Romney, Obama Uphold Health Care Falsehoods

Summary

With the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act on June 28, voters are guaranteed to continue hearing the same old false claims about the law from politicians. And President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney wasted little time in taking to the airwaves to rehash plenty we?ve fact-checked before. Obama even threw in a few new claims.

• Obama reiterated his ?if you like your plan, you can keep your plan? refrain, despite the fact that at least a few million workers won?t keep their employer-sponsored plans, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
• The president also exaggerated the benefits of the law, such as the number of young adults who were able to join their parents? plans, thanks to the law, and the number of individuals who will receive rebates issued by insurance companies that didn?t spend enough premium dollars on health care.
• Romney repeated a number of distortions, saying that the law would ?cut Medicare? by $500 billion and that it ?adds trillions to our deficits.? That?s a reduction in the future growth of Medicare spending over 10 years. And CBO says the law would reduce the deficit.
• Romney said the law is a ?job-killer.? But CBO says the law would have a ?small? impact on jobs, mainly affecting the amount of labor workers choose to supply. Those getting subsidies, for instance, might work less hours since they?re paying less for health care.
• Romney claimed the law ?puts the federal government between you and your doctor.? The law would set minimum benefits packages, but medical services will not be government-run, nor does the law allow for rationing of care.

Analysis

The ?Keep Your Plan? Promise

Obama addressed the nation on June 28, shortly after the Supreme Court revealed its ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In his comments, he quickly repeated one of his favorite, if false, talking points.

Obama, June 28: If you?re one of the more than 250 million Americans who already have health insurance, you will keep your health insurance. This law will only make it more secure and more affordable.

As we?ve said before, the president simply can?t make this promise. While the law does build on the U.S. system of primarily work-based coverage, the nonpartisan CBO has consistently said there will be some movement among those who currently have coverage.

The CBO has estimated that at least a few million Americans with employer-based insurance will in fact not be able to keep their current plans, and there?s nothing in the law that would prohibit employers from switching health care plans, just as they could before the law was passed. Also, the president?s 250 million figure includes everyone in the U.S. with insurance ? the latest estimate from the Census Bureau is that 256.2 million Americans have health insurance. But those who buy private coverage on their own ? 30.1 million persons ? may have to get a new plan if theirs doesn?t cover minimum benefit standards, which are yet to be determined. Plus, the insurance carriers offering these policies can change the plans without the policyholders? blessing. The CBO has estimated that by 2016, 2 million fewer persons will get coverage through the individual market.

Let?s look at employer-based coverage, since that?s how most Americans (55 percent of those with insurance) get their policies. The latest CBO report on this topic found that under the most likely scenario, 3 million to 5 million fewer workers would get health insurance through their employers than would be the case without the law, from 2019 to 2022. Some of those employees would make the switch voluntarily, choosing ?to obtain coverage from another source,? CBO said.

Furthermore, Obama can?t promise that employers won?t switch or drop plans, just as they could do before the law was enacted. The truth is that the power to keep a work-based insurance plan is largely out of the control of the worker. Large businesses, any with 51 or more employees, will have to pay a penalty under the law if they don?t offer coverage, and that penalty is $2,000 per full-time worker, excluding the first 30 workers. But that doesn?t mean that some employers won?t choose to pay the penalty, especially if their workers get low wages and can get federally subsidized insurance through the exchanges. Small employers can also get coverage through the state-based exchanges, so some could switch to those plans, meaning that their employees would not keep their current plan.

Comes Between You and Your Doctor?

Romney?s first public comments after the Supreme Court decision were also filled with false and misleading claims we?ve heard before.

Romney: And perhaps most troubling of all, Obamacare puts the federal government between you and your doctor.

The health care law does set new minimum benefits packages, but that?s more a matter of coming between patients and their insurance companies, rather than patients and their doctors.

Many Republicans have claimed the law?s Independent Payment Advisory Board will lead to a rationing of patient care. But as we have written repeatedly, the purpose of the 15-member panel of doctors and medical professionals, economists and health care management experts, and representatives for consumers is to find ways to slow the growth in Medicare spending.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act explicitly states that IPAB ?shall not include any recommendation to ration health care, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums ? increase Medicare beneficiary cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and co-payments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria.? (See page 490.) The board?s recommendations, furthermore, will go before Congress, where they can be replaced with alternative cuts or rejected outright by a three-fifths majority.

And again, the health care law doesn?t come close to establishing a government-run system like those of Britain or Canada. While Medicaid will be expanded to more people, most Americans will continue to get their insurance through a private carrier. To the dismay of many liberals, a proposal to include a government-run ?public option? to private health insurance was dropped during the legislative process.

The Impact on Young Adults

Obama stretched the truth when he said the health care law has ?already helped 6 million young Americans.? He?s referring to a provision that allows young adults to remain on their parents? health care plans up to the age of 26. But he includes those already insured who took advantage of the option to join their parents? plan.

Obama: Because of the Affordable Care Act, young adults under the age of 26 are able to stay on their parents? health care plans, a provision that?s already helped 6 million young Americans.

We can understand if viewers watching the president?s remarks thought that 6 million young adults gained insurance as a result of the federal law. But that would be wrong.

Obama is referring to a survey of young adults conducted by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund. In a report issued June 8, the Commonwealth Fund estimated that 6.6 million young adults ?who likely would not have been able to do so prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act? stayed on or joined their parents plans.

But, as the Los Angeles Times explained, not all of the 6.6 million were uninsured.

In a recent press release, the Department of Health and Human Services said an estimated ?3.1 million young adults would not have health insurance? without the health care law.

The HHS estimate is based on the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The White House told us that the president?s statement is correct because all 6.6 million benefited from the law, but some more than others. True. But we note that even the first lady had been repeatedly using the figure of 3.1 million when describing the impact that the law has had on young adults, as she did most recently at a campaign event in Chicago.

Michelle Obama, June 26: Talk about how our kids can now stay on our insurance plans until they?re 26 years old ? thanks to health reform. And that?s how 3.1 million more young people in this country are getting the health care they need. Make sure they understand that.

Now, however, the first lady has switched to the 6.6 million figure adopted by the White House as the new talking point.

Michelle Obama, June 28: And that is how 6.6 million young people are getting the health care they need today. That?s what health reform is about. We need you to let people know. Help them understand.

Preventive Care

Obama went a step or two too far in talking about some of the benefits of the law for consumers.

Obama: [Insurance companies] are required to provide free preventive care like checkups and mammograms, a provision that?s already helped 54 million Americans with private insurance.

Obama would have been on safer ground if he had said the provision potentially helped 54 million.

Here?s how the Obama administration gets that figure: The Kaiser Family Foundation found in its 2011 survey of employer health plans that 31 percent of workers with health insurance were in plans in which ?the employer reported changing the services that are considered preventive services because of health reform.? The administration then figures that since 173 million persons under age 65 have private insurance, according to Census numbers, about 54 million received expanded preventive coverage. But it?s unknown how these employer-sponsored plans changed and whether all these estimated 54 million people were able to take advantage of the changes. Were they helped, as the president said? We can?t say for sure.

Rebate Overreach

Obama: And by this August, nearly 13 million of you will receive a rebate from your insurance company because it spent too much on things like administrative costs and CEO bonuses and not enough on your health care.

But most of these rebates will go to employers, not individuals.

The law requires that insurers spend 80 percent of premiums on health care or quality improvements, with 20 percent covering administrative costs, marketing and profits. Large group plans must meet an 85-15 ratio. If the plans don?t meet those requirements, they must pay a rebate to policyholders. But group plan rebates will go to the employers, and, as the Kaiser Family Foundation explains in a report on the rebates, will ?in some cases be passed on to employees as well.? Those consumers most likely to get a rebate check sent to them personally are those who buy coverage on the individual market. A Health and Human Services Web page on the rebates says that 4 million persons in the individual market would get a rebate.

So, 13 million Americans aren?t getting a rebate check in the mail, as the president?s comment implies. In fact, HHS says that in addition to a check or credit, the rebates could come in the form of a reduction in premiums owed in the future, or through an employer providing some type of rebate to employees ?or applying the rebate in a manner that benefits its employees.? Employers who pay all or part of the premiums are entitled to all or part of the rebate, too, according to the Department of Labor guidance on this topic.

Romney on Raising Taxes

Romney blamed the law for raising taxes and cutting Medicare, two claims that require further explanation.

Romney: Obamacare raises taxes on the American people by approximately $500 billion.

It?s certainly true that the health care law would raise taxes on some Americans, particularly those with higher incomes. The law includes a Medicare payroll tax of 0.9 percent on income over $200,000 for individuals or $250,000 for couples, and a 3.8 percent tax on investment income for those earning that much. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the biggest chunk of revenue ? $210.2 billion ? comes from those taxes.

There are other taxes in the health care law ? including an excise tax on the manufacturers of certain medical devices and on indoor tanning services. The health care law included $437.8 billion in tax revenue over 10 years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation?s calculations. Republicans tend to add in fees on individuals who don?t obtain health insurance (which the Supreme Court now agrees can be considered taxes) and businesses that don?t provide it to bump that up to about $500 billion.

Some taxes, such as those on medical devices, may or may not be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices, but a large majority of Americans would not see any direct tax increase from the health care law.

Cuts Medicare by $500 Billion?

Romney: Obamacare cuts Medicare by approximately $500 billion.

As we have written many times, the law does not slash the current Medicare budget by $500 billion. Rather, that?s a $500 billion reduction in the future growth of Medicare over 10 years, or about a 7 percent reduction in growth over the decade. In other words, Medicare spending would continue to rise, just not as much. The law stipulates that guaranteed Medicare benefits won?t be reduced, and it adds some new benefits, such as improved coverage for pharmaceuticals.

Most of those savings come from a reduction in the future growth of payments to hospitals and other providers (not physicians), and a reduction in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans to bring those payments in line with traditional Medicare. (MA plans have been paid more per beneficiary than traditional Medicare.)

And it assumes they actually happen. There?s good reason to think that some of those reductions won?t be implemented. The law calls for cuts in the future growth of reimbursement payments to hospitals and other health care providers ? that accounts for $219 billion of the Medicare savings in the law. But Congress has consistently overridden similar scheduled cuts in payments to doctors.

Adds Trillions to Deficits and Debt?

Romney: And even with those cuts and tax increases, Obamacare adds trillions to our deficits and to our national debt, and pushes those obligations on to coming generations.

The costs of the insurance coverage provisions of the health care law include federal subsidies for lower-income individuals to help them purchase insurance, expansion of Medicaid eligibility and tax credits for small businesses that provide coverage. In March, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office revised its estimate on the gross cost of those provisions of the law over the next 10 years. The updated estimate ? $50 billion higher than the year before ? came to nearly $1.5 trillion.

But that?s only looking at one side of the budgetary ledger ? cost. Even though Romney claims he factored those in, his figure ignores major cost-cutting provisions including cuts in the future growth of Medicare and increased payroll taxes and investment-income taxes on higher-income earners (the same ones Romney had just mentioned).

Once all those revenue streams are factored in, CBO has estimated that the law would actually reduce the federal deficit by $210 billion over the 2012-2021 period (see Table 1, page 2). CBO did not update that overall figure in its latest report.

Kills Jobs?

Romney: Obamacare is a job-killer. Businesses across the country have been asked what the impact is of Obamacare. Three-quarters of those surveyed by the Chamber of Commerce said Obamacare makes it less likely for them to hire people.

As we have written before, claims about the health care law killing jobs are overblown.

This has been a standard line of attack for Republicans ? one that was formalized in a January 2011 House bill titled ?Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.?

It?s true that the amount of labor in the economy would be reduced by ?a small amount,? about half a percent, according to the CBO. That currently equals about 675,000 jobs. But the jobs would not be lost or killed. Most of those workers would have the ?financial resources? ? because of the subsidies provided by the law ? to retire or reduce their hours, the CBO says.

Now, CBO also said that some businesses seeking to avoid paying for insurance could hire more part-time workers, rather than full-time employees. And John Sheils, senior vice president of The Lewin Group, has estimated that 150,000 to 300,000 low-wage jobs could be lost. But that estimate does not include the potential for job increases in the health and insurance industries. Overall, Sheils told us there would be a ?small net job loss.?

Romney cites a recent online survey to support his claim that the law is a ?job-killer.? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted an online survey in late March and early April, and 1,339 executives at companies with fewer than 500 employees and revenues of less than $25 million participated. The chamber, which opposes the health care law and has run numerous TV ads attacking it, reported that 73 percent said the health care law is ?an obstacle to growing their business and hiring more employees.?

That statistic was based on an online, opt-in survey of small-business executives. A press release from the Chamber of Commerce about the survey carries a large caveat: ?This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.? In other words, the chamber can?t be sure it?s a representative sample of small-business executives.

Those kinds of surveys can be useful for marketing research purposes, said Scott Keeter, director of survey research at the Pew Research Center and the most recent past president of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. ?But from the point of view of public policy decisions, they tend not to be given much credence.?

?The bottom line is that surveys that have self-selected samples don?t have any known relation to the target group [in this case small-business owners],? Keeter said. ?As a result, it is difficult, if not impossible, to know what kind of weight to give this.?

That is why, Keeter noted, that major news organizations like the Washington Post, New York Times and ABC News have strict policies prohibiting the reporting of such surveys.

20 Million Americans Will Lose Insurance?

Romney: Obamacare also means that for up to 20 million Americans, they will lose the insurance they currently have, the insurance that they like and they want to keep.

This is another exaggerated claim that we have written about before, most recently last month when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce made the claim in a TV ad.

The 20 million figure comes from a March 2012 CBO report, but critics of the health care law have misused it.

The CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the impact of the law on employer-sponsored health care plans under four different scenarios. The estimates ranged from a reduction of 20 million workers on employer-sponsored plans to a gain of 3 million on such plans. The worst-case scenario was based on assumptions about? employers? behavior that were so extreme that they ?have only rarely been reported in the research literature, and even then only for the behavior of small firms,? CBO said.

More likely, the CBO and JCT concluded, ?about 3 million to 5 million fewer people, on net, will obtain coverage through their employer.?

? by Lori Robertson, Robert Farley and Eugene Kiely

Sources

Robertson, Lori. ?GOP?s Job-Killing Whopper, Again.? FactCheck.org. 21 Feb 2012.

Congressional Budget Office. ?The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update.? Aug 2010.

?Q1 Small Business Outlook Study.? U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 16 Apr 2012.

Press release. ?U.S. Chamber Statement on the Two-Year Anniversary of the Health Care Law.? U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 23 Mar 2012.

Press release. ?U.S. Chamber Small Business Survey Shows Stalled Hiring Despite Increased Optimism.? U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 16 Apr 2012.

Congressional Budget Office. ?CBO and JCT?s Estimates of the Effects of the Affordable Care Act on the Number of People Obtaining Employment-Based Health Insurance.? Mar 2012.

?Young, Uninsured, and in Debt: Why Young Adults Lack Health Insurance and How the Affordable Care Act Is Helping.? The Commonwealth Fund. 8 Jun 2012.

Levey, Noam. ?6.6 million young adults on parents? health plans, survey says.? Los Angeles Times. 8 Jun 2012.

Press release. ?New health care law helps more than 3 million young adults get and keep health coverage.? Department of Health and Human Services. 19 Jun 2012.

White House. ?Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event.? 26 Jun 2012.

Congressional Budget Office. Selected CBO Publications Related to Health Care Legislation, 2009-2010. 22 Dec 2010.

Joint Committee on Taxation. Estimated Revenue Effects Of H.R. 3590, The ?Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act (?PPACA?).? 20 Mar 2010.

Neumann, Tricia. Tutorial: ?Health Care Reform and Medicare: Overview of Key Provisions.? Kaiser Family Foundation.

Congressional Budget Office. Updated Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act. March 2012.

Elmendorf, Douglas W. CBO?s Analysis of the Major Health Care Legislation Enacted in March 2010, Statement Before the House Subcommittee on Health Committee on Energy and Commerce. 30 Mar 2011.

American Association for Public Opinion Research. AAPOR Report on Online Panels. March 2010.

Government Printing Office. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 23 Mar 2010.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-obama-uphold-health-care-falsehoods-003705865.html

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D Eleinne Basa - Lines and Colors

D Eleinne Basa is a painter from New Jersey whose landscapes and florals can range from refined, as in her large studio paintings, to nicely rough edged and painterly, as in her plain air paintings. Her approach likewise can vary from softly tonalist to more straightforwardly realist.

I was immediately impressed by Basa?s painting Fall?s Approach (above, top) a large (30?40?, 76x100cm) and striking work that I had a chance to see in person recently. It?s one of those paintings that invites you to walk into it, but simultaneously exhibits a painterly surface.

Her painting Afternoon Light (second down) was awarded first place in Plein Air Magazine?s 2012 Annual Plein Air Online Salon.

I particularly enjoy the way she works with the play of late evening or early morning light as it cuts across some of her compositions, revealing form and color in intermittent shafts.

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Political uncertainty abounds as ruling looms

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigns at Electronic Instrumentation and Technology in Sterling, Va., Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigns at Electronic Instrumentation and Technology in Sterling, Va., Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to speak at a Congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, now just hours away, marks a key pivot point in the presidential race. But neither side knows which direction the high court's decision will turn the contest.

"My guess is they're not sleeping real well at the White House tonight," presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney told supporters Wednesday in northern Virginia.

Anticipation of Thursday's decision could be equally unnerving for Romney, whose opposition to the law has become a central pillar of his campaign.

Neither candidate has any direct influence over the ruling. The court could uphold the health care law, strike it down or deem the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance unconstitutional while retaining other aspects of the law.

The announcement is expected to be followed almost immediately by a barrage of advertisements and fundraising appeals from Democrats and Republicans, all trying to cast the decision in the most advantageous light for their candidates.

The Obama campaign began trying to raise money off the ruling even before it was announced. In a Thursday morning fundraising email with the subject line "Today's Decision", Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told supporters "no matter what, today is an important day to have Barack Obama's back."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also issued a fundraising appeal for a "health care rapid response fund," telling supporters in an email Wednesday that however the court rules, "Democrats are in for a tough fight."

Secrecy has marked each campaign's planning for the critical moment.

Obama will be in Washington and is expected to respond, but his specific plans to do so were unclear. Romney's campaign has refused to disclose the location of a Capitol Hill venue where he will face reporters shortly after the announcement.

It is clear, however, that the Supreme Court's ruling on Obama's sweeping federal health care law will shape the contours of the presidential campaign through the summer and fall. Both Obama and his Republican rival are primed to use the outcome ? whatever it is ? for political gain.

Obama has expressed confidence the court will uphold his signature legislative initiative. But he won't be shocked if a conservative majority overturns the most controversial provision, those familiar with his thinking say. Romney aides say the Republican candidate will get a political boost if the court strikes down the measure. But they don't want celebrations that could alienate voters who could lose health care benefits through the decision.

The court's ruling could have a far-reaching impact on the nation's health care system. If the law is upheld, about 30 million of the 50 million uninsured Americans would get coverage in 2014 when a big expansion begins.

Overturning all or part of the law could leave as uninsured the more than 3 million young adults who gained coverage through a provision allowing them to stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26, according to the Health and Human Services Department. Another 60,000 people who gained coverage through a plan for those with pre-existing conditions may not be able to get coverage elsewhere if the entire law is struck down.

Obama recently has avoided mentioning the impending court ruling directly, but he has vigorously defended the health care overhaul as critical to the public's health and well-being in campaign events this week.

"I think it was the right thing to do. I know it was the right thing to do," he told supporters in Boston.

Romney, who as Massachusetts governor signed a health care law on which the Obama's federal law was modeled, has focused more than usual on the Supreme Court ruling this week. In campaign appearances in Virginia, New Jersey and New York, he offered supporters and donors a preview of his likely response to the decision and said Obama's first term would be essentially wasted if the law is overturned.

If the court upholds the law, Romney told supporters at a northern Virginia electronics manufacturer Wednesday, it's still bad policy. "And that'll mean if I'm elected president we're going to repeal it and replace it," he said.

And if the court strikes down the law, Romney said, "They're going to be doing some of my work for me. "

Obama advisers say the Supreme Court showed reasonableness earlier this week in a ruling on an Arizona immigration case, and they see it as a hopeful sign for how the court might rule on health care.

If the court upholds the law, Obama could get an election-year gust of wind at his back, with his vision and leadership validated. If the court strikes down the overhaul, the White House would seek to cast the decision as detrimental to millions of Americans by highlighting popular elements of the law that would disappear, such as preventive care and coverage for young adults on parents' plans.

The Romney campaign has coordinated its response directly with the Republican National Committee and House Republicans, who have agreed not to "spike the ball" ? as one Republican put it ? should the law be struck down. His campaign worries that an over-celebratory tone may turn off voters affected by the decision.

Indeed, the stakes are high for both candidates. Polling suggests that most Americans oppose the law, but an overwhelming majority want Congress and the president to find a new remedy if it's struck down.

Romney so far has spent little time crafting a comprehensive plan to replace the overhaul. And the Obama campaign already has seized on Romney's opposition to the most popular provisions in the law. For example, Romney would not prevent health care companies from denying coverage to new customers with medical conditions. Nor would he force them to cover young adults on their parents' plans through age 26.

Still, both sides will use it to raise money and motivate supporters. And outside groups are ready to unleash a flood of advertisements following the ruling, including a 16-state, $7 million ad buy from the conservative political action group Americans for Prosperity.

___

AP White House Correspondent Ben Feller contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Steve Peoples at http://twitter.com/sppeoples

Associated Press

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How to Keep Your Carpeted Floor in Tiptop Shape and Always ...

Readily available in a wide range of materials, style, shades, types, and forms, carpets and rugs have become a widespread option as flooring material by a lot of home owners. No other flooring material can match the vast selection that carpeting offers. Other types of flooring products won't be able to live up and compete with the variety and luxury that a carpeted floor can bestow to a home. Nevertheless, a great deal of individuals are worried about the level of upkeep it requires to keep carpetings clean and stain-free.

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Choose Stain-Resistant Carpeting

You've possibly seen ads about stain-resistant carpets. The fact is, they really work. Although they could cost you more, they will prove to be the best choice eventually. Stain-resistant floor coverings are excellent for children's rooms, living rooms, and locations where there is a lot of traffic.

Ward Off Dirt Before It Settles on the Carpeting

A doormat positioned at your front door will encourage people to clean off their feet and get rid of a huge chunk of the dirt from their shoes outside your house. Even better, maybe you could also politely ask them to leave behind their shoes by the shoe shelf or closet before getting in the premises.

Vacuum your Carpeting on a Regular Basis

Vacuuming on a regular basis is one of the most necessary things for a carpet Los Angeles residents can do to ensure that their floor covering continues to look fantastic all-year round, and a high quality vacuum is essential to achieve this. Vacuuming your carpet removes filth and helps lower the results of foot traffic. It even helps clear away dust mites and helps preserve the luster of the carpeting.

Have a Professional Service your Carpeted Floor Often

Regardless of how watchful and careful you are with your carpeted floor, competent cleaners will need to wash it at some point. Spending a little extra to have an expert cleaner come in and do the job will extend the life of virtually any carpet Los Angeles residences have a great deal. Perform a little investigation online and find a reputable LA carpeting cleaner with excellent reviews.

Now that you know the ways on how to keep it looking brand new, there's no reason why carpets cannot be your flooring choice for your residence. Learn more about cleaning carpets for flooring Los Angeles interiors on carpet.org.

If you have questions, please visit us at www.cheapfloorslosangeles.com for complete details and answers.

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Live blog: Structures destroyed in Waldo Canyon Fire | KWGN.com ...

Posted on: 8:35 am, June 26, 2012, by Web Staff, updated on: 05:24pm, June 27, 2012

Waldo Canyon Fire. June 27, 2012.

Live Blog: hit refresh for updates

View official Waldo Canyon Fire updates on InciWeb

June 27 5:20pm: Incident commanders released this map of the wildfire?s progression over the past several days.

June 27 4:10pm: Authorities not yet prepared to release preliminary number of homes lost to-date. Maybe tomorrow.

Colorado Springs Police Chief Richard Brown: ?We have the firefight, and then we have the overhaul. We?re nowhere near the overhaul.?

June 27 3:30pm: If you think your property was in the damaged area, enter your information at http://ow.ly/bS7Zk for future contact

June 27 3:20pm: Mandatory Evacuations ? East of State Hwy 24 from Crystola to Baldwin St./Rampart Range Rd. to the Teller County Border at Loy Creek. West of Hwy 24 and South of Aspen Garden Way, Rodeo Way, Ranch Drive, Mane St, CR231/West Street intersecting Hwy 24, West in Hwy 24 to Edlowe Road, and South on Edlowe Rd, to include the subdivision of Ranch Estates and Holiday Hills. All residents North of a line Crystola to Catamont Estates (off of CR 281) Evacuation Shelter is being established at the Cripple Creek and Victor High School.

June 27 1:30pm: President Obama to tour Waldo Canyon Fire area Friday. Confirmed.

June 27 1pm: Mandatory Evacuation: Crystola, both El Paso and Teller County.

June 27 12:55pm Pre-Evacuation notice: Holland Park ? Garden of the Gods is the northern boundary. Centennial Blvd is the western boundary, I-25 is the eastern boundary, Fillmore St. as the southern boundary.

June 27 12:45pm: InciWeb map showing the latest Waldo Canyon Fire perimeter, including yesterday?s burn area. Click here to view

June 27 12:30pm: Pre-evacuation info for southwest Douglas County

?This is Douglas Regional 9-1-1 with a pre-evacuation warning.? The Waldo Canyon fire burning in El Paso County is expanding and poses a threat to residents of southwestern Douglas County.? The specific area included in this pre-evacuation warning is bounded by the Palmer Divide Road on the south, Noe Road on the north, Spruce Mountain on the east, and Rampart Range Rd.on the west.

?Residents in the affected area need to make immediate plans for the evacuation and care of family members and animals.? The Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock can accommodate evacuees and large animals should an evacuation become necessary.? Residents are urged to gather important documents, medications, and important personal effects so that they will be immediately available should conditions deteriorate.

?Please monitor local news channels for fire updates.? If the fire comes dangerously close to your area, an evacuation order will be sent to this same telephone number.? However, residents must maintain situational awareness.? If you are in danger, DO NOT WAIT for an evacuation order.? Take the initiative to leave immediately if local conditions warrant such action.

?Please refrain from calling 9-1-1 unless you have an actual emergency.? Check the Douglas County Sheriff?s Office website, DCSHERIFF.NET, for updates.? Again, this is a pre-evacuation warning for your area.? ??

If an evacuation is necessary, residents will need to evacuate to the North.?

June 27 Noon: Evacuation Shelters under operation by the Red Cross are located at:

Lewis Palmer High School (1300 Higby, Monument, CO)
Cheyenne Mountain High School (1200 Cresta Road, Colorado Springs, CO)
Southeast YMCA (2190 Jet Wing Drive, Colorado Springs, CO)
Summit Elementary School, Divide, CO

Southbound I-25 open through Colorado Springs, Westbound travel off of I-25 extremely limited due to for fire operations.

June 27, 11:41am: The Woodland Park area, which was on pre-evacuation notice, has been issued mandatory evacuation orders. All of Teller County east of Highway 67 has been given standby evacuation notices.

June 27 11:01am: Click here for a SkyFOX video that shows just a glimpse of the devastation ? a row of homes destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire.

June 27 10:44am: Chris Jose reports that wind gusts are starting to pick up in Colorado Springs.

June 27 10:30am: The Air Force Academy has scheduled a noon press conference to address its evacuation plan.

June 27 9:30am: Information about donating or volunteering to help fire victims or firefighting efforts: HelpColoradoNow.org. You can also call 211 in your community.

June 27, 8:57am: Red Cross said it has seven shelters opened throughout Colorado last night and over 300 people stayed overnight in Colorado Springs alone.

June 27, 8:35am: Pre-evacuation orders issued for Southwest Douglas County

June 27, 8:28am: Officials said Colorado Springs? water quality has not been compromised.

June 27, 8:22am: For the newest map of the Waldo Canyon Fire evacuees, click here.

June 27, 8:15am: FOX31 source said police are looking for ?person of interest? in connection with the Waldo Canyon Fire who is on probation for arson. Authorities at the press briefing have denied these claims.

June 27, 8:14am: Further trouble is expected from weather ? not from winds but from the development of thunderstorms over fire.

June 27 8:11am: There is no fire on the south side of the highway near Ute Pass. Highway 24 remains closed.

June 27 8:05am: From press briefing: Police department evacuated 26,000 people last night. Still no estimate on the amount of homes lost but there is work being done to get that estimate, according to Colorado Springs Fire Chief Rich Brown.

June 27 7:53am: Just confirmed, the fire has ballooned to 15,375 as of Wednesday morning.

June 27 7:33am: Our Justin Joseph reports there is speculation in Colorado Springs that the Waldo Canyon Fire may have been caused by an arsonist. There has also been a post on Craigslist from an individual claiming to know who started the fire. Investigators cannot confirm that at this time. There may be an update at this morning?s 8 a.m. briefing.

June 27 7:21am: For more information on evacuated animals and how you can help them, visit the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region?s website.

June 27, 6:16am: All exit ramps from I-25 are open.? However, in three locations drivers will not be able to proceed west after exiting, but will be diverted to the north, south or east.? The I-25 exits with restricted mobility are at Woodmen Road, Nevada/Rockrimmon, and Garden of the God Road.

June 27, 6:15am: Fore additional information, the El Paso County Sheriff?s office has set up a mobile app that can be downloaded here.

June 27 6:02am: Mother Nature could help with a Flash Flood Watch for the burn area currently being issued for Wednesday afternoon. However, there is also a Red Flag Warning for most of the day, which could be equally harmful.

June 27 5:55am: Viewer video from Jerry Riley, who had to run from the flames shortly after taking it.

June 27 5:50am:?Additional evacuations late Tuesday included Pinon Valley leading up to the Air Force Academy, Kissing Camels and Holland Park. Fire bearing down on the large residential neighborhoods of Mountain Shadows, Perefrine and Rockrimmon Wednesday morning.

June 27 5:24am: Air Force Academy closed its two residential areas and directed a base closure for normal operations Wednesday. ?Only mission essential personnel and personnel in direct support of cadet activities such as in-processing and student academics should plan to report for duty,? the Air Force said on its Facebook page. This is the first time the Academy has ever issued a mass evacuation.

June 27 4:33am: From El Paso County Police scanner: ?Another home is up in flames.? Number of homes destroyed still unsure. Expect more details at 8 a.m. press briefing.

June 26 10:45pm: Rich Harvey/Incident Commander: ?The fire was able to breach our primary and secondary containment lines?

June 26 10:31pm: I-25 open at Interquest in Colorado Springs. All WB Exits closed from Academy to Uintah St.

June 26 10:29pm: The City of Colorado Springs has updated the Waldo Canyon Fire evacuation map. Click here

June 26 9:45pm: Mandatory Evacuation: Kissing Camel, including south of Garden of the Gods Road, west of Cennential Blvd., East of 30th St. North and North of Fillmore and Fontmore Rd.

June 26 9:47pm: An evacuation order has been issued by the City of Colorado Springs for areas that are north of Garden of the Gods Rd. between I-25 to the east all the way to the western City limits and north to the Air Force Academy. The Air Force Academy evacuated areas include Academy Dr. to the USAFA?s southern and western boundaries.

Fire is estimated at 6,500 acres.

June 26 9:38pm: Hickenlooper on flying over the burning subdivisions: ?It was like looking at a military invasion?

June 26 9:37pm: Gov. Hickenlooper at the Waldo Canyon Fire command center: ?If I could make an executive order for rain, I?d do it tomorrow?I?d do it right now!?

June 26 9:10 p.m. ? AFA second evacuation (an additional area) : Academy Drive South to Pine Drive; Stadium Blvd. on the east; USAFA boundary on the west.

June 26 9:20pm: Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach: ?It?s like an inferno? We have quite a few homes on fire right now.?

June 26 8:47pm: El Paso County Sheriff says more than 32,000 people have been evacuated. Unknown number of homes destroyed.

June 26 8:39pm: Based on the view from Briargate Parkway, it appears hundreds of homes are threatened and/or ablaze. Live cam here

June 26 8:25pm New Evacuation Shelter Lewis Palmer High School 1300 Higby Road, Monument

June 26 8: 20pm Mandatory Evacuation of the south portion of the Air Force Academy: North Boundary is Pine Dr. South Boundary is the USAFA Boundary, West Boundary is the USAFA boundary, East boundary is the Tri Intersection.

UPDATE June 26 8:14PM: The Flying W Ranch reported Tuesday evening that its complex has been destroyed.

UPDATE June 26 7:39pm: A second Red Cross Shelter has been set up at the YMCA on 2190 Jetwing Drive.? The Red Cross Shelter at Cheyenne Mountain High School is still accepting pets with evacuees.? Evacuees that want to take pets should go to Cheyenne Mountain High School. The Humane Society has set up an animal shelter at the Freedom Financial Expo Center on North Nevada.

UPDATE June 26 7:35pm: CLOSED: Southbound I-25 at Interquest Parkway due to wildfire smoke. Detour in place using CO 21.

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How To Achieve Successful Results Oriented Business Management

Every business and manager should redefine their goals for more successful business management. We know that most of them aren?t going to do this but will think that they are. The truth is that some of the principles of management really do seem to fly in the face of some of the highest priority goals. If you, though, are the business manager, you can choose to not follow the status-quo and then work hard at succeeding here.

Most of the time, the primary reason that a lot of managers don?t do this is not because they don?t have good policies, it is because they do not actually follow those policies. It takes guts to continuously do the right thing for your business every day. Learn everything you can about successful business management and then apply what you have learned. www.planetmud.com

Most of us have seen the good and the bad when it comes to management. Since this is more about the application of successful management principles, spend some time looking at the times and ways in which you offer feedback. Rather than being focused on corrective or critical feedback, remember your employees do many things right.

Of course, they are doing the things that you want to pay them to do. It will get you so much further if you remind them that they are doing things the right way. It?s better to keep your feedback positive as well as constructive. You want them to correct their actions, so tell them what needs to be done and how they can achieve it.

Micro-managing is rampant in this area, some managers simply are convinced that nobody else is capable of doing a job as well as they are. This goes back to departing from your role as a manager and continuing to be a worker. What you need to do is an honest assessment of your behavior and then take care of it. You hired people to take care of specific tasks. So let them do what they were hired to do and believe that they will do it correctly. Obviously once in a while a process or something is going to need some fine tuning but your job as a manager is not to be directly involved with this. DeWalt DWS535

A lot of managers want to be perceived as good people and feel the need to be liked. But as a manager, you have to maintain a professional distance with your subordinates. There?s a good possibility you have seen the problems that can arise from a manager being too close to his or her subordinates. If you form an attachment to a person in your department, that can lead to negative feelings from the others. It will also be hard for you to discipline that person. You can be very cordial and polite in a way that is warm but not inappropriate. Any company should proceed with caution when attempting to improve the professionalism of their management style. What you want to avoid is introducing confusion to the point where productivity suffers. Any system will experience a problem when things change and that includes your business. It, therefore, takes a while for those involved as well as the processes to accept and adapt to the changes. Click Here

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Pen & Pro$per: 5 Easy Steps to Great Story Writing!

by Dr John Yeoman

What?s the secret of writing a story in a jiffy - without pain or writer?s block?

There?s no shortage of ?how to? tips on the web. Do this, avoid that... But when you come down to it, only five things really work. Try this little 5-step plan for yourself and you?ll find, if you have any writing skill at all, the process will simplify your writing life.

Step 1. Give yourself permission to draft nonsense.

The first rule is to write something every day - but not care too much what you write. Be lazy. Drop in the first expression that comes to mind. Tired, formulaic words? Welcome them!

If you stop at every line, chew your pen and try to enhance what you?ve just written, you?ll get nowhere. Most of your fussy rewrites, at this stage, will be wasted anyway. Probably, you?ll edit them out later.

It?s simple and painless to work on a bad draft. The story?s already written (you?ll tell yourself). ?I just have to fix it!? That?s more fun than agonising over an empty page.

If you need another reason to write sloppily - at draft stage - note that bad writing also does away with writer?s block. Clinical depression apart, writer?s block is usually just a pointless quest to get stuff right the first time.

If you plan to write rubbish, you can?t help succeeding.

Step 2. Spend a lot of time with your tv.

Love television soaps? Now?s the time to make them work for you. Watch a popular drama series and make notes. Check the body language of the characters. How do the actors portray emotions - and how do the other characters respond?

Imagine somebody is telling a lie. What are their eyes doing? Their fingers? Is their voice calm or broken? Do the other characters catch them lying? If so, how do they behave?

Notice the scene shifts too. Few scenes today last for more than a few minutes. How does the play hold your interest when it shifts between scenes - or is interrupted by commercials? Probably, each scene ends on a note of uncertainty or intrigue.

Make a note of each scene hanger. Each could be a template you might use in a story yourself, to tie together the plot breaks.

Step 3. Be a discreet ?fly on the wall?.

Overhear conversations in public places. (This is a great excuse to hang out in bars.)

Listen hard, though unobtrusively, and you?ll know what folk really do when they converse. Pay special care to odd phrases, jargon, twists of speech. All could add colour to your story. Compile a file of ?real dialogue? snatches to draw on later.

Did you notice how people do not speak the way they do in novels - or on the stage? Nobody delivers a perfectly formed sentence then waits until the other person does the same. Everything is a buzz. Half-formed sentences collide with others. It?s a miracle that communication ever takes place...

Convey something of that realism in the stories you write and they?ll become instantly more plausible.

Step 4. Do little ?meditations? every hour.

All pro writers carry a notebook, of course. But use it this way. Make a habit of stopping wherever you are, at random. Take a real hard look at the scene around you.

Are you in an office? Cafe? Street? Are you gazing at a mundane shop window or notice board? Is it dull, dull, dull? That?s great!

Imagine it?s the first time you?ve seen such a thing. How would you describe it, using every one of the five senses - so that your description glows with sensuality? Write down that moment of perception in one short sentence.

This is not the time for sloppy words. Choose exactly the right ones. Compose a prose poem. Keep it short - and keep it safe. You may be able to use it in a story later. If not, no matter. You?re training yourself to observe.

That little drill is tough. We?re so used to taking our surroundings for granted. But once it becomes a habit, you?ll never again be able to write a dull description.

Step 5. Accept that your story will go through several redrafts.

Irving Wallace had to throw away three whole drafts of his lengthy novel The Prize before he thought it good enough to write ?finis?, And after it was published, to great acclaim, he wanted to write it all over again.

It?s a sad reality that even a ?perfect? story is full of flaws. You?ll never catch them all but most stories need a dozen rewrites just to be publishable.

Put your drafts aside for a month. You?ll be astonished at how downright bad they?ve become in that time.

Now you can rewrite them. Of course, the process never ends. But as Picasso once said of a painting: it?s never finished, just abandoned.

To be sure, commercial story writers can?t afford to procrastinate forever. They have to pay the bills. But long experience has taught them to get their work at least 70% right by the third re-write. That?s good enough. They also know that publishers hate work that?s 100% perfect. It annoys their copy editors...

True, the formula above is simplistic. But it works. Develop those five habits of successful writers and, if you have even the smallest amount of talent, your skills as a writer will develop fast - and your stories will sell.

Dr John Yeoman, PhD Creative Writing, judges the Writers? Village story competition and is a tutor in creative writing at a UK university. He has been a successful commercial author for 42 years. A wealth of further ideas for writing fiction that sells can be found in his free 14-part story course at:
http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-income

Biography
Dr John Yeoman has 42 years experience as a commercial author, newspaper editor and one-time chairman of a major PR consultancy. He has published eight books of humour, some of them intended to be humorous.

Synopsis
Take these easy five steps to think like a professional author. Your stories will glow with fresh reader appeal, impress editors and agents, and succeed in the commercial market.

Thoughts? Any of these tips resonate with you?

IMAGE CREDIT: SPFF

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Choosing the Form of Entity for Your Business | Legal Shield | Pre ...

Choosing the form of entity by which to conduct business is one of the
first, and often most important, questions faced by someone starting a
business. Several factors determine which form of business entity is
most appropriate for a particular business, including protection of the
owners of the business from debts, obligations and liabilities of the
business, and achieving favorable tax treatment. This article will help
you understand the basic differences in business entities and the
advantages and disadvantages of the several options from which to
choose. In making your ultimate choice, you should discuss these and
other factors with your legal and tax advisors.

In Utah, you have several options when choosing the form of entity for
your business. The entities discussed in this article are: A) Sole
Proprietorships, B) General Partnerships, C) Limited Partnerships, D)
Corporations, E) S-Corporations and F) Limited Liability Companies. Not
discussed are more specialized entities such as professional
corporations, non-profit corporations, limited liability partnerships
and business trusts.

A. SOLE PROPRIETORSHIPS: A sole proprietorship is a single
individual who owns and operates a business typically using his or her
own assets. The sole proprietorship is the simplest form of business
entity, with little distinction between the owner and the business.

1. Advantages. A sole proprietorship is simple and requires no
formalities or state filings. A sole proprietorship avoids the double
taxation disadvantage of corporations. The owner may deduct business
expenses and losses from his or her personal income.

2. Disadvantages. An owner is personally liable for all obligations of
the business. Creditors of the business can seek recovery from the
owner?s personal assets, as well as business assets. Also, all profit
may be subject to self-employment tax, even if part of the profit is
attributable to a return of capital.

B. GENERAL PARTNERSHIPS: A general partnership is an association
of two or more persons formed for the purpose of conducting a business
for profit. A partnership may be created by a formal agreement or
merely by the parties? actions.

1. Advantages. The biggest advantage of a partnership is its relatively
favorable tax treatment. There is no separate tax at the partnership
level and individual partners get the benefit of business expenses and
deductions to offset income from other sources. Partners may also
specially allocate income and losses, thus allowing them to shift tax
benefits and burdens. A partnership can be formed and operated with
minimal formality and no filings or agreements are necessary.
Partnerships are relatively easy to manage.

2. Disadvantages. Each partner is jointly and severally liable for all
obligations of the partnership. On dissolution of a partnership, a
creditor of the partnership can sue any of the partners personally for
unpaid partnership debts. In the absence of any agreement to the
contrary, the death or withdrawal of one partner dissolves the
partnership. Management of a partnership can be difficult if many
partners are involved or if partners do not get along well. Interests
in partnerships are not freely transferable. There is no centralized
management in a partnership, and any partner can bid the partnership and
the other partners in any matter of partnership business. Raising
capital is difficult in the partnership form since the partnership
cannot obtain funds through broad ownership distribution. It takes at
least two persons to form a partnership.

C. LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS: A limited partnership is a partnership
comprised of one or more general partners who operate and manage the
business, and one or more limited partners who do not actively operate
or manage the business. Articles of limited partnership must be filed
with the state. A partnership agreement would normally describe the
rights and duties of the partners.

1. Advantages. A limited partnership enjoys the same basic tax
advantages as a general partnership, subject to the passive income and
loss rules, and except that limited partnerships may be more limited in
how they can specially allocate income and losses. The limited
partnership affords investors limited liability, much like a
corporation, so long as they do manage the business.

2. Disadvantages. The general partners of a limited partnership are
liable for all partnership obligations. As with a general partnership,
the death or withdrawal of a general partner will dissolve a limited
partnership, absent a partnership agreement provision to the contrary.
Although more freely transferable than general partnership interests,
limited partnership interests are still not as freely transferable as
corporate interests.

D. CORPORATIONS: A regular corporation, or ?C Corporation? to
the IRS, is the most common form of entity for doing business. A
corporation is a legal entity, formed pursuant to state law that exists
separately from its owners. Articles of incorporation must be filed
with the state. The management structure and financial and voting
rights of the shareholders are typically embodied by bylaws or
shareholder agreements.

1. Advantages. It is difficult to ?pierce the corporate veil? to hold
shareholders, officers or directors personally liable for corporate
obligations. Protection from liability is the principal reason a
corporation is preferred as a form of business entity. Also, with a
long history of use in this country, corporate law is well developed and
fairly standard throughout the states, and therefore legal issues are
more predictable and more readily settled. Ownership interests (stock)
in a corporation are freely transferable.

2. Disadvantages. A C corporation?s income is subject to double
taxation: first on the net income when it is earned by the business, and
again on the dividends when paid to the shareholders out of the
corporation?s remaining income. Also, a corporation requires more
formalities and is somewhat more complex than a sole proprietorship, a
general partnership or a limited liability company. Annual reports must
be filed and corporate formalities, such as keeping proper corporate
minutes, should be followed to maintain the separate identity of the
corporation. Also, corporations are less flexible from a tax standpoint
than other entities.

E. S-CORPORATIONS: An S-corporation is a corporation that, by
complying with IRS requirements, avoids the double taxation of C
corporation, and is taxed more like a partnership than like a C
corporation. Articles of incorporation must be filed with the state and
a form must be filed with the IRS indicating the corporation?s election
to be treated as an S-corporation.

1. Advantages. Shareholders enjoy the same protection from liability
for the obligations of the business as shareholders of a regular
corporation. The primary advantage of an S-corporation over a C
corporation is the avoidance of double taxation. Another advantage is
that, to the extent there are losses in the corporation, those losses
may be passed through to shareholders to be offset against shareholders?
income from other sources, subject to certain limitations.

2. Disadvantages. An S-corporation is limited by the number (100 or
less) and type of shareholders it can have. It is also limited to one
class of stock. These limitations may make it more difficult for an
S-corporation to raise capital. Also, unlike a partnership, income and
losses cannot be specially allocated to shareholders.

F. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANIES: A limited liability company
(LLC) is a relatively new form of business entity in Utah combining
features of partnerships and corporations. An LLC has the tax
advantages and operational flexibility of general partnerships, together
with the limited liability protection of a corporation. The LLC is a
separate legal entity which is organized by one or more persons or
entities. Articles of organization must be filed with the state. The
rights of the owners or ?members? with respect to management and
financial matters may be set forth in an operating agreement.

1. Advantages. Members of an LLC are not personally liable for the
obligations of the company. LLCs enjoy favorably flow-through tax
treatment without double taxation. LLCs can specially allocate income
and losses among members. There is no limit on the number or type of
members, and an operating agreement can, in effect, create different
classes of ownership interests. There are relatively few formal
requirements to create and operate an LLC. Finally, LLCs also offer
certain other tax advantages of an S- corporation.

2. Disadvantages. One disadvantage of an LLC is that it is still the
newest form of business entity and as such, is still somewhat untested
in court cases. There still remains some uncertainty with respect to
issues such as piercing the veil of an LLC, the treatment of the LLC and
its members in bankruptcy, and the like. However, each year adds more
experience so these concerns are becoming less disadvantageous. Another
area of disadvantage of the LLC is that there still is no strong
uniformity of state laws governing LLCs. An LLC entity conducting
multi-state business may find it difficult to comply with the laws in
all the various states. Also, to the extent an LLC engages in business
in a state which has not passed LLC legislation, there is a risk that a
court might not recognize the limited liability of members, and might
hold the members personally liable in that state for the obligations of
the business. However, most every state now recognizes LLCs as a type
of business entity.

Each business is different, but determining which factors are most
important to your business will help you better determine which type of
entity will work best for you.

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Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on)

Garmin is adding a new product to its line-up of fitness watches, and this one is dedicated to workouts of the aquatic variety. The $150 Garmin Swim tracks your distance swum, average pace, workout time and more, and it uploads those stats to the web to help monitor your progress. Though it's meant to be a part of your exercise routine, the Garmin Swim watch looks like your average plastic digi-timepiece. The watch has six buttons with functions for viewing the time of day, scrolling through the menu options, controlling the timer, viewing the menu and entering workout mode. The setup takes some getting used to, but the illustrative icons on the watch helped us get into the rhythm quickly.

Getting started with the Swim simply entails entering the size of your pool, with options to measure in yards or meters. Once that info is uploaded, you press the swim button and are ready to get splashing. We spent a solid half-hour doing laps, and the Swim duly recognized and recorded that we varied our strokes. Stopping the timer each time we took a break created a new interval for our workout, with a rundown of the elapsed time, distance in meters, number of strokes, type of stroke, total laps, average speed and calories burned. That's a lot of data to pore over, and Garmin lets you wirelessly upload it all to the Garmin Connect site. To do this, you have to pair the watch with your computer using a USB ANT stick: once it works, it's an efficient, easy way to review your workout, but it took us a few tries before our laptop recognized the watch. Garmin says the watch's battery will last a full year, which is plenty of time to log some serious laps. For more about the Swim, check out the press info past the break.

Gallery: Garmin Swim hands-on

Continue reading Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on)

Garmin Swim watch tracks your water workouts, we hit the pool (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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According to a study published in The Lancet, India has one of ...

According to a study published in The Lancet, India has one of highest suicide rates in the world, and self-inflicted death is the second most common cause of death of young people in the country. In addition, suicide could become the leading cause of death among young Indian women as maternal death rates fall. Professor Vikram Patel, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, explained: "Suicide kills nearly as many Indian men aged 15-29 as transportation accidents and nearly as many young women as complications from pregnancy and childbirth...

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Watson determined not to be Brit flop

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An Unexpected Baby Shower | Naturally Contrary

June 24, 2012

My wonderful co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower during a staff meeting on Friday. It was such a nice surprise, and so nice to be reminded that I work with people who care enough to do something like that for me and Baby.

Baby now has new clothes, toys, bedding, bibs, and good-smelling bathtime lotions, shampoos, and powders. These little yellow onesies are so soft, and came with a matching set of receiving blankets.

Wrist rattles are something I?d never seen or heard of before, but I think they?re a clever idea. I don?t know if Baby will like having a rattle strapped to a wrist, but if not, we can attach them to something else, like the car seat or a crib rail.

I don?t live near many of my friends or any of my family, so a baby shower was not something I was really expecting to have. Having one with my work family, though, was really excellent. I won?t be returning to work after Baby is born, and this got me to thinking about the people I?ll miss seeing every week.

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Obama Mocks Romney Aides For Outsourcing v. Offshoring Defense

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama escalated his criticism of Mitt Romney's work with private equity firm Bain Capital Monday during a mid-day campaign event in Durham, N.H.

Speaking to a boisterous crowd in the Granite State, Obama criticized Romney for outsourcing jobs and mocked his campaign's insistence that outsourcing and offshoring are two different things.

"Now, just last week, it was reported that Governor Romney's old firm owned companies that were pioneers in the business of outsourcing American jobs to places like China and India," said Obama. "So yesterday his advisers were asked about this and they tried to clear this up by telling us there is actually a difference between outsourcing and offshoring. That's what they said. You cannot make this stuff up."

The line, which got strong applause and some audible snickers from the crowd, was a response to arguments made the day before by Romney aides and surrogates on the Sunday show circuit. Those surrogates pushed back against a Washington Post report that Romney had invested in companies that sent American jobs overseas while at Bain Capital by clinging to a technical distinction.

"There?s a very simple difference between outsourcing and offshoring,? top Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said on CBS?s ?Face the Nation.? ?[Outsourcing] is done by companies every day. They take functions and they allow vendors to do it rather than handling it in-house. Offshoring is the shipment of American jobs overseas."

It's true that outsourcing and offshoring are two different things. That said, it seems fairly well established that Bain Capital invested in companies that, through one method or another, took work that could have been done in the United States and had it done overseas. And in the context of a presidential campaign, arguing these types of distinctions rarely means you are playing a winning hand.

Certainly, Obama was eager to move past the technical debate in favor of making a larger point.

"Now what Governor Romney's advisers don't seem to understand is this: if you're a worker whose job went overseas, you don't need somebody trying to explain to you the difference between outsourcing and offshoring," he said. "You need somebody who is going to wake up every single day and fight for American jobs."

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Verlander pitches 5-hitter for Tigers

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:43 p.m. ET June 24, 2012

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Justin Verlander pitched a five-hitter Sunday, Quintin Berry hit a two-run shot for his first major league home run and the Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2.

Berry also scored the go-ahead run on Delmon Young's single in the eighth, an inning after Garrett Jones tied it with a two-run homer.

Five weeks after he took a no-hitter into the ninth against the Pirates in Detroit on May 18, Verlander (8-4) had allowed only two infield hits through six innings Sunday before Pedro Alvarez singled with one out in the seventh. Jones followed by launching a 1-1 changeup into a sliver of seating in right-center.

Detroit avoided a sweep, winning for only the second time in five games.

Berry's homer off of Kevin Correia four pitches into the game was his first in 96 career big league at-bats. Austin Jackson singled ahead of Berry.

Pittsburgh remained one game behind the Cincinnati Reds, who lost to Minnesota, in the NL Central.

The Tigers matched their run total for the first two games of the series combined before many in the crowd of 35,179 had even settled into their seats. The series drew 111,878 to PNC Park, the fifth-most for a three-game series at the 12-year-old ballpark.

Pittsburgh had won 16 of its past 20 at home and had already clinched its fifth consecutive series victory at PNC Park with consecutive 4-1 wins Friday and Saturday.

A sweep appeared out of the question once Verlander was handed a two-run lead. He has won three consecutive starts and kept his pitch count low through six innings Sunday.

But Jones tied it with his ninth homer and second in four games.

The tie lasted only a half-inning. Berry walked with one out and stole second. Chris Resop (0-3) intentionally walked Prince Fielder to face Young, who was 1 for 9 in the series until singling in his previous at-bat.

He singled to right to score Berry.

Verlander retired all six Pirates batters he faced after that, striking out three to give him seven in the game. He needed 117 pitches to toss his fourth complete game of the season and 18th of his career.

After allowing the home run two batters into the game, Correia retire 12 of the next 15 and did not allow another runner to advance past second.

Counting 5 1-3 shutout innings in a win against Minnesota Tuesday, Correia has put together two consecutive strong outings. General manager Neal Huntington said RHP Jeff Karstens will be activated from the disabled list to start a game this week but did not announce whom he would replace in the rotation. Correia has been seen as a possibility.

NOTES: Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was ejected by home plate umpire Marty Foster for arguing a checked-swing call on 1B Casey McGehee. ... Pittsburgh claimed INF/OF Drew Sutton off waivers from Tampa Bay. He will report to the team later in the week. The Pirates also recalled RHP Bryan Morris before the game and optioned INF Jordy Mercer to Triple-A. ... The Tigers continue their roadtrip with three games in Texas. RHP Rick Porcello (4-5, 4.95) will start Monday and manager Jim Leyland had yet to announce whom he would start Tuesday. LHP Drew Smyly and RHP Jacob Turner are candidates. Smyly is on the disabled list; Turner, a rookie, made his first start of the season on Thursday. ... Pittsburgh begins a four-game series in Philadelphia Monday. The Pirates took two of three from the Phillies at home to open the season.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Fans honor Youkilis in Red Sox win

??Cody Ross hit two homers and drove in five runs, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 9-4 Sunday in a game that likely was Kevin Youkilis' farewell to the Fenway Park fans.

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