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Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Gonzales Burgers - A Small South Texas Store With Whopper ...
Microsoft's next Steve: Windows boss faces biggest test
SEATTLE (Reuters) - For Steven Sinofsky, the stern but creative engineering manager who runs Microsoft Corp's flagship Windows division, February 29 is showtime.
On that day, in Barcelona, Sinofsky will preside over the public test release of the Windows 8 operating system, the most important new version of Microsoft's cornerstone product in a decade. Optimized for touch computing and low-power microprocessors, Windows 8 will run on tablets as well as desktops and laptops ? and maybe even on phones in the future.
(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)
If it takes off, it could extend one of the most lucrative franchises in business history and restore some cachet to the fading Microsoft brand.
It could also propel Sinofsky to the top job at the company when CEO Steve Ballmer eventually steps down.
Frank Artale, managing director at Seattle-based venture capital firm Ignition, which was founded by a group of former Microsoft executives, said Sinofsky has both "the tech chops" and the "panache and showmanship" needed for the job.
Supporters credit Sinofsky with bringing order to the sometimes-chaotic software development process at Microsoft ? partly by cutting layers of management through what is now referred to internally as "Sinofsky-ization" ? and getting products out the door.
Critics say he lacks the necessary charisma for the top job, and question whether he has the technical brilliance of Gates or the incisive analytical ability and forceful personality of Ballmer.
Most agree, though, that a strong performance for Windows 8 would all but make him the heir apparent.
Microsoft declined to make Sinofsky available for interview.
Big stage
The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona will be the biggest stage yet for Sinofsky, 46, who is largely unknown outside of tech circles.
Born in New York but raised in Florida, where his father ran a sports goods store, Sinofsky joined Microsoft as a software design engineer straight out of graduate school in 1989. He quickly caught the eye of then-chief executive Gates, who took him on as his technical assistant.
It was in that role that Sinofsky, while visiting his alma mater Cornell in early 1994, wrote to Gates to recount how the students and teachers had already come to see email and the Internet as "ubiquitous and expected as regular phone service."
Gates credits Sinofsky, and his contemporary J. Allard ? the force behind the Xbox ? for helping him to see the full extent of the Internet revolution.
Following his stint in Gates' office, Sinofsky was assigned to the Office team, which rivals Windows as the company's most profitable product. He was elevated to vice president in 1998, and after successfully driving the development of Office 2003 and Office 2007, he established a reputation as a "shipper," a high honor at the company which values getting finished products into the market more than anything else.
He was moved over to the Windows unit in 2006, taking charge of it in 2009.
Despite his powerful position, Windows colleagues say Sinofsky ? known by his internal email handle as 'SteveSi' - still takes the time to reply to emails personally and is usually chatty in the hallways, though he may not always be the figure that people want to see coming the other way.
Meetings with Sinofsky can be tough, colleagues say, but he doesn't swear like Gates or scream like Ballmer.
Sinofsky has blogged at length about his management ideas, and even taught a management class at Harvard Business School. Some of his best blogs were used as the basis for a book called 'One Strategy: Organization, Planning, and Decision Making,' published by Wiley in 2010, which he co-authored with a Harvard academic.
Sinofsky stresses balancing what he calls "bottom-up" ideas from coders on the frontline with the "top-down" needs of managers who have to make sure the product matches the strategy.
"It's a bottom-up plan that is built and locked in a systematic way," said a former senior executive, who worked with Sinofsky in the Windows unit. "Everyone gets input on the plan, but once the plan is set, it's set."
Sinofsky is no longer involved in the day-to-day minutiae of coding: "My code was always nice and orderly, but I probably couldn't write enough code fast enough to really be the very best at programming," he wrote in 2005. But he has the knowledge needed to crack the whip on those who are.
"The techs know they can't sandbag him," said one current staffer in the Windows unit.
Sinofsky joined the Windows unit at the tail end of 2006, just after the ill-fated Vista was released to PC manufacturers and being prepared for its full public launch in January 2007. His first job was to develop a more ordered process for the next release. That work came to fruition three years later with Windows 7, which has now sold 525 million copies.
Sinofsky-ization
Sinofsky writes in his blog about cutting the number of managers between him and the lowest rung of the Windows unit to three or four from seven previously.
This streamlining, along with rigorous planning, has become his signature at Microsoft, but has ruffled some feathers at the company because it has reduced the number of general manager positions, where people got to use a wide variety of skills, and focused instead on the core functions of making software: developing, testing and managing specific programs.
But few dispute the results.
"For sure it flattens the organization, it definitely eliminates fiefdoms," said the former Windows executive.
Artale, who led program management in the Windows unit in the 1990s while Sinofsky had the parallel role at the Office unit, added: "Steve is very much a product guy. He lives and breathes the product. He owns it. The product will reflect his personality and his style."
Physically and temperamentally, Sinofsky is almost the opposite of CEO Ballmer.
A trim 5 feet 8 inches, usually sporting a tidy T-shirt and V-neck pullover, the balding Sinofsky steered clear of the limelight at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, while the burly, effervescent Ballmer boomed his way through a series of press conferences.
Known for his love of roadside Americana, Sinofsky took time out to dine alone at the In-n-Out Burger on the other side of Interstate 15 from Las Vegas Boulevard and the hurly-burly of the show.
A former gym rat and jogger who now prefers yoga for exercise, Sinofsky lives in a condo in the historic center of downtown Seattle, unlike most Microsoft executives who favor large houses in the leafy suburbs east of Lake Washington, an easier drive to Microsoft's Redmond campus.
Public records show he donated $10,000 to the campaign against a state tax on the wealthy in Washington state in 2010, alongside Ballmer who gave $425,000. Gates, though, supported the tax, which had been proposed by his father.
Sinofsky's Microsoft shares are worth about $35 million, according to regulatory filings.
Although not a natural performer, Sinofsky enjoys showing off his product. His perky unveiling of the first test version of Windows 8 last September showed he has a rapport with developers, even getting a laugh out of them by joking that Microsoft updates its 'Task Manager' program "every 15 years or so." But he isn't to everybody's taste.
"I don't think people care for his presentation style. He's one of those super-intelligent types that come off as a little dry," said Ryan Lowdermilk, who hosts a popular podcast for apps builders and attended the unveiling of Windows 8 to developers last year. "But developers respect people who ship product. That's what people like about him the most."
One-to-one, he is all business. Several reporters have received an icy, wordless glare when they ask a tough question.
Mini-Microsoft, the anonymous insider whose blog is a locus of informed criticism of the company, has called him "Spock-meets-Spartan."
Next CEO?
In his 13th year as CEO, Ballmer has presided over huge growth in sales and profit, but he's had his critics from the day he started the job. Despite hitting four-year highs last week, the stock is still at the same level it was a decade ago, and Microsoft's market value is only just over half of Apple's.
The criticism reached a peak last May, when outspoken hedge fund manager David Einhorn - whose Greenlight Capital owned only about 0.1 percent of Microsoft shares at the time - said the company had a strong future but it was time for Ballmer to step down and "give someone else a chance."
Contacted on Monday, Einhorn declined to add to those remarks or to comment on Sinofsky.
A successful Windows 8 could help silence the critics. It would also give a big boost to Sinofsky.
Not everyone thinks he's is the right man for the job.
"Bill Gates had the most amazing mind I've ever encountered. You could show him a PowerPoint slide and he would ask why it was different from the one you showed him three years ago," said another former Microsoft executive. "Steve Ballmer is the most intuitively mathematical person I've ever worked with. Steve (Sinofsky) is neither of those things."
But unless Microsoft goes outside of the company for its next leader, which would be a surprise, Sinofsky dominates the field. Some feel the company should recognize that publicly, and be more clear about its succession planning.
"Sinofsky is an executor, he can deliver," said one large institutional shareholder. "They (Microsoft) should be able to provide more transparency to the depth of bench ? to demystify the inner circle of management. In the absence of providing that, you get non-productive chatter. It would serve them well to nip that in the bud."
Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46556568/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tomb exploration reveals first archaeological evidence of Christianity from the time of Jesus
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Public release date: 28-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: James Hathaway
jbhathaw@uncc.edu
704-687-5743
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The archaeological examination by robotic camera of an intact first century tomb in Jerusalem has revealed a set of limestone Jewish ossuaries or "bone boxes" that are engraved with a rare Greek inscription and a unique iconographic image that the scholars involved identify as distinctly Christian.
The four-line Greek inscription on one ossuary refers to God "raising up" someone and a carved image found on an adjacent ossuary shows what appears to be a large fish with a human stick figure in its mouth, interpreted by the excavation team to be an image evoking the biblical story of Jonah.
In the earliest gospel materials the "sign of Jonah," as mentioned by Jesus, has been interpreted as a symbol of his resurrection. Jonah images in later "early" Christian art, such as images found in the Roman catacombs, are the most common motif found on tombs as a symbol of Christian resurrection hope. In contrast, the story of Jonah is not depicted in any first century Jewish art and iconographic images on ossuaries are extremely rare, given the prohibition within Judaism of making images of people or animals.
The tomb in question is dated prior to 70 CE, when ossuary use in Jerusalem ceased due to the Roman destruction of the city. Accordingly, if the markings are Christian as the scholars involved believe, the engravings represent by several centuries - the earliest archaeological record of Christians ever found. The engravings were most likely made by some of Jesus' earliest followers, within decades of his death. Together, the inscription and the Jonah image testify to early Christian faith in resurrection. The tomb record thus predates the writing of the gospels.
The findings will be detailed in a preliminary report by James D. Tabor, professor and chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, to be published online in www.bibleinterp.com on February 28, 2012.
"If anyone had claimed to find either a statement about resurrection or a Jonah image in a Jewish tomb of this period I would have said impossible -- until now," Tabor said. "Our team was in a kind of ecstatic disbelief, but the evidence was clearly before our eyes, causing us to revise our prior assumptions."
The publication of the academic article is concurrent with the publication of a book by Simon & Schuster entitled "The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find That Reveals the Birth of Christianity." The book is co-authored by Professor James Tabor and filmmaker/professor Simcha Jacobovici. A documentary on the discovery will be aired by the Discovery Channel in spring 2012.
The findings and their interpretation are likely to be controversial, since most scholars are skeptical of any Christian archaeological remains from so early a period. Adding to the controversy is the tomb's close proximity to a second tomb, discovered in 1980. This tomb, dubbed by some "The Jesus Family Tomb," contained inscribed ossuaries that some scholars associate with Jesus and his family, including one that reads "Jesus, son of Joseph."
"Context is everything in archaeology," Tabor pointed out. "These two tombs, less than 200 feet apart, were part of an ancient estate, likely related to a rich family of the time. We chose to investigate this tomb because of its proximity to the so-called 'Jesus tomb,' not knowing if it would yield anything unusual."
The tomb containing the new discoveries is a modest sized, carefully carved rock cut cave tomb typical of Jerusalem in the period from 20 BCE until 70 CE.
The tomb was exposed in 1981 by builders and is currently several meters under the basement level of a modern condominium building in East Talpiot, a neighborhood of Jerusalem less than two miles south of the Old City. Archaeologists entered the tomb at the time, were able to briefly examine it and its ossuaries, take preliminary photographs, and remove one pot and an ossuary, before they were forced to leave by Orthodox religious groups who oppose excavation of Jewish tombs.
The ossuary taken, that of a child, is now in the Israel State Collection. It is decorated but has no inscriptions. The archaeologists mention "two Greek names" but did not notice either the newly discovered Greek inscription or the Jonah image before they were forced to leave. The tomb was re-sealed and buried beneath the condominium complex on what is now Don Gruner Street in East Talpiot.
The adjacent "Jesus tomb," was uncovered by the same construction company in 1980, just one year earlier. It was thoroughly excavated and its contents removed by the Israel Antiquities Authority. This tomb's controversial ossuaries with their unusual cluster of names (that some have associated with Jesus and his family) are now part of the Israel State Collection and have been on display in various venues, including the Israel Museum. These ossuaries will be in an exhibit running from late February through April 15 at Discovery Times Square.
In 2009 and 2010, Tabor and Rami Arav, professor of archaeology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, working together with Jacobovici, obtained a license to excavate the current tomb from the Israel Antiquities Authority under the academic sponsorship of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Because of its physical location under a modern building (making direct access nearly impossible), along with the threat of Orthodox Jewish groups that would protest any such excavation, Tabor's team determined to employ a minimally invasive procedure in examining the tomb.
Funding for the excavation was provided by the Discovery Channel/Vision Television/Associated Producers. Jacobovici's team at the Toronto based Associated Producers developed a sophisticated robotic arm to carry high definition cameras, donated by General Electric. The robotic arm and a second "snake camera" were inserted through two drill holes in the basement floor of the building above the tomb. The probe was successful and the team was able to reach all the ossuaries and photograph them on all sides, thus revealing the new inscriptions.
Beyond the possible Christian connection, Tabor noted that the tomb's assemblage of ossuaries stands out as clearly extraordinary in the context of other previously explored tombs in Jerusalem.
"Everything in this tomb seems unusual when contrasted with what one normally finds inscribed on ossuaries in Jewish tombs of this period," Tabor said. "Of the seven ossuaries remaining in the tomb, four of them have unusual features."
There are engravings on five of the seven ossuaries: an enigmatic symbol on ossuary 2 (possibly reading Yod Heh Vav Heh or "Yahweh" in stylized letters that can be read as Greek or Hebrew, though the team is uncertain); an inscription reading "MARA" in Greek letters (which Tabor translates as the feminine form of "lord" or "master" in Aramaic) on ossuary 3; an indecipherable word in Greek letters on ossuary 4 (possibly a name beginning with "JO"); the remarkable four-line Greek inscription on ossuary 5; and finally, and most importantly, a series of images on ossuary 6, including the large image of a fish with a figure seeming to come out of its mouth.
Among the approximately 2000 ossuaries that have been recovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority, only 650 have any inscriptions on them, and none have inscriptions comparable to those on ossuaries 5 and 6.
Less than a dozen ossuaries from the period have epitaphs but, according to Tabor, these inscribed messages usually have to do with warnings not to disturb the bones of the dead. In contrast, the four-line Greek inscription contains some kind of statement of resurrection faith.
Tabor noted that the epitaph's complete and final translation is uncertain. The first three lines are clear, but the last line, consisting of three Greek letters, is less sure, yielding several possible translations: "O Divine Jehovah, raise up, raise up," or "The Divine Jehovah raises up to the Holy Place," or "The Divine Jehovah raises up from [the dead]."
"This inscription has something to do with resurrection of the dead, either of the deceased in the ossuary, or perhaps, given the Jonah image nearby, an expression of faith in Jesus' resurrection," Tabor said.
The ossuary with the image that Tabor and his team understand to be representing Jonah also has other interesting engravings. These also may be connected to resurrection, Tabor notes. On one side is the tail of a fish disappearing off the edge of the box, as if it is diving into the water. There are small fish images around its border on the front facing, and on the other side is the image of a cross-like gate or entrancewhich Tabor interprets as the notion of entering the "bars" of death, which are mentioned in the Jonah story in the Bible.
"This Jonah ossuary is most fascinating," Tabor remarked. "It seems to represent a pictorial story with the fish diving under the water on one end, the bars or gates of death, the bones inside, and the image of the great fish spitting out a man representing, based on the words of Jesus, the 'sign of Jonah' the 'sign' that he would escape the bonds of death."
###
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 28-Feb-2012[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: James Hathaway
jbhathaw@uncc.edu
704-687-5743
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The archaeological examination by robotic camera of an intact first century tomb in Jerusalem has revealed a set of limestone Jewish ossuaries or "bone boxes" that are engraved with a rare Greek inscription and a unique iconographic image that the scholars involved identify as distinctly Christian.
The four-line Greek inscription on one ossuary refers to God "raising up" someone and a carved image found on an adjacent ossuary shows what appears to be a large fish with a human stick figure in its mouth, interpreted by the excavation team to be an image evoking the biblical story of Jonah.
In the earliest gospel materials the "sign of Jonah," as mentioned by Jesus, has been interpreted as a symbol of his resurrection. Jonah images in later "early" Christian art, such as images found in the Roman catacombs, are the most common motif found on tombs as a symbol of Christian resurrection hope. In contrast, the story of Jonah is not depicted in any first century Jewish art and iconographic images on ossuaries are extremely rare, given the prohibition within Judaism of making images of people or animals.
The tomb in question is dated prior to 70 CE, when ossuary use in Jerusalem ceased due to the Roman destruction of the city. Accordingly, if the markings are Christian as the scholars involved believe, the engravings represent by several centuries - the earliest archaeological record of Christians ever found. The engravings were most likely made by some of Jesus' earliest followers, within decades of his death. Together, the inscription and the Jonah image testify to early Christian faith in resurrection. The tomb record thus predates the writing of the gospels.
The findings will be detailed in a preliminary report by James D. Tabor, professor and chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, to be published online in www.bibleinterp.com on February 28, 2012.
"If anyone had claimed to find either a statement about resurrection or a Jonah image in a Jewish tomb of this period I would have said impossible -- until now," Tabor said. "Our team was in a kind of ecstatic disbelief, but the evidence was clearly before our eyes, causing us to revise our prior assumptions."
The publication of the academic article is concurrent with the publication of a book by Simon & Schuster entitled "The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find That Reveals the Birth of Christianity." The book is co-authored by Professor James Tabor and filmmaker/professor Simcha Jacobovici. A documentary on the discovery will be aired by the Discovery Channel in spring 2012.
The findings and their interpretation are likely to be controversial, since most scholars are skeptical of any Christian archaeological remains from so early a period. Adding to the controversy is the tomb's close proximity to a second tomb, discovered in 1980. This tomb, dubbed by some "The Jesus Family Tomb," contained inscribed ossuaries that some scholars associate with Jesus and his family, including one that reads "Jesus, son of Joseph."
"Context is everything in archaeology," Tabor pointed out. "These two tombs, less than 200 feet apart, were part of an ancient estate, likely related to a rich family of the time. We chose to investigate this tomb because of its proximity to the so-called 'Jesus tomb,' not knowing if it would yield anything unusual."
The tomb containing the new discoveries is a modest sized, carefully carved rock cut cave tomb typical of Jerusalem in the period from 20 BCE until 70 CE.
The tomb was exposed in 1981 by builders and is currently several meters under the basement level of a modern condominium building in East Talpiot, a neighborhood of Jerusalem less than two miles south of the Old City. Archaeologists entered the tomb at the time, were able to briefly examine it and its ossuaries, take preliminary photographs, and remove one pot and an ossuary, before they were forced to leave by Orthodox religious groups who oppose excavation of Jewish tombs.
The ossuary taken, that of a child, is now in the Israel State Collection. It is decorated but has no inscriptions. The archaeologists mention "two Greek names" but did not notice either the newly discovered Greek inscription or the Jonah image before they were forced to leave. The tomb was re-sealed and buried beneath the condominium complex on what is now Don Gruner Street in East Talpiot.
The adjacent "Jesus tomb," was uncovered by the same construction company in 1980, just one year earlier. It was thoroughly excavated and its contents removed by the Israel Antiquities Authority. This tomb's controversial ossuaries with their unusual cluster of names (that some have associated with Jesus and his family) are now part of the Israel State Collection and have been on display in various venues, including the Israel Museum. These ossuaries will be in an exhibit running from late February through April 15 at Discovery Times Square.
In 2009 and 2010, Tabor and Rami Arav, professor of archaeology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, working together with Jacobovici, obtained a license to excavate the current tomb from the Israel Antiquities Authority under the academic sponsorship of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Because of its physical location under a modern building (making direct access nearly impossible), along with the threat of Orthodox Jewish groups that would protest any such excavation, Tabor's team determined to employ a minimally invasive procedure in examining the tomb.
Funding for the excavation was provided by the Discovery Channel/Vision Television/Associated Producers. Jacobovici's team at the Toronto based Associated Producers developed a sophisticated robotic arm to carry high definition cameras, donated by General Electric. The robotic arm and a second "snake camera" were inserted through two drill holes in the basement floor of the building above the tomb. The probe was successful and the team was able to reach all the ossuaries and photograph them on all sides, thus revealing the new inscriptions.
Beyond the possible Christian connection, Tabor noted that the tomb's assemblage of ossuaries stands out as clearly extraordinary in the context of other previously explored tombs in Jerusalem.
"Everything in this tomb seems unusual when contrasted with what one normally finds inscribed on ossuaries in Jewish tombs of this period," Tabor said. "Of the seven ossuaries remaining in the tomb, four of them have unusual features."
There are engravings on five of the seven ossuaries: an enigmatic symbol on ossuary 2 (possibly reading Yod Heh Vav Heh or "Yahweh" in stylized letters that can be read as Greek or Hebrew, though the team is uncertain); an inscription reading "MARA" in Greek letters (which Tabor translates as the feminine form of "lord" or "master" in Aramaic) on ossuary 3; an indecipherable word in Greek letters on ossuary 4 (possibly a name beginning with "JO"); the remarkable four-line Greek inscription on ossuary 5; and finally, and most importantly, a series of images on ossuary 6, including the large image of a fish with a figure seeming to come out of its mouth.
Among the approximately 2000 ossuaries that have been recovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority, only 650 have any inscriptions on them, and none have inscriptions comparable to those on ossuaries 5 and 6.
Less than a dozen ossuaries from the period have epitaphs but, according to Tabor, these inscribed messages usually have to do with warnings not to disturb the bones of the dead. In contrast, the four-line Greek inscription contains some kind of statement of resurrection faith.
Tabor noted that the epitaph's complete and final translation is uncertain. The first three lines are clear, but the last line, consisting of three Greek letters, is less sure, yielding several possible translations: "O Divine Jehovah, raise up, raise up," or "The Divine Jehovah raises up to the Holy Place," or "The Divine Jehovah raises up from [the dead]."
"This inscription has something to do with resurrection of the dead, either of the deceased in the ossuary, or perhaps, given the Jonah image nearby, an expression of faith in Jesus' resurrection," Tabor said.
The ossuary with the image that Tabor and his team understand to be representing Jonah also has other interesting engravings. These also may be connected to resurrection, Tabor notes. On one side is the tail of a fish disappearing off the edge of the box, as if it is diving into the water. There are small fish images around its border on the front facing, and on the other side is the image of a cross-like gate or entrancewhich Tabor interprets as the notion of entering the "bars" of death, which are mentioned in the Jonah story in the Bible.
"This Jonah ossuary is most fascinating," Tabor remarked. "It seems to represent a pictorial story with the fish diving under the water on one end, the bars or gates of death, the bones inside, and the image of the great fish spitting out a man representing, based on the words of Jesus, the 'sign of Jonah' the 'sign' that he would escape the bonds of death."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/uonc-ter022712.php
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Expression of PTI-1 in Prostate Cancer and the Study of Its Function ...
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Prostate cancer(Pca) is the second leading cause of death of men in Europe and North America. Prostate cancer is characterized with the latency and high incidence. In China, 25 percent of men over 70 suffer from prostate ...
Source: http://www.rescancer.com/bmc-cancer/34045.html
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Monday, February 27, 2012
5.9 earthquake strikes southern Taiwan
By msnbc.com staff and news services
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan on Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were reports of minor property damage but no?immediate reports of?injuries, The Associated Press said.
The quake was centered in a mountainous area?about 19 miles from the coastal city of Pingtung, at a depth of 13.9 miles.
Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said the quake struck at 10:35 a.m. (6:35 p.m. ET) Sunday and put the magnitude at 6.1. Taiwan television showed pictures of minor damage in the Pingtung area.
TV reports said high-speed rail service had been temporarily suspended out of the southern city of Kaohsiung, north of Pingtung.
Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a magnitude-7.6 earthquake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.
Msnbc.com staff contributed to this report from The Associated Press.
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
?
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
The Healthiest Get Fit Tips You Will Ever Need | New Health and ...
New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use
Being healthy and active is a goal that many people have. Often times, it is the healthy people that are already in good shape that push themselves to limits that are unhealthy. Obviously, people can make their own choices. Where this becomes problematic is when people try too many different physical fitness programs and never stick with one. Logical choices, and healthy ones, need to be made when you are trying to become more physically fit than ever. When you approach your workout healthfully, you stand a better chance of actually getting in shape. If you are pursuing a physically fit body, it is imperative that you learn some of the strategies we are about to discuss.
Finding the right approach or workout is almost impossible because of all of this misinformation. It really comes down to making a healthy choice and choosing a solution that is right for you. Keep reading to learn some things you can do to make sure that your workout is as healthy as it can possibly be.
This is in keeping with the idea of allowing yourself easy days between hard days of exercise. By giving your body enough time to recover, it can benefit it in many ways. Instead of developing permanent injuries and damage, you can avert this from happening by taking a rest. Don?t use a weight belt. Lots of people advocate working out with a weight belt. The usual belief is that your muscles will work harder and you will lose more fat because of the added weight. What it actually does is stress your back muscles and your abdominal muscles while working out. If your workout regimen includes squats, overhead presses, and deadlifts, you will do well with this weight belt. This is also true when wearing weights while running or walking.
If your current focus, is limbering up, however the stretching is important. When you only do the things that are easy, you won?t ever make any real progress and the goal is to make as much progress as you can, right?
It is very easy to get in shape even though many people think that it is rigorous and demanding.
If you?re limber, this can also help. If you want to stretch properly, hold each stretch for 30 seconds at least to get the muscles limber and ready. 60 second stretches are recommended for people over the age of 40. It is harder to become limber when you are older; this is why it is recommended that longer stretches occur due to the age of our muscles. Don?t forget to stretch all of your muscles as well ? even if you?re just working your upper body, you still need to stretch out your lower body. There are all sorts of fitness tips and tricks out there that promise to help you lose weight and inches really quickly. None of these promises, however, will ever come true if you are not personally healthy when trying to implement them. Try to do your own research and avoid fly-by-night companies that are offering solutions that may or may not work at all. These tips hopefully have helped you understand how to become more physically fit. Go see a doctor as soon as you can, preferably before trying any fitness solution that you don?t know that much about.
Ron Stucky is a well-known author, He used to write the articles and blogs on different topics like health, nutrition, supplements,diet, exercise etc . Checkout his article on wealth masters international marketing and Family IQ opportunity
Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/26/the-healthiest-get-fit-tips-you-will-ever-need-2/
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SBA Loans | SBA 504 Loan | SBA 7A Loans | City Capital Finance ...
In the past, several small-business owners wouldn?t look twice at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loans. These loans were known for significant setbacks plus substantial paperwork requirements, and a shortage of lending experts effective at funding them successfully.
But everything has changed. The SBA has overhauled its systems, and more financial institutions have preferred-lender status. This allows for approval at the bank level; the SBA simply confirms the bank?s decision.
Today, the issue is getting small-business owners in to these loans. A lot of lenders find the SBA 504 loan appealing not because of its profitability. The banks like these loans because they are safer as they are only responsible for first 50% of the loan. Furthermore, some banks that offer these financing options are experienced in the 504 program.
Many companies looking for a commercial loan may very well be offered an SBA 7(A) loan first. This financing product isn?t well suited for commercial real estate because it has variable adjustable rate based on prime rate. However most banks won?t finance transactions that are less than $1M.
The following are some factors why the SBA 504 loan may be the ideal lending product for small- and midsize-business owners:
1. Capital preservation: The SBA 504 loan offers up to 90 % financing of the total project costs for commercial real estate purchases. This enables small business owners to retain more capital for other uses.
2. Below-market interest rates: Businesses will save on interest expenses by not accepting market interest rates when below-market, fixed interest rates are offered with the 504 loan.
3. Longer loan amortizations: Longer loan terms provide smaller payments, which assists a business?s income. Furthermore, because prepayments are permitted (generally around 20 % of the principal balance), businesses can have the best of both worlds ? smaller payments when times are tough but the power to prepay when excess funds are accessible.
4. Less effect on cash flow: Because applicants only put in 10 % equity, get below-market interest rates and get longer loan amortizations, their cash flow is less affected, and they can continue to realize all the benefits of purchasing or constructing commercial real estate.
5. Decrease in property expenses: Owning property rather than leasing normally means a substantial decline in property expenses ? around Forty percent. Ownership also offers the extra benefit of switching a sizable adjustable expense (rent) to a fixed cost (mortgage).
6. Loans accessible for closing and other soft costs: Financing closing and other expenses using the 504 loan will help keep out-of-pocket expenses to a Ten percent minimum.
7. No balloon payments, calls or covenants: Without balloon payments, calls or negative loan covenants, borrowers have peace of mind.
8. Short closing time: Closing in as little as 1 month allows small business owners to take possession of their new asset.
9. Best deal overall: This loan offers small and midsize businesses advantages previously only known to larger enterprises.
When you take a closer look at the SBA 504 loans, it is clear that it is the right choice for many small-business owners.
Related Posts:
Source: http://www.citycapitalfinance.com/blog/sba-loans-closer-look-at-sba-504-loans
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
Great Advice To Freshen Up Your Home | welcome to ...
Your own happiness ( or even lack of it ) at home can easily affect the way you actually look at the world around you. All of us devote nearly all of our precious time in the home or at the office, and so if you also work from the place where you live, the impact that it has on you will be enormous. By just actually making your home a space of tranquil refuge, you will quickly improve your mindset and also create an actual home that rejuvenates you daily. Take a look at some tips about transforming your own home.
An excellent home improvement technique to benefit from for promoting your house or even just enhancing how it looks is for you to add exterior illumination. It does not matter if you?re illuminating your decorative concrete driveway or simply just the front and/or back balcony, several outdoor lighting fixtures on or all-around the house can make a great difference and also makes it possible for your own home to be noticed.
Think about your personal comfort level inside your own home. Of course no home is going to be flawless, but bigger issues might cause physical discomfort. Even small changes will make a significant difference in your life. It could be as easy as trading the stove that has the unsteady door or maybe getting a significantly better looking couch.
Make sure you add several entertaining places to your house. A jacuzzi or even pool is a good recreational improvement. Not only will these types of objects provide you with added fun, they furthermore make your home appear better. This can add value to your home.
Remember to check your lighting if your house causes you to truly feel exhausted. Eyestrain and low energy are only two of the results of terrible lighting. Adding brand new lighting fixtures or replacing existing lighting are fast home improvement techniques that would add practical room or space to your house, as well as improving upon your own feeling.
Green spots can really add color, style or natural beauty to your personal outdoor areas. Center on a little part of the garden, and then convert it into your own haven, or even hire a gardener to be able to enhance all of your outside space. You can add a spot in your own backyard where you can really enjoy increased quality of air and also relax together with your friends and family. You can easily plant fruit and vegetables, flowers for your vases, or maybe spices or herbs for cooking food.
Change the actual look and feel of the external surfaces of your property. There are certainly projects which you could take on in order to make improvements to the actual outward appearance of the home, just like painting the exterior of the house or even updating all of your house windows. Because of this, you can come back home to something which is beautiful to look at and the actual pleasure you will have towards your home will start before you begin to even step foot inside your home.
If repainting all the exterior of your house, make use of plastic sheeting as well as masking tape to avoid getting fresh paint on other surface areas, such as the house windows. Use drop cloths in order to protect decorative concrete driveways, verandas, and plants from dripping fresh paint. You will need to use three inch tape in order to protect the trim as you are painting the siding on your home.
You would spend a considerable amount of time at your house. For that reason, it is crucial that your house is a pleasant environment. On that basis, it is really best if you put money into home improvements because they could enhance the quality as well as the actual value of your property.
Source: http://www.kathycalhounpresident.com/great-advice-to-freshen-up-your-home/
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UK's "It's a cracker" comic Frank Carson dies at 85 (Reuters)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - British comedian Frank Carson, best known for the oft-repeated catchphrases "It's the way I tell 'em" and "It's a cracker" as well as his irreverent style of humor, has died aged 85.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Sea turtle may become California's official marine reptile
California has a state bird, a state flower and even a state fossil ? the saber-toothed cat. Joining the bunch could be an official state marine reptile.
A bill introduced last week by Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) would name the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle to a growing list of symbols that includes the California quail, the gray whale, the California poppy and the garibaldi ? the state marine fish.
The leatherback, the world's largest sea turtle, would claim an entry in the law books right below ? and not to be confused with ? its relative the desert tortoise, a landlubber that has held the title of state reptile since 1972.
The symbolic measure, intended to raise awareness about the imperiled creatures, comes as the federal government is setting aside 41,000 square miles of the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington as critical habitat for leatherback turtles, which can weigh in at 2,000 pounds and measure 8 feet long.
Their numbers have dropped by more than 95% since the 1980s because of disease, the harvest of their eggs and entanglement in fishing gear. Leatherback turtles have been on the endangered species list since 1970.
Fong said the designation is part of a "coordinated worldwide conservation effort" to save the sea turtles from extinction. The designation, he said, "will demonstrate California's commitment to protecting leatherback sea turtles and our ocean's ecosystem."
Leatherback turtles have been around for 100 million years and make the longest known migration of any reptile, swimming thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean each year from nesting beaches in Indonesia, Mexico and Costa Rica to the U.S. West Coast, where they feed on jellyfish.
The bill would also declare Oct. 15 Western Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle Conservation Day and encourage the state's public schools to teach about the turtles.
tony.barboza@latimes.com
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Would Obama's corporate tax cut speed the recovery? (The Week)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Week - The proposal would doom the recovery: "This is a terrible, terrible plan," says James Pethokoukis at The American. The stagnant economic recovery is already "arguably the worst in modern American history," and instead of giving corporate America a hand, Obama now wants to saddle companies with so-called reform that would "actually raise the tax burden on American business by $250 billion over a decade." That would make us less competitive than ever, and doom our chances of bouncing back anytime soon."Why Obama's corporate tax plan is a total bust"
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Home Buying Guide: Buy Existing or Build New | My PR Services
Buying an Existing Home
Advantages
One of the advantages of buying a home already owned by another individual is the market availability of this product. Existing homes, or resale homes, far exceeds the quantity of new construction homes in the real estate market. You can move into a resale home quickly, especially if it is current unoccupied. If the existing seller is anxious to move, it is possible to purchase a resale home for below current market value.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of buying an existing home is the current condition of the home. The home has been occupied and lived in and will experience normal wear and tear. Repairs made be necessary for any damage seen in the home. Items such as appliances may be nearing the end of their functionality and need to be replaced.
Building a New Home
Advantages
When you build a new home from the ground up, you will end up with a home in perfect, brand new condition. There may be a builder?s warranty on the home, which typically covers the whole house for the first year. It may cover structural parts for even longer, such as the roof.
With a new home, the buyer usually can pick the floor plan and type of home to be built. The builder usually offers a variety of house plans to choose from, which you may be able to modify to meet your personal desires. You choose everything from the color and style of the kitchen cabinets and countertops to the type of flooring and appliances to be installed. You can create your perfect dream home, exactly as you want it.
Disadvantages
When you build a new home, one of the disadvantages is that it could take months to build. Another disadvantage could be the cost. Depending on where you are located, it may cost significantly more to build a new home compared to buying an existing home. You also have to figure in the cost of the land. It is not always included with the cost of the home.
If you need to obtain financing to buy a new construction home, be aware that this type of financing is different than a conventional mortgage loan. Rates may vary during the construction phase and upon completion. Down payment requirements may be higher also.
Looking for complete house and land packages? LWP property development Perth offer award winning residential housing estates that cater for your budget. Contact them now to see their new community developments.
Depending on your financial budget, time frame, and type of house desired, you may find that one option is better than the other. For more information, consult with a real estate professional.
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Home Buying Guide: Buy Existing or Build New,Related Articles:
- Should You Buy or Build a New Home?
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- Buying a New Home? Buy a Building Inspection Report First!
- Buying a Home? Get a Prepurchase Building Report First
- Buying a House and Land Package
Source: http://myprservices.com/real-estate/home-buying-guide-buy-existing
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Is that 'new car smell' toxic to your body? (The Week)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Week - An annual study of over 200 vehicles ranks models based on the number of harmful chemicals inside. And the worst car interior goes to...Taking a deep breath in that new sports car might not be such a good idea. The new car smell many drivers love actually comes from the off-gassing of chemicals in your car's interior. And some of the compounds might be toxic. A Michigan environmental watchdog, the Ecology Center, has just released the results of its annual test of chemical levels in the interiors of 200 vehicles. Here's what you should know:
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SKorean president says Seoul open to NKorea talks (AP)
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Very affordable Addiction to cigarettes Treatment Services | Pete ...
Obsession with liquor or simply pills can appear like a enclosure, that gets increasingly difficult to flee day-after-day. That doesn?t mean, nonetheless, that you have little prevent cravings. That has an fair interest as well as specialist program, anyone is usually unencumbered with this approach hazardous illness.You can see rehabilitate clinics which have been loaded for the treatment of drug addiction along with program in the abuser to assist them to recreate delighted and also strong day-to-day lives. This obsession therapy solutions consist of:
Mastering refusal: This key action necessitates person?s acceptance that he / she features a condition. In search of allow: Specialists are going to employment interview those and work to fully grasp their targeted circumstance. Doing a detox routine: Until the start of actual course of action, your specific has to feel the detoxification process to eliminate every one of the components within the body.
Entering into as well as fascinating inside fixation treatment system: The average person will probably enter overcome method individual within their grow old, and then choice or possibly degree of craving. Protecting sobriety: To the victims which are recouping, it is significant to be able to sober, and even compulsion medication products permit them to have advice and additionally investments and keep sobriety once the cure is over.
To maintain sobriety, affected individuals are usually advised to find a healthy as well as optimistic oxygen belonging to the help support collection and just keep away from as well as decrease connection with enablers. For dependence medication products and services, a person likewise undergoes numerous treatment options, including set therapies and private treatments, christian and / or very own progression time, together with exercising.
Class treatments is of great benefit for the purpose of dependent affected individuals because it supports being familiar with, self-improvement, club character and private will-energy by means of going over know-how about computers individuals that are developing the equivalent situation. Regularly these kinds of craving treatment solution offerings are supplied in all natural environment, telling your religious reference to the exterior form of hosting progression plus healthiness.
Habit Treatment Services offers the best help for top Habit recovery therefore; if you are willing to get the best alcohol treatment after that Habit Specialist is the best help you will get.
Source: http://www.petebenevides.org/health/very-affordable-addiction-to-cigarettes-treatment-services/
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Construction industry offers good jobs, good benefits: A construction ...
February 19th, 2012. Published under Construction Jobs. 1 Comment.
Construction industry offers good jobs, good benefits: A construction professional can bring in an annual salary that ranges from ,000 to ,000, ? An article from: Alaska Business Monthly
This digital document is an article from Alaska Business Monthly, published by Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc. on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1536 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Construction industry offers good jobs, good benefits: A construction professional can bring in an annual salary that ranges from ,000 to ,000, plus benefits.(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Joan Pardes
Publication: Alaska Business Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Alaska Business Publishing Company, Inc.
Volume: 18 Issue: 5 Page: 68(4)
Article Type: Industry Overview, Statistical Data Included
Distributed by Thomson Gale
List Price: $ 5.95
Price: $ 5.95
Original Source : Click Here
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ECB would support euro zone combining firewalls-Asmussen (Reuters)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - The European Central Bank would support the euro zone boosting its firewall by combining what remains in its temporary bailout facility with its permanent fund, ECB board member Joerg Asmussen was cited as saying by a German business daily.
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Sunday, February 19, 2012
thegreenapple.org ? Company Team: The Main Element To Fiscal ...
When commencing a small business, probably the most widespread circumstances entrepreneurs today are going through is definitely the backing. Aside from backing, you have to promote your services to folks even before you can offer it successfully. Such as, if you?re seeking to promote a new product with a new brand name, you have to be imaginative in an effort to fascinate potential clients.
Indeed, commencing your individual business is tricky. Even so, what if you will find a way to start a small business that can promise you backing and more gains? What if you can instantaneously have buyers at that time you wide open your business? Because of this gain, it will be possible have fun with fast cash flow following cracking open your business.
This is called small business franchising. Probably the greatest gains that small business franchising will offer is usually the brand name identification. The reason being because the distinct brand name utorrent is already recognized by people, you won?t possess any difficulties whatsoever with regards to selling these products that you are selling. Even so, you additionally have to be sure that you just select a perfectly-acknowledged small business series so as selling.
For illustration, if you?d like to wide open a cafe, why not series a trendy takeaway food company? That way, lots more people will understand the foods that you are selling so you dont really need to market. These are promoting, you won?t worry much about this distinct element as being the series would be the kinds that may publicize to suit your needs. They will provide you with prints, with discount free things and other promoting solutions. For anyone who is sufficiently lucky to get enroll in a large small business series, then you?ll definitely like to have TV commercials for ones download itunes small business.
Usually, a profitable business series will likely provide you with worker and supervision education. That way, you?ll receive started immediately when you wide open your business on the beginning. This will aid you in getting started and clean some misconception with regard to high quality worker solutions, insurance cover and in addition completing payrolls and other worries.
However, it doesnt signify you dont must work tirelessly whenever you very own a profitable business series. You need to have plans on in places you would like small business for being. It is important that you should select a superior spot to commence your business series, like it ought to be readily available for ones potential clients, and you simply should program the computer, such as insurance policies, keep structure, service expectations, and perhaps supervision procedures.
When commencing a profitable business series, you must know selected nero download elements of the series you are wanting to purchase. Such as, you must know in regards to the classes they give you, how fiscally steady the company is and just how they perform already in the market. By understanding this, you may have a good idea about how perfectly your business go ahead the near future. By choosing a steady corporation which provides a great deal of advantages to their series owners, it is certain that your particular small business will probably be one of the better in your area.
Always bear in mind achievements doesnt specifically depend upon the series itself. The treatment depends on positive believing within your part to acheive it likely. You must think about the fact that it is not every day you?ll practical knowledge huge salary within your small business. Expect some cutbacks and find out dealing with it with positive believing. On time or immediately after many years as being a series proprietor, it will be possible to view the benefits within your working hard and dedication.
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Tensions with Iran raise US safety concerns (AP)
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Saturday, February 18, 2012
Excessive Resolution Photographs Of Vehicles, Especially Classic ...
Car aficionados and enthusiasts simply can?t seem to get enough with automobiles. There?s just a certain allure with cars that drives, no pun supposed, many people to go wacko about them. Most individuals although do not have the assets to have an automobile assortment far more a set of classic cars. Lots of them simply augment their dreams with having a set of excessive resolution pictures of cars and vintage cars.
These images or pictures can be utilized for quite a lot of applications. It is normal to see desktops, PC?s, laptops and cell telephones to have these footage as their wall papers. This way, they will have an opportunity to see their favorite vehicles anytime they want to. Also, this serves as an aim for them.
Other people use these images as posters. Because of their high decision, they can be printed in a big format and use the poster to adorn their walls. For an automobile buff, these large posters are great inside designs particularly if their properties appear like an automotive shrine. For enterprising automobile fans, they could even sell a few of these posters, not only are they capable of indulge in their favourite subject, however they will also earn a living out of it.
Another enterprise that an individual can do utilizing excessive resolution photographs of vehicles and classic cars is printing shirts utilizing these images. By having completely different photographs of various automobile models, you can make sure that you?ll find a market to your products. Automotive golf equipment all over the world can use these shirts as mementos and by customizing the design; you?ll find a distinct segment within the market.
Make sure although that before you utilize these pictures, you?ve purchased them and have no copyright infringements. Unable to take action can lead you to some authorized problems. So it is imperative that you buy first the pictures from its owner and secure the rights to breed them.
Some of the more fashionable downloads made with high decision images of cars and vintage cars are souped up basic vehicles like roadsters and inventory automobiles which have nice trying graphics on them. Flames are popular choices for this.
With the emergence of the web, in search of excessive decision pictures of vehicles and classic automobiles have been a lot easier. Gone are the days whenever you yourself must take the pictures. No more want for scouring good wanting cars and paying their owners to allow you to take a picture of their prized possession.
Many high resolution photographs of vehicles and vintage vehicles are now being supplied by numerous websites and all you must do is make a thorough research. For a payment, you will be able to download these photographs and use them nonetheless you want.
All you need to do is use a search engine, sort in a specific mannequin and make of the vehicle you are on the lookout for and add ?excessive resolution image? to the important thing phrase. A lot of websites shall be shown to you and you can go to these sites and pick one that looks best to you.
Keep in mind to make sure that there is no copyright infringement whenever you purchase the images. Ask the owner if they are the owner of those images. It will prevent plenty of trouble later on.
In case you desire more facts about vintage images, swing by Maary B Rockkenspy?s internet site this minute.
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Fast vote: Congress sends payroll tax cut to Obama
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks to the floor of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, for the payroll tax cut vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walks to the floor of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, for the payroll tax cut vote. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Barack Obama greets the crowd upon his arrival at Paine Field, in Everett, Wash., Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Obama is outlining new steps to boost U.S. exports during a tour to a Boeing assembly plant in Everett, calling on Congress to continue financing a national export credit agency crucial to a goal of doubling exports by 2014. He was promoting foreign trade and manufacturing at the end of a three-day trip. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., left, and Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas walk to the House floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, for the final vote on the payroll tax cut extension. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Congress swiftly approved legislation Friday renewing a payroll tax cut for 160 million American workers and jobless benefits for millions more, backing the main items on President Barack Obama's jobs agenda in a rare burst of Washington bipartisanship.
The Senate approved the $143 billion measure on a 60-36 vote minutes after the House approved it by a sweeping 293-132 vote. Obama is expected to sign it shortly after returning from a West Coast fundraising swing.
On Friday in an appearance at a Boeing factory in Everett, Wash., Obama gave lawmakers a verbal fist bump.
"It is amazing what happens when Congress focuses on doing the right thing instead of just playing politics," Obama said. "This was a good example, and Congress should take pride in it."
In fact, Obama's jobs agenda had politics woven into it, including campaign-style rallies and news coverage that ? along with the GOP presidential primary ? have coincided with a boost in his poll numbers.
Under the bill, workers would continue to receive a 2 percentage point increase in their paychecks, and people out of work for more than six months would keep jobless benefits averaging about $300 a week, steps that Obama says will help support a fragile recovery from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
It would also head off a steep cut in reimbursements for physicians who treat Medicare patients.
The tax cuts, jobless coverage and higher doctors' payments would all continue through 2012.
Passage of the legislation hands Obama a victory over objections from many Republicans who oppose it but were eager to wipe the issue from the election-year agenda.
It also clears away a political headache for House Republicans, who blocked a two-month extension of the tax cut and jobless coverage in late December, only to retreat quickly under a buzz saw of opposition from conservative and GOP leaders from around the country.
With that history, Republicans seemed ready to get the fight behind them and change the subject for the rest of this election year.
"We're dumb, but we're not stupid," McCain told reporters after he voted. "We did not want to repeat the debacle of last December. It's not that complicated."
"I think everyone learned a lot from the end-of-the-year stuff," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "Everything doesn't have to be a fight." Republicans, Reid added, have "opposed virtually everything we've tried to do."
"I think they came to the conclusion that that hasn't worked out very well," Reid said.
Opposition was stronger in the Senate, where Republicans voted against the measure by a 2-1 margin. Five Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., opposed the measure, while 14 Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, backed it.
In the House, however, a solid majority of Republicans backed the measure despite reservations about its $89 billion impact on the budget deficit over the coming decade.
And Republicans said the final deal, significantly changed from a tea party-backed measure that passed in December, was the best Republicans could get.
"We don't control Washington. Democrats still control Washington ? they control the Senate, and they control the White House," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., the top House negotiator on the measure. "A divided government must still govern." Camp cited stricter job search requirements for people receiving unemployment benefits and other reforms to the program as wins for conservatives.
But many GOP lawmakers were upset that the measure would add to the federal deficit and doubted that it would do much to boost the economy. Another concern was that it cuts a payroll tax that's dedicated to paying Social Security benefits. Deficit spending would make up for the lost revenue, but some lawmakers fear it would chip away at Washington's commitment to the program.
"I cannot and I will not support legislation that extends the payroll tax holiday without paying for it," said Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga. "This will add $100 billion to the deficit and it will create an even greater shortfall within the Social Security trust fund that already has over $100 billion shortfall just in the last two years."
And the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, excoriated the measure for cutting the retirement benefits of new federal hires.
"The only individuals paying for this bill out of 315 million Americans are the two million civilian workers who work for us, who work for all of us, day after day, week after week, month after month," Hoyer said.
Extending the 2 percentage point cut in the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax would save around $80 monthly for someone earning $50,000 a year and give a maximum cut of $2,200 to high-end earners.
The reduction in the Social Security payroll tax, which is deducted from workers' paychecks, would cost $93 billion through 2022. In a sudden concession this week that made bipartisan agreement possible, House Republicans dropped their demand that the tax cut be paid for with spending reductions.
In a GOP win, coverage for the long-term unemployed would be cut from the current maximum of 99 weeks to a ceiling of 73 weeks by this fall in states with the worst job markets, with most topping out at 63 weeks.
Of the $30 billion cost of the extended unemployment benefits, half would be paid for by government sales of parts of the nation's broadcast airwaves, half by requiring federal workers hired after this year to contribute an additional 2.3 percent of their pay for their pensions, up from the current 0.8 percent.
That increase also would apply to members of Congress, but only to those who begin service as of next January ? exempting every current lawmaker.
The bill also would prevent a 27 percent cut in federal payments to doctors who treat Medicare patients, a reduction that threatened to make it harder for seniors to find physicians.
That would cost about $18 billion. It would be paid for by trimming Medicare reimbursements to health care providers to cover unpaid medical bills, cutting payments to hospitals that treat large numbers of poor patients and cutting a fund created in Obama's health care overhaul for preventing diseases caused by smoking and obesity.
A House-approved measure letting states test unemployment benefit applicants for drug testing was pared back, permitting the tests only for people who lost their jobs due to drug use or whose new jobs would require such tests.
Those seeking unemployment coverage would have to show they are actively seeking work, but another GOP-backed provision forcing them to pursue high school equivalency diplomas was abandoned.
___
Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
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