Trackable drug-filled nanoparticles: Potential weapon against cancer

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Tiny particles filled with a drug could be a new tool for treating cancer in the future. A new study published by Swedish scientists in Particle & Particle Systems Characterization shows how such nanoparticles can be combined to secure the effective delivery of cancer drugs to tumour cells -- and how they can be given properties to make them visible in MR scanners and thus rendered trackable.

The team, which consisted of scientists from Karolinska Institutet (KI) and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, and from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, developed so-called 'theranostic nanoparticles' by combining therapy and diagnostics in one and the same nano material.

"For this study, we produced theranostic nanoparticles able to make pinpoint deliveries of drug payloads to breast cancer cells," says Professor Eva Malmstr?m of the School of Chemical Science and Engineering at KTH. "They are also detectable in an MR scanner and can therefore be used diagnostically. The building blocks that we use are biodegradable and show no signs of toxicity."

The new study has resulted in a method of making such theranostic nanoparticles that spontaneously form themselves out of tailored macromolecules (polymers). The balance between hydrophilic (water attracting) and hydrophobic (water repelling) components are important to the successful outcome of this process, the latter being what makes it possible for the particles to be filled with the drug. A relatively high concentration of the naturally occurring isotope 19F (fluorine) makes the particles show up clearly in high-resolution MR tomograms, and by tracking the theranostic nanoparticles through the body, researchers can learn about how the drug is taken up by the tumour and how efficacious the treatment is.

The researchers filled the nanoparticles with the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin, which is used to treat cancer of the bladder, lungs, ovaries, and breast. They showed through experiments on cultivated cells that the particles, while harmless in themselves, are effective at killing cancer cells when loaded with the drug.

The next step is to develop the system to target brain tumours, pancreatic cancer and drug-resistant breast cancer tumours, which are currently difficult to treat effectively with chemotherapy.

"Adding targeting groups to the surface or by changing the size of or adding ionic groups to our nanoparticles will make it possible to increase the selective uptake of these particles in tumours," says Dr Andreas Nystr?m, Associate Professor in nanomedicine at the Swedish Medical Nanoscience Center, part of Karolinska Institutet's Department of Neuroscience.

It is hoped that one day this research will lead to tailored chemotherapy treatments that specifically seek out tumour cells. In that the drug, which is toxic to the body, can be delivered more precisely to the tumour, the treatment can be made much more effective with greatly reduced side-effects.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Karolinska Institutet, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Christian Porsch, Yuning Zhang, ?sa ?stlund, Peter Damberg, Cosimo Ducani, Eva Malmstr?m, and Andreas M. Nystr?m. 19F-based Polymer Nanoparticles as Breast Cancer Theranostics. Particle & Particle Systems Characterization, 28 February 2013 DOI: 10.1002/ppsc.201300018

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Yb6Iq-SCyv0/130228113440.htm

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Taliban kill 17 Afghans in attack in east

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Taliban insurgents poisoned, then shot and killed 17 people as they slept at a local police post in eastern Afghanistan, one of two attacks in as many days targeting Afghan security forces, an official said Wednesday.

It's unclear how the militants were able to drug people inside the post before firing bullets into their incapacitated bodies Tuesday night, said Abdul Jamhe Jamhe, a government official in Ghazni province.

Ten members of the Afghan Local Police, a village-level defense force backed by the U.S. military and Afghan government, and seven of their civilian friends died in the attack, said Provincial Gov. Musa Khan Akbarzada. He said there was a conspiracy of some sort but declined to confirm if poison was involved.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in Andar district. He told The Associated Press by telephone that the attackers fatally shot the men in their sleep, but denied they had been poisoned.

Residents of Andar took up arms last spring and chased out insurgents. The villagers don't readily embrace any outside authority, be it the Taliban, the Afghan government or the U.S.-led NATO military coalition.

The lightly trained village defense force, which is overseen by the Interior Ministry, is tasked with helping bring security to remote areas. But President Hamid Karzai has expressed concern that without careful vetting, the program could end up arming local troublemakers, strongmen or criminals.

In other violence, a suicide bomber slid under a bus full of Afghan soldiers and blew himself up in Kabul, wounding 10 in an attack that underscored the insurgency's ability to attack in the heavily guarded capital. Kabul police said at least six soldiers and four civilians were wounded. The suicide attacker died.

The bomber, wearing a black overcoat, approached the bus purposefully in heavy morning snow as soldiers were boarding, set down his umbrella and went under the chassis as if to fix something, according to a witness. Watching from across the street, office worker Ahmad Shakib said he thought for a moment the man might have been a mechanic.

"I thought to myself, what is this crazy man doing? And then there was a blast and flames," that engulfed the undercarriage, he said. "It was a very loud explosion. I still cannot really hear."

Bakery owner Mirza Khan said the blast shattered the windows of his nearby shop where people were waiting to buy bread, leaving six wounded.

The Afghan government uses buses to ferry soldiers, police and office workers into the city center on regular routes for work, and the vehicles have been a common target for insurgents.

Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, also claimed responsibility for the Kabul bombing.

The attack occurred three days after a would-be car bomber was shot dead by police in downtown Kabul. That assailant was driving a vehicle packed with explosives and officials said he appeared to be targeting an intelligence agency office.

It also comes as the U.S.-led military coalition in the country is backing off from its claim that Taliban attacks dropped in 2012, tacitly acknowledging a hole in its widely repeated argument that violence is easing and that the insurgency is in steep decline.

Some 100,000 international troops are helping secure Afghanistan at the moment, but most, including many of the 66,000 Americans, are expected to finish their withdrawal by the end of 2014.

Also on Wednesday, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss abuse allegations against American special forces and Afghan troops linked to them in the strategic eastern Wardak province.

The allegations led Karzai to issue an order on Sunday calling for U.S. special forces to be expelled from the province within two weeks despite fears that the move would leave the restive area and the neighboring Afghan capital more vulnerable to al-Qaida and other insurgents.

Karzai and Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of all U.S. and allied forces, discussed the issue and agreed to work together to address the security concerns of the people of Wardak, a coalition statement said.

Wednesday's meeting came a day after hundreds of Wardak residents converged on the provincial capital of Maidan Shahr to call on Karzai to implement his decision as soon as possible.

"The people are really angry about the actions of both the U.S. special forces and the Afghans working with them," provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said, adding the protesters threatened to stage larger demonstrations if the elite troops aren't gone by the deadline.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-kill-17-afghans-attack-east-122854459.html

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Health Benefits of Flaxseed Oil | Gnet Health and Fitness

Flaxseed was used in Babylon as early as 3000 BC. In the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health wonders of flaxseed he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. In the 21st century it?s definitely in the top ten foods we should eat for sustained health. It contains Lignans which are a highly studied class of plant phytonutrients and high in nutritional value.

Where Does It Come From?

Flaxseed is the seed from a plant called Linum usitatissimum. Oil from the seed is used to make medicine, and of course can be produced in supplement form.

Did you know?

Omega-3 fatty acids are deliberately left out of the production of commercial pet and animal foods as they could go off, limiting the shelf life of these products. The result obviously can be a deficiency of these vital nutrients in these foods and ultimately in your pet.

How Does It Work?

Flaxseed oil is what we call a source of polyunsaturated fatty acid much like alpha-linolenic acid. The alpha-linolenic acid and other chemicals in flaxseed oil seem to decrease inflammation. This is why flaxseed oil is thought to be useful for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory (swelling) diseases.

Flax Seed Oil is a blue flowering plant grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its seeds

Flax Seed Oil contains priceless omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fibre, protein, and zinc. What?s more it can provide approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than fish oil. There?s no horrible after taste we used to associate with such oils.

The Flax Council estimated more than 300 new flax-based products were launched in the U.S. and Canada in 2010 alone.

The great thing is each and every system in the body can benefit from the properties of flaxseed oil, and this is why it could be nature?s greatest natural multi-vitamin. A combination of flax seeds and the oil make an excellent and fast working laxative.

Studies

Recent research Studies have shown Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides. This in turn will help prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and many other associated problems. It?s also been discovered flaxseed may have a protective effect against breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. This is ongoing however and more studies need to be carried out to confirm this. Some experts believe flaxseed oil can also offer hep to those individuals suffering from lung diseases.

?

So What Can It Do?

If you?re on a keep fit drive then you?ll find flax seed oil can decrease the recovery time needed by your muscles. This means you can work a little harder and get slightly better performance. We can combine this with increased energy leading to much better all round stamina. Should you suffer the misfortune of getting any bruises and strains then this magical oil can help accelerate physical healing.

When you take in Flax with a meal it serves to increase the nutritional value of other foods. Why? because adding flax oil to foods rich in sulfated amino acids, such as yogurts, vegetables of the cabbage family or seafood, can help essential fatty acids become incorporated into cell membranes. Mixing flax oil with yogurt helps to emulsify the oil, improving its digestion.

?Flaxseed oil can be used in the production of margarines?

One of our greatest dangers can be high blood pressure, and flax seed oil taken regularly can safeguard us against this. It can work well in the battle against any form of heart disease as it also stimulates the brown fat cells and speeds up the metabolism so fat is burned off at a much greater rate. Obese people in particular can benefit highly from this. The oil works wonders for both inflammation and water retention. We should point out however, more research needs to be carried out, especially when it comes to coronary or artery diseases.

Flaxseed feeds chickens across the globe laying eggs with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Flaxseed oil plays a massive role at the stage of life when a child?s brain grows the fastest, in utero and during infancy. Mothers should consider supplementing their diet with a daily tablespoon of flax oil during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It would seem there?s no end to the benefits this gift from nature can bring.

Flaxseed oil should not be taken if you are on regular medication, so before you begin taking any capsules you should consult your doctor for the very best advice.

Generally then it?s no wonder Flaxseed oil is coveted so much as a wonder food. We simply can?t function without such valuable oils!

Take a look at this video for more information on flaxseed oil:

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Related posts:

Source: http://www.gnet.org/flaxseed-oil-and-life/

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Hollande least popular French president in 30 years: poll

PARIS (Reuters) - Ten months into his mandate, President Francois Hollande scored the worst of any French president since 1981 in the TNS Sofres poll for Le Figaro magazine released on Thursday as he struggles to spur economic growth and create jobs.

Socialist voters who propelled Hollande to the presidency in May 2012 are now questioning his government's handling of an economy teetering near recession, a series of industrial layoffs and joblessness at a 15-year high.

Hollande's rating fell by 5 points in February in the monthly poll to 30 percent when respondents were asked whether they had confidence in their president to resolve the country's problems, pulled down by a 8 point drop from Socialist voters.

"Until now, the Elysee (presidential) palace could congratulate itself by saying that those who voted for the president remained loyal. That's now over," the survey said.

Socialist Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault's rating also fell 5 points to 28 percent.

From November to January, Hollande's confidence rating was relatively stable, although still low, at about 35 percent in the poll, commissioned by the conservative-leaning publication.

The survey suggested Hollande has only enjoyed a short-lived boost from his military intervention in Mali, widely praised at home and by allies such the United States.

Data on Tuesday showed jobless claims rose to 3.17 million last month, the highest since July 1997, and Hollande admitted this week that sickly growth would make it harder to fulfill his pledge to stem the rise in unemployment by the end of 2013.

The survey of 1,000 people was conducted between February 21 and February 25.

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hollande-least-popular-french-president-30-years-poll-131955518.html

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Progress at Iran nuke talks?

ALMATY (Reuters) - Major powers offered Iran limited sanctions relief in return for a halt to the most controversial part of its atomic work during the first day of nuclear talks on Tuesday, and Iran promised to respond with a proposal on the same scale.

The talks in Kazakhstan were the first in eight months between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany - the "P5+1" - on a decade-old dispute that threatens to trigger another war in the Middle East.

Iran has used the time since the last meeting in June to further expand activity that the West suspects is aimed at enabling it to build a nuclear bomb, something that Israel has suggested it will prevent by force if diplomacy fails.

The two-day negotiations in the city of Almaty follow inconclusive meetings last year in Istanbul, Baghdad and Moscow.

Western diplomats described the first day of talks as "useful" but said Iranian negotiators did not immediately respond to the P5+1's demand that Tehran closes its underground nuclear facility Fordow, at the center of their concerns.

"Hopefully the Iranians will be able to reflect overnight and will come back and view our proposal positively," said a spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who oversees Iranian diplomacy for the six powers.

With the Islamic Republic's political elite preoccupied with worsening infighting before a presidential election in June, few believe the meeting will yield a quick breakthrough.

"It is clear that nobody expects to come from Almaty with a fully done deal," the EU spokesman, Michael Mann, said before the meeting started.

OFFER PRESENTED

A U.S. official said that the offer - an updated version of one rejected by Tehran last year - would take into account its recent nuclear advances, but also take "some steps in the sanctions arena".

For years, the powers had attempted a mix of economic pressure and diplomacy to persuade Iran to scale back its atomic work, but Tehran has insisted that sanctions are lifted before it complies with any demands.

In Almaty, a source close to the Iranian negotiators told reporters: "Depending on what proposal we receive from the other side we will present our own proposal of the same weight. The continuation of talks depends on how this exchange of proposals goes forward".

At best, diplomats and analysts say, Iran will take the joint offer from the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Britain and China seriously and agree to hold further talks soon on practical steps to ease the tension. Initial meetings could involve only technical experts, who cannot strike deals.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Berlin that he hoped Iran "will make its choice to move down the path of a diplomatic solution".

But Iran, whose chief negotiator Saeed Jalili is close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and is a veteran of Iran's 1980s war against Iraq and the Western powers that backed it, has shown no sign of willingness to scale back its nuclear work.

It says it has a sovereign right to carry out nuclear enrichment for peaceful energy purposes, and in particular refuses to close the underground Fordow enrichment plant, a condition the powers have set for any sanctions relief.

FASTER ENRICHMENT

A U.N. nuclear watchdog report last week said Iran was for the first time installing advanced centrifuges that would allow it to significantly speed up its enrichment of uranium, which can have both civilian and military purposes.

Accelerating Western sanctions on Iran over the last 14 months are hurting Iran's economy and slashing oil revenue. Its currency has more than halved in value, which in turn has pushed up inflation.

The central bank governor was quoted on Monday as saying Iran's inflation was likely to top 30 percent in coming weeks as the sanctions contribute to shortages and stockpiling. [ID:nL6N0BP51A] Iranians say inflation is already much higher than that official figure.

But analysts say the sanctions are not close to having the crippling effect envisaged by Washington and - so far at least - they have not prompted a change in Iran's nuclear course.

Western officials said the powers' offer would include an easing of restrictions on trade in gold and other precious metals if Tehran closes Fordow.

The facility is used for enriching uranium to 20 percent fissile purity, a short technical step from weapons grade.

Western officials acknowledge an easing of U.S. and EU sanctions on trade in gold represents a relatively modest step. But the metal could be used as part of barter transactions that might allow Iran to circumvent financial sanctions.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman last week dismissed the reported incentive as insufficient and a senior Iranian lawmaker has ruled out closing Fordow, close to the holy city of Qom.

(Additional reporting by Fredrik Dahl in Almaty, Zahra Hosseinian in Zurich, Arshad Mohammed and Stephen Brown in Berlin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/powers-offer-iran-sanctions-relief-nuclear-talks-055616179.html

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A Detailed Look Inside TurboTax's Online Tax Preparation Platform ...

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Tax season is in full flight here in the US. As I mentioned several days ago, if your taxes are very simple, please don't pay someone $60 to help you fill out a 1040EZ federal tax return - fill it out yourself.

In my mind, an even better option for individuals without a business (if you own your own business, I honestly believe that you should have the help of CPA to make sure you don't miss anything and to bounce ideas off of) over filling out the tax forms directly are to employ one of the many low-cost online tax preparation platforms available on the market. These platforms ask questions in normal language (read non-IRS talk), and then populate the numbers in to the tax forms for you. A pretty sweet deal in my book!

It's pretty amazing to see how the online tax preparation business has grown over the past few years. In searching around the Internet, I found around 12 legitimate options currently available. Some of the newer/lesser known options are listed below:

However, without a doubt, the most widely-used online tax prep platforms are TurboTax, H&R Block, and Tax Act.?

Because of the wide spread use of these three platforms, I think it's important for people to have a good working?knowledge?about what they offer. However, in my experience helping people with their taxes, the primary thing that my friends get confused about is what these programs offer for free, and what is it you have to pay for. More specifically, I find that they often end up paying for one of the service upgrades being offered, when in fact, their taxes were actually simple enough that they could have just used the free versions.

So, the purpose of this post series is to dissect each of these 3 most popular programs one-by-one to determine what they offer, what is free, and what you need to pay for. Let's get started, shall we?

TurboTax

TurboTax is perhaps the most well known, oldest, and most respected tax preparation software and online platform. In fact, I can remember walking in to office supply/computer stores when I was 8 years old and seeing TurboTax being sold in the CD-ROM version (maybe even floppy disk, too? haha). As such, it's the platform we will analyze first:

Shown below is the overall pricing for the various options on offer by TurboTax. In my opinion, this table is a nice overview of the options and is pretty self explanatory/clear for normal folks like us. There are four things that I want to make sure to point out though:

• You don't actually pay for anything until you officially click "file taxes." This means you can go through the system and fill in your tax information without worrying about accidentally paying for anything until the very end of the process.?
• The prices in red shown in the below screenshot are only the pricing for filing your federal tax return. What this means is that you will have to pay an extra fee on top of the ones shown in the chart below because you are required by law to file state taxes. Don't be surprised by this!
• According to TurboTax's State Tax filing pricing, it costs $28-$37 (price depends on current promos going on) per state to file your state taxes.?
• What this means is that the state tax filing is perhaps where TurboTax makes most of its money.....?
• One of the nice little perks about the paid versions of TurboTax is that they will automatically save and import your previous year's tax information to the current year. They will also auto-populate your employer details based on solely their EIN. Nice things to have, but maybe not necessarily worth paying for if you are pressed for money..
• Finally, it's a little confusing in reading the chart below, but if you have a self-employment business/income (including farm business) to report, the only option available through TurboTax is the Home & Business (please note, this is not necessarily the same thing as merely having a 1099-MISC from some random side income you did - more on this will be discussed below in the Income section).?

So, as I mentioned above, this chart is pretty straight-forward and easy to understand. However, the place where it gets confusing and people with simple taxes end up paying for un-needed service add-ons is DURING the process of filing out your tax information as you are going through the various steps in the system.?

Because of this, I feel we need to spend some time discussing places where potential mistakes could occur causing, someone that started their tax filing using the Free Edition (far left above) to end up unnecessarily using the Deluxe (middle, "most popular") version.?This happens quite often, in my opinion, because at almost every step of the way, the questions prompt you to upgrade to one of the paid options.

First, right off the bat, after you create a new TurboTax account, you are taken to this screen:

Now, I'm not sure what your reaction to this screen above is, but to my girlfriend (who I recently helped with her taxes, which are very simple by the way), she read this screen as meaning that if she doesn't use at least the basic version, she won't get ANY DEDUCTIONS ON HER TAXES. Because of this, she has been?unnecessarily?paying for the Basic or Deluxe versions of the program for the past 4 or more years. I can definitely understand where she is coming from on this, as to someone that doesn't spend a lot of time with critically evaluating personal finance programs, the Federal Free Edition seems like it offers nothing.

However, this simply is not the case. You can still get many deductions owed to you by using the free edition. So, my suggestion would be that people simply ignore this first table and click the continue button.

Five seconds later, after you enter your personal information (address, email, SSN, etc), you get hit with ANOTHER up sell screen, shown below. PLEASE, IGNORE THIS ONE AS WELL! ?The Federal Free Edition is still just fine!

OK, Whew! You made it past those first two wallet-zapping landmines.

What is Free and What Must You Pay for Regarding Income?

The next place that people with random side income (such as my girlfriend) can get caught up is when it comes time to enter the amounts of income received on Form 1099-MISC.?

When you go to enter the amount displayed on your 1099-MISC, you will see the following screen below. The goal of this screen is to determine if the income was random/side income or if it can be considered more of the result of steady self-employed business operations. If it is from self-employed business operations, you are required to pay/upgrade to the $75 Home and Business version of TurboTax to continue. There is now way around it.?

On the other hand, if it was not regular, recurring, and/or self-employed business income, merely having a random 1099-MISC does not disqualify you from being able to use the Federal Free Edition of TurboTax.



If you answer YES to any of the questions shown on the below screenshot, you will however, be required to upgrade to the paid Home and Business version because the income is considered self-employment income.




Regarding income from investments, such as stock/mutual fund sale proceeds, interest, rental property, and dividends, listed below is a summary of what you must pay for and what is included in the Federal Free Edition:

• 1099-INT and 1099-DIV are free/included in the Federal Free Edition.?
• If you have a 1099-B (sale of taxable securities), it does actually require you to upgrade to the Premier version to continue with that section.
• If you have a income from rental property, it does actually require you to upgrade to the Premier version to continue with that section.

What is Free and What Must You Pay for Regarding Deductions?

In the deductions section of TurboTax, they also make it fairly confusing to discern what is included in the Federal Free Edition and what you must pay for.

To even further complicate matters, you have to be able to determine when a screen like the one below pops up, whether or not the upgrade to a paid version is a "recommendation" or if the upgrade is absolutely required in order to proceed with that section.

Can you imagine how confusing this screen above would be to someone who is uncomfortable dealing with their finances/taxes and is already stressed out about the situation? Which box do you think they would click? That's right, UPGRADE CITY!?

However, I am here to tell you that for all of the deductions I inspected (shown on screenshots below), they are all actually included in the Federal Free Edition.?

Many of them, however, do have suggestion screens like the one above that pop up. But, all you have to do is click NO THANKS and then it will let you continue entering your deduction details. Kind of sneaky, eh? But, it is good business and unfortunately, just the way it is.

Just to drive this point home, all of the deductions listed below are in fact included in TurboTax's Federal Free edition, but just might have little decoy upgrade recommendation screens that you must click, "No Thanks," to.?

• Home loan interest paid.?
• Kids.
• Car / property tax.
• Student loan interest paid.
• Medical/HSA contributions.
• Estimates taxes paid (as long as they are not for self employment income).
• Charity donations.?

Conclusions

In my opinion, TurboTax offers a super-reliable, very easy-to-use online tax preparation platform that is hard to go wrong with. Even if your tax situation dictates that you have to use one of their paid options, I would consider it money well spent, and likely, a significant tax savings over the use of live tax professional.

I sincerely hope this post helps you to understand not only a little more about what features TurboTax offers, but to also help you determine what level of services/pricing you actually need to use in their platform to accommodate your personal tax situation.

In Part 2 of this series, we'll take a look at H&R Block's online tax preparation platform - on the way soon!

How about you all? Have you ever used TurboTax to do your taxes? If so, did you ever find yourself paying for a upgrade to the online service when you really didn't need it?

Share your experiences by commenting below!

Source: http://www.mypersonalfinancejourney.com/2013/02/turbotax-online-tax-preparation.html

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Senator puts drone toll at 4,700

A Predator B unmanned aircraft taxis at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)Just how many people have America?s drones killed? Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has put the death toll at 4,700?the first time an American official has publicly put a precise figure on the impact of strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles. The South Carolina lawmaker's office said he was citing an estimate already discussed on cable television.

Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, used the figure during a question and answer session on Tuesday with the Rotary Club of Easley in his home state of South Carolina. His remarks were first reported by the Easley Patch.

?We've killed 4,700,? the lawmaker said. ?Sometimes you hit innocent people, and I hate that, but we're at war, and we've taken out some very senior members of al-Qaida.?

Drone strikes, President Barack Obama?s signature tactic for killing suspected al-Qaida and other extremist fighters, have been ?very effective,? said Graham. ?It's a weapon that needs to be used.?

Amid a controversy sparked by Obama?s targeted assassination of American citizens overseas suspected of consorting with terrorists, Graham came down sharply against any judicial oversight of the drone war, calling the idea ?crazy.?

?I can't imagine, in World War [II] for Roosevelt to have gone to a bunch of judges and said, 'I need your permission before we can attack the enemy,'? Graham said.

Drone war expert Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations noted on his blog that Graham?s figure lined up with the high-end estimate by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

?Either Graham is a big fan of TBIJ?s work, or perhaps he inadvertently revealed the U.S. government?s body count for nonbattlefield targeted killings,? Zenko said.

Asked about the disclosure, Graham's office forwarded a clip from MSNBC in which the anchor cites the figure of 4,700 killed. Asked whether the Obama Administration harbored any concerns about Graham's comments, National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor sent along a blog post including the same clip.

Graham's remarks, as reported, did not specify whether he was discussing CIA drone strikes or military drone strikes.

Obama's expanded drone war has broad popular support in the U.S., according to a poll released earlier this month by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. That survey found 56 percent support such strikes and 26 percent oppose them. At the same time, 53 percent worry about potential civilian casualties. But overseas it faces majority opposition, Pew found last year.

(Hat tip: Agence France-Presse via the London Telegraph)

US defense contractor selling unarmed Predator drones to UAE

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/drones-killed-4-700-u-senator-says-141143752--politics.html

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13.02.22 00:00 Outer Banks St Patrick's Day Parade - March 17th, 2013 - Friday February 22, 2013 @ Kellys Restaurant & Tavern

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Source: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popup.php?op=view&id=57477167&crd=lkassociates

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Engadget Eurocast 013 - 02.01.13

BlackBerry and Nokia rule the roost this week, just like the good 'ol days (depending who you ask). That's not to say it's all about the old guard though, with Vine blossoming and Ubuntu taking a stab at the whole mobile OS thing too. All of the above is on the menu for this week's Eurocast, all you have to do is grab your takeaway from the delivery options below.

Hosts: Dan Cooper, Mat Smith, Steve Dent, Sharif Sakr

Producer: James Trew

Hear the Podcast

Filed under: Podcasts

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/01/engadget-eurocast-013-02-01-13/

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Sony says sayonara to MiniDisc, will sell its last players in March

We were told back in September that Sony was halting production on its disc-loading music players, but devices have now reached the end of the production line, with the last MiniDisc players set be shipped out this March. The optical player managed to claw out a 20-year life for itself, despite the menace of media-free music (and video) players like the iPod, which began to severely cut away at sales around 2000. This final date signifies that Sony has exhausted supplies of a specific MD component, although according to Asahi, the likes of Onkyo will continue to make similar optical hardware. Well, at least frustration for Sony's proprietary media storage lives on in the PS Vita.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Sony

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Source: Asahi (Japanese)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/01/sony-says-sayonara-to-minidisc-will-sell-its-last-players-in-ma/

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HP to close site in Germany, to cut 850 jobs

(Reuters) - Computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co said on Friday it is planning to close a site in Germany by the end of October as part of its multi-year restructuring plan.

HP said it was closing its site in Ruesselsheim, Germany, southwest of Frankfurt, and that around 850 jobs would be cut. The remaining 250 employees may be able to transfer to HP partners or clients.

The restructuring of its enterprise services business will not affect HP's other major sites in Germany, the company said, adding that it would continue to employ about 10,000 people in Europe's largest economy.

HP said last year that it was planning to lay off 29,000 employees over two years as it tries to return to growth.

The company, which employs more than 300,000 people globally, began a multi-year restructuring last year aimed at focusing the sprawling company on services targeted at corporations.

HP shares were up 16 cents at $16.67 in morning trading.

(Reporting by Nicola Leske; Editing by David Holmes, Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hp-close-germany-cut-850-jobs-155653340--finance.html

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Russia's 2012 crackdown worst since Soviet era -rights group

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Authoritarianism increased last year in Russia to levels unseen since the Soviet era with a raft of harsh laws curbing political freedoms and harassment of opposition activists and critics, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

The crackdown coincided with the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin and the appointment of his predecessor and prot?g?, Dmitry Medvedev, as prime minister, according to the New York-based group.

"Since Putin's return ... not only has the tentative shift towards liberalization of the Medvedev era been totally reversed, but also authoritarianism in Russia has reached a level unknown in recent history," said Rachel Denber, deputy director of the group's Europe and Central Asia Division.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow accompanying the publication of its annual report on human rights worldwide, Denber also criticized the government's stance toward the West.

Since Putin started a six-year term in May, he has signed laws restricting protests, demanding foreign-funded non-governmental organizations register as "foreign agents," and setting new rules on treason that critics say could place almost anyone who associates with foreigners at risk of prosecution.

Several opposition leaders and activists face potential prison terms if convicted on charges Putin's critics say are trumped up. The president's spokesman has denied the Kremlin uses courts and police to pressure critics.

"Measures to intimidate critics and restrict Russia's vibrant civil society have reached unprecedented levels," Hugh Williamson, director of HRW's Europe and Central Asia Division, said in a statement.

"Pressure and reprisals against activists and non-governmental organizations need to stop."

"This has been the worst year for human rights in Russia in recent history," he said of 2012. The statement said the Kremlin "unleashed the worst political crackdown" since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

On Thursday evening, Moscow police dispersed protesters and detained about 30 activists who tried to demonstrate for the right to free assembly, which they say is routinely violated by the government.

HRW: CONCERNS ABOUT ARAB SPRING AFTERMATH

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said he had not read the report but that Russia would probably comment later and "show that the human rights situation in Russia is not the worst."

He said the Russian ministry's own annual reports have shown that "there are serious systemic problems in the sphere of human rights in the United States and many European Union countries."

"Before you criticize others, you should look at yourself," Lukashevich said at a weekly briefing.

The Human Rights Watch annual report also looked at developments in the Middle East and North Africa in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings. It raised concerns about a possible return to non-democratic rule in some countries.

"The uncertainties of freedom are no reason to revert to the enforced predictability of authoritarian rule," said the group's director, Kenneth Roth. "The path ahead may be treacherous, but the alternative is to consign entire countries to a grim future of oppression."

The report criticized Egypt's new constitution, saying vague provisions on speech, religion, and the family had dangerous implications for women's rights and the exercise of social freedoms protected under international law.

The constitution also reflects a seeming abandonment of efforts to exercise civilian control over the military, it added.

Elsewhere in the region, it said, Libya has become a "weak state" and the situation in Syria, where over 60,000 people have been killed in a nearly 2-year-long civil war, has deteriorated. Human Rights Watch urged the U.N. Security Council to overcome its impasse and refer the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court to investigate possible war crimes.

(Additional reporting by Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Louis Charbonneau in New York; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rights-group-says-russias-2012-crackdown-worst-since-170251793.html

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Hot Dog Marketing Online - ShoeMoney Internet Marketing Blog

A lot of people call me ?The Hotdogman.? I got my nickname from working in the food business, just like Shoemoney. Last week, all the buzz at Affiliate Summit West was about Shoemoney?s book, Nothing?s Changed But My Change, The Shoemoney Story. I picked one up at the Summit and read it on my flight home, it was a pretty good read and a great American Dream kind of tale. I met up with Jeremy on the exhibit hall floor and we had a chat. As it invariably does, the conversation swung around to hot dogs. Since I am The Hotdogman, I guess that?s a good thing; I have branded myself well in the internet marketing world.

As we were talking, Jeremy remarked that being a hot dog vendor and an internet marketer have a lot of similarities. We tossed that idea around for a minute or two, and the more I thought about it, the more I thought he was right. I was a hot dog truck owner and operator for 6 years and I started fiddling around with blogs, the internet, and affiliate marketing back in 2007 when a particularly harsh winter kept the truck closed for a few months.

That?s when I started The Hot Dog Truck, a blog about ?the life and times of a Hotdogman.? I started monetizing my site with Adsense (thanks in part to a certain blogger?s famous photo), did a lot of paid posting, and began experimenting with affiliate marketing. My wife thought I was wasting my time, but she changed her tune when I used my first few months blog earnings to take the family to Las Vegas to visit her folks! She?s been on board with my ?online thing? since. Six years later, the hot dog truck is gone, but the website remains. I also have a stable of 20 or so niche sites and I do freelance writing.

Hot Dogs and Marketing

My transition from hot dog man to The Hotdogman online was fairly easy, I have always been a decent writer and I was in sales since I was ten years old. Marketing online was understandable and doable for me. I decided to give the internet marketing thing a serious whirl when a series of bad luck left me essentially disabled for nearly a year; I got Lyme Disease, bad blood clots, and I broke my knee! The immobility this caused lent itself to spending my days at the computer. I sold my hot dog truck and dove right in to creating websites and marketing various products online.

My first ventures were geared toward what I know, most notably hot dogs. I sold hot dog related courses and products across a series of websites with success. When I was doing this, I?d think back to what made me successful in the hot dog business and applied what I could. The most notable similarity between online marketing and selling hot dogs is the autonomy for the entrepreneur. Both businesses can be one man (or one woman) ventures. As many people who read this know, there is nothing quite like working for yourself. You don?t have to answer to a boss, you do things your own way, and you reap all the financial rewards from your ventures.

Going into the hot dog business is a low investment proposition. Even a shiny new hot dog cart can be bought for less than three grand; if you buy used, that number goes lower. Compared to opening a brick and mortar restaurant, starting up a hot dog cart is short money. The same is true for starting out in internet marketing. I got started with eight bucks and a free host. As time went on, I invested in premium WordPress themes, an email program, more domains, private servers, and other tools, but other than that first eight bucks, I never paid for any of that stuff ?out-of-pocket.? Investments into my growing online ?empire? always came from profits. I don?t know any other legitimate business you can start for eight bucks!

The Hot Dog Cart Principle in Online Marketing

Starting in the hot dog business is a bit more complicated than buying a cart, setting up shop, and hanging out a sign. There are some regulations involved and you need the appropriate permits. You also need to sell. If nobody knows you?re there, you won?t sell any hot dogs; you need to market your business. That involves getting out to the businesses nearby and giving them an incentive to stop by and try your chow. Theoretically, once someone takes a bite of your delicious hot dogs, they?ll tell their friends and co-workers and you?ll be off and running.

The same goes for online marketing. Like any business, there are rules and regulations to follow, so you need to know them before you get started. You could have the best offer or product in the world, but nobody will buy it unless they know about it. Just setting up a website and hoping won?t get you any sales. You need to use proven methods for generating traffic, the online equivalent of letting people know about your offer. Just like offering a free hot dog to get people to try you out, you can offer incentives to take a look at your offer. Think about it, how many free e-books have you downloaded? (I like mine with mustard and relish).

Whether you?re selling hot dogs or an online product, you still need to provide value to your customer. A good hot dog man will have premium hot dogs, fresh rolls and condiments, and he?ll serve them up HOT for a fair price. A good online marketer will have a quality offer or product that gives the customer what they?re looking for, whether it?s a product to solve a problem, an entertaining book, or a deal on the latest gadget, there has to be value for the customer at the right price or else you?re spinning your wheels.

Both businesses are scalable, too. I know many successful hot dog vendors who have moved on to managing multiple carts and trucks and even opened full-on restaurants. The concept is fairly simple and easily duplicated, you just need to find the right people. Online marketing is the same. Once you have a system and a set of processes in place, you can expand and duplicate your business. Hiring the right people is key here too. Make sure you hire and work with people who have complimentary skill sets. I started with one website, now I have more than 20 and I have people I call on for certain tasks that I just am not good at.

Notice in that previous paragraph ?the right people? came up a number of times. Whether you?re selling hot dogs or pitching the latest hot info product, having good people to work for/with you is key. A crappy employee can bring down any small business pretty quick if left unchecked. Whether that employee is serving food that?s under cooked or servicing online customers with an inconsistent attitude, the bad apple can be a killer. Conversely, good people can boost your business. An enthusiastic, friendly vendor brings people back to your cart. A savvy employee who ?gets out there? and helps boost business, whether it?s with good follow through or promotion through their social media networks, can be a great asset to any business.

Not ready to leave the security of a paycheck to start a business? Start part-time! Hot Dog vending can be started as a part time venture. Just work weekend events or find opportunities to set up shop within your existing schedule. The same goes for an online business. You can start on your living room couch! Spend a few hours a day building your business; you?ll know when you can transition to full-time in either venture.

Fun is Good too

Online marketing and hot dog vending are fun businesses. I was always cutting it up with my customers at my hot dog truck and I made many new friends in the six years I was in the business. Hardly a week goes by that I don?t run into an old customer. I?ve even made some good business connections from my old hot dog contacts! Online marketing is fun too. While many relationships are forged online, the same principles apply. Treat people well, be nice, offer good products and service and you?ll make new friends. The one thing online marketing has going for it in the fun department over the hot dog business is industry events. Parties at online marketing conferences ROCK! Hot dog events I?ve attended have been small; while they were fun and informative, there were never open bars in fancy nightclubs with go-go girls!

It all boils down to one thing: good old American entrepreneurship. Despite the woes afflicting our nation right now, entrepreneurship is alive and well in the US of A. Many of the hot dog vendors I encounter on a regular basis are in the business due to corporate downsizing. They chose the hot dog biz for many of the same reasons I listed here. The same goes for online marketing. Many people are content to moan about the economy and wring their hands in despair. The folks who decide to do something about it, whether they start slinging hot dogs or selling stuff online REFUSE to let macro circumstances dictate their future. No matter what the economy looks like, people still need a good, cheap lunch and they?ll continue to by all sorts of products online. Entrepreneurs who decide to capitalize on opportunities will always find success if they go about it the right way.

The most important thing any entrepreneur can do is get started NOW! No business gets started by thinking about it. If you want to sell hot dogs, start scouting locations, research carts, and learn about your business. If you want to get going in the online marketing game, start learning the basics (I hear Shoemoney has a course or two about that). You can have a website up in an hour or two. I know many online entrepreneurs who built a website in one night and were doing business the very next day. Don?t fall into the ?paralysis by analysis? trap, if you want to start a business, START NOW!

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Michelle recommends you check out these amazing posts:

1. Men (And Women) Of Honor ? In An Industry That Does Not Have Much
2. Perception is Everything (or ?Fake It ?Til You Make It?)
3. Should I sell my website?

Source: http://www.shoemoney.com/2013/01/30/hot-dog-marketing-online

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