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Payroll Tax Cut Expiration Is a Bigger Deal Than ... - Yahoo! Finance

For as picked over and criticized as the Fiscal Cliff deal has been over the last few days, a tax break getting less attention than may have been expected is the one thing that impacts anyone taking home a paycheck. With the expiration of a temporary Social Security payroll tax everyone's take home pay just fell 2%. The question is whether or not the reduction is going to be more of a problem than most investors think.

"This hurts seriously," says Brian Sozzi of NBG Productions, warning that next week Americans will feel "payroll shock."

It's common sense. If you're taking home less money, you can either take down your savings level or cut discretionary spending. Given the choice, most people will ultimately reduce their spending on items they want but don't need.

The difference between the payroll tax bump and other hikes in the bill is the immediacy of the hit. Your tax rate isn't something you're forced to consider every two weeks, but your paycheck is. Workers never see the money being put into Social Security. Not even American consumers can throw away money they never had in the first place.

Related: 3 Landmines in the Fiscal Cliff Fix

Sozzi's strategy for getting around this potential headwind is to stick to investing in companies focused on basic goods with international exposure. The dollar discount stores that did so well last year will take a bigger hit than companies with income from around the world.

What do you think? Is the expiration of the payroll tax cut going to reduce consumer spending more than the market thinks? Give your thoughts in the comment section below or Tweet me @Jeffmacke

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/payroll-tax-cut-expiration-bigger-deal-think-sozzi-184007392.html

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Researchers zero in on cognitive difficulties associated with menopause

Friday, January 4, 2013

The memory problems that many women experience in their 40s and 50s as they approach and go through menopause are both real and appear to be most acute during the early period of post menopause. That is the conclusion of a study which appears today in the journal Menopause.

"Women going through menopausal transition have long complained of cognitive difficulties such as keeping track of information and struggling with mental tasks that would have otherwise been routine," said Miriam Weber, Ph.D. a neuropsychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and lead author of the study. "This study suggests that these problems not only exist but become most evident in women in the first year following their final menstrual period."

The study followed 117 women, who were grouped into categories based on criteria established in 2011 by the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10, which consisted of an international consortium of researchers.

Study participants took a variety of tests assessing their cognitive skills, reported on menopause-related symptoms such as hot-flashes, sleep disturbance, depression and anxiety, and gave a sample of blood to determine current levels of estradiol (an indicator of estrogen levels) and follicle stimulating hormone. Results were analyzed to determine if there were group differences in cognitive performance, and if these differences were due to menopausal symptoms.

The study grouped participants into four stages: late reproductive, early and late menopausal transition, and early post menopause. The late reproductive period is defined as when women first begin to notice subtle changes in their menstrual periods, such as changes in flow amount or duration, but still have regular menstrual cycles.

Women in the transitional stage experience greater fluctuation in menstrual cycles ? from a difference of 7 days or more in the early phase of transition to 60 days or longer in the later phase. Hormone levels also begin to fluctuate significantly during this time. This transition period can last for several years.

The researchers also evaluated women in early post menopause, defined as the first year after which a woman experienced her last menstrual period.

The study participants were assessed with a comprehensive battery of tests to evaluate a variety of cognitive skills. These included tests of attention, verbal learning and memory, fine motor skills and dexterity, and "working memory" ? or the ability to not only take in and store new information, but also manipulate it.

These tests are similar to daily tasks such as staying focused on something for a period of time, learning a new telephone number, and making a mental list of groceries and then recalling specific items as required as one wanders the aisles of a grocery store.

The researchers found that women in the early stage of post menopause performed worse on measures of verbal learning, verbal memory and fine motor skill than women in the late reproductive and late transition stages.

The researchers also found that self-reported symptoms such as sleep difficulties, depression, and anxiety did not predict memory problems. Nor could these problems be associated with specific changes in hormone levels found in the blood.

"These findings suggest that cognitive declines through the transition period are independent processes rather than a consequence of sleep disruption or depression," said Weber. "While absolute hormone levels could not be linked with cognitive function, it is possible that the fluctuations that occur during this time could play a role in the memory problems that many women experience."

The process of learning new information, holding on to it, and employing it are functions associated with regions of the brain known as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These parts of the brain are rich with estrogen receptors.

"By identifying how these memory problems progress and when women are most vulnerable, we now understand the window of opportunity during which interventions ? be those therapeutic or lifestyle changes ? may be beneficial," said Weber. "But the most important thing that women need to be reassured of is that these problems, while frustrating, are normal and, in all likelihood, temporary."

###

University of Rochester Medical Center: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu

Thanks to University of Rochester Medical Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 43 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126118/Researchers_zero_in_on_cognitive_difficulties_associated_with_menopause

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More take camping holidays - travel | Stuff.co.nz

KENT BLECHYNDEN/Fairfax NZ

CLOSE TO HOME: Campers at the Paekakariki Holiday Park. Conor Twyford and her twin sons, left to right, 7 year old Joseph Rockell and Patrick Rockell, 7, and Sacha Kilmister, 4, and Jacob Kilmister, 7.

The return of the "old-school" caravan is part of a surge in interest from New Zealanders, particularly young families, in camping in New Zealand.

Department of Conservation Wellington visitor centre manager Wendy Challis said while the cost was appealing - as low as $6 per night to stay in a DOC camp ground - the surge was also being pushed by people "getting back to nature".

The environmental benefits of camping were also appealing to people, she said. "It's a greater awareness and appetite of what we have at our own doorstep."

It was a secret long-known to overseas visitors, who had been camping in New Zealand in droves for years, as had retired New Zealanders.

"DOC campgrounds are a hot favourite," Ms Challis said.

For Stokes Valley couple Naomi and Josh Cooper, the decision to camp at the Paekakariki Holiday Park this summer was partly driven by money but also as "an experience" for their daughters, Heilee, 10, and Jorja, 9.

The Coopers had not been camping since their early 20s and wanted their daughters to experience the camaraderie they remembered of children at camping sites. "Also, with adult campers, the adults are really friendly people," Mrs Cooper said.

Paekakariki had the added bonus of welcoming their great dane-bull mastiff cross, Dodge.

Pukerua Bay woman Conor Twyford knows the benefits of camping well.

Camping in Paekakariki with her two twin sons, Joseph and Patrick Rockell, 7, only 10 minutes from home, she has the enjoyment of camping with the comforts of home. "My husband can go home and bring stuff we forgot. We love it. This is the fourth year we have done it."

But, costing $90 just for three nights camping, the bargain aspect also played its part, she said.

"I haven't got a lot of leave this year, so we can do something quickly and feel like we have had a proper holiday."

Martinborough Top 10 Holiday Park owner Frank Cornelissen said while people were saving a bit of money by staying in campgrounds rather than resorts or hotels, they were not skimping on dining and drinking out.

"The whole family can go away for not a lot of money."

There was a "definite" increase in people choosing to camp in recent years, with a noticeable increase in the return of "old-school" caravans.

As well as the classic family camping holiday, he was seeing a lot of younger groups of friends.

Top 10 Holiday Parks chairman Gerald Nolan said campgrounds were generally full at this time of year, but there had been a surge in people tenting.

New Zealand Motor Caravan Association general manager Bruce Lochore said membership in the last year had risen by 13 per cent - largely driven by baby boomers retiring. Those who would have retired to a $450,000 bach were now spending $150,000 on a mobile home, which was not only cheaper, but gave them more freedom.

Retirees these days also seemed to have more energy to travel.

"They want to make the most of it."

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/8144884/More-take-camping-holidays

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3 Travel Insurance Tips to Keep in Mind

Everybody looks forward to a relaxing holiday, but things can quickly turn into a nightmare if you don?t take the proper precautions. This means making sure that you have the right travel insurance to cover yourself in the case of unexpected events.

One of the main problems is inadequate travel insurance. You might think that you are covered no matter what happens, but later find out that this isn?t the case. In order to avoid this scenario, it?s a good idea to gain a better understanding of how travel insurance works so you aren?t left out of pocket.

Here are some travel insurance tips to keep in mind:

Always check the policy

Before agreeing to any travel insurance arrangement, it?s a good idea to always check the policy with an eagle eye.

For example, your policy might state that you are covered in the event of emergencies, but there might not be clear clarification on exactly what an ?emergency? is. If this is not clearly stated, then contact your insurer to get further details.

Also, many policies include limitations that are hidden away in the small print. This can include things like not being covered in certain countries, or only certain types of accidents. Once you identify the limitations, then it?s a good idea to get them changed.

Evacuation coverage

If you are planning a holiday to a remote location, or will be spending time on a cruise, then you might want to consider evacuation coverage.

Sure, your existing policy might include an ambulance service, but this doesn?t usually stretch to events when you need to be air lifted from the scene. By making sure you have evacuation coverage, then you will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing you can be transported by air to a proper hospital.

Trip cancellation insurance

As you are no doubt aware, some holidays are non-refundable, which means if something happens and you can?t go you can say goodbye to your hard earned money.

With this in mind, it?s a smart idea to invest in trip cancellation insurance if your holiday is non-refundable. This way, you cover yourself completely if something happens, so you?re not left out of pocket.

Conclusion

Spending the time to get your travel insurance in order is crucial. Every year thousands of tourists are left struggling to pay medical bills abroad because they didn?t fully check their policies. Don?t become another one of these statistics!

John Davies is an avid traveler and writer. He writes for many websites on the internet, including the finance related site www.whiteloans.co.uk

Tagged as: Travel Insurance

Source: http://silverlininginvestments.info/3-travel-insurance-tips-to-keep-in-mind.html

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New Found Glory To Headline Extreme Thing Sports and Music ...

New Found Glory, 3OH3 and Asking Alexandria have been announced as the headliners of the 2013 edition of the?Extreme Thing Sports and Music Festival, taking place at Desert Breeze Park in Las Vegas, NV on March 30th.The rest of the band announcements are expected to be released soon.

Tickets for the one day festival are just seventeen dollars and can be purchased here.

Extreme Thing began in Las Vegas in 2001 and is put on by?Clark County Parks and Recreation.?Past year?s have featured such bands as The Wonder Years, Less Than Jake, Home Grown, Finch, Bad Religion, The Used, Story of the Year, Transit, Streetlight Manifesto, Polar Bear Club, Glassjaw and Rise Against.

???See more stories about: 3OH!3, Asking Alexandria, New Found Glory

Source: http://thepunksite.com/news/2013/01/03/new-found-glory-to-headline-extreme-thing-sports-and-music-festival/

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On school tour, Newtown parents thank teachers

A man waves to a child on a bus on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn.,Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, students and teachers from the school will return to class Thursday in the neighboring town of Monroe. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A woman hugs a child before he boards a bus on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Children from Sandy Hook Elementary School will return to school Thursday in the neighboring town of Monroe. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Chalk Hill School is seen in Monroe, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. The Sandy Hook Elementary School students fron Newtown, Conn., will begin classes on Thursday at Chalk Hill School. The school was overhauled specially for them in the neighboring town of Monroe, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A police officer greets a bus at the entrance to a school on the first day of classes after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, students and teachers from the school will return to class Thursday in the neighboring town of Monroe. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A green and white ribbon, the school colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School is seen attached to a bus on the first day of school after the holiday break, in Newtown, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, students and teachers from the school will return to class Thursday in the neighboring town of Monroe. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

MONROE, Conn. (AP) ? On a tour Wednesday of his daughter's new school, Vinny Alvarez took a moment to thank her third-grade teacher, who protected the class from a rampaging gunman by locking her classroom door and keeping the children in a corner.

Alvarez was one of many Sandy Hook Elementary School parents expressing gratitude to the teachers during an open house at their school in the neighboring town of Monroe, where their children are resuming classes Thursday for the first time since the Dec. 14 shooting that left 20 students and six educators dead.

Alvarez said each student received a gift box with a toy inside and he expressed thanks to the teacher, Courtney Martin, who kept her door locked until it was safe to leave the building.

"Everybody there thanked her in their own way," he said.

Newtown Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson announced that the Sandy Hook staff decided that the students' new school, the former Chalk Hill Middle School in Monroe, would be renamed Sandy Hook Elementary School.

"That's who they are. They're the Sandy Hook family," Robinson said after a news conference at a park in Monroe a few miles from the school. She added that renaming the Chalk Hill school will allow staff and students to keep "their identity and a comfort level."

The school where the shootings occurred remains closed and guarded by police. Newtown officials haven't decided yet on the building's future.

The gunman, Adam Lanza, also killed his mother at the home they shared in Newtown before the school shootings, which ended when Lanza fatally shot himself as police arrived. Police haven't released any details about a motive.

Numerous police officers on Wednesday guarded the outside of the Monroe school, which is about 7 miles from the old school, and told reporters to stay away.

"I think right now it has to be the safest school in America," Monroe police Lt. Keith White said.

Teachers attended staff meetings at the new school on Wednesday morning and were visited by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy before the open house, White said.

Robinson said Chalk Hill School has been transformed into a "cheerful" place for the surviving students to resume normal school routines. She said mental health counselors continue to be available for anyone who needs them.

Donna Page, a retired Sandy Hook principal, will lead the new school.

During the open house on Wednesday, Alvarez said his 8-year-old daughter also got to pick out a stuffed animal to take home from the school library.

"I'm not worried about her going back," he said of his daughter Cynthia. "The fear kind of kicks back in a little bit, but we're very excited for her and we got to see many, many kids today. The atmosphere was very cheerful."

Several signs welcoming the Sandy Hook students to their new school were posted along the road leading to the school in a rural, mostly residential neighborhood. One said "Welcome Sandy Hook Elementary Kids," while a similar sign added "You are in our prayers."

Teams of workers, many of them volunteers, prepared the Chalk Hill school with fresh paint and new furniture and even raised bathroom floors so the smaller elementary school students can reach the toilets. The students' desks, backpacks and other belongings that were left behind following the shooting were taken to the new school to make them feel at home.

Counselors say it's important for children to get back to a normal routine and for teachers and parents to offer sensitive reassurances.

One parent, Robert Bazuro of Newtown, said he was pleased that school was resuming Thursday for the Sandy Hook survivors. He brought his two children, who are in the second and fourth grades, to a barbershop Wednesday morning.

"We're very happy the kids are going back and we're very thankful for Monroe for everything they've done for us," Bazuro said. He said his children weren't at Sandy Hook on the day of the shootings. He declined to elaborate.

When classes start, Robinson said teachers will try to make it as normal a school day as possible for the children.

"We want to get back to teaching and learning," she said. "We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that's going to be the healthiest thing."

___

Eaton-Robb reported from Hartford, Conn.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-02-Connecticut%20School%20Shooting/id-73487d73ddb8482a8d0682b210f569e0

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Rebel area shows limits of rebel push for Damascus

In this image taken from video obtained from Bambuser, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrians help an inured man after an airstrike hit Douma City, Syria on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Airstrikes continued across Syria on Thursday as Syrian President Bashar Assad's military stepped up its assault on areas that surround the nation's capital. (AP Photo/Bambuser via AP video)

In this image taken from video obtained from Bambuser, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, Syrians help an inured man into a vehicle after an airstrike hit Douma City, Syria on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Airstrikes continued across Syria on Thursday as Syrian President Bashar Assad's military stepped up its assault on areas that surround the nation's capital. (AP Photo/Bambuser via AP video)

In this image taken from video obtained from Bambuser, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, smoke rises from buildings after an airstrike hit Douma City, Syria on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Airstrikes continued across Syria on Thursday as Syrian President Bashar Assad's military stepped up its assault on areas that surround the nation's capital. (AP Photo/Bambuser via AP video)

A man shout after a missile hits in a house in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. The fighting is part of the escalating violence in a Syrian civil war that the United Nations estimates has killed more than 60,000 people since the revolt against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011. (AP Photo/Andoni Lubaki)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Twin airstrikes by government jets on a large, rebel-held suburb of Damascus on Thursday sheered the sides off apartment towers and left residents digging through rubble for the dead and wounded.

The bombing of Douma came amid a wave of attacks on rebellious districts of the Syrian capital, part of the government's efforts to keep rebel fighters out of President Bashar Assad's seat of power. Late Thursday, a car bomb exploded at a gas station inside the city itself, killing at least nine people, activists said.

Douma, the largest patch of rebel-held ground near Damascus, illustrates why the opposition's advance on the capital has bogged down. Despite capturing territory and setting up committees to provide basic services, the rebels lack the firepower to challenge Assad's forces and remain helpless before his air force.

That stalemate suggests the war will not end soon. The U.N. said Wednesday that more than 60,000 people have been killed since March 2011 ? a figure much higher than previous opposition estimates.

Rebels took control of Douma, a suburb of some 200,000 located nine miles (15 kilometers) northwest of Damascus, in mid-October 2011, after launching attacks on military posts throughout the city, activists said.

Less than a week later, the rebels had taken over a half-dozen checkpoints and government buildings, said activist Mohammed Saeed. The army withdrew from others.

"Since then, the city has been totally liberated," he said. "There are no government troops left, but we still suffer from regime airstrikes almost every day."

Today, those entering Douma must pass through rebel checkpoints at the city's main entryways. Rebels with camouflage vests and Kalashnikov rifles zip about on motorcycles, communicating by walkie-talkie. Some belong to the security brigade, an improvised police force to catch looters that works with a judicial council of Muslim clerics and lawyers who run a prison.

In November, residents formed a civilian council to provide services for the estimated one-third of Douma's residents who have not fled the violence.

The council oversees committees for medical issues, bakeries, media relations and other tasks, said its head, Nizar Simadi. A former cleaner at city hall runs a cleanup crew that helps remove rubble from the streets after shell attacks and airstrikes.

The city's electricity went out in November ? activists accuse the government of cutting it in revenge ? but former electric company employees have strung in power from nearby areas still on the government network, returning power to some of the city.

Douma has more than a dozen rebel brigades, and the city's fighters have joined battles in many other areas around the capital. Most of their support comes from wealthy Syrians abroad who send money to buy arms, said the head of one rebel brigade, the Douma Martyrs, who goes by the name Abu Waleed.

In November, Douma's fighters raided two army bases in the nearby suburb of Otaya, he said, making away with arms that helped them push closer to Damascus. But they can do little about the government's airstrikes.

Rebel forces are currently fighting the government in areas on three sides of the capital. They are closest in the south, where they have pushed into the poor Damascus neighborhood of Hajar al-Aswad. Recent weeks have also seen fierce clashes in the southwestern suburb of Daraya, which the government says it is close to reclaiming.

During Thursday's airstrikes on Douma, a government fighter jet launched two bombing runs on a densely populated residential area near a prominent mosque, said Saeed, the activist.

Videos posted online showed residents rushing though a smoke-filled street and loading wounded people into cars and pickup trucks. One man was buried up to his thigh in debris and helped rescuers dig himself out. Another man emerged from a pile of rubble with blood on his face and covered head-to-toe in gray cement dust.

One group provided videos of 12 people they said were killed in the attack. The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the strike.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 10 rebel fighters and 32 civilians were killed Thursday in clashes, shelling and airstrikes in the Damascus Countryside province that surrounds the capital, more than anywhere else in Syria.

Late Thursday, a car bomb exploded at a gas station inside the city itself, killing at least nine people, activists said. Syria's state news agency blamed the attack on "terrorists," its shorthand for the rebels, but did not give numbers for the dead and wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Despite rebel advances near Damascus, it remains unclear whether they'll be able to turn the tables on Assad's forces. Rebels launched a hasty offensive on Damascus last summer but were swiftly routed by government forces.

Before attempting to take Damascus again, Saeed said the rebels must gather enough ammunition to sustain the battle, take over nearby army bases to prevent attacks from behind and increase coordination between rebel brigades.

He guessed that could take six months.

The Syrian government has not commented on the fall of Douma to rebels, whom it characterizes as terrorists backed by foreign powers seeking to destroy the country.

The chief of staff of Syria's armed forces called on the army to continue its "holy and national task to crush the armed terrorist groups and their hideout," the state news agency reported.

Gen. Abdullah Ayoub said the "conspiracy" against Syria would fail "thanks to the bravery of the Syrian army and the coherence of the Syrian people."

Activists reported clashes in a number of other parts of Syria on Thursday, including inside the Taftanaz helicopter base in the north.

In Jordan, the U.N. refugee agency said that around 1,200 people have fled across Syria's southern border each day for the past three days, an increase reflecting fresh violence in the south. UNHCR reporting officer Danita Topcagic said many shops in the area were shut, making it hard for people to find food, and that electricity and water supplies were short.

About a half-million Syrians have sought refuge from the war in neighboring countries, and many more are displaced inside Syria.

Meanwhile, the parents of an American journalist who has been missing in Syria since he was kidnapped Nov. 22 appealed to his captors for compassion and any information about their son's health and welfare. Thirty-nine-year-old James Foley was in the country contributing videos to Agence France-Press, which has vowed to help secure his release.

Twenty-eight journalists were killed in Syria in 2012, prompting the Committee to Protect Journalists to name Syria the most dangerous country in the world to work in last year.

___

Associated Press writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and a journalist in Douma, Syria, contributed to this report.