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<channel><title><![CDATA[Awesome Capital - Awesome Blog]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/index.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Awesome Blog]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 17:27:29 -0800</pubDate><generator>Weebly</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Few small businesses claim ObamaCare health insurance tax credit]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/few-small-businesses-claim-obamacare-health-insurance-tax-credit.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/few-small-businesses-claim-obamacare-health-insurance-tax-credit.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 17:19:55 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/few-small-businesses-claim-obamacare-health-insurance-tax-credit.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Depending on the estimate, 4% to 12% of small businesses eligible for  health insurance tax credits claimed them in 2010, according to a new  report. The tax credit was included in the Patient Protection  and Affordable Care Act to induce small businesses to offer health  benefits but failed to do so, the Government Accountability Office said.  &ldquo;According to  [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>Depending on the estimate, 4% to 12% of small businesses eligible for  health insurance tax credits claimed them in 2010, according to a new  report. <br /><br />The tax credit was included in the Patient Protection  and Affordable Care Act to induce small businesses to offer health  benefits but failed to do so, the <a title="" style="" href="http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/590832.pdf">Government Accountability Office said.</a>  &ldquo;According to employer representatives, tax preparers and insurance  brokers the GAO met with, the credit was not large enough to incentivize  employers to begin offering insurance,&rdquo; said the GAO. Employers also  found the credit too complex, the GAO said. The credit was not enough of  an incentive to make up for the time and cost required to apply,  according to the report.       <br />About 170,300 small businesses claimed the tax credit. Rough estimates  projected that 1.4 million to 4 million employers met the eligibility  criteria. <br /><br />Businesses must employ fewer than 25 full-time  equivalents to be eligible and the average annual wage must be less than  $50,000 for full time equivalents. Also, an employer must uniformly pay  50% of the premium costs to qualify for the credit. Employers with 10  or fewer workers and average annual wages of $25,000 may receive the  full credit; the rest qualify for partial credit. <br /><br />The average credit was $2,700, the GAO said. The tax credit total cost for 2010 was $468 million. <br /><br />About  83% did not qualify for full credit but received partial credit. The  GAO also said that 30% saw their credit capped by rules that may apply  the credit to the amount of the small group state average premium  instead of an employer's own premiums.     <br /><strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/7fq3g6d</strong> <br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Catholic bishops lead suits vs. Obama over 1st Amendment rights]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/catholic-bishops-lead-suits-vs-obama-over-1st-amendment-rights.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/catholic-bishops-lead-suits-vs-obama-over-1st-amendment-rights.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 16:56:07 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/catholic-bishops-lead-suits-vs-obama-over-1st-amendment-rights.html</guid><description><![CDATA[The Archdiocese of New York, headed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the  Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., headed by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the  University of Notre Dame, and 40 other Catholic dioceses and  organizations around the country announced on Monday that they are suing  the Obama administration for violating their freedom of religion, which  is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The dioceses and organizations, in different c [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>The Archdiocese of New York, headed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the  Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., headed by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the  University of Notre Dame, and 40 other Catholic dioceses and  organizations around the country announced on Monday that they are suing  the Obama administration for violating their freedom of religion, which  is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The dioceses and organizations, in different combinations, are filing  12 different lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country.<br /><br /> The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. has established a special website--<a style="" href="http://www.preservereligiousfreedom.org/">preservereligiousfreedom.org</a>--to explain its lawsuit and present news and developments concerning it.<br /><br />"This lawsuit is about an unprecedented attack by the federal  government on one of America&rsquo;s most cherished freedoms: the freedom to  practice one&rsquo;s religion without government interference," the  archdiocese says on the website. "It is not about whether people have  access to certain services; it is about whether the government may force  religious institutions and individuals to facilitate and fund services  which violate their religious beliefs."<br /><br /> The suits filed by the Catholic organizations focus on the regulation  that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced  last August and finalized in January that requires virtually all  health-care plans in the United States to cover sterilizations and all  Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives, including those  that can cause abortions.<br /><br /> The Catholic Church teaches that sterilization, artificial  contraception and abortion are morally wrong and that Catholics should  not be involved in them. Thus, the regulation would require faithful  Catholics and Catholic organizations to act against their consciences  and violate the teachings of their faith.<br /><br /> Earlier, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had called the  regulation an "unprecedented attack on religious liberty" and asked the  Obama administration to rescind it.<br /><br /> &ldquo;We have tried negotiation with the Administration and legislation  with the Congress--and we&rsquo;ll keep at it--but there's still no fix,"  Cardinal Dolan, who is also president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic  Bishops <a style="" href="http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-088.cfm">said in a statement</a> released by the conference this morning.<br /><br /> "Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental  rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now," the  cardinal said. "Though the Conference is not a party to the lawsuits,  we applaud this courageous action by so many individual dioceses,  charities, hospitals and schools across the nation, in coordination with  the law firm of Jones Day. It is also a compelling display of the unity  of the Church in defense of religious liberty. It's also a great show  of the diversity of the Church's ministries that serve the common good  and that are jeopardized by the mandate--ministries to the poor, the  sick, and the uneducated, to people of any faith or no faith at all.&rdquo;<br /><br /> Cardinal Dolan's New York Archdiocese filed suit today in the U.S.  District Court in the Eastern District of New York. Joining the  archdiocese as plaintiffs in the suit are the Catholic Health Care  Sytem, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, Catholic  Charities of Rockville Centre, and Catholic Health Services of Long  Island.<br /><br /> In their suit, these groups name HHS Secretary Sebelius, Labor  Secretary Hilda Solis, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and their  departments as defendants.<br /><br /> The archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is being joined in its lawsuit  by Catholic Charities of the Washington Archdiocese, the Consortium of  Catholic Academies of the Archdiocese of Washington (which includes four  parochial schools), Archbishop Carroll High School, and the Catholic  University of America. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/bpnb5du</strong> <br /><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Voting Rights Act challengers see Supreme Court next step]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/voting-rights-act-challengers-see-supreme-court-next-step.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/voting-rights-act-challengers-see-supreme-court-next-step.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 16:00:00 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/voting-rights-act-challengers-see-supreme-court-next-step.html</guid><description><![CDATA[An appeals court upheld a federal voting-rights law that requires  some local governments to seek Washington's approval before changing  election procedures, rejecting a challenge by an Alabama county.  In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of  Columbia Circuit ruled Friday that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of  1965 remains constitutional. The judges said Congress acted properly in  2006 to reauthorize the law in order [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>An appeals court upheld a federal voting-rights law that requires  some local governments to seek Washington's approval before changing  election procedures, rejecting a challenge by an Alabama county.  In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of  Columbia Circuit ruled Friday that Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of  1965 remains constitutional. The judges said Congress acted properly in  2006 to reauthorize the law in order to protect minority voters. <br /><br /> Section 5 requires parts or all of 16  states with a history of racial bias in elections to seek federal  approval, or preclearance, before altering voting procedures. <br /><br /> The decision came in a challenge by Shelby County, Ala., and was  viewed as an important test of Section 5, which a 2009 Supreme Court  ruling suggested may no longer be justified given changes in voting  patterns. The appellate court cited that decision, which upheld the  Voting Rights Act but also opened the door to challenges to Section 5.<br /><br /> The appellate panel said it weighed concerns about whether Section 5  remains "congruent and proportional" to the problem it seeks to prevent.  It determined that "Congress drew reasonable conclusions from the  extensive evidence it gathered" and acted in accordance with the  Constitution in "ensuring that the right to vote&hellip;&mdash;surely among the most  important guarantees of political liberty in the Constitution&mdash;is not  abridged on account of race." Congress deserved deference in making the  judgment, the court said.<br /><br /> The county indicated it plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. <br /><br /> Shelby County, which includes suburbs  of Birmingham, argued Section 5 places an undue burden on local  governments. The provision could only be justified if there were current  evidence the jurisdiction was carrying out the "unremitting and  ingenious defiance" that existed in 1965 when the original law was  passed, the county said.<br /><br /> The majority opinion by Judge David Tatel, a Clinton appointee, was joined by Judge Thomas Griffith, a George W. Bush appointee.<br /><br /> Dissenting Judge Stephen Williams, a  Reagan appointee, suggested Section 5 could be used to encourage "racial  gerrymandering in favor of the minority." He said "a congressional  mandate to assure the electoral impact of any minority's majority seems  to me more of a distortion than an enforcement of the 15th Amendment's  ban on abridging" the right to vote because of race.<br /><br /> County attorney Frank "Butch" Ellis  said Shelby County supported the Voting Rights Act and wanted only to be  released from the burden of preclearance in recognition of how much the  county has changed in nearly 50 years. <br /><br /> "I'm pleased with the strong dissent," Mr. Ellis said in an  interview, adding that the county believes now is the time to seek a  Supreme Court decision on Section 5's constitutionality. <br /><br /> A U.S. Justice Department statement said it welcomed the ruling and  that Section 5 "continues to serve as a critical tool in both blocking  and deterring discriminatory voting practices." <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/84e7xvm </strong><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[S. Asia sees rise in global methamphetamine trade]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/s-asia-sees-rise-in-global-methamphetamine-trade.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/s-asia-sees-rise-in-global-methamphetamine-trade.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 15:33:22 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/s-asia-sees-rise-in-global-methamphetamine-trade.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Iran, Pakistan and other South Asian  countries are a fast-rising force in the global methamphetamine market,  with drug cartels thriving off the weak governance and law enforcement  that have long fueled the region's heroin trade. This environment has allowed criminals to  tap into the countries' relatively advanced pharmaceutical industries  to get their hands on meth's two main ingredients: ephedrine and  pseudoephedrine. The drug is more valuab [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>Iran, Pakistan and other South Asian  countries are a fast-rising force in the global methamphetamine market,  with drug cartels thriving off the weak governance and law enforcement  that have long fueled the region's heroin trade. This environment has allowed criminals to  tap into the countries' relatively advanced pharmaceutical industries  to get their hands on meth's two main ingredients: ephedrine and  pseudoephedrine. The drug is more valuable than heroin, and some say,  more addictive.<br /><br /> Highlighting this scourge are U.N.  figures showing that the number of meth labs uncovered in Iran rose from  two to 166 in three years, while the supply of precursor chemicals in  Pakistan has more than tripled over roughly the same period.<br /><br /> A Supreme Court case in Pakistan  involving the prime minister's son has drawn more attention to the  problem. The case revolves around two Pakistani pharmaceutical companies  that allegedly used political connections to obtain huge amounts of  ephedrine and are suspected of diverting it to people in the drug trade  who could have used it to make meth worth billions of dollars. The  companies have denied any wrongdoing.<br /><br /> Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are used to  make common cold medicine, but either can also be used to manufacture  meth easily at home or, in places like Mexico where the trade is most  advanced, in huge labs indistinguishable from those of large  pharmaceutical companies.<br /><br /> The greater South Asia region has a long  history of drug manufacturing, but most of it has involved opium and  heroin made from the vast quantities of poppy grown in Afghanistan and  smuggled out through Pakistan and Iran.<br /><br /> As governments elsewhere clamp down on  the availability of the precursor chemicals, this region is attracting  more dealers, said Matt Nice of the Vienna-based International Narcotics  Control Board, which enforces U.N. conventions regulating the  manufacture and distribution of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.<br /><br /> They look for a country with weak  security and regulation "where you can obtain the chemicals because no  one is paying attention, or it has never been a problem before," he  said. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/7flrcpb </strong><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Regrading election playing field after Supreme Court ObamaCare decision]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/regrading-election-playing-field-after-supreme-court-obamacare-decision.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/regrading-election-playing-field-after-supreme-court-obamacare-decision.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 03:41:15 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/regrading-election-playing-field-after-supreme-court-obamacare-decision.html</guid><description><![CDATA[The Supreme Court is about to toss a judicial bomb into the middle of  the presidential campaign, and nobody knows what impact it will have.  The bomb, of course, is the court's ruling on President Obama's healthcare law, which is expected next month.If the court upholds the law, Obama will hail the decision as proof that he was right all along.  But that won't change the unpleasant truth (for Obama) [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'><br /><span></span>The Supreme Court is about to toss a judicial bomb into the middle of  the presidential campaign, and nobody knows what impact it will have.<br /> <br /> The bomb, of course, is the court's ruling on President Obama's healthcare law, which is expected next month.<br />If the court upholds the law, Obama will hail the decision as proof that he was right all along.<br /> <br /> But that won't change the unpleasant truth (for Obama) that the law is  widely unpopular; polls show that more Americans want to scrap it than  keep it. If Obama wins in the court, he'll have to spend precious  campaign time defending a law that most of the electorate dislikes. That  would be good news for his <a style="" title="Republican Party" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/republican-party-ORGOV0000004.topic">GOP</a> rival, Mitt Romney.<br /> <br /> Or take the contrary scenario: What happens if the court strikes down the law entirely?<br /> <br /> At first glance, that would be a stinging defeat for the president; it  would make him look like, well, a loser. Romney and other Republicans  already have their talking points drafted: They'll say Obama should have  been working on the economy but wasted time passing a law that turned  out to be unconstitutional. And "unconstitutional" isn't a compliment.<br /> <br /> "For most voters, 'unconstitutional' is synonymous with 'bad,'"  Republican pollster Bill McInturff told me. "They're not going to look  at it in a narrow legal sense."<br /> <br /> But there's a contrarian view too: that a defeat in the court could turn into a political victory for Obama.<br /> <br /> "It could be a great mobilizing event for liberals and <a style="" title="Democratic Party" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/parties-movements/democratic-party-ORGOV0000005.topic">Democrats</a>,"  argues William A. Galston, a former aide to President Clinton. "A  bitter loss mobilizes people in a way that success does not."<br /> <br /> Democratic strategists have been working on their talking points too,  and here's what they suggest Obama would say in the event of defeat: A  Supreme Court dominated by conservative Republican appointees has  deprived Americans of protections they liked, such as the guarantee that  people with preexisting health conditions could still get insurance &mdash;  and Romney's Republicans don't have anything to put in its place.<br /> <br /> "It's a great argument to mobilize the base," Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said. "It would be great for turnout."<br /> <br /> But there's a third, more complicated scenario: The court could uphold  most of the law but strike down the "individual mandate," the federal  requirement that everyone obtain health insurance or pay a fine.<br /> <br /> Depending on what other provisions the court strikes down, the result  could be chaos in policy land. If the court overturns the individual  mandate but keeps the rule guaranteeing coverage to sick people,  insurance companies will warn that their costs will go through the roof,  and they might hike their rates to prove it. If the court overturns  both the mandate and the insurance guarantee, the insurance companies  will dodge that bullet, but Obama and Romney will be plunged into a  furious debate over whether the truncated program that remains can be  made workable.<br /> <br /> It's not clear who would win that fight. In one sense, it would put  Obama on friendly ground: Most of his healthcare plan would still be in  place, but the part voters disliked most &mdash; the mandate &mdash; would be gone.<br /> <br /> "The public will say, 'Phew.' They didn't think the mandate was essential," Lake predicted.<br /> <br /> "The consequences of pulling the mandate out are not well understood,"  agreed McInturff. "It's going to be messy and hard to explain."<br /> <br /> The Republican response, he predicted, would be that "Obamacare" without  a mandate won't work, and they have a point: Without a mandate  requiring healthy young people to purchase coverage, the economics of  the president's plan don't quite pencil out.<br /> <br /> But Republicans have a problem too. No one thinks the current system is  working, but the GOP hasn't agreed on an alternative to put in  Obamacare's place. Romney has promised to repeal and replace the  president's law, but his current proposal is an unfinished framework.  Republicans in Congress have nibbled around the issue, but they're  nowhere near agreement on a full-scale alternative either.<br /> <br /> And here's a wild card: Voters could resent any candidate who spends too  much time talking about healthcare; that's not the issue that's at the  top of their concerns.<br /> <br /> "Voters want to hear the candidates tell them how they'd fix the  economy," Republican pollster David Winston said. "They don't want to  watch a rerun of the 2010 healthcare debate."<br /> <br /> There's something to that. During the week the Supreme Court heard oral  arguments, Obama's standing in the polls dropped a point or two,  probably because news coverage was reminding voters about an issue most  of them dislike.<br /> <br /> About the only part of the public reaction that's predictable is this:  Many voters will interpret the Supreme Court's actions as political, not  as the product of dispassionate legal judgments. Big majorities, as  high as 67%, have told pollsters they think the court's decision will be  based on politics, not on the law.<br /> <br /> One side or the other will gain an advantage from this fight, but at  this point, it's still (and this is frustrating for this pundit)  impossible to say which one. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/cvdvqar</strong> <br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Education for employment]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/education-for-employment.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/education-for-employment.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 19:58:03 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/education-for-employment.html</guid><description><![CDATA[I met a lovely couple from Phoenix who had been visiting in Marina del Rey. The girlfriend is a medical biller for a huge chain of hospitals. She argues with insurers to get the hospitals paid. She said she was hiring like mad and still could not keep up. The demand for capable men and women in this field is bottomless and growing. She had learned about it, if I recall correctly, at a nonprofit partly on-line, partly campus-based school called Nati [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>I met a lovely couple from Phoenix who had been visiting in Marina del Rey. The girlfriend is a medical biller for a huge chain of hospitals. She argues with insurers to get the hospitals paid. She said she was hiring like mad and still could not keep up. The demand for capable men and women in this field is bottomless and growing. She had learned about it, if I recall correctly, at a nonprofit partly on-line, partly campus-based school called National University in San Diego.<br /> This is some amazing coincidence, because I am addressing their commencement tomorrow in San Diego.<br /><span></span><br />At the commencement preliminaries, the main one was visiting with Patricia Potter, a brilliant, lovely, friendly woman. Like my mother, she had spent some time at Goucher College in Maryland. My mother had transferred to Barnard but always had a fond spot for Goucher and for Maryland, where my sister and I "grew up." (I still know every word of "Maryland, My Maryland.") Ms. Potter and I had a great talk, then off to get robed, meet super friendly officers, trustees, and faculty. I also met the long-time soul of the school, Dr. Jerry C. Lee. He's retiring after a spectacular career at National and elsewhere.<br /><br /> We went into an immense room at the San Diego Convention Center. I was told there were 7,800 people there -- students and families, primarily. The room was kept at a <em style="">perfect</em> temperature.<br /><br /> I spoke mostly about National. It is a great place in that it educates people for the world as it is. The students are taught engineering, nursing, teaching, medical billing, many other subjects that will get the grads <em style="">jobs</em> when they get out. They will get jobs and they will make a living and they will have the self-esteem that <em style="">only</em> making a living and being self-supporting through their own contributions can confer.<br /><br /> Yes, it's true that many schools teach discontent, whining, moaning, bitching, navel gazing, and disloyalty. Yes, it's true that some of them are famous schools.<br /><br />But at National University, they teach what America needs its students to know: the skills we need to keep America running.<br /><br /> Again, these are not whiners and moaners at National University. These are the people who will keep us competitive and will keep themselves alive without a handout. Many of these students were single parents and worked at a job (maybe two jobs) while they studied. This is motivation indeed and motivation is <em style="">everything</em>.<br /><br /> I looked out at the men and women in the room -- white, black, Asian, Hispanic, men, women, old and young, all learning how to keep the engine of America and the engine of their personalities running. I kept thinking, "I have seen the future of education and it works."<br /><br /> Governor Brown should put the trustees of National University in charge of the University of California. Fewer courses in subversion. More classes in subjects that really matter and get graduates jobs.<br /><br /> Many of the people in room had a military background and cheered as I lauded our military. I just loved these people.<br /><br /> Then the speech was over and we pooh-bahs went back to the robing room. I was sad to say good-bye to President Potter and Chancellor-Emeritus Lee. I was sad to say good-bye to all of them. The salt of the earth.<br /><br /> This has been an encouraging day and I don't have a lot of them.<br /><br /> On the way home, I met my pal Joe for dinner in Del Mar. He is as hard-working a man as I know of. And he has the success to prove it. The absolutely best anti-poverty program there is: work. They know it at National University. If we are smart about it, the future will be what schools like National make it. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/83jze7h </strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Religious issues with Illinois bullying bill]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/religious-issues-with-illinois-bullying-bill.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/religious-issues-with-illinois-bullying-bill.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:28:27 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/religious-issues-with-illinois-bullying-bill.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Some Illinois conservatives fear their children are about to face an  assault on their morals and religious beliefs. They worry that state  lawmakers will muzzle students who hold unpopular opinions and force  them into indoctrination sessions.The cause of their worry? Legislation requiring Illinois schools to discourage bullying.The  Illinois Family Institute claims the measure's real goal is "to use  public education to pr [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>Some Illinois conservatives fear their children are about to face an  assault on their morals and religious beliefs. They worry that state  lawmakers will muzzle students who hold unpopular opinions and force  them into indoctrination sessions.<br /><br />The cause of their worry? Legislation requiring Illinois schools to discourage bullying.<br /><br />The  Illinois Family Institute claims the measure's real goal is "to use  public education to promote unproven, non-factual beliefs about the  nature and morality of homosexuality and `transgenderism'." It sees the  bills as a beachhead for "homosexual activist organizations" that want  to indoctrinate students and teachers.<br /><br />Despite those broad  concerns, the group's position is narrower in negotiations at the state  Capitol. Lobbyist Ralph Rivera says the Family Institute will drop its  opposition if the legislation makes clear that students can skip events  and lessons they find objectionable.<br /><br />A closer look reveals little  in the legislation itself to justify the institute's fears. It would not  tell local schools what to say about bullying, let alone anything  specific about homosexuality. It would not require schools to hold  assemblies or teach lessons about tolerance.<br /><br />What the bill would  do is spell out the steps that must be included in schools'  anti-bullying policies. For instance, they would have to make the policy  available to students through a website or school handbook. They would  have to let students report bullying anonymously and spell out what  steps could be taken with a student who has bullied classmates.<br /><br />At  the same time, the institute's request for a specific "opt out"  provision is not unprecedented. Illinois laws already let students opt  out of sex education and animal dissection if they have moral  objections.<br /><br />Groups supporting the legislation include the Illinois  State Board of Education, American Civil Liberties Union, Illinois Safe  Schools Alliance and the gay rights groups Equality Illinois and The  Civil Rights Agenda.<br /><br />Joining the Illinois Family Institute on the other side is the Concerned Christians of America.<br /><br />Based  on the recommendations of a state task force, the bill says a school's  bullying policy must include a definition, a statement that bullying is  against the law and procedures for accepting and investigating anonymous  reports. The policy would have to explain what steps might be taken  with a bully, such as counseling and community service, and it would  have to be available to students and parents.<br /><br />The only lessons in  tolerance mentioned in the legislation are for students who have bullied  others. Schools would be required to take steps that teach bullies  "personal and interpersonal skills" and "build and restore  relationships." How to do that is left up to each school and each  community.<br /><br />Rivera, the Family Institute's lobbyist, said the group  opposes the bill but not its overall goal. "I want to always stress  that the IFI wants a zero-tolerance policy on bullying," he said.<br /><br />The  group's main concerns, he said, are protecting students from being  accused of bullying simply for stating their beliefs and from being  forced to participate in lessons that contradict their religious  beliefs. For instance, a student who does nothing more than share his  opinion that homosexuality is immoral shouldn't be labeled a bully and  put through counseling that says his religion is wrong.<br /><br />To address  those fears, the legislation's backers included language saying it is  not meant to "infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the  free exercise of religion or religiously based views." At the IFI's  request, they placed that statement in a prominent spot near the  beginning of the legislation.<br /><br />Then the IFI asked for a provision  saying students and teachers can skip anti-bullying lessons and events  that they feel are contrary to their beliefs. Supporters rejected that  idea.<br /><br />Khadine Bennett, legislative counsel for the Illinois branch  of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that's partly because the  measure only narrowly passed the House. Sending it back now with such a  major change might kill it, she said. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/6ossqeo</strong> <br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How many calories do you need daily?]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/how-many-calories-do-you-need-daily.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/how-many-calories-do-you-need-daily.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 17:21:02 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/how-many-calories-do-you-need-daily.html</guid><description><![CDATA[The number of calories people should eat each day depends on  several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and  overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years,  requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in  her 70s. Recommended daily calorie intakes also vary across the world. According  to the National Health Service  [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>The number of <strong style="font-weight: normal;">calories people should eat each day</strong> depends on  several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and  overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years,  requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in  her 70s.<br /><br /> Recommended daily calorie intakes also vary across the world. According  to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the average male adult needs  approximately 2,500 calories per day to keep his weight constant, while  the average adult female needs 2,000. US authorities recommend 2,700  calories per day for men and 2,200 for women. It is interesting that in  the UK, where people on average are taller than Americans, the  recommended daily intake of calories is lower. Rates of overweight and <a style="" href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/obesity/how-much-should-i-weigh.php" title="How Much Should I Weigh?">obesity</a> among both adults and children in the USA are considerably higher than in the United Kingdom.<br /><br /> The NHS stresses that rather than precisely counting numbers (calories),  people should focus more on eating a healthy and well balanced diet,  being physically active, and roughly balancing how many calories are  consumed with the numbers burnt off each day.<br /><br /> According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization  (FAO), the average person's minimum calorie requirement per day globally  is approximately 1,800 kilocalories.<br /><span></span><br /></div>  <div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-thin " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="http://www.awesomecapital.com/uploads/1/0/5/5/1055938/477898869.jpg?510" alt="Picture" style="width:auto;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>In industrialized nations and a growing number of emerging economies,  people are consuming many more calories than they used to. Portion sizes  in restaurants, both fast food ones as well as elegant places, are far  greater today.<br /><span></span><br />The average cheeseburger in the USA 20 years ago had 333 calories, compared to the ones today with over 600 calories.<br />The Harris-Benedict equation, also known as the Harris-Benedict  principle, is used to estimate what a person's BMR (basal metabolic  rate) and daily requirements are. The person's BMR total is multiplied  by another number which represents their level of physical activity. The  resulting number is that person's recommended daily calorie intake in  order to keep their <a style="" href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160316.php" title="What Is My Ideal Weight? How Much Should I Weigh?">body weight</a> where it is.<br /><br /> This equation has limitations. It does not take into account varying  levels of muscle mass to fat mass ratios - a very muscular person needs  more calories, even when resting.<br /><br /> <strong style="">How to calculate your BMR</strong> <ul style=""><li style="">Male adults<br /> 66.5 + (13.75 x kg body weight) + (5.003 x height in cm) - (6.755 x age) = BMR<br /> 66 + ( 6.23 x pounds body weight) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.76 x age) = BMR</li><br /><li style="">Female adults<br /> 55.1 + (9.563 x kg body weight) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age) = BMR<br /> 655 + (4.35 x kg body weight) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR&nbsp; <br /><strong>http://tinyurl.com/6wz55um </strong><br /></li></ul><span></span><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Entitled can talk but big taxpayers can walk]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/entitled-can-talk-but-big-taxpayers-can-walk.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/entitled-can-talk-but-big-taxpayers-can-walk.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 15:56:03 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/entitled-can-talk-but-big-taxpayers-can-walk.html</guid><description><![CDATA[Did you know the government&nbsp;publishes a quarterly list of every individual who renounces his or her citizenship? The Wall Street Journal's infographics team decided to  [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>Did you know the government&nbsp;<a title="" style="" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/04/30/2012-10274/quarterly-publication-of-individuals-who-have-chosen-to-expatriate">publishes a quarterly list of every individual who renounces his or her citizenship?</a><br /><br /> The Wall Street Journal's infographics team decided to <a title="" style="" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303879604577410021186373802.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird#project%3DRENOUNCECHART1205%26articleTabs%3Dinteractive">crunch the data</a> and came up with a chart tracking the growth of how many Americans no longer wish to be so.<br /><br /> The results are fairly striking:<br /><br /><strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/bvj382c</strong> <br /><br /><br /></div>  <div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-thin " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="http://www.awesomecapital.com/uploads/1/0/5/5/1055938/562088317.png" alt="Picture" style="width:100%;max-width:600px" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Students, especially overseas travellers, should update measles shots]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/students-especially-overseas-travellers-should-update-measles-shots.html]]></link><comments><![CDATA[http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/students-especially-overseas-travellers-should-update-measles-shots.html#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 13:06:01 -0800</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.awesomecapital.com/1/post/2012/05/students-especially-overseas-travellers-should-update-measles-shots.html</guid><description><![CDATA[The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared measles officially eliminated  in the United States in 2000. But after 222 measles cases and 17  outbreaks surfaced in the United States in 2011, the virus is  experiencing a life after death.&nbsp;                Although none of the measles outbreaks and cases in 20 [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="paragraph" style='text-align:left;'>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared <a style="" target="_blank" href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6115a1.htm?s_cid=mm6115a1_w">measles officially eliminated</a>  in the United States in 2000. But after 222 measles cases and 17  outbreaks surfaced in the United States in 2011, the virus is  experiencing a life after death.&nbsp;<br /><br />                Although none of the measles outbreaks and cases in 2011 proved  fatal, health professionals say the virus is extremely contagious and  it's vital for parents to ensure their children's vaccinations are up to  date. That's advice parents of high school students need to take particularly seriously, says Carrie Byington, a professor of pediatrics at University of Utah School of Medicine.&nbsp;<br /><br /> Many measles cases are contracted on international travel, and high  school students are more likely than elementary or middle school  students to travel overseas, Byington says. The virus is still common in  Asia and Europe, where there was a measles outbreak with 37,000 cases  in 2011, according to Nichole Bobo, the nursing education director at  the National Association of School Nurses, a Silver Spring, Md.-based nonprofit.&nbsp;<br /><br /> "High school students planning to travel to Britain for the Olympics  this summer should check with their parents about whether or not their  immunizations are up to date," Bobo says.&nbsp;<br /><br /> High school students also share computers and other equipment, adds  Byington, the University of Utah professor. "The contacts that happen  within the school settings may be more intense than what you would get  by just walking through a mall, or spending an hour at a religious  service, or attending a sporting event," she says. "You may ride  together in the school bus, eat together, and it's over multiple hours a  day and a great proportion of the week."&nbsp;<br /><br /> In the United States, about 90 percent of the population has had two  doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to  Jeanette St. Pierre, associate director for communication science at the  CDC's Division of Viral Diseases. But some communities have lower  vaccine coverage. "Unvaccinated people put themselves and others are  risk for measles and its serious complications, like pneumonia,  encephalitis, or even death," St. Pierre says.&nbsp;<br /><br /> Laws governing what vaccinations are required for high school  students vary by state, and some states offer personal, religious, or  medical exemptions. Bobo says parents who don't vaccinate their children  may be influenced by a 1998 article in the journal <em style="">Lancet</em>,  which suggested vaccines can transmit autism and has since been  retracted. "The risk of contracting a potentially deadly,  vaccine-preventable disease outweighs the risk of being vaccinated," she  says. <strong style="">http://tinyurl.com/dydq63o </strong><br /><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>

