Sunday, September 30, 2012

Daytrading, Stock Trading, Investing and Forex Trading ? Basic ...

With the recession practically now formally over and grinding down to a halt, the recovery period starts.

Therefore , many stocks are at record low costs and are ready for the picking, making it one of the very best times to speculate in decades. To distinguish between which stocks have absolutely bottomed out and which continue to fall, you ought to use an automatic securities trading system which is specially built to use rational, algorithmic tools to decode market info and find rewarding trading prospects. It is looking at trends of the past and applies that to realtime market information to try to find overlaps between the 2 to further analyze. In particular, here is ways to treble your investments overnite with an automatic stock trading program. * There are new technologies out there now that will seriously increase the chances for successful securities dealing. They also are comparatively cheap and convenient to use.

The fantastic thing about the stockmarket trading software is the indisputable fact that they're programmed to recognise the trends and advise you of which stocks are probably going to be good to make an investment in. If you're think about making an investment in a stock market dealing software then it might be to your benefit to learn all you are able to about the various type and the arguments of every one before purchasing one. Marion, his other half of twenty-eight years is bored with his interminable hours and the grouchy hubby who slumps in his chair in front of the TV during the night. Obsession for numbers and research has always impressed Bill and he has historically thought about looking into the stock exchange. She regularly asks herself how much longer is she able to continue to hear Bill?s pipe dreams of the ship he'd like, the family vacations he's always talking about, the better life he fancies. It was too late to do anything differently and he would be stuck in this rut for the remainder of his days. At fifty six, he felt that his life was essentially over.

Source: http://traders101.com/2012/09/30/basic-stockmarket-trading-tips/

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Even better than a flight suit (Unqualified Offerings)

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Asbury Automotive CEO: 'A lot of people had written us off as goners ...

There?s nothing like a crisis to teach leadership. Craig Monaghan has experienced at least two ? one on the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, and the other in the auto industry, when his company came within an eyelash of shutting the doors.

Craig Monaghan

Craig Monaghan

Monaghan, 55, is CEO of Asbury Automotive Group, the fifth largest publicly traded car retailer in the country, with $4.3 billion in annual revenue from 28 brands sold at dealerships in 10 states. The Duluth-based firm nearly failed during the Great Recession when lenders could have demanded $500 million it didn?t have. Monaghan talks about what he learned from leading people through nerve-wracking events in business and the military.

Q: Your company was in critically bad financial shape. Would you please discuss?

A: In 2008 and 2009, our stock was trading at $2 a share and a lot of people had written us off as goners. Our debt of $500 million was 5.5 times our cash flow, which is a very dangerous level. Our new cars sales had fallen by 40 percent. GM and Chrysler were on their way to bankruptcy and we had many of their dealerships. Our auditors were telling us that they didn?t believe we would exist a year into the future.

It was a scary time. We were forced to restructure our business. We eliminated an entire layer of management. Our offices were in New York City and we moved to Duluth, saving millions of dollars. At its peak, we had 8,500 employees. Today, it?s less than 7,000. Many employees took pay cuts.

What we learned is that business is a team sport. Our employees and our partners stood tall with us ? the banks, manufacturers and vendors. Our lenders could have called back $500 million and we would have been bankrupt. But within a matter of days, all of the lenders said they wouldn?t do that.

Q: Why not?

A: They believed in us. We had long-standing relationships with them. We were able to quickly demonstrate to them that we had a plan that we would be able to maintain positive cash flow throughout this downturn.

They stood behind us because we had always been a company of our word. We had people here with long-term relationships with our lenders, including Bank of America, JPMorgan, Toyota Motor Credit and BMW Finance. They could have said, ?lights out and we?ll take whatever money we can get.?

Once we got through that, we were on our way. We sold some stores and made cuts. We got ourselves into a position where we could maintain a cash cushion and stay cash-flow positive at the same time. In fact, we started buying back our debt, which had been trading at 30 cents on the dollar. Today, our debt or leverage is less than half of what it was. It?s been cut to 2.3 times our cash flow, from 5.5.

Q: What did the employees do?

A: The people here earned the reputations that helped us with the lenders. Still, it was a demoralizing time to see some of your peers lose their jobs. It was very difficult for me personally. There were a lot of people we had to ask to leave ? many of whom had spent quite some time with the company. But we weren?t going to survive if we didn?t make the hard decisions.

We compounded those hard decisions by asking other people to uproot their families and relocate here. So you had an economy and a housing market in a free fall, many of our peers were asked to leave, and then we asked others to leave their homes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and move to Atlanta. We asked them to take your kids out of school, leave your parents and your spouse?s parents, and come here to try to save a company. And they did.

When you take a group of people and you put them in a crucible and they survive, they are a far tighter and stronger team than you can ever imagine. They understand how close we came to losing what we have today. It makes them far superior managers today than what they would have been otherwise. They were baptized by fire.

Q: How about you? Were you baptized by fire during your military service in Korea?

A: I was an Army platoon leader on the DMZ in Korea in 1980 during a very hostile time. The North Koreans would jam our communications equipment, so when that happens I?m making the calls as a platoon leader. They had shot down one of our helicopters while I was there. We were on the edge.

I?m not sure you can teach leadership, but you can experience leadership. As a young lieutenant dropped in that situation, I was very fortunate to have some great sergeants that I learned from. And let?s not kid ourselves ? the people who really run platoons are the sergeants.

We dealt with every level of human emotion. I learned what?s a real problem and what?s a problem we can manage. A real problem is when someone?s life is in your hands. I sat there on the DMZ and sometimes late at night we?d hear noise out there. Your radios are jammed and you?re thinking this could be it. If these guys come, we?re going to put up one helluva fight.

There?s a strength and a resiliency that comes from that. When you get back here, you realize that even though we?re having a crisis, there?s nobody with an AK-47 sitting a short distance away who?s trying to kill us.

We?re trying to save a business, but nobody is going to die. You can keep things in perspective and make calm decisions. There?s a big difference between having your livelihood at stake and your life at stake.

Q: You had an interesting mountain climbing experience with two of your kids. Would you please discuss?

A: I was with my 23-year-old son, Connor, and my 26-year-old daughter, Shannon. We were attempting to climb the Grand Teton in Wyoming, which is a two-day climb. You climb to 11,000 feet the first day. On the second day, we were at about 12,500 feet and starting to break out the ropes for the technical part of the climb to 13,800 feet. My daughter began to suffer from altitude sickness. She had a headache, was nauseous and said she couldn?t go on.

My son said, ?We came up together and we?re going down together.? I couldn?t be more proud. We?re a family.

Each week, Sunday Business Editor Henry Unger has a candid conversation, called ?5 Questions for the Boss,? with a top executive in Georgia. Some remarks are edited for length and style.

Source: http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2012/09/29/asbury-automotive-ceo-%E2%80%98a-lot-of-people-had-written-us-off-as-goners%E2%80%99/?cxntfid=blogs_business_beat

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Console gaming 1 PC gaming 0 ? VG247 Forum

Except when it doesn't, G1GA. If a game is broken on a console, it carries a prohibitive cost for the developer to fix their fuck-up. Some might not want to pay, and others are gonna drag out iterating on those patches, to save that money. Skyward Sword found itself in a bit of trouble, MW2 had exploits that weren't in the PC version, and New Vegas would randomly corrupt saves on consoles.

The main reason why there's so little difference between gaming on a PC and gaming on a console, is that any multi-platform title needs to be able to squeeze itself onto a console. That means less demanding games, reducing the design to work with a pad, and you won't have trouble finding PC gamers who are disappointed with that.

The difference is really as clear as comparing Crysis with Crysis 2. You have dumber AI, you have simpler graphics, and obviously that puts the PC at a disadvantage, for being capable of a lot more than that.

Strategy games, simulators, most things that deal with complex systems and micro-management are next to impossible to pull off on consoles, to say nothing for scale. I don't see Planetside 2 bringing it's 1000 v 1000 player battles to the consoles any time soon.

It's what you said, you get what you pay for. I pay more, and I get more.

On a PC I can get any game I want, digitally, often hassle free, using exactly four clicks of a mouse. On the 360 I have to count on luck to make sure Microsoft are actually offering that game I want, digitally.

A PC is never just a gaming machine.

I can watch my favourite shows while I play a nice relaxing indie game, or have a conversation while I do it, or possibly all three at the same time, if I want to give myself a multi-tasking headache.

I can listen to music on any number of services while I work on a document or write an e-mail, I can check the news, I can research anything that I might need, I can waste time on Facebook or tweet or look at Reddit, all within seconds.

A console doesn't even come close to that functionality.

Source: http://www.vg247.com/forum/topic.php?id=6596

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

LLC vs. Corporation What Entity Is The Right For You ? headline news

Choosing the right entity

 

You finally decided to form your own legal entity. However, how would you know which one is the best choice for you particular needs?

 

To make this choice wisely it is important to understand the basic differences between various types of legal entities. This article focuses on comparison between LLC (limited liability company), one of the most popular business entities today, and various forms of corporation, namely C- and S-Corporation.

 

C-Corporation vs. S-Corporation

 

All corporations start as C-Corporations and are required to pay income tax on taxable income generated by the corporation. An C-Corporation becomes a S-Corporation by completing and filing federal form 2553 with the IRS.

  1. Taxation:

    An S-Corporation?s net income or loss is ?passed-through? to the shareholders and are included in their personal tax returns. Because income is NOT taxed at the corporate level, there is no double taxation as with C corporations.

  2. Difference in income allocation:

    Subchapter S-Corporations, as they are also called, are restricted to having no more than 100 shareholders, and cannot be owned by C-Corporations, other S-Corporations, many trusts, LLCs, partnerships, or non-resident aliens.

 

LLC vs. C-Corporation

There are three principle differences between LLC and C-Corporation:

  1. The entities are taxed differently:

     

    An LLC is a pass-through tax entity, meaning that the income is not taxed at the company level (however, LLC is still required to complete a tax return). The income or loss as shown on this return is ?passed through? the business entity to the individual shareholders or interest holders, and is reported on their individual tax returns.

     

    C-Corporation is a separately taxable entity, and pays tax on the income prior to any dividend distributions to shareholders. If and when corporate earnings are distributed to shareholders in the form of dividends, the corporation does not receive the reasonable business expense deduction, and dividend income is taxed as regular income to the shareholders.

     

  2. The entities differ in their structure:

    LLCs are less rigid in their structure than corporations, so you have more flexibility in adapting the LLC to your unique business. The Operating Agreement of an LLC can be structured in a limitless amount of ways.

  3. Formality:

    A corporation is a formal entity with officers and directors (at least one of each) required. An LLC, on the other hand, can be ?member managed? and run in a less formal way. For small, start-up businesses, less formality means you can focus on making money rather than administrative work.

 

LLC vs. S-Corporation

Even though LLC and S-Corporation have a lot in common, those two types of entities differ on the following:

  1. Difference in income allocation:

    While S-Ccorporation special tax status eliminates double taxation, it lacks the flexibility of an LLC in allocating income to the owners. An LLC may offer several classes of membership interests, while an S-Corporation may only have one class of stock.

  2. Ownership restrictions:

    Any number of individuals or entities may own interests in an LLC. However, ownership interest in an S-Corporation is limited to no more than 100 shareholders, and S-Corporations cannot be owned by C-Corporations, other S-Corporations, many trusts, LLCs, partnerships, or non-resident aliens. Also, LLCs are allowed to have subsidiaries without restriction.

 

Those are just the principle differences between the three most popular entities. However, when choosing to organize a business one should consider other less popular types of legal entities, as those might answer to particular needs of the business. Consider discussing your situation with a licensed attorney or a CPA, familiar with your situation and whatever requirements your state might have for forming various business entities.

 

Source: http://headlinenews.talkposts.com/2012/09/28/llc-vs-corporation-what-entity-is-the-right-for-you/

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Another big Supreme Court term kicks off Monday

WASHINGTON (AP) ? When last we saw the chief justice of the United States on the bench, John Roberts was joining with the Supreme Court's liberals in an unlikely lineup that upheld President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Progressives applauded Roberts' statesmanship. Conservatives uttered cries of betrayal.

Now, the Supreme Court is embarking on a new term beginning Monday that could be as consequential as the last one, with the prospect for major rulings about affirmative action, gay marriage and voting rights.

Many people on both the left and right expect Roberts to return to the fold and side with the conservative justices in the new term's big cases. If they're right, the spotlight will be back on Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose vote typically is decisive in cases that otherwise split the court's liberals and conservatives.

But Roberts will be watched closely, following his health care vote, for fresh signs that he's becoming less ideologically predictable.

It may be that the dramatic health care decision presages "some shift in his tenure as chief justice," said Steve Shapiro, the American Civil Liberties Union's national legal director. "Or does it give him cover to continue to pursue a conservative agenda?"

The first piece of evidence could be in the court's consideration of the University of Texas' already limited use of race to help fill its incoming freshman classes, which comes before the court Oct. 10. The outcome could further limit or even end the use of racial preferences in college admissions.

Roberts has expressed contempt for the use of race in drawing legislative districts, calling it "a sordid business, this divvying us up by race," and in assigning students to public schools, saying that "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

The written arguments submitted by both sides in the Texas case leave little doubt that Kennedy, not Roberts, holds the prized vote. The challengers of the Texas program and the university itself cite Kennedy's prior writings on affirmative action a combined 50 times.

The court also is expected to confront gay marriage in some form. Several cases seek to guarantee federal benefits for legally married same-sex couples. A provision of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act deprives same-sex couples of a range of federal benefits available to heterosexual couples.

Several federal courts have agreed that the provision of the law is unconstitutional, a situation that practically ensures that the high court will step in.

A separate appeal asks the justices to sustain California's Proposition 8, the amendment to the state constitution that outlawed gay marriage in the nation's largest state. Federal courts in California have struck down the amendment.

Once again, many legal analysts expect Roberts essentially to be against gay marriage. "The outcome clearly turns on how Anthony Kennedy votes," said Georgetown University law professor Michael Seidman.

The justices may not even consider whether to hear the gay marriage issue until November.

Another hot topic with appeals pending before the high court, and more soon to follow, is the future of a cornerstone law of the civil rights movement.

In 2006, Congress overwhelmingly approved, and President George W. Bush signed, legislation extending for 25 more years a critical piece of the Voting Rights Act. It requires states and local governments with a history of racial and ethnic discrimination, mainly in the South, to get advance approval either from the Justice Department or the federal court in Washington before making any changes that affect elections.

The requirement currently applies to the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. It also covers certain counties in California, Florida, New York, North Carolina and South Dakota, and some local jurisdictions in Michigan and New Hampshire. Coverage has been triggered by past discrimination not only against blacks, but also against American Indians, Asian-Americans, Alaskan Natives and Hispanics.

The court spoke skeptically about the provision in a 2009 decision, but left it mostly unchanged. Now, however, cases from Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas could prompt the court to deal head on with the issue of advance approval. The South Carolina and Texas cases involve voter identification laws; a similar Indiana law was previously upheld by the court.

It is unclear when the justices will decide whether to hear arguments in those cases. Arguments themselves would not take place until next year.

Yet there still is a chance that the court could become enmeshed in election disputes, even before the ballots are counted. Suits in Ohio over early voting and provisional ballots appear the most likely to find their way to the justices before the Nov. 6 election, said Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine law school.

Among other important cases already on the court's docket:

? A high-stakes dispute, to be argued first thing Monday, between the business community and human rights advocates over the reach of a 1789 law. The issue is whether businesses can be sued in U.S. courts for human rights violations that take place on foreign soil and have foreign victims.

? A challenge to the use of drug-sniffing dogs in two situations. Florida police used a marijuana-sniffing dog's alert at the door of a private home to obtain a search warrant to look inside the house. The question is whether the dog's sniff itself was a search. A separate case looks at the reliability of animals trained to pick up the scent of illegal drugs.

? A challenge to the detention of a man who police picked up a mile away from an apartment they had a warrant to search. Occupants of a home may be detained during the search for the safety of officers, but this case tests how far that authority extends away from the place to be searched.

? Environmental disputes involving runoff from logging roads in Oregon and water pollution in Los Angeles.

Paul Clement, the Republican lawyer who lost the health care case and could again be before the justices on gay marriage and voting rights, said last term punctured the notion that in close cases, the court goes where Kennedy wants.

"We've all been reminded that's not always the case," he said.

The idea that could be tested this term is whether Roberts' concern for the court as an institution that is apart from politics will influence his votes, or at least his reasoning, in the year's biggest cases.

___

Online:

Supreme Court: http://www.supremecourt.gov

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/another-big-supreme-court-term-kicks-off-monday-122359004.html

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Netanyahu asks U.N. to draw 'red line' on Iran's nuke plans (CNN)

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Handbook of Stem Cells? 2nd Edition Co-edited by ? Robert Lanza ...

lanza

New Edition of Definitive (Two-Volume) Resource in Stem Cells Released Today ?Handbook of Stem Cells? 2nd Edition Co-edited by ? Robert Lanza, M.D., ACT?s Chief Scientific Officer?????? 09/28 08:30 AM

?

MARLBOROUGH, Mass.?(BUSINESS WIRE)? Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC:$0.0765,$-0.0004,-0.52%) , a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that its chief scientific officer, Robert Lanza, M.D. and Anthony Atala, M.D., W.H. Boyce Professor and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, have released the second edition of Handbook of Stem Cells(Academic Press/Elsevier), the widely-recognized definitive resource in the field of stem cells. It includes a Forward by Professor Sir Martin Evans, Ph.D., FRS, co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2007. Sir Martin is credited with discovering embryonic stem cells and is considered one of the chief architects of the field of stem cell research. The two-volume set also includes contributions from dozens of stem cell pioneers, including James Thomson, Shinya Yamanaka, Doug Melton, Janet Rossant, and Robert Langer (a member of ACT?s board of directors), among others, as well as patient advocate Mary Tyler Moore. Handbook of Stem Cells, Second Edition follows a very successful edition published in 2004. The first edition was the first comprehensive body of work dedicated entirely to the stem cell field. The two-volume set quickly became the most relevant textbook in the stem cell arena. Now, several years later, major advances have occurred, with entirely new classes of stem cells being described. The description of induced pluripotent cells in the last few years brought many more avenues of research and discovery. In 2012, the first paper reporting results of two patients treated with human embryonic stem cells was published by ACT and its collaborators. It might seem that we have waited too long to finally see pluripotent stem cells in the clinic. However, this has been accomplished with incredible speed when it is considered that hESCs were first isolated just 14 years ago. Handbook of Stem Cells integrates this exciting area, combining in two volumes the requisites for a general understanding of both adult and embryonic stem cells. Organized in two volumes, Pluripotent Stem Cells and Adult & Fetal Stem Cells, this work contains contributions from the world?s experts in stem cell research to provide a description of the tools, methods, and experimental protocols needed to study and characterize stem cells and progenitor populations as well as a the latest information of what is known about each specific organ system. ?The Handbook of Stem Cells, edited by Robert Lanza and colleagues, is an ambitious new text that achieves extraordinary completeness and inclusiveness,? wrote Steve Goldman of University of Rochester Medical Center in NATURE CELL BIOLOGY about the first edition. ?[...] the editors have succeeded in putting together a reference that is broad enough in scope, but sufficiently detailed and rigorous, to be of real interest to both new and seasoned investigators in the field [...] In providing this treatise, which covers the history, biology, methods and applications of stem cells, the editors and authors have succeeded in establishing a conceptual framework and a common language for the field. In so doing, they have ensured that this two-volume set will serve as a benchmark reference in stem cell biology for years to come.? Writing about the first edition in the Times Higher Education Supplement, Ian Wilmut added, ?These books make an invaluable contribution to the education of researchers and clinicians both of the present day and of the future. They should be available in libraries of all biology and medical schools as well as those of companies and research institutions.? About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC:$0.0765,$-0.0004,-0.52%) Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC:$0.0765,$-0.0004,-0.52%) , is a biotechnology company applying cellular technology in the field of regenerative medicine. For more information, visit www.advancedcell.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating results, future growth in research and development programs, potential applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words ?will,? ?believes,? ?plans,? ?anticipates,? ?expects,? ?estimates,? and similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the company?s periodic reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company?s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and expectations of the company?s management at the time they are made, and the company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change. There can be no assurance that the Company?s clinical trials will be successful. Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACTC:$0.0765,$-0.0004,-0.52%)

Get more news on:SYMBOLS: ACTCNEWS TYPE: SECTORS: Health Care, Pharmaceuticals

Source: http://investorstemcell.com/featured/handbook-of-stem-cells-2nd-edition-co-edited-by-robert-lanza-m-d/

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Purchasing or Selecting the Best Punching Bag for Boxing and ...

How much heavy it should be?

The more weight it has the less sway it will produce. Too much will make the bag hard to hit, and too little sway will make the bag feel like a rock and fail to absorb impacts which will cause damage to bones and tendons over time. 70lb-90lb are the most commonly purchased bags and are appropriate for adults in the 140-170lb weight range. These bags often provide the right blend of resistance and give. For individuals who are 170+lbs or who have developed significantly increased punching power, you may want to shop for 100+lb bags. Lighter bags in the 25lb-60lb range are great for children or smaller adults who are just starting out in their training regiment. A 5?8? male with a weight of about 170 lbs. should look for a bag weighing between 60 and 70lbs. More skilled or heavier hitters might want to look for something closer to 100lbs while those looking for a bag with more sway might want to consider something near the 40lb.

Which of bag exterior is best?

Professional gyms and locations that use heavy bags frequently choose leather for their superior durability and feel. Leather heavy bags are a great option for those who are serious about a good heavy workout, as leather bags are designed to take a serious amount of abuse, hence why all major boxing gyms use leather. What?s great about leather heavy bags is that they most replicate the feeling of landing a punch on an actual opponent, which is great if you?re using it for self defence or if you?re actually looking to go into boxing or martial art. Most punching bags have a thick layer of leather, as leather is a lot kinder to the hands and wrist when punching the bag. The other are main exterior types are vinyl, nylon and canvas. Vinyl, nylon, and canvas bags are less expensive and don?t require maintenance, making them popular choices for at-home use. Canvas bags are durable but very abrasive against bare knuckles.

Of what martial?

Most heavy bags come filled, but some require construction and others give you the chance to fill them with anything you please.Filled ones are generally made out of soft foam that can take tons of abuse without becoming misshapen. Even though the foam is soft, it still provides solid resistance against strikes. An alternative to that is a liquid core punch bag that has a bladder mechanism and contains water. Punch bags which are not filled will reduce the shipping and overall cost of the product. In those cases you will have the foam available, but it will be your choice to use it. With these products you can create any filling you want, be it foam, stuffing, or old rags you have lying around.

What else to get while buying it?

Simple beam bracket or an entire free stand used for hanging a punch bag. Although most bags come with it, be certain you have a chain assembly which actually does the hanging from the ceiling mount. Finally have your safety equipment in order, including hand wraps, bag gloves, shorts and proper shoes.

You can find the punch bags from this site:

Sporteq punch bags

See a tutorial of how to hang bag in your room at Lixup Videos

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/shoppingandproductreviews/2012/09/28/purchasing-or-selecting-the-best-punching-bag-for-boxing-and-martial-arts-training/

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

A Cancer Patient's Best Friend - NYTimes.com

Life, Interrupted

Suleika Jaouad writes about her experiences as a young adult with cancer.

When I was growing up, my dream was to one day become a veterinarian. In fourth and fifth grade, I volunteered every day after school at a veterinarian?s clinic. I didn?t view it as an ?internship? ? in my mind, I was apprenticing for a certain future in the field. When I was 10, I asked for an incubator for Christmas. By spring, I was carting around a dozen baby chicks in my purple doll stroller. In middle school I walked dogs at the local animal shelter. But as I got older, there was college, summer travel, then my first real job, at a law firm in France. I was entering the ?real world,? as they say in commencement speeches. And there was no room in my adult life for a dog.

Then, a year and a half ago, came my cancer diagnosis, and with it the return home. I found myself pleading with my parents for a puppy, just as I?d done as a child. But I knew the medical reality: My weakened immune system, the result of chemotherapy, made getting a dog impossible. My doctors didn?t even think twice about rejecting the prospect, though I still made it a point of asking every few months.

In early September, I was shocked when I received a voice mail message from one of the nurses in the bone marrow transplant clinic. Instead of rescheduling an appointment or changing the dosage of one of my medications, she had dog-related news: My doctors had decided to give me the green light on adopting a furry friend. In fact, they encouraged it. My immune system was stronger ? not as strong as it could be, but relatively strong for a patient in the first six months after transplant. And caring for a pet, my doctors told me, might even be therapeutic. As a cancer patient, I?m always being prescribed medicine. But I never thought I?d get a prescription for a puppy.

I didn?t waste much time. The same day I headed with my boyfriend, Seamus, to Animal Haven, a rescue animal organization in Lower Manhattan. As we skimmed their selection of dogs, I began to feel overwhelmed. There were big dogs and small ones, old and young. How could I pick my future companion as if I were shopping for shoes in a catalog? But when I saw Schnoodle, a 9-week-old miniature schnauzer and toy poodle mix with big brown eyes, floppy puppy ears and soft white fur, I couldn?t resist. I didn?t need to see any other dogs. I knew I had to bring him home. In the cab ride home, ?Schnoodle? became ?Oscar,? named after my favorite writer, Oscar Wilde, and Seamus?s favorite basketball player, Oscar Robertson.

I?m giddy these days since Oscar came into my life. Caring for a pet is a welcome distraction from the day-to-day reality of being a cancer patient. I?m not sure what it is about puppies, but holding Oscar instantly makes me feel better. I?ve had him for only 13 days, but my new favorite pastime is to watch him sleep, his tiny black paws twitching as he chases rabbits in his puppy dreams. The warmth of his little body and the steady beat of his heart against my chest distract me from my anxiety. He brings me instantly to the present.

In the short time Oscar has been in my life, he?s had an effect on my relationships. Rather than staring at my bald head, passers-by stop to play with Oscar and to tell me how cute he is. The other tenants in my building now say hello to my dog before greeting me. And instead of discussing my symptoms and treatment plan for the week, my boyfriend and I have been spending more time focused on puppy playtime, going on long walks in the park and taking Oscar to his obedience classes. It?s nice not to be the center of attention for a change.

But the reality is that I am a cancer patient. I have to take extra health precautions, like wearing gloves when I clean up after him and washing my hands thoroughly. It?s work, but I enjoy the structure, something cancer patients often lack. I share responsibility for Oscar with my boyfriend, which allows me to rest when I need to.

For now, I?m in a tenuous type of remission reserved for ?high risk? leukemia patients in the first year after transplant. I still feel anxious at each appointment, as I wait to hear that the previous week?s test results are all right. I still take medicine (23 pills a day, by my last count). I still have my weekly appointments at the hospital. And every three weeks, I do a five-day course of preventive chemotherapy.

But it?s a sign of my progress that I?m allowed to be around a dog at all. My immune system is getting stronger, my doctors tell me. Oscar can?t change what?s going on in my bone marrow. But I can feel that he?s already working magic.


Suleika Jaouad (pronounced su-LAKE-uh ja-WAD) is a 24-year-old writer from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Her column, ?Life, Interrupted,? chronicling her experiences as a young adult with cancer, appears weekly on Well. Follow @suleikajaouad on Twitter.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/27/a-cancer-patients-best-friend/

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Do Phones Need to Come With Chargers These Days? [Chatroom]

UK carrier O2 is taking a pretty bold step: an as-yet-unannounced new HTC handset that it's selling will come without a charger in the box. O2 claims it's an attempt to be more environmentally friendly, but maybe it's just the future. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/32uQwmK4upg/do-phones-need-to-come-with-chargers-these-days

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Does Canada Need a National - Dr. Sharma's Obesity Notes

Yesterday, I was quoted in the media regarding a private members bill introduced by MP John Weston calling for municipalities to provide cheap access to fitness centres, as considering this idea rather ?simplistic?.

Not that I don?t think Canadians should be more active or that we must not do all we can to reduce the epidemic of sedentariness.

I just don?t believe that a) this needs to happen at fitness centres and b) that this is necessarily a bill that should be offered as a solution to the obesity problem.

If anything, these type of proposals do little else but perpetuate the myth that a bit of more physical activity will reduce body weights or prevent weight gain.

Rather, with, for example, the emerging evidence on the role of sleep deprivation on metabolism and body weight, we may as well be calling for a national ?Let?s All Sleep In Late? day or (even better) a national ?Let?s All Stop To Smell The Flowers? Day.

The point is not that I am against exercise or don?t believe in its benefits. The point is that it will take more than getting more Canadians into fitness centres to combat obesity.

Not that we should be stopping anyone from getting more active. MP Weston apparently is a sports buff himself, has three kids who are sports buffs, and a wife who is a personal fitness trainer - great for them, but hardly a model for the Canadians that I see in my practice.

It is certainly not the monetary cost of visiting a fitness centre stopping them - if anything, it is lack of time, low self-esteem, poor body image, depression, sheer exhaustion after a stressful day, and perhaps far too little restorative sleep.

The last thing they need is yet one more obligation (read: visit to a fitness centre) in their already busy and overscheduled days.

If they did have the extra hour or so to actually dedicate to going to a fitness centre my advice would probably be to rather get an extra hour of sleep or perhaps just an extra hour of mindful relaxation - read a book, go for a walk, play an instrument, paint a picture, or just take the time to have a meaningful conversation with your kid or partner - or, perhaps, just pause to smell the flowers.

The problem is not that Canadians are too lazy or too cheap to pay for fitness centres - the problem is that too many Canadians are too busy, too stressed, too short of time, too exhausted, spend too much time in their cars, and are too caught up in everything else that makes a healthy lifestyle virtually impossible.

As I?ve said before, changing your lifestyle is more about changing your ?life? than your ?style?.

Perhaps a life in which there is actually time to stop and smell the flowers will do more to prevent and better manage your weight than any workout that I?ve ever heard of.

AMS
Edmonton, Alberta

photo credit: bikesandwich via photopin cc

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Source: http://www.drsharma.ca/does-canada-need-a-national-stop-to-smell-the-flowers-day.html

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

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Tokyoflash releases the Kisai Logo, treads the line between confusing and amazing (video)

Image

Extraordinary Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash adds to its line of outlandish timepieces with the Kisai Logo. Much like its brethren, its face can't be easily read by the uninitiated, with a block representing hours running around digitally displayed minutes. Wrapped in a classy stainless steel and colored acetate, it's got an EL backlight for use in the dark and a hidden binary mode for demonstrating your intellectual credentials. Like the company's other devices, it's available for the first 48 hours of its life for $99 (€78 or £63) before September 27th, when prices increase to $139 (€110, £88) and you can find plenty of explanatory details in the video after the break.

Continue reading Tokyoflash releases the Kisai Logo, treads the line between confusing and amazing (video)

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Tokyoflash releases the Kisai Logo, treads the line between confusing and amazing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 03:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/25/tokyoflash-kisai-logo/

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Suu Kyi cautiously optimistic for Myanmar future

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks in Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Fort Wayne is home to one of the largest Burmese population in the United States. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks in Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Fort Wayne is home to one of the largest Burmese population in the United States. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi smiles after receiving flowers and a traditional Chin shawl before speaking in Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Fort Wayne is home to one of the largest Burmese population in the United States. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Jennifer Min, 13, photographs the stage where Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will speak in Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Fort Wayne is home to one of the United States? largest Burmese populations. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks in Fort Wayne, Ind., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Fort Wayne is home to one of the largest Burmese population in the United States. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

(AP) ? Thousands of elated supporters greeted Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi with rapturous cheers and a standing ovation as she took to an arena stage in an Indiana city that is home to one of the largest Burmese communities in the United States.

The 67-year-old Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest for opposing Myanmar's military rulers and was recently elected a member of parliament, is on a 17-day tour of the United States. She has already met with President Barack Obama and received the Congressional Gold Medal. Suu Kyi voiced optimism for democracy in her Southeast Asian home.

"The important thing is to learn how to resolve problems. How to face them and how to find the right answers through discussion and debate," the Nobel Laureate told the approximately 3,000 people gathered at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind.

"We should all have a conscience and not exploit our role in politics," she said. Suu Kyi delivered her speech in Burmese with an English translation by video.

Thousands of Burmese refugees live in Fort Wayne, and hundreds of supporters lined up outside the arena hours before Suu Kyi was due to speak. As the doors opened at 7:30 a.m., supporters flooded inside to claim the best seats.

Factory worker Kaung Shein, 42, said he had been among the approximately 1 million students who took part in a failed pro-democracy uprising to protest Burma's military-backed regime in August 1988. Oxford-educated Suu Kyi rose to prominence during that period.

"We are from the 88 Generation," Kaung Shein said. "We align with her. ... We are very excited to be here. We've been waiting for 20 years."

Thousands of the 1988 protesters were killed and tens of thousands more ? including Suu Kyi ? spent years as political prisoners. Her National League for Democracy party was for years stymied by the junta's iron grip on the country, but Suu Kyi voiced cautious hope.

"The differences and problems we have amongst ourselves, I think we can join hands and reconcile and move forward and solve any problems," she said.

Myanmar's half century of military rule has made the country something of a pariah in the international community, inviting decades of crippling sanctions. But President Thein Sein has introduced political and economic reforms in recent years, and his separate visit this week to the United Nations General Assembly ? the first to the U.S. by a Myanmar leader in more than 40 years ? raised hopes that some of those restrictions could be eased.

Since 1991, when a single Burmese refugee resettled in Fort Wayne ? about two hours north of Indianapolis and 8,000 miles from southeast Asia ? thousands more have followed, many of them relocating under a federal program after years in refugee camps in Thailand. They join other political refugees from a host of countries who have made the city a second home since the fall of Saigon in 1975, thanks largely to the help of Catholic Charities.

For some of Fort Wayne's Burmese residents, Suu Kyi's visit is the first tangible connection with the homeland some hope to return to one day.

Thiya Ba Kyi, a former dentist who earned an MBA after coming to the U.S. in 1994 and now works for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, wants to be a part of the change Suu Kyi is expected to bring. He said he wants to teach his people, who have no experience of freedom, what democracy is about.

"I would like to move back," he said. "Hopefully, they'll need educated people who have experience in a democratic country."

Many Burmese refugees left behind careers and have had to learn new skills while others rely on food stamps to survive.

U Tun Oo was elected to parliament in the 1990 election won by Suu Kyi's party that was nullified by the military regime and served as finance minister for the elected government in exile. Now Tun Oo, who was a construction engineer in Asia, works in a Fort Wayne factory. When he's not working, he heads the local branch of Suu Kyi's party.

"She is the hope for the people," said Ba Kyi, who helps the Burmese opposition in exile. "She can bring democracy again in Burma."

But in her Tuesday speech, Suu Kyi cautioned her supporters ? this time in English ? that she is not infallible.

"A popular leader is not the same as a good leader," Suu Kyi said. "I hope you keep that in mind."

___

Associated Press writer Charles Wilson contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-25-Suu%20Kyi-Indiana/id-6f12fcd20d09442b86c67556726d88d2

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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Android 4.1 update for Galaxy S3 rolling out, starting in Poland

Android Central

Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 finally arrives, available first as a Kies update

Samsing has started pushing out the official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update for the international Galaxy S3 (GT-i9300).The update appears to be pushing out to Galaxy S3 owners with unbranded handsets in the Poland ("XEO" region) initially, with other regions and networks expected to follow shortly. Currently, the update is being pushed out through Samsung's Kies software, rather than over the air.

As we reported last month, the update will introduce familiar Jelly Bean features like Google Now, "Project Butter" performance enhancements and the redesigned notification shade, in addition to new TouchWiz features. These include dormant mode, for better notification and alert management, as well as "easy mode" for simplified home screen operation.

Owners of the unlocked international Galaxy S3 shouldn't be getting their updates very soon, even if they're not in Poland -- usually when one region starts being updated, it's a matter of days before others follow. Carrier-branded versions, such as the U.S. Galaxy S3 models, may have a little longer to wait, as those devices must go through additional certification.

To see if your update is ready to go, start up Kies on your PC and plug in your phone. If you're already up and running with Jelly Bean on your S3, head into the comments and let us know how you're getting on.

More: New features in Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean/TouchWiz update



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Lhsq1m4q-tY/story01.htm

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Government pledges 1 billion pounds for state-backed business bank

BRIGHTON, England (Reuters) - The government said on Monday it would allocate 1 billion pounds towards a new state-backed business bank designed to expand lending to smaller firms currently starved of loans from Britain's main lenders.

The government hopes its backing will be matched by a similar amount from private capital and could support up to 10 billion pounds of new and additional lending, Business Secretary Vince Cable said.

The as-yet-unnamed institution would operate through the wholesale market and would support the supply of loans and long-term capital to smaller firms through existing banks and other financial providers.

"We need a new British business bank with a clean balance sheet and an ability to expand lending rapidly to the manufacturers, exporters and high-growth companies that power our economy," Cable told a Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton, southern England.

Cable has repeatedly complained that small and growing companies are unable to obtain the loans they need on reasonable terms, hindering a business-led recovery.

Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said the new bank could help small companies and the wider economy but would take time to have any effect.

"It is not going to get off the ground immediately. It is something that might help more in the medium term than the short term," she said.

"There has been concern for some time that small businesses in the UK are particularly dependent on bank finance to a greater extent than in other countries and that it would be good to develop some other forms of finance for small firms. There is a problem there, and this should help to solve it," Redwood added.

"But I don't think it would do a lot to improve the overall economy's prospects in the next 12 months."

The scheme adds to other moves by the government and Bank of England to revitalise a stagnant economy still struggling from the effects of the 2007-2009 financial crisis.

Aides said the scale of the government's commitment was significant compared with the current 50 billion pounds of outstanding loans to smaller companies in Britain and that the new bank could be operating within 12 to 18 months.

PREVENTING POLITICAL OBLIVION

Cable's left-leaning party has seen its opinion poll ratings slump since joining the larger centre-right Conservatives in a cost-cutting coalition and faces heavy losses at the next election due in 2015 if the economy fails to turn around.

"The country must not get stuck on a downward escalator where slow or no growth means bigger deficits leading to more cuts and even slower growth," Cable said.

"That is the way to economic disaster and political oblivion. We will not let that happen."

Aides said the business bank was a political success for Cable after he persuaded Conservative finance minister George Osborne to back the plan with government funding.

But the Conservatives remain opposed to another key Lib Dem proposal for a wealth tax - or "mansion tax" - on the properties of the rich.

"It horrifies the Tory (Conservative) backwoodsmen, but it is popular and right. The super-rich can't move their chateaux to Monaco or Switzerland, so let's get on with it and tax them here," Cable said to applause.

Advisers to Cable said the business bank was designed to fix what they called a "market failure" that banks, under pressure to rebuild their balance sheets, have no longer been lending to small companies, in many cases because they have lost the expertise to assess the risks involved.

Although the Bank of England's 80 billion pound "Funding for Lending" programme is now up and running, the cheaper loans it allows banks to provide are more attractive for people taking out mortgages for property than for business lending, they said.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said companies needed finance to grow but were starved of funds.

"In each quarter this year, around 40 per cent of firms that have tried to access finance have been refused," said FSB Chairman John Walker.

The British Chambers of Commerce business lobby group said the new bank would allow "new and growing companies to get access to capital in the same way that they do in Germany, South Korea, and the United States".

Cable has long pushed for the creation of a state-backed development bank along the lines of Germany's KfW or America's Exim Bank, but he has had to tread carefully to avoid falling foul of European Union rules on state aid.

(Editing by David Cowell and Jane Baird)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/government-pledges-1-billion-pounds-state-backed-business-020533982--finance.html

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Educare shows promise in prepping kids for school

Just shy of his third birthday, Dominic Chiarello had a vocabulary that was just ?yes,? ?no? and ?potty.?

After a year in preschool in the Educare Center of Omaha, the 4-year-old Nebraska boy wants to be an astronaut and blast off into space. "I want to shoot up into the sky like a firework," says Dominic, thrusting his fist into the air.

?He?s exploding,? says his mother, Audra Chiarello, of Omaha. ?He?s constantly telling me all the new words he has learned at school. Just the other day, he said, 'Mom, my hair looks atrocious.' He's using so many big words and has become a talking encyclopedia. I can't keep up.?

The Educare Center, part of a nationwide program begun in 2000 in Chicago, aims to help the city's poorest preschoolers close the achievement gap with richer children through all-day, year-round care and education. The goal is that when economically disadvantaged kids reach kindergarten, they'll be able to keep up with their middle-class peers.

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'Digital toolkit': Early education leaves daycare in its dust

Educare relies on the belief that when children receive quality education early on, they're more likely to achieve academic success, graduate high school and go on to college or seek career training. The curriculum aims to develop language, literacy, mathematical and social skills.

The program has gained support from philanthropists, including The Buffett Early Childhood Fund run by Susan A. Buffett, daughter of Omaha-based billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

Omaha has two Educare centers, next to the Indian Hill and Kellom elementary schools. Children are enrolled as early as 6 weeks old. Classrooms are small: For example, the class size for toddlers (birth to age 3) is three teachers to eight children.

Resu Video: Tough standards create buzz at Education Nation lts have been promising, says Gladys Haynes, executive director of the Educare Center of Omaha.

Data from Educare programs in six cities ? Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Omaha, Seattle and Tulsa ? show positive results in preparing at-risk children from birth to five for later academic achievement, according to researchers at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Their finding states "kindergarten-bound children who entered Educare before age 2 scored 98.5 on school readiness tests. That is at the national average and exceeds typical scores of at-risk children. This pattern persists even after controlling for risk factors such as maternal education, race and teen parent status."

'A promise'
Educare centers have popped up across the country ? in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Maine, Washington and Wisconsin. Nationwide, Educare enrolls at least 2,000 children, from birth to 5 years old, and employs 700 teachers and staff, according to Educare officials.

The first Educare was opened in Chicago in 2000 by the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a Chicago-based nonprofit that advocates early childhood programs and policies. The Ounce relies on private donations to develop programs and then leverages public funding to expand the programs to serve more children, Educare officials say.

?We never planned to have the number of programs we have nationwide," says Portia Kennel, executive director of Educare Learning Network of Chicago, a partnership between the Ounce, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, and other national philanthropies. "We were just trying to keep a promise to a distressed community in Chicago that we would work tirelessly to make sure their children would be prepared for kindergarten and have an opportunity to have a good education.?

In Nebraska, the cause's champion in Susie Buffett, who has focused her personal philanthropy in improving early childhood education. Her foundation is part of a collaborative effort with Omaha Public Schools and the local Head Start to fund the Educare Center of Omaha.

?There are too many poor kids in really horrible child care situations for the first five years of their lives,?Susie Buffettsaid in an interview with TODAY's correspondent Jenna Bush Hager. "So we went around the country looking for who was doing the best work and we found the Ounce of Prevention people ? So we just copied them ? and partnered with them.?

Statistics show up to 11 million children under the age of 5 in the U.S. are in some type of child care arrangement, according to The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, a nonprofit that works to improve quality and availability of child care services nationwide. The association also reported that 40 percent of infant programs were of poor quality.

Buffett's foundation and the Ounce of Prevention Fund are working with partners to build more Educare centers across the nation.

?It is a model of what's working,? said Adele Robinson, deputy executive director for the nonprofit National Association for the Education of Young Children in Washington, D.C. The association serves as an adviser to policymakers and advocates for literacy and early childhood education. But Robinson says there?s a big hurdle.

"Many places are trying programs like this, and everyone is troubled by the same problem and that's funding," she said.

Operations like Educare are expensive, and states keep making drastic cuts to preschool programs.

'Be patient'
Wendy Moreno, a 19-year-old single mom from Omaha, says Educare has helped her sons learn to read and count.

"My boys are learning so much and I know they are going to have a brighter future," said Moreno, whose sons, Anthony, 2, and Jonathan, 3, attend the Educare Center at Indian Hill Elementary School. ?I don't have to worry about who is taking care of them. I know they are in school learning."

She said teachers have worked hard to strengthen bonds between parents and their children.

Parental involvement is the key component in Educare's curriculum. Before school starts, teachers make home visits to meet the child's parents, siblings and family members.

Education Nation: Read more and make your voice heard

"At first, parents are reluctant," said Reyna Barrales, a teaching assistant at Educare. "Some want to be involved, but don't know how to, while others think it's the teacher's job to teach and that's it. What we try to explain to them is that it's up to everyone. Some of these families have so little, and they still want to give us something when we go to the home. One time we got bananas."

Barrales, born and raised in Mexico City, is bilingual and is also helping coach her colleagues to speak conversational Spanish.

"The biggest thing parents need to know is to be patient," Barrales said, adding, "A child is not going to learn overnight, especially for those 3 and 4 years old."

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At school, teachers give updates to parents on their child?s learning progress at the end of each day. Parents are encouraged to share issues or concerns with their child.

"The program has made me a better parent,? said LaChar Perkins, a single mother of two, Raheem, 8, and Ilana, 4. Ilana is enrolled in the program and Raheem graduated a few years ago and is now in third grade. "I can't say enough positive things about the school, its program and its teachers. The teachers are open and honest."

Like her children, Perkins said she is studying hard. She is enrolled at the Metro Community College, studying to be a nurse. When she's not with her children or at school, she's working as a nail technician. She said she earns $10,000 a year.

"I didn't want my children to struggle," she said. "I wanted to give them a good education so they can succeed in life, and with Educare I believe they have a solid foundation to do just that."

? 2012 NBCNews.com? Reprints

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48896516/ns/us_news-education_nation/

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