Wednesday, July 27, 2011

SEE THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHEN A PERSONAL PLAN TO CAUSE CONFUSION AND STRESS GOES TERRIBLY WRONG... BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD SON!!!!!!

CBO sends Boehner back to drawing board

By Jeanne Sahadi, Deirdre Walsh and Kate Bolduan @CNNMoney July 27, 2011: 7:45 AM ET

Boehner debt ceiling bill to cut deficits by $850 billion

House Speaker John Boehner is rewriting his bill to add more deficit-cutting measures.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- With the clock ticking down, House Speaker John Boehner will rewrite his debt ceiling legislation to ensure that it meets his oft-stated pledge to cut spending more than Congress increases the federal borrowing limit.
That was the word from Boehner's office after the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday evening estimated that the Budget Control Act of 2011 would reduce deficits by only $851 billion over 10 years.

By contrast, Boehner's bill would have allowed for an immediate debt ceiling increase of $900 billion.

"We promised that we will cut spending more than we increase the debt limit -- with no tax hikes -- and we will keep that promise," Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said in a statement to CNN. "As we speak, congressional staff are looking at options to rewrite the legislation to meet our pledge." (Read: How long should an increase last?)

Boehner's plan -- and a competing Democratic bill in the Senate -- are are the only live bills this week that would increase the debt ceiling by Aug. 2. The ceiling must be raised by then, when the Treasury Department estimates it will no longer be able to pay all its bills without borrowing.

A House vote planned for Wednesday was pushed back a day following the CBO report.
The CBO said the bulk of deficit savings under Boehner's original bill -- $710 billion -- would result from caps on discretionary spending.
The other big chunk of savings -- $136 billion -- would come from reduced interest costs on the debt.

The problem with Cut, Cap and Balance

Almost as soon as he proposed it on Monday, the bill came under fire from the most conservative members of his caucus and some conservative groups for not going far enough to reflect the principles of the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, which the House passed last week.

Cut, Cap and Balance would, among other things, cut total spending by $111 billion for fiscal year 2012. It would also require a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution that would cap total annual spending at 18%.

The spending caps in Boehner's bill would result in small savings in the early years, but the savings would grow over time.
In addition, the Boehner bill would require that both chambers of Congress vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment but doesn't require that one be enacted.

"Only a Balanced Budget Amendment will actually solve our debt problems," Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said in a statement Tuesday explaining why he wouldn't support Boehner's bill.

The conservative Club for Growth also expressed its displeasure. "It cuts almost nothing immediately, it caps only discretionary spending, and it does not require passage of a balanced budget amendment." (Read: Betting on a U.S. default)

Boehner is in a tough spot. He recognizes that the debt limit must be raised to prevent the country from defaulting on its obligations. But he is also representing the will of his most conservative members, who have not yielded in their demands for large, immediate spending cuts as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.

That has put him at odds with Obama, who has pushed for a debt reduction package that also includes a revenue component.

First Published: July 26, 2011: 7:48 PM ET

Monday, July 25, 2011

the ultimate to do list before kids and after your kids are grown!!!!!

70 Things To Do Before Having Children

They say having children changes everything. While it’s unquestionably a remarkable time in one’s life, I can also see how the transition introduces obvious limitations. Suddenly you have dependent beings of life to care for. Responsibility kicks in, compelling you to dedicate a significant portion of your time and attention to the best interests of the little ones. Combine this with the obvious physical and lifestyle limitations that come with age and it seems to me that there are several activities to check off the bucket list before settling down to start a family.
Here’s our list of 70 things to do before having children. For us, it’s simply about conquering as many life experiences as possible. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting closer.

Live in a high rise condo with an amazing view.
Take a month long vacation on the opposite side of the world in a city with a completely different culture.
Attend the Super Bowl live.
Jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
Make love in places you aren’t supposed to.
Swim with the sharks.
Scuba-dive to a large ship wreck.
Audition to be on TV or in a movie… even if you’re just an extra.
Throw the house party of all house parties. Supply all the booze and invite everyone you know.
Take sexy photos of yourself (keep them somewhere safe).
Learn to fly a plane.
Become skilled with a musical instrument.
Live in southern California for at least a year.
Live in the heart of New York City, Chicago, Boston or another major city for at least a year.
Spend a few weeks vacationing on the beaches of Kauai with your partner.
Surf a Hawaiian wave.
Learn to speak a foreign language.
Visit the North Pole.
Attend The Tonight Show or The Late Show as an audience member.
Read at least 30 books.
Jump off a cliff into a natural body of water in an exotic location.
Go mountain climbing.
Go deep sea fishing and learn to filet and cook your own fish.
Go horseback riding on the beach with your partner.
Drink warm beer out of a barrel in a real Irish pub.
Spend a night pub-hopping in London.
Stage dive and crowd surf at a rock concert.
Take a set amount of money and hit the Blackjack and Craps tables in Las Vegas.
Visit a high-end Las Vegas strip club.
Embark on a month-long road trip across the country with 3 of your best friends.
Ride a camel across a sandy desert.
Go white water rafting.
Go snowboarding in the Rockies.
Get in great shape and enter some kind of fitness competition.
Attain a solid understanding of how the government works in your country.
Master one particular style of dance.
Fall in love.
Write a book… even if it’s short and never gets published.
Drive through a (somewhat safe) portion of a third world country like Mexico or Costa Rica to gain perspective on what true poverty looks like.
Go skinny dipping in a large body of water at midnight.
Take a shower under a waterfall.
Decide on your current life goals and write them down.
Spend New Years Eve in Times Square.
Go on a blind date (or a couple’s dinner date with new friends you hardly know).
Sleep on the beach under the stars in Key West.
Hit up Oktoberfest in Munich.
Hit up Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Hit up Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Experience Spring Break in all its glory in Cancun, Mexico or Panama City Beach, Florida.
Catch a ride in a hot air balloon.
Rent a fast sports car and speed down the Autobahn.
Switch jobs until you find one you truly enjoy.
Buy your first house.
Own a convertible sports car.
Hike the Grand Canyon.
Attend a Red Sox vs. Yankees game in Fenway Park.
Spend a whole day making love without every leaving the house.
Learn to make one mixed cocktail like a pro bartender.
Run a marathon.
Stand up in front of a large audience and tell a great joke.
Shoot a gun.
Swim across the English Channel.
Bicycle ride down a mountain road.
Learn to sail a sailboat.
Learn the basics of a martial art.
Visit the Amazon Rainforest.
Bare all on a nude beach.
Master one really cool magic trick.
Master a few fancy dinner recipes.
Finish up your formal education (but continue learning).

What’s on your list?

WAIT A MINUTE... THERE IS REALLY A CREDIT RATING AGENCY CALLED "STANDARD AND POOR'S"?!!! FOR REAL.. SO YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT THE U.S. HAS A CREDIT RATING SYSTEM LIKE ALL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT THEY MAKE SURE NEED TO KNOW THERE CREDIT SCORE? "STANDARDS AND POOR'S" THATS THE NAME OF THE CREDIT AGENCY FOR REAL? DAMN...SMH..I GUESS IT DON'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE...WHEN YOU OWE MONEY ALL BETS ARE OFF.... SMH

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Debt ceiling: House GOP gets lowdown on fallout

By Jeanne Sahadi @CNNMoney July 21, 2011: 7:52 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- More than 40 House Republicans on Thursday met with a top official from Standard & Poor's and representatives of other Wall Street groups to hear what could trigger a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.
"It was a lively discussion," said the meeting's organizer, Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York, who characterized the information the lawmakers were given as "nonpartisan," "dispassionate" and "objective."

Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas stressed that "one of the ... messages they had for us today that was unmistakable -- that if we kick the can down the road, it's a bad outcome for U.S. Treasuries."
The other message: Raise the debt ceiling.

A week ago credit rating agency Standard & Poor's warned that there was a one-in-two chance it could downgrade the country's long-term credit rating within 90 days "owing to the dynamics of the political debate on the debt ceiling,"

U.S. credit: Raising debt ceiling is not enough

S&P further warned that it wouldn't be sufficient for Congress to simply raise the debt ceiling. Lawmakers must also pass a sizeable 10-year debt-reduction deal to preserve its otherwise sterling AAA rating, S&P said.

And, the agency added, "for any agreement to be credible, we believe it would require support from leaders of both political parties."

House Republicans have stressed repeatedly they won't agree to a debt-reduction package that has any net tax increases in it, while Democrats say taxes must be part of any package.

Earlier this week, the House passed "The Cut, Cap and Balance Act" -- a spending-cuts-only bill. President Obama has said he would veto the bill if it makes it past the Democratic-controlled Senate, which is expected to vote the measure down on Friday.

Some House Republicans have publicly questioned whether Aug. 2 is really the deadline by which Congress must raise the debt ceiling. That's the date Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner estimates he will no longer be able to pay all of the country's bills in full unless he is allowed to borrow from the markets.

The concern is that Treasury will be forced to prioritize which bills to pay and which bills to put off for the first time in the country's history. The process would be technically, legally and politically difficult and put the country at risk of defaulting on some of its financial obligations. A default would assure the country's credit is downgraded.

The Bipartisan Policy Center has estimated that the Treasury wouldn't be able to pay nearly half of the bills coming due in August and would temporarily cut government spending by 44% immediately, with adverse effects on the economy.

But some Republicans have suggested the Treasury would be able to harvest cash from various investments to make up for the shortfall in revenue.
Two members who attended Thursday's meeting on Capitol Hill seemed to suggest as much again, although they said things could get very serious by Aug. 15, when Treasury must make a large interest payment to investors and rollover a sizeable amount of debt.
"Starting August 2, I'm sure some decisions will have to be made. But it won't be catastrophic. But clearly each day will be important after that. And I think August 15 is going to be, potentially, a very serious point in time," Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana told CNN.
The truth is, no one can say with absolute certainty what will happen immediately after Aug. 2 and what the consequences will be if Treasury tries to sell U.S. assets.
The question for those who may be reluctant to raise the debt ceiling before Aug. 2 without a deal they find fully satisfactory is whether it's worth taking the risk to find out.

-- CNN's Xuan Thai and Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.

First Published: July 21, 2011: 7:50 PM ET

WAIT A MINUTE... THERE IS REALLY A CREDIT RATING AGENCY CALLED "STANDARD AND POOR'S"?!!! FOR REAL.. SO YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT THE U.S. HAS CREDIT RATRINGS LIKE ALL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT THEY MAKE SURE NEED TO KNOW THERE CREDIT SCORE? "STANDARDS AND POOR'S" THATS THE NAME OF THE CREDIT AGENCY FOR REAL? DAMN...SMH

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Debt ceiling: House GOP gets lowdown on fallout

By Jeanne Sahadi @CNNMoney July 21, 2011: 7:52 PM ET

U.S. credit: Raising debt ceiling is not enough

And, the agency added, "for any agreement to be credible, we believe it would require support from leaders of both political parties."

House Republicans have stressed repeatedly they won't agree to a debt-reduction package that has any net tax increases in it, while Democrats say taxes must be part of any package.

-- CNN's Xuan Thai and Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report.

First Published: July 21, 2011: 7:50 PM ET

smh....

Autopsy not conclusive on Amy Winehouse death

By the CNN Wire Staff

July 25, 2011 1:18 p.m. EDT

Winehouse parents touched by tributes

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: The autopsy "did not establish a formal cause of death," the coroner says
NEW: Lab tests may reveal what killed the singer, the coroner says
An inquest will also be held
The 27-year-old singer was found dead at her home Saturday

London (CNN) -- Investigators may not know what killed singer Amy Winehouse until they get results from lab tests on her blood and tissue, due in about two to four weeks, according to Scotland Yard Monday.
An autopsy was completed at St. Pancras Mortuary Monday afternoon, two days after the singer died in her London apartment.
"It did not establish a formal cause of death and we await the results of further toxicology tests," a police statement said.
An inquest into her death was opened Monday, the statement said.

Winehouse's struggle with substance abuse

Winehouse's body taken from apartment

Amy Winehouse's last performance

Winehouse death and legacy

RELATED TOPICS

"Inquiries continue into the circumstances of the death," London's Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard, said in a statement Sunday. At this stage, the 27-year-old's death "is being treated as unexplained and there have been no arrests in connection with the incident," police said.
The singer, beloved for her talent but infamous for erratic public behavior, arrests and drug problems, was found dead at her apartment in London on Saturday.
Winehouse's family said in a statement Sunday it "has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece. She leaves a gaping hole in our lives. We are coming together to remember her and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time."
"We are trying to come to terms with the death of a dear friend and colleague, the most amazing artist and talent," her management company, Metropolis Music, said Sunday. "We will always remember Amy as a vibrant, funny, caring young woman who made everyone around her feel welcome. We have lost a very special person, part of our family."
Winehouse's soulful, throaty vocals brought the British musician stardom in 2007, but her troubled off-stage life -- chronicled in her Top 10 hit "Rehab" -- won her notoriety. Her death came less than two months after her latest release from a rehabilitation program and weeks after she was booed offstage by disappointed fans in Belgrade, Serbia.
Winehouse died at the same age as four other music legends. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison each died of drug overdoses when they were 27. Kurt Cobain was 27 when he committed suicide, soon after his release from rehab.
Police were called to Winehouse's Camden Square apartment just after 4 p.m. Saturday in response to a report of "a woman found deceased," authorities
"Everyone who is involved with Amy is shocked and devastated," Winehouse spokesman Chris Goodman said. "Our thoughts are with her family and friends."
Her father, Mitch, got word of his daughter's death Saturday while in New York preparing for a Monday night show with his band at the Blue Note club, his publicist said. He immediately canceled the performance and caught a flight back to London, the publicist said.
Winehouse's official website carried nothing but a black-and-white photo of the singer.
On Saturday, a statement on the site said Winehouse was "withdrawing from all scheduled performances."
Her song "Rehab," in which she sang "They tried to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no," helped form the public's view of Winehouse. But she told CNN in a 2007 interview, "I don't care enough about what people think of me to conform to anything."
The London-born singer became a picture of a tattooed teenage rebel after she was expelled from a prestigious performing arts school. Her first album, "Frank," debuted in 2003, when the singer-songwriter was 19.
International success came with her 2007 album "Back to Black." She dominated the 2008 Grammys, winning five awards that night and delivering, via satellite from London, a strong performance of "Rehab."
Winehouse's volatile marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil took a toll on the singer's career. The couple divorced in 2009 after a stormy two years filled by drug addiction and arrests.
Winehouse's parents went public with their efforts to help their daughter, telling the London Telegraph in 2009 that she was on the road to recovery.
"A gradual recovery, which is good," Winehouse's father told the Telegraph. "With slight backward steps -- not drug backward steps, more drink backward steps if you follow my drift. I think that will be the pattern of recovery."
The organization that awards the Grammys issued a statement Saturday calling Winehouse "a dynamic performer and musician who seamlessly blended rock, jazz, pop, and soul and created a sound all her own."

"Her rich, soulful and unique voice reflected her honest songwriting and earned her a devoted fan following, critical acclaim, and the genuine respect and admiration of her musical peers," the Recording Academy statement said. "She will forever be remembered for her immense talent, and her music will live on for generations to come. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, friends, and fans during this difficult time."

CNN's Bharati Naik, Denise Quan and Alan Duke contributed to this report.

well duuhhhhhhhh! smh

Study: 3D video causes eye strain, fatigue

By Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

July 25, 2011 8:08 a.m. EDT | Filed under: Innovation

The disparity between the depth of the screen and the depth of the 3D image caused the most problems, researchers found.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

3D watchers reported more eye strain and fatigue and less vision clarity
Study authors varied focal point and the vergence distance
Self-reported differences between 3D and 2D not drastic, but significant

RELATED TOPICS

(Ars Technica) -- 3D displays cause extra eye fatigue, according to a study published by the Journal of Vision today that was funded in part by Samsung's R&D arm.
A group of researchers from the University of Califonia-Berkeley found that when test subjects watched 3D displays, they reported more eye strain and fatigue and less vision clarity afterward than when they watched 2D video.
The disparity between the depth of the screen and the depth of the 3D image caused the most problems, though researchers also found the relationship between image depth and nearness of the screen also played a role in eye strain.
Twenty-four participants in the study were shown 3D and 2D video at various viewing distances, and then responded to questionnaires on their eye fatigue, neck and back pain, and vision clarity.
Ars Technica: The future of lighting
In the video clips, the authors were varying the focal point, which is the surface of the screen, and the vergence distance, which is where in the image the eyes are trying to focus on.
For 2D video, these points are always one and the same, but in 3D video the vergence distance varies, and can be either deeper than the surface of the screen or in front of it.
The participants responded that they experienced more eye strain and fatigue from the video with different vergence and focal distances, a feature of 3D that has long been supposed to cause eye strain. The self-reported differences between 3D and 2D were not drastic, but they were significant.
A second part of the study found that though 3D was fatiguing in general, the participants had more problems with distant displays showing an image with a vergence distance deeper than the screen and with near displays showing images popping out of the screen.
Ars Technica: Windows everywhere, or Windows nowhere?
This research is highly relevant to 3D content designers, who could determine what to recess or pop out of the screen based on the expected viewer distance.
However, the study also means that 3D video that is more comfortably viewed in a movie theater is necessarily much more uncomfortable to look at when viewed in a living room.
Unfortunately for Samsung, financial supporters of the study and manufacturers of 3D TVs, the research appears to indicate that they're hurting the eyes of their customers.

well duuhhhhhhhh! smh

Study: 3D video causes eye strain, fatigue

By Casey Johnston, Ars Technica

July 25, 2011 8:08 a.m. EDT | Filed under: Innovation

The disparity between the depth of the screen and the depth of the 3D image caused the most problems, researchers found.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

3D watchers reported more eye strain and fatigue and less vision clarity
Study authors varied focal point and the vergence distance
Self-reported differences between 3D and 2D not drastic, but significant

RELATED TOPICS