalism.

Mutual suspicions between Afghanistan and its nuclear-armed neighbor, Pakistan, have hampered efforts to tackle militancy in one of the world's most explosive regions.

Pakistan has long been seen as determined to block the influence of old rival India in Afghanistan and has been believed to be quietly supporting the Taliban in the hope they would exclude from power rival, pro-India Afghan factions.

Afghanistan and Pakistan appear to now agree that it is in their interests to work more closely together, with the NATO deadline looming.

Failure to do so could embolden Taliban hardliners determined to re-impose their austere version of Islam.

"I think we are also seeing a situation where the extremist threat is developing in a direction that is getting out of everybody's control," said the senior Afghan government official. Pakistan is battling its own, home-grown Taliban.

"That is only bad news for everyone who has any interest in stability for their own country."

The official, who is closely involved in reconciliation efforts, said recent face-to-face talks between senior Taliban members and Afghan officials in France were an "enormously helpful" step in building a wider environment for peace.

The Taliban spokesman was not immediately available to comment on the discussions in France. The talks included former members of the Northern Alliance faction, which fought the Taliban for years, and Afghan peace negotiators.

The Taliban say they were represented by prominent figures in the movement such as Shahabuddin Delawar, from its political office, which is based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar.

Until now, the Taliban and Afghan officials only made indirect contacts.

"We are very optimistic. We believe that they are genuine in this discussion with us," said the Afghan official.

Another track for talks, between the Taliban and the United States held in Qatar, was suspended by the militants. They said inconsistencies in the U.S. negotiating position were discouraging.

The Afghan official cautioned that in order to sustain Kabul's confidence, Pakistan would need to take further concrete steps after releasing some mid-level Afghan Taliban members from detention, who may be useful in promoting peace.

Pakistan would gain more trust from Kabul by meeting a request to release from detention the Taliban's former second in command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Asked whether Pakistan had indicated it would hand him over, the Afghan official said: "Not in concrete terms".

WARRING FACTIONS

Pakistan's powerful army chief has made reconciling warring factions in Afghanistan a top priority, Pakistani military officials and Western diplomats told Reuters, the clearest signal yet that Islamabad means business in promoting peace.

General Ashfaq Kayani, arguably the most powerful man in Pakistan, is backing dialogue partly due to fears that the end of the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 could energize a resilient insurgency straddling the shared frontier, according to commanders deployed in the region.

The Afghan government official had a similar assessment.

"I think there is a sense that we are also getting, that cooperation from Pakistan now is bound to be meaningful, substantive," he said.

"The reason is frankly, most in Pakistan, in our view, have reached the conclusion that time is running out. That it is no longer just about Afghanistan's instability and Afghanistan's insecurity but it's very much a question of security for themselves."

Cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad has in the past been undermined by attacks which Kabul said were plotted in Pakistan.

On December 6, a Taliban suicide bomber with explosives hidden in his underwear and posing as a peace messenger, wounded Afghanistan's intelligence chief in Kabul. The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the attack was planned in the Pakistani city of Quetta and that he would raise the issue with Islamabad.

The Haqqani militant network - which has more experience in guerrilla warfare than the Afghan Taliban - is seen as a potential spoiler in the peace process. The group is allied with the Taliban but diplomats say it is highly unpredictable.

Nevertheless, it would be welcomed to the peace process as long as it met certain conditions, said the official.

"From our point of view, the door of peace is open to anyone. The Haqqanis are a pretty challenging group of people," he said.

"But if they choose to come over to the peace process, then I am sure the peace process will include them."

Pakistan's intelligence agency denies Afghan accusations that it uses the Haqqani network and other militant groups as proxies to counter India in Afghanistan.

The Haqqanis have been blamed for several high-profile attacks on Western targets, including embassies, in Kabul, highlighting the resilience of insurgents after years of fighting Western forces equipped with superior firepower and technology.

The senior Afghan official said Afghanistan hoped to start formal negotiations with the Taliban next year.

"The Taliban should be able to make some form of transformation towards being a political entity soon," he said.

"The key period is 2013. If Pakistan and Afghanistan work hard enough we should be able to achieve some progress on that front."

(Additional reporting by Mehreeen Zahra- Malik in WANA and Matthew Green in ISLAMABAD; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-genuine-backing-afghan-peace-efforts-afghan-official-040032861.html

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Health & Fitness: Back Pain - Some Clues to Discovering the Cause ...

Are you searching for the origin of your back pain? In this report, we will present information that will help you find some explanations. There is no simple answer, however, because back pain is one of those ambiguous symptoms resulting from many different causes. Even when you discover where the root of your back pain lies - which is a step in the right direction - you may not be able to totally eliminate the pain.

People that have back pain sometimes overlook the fact that their mobile device could be the source of the problem. These problems are actually affecting younger people. This is because older adults typically do not use tablets and smart phones as much as the younger generation. These devices don't harm your back directly, of course. Specifically, it is how we use the devices which causes problems. The way that you're back becomes injured is through repetitious motion, constantly bending over your laptop to communicate or holding your mobile device in such a way that it causes a strain. Although most people will not understand that their use of electronic devices is causing their back problems, over time, it is easy to see that our habitual use of certain devices is causing our difficulties.

Many people that own a computer often carry it with them. If you do this on a regular basis, this can actually cause back pain to occur. The distribution of the weight, and the way you carry this bag, factors into the damage that occurs. The way that you carry your purse, if you have one, can also add to the back discomfort that you may experience. The less you carry, the better off you'll be. Suitcases are another potential hazard. Use one that rolls over one that you have to carry. Any bag or suitcase should have rollers. By having this option, you can save yourself a lot of backache and potential injury in the coming years.

This will ultimately cause havoc with spinal degeneration. In order to have a healthy spine you need to know how significant a part your discs play to support vertebrae and require a considerable amount of water. Dehydration is a very important issue that should be tended to at all times in order to allow the most efficient process for keeping our health at its best.

Without proper treatment, bone density will lessen in strength with age and may cause degenerative disc disease. Of course there are a lot of additional things that will end up causing back pain for the elderly. While you are young, pay close attention to staying fit and taking special care to give your body the nutrients and supplements needed to sustain great bone health.

Unfortunately, even your doctor may not be able to accurately diagnose why you are having back pain. In a lot of cases, the problem is easy to ascertain. If you improperly lifted a heavy box you may pull a muscle and end up with back pain. However, in other instances, the cause isn't so obvious. In this report, we've only mentioned some of the many reasons that someone might get a backache, or more serious back pain.

Source: http://health-and-fitness-way.blogspot.com/2012/12/back-pain-some-clues-to-discovering.html

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Source: http://otitipaki.posterous.com/health-fitness-back-pain-some-clues-to-discov

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Three money management tools to look into this 2013 | Firstpost

How do you manage your money? One coin, at a time? It?s all right for your grandfather or father to manage money the traditional way. But with so many personal finance/ money management tools available online, you simply have no excuse to still stick to the paper-pencil method. After all, if you are on Facebook and Twitter and reading this story online on Firstpost, we already know you are tech savvy.

Why tools: Today, we have multiple bank accounts, a few loans running, then there are credit cards, debit cards, insurance premiums, mobiles bills, mutual funds, stocks, taxes and expenses, and like to look into. And handling all of them the traditional way is hard. Hence the need for online money management tools.

You can either upload all the e-statements manually or simply link your various accounts to be auto updated to the tool. Reuters

What?s on offer: From a money management point of view, today we need three things: gathering all our financial data in one place; keep track of our overall portfolio in real time; and tools that help us with budgeting and tracking our expenses.

Here are a few online tools which you could use this coming year, to bring some method to your money management madness.

Perfios.com: Is an online money management tool. Once you register with the tool, you get to view all your financial accounts at this site.

Which simply means, no more remembering multiple login IDs and passwords. You can track various financial accounts via this tool, right from balances in your savings accounts, to credit cards.

Even investments like mutual fund shares, insurance policies, loans and FD. You can either upload all the e-statements manually or simply link your various accounts to be auto updated to the tool. You can also use the tool to file your income tax returns online. Moreover, you can use the tool, to run various reports to know your income and expense pattern.

This tool lets you know the amount of capital gains you?ve made on your investments in equity and mutual funds and also know your total tax liability. The tool allows you to set reminders and alerts for various bill payments and insurance premium reminders and like, so no more late payment fees, thanks to the bill payment reminders. And the best part is that you need not pay a fee to use Perfios.

Moneycontrol.com: If you like to track your investments, that too via live price updates, Moneycontrol?s Portfolio Manager tool is for you. You get to see a consolidated view of all your investments, right from stocks, mutual funds, unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs) and the like. You get to track as well as update your mutual funds systematic investment plans, as well as track dividends on the investment you have made.

Moreover, the tool also helps you know the status of the capital gains you made and your tax status. You can see how your individual stocks and overall portfolio performed against various indices. That?s not all. You get to create various watch list for stock, mutual funds, commodity as well as futures watch list. In short, if you are looking for account aggregation, real time view of your investments and financial planning, check this tool as soon as possible. (Disclosure: moneycontrol.com and firspost.com are part of Network18 Media and Investment Ltd.)

Trackeverycoin.com: If you are some one who usually has more month left at the end of your salary, you probably are not sure where your money goes. This means, you need an expense tracker. Trackeverycoin is one such tool which helps you track your daily expenses, income, savings as well as remind you about bills and company reimbursements and the like.

The tools allow you to add/ edit and modify categories of both expense and income, right form regular expenses like fuel, mobile bills and the like, to shared expenses such as your dinner bill with your mate. You also get to use ?I owe you? feature, where you can note the amount of funds you owe.

Then there is ?You owe me? feature which shows the funds people owe you. The tool generates monthly reports and emails you the same. Simply put, if you are serious about knowing where your money goes this tool is an excellent start. It not only tells you know where and how much you spend, but give an overview of your spending habits. And, as they say, tracking expenses is the first step to getting money matters straight.

So, in 2013, check out these tools for better money management.

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Source: http://www.firstpost.com/investing/three-money-management-tools-to-look-into-this-2013-567506.html

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Lance Armstrong Sued By Sunday Times Over Libel Case

LONDON -- Lance Armstrong is being sued for more than $1.5 million by a British newspaper over the settlement of a libel action, which followed doping allegations against the cyclist that it published.

The Sunday Times paid Armstrong 300,000 pounds (now about $485,000) in 2006 to settle a case after it reprinted claims from a book in 2004 that he took performance-enhancing drugs.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency concluded this year that Armstrong led a massive doping program on his teams. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life.

The Sunday Times announced in an article in its latest edition that it has issued legal papers against Armstrong.

"It is clear that the proceedings were baseless and fraudulent," the paper said in a letter to Armstrong's lawyers. "Your representations that you had never taken performance enhancing drugs were deliberately false."

The paper, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., said its total claim against Armstrong is "likely to exceed" 1 million pounds ($1.6 million).

"The Sunday Times is now demanding a return of the settlement payment plus interest, as well as its costs in defending the case," the paper said.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/lance-armstrong-sued-sunday-times-libel_n_2356282.html

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Early Childhood Education Facilities In Universities For Childcare ...

Early childhood education centers can be found in different areas. With this in mind, parents will find the benefit of finding the best facilities where they can enroll their kids. Facilities can be located in family centers, offices and actual schools. But aside from these, childcare facilities may also be found in universities within the area.

With the help of these facilities, parents have more options in finding the appropriate facilities for their needs. These centers extend services to kids near in universities so they don?t have to go far in the area.

Since these facilities are found in universities, parents are assured that early childhood education experts are working in these facilities. Administrations are composed of people who also graduated in the same college and many of them decided to work in this center to be helpful in the community.

Just like other centers, these university childcare centers also follow a specific set of regulations that aim to give proper education and care for kids. They are near the school where experts are trained so administrators watch everything properly and make sure operations follow the standards. Questions regarding proper childcare within the facility may also be answered with the help of the university. Experts who work in these early childhood education centers can visit the university to help them with studies they need to conduct to provide care.

Facilities continue to acquire new knowledge that will help their operation be effective in educating children. Doing this is somehow impossible without studying since every teaching method must be backed up by research and testing. Related literature can be obtained within the library and help experts with their research.

Another good thing about these facilities is they usually have many care experts who will look after kids. Many students in college take or complete early childhood education programs. This program requires on the job training so the need to find a facility where they can train and be acquainted with the usual childcare facility setting. They will usually choose these facilities within the university for training and be a good help for more children.

Aside from people around the university, these childcare facilities will also be helpful for professors working in the same academic institution. Professors are also busy and most of them have kids. They can enroll their kids and bring them everyday during their class schedule. Since they are in the same location, professors can leave their kids in the early childhood education facility and then go back home together once classes are done. This is convenient on their end since they can also visit their children from time to time if they?ll not go to work.

Overall, childcare facilities located in these universities can be a good help not only for people within the facilities but also for the community as additional facility options. Experts will also find this helpful in terms of studying and training for their future career as child educators with all the resources near them.

Source: http://www.callcubook.com/113-early-childhood-education-facilities-in-universities-for-childcare-training.html

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Clays on Mars: More plentiful than expected

Dec. 20, 2012 ? A new study co-authored by the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that clay minerals, rocks that usually form when water is present for long periods of time, cover a larger portion of Mars than previously thought. In fact, Assistant Professor James Wray and the research team say clays were in some of the rocks studied by Opportunity when it landed at Eagle crater in 2004. The rover only detected acidic sulfates and has since driven about 22 miles to Endeavour Crater, an area of the planet Wray pinpointed for clays in 2009.

The study is published online in the current edition of Geophysical Research Letters.

The project, which was led by Eldar Noe Dobrea of the Planetary Science Institute, identified the clay minerals using a spectroscopic analysis from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The research shows that clays also exist in the Meridiani plains that Opportunity rolled over as it trekked toward its current position.

"It's not a surprise that Opportunity didn't find clays while exploring," said Wray, a faculty member in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. "We didn't know they existed on Mars until after the rover arrived. Opportunity doesn't have the same tools that have proven so effective for detecting clays from orbit."

The clay signatures near Eagle crater are very weak, especially compared to those along the rim and inside Endeavour crater. Wray believes clays could have been more plentiful in the past, but Mars' volcanic, acidic history has probably eliminated some of them.

"It was also surprising to find clays in geologically younger terrain than the sulfates," said Dobrea. Current theories of Martian geological history suggest that clays, a product of aqueous alteration, actually formed early on when the planet's waters were more alkaline. As the water acidified due to volcanism, the dominant alteration mineralogy became sulfates. "This forces us to rethink our current hypotheses of the history of water on Mars," he added.

Even though Opportunity has reached an area believed to contain rich clay deposits, the odds are still stacked against it. Opportunity was supposed to survive for only three months. It's still going strong nine years later, but the rover's two mineralogical instruments don't work anymore. Instead, Opportunity must take pictures of rocks with its panoramic camera and analyze targets with a spectrometer to try and determine the composition of rock layers.

"So far, we've only been able to identify areas of clay deposits from orbit," said Wray. "If Opportunity can find a sample and give us a closer look, we should be able to determine how the rock was formed, such as in a deep lake, shallow pond or volcanic system."

As for the other rover on the other side of Mars, Curiosity's instruments are better equipped to search for signs of past or current conditions for habitable life, thanks in part to Opportunity. Wray is a member of Curiosity's science team.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. E. Z. Noe Dobrea, J. J. Wray, F. J. Calef, T. J. Parker, S. L. Murchie. Hydrated minerals on Endeavour Crater's rim and interior, and surrounding plains: New insights from CRISM data. Geophysical Research Letters, 2012; 39 (23) DOI: 10.1029/2012GL053180

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/cs7rklTybbc/121220144201.htm

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Take a closer look at Benson Henderson?s win over Nate Diaz (VIDEO)

Take a closer look at UFC on Fox 5's main event through Fuel TV's Fight Flashback. It shows how champion Benson Henderson and challenger Nate Diaz prepared moments before their fight, as well as different angles of the bout. Nick Diaz, Nate's brother and also a UFC fighter, winces as he watches his brother get kicked. You'll also hear advice from both men's corners, including Henderson's saying, "You know why he's talking, right?"

You can also see the same treatment for other bouts on the card here.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/closer-look-benson-henderson-win-over-nate-diaz-150036538--mma.html

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The eye-opening cost of America?s insomnia

By Quentin Fottrell

In yet another sign Americans are sleeping less, the number of sleep clinics has reached an all-time high. And while sleeplessness is big business, worth over $32 billion, it?s an even bigger economic problem -- costing nearly twice that in lost productivity.

More Americans are seeking help for sleep-related conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea. On Wednesday, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine accredited its 2,500th sleep center, reporting that the number of sleep centers has doubled over the past five years and increased fivefold over the past decade.

The economic costs now run into billions of dollars a year. Nearly a quarter of all workers are affected by sleeplessness, according to a 2011 study by Harvard Medical School. And insomnia costs an average of $2,280 per worker in reduced productivity every year ? a total cost of $63.2 billion to the economy, the study says. That equates to 11 working days lost annually for each worker, says Ronald C. Kessler, lead author of the study and McNeil Family Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

The prescription drug epidemic

More Americans now die each year from prescription drug overdoses than from cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs.

So why are Americans losing sleep? Since the 2008 recession, more people are lying awake at night worrying about their financial situation and job security, says Nathaniel F. Watson, president of the American Board of Sleep Medicine. (In fact, one-third of Americans lose sleep over the economy, according to one 2009 poll by the National Sleep Foundation.) The rise in U.S. obesity rates is another major factor, Watson says. But others are less certain. ?There are lots of pop-psychology theories,? Kessler says. ?One thing we do know ? it?s pervasive through all sections of society.?

Whatever the causes, consumers are spending billions of dollars to get some shut-eye. The ?sleep market? industry is currently worth over $32 billion, up from nearly $24 billion four years ago, according to John LaRosa, research director at MarketData Enterprises, a market research company in Tampa. Some 70 million Americans suffer from sleeplessness. Desperate for the perfect night?s sleep, they?re buying sleeping pills, premium mattresses, white noise machines, sleeping masks, mobile phone apps and other sleep-related paraphernalia.

But people need help staying awake too, which is compounding the problem. ?There?s an enormous amount of self-medication for sleeplessness in America,? Kessler says. ?That?s one reason why the sales of supercaffeinated energy drinks are skyrocketing.? Sales of energy drinks in the U.S. grew by around 16% last year to $8.9 billion, according to ?Beverage Digest,? an industry publication. There are better ways of dealing with insomnia, Kessler says, like cutting down on caffeine and not playing on your smartphone or watching TV in bed late at night.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=A3470F52-4AE4-11E2-ACE1-002128040CF6&siteid=yhoof2

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Career Services Assistant (Student Career Senior Advisor) - HEA ...

Career Services Assistant (Student Career Senior Advisor) - HEa
Job ID: 6736
Department: School of Professional Studies
Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Closing Date: January 21, 2013 - Search extended

The School of Professional Studies:
Campus Specific Information
In 2003, the Board of Trustees of the City University of New York created the CUNY School of Professional Studies (SPS) with the purpose of meeting the educational needs of working adults, organizations, and employers. Since then, SPS has developed into a well-established school serving New York City's dynamic marketplace through the provision of timely, innovative, and academically rigorous programs of study designed to address new or unmet needs. Home to CUNY's first fully online undergraduate degrees and groundbreaking master's degree programs, SPS has found new ways of fulfilling CUNY's mission of access, reaching students with new modes of instruction, new courses and curricula, and new kinds of learning tailored for diverse requirements and constituencies. It has launched a dozen degrees - six bachelor's and six master's degrees - since 2006, and there are more currently in development. Enrollments have grown to over 2000 students in the credit-bearing programs, and the School has seen more growth in its non-credit offerings, with a portfolio of grant-funded programs currently accounting for more than $6 million. In addition, the School now maintains an active Alumni Association, has established the SPS Foundation, and will soon occupy its own dedicated space.

The Career Services Assistant will provide Career Services support to students and graduates from the CUNY School of Professional Studies certificate, undergraduate and graduate degree programs. This position will be responsible for employer relations and job development and reports to the Manager of Career Services. S/he will handle administrative tasks as well as provide career counseling related duties.

The position duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assist Manager of Career Services with administrative process related to for-credit internships.
• Review resumes, cover letters, and other job search documents and coach students on how to tailor them for specific positions and industries.
• Coach students on how to market themselves, specifically using LinkedIn and Facebook as well as other social media tools.
• Provide interview preparation and assistance and conduct mock interviews as directed.
• Assist Manager of Career Services with planning, delivering and fine-tuning workshops and webinars.
• Compile and distribute Career Services weekly messages as directed.
• Create and distribute marketing collateral (including flyers, electronic messaging, social media, snail mail, etc.) to promote Career Services events, services, and programs to students and graduates and to strengthen relationships with employers.
• Manage workshop and webinar invitations, RSVPs, and follow-up evaluations.
• Monitor and update Career Services webpage content as directed .
• Assist Student Services and Events teams with planning and execution of events.
• Schedule and confirm appointments for the Manager of Career Services.

General Duties

• Provides career counseling and assessment and provides comprehensive career services programs.
• Provides employment and career counseling to students; may provide services to alumni
• Administers and interprets career and vocational assessment instruments
• Prepares and facilities workshops on career development topics such as job search strategies, resume and cover letter preparation, and interviewing techniques
• Develops and maintains relationships with employers that can lead to recruitment and hiring at the campus
• Assists with planning and presenting career fairs, speakers, employer visits, and other events
• Collaborates with faculty and student support service professions to offer specialized programs and activities
• Trains and supervises interns and office staff
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and four years' related experience required

Other Qualifications

• Experience in Career Counseling, Human Resources or in a similar role, including administrative duties
• Familiarity with adult-learners, veterans/military, persons with disabilities, or distance-learners a plus
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with particular strength in online communication
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize duties easily and work independently as well as part of a team
• Flexibility and willingness to take on projects or tasks as assigned
• Strong computer application skills: MS Word, Excel, Outlook; OptimalResume a plus
• Strong familiarity with social media platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Experience with web-based conferencing : Skype, GoTo Meeting, etc.
• Some experience planning and assisting with special events
• Familiarity in higher education, career services, human resources, and related fields

FLSA Status
Exempt

How to Apply:
Please apply using the link below:

https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu/psp/cnyepprd/GUEST/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=673 6&SiteId=1&PostingSeq=1

Please make sure to upload cover letter, resume, and contact information of three professional references as ONE document, by the closing date.

***If you are unable to upload your cover letter through the system, please e-mail it to hrapplications@gc.cuny.edu.

Make sure to indicate which position you are applying for and that you have submitted your application online.***

Source: http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175704449

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Astronomers Discover Potentially Habitable Earth-Like Planet Very Near Us

This is really exciting: an international team of astronomers has discovered that Tau Ceti, the closest single star like our Sun, has planets just like our solar system. But more importantly, one of these planets orbits in the habitable zone around the star. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/BypjA_BJQ8I/astronomers-discover-earth-planet-near-us

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Nipping At The Heels Of Skype, VoIP Provider Rebtel Passes 20M Users, $80M In Sales And A 2-Year Streak In The Black

When people think of consumer VoIP services, the first name to come to mind for many is Skype. But while Microsoft’s recent acquisition begins to explore a new role as a social advertising network, a competing VoIP provider, Rebtel, is hoping to gain some new ground. The Stockholm-based company, which has been in operation since 2006, today is announcing that it has passed 20 million active users, with 2012 revenues of $80 million and projected turnover of $100 million for 2013. It has also seen a 250% increase in app downloads and paying users since 2011, with overall users growing currently at a rate of 500,000 each month. The business of over-the-top telephony services is a hot space right now, with companies like Whatsapp nabbing business away from carriers by becoming users’ default mobile messaging service.?As of August 2012 Whatsapp was delivering 10 billion messages per day. And as we’ve said in the past, we’ve heard that its been an?acquisition target for Facebook. Rebtel very much fits into that mold by offering a more cost-effective way of making calls on mobile devices, with a particular emphasis on long-distance calls that can cost a fortune otherwise if made via a mobile network.?”Our average users are consumers with a lot of first- and second-generation immigrants among them,”?Bernstr?m notes, so many of them will want to be calling family abroad. And while we don’t know whether Skype is profitable today (it wasn’t when Microsoft bought it), Rebtel’s CEO?Andreas Bernstr?m tells me that his company is, and has been for the past two years. That’s one reason why Rebtel has yet to raise more money since picking up a Series A round of $20 million from Index Ventures and Benchmark the year it was founded. “We have $10 million in the bank today,” he tells me. Still, scale is nothing to be sniffed at: Skype currently has some 280 million monthly active users, and yesterday another competitor, Viber, yesterday announced 140 million users; its service is completely free. That strategy may change in the future, as Rebtel gears up for further expansion. Earlier this month, it announced a new line of business as a white-label VoIP provider, releasing an SDK so that developers can incorporate Rebtel’s VoIP service into their apps. Rebtel is primarily targeting mobile developers with the service, because that is where Rebtel itself focuses most of its business, with apps for

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WhCTKO0A-Nc/

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Top 10 Canadian Fitness Trends for 2013 | Gymrat Fitness

Small-group training, express workouts and demographic-specific fitness expected to be favourites this year?

LONDON, ON, Dec. 18, 2012 /CNW/ ? Population-specific training programs, express workouts and ?functional fitness? will enable Canadians to make 2013 their fittest year ever.

Thirty of Canada?s leading fitness experts weighed-in on the second annual, GoodLife Fitness Top 10 Canadian Fitness Trends for the New Year.

Experts with almost 450 years of combined experience in the fitness industry and backgrounds in physiotherapy, kinesiology, exercise physiology, health promotion, fitness and information technology, fitness facilities and equipment, report on what they see as the trends in health and fitness for the upcoming year.

?As the fitness, health and wellness industry grows and fitness experts become more knowledgeable and experienced, we?re able to make recommendations about the most effective and cutting-edge ways to achieve your health, wellness and fitness goals,? said David ?Patch? Patchell-Evans, GoodLife Founder & CEO. ?With our diverse knowledge and expertise and our long-standing leadership in the fitness industry, GoodLife has an inside peek into what fitness trends are helping Canadians live the healthiest lives.?

Small Group Training in the form of a coach/personal trainer leading a group of participants ranked number one overall in fitness trends for the second year in a row as the added benefits of group camaraderie, affordability, and access to a knowledgeable Fitness Professional translates into helping more Canadians achieve their goals.???

Express workouts made significant gains going from the number 10 spot in 2012, to the number five trend for 2013. The experts agree that the fast-paced lives of Canadians mean that fitness programs must also be efficient and effective to help consumers stay active and healthy. ?

Demographic-specific programming moves up one spot from last year as specialized programs and unique collaborations between the fitness industry and traditional healthcare professionals seek to help large portions of the Canadian population improve their quality of life while striving to reduce illness and chronic diseases.

?By helping people be healthy and fit, fitness clubs like GoodLife play an integral role in the healthcare system,? said Patch. ?The fitness industry works to enhance Canadians? health status, helping to prevent illness and disease, while also making people stronger and more resilient when facing and recovering from injury, illness and disease. We are committed to working closely with our partners in the traditional healthcare system from hospitals to rehabilitation facilities to general practitioners in the community to create a sustainable and powerful continuum of care for Canadians.?

Top 10 Canadian Fitness Trends predicted for 2013: ?

1. Small Group Training. Many Canadians continue to seek economical ways to get a great workout while still enjoying the guidance and knowledge of a Fitness Professional.? Exercising in small groups of three to 12, with a certified coach, personal trainer, or small group training instructor is the way to make this happen and provides an added mix of comfort and extra motivation as they are inspired by other participants? enthusiasm and achievements. Examples: CrossFit (www.crossfit.com), MYBootcamp www.goodlifefitness.com/TeamTraining/MYBootcamp and TRX? Suspension Training www.trxtraining.com)
2. Demographic-specific programming. Fitness professionals are continuing to recognize the need and potential of targeting programs and training routines toward specific populations of Canadians.?Older adult programming, child and youth programming like GoodLife?s free Teen Fitness program (www.teenfitness.ca), sport-specific training,? rehabilitation and cardiovascular health programs like GoodLife Fitness? collaboration with the Peter Munk Cardiac Care Centre (www.newswire.ca/en/story/1065185/goodlife-fitness-collaborates-with-peter-munk-cardiac-centre-to-improve-canadians-heart-health), are allowing more Canadians the opportunity to benefit from an active life.
3. Zumba, SH?BAM? and Dance-focused Group Exercise Classes. Taking the ?work? out of ?workout? is exactly what attracts millions of participants world-wide (Canadians included) to dance-focused group exercise classes. The continued popularity of classes like ZUMBA FITNESS? (www.zumba.com) and Les Mills SH?BAM? and BODYJAM? (www.lesmills.com/global/en/classes), is predicted because they provide an excellent cardio workout, high calorie burning, while increasing self-esteem and releasing stress, in a fun, inviting, and social atmosphere.
4. Educated and experienced Fitness Professionals. Fitness Professionals are continuously specializing and expanding the services and programs they provide. Illustrating this growth, canfitpro states that certified membership has grown 25% since 2010, It is becoming increasingly important for consumers to choose a fitness professional that is certified through internationally recognized organizations like canfitpro (www.canfitpro.com). In 2012, canfitpro launched Repscanada (www.repscanada.com), the Canadian Register of Exercise and Fitness Professionals, an inclusive, ground breaking, on-line resource that will increase the integrity of the fitness profession by providing consumers and employers the ability to understand and identify a registered Fitness Professionals? credentials.
5. Express or ?In and Out? Workouts.? Life is busy and fast-paced for most Canadians. People are looking for an effective workout that fits their lifestyle. Many group exercise classes, like CXWORX and Jillian Michaels? BODY SHRED?? (www.jillianmichaelsbodyshred.com), and strength training circuits provide 30 minute express-style options which not only help you achieve your health and wellness goals, but are also great for the beginner exerciser. GoodLife Fitness suggests you try the Fit Fix Circuit two to three times per week to get a full body strength training workout that takes only 20 to 30 minutes each time.? www.goodlifefitness.com/FAQ.aspx
6. Functional Fitness and CORE Training. Functional Fitness and CORE training is all about exercising using movements that prepare you for the activities of life in Canada. Whether it?s carrying groceries, shoveling snow or playing with your kids, the Experts agree that Canadians continue to recognize the value of functional fitness and core strength for preventing injury and illness. Newbody Muscle is a Group Exercise class that combines the best of functional strength moves to help build muscle strength, shape and stamina and train the body for performing life?s daily activities with ease.? www.goodlifefitness.com/GroupExercise/Cardio/Newbody
7. Hot Yoga and more accessible Yoga. Hot Yoga continues to be a key trend for exercisers who are looking for the mind-body-spirit benefits of activity and enjoy the health benefits of the heated studios. With programming like YogaFit? and YogaFit? Sweat, Yoga?s accessibility continues to expand to more Canadians.? www.yogafit.com
8. Weight Management/Lifestyle Coaching. As multiple studies indicate, (www.ihrsa.org/research, www.acefitness.org/getfit/research), weight-loss and/or weight management continues to be one of the most popular reasons people exercise. The role of the fitness professional has evolved to include lifestyle coaching, nutrition counselling and stress management. Each component contributes to the overall success rate of Canadians in achieving health and fitness goals. Allied health services like massage therapy and chiropractic care are also emerging to complement the programs and services provided by fitness clubs, personal trainers and group exercise instructors.
9. Corporate Wellness Programs. Workplaces are making an increased investment in employee health and wellness and understanding the intrinsic benefit to their bottom line. Companies are also being recognized by their employees and leaders in the health, fitness and wellness industry for making this investment. The GoodLife Fitness Health & Wellness Leadership Summit and Award Program is a national series of events designed to empower Canadian organizations to excel in fitness, health and workplace wellness. With a healthy and active workforce, Canadian organizations will be able to increase productivity and morale while reducing financial losses associated with unhealthy employees and poor work related practices. www.glfwellness.com
10. Influence of Technology. The ever-evolving technology of the fitness industry is emerging as a major factor in helping Canadians achieve their health and wellness goals. Tools like the adidas micoach (www.adidas.com/ca/micoach), provide users with a personalized tracking and coaching device that monitors their progress. Equipment manufacturers like Precor (http://www.precor.com and Life Fitness www.lifefitness.com) also recognize the consumer demand and have begun adding smart-phone and app integration capabilities, allowing users to have a more personalized and monitored experience on the elliptical, stationary bike, stepper, or treadmill. The influence of technology also benefits Fitness Professionals as technology platforms like Wexer (www.wexer.com) which represents a 21st century outreach for those who want to get in shape and need the flexibility, efficiency and motivational tools that only a digital platform can provide.???

For more information on fitness trends, please visit www.goodlifefitness.com.

SOURCE: GoodLife Fitness

Source: http://www.gymrat-fitness.com/top-10-canadian-fitness-trends-for-2013

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China's Real Estate Strong but Not Overheated

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
By George Leong, B.Comm. for Profit Confidential

China is beginning to show renewed growth. The country is focusing on stimulus spending and easy monetary policy in hopes of getting its economy back on track and driving its consumers to spend.

And while there has been talk of an asset bubble in China?s real estate market, my view is that the short-term risk is high, but there is excellent long-term growth potential in China?s real estate sector. (For my views on China?s retail sector, read ?Luxury Retailers Loving China.?)

Investment in the country?s housing market surged 61.7% from January to November, based on the data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

There are over 300 million middle-class consumers in China, and as a group, they are hungry for a lifestyle similar to middle-class consumers in the West. Real estate is a key goal for the Chinese.

Standard & Poor?s analysts believe the real estate market in China is stabilizing, with buyers returning while home prices continue to decline.

And in an ironic twist, at a time when California?s real estate market is struggling, the state?s California Public Employees? Retirement System (CalPers), a pension fund, announced it would be investing about $530 million in two new China real estate funds managed by ARA Asset Management, which is longer-term positive.

To play China?s real estate market, you can take the more conservative approach and buy The Guggenheim China Real Estate exchange-traded fund (ETF) (NYSE/TAO), which has a year-to-date return of 53.1% as of November 29. The fund holds mainly large value-oriented Chinese real state stocks.

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

To take a more speculative and potentially higher return opportunity, an emerging small-cap Chinese real estate company that I like longer term is Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (NYSE/XIN).

Xinyuan is down from its 52-week high of $3.95 on April 3, 2012 and has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past 52 weeks.

Chart courtesy of www.StockCharts.com

Xinyuan buys land and develops large-scale, high-quality residential real estate projects that are targeted toward the growing middle class in China?s Tier 2 cities. The company looks for cities that are large and growing, with developed urban areas.

Targeted cities have above-average gross domestic product (GDP) growth and population growth, and they currently comprise strategically selected Tier 2 cities, including Hefei, Jinan, Kunshan, Suzhou, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, and Xuzhou. Combined, the populations of these cities total over 34.5 million people, according to Xinyuan.

Projects include multi-layer apartment buildings, sub-high-rise apartment buildings, high-rise apartment buildings, retail outlets, leisure and health facilities, kindergarten facilities, and schools.

Xinyuan also purchased a development site in New York City for $54.2 million via its U.S. development unit, XIN Development Group International.

Annual sales grew sequentially in each year over the past nine years. Sales grew from $12.8 million in 2002 to $688 million in 2011. Xinyuan has been profitable in seven of the last 10 years, including increases in the last three years.

Be advised that any stocks mentioned in this article are meant only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation.

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China?s Real Estate Strong but Not Overheated, 1.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/real-estate-market/chinas-real-estate-strong-but-not-overheated/

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