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Sanctions hit Iranian manufacturing hard

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? A conservative Iranian news website says the number of manufacturing companies in the country facing financial crisis has increased four-fold over the past four years to nearly 1,600.

The Monday report by tasnimnews.com reflects the impact of Western sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear program. The website says the report has been drawn up by a government department but didn't elaborate.

Iran is under four sets of U.N. sanctions and Western punitive measures on its oil, banking and trade industries over the Islamic Republic's refusal to halt uranium enrichment ? a program that can be a pathway to nuclear arms.

The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sanctions-hit-iranian-manufacturing-hard-131237140.html

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Karaoke for Xbox Live starts belting out hits on December 11th

Attention all songbirds: your time to shine is almost here. Microsoft and Stingray Media's Karaoke will be hitting Xbox Live on December 11th. The game is free to download, but would-be vocalists will have to purchase playing sessions of two, six and 24 hours respectively priced at: 240, 400 and 800 Microsoft points. While this costly pay to play approach mirrors a traditional karaoke lounge's setup, you'll definitely save a few bucks on overpriced booze refreshments -- that's gotta count for something, right?

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

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Source: Microsoft

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With election over, less attention to jobs report

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Reaction to the monthly jobs numbers isn't what it used to be.

The first unemployment report since President Barack Obama's re-election barely got a mention from the White House and Republicans after Friday's release. Gone was the frenzy of political posturing that followed every release throughout the presidential campaign.

Obama would try to cast each economic snapshot as a sign of slow but steady recovery, while Republican rival Mitt Romney bemoaned the unemployment rate as a sign that the country needed fresh economic leadership.

But there's a new postelection, political reality in Washington: Obama is sticking around for four more years no matter what the unemployment rate is.

Economic drivers are also behind Washington's muted response Friday. While economists project a continued drop in unemployment and an uptick in economic growth through next year, that could all be at risk if Obama and congressional Republicans can't reach a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff"- a series of automatic tax increases and spending cuts due to take effect at the end of the year.

Perhaps with that in mind, the White House made no plans for the president to comment publicly on the news that the unemployment rate fell to a nearly four-year low of 7.7 percent in November. Instead, Obama spent the day in private meetings with his advisers - including some on the fiscal cliff. He left his administration's response to top White House economist Alan Krueger.

"Today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression," Krueger said in a statement.

Vice President Joe Biden also chimed in briefly during an event Friday afternoon, saying: "I think we have turned the corner."

Even before his re-election campaign kicked into high-gear, Obama made a point of addressing the jobless rate most months, regardless of whether it had climbed or dropped.

He'd speak from the White House, at small businesses in the Washington area or, often this year, at the start of campaign rallies in political swing states. He used his remarks to reassure the public and financial markets, or press Republicans to pass his proposals for jumpstarting the economy.

Congressional Republicans, and eventually Romney, would respond with vigor and cast the unemployment rate - which peaked at 10 percent during Obama's first year in office - as a sign that the president was leading the economy down a dangerous road and needed to be replaced.

With that opportunity gone following the Nov. 6 presidential election, and the unemployment picture improving, Republicans barely mentioned the jobless rate Friday. Instead, they used the monthly report to criticize Obama's willingness to go over the fiscal cliff unless Republicans drop their opposition to higher tax rates for the top 2 percent of income earners.

"The Democrats' plan to slow-walk our economy to the edge of the fiscal cliff instead of engaging in serious talks is a threat to our economy," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Friday.

Fiscal cliff negotiations between the White House and Republicans are at an impasse. Despite Obama's warning that he's willing to go over the cliff unless Republicans come around on taxes, the GOP is holding firm in its opposition to higher tax rates on the wealthy.

---

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_JOBS_REPORT?SITE=TXCOL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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U.S. uncertainty stifling business investment: TMX CEO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Political, fiscal, and regulatory uncertainty in the United States is hampering capital investment in the country and beyond, Tom Kloet, chief executive of TMX Group , Canada's biggest exchange operator, said on Thursday.

Kloet, a Chicago native who guided TMX through its recent C$3.8 billion ($3.84 billion) takeover by Maple Group, a consortium that includes some of Canada's biggest banks, pension funds, and insurers, said the lack of compromise in Washington on the "fiscal cliff" is frustrating and stifles business.

"As a business owner that represents 4,000 listed issuers on the stock exchange of the biggest trading partner the United States has, I've got to say that the uncertainty is really hurting the appetite for capital expenditures and capital investment right now," he said.

With less than a month left to confront the steep budget cuts and tax increases that will begin taking effect in January and could send the economy back into recession, Democrats and Republicans have yet to find common ground on some key issues, preventing a deal.

Kloet said that aside from reaching an agreement on the fiscal cliff, politicians could help restore confidence in the market by being proactive about initiating comprehensive tax reform in a bipartisan way with government and industry input.

"This idea of solving things with a gun to your head all of the time just doesn't seem like the right path," he said.

EXPANSION

The Toronto Stock Exchange parent's main focus is on paying down its large debt load related to the Maple deal and integrating former rival Alpha, as well as clearinghouse Canadian Depository for Securities Ltd (CDS).

But it is also eying global expansion and is looking to the United States with interest, said Kloet, who once ran the Singapore Exchange. But while valuations of potential acquisition targets are relatively cheap due to a slump in trading volumes, deals are less likely while the economic environment remains so uncertain, he said.

The Toronto-based exchange operator, which celebrated its 160th anniversary in October, was in talks earlier this year to buy U.S. stock market operator Direct Edge Holdings LLC, the No. 4 U.S. stock exchange by volume.

Kloet would not comment on Direct Edge specifically. He did say that TMX would have liked to have bought the London Metal Exchange, which Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd acquired for $2.2 billion in June, but the premium was too high.

TMX had 344 international listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the small-cap focused Toronto Venture Exchange, as of October 31. Of those, 178 were U.S.-based.

Kloet said that TMX would be interested in starting a U.S. listings business, focusing on taking small-cap companies public, if the regulatory environment was right.

He said a set of rules around the Jumpstart our Business Startups, or JOBS, Act, which aims to reduce the regulatory burden for small business start-ups by relaxing various securities regulations, would make that more likely.

"If the JOBS Act came into fruition as real rules you could use, then we'd be interested. In absence of that, we would not." ($1 = 0.9894 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting By John McCrank; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-uncertainty-stifling-business-investment-tmx-ceo-232640183--sector.html

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Islamists battle opponents as Egypt crisis grows

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt descended into political turmoil on Wednesday over the constitution drafted by Islamist allies of President Mohammed Morsi, and at least 211 people were wounded as supporters and opponents battled each other with firebombs, rocks and sticks outside the presidential palace.

Four more presidential aides resigned in protest over Morsi's handling of the crisis, and a key opponent of the Islamist president likened Morsi's rule to that of ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Both sides were digging in for a long struggle, with the opposition vowing more protests and rejecting any dialogue unless the charter is rescinded, and Morsi pressing relentlessly forward with plans for a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum.

"The solution is to go to the ballot box," declared Mahmoud Ghozlan, a spokesman for Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, asserting the charter was "the best constitution Egypt ever had."

The clashes outside the presidential palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district marked an escalation in the deepening crisis. It was the first time supporters of rival camps fought each other since last year's anti-Mubarak uprising, when the authoritarian leader's loyalists sent sword-wielding supporters on horses and camels into Cairo's Tahrir square in what became one of the uprising's bloodiest days.

The large scale and intensity of the fighting marked a milestone in Egypt's rapidly entrenched schism, pitting Morsi's Brotherhood and ultra-conservative Islamists in one camp, against liberals, leftists and Christians in the other.

The violence spread to other parts of the country later Wednesday. Anti-Morsi protesters stormed and set ablaze the Brotherhood offices in Suez and Ismailia, east of Cairo, and there were clashes in the industrial city of Mahallah and the province of Menoufiyah in the Nile Delta north of the capital.

Compounding Morsi's woes, four of his advisers resigned, joining two other members of his 17-member advisory panel who have abandoned him since the crisis began.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition reform advocate, said Morsi's rule was "no different" than Mubarak's.

"In fact, it is perhaps even worse," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told a news conference after he accused the president's supporters of a "vicious and deliberate" attack on peaceful demonstrators outside the palace.

"Cancel the constitutional declarations, postpone the referendum, stop the bloodshed, and enter a direct dialogue with the national forces," he wrote on his Twitter account, addressing Morsi.

"History will give no mercy and the people will not forget."

The opposition is demanding that Morsi rescind the decrees giving him nearly unrestricted powers and shelve the controversial draft constitution the president's Islamist allies rushed through last week in a marathon, all-night session shown live on state TV.

Speaking at NATO in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the unrest shows the urgent need for dialogue between Morsi's government and opposing voices on a constitutional path going forward.

"We call on all stakeholders in Egypt to settle their differences through democratic dialogue and we call on Egypt's leaders to ensure that the outcome protects the democratic promise of the revolution for all of Egypt's citizens," she said.

The huge scale of the opposition protests has dealt a blow to the legitimacy of the new charter, which Morsi's opponents contend allows religious authorities too much influence over legislation, threatens to restrict freedom of expression and opens the door to Islamist control over day-to-day life.

In addition, the country's powerful judges say they will not take on their customary role of overseeing the referendum. Zaghloul el-Balshi, secretary general of the state committee organizing the referendum, said on the private Al-Hayat television that he would not go ahead with preparations for the vote until the fighting stopped and Morsi rescinded his decrees.

The country's new attorney general, a Morsi appointee, hit back, ordering an investigation of Ahmed El-Zind, chairman of the judges' union that is spearheading the call for a boycott.

Wednesday's clashes began when thousands of Morsi's Islamist supporters descended on an area near the presidential palace where some 300 of his opponents were staging a sit-in. The Islamists, members of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, chased the protesters away from their base outside the palace's main gate and tore down their tents.

The protesters scattered into side streets, where they chanted anti-Morsi slogans as the Islamists shouted, "The people demand the implementation of God's law!"

After a brief lull, hundreds of Morsi opponents arrived and began throwing firebombs at the president's backers, who responded with rocks. The clashes continued well after nightfall and spread from the immediate vicinity of the palace to residential streets nearby.

The deployment of hundreds of riot police did not stop the fighting. The police later fired tear gas to disperse Morsi's opponents. Volunteers ferried the wounded on motorcycles to waiting ambulances, which rushed them to hospitals.

"I voted for Morsi to get rid of Hosni Mubarak. I now regret it," Nadia el-Shafie yelled at Brotherhood supporters on a side street.

"God is greater than you! Don't think this power or authority will add anything to you. God made this revolution, not you!" the tearful woman said as she was led away from the crowd of Islamists.

"May God protect Egypt and its president," read a banner hoisted atop a truck brought by the Islamists, as a man using a loudspeaker recited verses from the Quran.

"We came to support the president. We feel there is a legitimacy that someone is trying to rob," said Rabi Mohammed, a Brotherhood supporter. "People are rejecting democratic principles using thuggery."

The Islamists portrayed their attack on opposition protesters as defense of the revolution.

The clashes, said top Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian, pitted "those who are protecting the legitimacy and the revolution against the counterrevolution and coup plotters."

Vice President Mahmoud Mekki called for a dialogue with the opposition to reach a consensus on disputed articles of the constitution, which he put at 15 out of a total of 234. The referendum must go ahead, he said, adding that he was acting in a personal capacity, not on behalf of Morsi.

Speaking to reporters, ElBaradei said there would be no dialogue unless Morsi rescinded his decrees and shelved the draft constitution.

Asked to comment on Mekki's offer, he said: "With all due respect, we don't deal with personal initiatives. If there is a genuine desire for dialogue, the offer must come from President Morsi."

Morsi's Nov. 22 decrees were followed last week by the constitutional panel pushing through the draft constitution without the participation of liberal and Christian members. Only four women, all Islamists, attended the session.

If the referendum goes ahead as scheduled and the draft constitution is adopted, elections for parliament's lawmaking lower chamber will be held in February.

____

AP reporters Maggie Michael and Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/islamists-battle-opponents-egypt-crisis-grows-000826425.html

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Burnout - Addiction in Family

At some point, while trying to help an addict or alcoholic, we may begin to experience feelings of emotional exhaustion, or increased anxiety. These feelings may be associated with burnout ? a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that?s often accompanied by a change in attitude. If you feel that you may be experiencing symptoms of burnout, t is important to take immediate action to improve your health and quality of life.

Here is a list of symptoms that may indicate a burnout:

• Feeling unusually tense, irritable or agitated with others
• Feeling irritable
• Being angry at the addicted individual
• Feeling sad, tearful
• Feeling dissatisfied with life in general
• Feeling exhausted? & overwhelmed
• Withdrawal from friends and enjoyable activities
• Loss of desire and/or energy
• Lowered immunity: getting sick more often
• Feeling out of control in attempts to manage daily life
• Trouble sleeping and/or disturbing dreams
• Change in appetite

Feeling stressed over long periods of time WILL affect a person?s health, motivation, attitude and mood as well as ability to cope with daily responsibilities.

A Burnout is a result of:

• Not asking for help
• Neglecting own needs
• High expectations of self and others
• A strong and unrealistic dedication to making things better for the other person
• Attempting to control things that are not in our control
• Difficulty saying ?no?/ setting limits or boundaries
• Consistently sacrificing self and own needs for the benefit of someone else
• Difficulty following through with enforcing limits/consequences
• Self-Blame
• Feeling responsible for the other person
• Consistently doing things for the other person that they should be doing for themselves
• Rescuing, Protecting, Fixing

The unrecognized burnout symptoms eventually lead to feelings of exhaustion, hopeless and powerless. Overtime, the affected family member may feel depressed, unable to function, and unable to shift the focus back to him/herself.? Digging self out of this point may prove to be extremely difficult. It is recommended that the family seek outside help. Seeing a doctor, mental health professional, an addiction counselor, and/or joining a family support group may be necessary, even for those who have resisted this thus far.

Self-Help Strategies to Cope with Symptoms of Burnout include:

• Letting go
• Accepting? own limitations
• saying ?no?
• ACCEPTING HELP.
• Scheduling breaks and private time for YOU
• Eating well, getting regular sleep and exercise, and participating in activities you find stress relieving.
• Defining your limits of what you are prepared and able to do
• Talking to ?a friend, family member, or others
• Finding spiritual strength
• Appreciating efforts
• Acknowledging that it is not your responsibility to ?fix it all?.

?

Some believe that a daily practice of self-compassion such as: ?self-kindness, acknowledging our own humanity, and?practicing mindfulness may also help families recover. Self-kindness refers to the tendency to be caring and?understanding?with oneself rather than being harshly critical or judgmental. Self-compassion can be extended towards the self when suffering occurs through no fault of one?s own ? when the external circumstances of life are simply too painful or difficult to bear, or else when our suffering stems from one?s own mistakes, failures or personal inadequacies.

Self-kindness comes from Buddhist cultures and is less intentionally cultivated in the West.?

In comparison to self-esteem, self-kindness does not require that we feel superior to others. Self-kindness is not an evaluation of ourselves at all, but is an attitude we adopt toward our own failure and suffering. Researchers have identified three components to self-compassion:

• Self-kindness is a positive, proactive attitude toward oneself. It is not simply the absence of negative attitudes. For instance, the absence of self-judgment does not necessarily mean that one is compassionate toward oneself.?
• The idea of ?Common humanity? involves recognizing that all humans are imperfect, fail and make mistakes. It is a perspective that views our own failings and feelings of inadequacy as part of the human condition shared by nearly everyone. By contrast, people who isolate tend to feel alone in their failure.
• Mindfulness involves being aware of one?s painful feelings in a clear and balanced manner so that one neither ignores nor obsesses about disliked aspects of oneself or one?s life.

If you?re a family member affected by addiction, try giving yourself compassion the next time you make a mistake or feel challenged beyond your ability to cope.? Not only will it help to get through difficult situations, it will lead to greater happiness?and peace of mind.

Source: http://addictioninfamily.com/family-issues/burnout/

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The Little Frothy Brew - Food & Drink Articles - Savista Over 50's ...

The basic ingredients consists of eggs beaten with sugar, milk, cream and some kind of spirit, (producing the little frothy brew) with nutmeg sometimes sprinkled on the top for a different taste and visual effect.

As with most historical facts there is always controversy involved, and the origin of this seasonal drink is no exception to the rule!

Many believe that the drinking of eggnog tradition was brought to Europe from America. Others believe it had European roots but, either way, I?ve seen many an old American film which has promoted this eggnog drinking trend, especially films showing family and friends gathering during the Christmas Season.

It is certainly a social drink, (originally for the rich), said to be related to various milk and wine punches, later becoming more alcoholic as the thought of drinking eggs was never appealing to some, although eggs is still very much a prominent ingredient.

There are varying opinions as to how the name was derived, especially as it has an awful guttural sound but, it is said that the word nog is from an Old English name meaning strong beer, and noggin was a small wooden carved mug which people drank from while at tavern tables in England, so that is how an egg drink in a nog became eggnog.? It has been related to various milk and wine punches, although the English also used Spanish Sherry.? It has always been used at social gatherings throughout the centuries to toast one?s health, both in England and in America.

Those who believe that eggnog originated in America associate it with the American Colonial colonies where colonists referred to thick drinks as grog, then as egg and grog together, so again, there was a reference to the know name of today, eggnog, instead of egg grog.?

The Colonial Americans added a certain twist to the original eggnog drink by adding rum to it, rather than wine, giving it a totally different kick. Rum was introduced from the Caribbean and became a much cheaper addition, (rather than imported wine from England), making the drink popular and affordable to all classes in America, no longer only for the rich!

The first president of the United States, George Washington, was quite a fan of eggnog and devised his own recipe that included rye whiskey, rum and sherry. It became known as a stiff drink that only the most courageous were willing to try.

When the brew reached Latin America yet more ingredients continued to be added including coconut juice. A more portent liqueur was added to Mexican eggnog, to be sipped with Mexican Cinnamon and rum, and in Peru they include home-brewed Brandy and call it pisco, yet, amongst all these great spirits being introduced and included, non-alcoholic eggnog is also very popular.

Have you ever tried eggnog?? Why not give it a try this Christmas?

Source: http://www.savistamagazine.com/article/the-little-frothy-brew

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