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Savings Bonds: Cash Them Now or Later?

March 14, 2011, 11:24 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: When is a good time to cash in U.S. savings bonds?

A: According to information on treasurydirect.gov, it's important to check your savings bonds periodically to determine if they're still earning interest, and if they're not, they should be redeemed. I was surprised to learn that billions of dollars in savings bonds have stopped earning interest, but haven't been cashed.

On the same site, you can find very useful tables to determine whether your bonds have stopped earning interest, or for how long you can expect them to earn interest.

If you're not sure whether you own any bonds that have matured, click here for the "Treasury Hunt" page.

And, by the way, if you want to buy a savings bond, you can use your tax refund. And, new this tax-filing year, you can purchase bonds for others, in addition to buying them for yourself. You don't have to use all of your refund to purchase savings bonds. You can use IRS Form 8888 to request the purchase of savings bonds.

The IRS said it received 22,520 tax returns requesting more than 99,000 savings bonds totaling about $11.2 million.


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New Music: Jessica Lea Mayfield

March 14, 2011, 11:55 am
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Singer-songwriter Jessica Lea Mayfield might just be the best new act to come out of Ohio since The Black Keys. And that would make sense, since the three-time Grammy-winning duo from Akron have been helping Mayfield along since she was a teenager.

The daughter of a musical family (Mayfield, along with her parents and brother used to tour as a bluegrass band called One Way Rider), Mayfield was discovered by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, who helped her record and release her first full-length album in 2008. Mayfield would go on to open with the Black Keys that year, as they toured in support of their album "Attack and Release."

While Mayfield's roots are in Kent, OH, she's currently touring to promote her new album, "Tell Me." The new record is not only more mature-sounding than the last, but shows what a difference some top-dollar production can make to a talented performer. Mayfield's dark, moody vocals are better than ever, and songs like "Our Hearts Are Wrong" and "Trouble" are likely to get her noticed by a lot of people in short order.

Check out her single "Our Hearts Are Wrong" here, and watch for Mayfield in your hometown this spring.


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A Gathering of Women

March 14, 2011, 1:51 pm
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BY SUSAN SWARTZ

This post was previously published at juicytomatoes.com.

I have a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt on my home office wall that my sister gave me. Eleanor peers down at me through her glasses and inside the frame I've attached the Eleanor quote: "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

I am surrounded by women. I have postcard images of Toni Morrison, Amelia Earhart and Katharine Hepburn being Rosie in The African Queen. I have a Frieda Kahlo light switch. A souvenir 'Hillary for President' bumper sticker.

Every March since 1987 Women's History Month has been officially celebrated throughout the country, the intent to identify women artists and writers and astronauts who have contributed to the nation, not to be outdone by the mighty men who once dominated history. The project was organized by the National Women's History Project in Sonoma County, CA, where I live, and spread across the country.

As a newspaper columnist, now blogger, I've been writing about Women's History Month and celebrating practically every March since then, but I realize I also require daily reminders from the different women I look to for courage, grace, spirit, humor and resolve.

There's my photo of Rebecca Latimer from Sonoma who was married to a diplomat and became liberated in her 60s when her husband left government, they became pacifists and Rebecca started writing books.

I have a birthday card from one of my daughters that shows a woman in a red dress dancing barefoot. The text, by Anne Lamott, says, "Dance hungry, dance full, dance each cold astonishing moment."

There's a postcard of Mayan women in brilliant dress holding hands with children and standing up to a police barricade. A cut-out doll of Simone de Beauvoir. A moody photo of a middle aged woman sitting comfortably alone in a bar, maybe Chicago, maybe Berlin.

I do adore men and children and dogs and pictures of foggy beaches and lush French country scenes of tables set with yellow cloths and a bottle of wine.

But in the small working space where I go to think, write and be alone I need my women speaking to me.

There's a newspaper photo of Indian women lining up to vote. A calendar picture of a Victorian woman stretched out on a couch, holding a book, in a swoon over something she just read. A photo of the Angel of the Waters, the full-skirted and winged sculpture at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. Plus a bulletin board packed with photos of daughters and girlfriends, my sister, my mother, my book club.

A witch doll with curly red hair hangs from the window next to a figurine of a peasant woman with her hair in a bun leaning on a broom.

I look over my shoulder at delicious Josephine Baker with her big eyes and shake-a-tail feather attitude, who fled America to take her talent to Paris, saying she was too afraid to be Black in this country.

Gloria Feldt, the feminist author who used to run Planned Parenthood, in the even more embattled years than today, says that we all make history, whether or not we end up on a poster or a greeting card.

In her book, No Excuses, about women and power, she writes: "Every action you and I take moves women forward, takes them back or maintains the status quo."

Given this point in women's history, when some would like to halt our progress, I think it's important to keep all our women in our sights.

susanswartz_small.jpgSusan Swartz is a journalist, blogger and public radio commentator in Northern California. She is the author of The Juicy Tomatoes Guide to Ripe Living After 50, and you can read her at juicytomatoes.com.
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Wisconsin Victory May Be Short Lived

March 15, 2011, 1:45 pm
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In politics there's a saying: "Never allow a crisis to go to waste." And it appears that Wisconsin's Republican lawmakers received the message loud and clear. They wasted virtually no time in cutting teachers unions out of collective bargaining. One question that remains with me is why were teachers unions the only ones in the state to fall? Why weren't the collective bargaining powers of police, fire and state troopers removed? Perhaps teachers unions are merely the first to be plucked, and other unions should be on the look out in the state legislature.

The recent events in Wisconsin highlighted the agenda of conservative-leaning lawmakers to bust up Democratic strongholds wherever possible. And, while there are those who insist that reform was necessary, the fact that it was during one of the worst recessions in decades only helped to make the decision appear plausible. At this point, Republican lawmakers have a significant victory on their hands. Wisconsin Senate President Mike Ellis says that his party is only looking forward and won't look to impose any restrictions on Democratic lawmakers who skipped town to avoid voting on the controversial issue. How nice. They've even restored the Dems' voting rights, which were temporarily removed due to their abrupt departure from the state. 

I doubt however that Democratic lawmakers will be as willing to "move forward." Most likely, they will organize harder and campaign to ensure that workers' rights are returned. So, for now, the political scoreboard is Republican lawmakers 1 - Democrats 0. But, from what I can tell, the game is far from over.
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Secretary Clinton: Leaving So Soon?

March 17, 2011, 8:03 am
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Former First Lady. Mother. Hero. Champion.Those are just a few of the words that admirers would use when describing Hillary Rodham Clinton. But Quitter? Never. So why now?

Clinton's announcement that she won't seek the office of Secretary of State in 2012 comes at a time where U.S. foreign policy issues are some of the most pressing in a generation. Whether dealing with China, political unrest in the Middle East or waiting for the next shoe to drop in the world, Clinton's presence at the moment is arguably still needed.

Given her long political career, Hillary Clinton has been able to do what many women and men have only dreamed of in public life. Her role has contributed to the betterment of lives, not only throughout this country, but around the globe, and she's admired for her tireless commitment and perseverance. So, it comes as a shock to me that she would leave public office at this critical moment. 

I think Secretary Clinton should finish out a second term should Obama win reelection in 2012. It's the best way for her to end an illustrious career in public service. Yes, the decision is ultimately hers to make, but it's not the way a trailblazer like Clinton should end it.


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How Does Debt Negotiation Work?

March 17, 2011, 10:53 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: How does debt negotiation work? Is this a good debt management strategy?

Green Bay, WI

A: I think what you are referring to are companies that promise to help you settle your debts for far less than you owe. Tread lightly here. Many of these companies are just scams. And those that aren't will charge you thousands of dollars--money that could go to pay down your debts.

I would suggest you go to the Web site for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and get help from a nonprofit credit counseling agency. Once on the site, you can plug in your zip code and find an agency near you. If you need a debt management plan--one in which you would take three to five years to pay off your debt--you might pay a set-up fee of $50 or less and a monthly servicing fee between $25 to perhaps $40.

The credit counseling agency will try to get your creditors to cut you some breaks (in interest rate or penalty fees); however, nothing is guaranteed. You are among millions who are struggling with an overload of debt; so, many creditors these days are less likely to negotiate the way they might have in years past.

Nonetheless, I would stick with a nonprofit agency.
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Are U.S. Nuclear Reactors Safe?

March 17, 2011, 2:56 pm
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Even before the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan became headline news, science-based non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) had been prepping a report about U.S. nuclear regulation -- the first in an annual series.

Released this week, the timely report examines the responses of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 14 "near misses" at U.S. nuclear power plants in 2010 and lists the Commission's effective and ineffective responses. The NRC and UCS consider a near miss an event "that raised the risk of damage to the reactor core." The UCS report states:

The chances of a disaster at a nuclear plant are low. When the NRC finds safety problems and ensures that owners address them... it keeps the risk posed by nuclear power to workers and the public as low as practical. But when the NRC tolerates unresolved safety problems... this lax oversight allows that risk to rise.

In a press briefing today, report author and nuclear engineer David Lochbaum said, "If there is a common theme among last year's near-misses, it's that none would have happened had prior warning flags been heeded rather than discounted or ignored."
 
View the full report here.

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What Does "Nuclear Meltdown" Really Mean?

March 18, 2011, 1:34 pm
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Turn on any television news program and you'll notice the phrase "nuclear meltdown" being used to help describe the reactor crisis in Japan.

And while it is a dramatic phrase, and one that calls to mind a lot of awful images, after speaking to Jeff Merrifield, a former commissioner for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it became clear that "nuclear meltdown" is not a scientific term.

"It's not a technical term," Merrifield said by phone. "It's more of a cultural term."

Merrifield served as NRC Commissioner from 1998 through 2007, has visited 50 percent of the world's nuclear plants and has led emergency response efforts dealing with radiation protection. So, I asked him to explain what event this unscientific, non-technical term "nuclear meltdown" is actually referring to.

Here's what he had to say:


You have the fuel from the reactor. And you need to keep that fuel wet. In the absence of water, the fuel begins to heat up.

The fuel assemblies are made of two components. One is the zirconium cladding, which basically is housing the uranium fuel pellets inside of tubes, and then you have the uranium fuel pellets. The melting temperature of the zirconium cladding is a couple of thousand degrees. The melting point of the uranium inside is about five thousand degrees. So, the spent fuel pools that you're seeing on TV, if they can't get more water into those spent fuel pools...then there's the possibility of the zirconium cladding catching on fire.

This is not going to cause some huge conflagration. What it's going to do is cause more of a sparking...then the uranium inside, the temperature...would not be sufficient to melt the uranium.

So, you would have the uranium that would slump to the bottom. When that process is happening, you have the release of certain radioactive gases with a very short half-life. Krypton-85 and Xenon-133...You could have the release of Iodine-131, Cesium-137 and Strontium-90.

When the zirconium is melted and the uranium settles at the bottom, there is a potential for "re-criticality," where basically that material becomes critical, and you could have gamma radiation coming off of that, and that is an issue of concern. If you have that level of gamma radiation, it would make it very difficult if not impossible to get near the reactor.


But is that actually happening in Japan? Merrifield said that we can't really know for sure.

 

You don't want to speculate, but I think it's fair to say that when you focus on the four reactors that have the most issues, they have a containment system, which is holding the fuel from the reactor itself. There have been some hydrogen leaks that have come from that, but really not anything significant coming from the reactors themselves.

In the spent fuel pools, what we're likely seeing in some of the boiling off of the water in the spent fuel pools, there may have been some hydrogen gas that was released as well, as a result of that activity...Subject to, perhaps, clarification, it's not clear that there's been destruction of the fuel yet.

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After the Quake, Help from an Unexpected Place

March 19, 2011, 7:59 am
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While Japan continues to battle the devastation wrought by the recent earthquake and tsunami, concerned citizens abroad are doing what they can to help get Japan back on its feet. Within the country, meanwhile, donations of food, water and other essential supplies are coming from an unexpected source: the yakuza.

According to a piece by Jake Adelstein in The Daily Beast, several prominent Japanese organized crime syndicates have been sending truckloads of supplies to the worst-hit areas of the country, and even opening the doors of their offices to the stranded and homeless. It's a surprising gesture, coming from groups renowned for extortion and violence; but it's nonetheless a heartening sign in a country that clearly needs to pull together through hard times.

Check out the story here.
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Americans, Stop Stockpiling Potassium Iodide.

March 19, 2011, 10:47 am
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You would think that statements from President Obama and the commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would keep people calm. In his address on Thursday, President Obama said:

...I know that many Americans are also worried about the potential risks to the United States. So I want to be very clear...We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska or U.S. territories in the Pacific. That is the judgment of our Nuclear Regulatory Commission and many other experts.


But those statements have fallen on deaf ears as panicked (and, dare I say, ill-informed) Americans have bought up potassium iodide as if their lives depended on it (literally).

While the tablets can protect the thyroid from absorption of radioactive iodine that is released in a nuclear crisis, the West Coast folks who are popping and/or stockpiling the pills are not going to come into contact with levels high enough to warrant the consumption of the pills.

I spoke with UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering professor Peter Hosemann to get his take on the run on potassium iodide. Hosemann says that Americans should not be so concerned.

"Buying and stocking of the iodide is a bad thing," Hosemann says. "People can have medical and allergic reactions to these drugs, and they far outweigh any harm any radiation can potentially do to us here."

I reminded him that people on the West Coast of the United States are afraid that radioactive material being released from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant could blow 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean this weekend and make us all sick. Our increased radiation level would be measurable, after all.

"Are we going to measure something?" Hosemann asks. "Yes, we're going to measure something. Is it health threatening? No."

Let's see if anyone listens.

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Organized Religion on the Decline

March 20, 2011, 11:52 am
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An Interesting Study
From Dodo birds to dinosaurs we know that certain things don't exist anymore; but could religion be the next to go? It's a possibility, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona and Northwestern University (reported at the American Physical Society). In their findings, the researchers concluded that the number of respondents not affiliated with any particular religion was so great that religion could become extinct.

Where Decline is Greatest
In countries like Canada, the percent of people not affiliated with any religion is projected to rise to 60% by 2050. Australia, Ireland and New Zealand were also cited as countries where religion looks to be on the decline.

Curiosity Settles In
After I read the information, I was left with a lingering set of questions. Are people surprised by these findings? Are these findings the result of people around the world simply rejecting the message of religion? Or, are these numbers the result of religious leaders and believers not sharing their message of belief with others? Most importantly, what do these numbers mean to you?

What's Next
Do you think these numbers spark more individuals to ask the question: Why are people turning away from religion? Or, will people simply ignore it and move on with their lives? I'm always curious as to how people come to conclusions in their lives, especially around matters of faith and belief, and I'd love to see your thoughts expressed here.
 
Final Question: Have people begun to adopt their own practices or does this news simply prove that there's plenty of work to do in reaching the masses?

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Bait and Switch Loan?

March 21, 2011, 10:28 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I am a single parent of two and primary caretaker of an elderly parent. In 2004, I bought a new home for $650,000. My youngest son decided that he wanted to attend college in Florida. It is a private school, which cost approximately $45,000. I refinanced my mortgage at what I thought was going to be a payment and interest rate that I could live with, for a while at least.

The closing and the day for my son to go to Florida were so close that I did not have time to carefully review all loan documents and discovered that my interest rate was much higher than what I agreed on with the loan officer.

My payments exceed $5,000 a month, and I'm afraid that some bait-and-switch activity occurred with my loan during the process. The loan company has been sued (class action) in several states.

I need help to get my loan back to the interest rate at which I bought it and to get out of this loan.

Sandra, Germantown, MD

A: I'm so sorry for your situation. It's a story I hear all too often these days. As you admit, you weren't paying attention to your loan documents. You could have been duped. But, you may not have been. You may have just been sold a loan with terms you didn't understand.

Right now, the best I can suggest is that you reach out to a HUD-approved housing counselor. Specifically, you should call the MD Hope Counseling Network at Maryland HOPE Hotline (1-877-462-7555). It's set up specifically to help folks like you. They also have a Web site.

Please note, you shouldn't pay someone to help you out of this situation. First try help from a counselor, who will not charge for his/her services. But I should warn you, because so many homeowners are in your situation, the workload on counselors is heavy.
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Twitter Co-founder: "I wish we could have predicted it."

March 23, 2011, 11:53 am
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Twitter turned five this week, and co-founder Biz Stone sat down with Tavis to discuss the ups and downs of the microblogging site.

I wish we could have predicted it," says Stone in the clip below and on the show tonight. "Because we weren't ready for the growth."

The growth that Stone is referring to involved taking an eight-employee, start-up social networking site and turning it into a global phenomenon, which now boasts 1 billion tweets per week, 200 million accounts and 400 employees.

Stone says that while there were some difficulties along the way, the journey has been rewarding."The most rewarding thing for me has been this affirmation for me that people are basically good and smart, and if you give them a simple tool that allows them to exhibit that behavior they'll prove it to you every single day," says Stone.

Watch the clip below, tune in tonight for the full conversation and share your thoughts on Twitter's 5th Birthday.
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Budgeting When You're Unemployed

March 24, 2011, 11:26 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: Does it make sense to create a budget when unemployed? What's the use?

A: I know it sounds crazy that you would have to bother with a budget if you're broke. But think about it. You actually need to budget more when your funds are limited. Why?

A budget forces you to really look at things that have to be paid and things that will just have to wait.

Wait: Credit card bills.

What can't wait: Paying for a roof over your head, utilities and food.

Tight times call for a tighter financial strategy. Often, I find that people who are unemployed continue to try and keep up with unnecessary expenses. They still eat out, go to the movies or refuse to cut back to the barest of cell phone plans.

Looking at the numbers on paper may give you the push to contact your creditors and plead for some relief. You might be surprised and find out you can skip some payments or get needed extensions to pay.

The key to budgeting when you are broke is prioritizing. Yes, you want to pay your credit card bills to avoid getting a bad credit score. But really, what's the priority right now? You have to have a place to live, the lights on and food on the table. A credit score essentially is the grade you get to help you borrow more money. However, going further into debt is the last thing you should be striving for right now.


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Richard Haass on Libya: "We made a mistake by escalating our goals."

March 24, 2011, 12:10 pm
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Foreign policy expert Richard Haass talks to Tavis tonight about the role of the United States in the Libyan conflict.

"I believe we made a mistake by escalating our goals," says the President of the Council on Foreign Relations. "Very quickly we took diplomacy off the board. We were left then with either sanctions... or using military force."

In the video below, Haass, who did not support the decision to initiate a no-fly zone in Libya, questions the Obama Administration's decision to jump "in with both feet with so much uncertainty about the consequences of what it is we're doing."

Watch the clip below and be sure to tune in tonight for the full conversation.

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Women's History Month: Acknowledging Indian American Women

March 25, 2011, 2:48 pm
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BY SHERRYN DANIEL

Women's history month is a celebration of what American women have contributed to U.S. culture. When most people think of American women and their contributions to women's history, they may switch between African American or Caucasian role models like Rosa Parks, Hillary Rodham Clinton, or Susan B. Anthony.
 
Though these and several other African American and Caucasian women have contributed a multitude to American culture -- they are not the only ones.

The United States is full of successful Asian American, Hispanic and Indian American women who have enhanced the fabric of American culture with bright hues. From politics to entertainment, these women have cracked the glass ceiling.

It's quite shocking, really, that they haven't been as widely recognized. This is especially true for Indian American women, who have augmented opportunities for other Indian American women to advance in entertainment, politics, business, and sciences.


arunamiller_rs.jpgARUNA MILLER AND NIKKI HALEY

Aruna Miller (pictured left) is the first Indian American woman to win as delegate in the state of Maryland. Her win creates a path for other Indian American women in politics. And Nikki Haley (pictured above with caption) is not only the first woman governor of South Carolina, but the first Indian American woman in the United States to hold the position.



indranooyi_rs.jpgINDRA NOOYI

It is safe to say that Indra Nooyi,  Forbes third most powerful woman in 2009, created an air hole for women to breathe new life in the business world. Nooyi is the CEO of Pepsi and has focused on revamping the company. She incorporated healthier ingredients and has debuted new product lines that have enriched the company's brand nation-wide.




mindykaling_rs2.jpgMINDY KALING

Women's history should also be inclusive of achievements made in the entertainment industry by women writers, producers and actresses. Actress Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly Kapoor in "The Office," is a triple threat. She stars in, writes and has produced episodes for the show. Interestingly, some of the episodes she has written have been nominated for Emmy Awards.
 

 
JHUMPA LAHIRI

Indian American author Jhumpa Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize for her debut collection of stories -- Interpreter of Maladies. Her second work -- The Namesake -- was turned into a film, and the British-born, Rhode Island-raised writer's third book, Unaccustomed Earth, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.



padmalakshmi_rs.jpgPADMA LAKSHMI

And finally, we must not forget about Padma Lakshmi -- the Indian American supermodel turned TV show host for Bravo TV's "Top Chef." In addition to being a bona fide food expert with best-selling cookbooks under her belt, Lakshmi opened up opportunities for Indian American women to be stars.
 


There has been no shortage of examples of why Indian American women need to be recognized during Women's History Month. Only time will tell if they ever will be.

sherryndaniel_rs2.jpgSherryn Daniel is a blogger, business school graduate student and New Media Manager for the National Women's History Project. In her spare time, she writes self-help articles as a D.C. Examiner Self-Help writer for examiner.com.

Photo credits are as follows: Mindy Kaling by Kristin Dos Santos; Indra Nooyi by World Economic Forum; Padma Lakshmi by David Shankbone.


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Listen to This: Twin Shadow

March 27, 2011, 11:58 am
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The South by Southwest music festival (SXSW -- or just "South-by", if you want to sound like you're in the know) recently wrapped up in Austin. I wasn't there, but I know people who were -- and some of them likely saw Brooklyn-based Twin Shadow doing his thing at the fest.

Twin Shadow is the stage persona of George Lewis, Jr., a Dominican-born and Florida-raised musician, whose debut album "Forget" has turned him into something of an indie sensation. After scoring a glowing 8.4 review on the go-to indie music site Pitchfork, being named as one of their 50 best albums of the year and chosen as a Rolling StoneBand of the Week, Twin Shadow now seems to be on the brink of getting some serious and widespread recognition.

Check out the video below from the "On Airstreaming" series, and watch out for Twin Shadow in your hometown in the coming weeks.


Download Twin Shadow's single "Slow" for free at www.twinshadow.net
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Can Michelle Rhee Save America's Kids?

March 27, 2011, 12:43 pm
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I was on a transatlantic flight recently, taking advantage of the downtime to catch up on the movies I'd missed in theaters, when I caught Waiting for Superman, a documentary about American public schools, and without a doubt the most frightening movie I saw last year. It was also the most heartbreaking, and, in the interest of full disclosure, I was in tears by the film's end, no doubt attracting my share of strange looks from my fellow passengers.

Waiting for Superman, directed by Davis Guggenheim (who also directed An Inconvenient Truth) tells the story of America's public schools as seen through the experiences of a handful of kids from different backgrounds and economic circumstances. It reveals an education system that is not just broken, but that actively threatens the future of our nation by under-educating many thousands of children every year.

It's a highly troubling story to say the least, and reveals American public school students to be  some of the worst-educated in the developed world. It's a systemic problem rooted in dysfunctional policy and corrupt teachers' unions, and, if the film's message is to be believed, may soon lead to America's decline among the world's great powers.

The film is not without hope, however, revealing people who are actively working to turn the system around. One of them is Geoffrey Canada, the extraordinary leader of The Harlem Children's Zone (and a past guest on the show). Another is this week's guest, Michelle Rhee. One of the most striking sections of the film focuses on Rhee's turbulent battle to reform the DC public school system as its embattled chancellor, a tenure which ended late last year.

Rhee is one of the few rays of hope in an otherwise incredibly bleak picture of what kids in U.S. public schools face every day. Now, she continues her work as the leader of StudentsFirst, a national nonprofit aimed at education reform. If there is a hope for America's kids (at least those without the option of private education), it's in people like Rhee and Canada and their undying commitment to fixing our schools.
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U.S. Policy Affects Chaplains

March 27, 2011, 5:31 pm
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I saw this story online and found it really interesting. CNN reporter Eric Marrapodi writes how the Obama administration's "don't ask don't tell" repeal could affect chaplains maintaining their role in the military.

It's true that many individuals took the role of chaplain because they feel a higher calling to be of service to the men and women in the armed services. Many chaplains who practice a Christian faith could be reluctant now. With the policy in place, many will have to contemplate their roles, which is the ultimate casualty of the new law.

But, in looking online, one of the requirements for an Army chaplain is that they are "Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all military personnel, their family members and civilians who work for the Army."  By my estimate, that includes those individuals who benefit from the law's repeal. At a time when many in the BLGT community were thrilled by Obama's policy, the question remains: Do chaplains have a right to be upset?
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Ted Danson: A Long Way from "Cheers"

March 28, 2011, 7:05 am
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There was a time when it looked like this week's guest, Ted Danson, was receding into the shadows of Hollywood, his best contributions to the screen behind him. Clearly, that's no longer the case.

Following the success of Cheers, whose 1993 finale was watched by 80 million people, Ted Danson was one of the most famous actors in the world. Following up that series, however, turned out to be as tricky for him as it was for the rest of the cast (Kelsey Grammer excepted). While there was a six-year run as a TV doctor on Becker, that series failed to capture the public's attention in the same way as Cheers had.

In the last few years, however, Danson appears to have entered a prolific second act, in which his leading man roles have been replaced by even better supporting ones. In Curb Your Enthusiasm, Danson plays himself, and a foil to series star Larry David. In Damages, Danson is powerful as a disgraced industrialist opposite Glenn Close, and in HBO's Bored to Death, Danson proves his comic chops are in top form as a stoner New York socialite and erstwhile sidekick to Jason Schwartzman's bumbling private eye.

Probably most surprising, however, is Danson's latest project, a book called Oceana, which he co-wrote, about the problems facing the world's oceans -- as well as what can be done to combat them. The book addresses one of the most important issues facing humanity today, and is worth a read to anyone with an interest in preserving the oceans. Check out a preview here.
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Exploring the End of Time

March 28, 2011, 9:32 am
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If you're like me, the concept of the end of time is a very intriguing subject. Perhaps you've explored the idea with a friend or colleague. Maybe you've even read about it in the Bible. But, nowhere is the topic more prevalent than in mainstream society. And that's typically where things get messy.

In the Christian world, every so often people will stand on street corners, write books or even make television shows or movies talking about the end of days. And that's cool for the most part. But what about the folks who try to specify a date the world will end or when Jesus himself will come back -- and are never right?

From Nostradamus to the average newcomer, claims are made that they know the date of the end. So far they've been 0 for 220 predictions, and my suspicions tell me that number will rise. For those of you in the Christian community who are curious about the end of time, consider this. Scholars and casual readers alike note that in the book of Mathew 24:26, Jesus says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone."

Others may point to the parable of a thief in the night, and how it correlates to believers getting their lives in order, rather than expecting a particular date of return for his followers. And, correct me if I'm wrong here, but wouldn't telling everyone when a return was going to happen remove the need for individuals to stay ready, which is the true intent and heart of the message?

In short, our society does a great job when it comes to entertaining, but we do a poor job when it comes to enlightening. So, the next time you hear someone telling you the end is near, you can nod your head in agreement, but don't ask for any specific dates. They're probably wrong.
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New or Used? Consider This Before Buying a Car.

March 28, 2011, 10:37 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: Which is better: Buying a car that's new or used?

A: If you're dying for that new car smell, go to an auto parts store and buy a "new car smell" air freshener.

But seriously, I wonder how much thought people give to the cost of buying a new car. The average cost of owning and operating a new car in the United States is 56.6 cents per mile or $8,487 per year, according to AAA's 2010 "Your Driving Costs." Those calculations include fuel, maintenance, insurance, license, registration, taxes, finance charges and depreciation.

In fact, depreciation often is the greatest expense incurred during the first five years of your new car ownership. The average vehicle retains only about 35 percent of its original value after a five-year ownership period, meaning that a car bought new today for $20,000 will be worth $7,000 after five years.

It's important to take this into consideration when buying a new car, because car valuations matter. An increasing number of consumers are "upside down" on their auto loans--meaning they owe more than the car is worth.

There is an advantage to buying a new car. The loan rates are typically a bit lower than the ones for used cars.

Nonetheless, for many, the wisest choice is to buy a used car, because you let the first owner take the big hit on the car's valuation lost. Of course, one of the biggest concerns people have with buying a used car is the chance that you are buying a lemon and will face high repair bills. However, if you weigh the cost of even an expensive repair, it's often not nearly as much as the annual cost of all those monthly car payments.

Whichever way you decide to go--new or used--don't get a long auto loan. Use a 48-month car loan as a benchmark for affordability. If you can't handle the monthly payments with a four-year loan, you probably can't afford the vehicle you'd like to buy. Keeping the loan to 48 months or less also reduces the chance that you'll be upside down on your car should you need to trade it or sell it.


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Fighting Unemployment through Faith

March 29, 2011, 7:44 am
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A look at the role of faith and its intersection with unemployment challenges will be profiled on "Unemployment: How Faith Communities Help Job Seekers," Sunday April 10 on CBS.

The show will profile members of different communities of faith and take a look at how each community collectively works to help their body of believers.

For many individuals, support groups like family and loved ones have been looked to for encouragement in difficult times of unemployment. For others, tapping into one's own entrepreneurial spirit and outside-the-box thinking keeps people levelheaded and good spirited, as they search for the newest and most exciting innovation.

For countless others however, many attribute their churches, mosques and synagogues as what helps them to keep their sanity, as well as their faith, strong. And that's no easy task when you consider today's challenges.

For the first time in nearly 80 years, Americans are facing uncertainty like never before. Food banks are running low in parts of the country. Married couples are looking to downsize their homes. Parents are having to rethink how to send kids to college and, at every turn, emotions seem to run high, with hope for the future low.

I couldn't think of a more timely or relevant program to watch in the coming weeks. It will be very interesting to see how communities of faith have responded to the crisis and how lives have been positively affected by the faith community. Be sure to check it out.

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Michelle Rhee: "USA Today" investigation "absolutely lacks credibility"

March 29, 2011, 11:15 am
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Former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, sits down with Tavis tonight to discuss the state of education in the country and to respond to a USA Todayinvestigation that questions the integrity of standardized test scores at D.C. schools under her watch.

"We followed all of the right protocols," Rhee says via satellite from D.C. "If you look at the story overall, I think it absolutely lacks credibility."

Specifically, USA Today investigated test scores at D.C.'s Crosby S. Noyes Education Campus and found the following:

...for the past three school years most of Noyes' classrooms had extraordinarily high numbers of erasures on standardized tests. The consistent pattern was that wrong answers were erased and changed to right ones.


Noyes is one of 103 public schools here that have had erasure rates that surpassed D.C. averages at least once since 2008. That's more than half of D.C. schools.


In the video below and on the show tonight, Rhee refutes the claims made by the USA Today investigation.

"The really unfortunate piece," the education reformer goes on to say, "is that oftentimes when the academic achievement rates of a district like D.C. go up people assume that it can't be because the kids are actually attaining higher gains in student achievement, but that it's because of something like cheating, which in this case was absolutely not the case."

Watch the video below, and tune in tonight for the full conversation.

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Credit Card Machines at Church

March 30, 2011, 6:34 am
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A church in Kansas City has decided to install a credit card kiosk inside their sanctuary. The machines are called giving kiosk units. 

Quite frankly, I'm leery of them.

Don't get me wrong here -- I get it. Churches sometimes do things as a matter of practicality and to keep up with the times. People's lives are busy and most folks don't even carry checks. Yet, I still question whether this decision does more harm than good. 

More than anything for me is the question of whether or not churches are becoming so user friendly that members don't put any work into preparing to go to service. 

Think about it. Would it really take a lot for a person to put some thought into where they're going for worship services? Couldn't they make a stop a day earlier or, better yet, write a check out before they attend service for the week?

But, aside from my brief rant on the issue, I'm curious as to how others would feel about the idea of these kiosks one day being at their local place of worship. Now, based on its description, the kiosk machine being used in Kansas City isn't like the ATM that dispenses money in other places. Instead, a receipt of one's giving amount is recorded and printed for the individual. So, perhaps the matter is much to do about nothing. But, I've still got my lingering doubts.

Share your thoughts: Would you be comfortable with a credit card kiosk or ATM machine at your church?
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How to Shut Down a Government

March 31, 2011, 11:50 am
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Government shutdown. The term sounds so binding. So grave. So...not specific enough for me.

How does one go about shutting down the federal government? And what does that mean for the American people? You know, the folks the government actually serve.

You'd be hard pressed to get a straight answer from any government agency about its plans should Congress be unable to get its budgetary act together by April 8th.

So, I talked to Stan Collender, federal budget expert, partner at Qorvis Communications and writer for Capital Gains and Games, to get to the bottom of this political mess.

Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

THOMPSON: When we say government shutdown, what do we actually mean?

COLLENDER: Like what happened in '95 and '96 -- if the government doesn't operate. Unless laws are passed providing permission for it to spend money, that is, to pay salaries and those types of things. Typically that happens with annual appropriations. This year, we're operating under a short-term funding bill called a continuing resolution, and what happens is that Congress and the president fail to extend the continuing resolution. If they allow it to expire, they fight over it, whatever, in this case, it could be all of the above, then the agencies literally won't have the legal permission to spend any money. And, under those circumstances, a variety of activities have to stop. And that's what we mean by a government shutdown.

THOMPSON: How would that impact everyday Americans?

COLLENDER: It doesn't mean that every activity will shut down. For example, Social Security checks will still go out. But, those activities that are funded with annual appropriations...the president will have to make a decision about what will continue and what won't.

By Monday [April 11], when the government is supposed to open its doors for business, you wouldn't be able to apply for a passport or a visa. And even intake on some programs like Veterans benefits might be affected.

Federal courts. Obviously, we wouldn't be letting prisoners out of federal jails, but if you had a trial or you were supposed to be a witness or on a jury in a federal court, that is probably going to be shut down.

If you're a government contractor or if you work for a government contractor or you own a coffee shop across the street from a government contractor where there are a lot of federal employees, you might find that you're affected as well, because contractors would discover that there would be no one in the government agencies to pay their invoices or to process their proposals or accept anything on the loading docks. So, there are a lot of things that people don't even realize they rely on the federal government for.

THOMPSON: How might this be different from the previous shutdown?

COLLENDER: You've got more intense politics with a larger deficit. It's kind of a witches' brew of political unease, and we're really not sure where it's going to turn out.

I think John Boehner, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is in a very difficult position. On the one hand, I'm sure he'd like to compromise. That's what Newt Gingrich did, and that's eventually what stopped them from continuing back in '95 and '96.

It doesn't look like Boehner has that kind of permission from the other Republicans in the caucus. So if he cuts a deal with the White House...and Senate Democrats, then he might find that his speakership is in jeopardy because the Tea Party folks are so angry with him.

On the other hand, if he doesn't compromise, he keeps the Tea Party wing of the party in place supporting him and what else the Republicans want to do...

THOMPSON: So, you think the government shutdown is going to happen?

COLLENDER: Yes. I think it's going to happen.
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Teaching Kids About Atheism: Smart Idea or Cardinal Sin?

March 31, 2011, 12:46 pm
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I was surfing the Web earlier when I saw this headline that grabbed my attention: "Primary kids to be taught non-religion"

What! Is someone really reporting this, I thought to myself. Not knowing for sure if the article was real, I kept reading, hoping to find out it was some early April Fool's joke. But it wasn't. It was all true.

The article came from The Sun, a UK news publication. Apparently, the education board there is open to introducing all types of beliefs to children -- including non-belief. According to the report, "The new Religious Education syllabus in the Lancashire town -- for kids aged four and up -- will include the belief that God does not exist."                         

Wow! Ages four and up, huh? That's a pretty early age to start telling kids that God doesn't exist. I'd love to meet the men and women who came up with this idea and, even more so, the instructors in class who have to teach it. I'm all for people exploring different ideas on a number of topics, but on this one I'd have to say it's over the top.

In the U.S., we seem to ask the question, how should you tell kids about God? But in the UK I guess the question is a bit different -- how old should they be when you tell them God doesn't exist?

I guess the answer for them is age four and up. Pretty interesting don't you think?
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Can I Stop Wage Garnishment?

March 31, 2011, 1:02 pm
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: If you already have a financial judgment against you, can a consumer credit service stop wage garnishment?

Elizabethton, TN

A: You will see a lot of ads from companies claiming if you give them money--sometimes thousands of dollars--they can help you get rid of a financial judgment. I would steer clear of such claims. If the judgment is legitimate, meaning you owe the money, you need to be talking to the creditor.

But, can I be honest?

The reality is the judgment means you couldn't work out how to pay the past due debt with monthly payments. Maybe you were unemployed and couldn't pay the debt. Maybe you had other financial issues that left this debt unpaid. Or, maybe you ignored the creditor calls, so they took you to court. The fact is it's unlikely the creditor or collection company will be willing to stop the wage garnishment and accept an agreement from you to make monthly payments. And why would they? They have a guarantee, as long as you keep your current job, that they are going to get their money.

If the judgment is fairly new, you could see if you can get it removed. Check the law in your state. Perhaps the creditor got the judgment based on debt that was past the statute of limitations. Could they prove it was truly your debt by showing original documentation?

If this is a fairly large amount of money, you may want to hire an attorney, who may tell you that, ultimately, you don't have a case.

However, your best option is to pay off the judgment if you can. If you can't, see if the creditor would accept a lump sum cash offer for less than you owe. Right now, the creditor has to wait for the money to come in from your wages. That could take years. So there's a chance a lump sum offer may be accepted.
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A Time Machine for America's Most Vulnerable

April 1, 2011, 1:09 pm
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BY JANE ISAACS LOWE

This post was previously published on March 21, 2011 at Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity.

Marist College recently conducted a survey to determine what superpower Americans would most like to have. More than a quarter of Americans said they would want the power to travel through time, which tied with mind-reading as the most popular choice.

At the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, we often wish we had the power to travel through time. We wish we could anticipate and adequately prepare for the challenges that lie ahead, especially to improve the health and well-being of the most vulnerable among us.

Fortunately, we got a taste of that superpower with the expertise of the Institute for Alternative Futures. While time travel may be the stuff of fantasy, we can look into the future -- or rather, many possible futures -- with the aid of scenario planning. This approach is helping us to understand how our society and the vulnerable populations within it could change over the next two decades.

Being healthy has as much, if not more, to do with our social circumstances -- where we live, learn, work, and play -- than our access to medical care. And if you're vulnerable, it often means you don't have the same kinds of opportunities to make healthy decisions as others. What opportunities you do have may be undermined by poor education, inadequate housing, low income, stress, or violence.
 
Recognizing the importance of such social influences on health, the scenarios we analyzed looked at a range of factors ranging from education and technology to food, cultural shifts, and crime.

Not surprisingly, two drivers of vulnerability loomed larger than the others: what happens to the economy and jobs, and how the government responds. Even a strong economy does not guarantee a drop in the ranks of the vulnerable. Likewise, there are ways we can respond to economic hardship that would ultimately improve their prospects.

The following is a quick overview of the four scenarios we considered:
 

SCENARIO 1: COMEBACK?
The economy rebounds after the Great Recession. Education improves and benefits most families. But automation and offshoring prevent many jobs from ever coming back. Governments are constrained by their debts. Despite some improvements, the ranks of the vulnerable expand.

SCENARIO 2: DARK DECADES
The double‐dip recession is followed by peak oil in 2016. Prices for energy and food rise rapidly while low‐ and middle‐income jobs continue to disappear. Government services and payments are cut severely, while vulnerability rises significantly.

SCENARIO 3: EQUITABLE ECONOMY
A depression follows the Great Recession. Massive unemployment and hardship prompt a shift in values that leads to an economy that is fair and works for all. Governments are forced to be effective and education advances opportunity across populations. Vulnerability is reduced.

SCENARIO 4: CREATIVE COMMUNITIES
The economy recovers. High debt levels limit what federal and state governments can do. Families and communities become more self‐reliant and entrepreneurial. Technology yields low‐cost energy and food. Communities develop local currencies, barter services, and support innovation. Vulnerability is reduced.


These scenarios allow us to anticipate what might be, to imagine, to check assumptions, to leave less to chance, and to act in smarter ways to enhance the impact of our efforts and resources. The optimal response is to develop strategies that will work across a range of different conditions. For example, finding cost-effective solutions to vulnerability that can be deployed locally, but also scaled nationally, makes sense in any of the scenarios. All the more so if those solutions address interconnected factors -- such as health, education, employment, and housing -- at the same time.

This is a particularly challenging time for vulnerable populations and for the country as a whole. We still face high unemployment and deep, long-term deficits with budget cuts that imperil safety net programs, education, and health care. And signs that policy leaders will reach consensus on effective solutions to entrenched challenges continue to be elusive.

But just as Americans are largely in agreement about what superpowers they wish they had, we are confident that there are many innovative and practical strategies that could improve the health and well-being of our most vulnerable populations and that the majority of Americans could embrace.
 
The time to start identifying those solutions is now, guided by thoughtful, provocative tools that help us take that leap forward in time.

janeisaacslowe_rs.jpgJane Isaacs Lowe is Team Director and Senior Program Officer for the Vulnerable Populations Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Employer-based or Private Life Insurance?

April 4, 2011, 9:08 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I have always been told (and everyone I know believes the same) that employee life insurance is the cheapest way to get life insurance. Out of curiosity, I took a look at what I could get privately and was shocked to find private term level life insurance 30% cheaper: $1,138/year for private vs. $1,643/year for employee, for $1 million of coverage. The private coverage was for a 10-year commitment. My wife's policy was even worse. Have we been fooled all these years?

Paul, Reston, VA

A: You have proven one thing I always tell people. Check out what "people say" when it comes to your money.

Typically, employer-provided group-term life insurance is cheaper. But, there's another benefit that may not be the case with the quotes I assume you got online.

With group life insurance obtained through an employer, you typically don't have to answer a health questionnaire or pass a health exam. If you have health issues, you might get the quoted rate, or you may be rejected for coverage. Also, pre-existing conditions may be covered, perhaps after a short waiting period. You may find the quotes you got don't stand up if you have to take a health exam.

Actually, the most noteworthy disadvantage of employer-provided life insurance is that the coverage may not be enough for your family. And, of course, if you leave your job, you no longer have coverage.

You may find the insurance offered by your employer is less expensive than what you can get in the private market. You may also find you need to supplement what you get on your job.

So, here's the deal. You should always shop around.


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What Will They Think of Next?

April 6, 2011, 11:16 am
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A teen at a high school in California was suspended for bringing a deadly weapon to school. The weapon? His faith.

In all honesty though, no one actually called his faith a deadly weapon. They just said sharing his faith was a violation of separation of church and state.

After reportedly being told not to discuss his faith in school, he returned one day with his Bible; he was suspended. It's unfortunate to see this type of thing happen -- especially for a kid this age. With all the challenges facing teens, you'd think most adults would be happy seeing a kid do something like share a faith that believes in self discipline, respect for others, compassion and forgiveness.

What's interesting to note here is that the school received no formal complaints on the student sharing his faith. What's even more interesting is the possible lack of effort on administrators to have his parents intervene. Someone should really question whether or not anyone stepped up and called the parents to see if something in lieu of suspension could take place. It would have made a lot more sense. 
 
Was the school's decision to suspend in the best interests of the overall student body, or was the suspension a biased attempt to silence a Believer? You tell me.

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"Master of the Mic"

April 6, 2011, 6:07 pm
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Most know award-winning veteran talk show host Larry King from his signature CNN program. He's also a very funny guy. Even though King turns the tables on Tavis by asking the questions in a two-part conversation airing this week, Tavis couldn't resist moving back into his usual role, if only for a moment.

Watch this preview clip of King describing his upcoming comedy tour, and tune in this Thursday and Friday as the two talkers reflect on their combined 70+ years of broadcasting experience.

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Financial Literacy for Youth

April 7, 2011, 6:10 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I would like to do a "spending fast" with a youth council. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the youth to buy into the fast?

Denise, Washington, DC

A: First, good for you for trying to help young folks manage their money. And, what timing for your question, because April is financial literacy month.

In a proclamation for the month, President Obama said: "Americans' ability to build a secure future for themselves and their families requires the navigation of an increasingly complex financial system. As we recover from the worst economic crisis in generations, it is more important than ever to be knowledgeable about the consequences of our financial decisions."

In a survey a few years ago, the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy found that high school students' use of credit cards was up. "The long-term health of our economy will be determined by how well we educate young people today," said Eddy Bayardelle, president of the Merrill Lynch Foundation, when that survey was released.

In the Coalition's biennial survey, high school seniors correctly answered only 48.3% of the questions.

A good source of information to teach youth can be found at the Jump$tart Clearinghouse, which lists more than 700 titles of financial literacy materials, many with free information.

So, how do you get kids interested in curbing their spending?

Ask them what they want. Are they planning to attend college, and if so, how will they or their parents pay for it? Would they like to buy a car one day? Do they want a better cell phone than the one they have?

You see, they won't buy into a spending fast (pun intended) unless they have something to save for. Get them to identify their financial wish list. Then you can personalize why the spending fast is a good thing for them individually.

And, if I may be so bold, my latest book, The Power to Prosper: 21 Days to Financial Freedom, provides a template for a spending fast. I encourage people to eliminate shopping for 21 days. In addition, you can't use credit or debt cards for 21 days. You only have to read one chapter a day.

When I've had young people do the fast, they are amazed at how much they spend, even when they don't have much money. A fast is a great idea and I know they will learn a lot.
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Life on Mars? You Bet!

April 9, 2011, 4:24 pm
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In the mid-nineties, I was a huge fan of the showThe X-Files, the cult-classic detective drama about paranormal activity -- especially extra-terrestrials. As it turns out, the mid-nineties was also a period when the scientific community began embracing the possibility (or rather, the probability) that life exists on other planets.

According to a fascinating interview with Marc Kaufman, the author of First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth and a science writer at The Washington Post, not only do scientists now fully accept the possibility that life on other planets exists, they believe it almost certainly does.

In his interview with Dave Davies on Fresh Air, Kaufman discusses how scientists are using forms of life inhabit in the most inhospitable places on earth to speculate on the kinds of life that exist beyond our planet, even as close as Mars. 

I was a little disappointed that Kaufman's speculation didn't include anything we'd recognize as your standard E.T.-ALF-X-Files type of alien; his are more on the microbial level. It's still cool, but not quite as cool as little green men.

You know what is cool, though? David Bowie.

  

David Bowie. Life on Mars?by kidibiza
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Madoff on Madoff

April 10, 2011, 11:00 am
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Since being sentenced in 2009 to 150 years in prison, we haven't heard all that much from Bernard Madoff, the man behind the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.

Recently, a couple of Financial Times staffers, David Gelles and Gillian Tett, went down to visit him in prison. They spoke with Madoff for two hours -- or rather, Madoff told them his story -- in probably the most candid interview he has ever given.

The article, from this week's FT Magazine, chronicles Madoff's rise from upstart outsider financier, to one of the most revered men on Wall Street, to one of the biggest villains in the economic crash. He tells his story with a surprising even-handedness, even talking candidly about what he's been doing in prison (seeing a therapist, reading Danielle Steele novels).

For someone who was the subject of so much media attention, it's fascinating to hear him tell his story from his own perspective and get a little more insight into how the mind of such a man might work. 
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Interest Rate Burden

April 11, 2011, 7:43 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I have high credit card balances with high interest rates. I have not been late, nor am I behind on payments; however, it is a burden. Can you help?

Evans Mills, NY

A: For folks overwhelmed with credit card debt, I suggest they go to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling Web site to seek help in coming up with a debt repayment plan. Under such a plan, you may be able to get those interest rates reduced. It's not a guarantee, but the consumer credit counseling agency can try on your behalf.

You will have to pay a small monthly fee to the agency to set up the plan and manage the payments, which will be sent to your credit card companies.
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Charlie Sheen Didn't Invent Tasteless Onstage Rants

April 11, 2011, 5:31 pm
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Klaus Kinski did. Or, in all likelihood, he stole the concept from someone else older and more obscure. In any case, Sheen's current "Violent Torpedo of Truth Tour", which is bafflingly (but hardly surprisingly) selling out everywhere it goes -- including two nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York -- reminds me a lot of Kinski's infamous 1971 Jesus Christus Erlöser reading.

Klaus Kinski was never regarded as a particularly conventional man (even for Berlin in the 1970s); so when he took the stage to give what was billed to be a reading of the life of Jesus Christ, he had no problems filling the seats of Berlin's Deutschlandhalle. What followed began with some reading, before disintegrating into Kinski hurling abuse at his audience and making Christ-like comparisons to himself. He eventually fled the stage to chants of "Kinski is a fascist".

Pieces of Kinski's rant appeared in Werner Herzog's semi-biographical film about the actor, My Best Fiend, and a full-length documentary dedicated to the performance came out in 2008. Most of it is on YouTube as well, and you can check out a good clip here.

In any case, as Sheen continues to wave his Torpedo of Truth at his audiences, I just want to put it out there that this has been done before, and better. 
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Credit Reports and Your Rights

April 14, 2011, 4:03 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I need help getting my credit report without paying for it. I also need help fixing my credit.

Dracut, MA

A: By law, getting your credit report for free is your right. The Fair Credit Reporting Act was amended to open up the credit monitoring process by forcing each bureau to provide all its customers, upon request, with a free credit report. So, you are entitled to a free credit report from all three credit bureaus--Experian, Equifax and TransUnion--every 12 months.

Go to AnnualCreditReport.com for the free reports or call 877-322-8228. When you get the reports, check to make sure all the information is accurate. Please be mindful that AnnualCreditReport.com is the only official site for consumers to obtain their free credit report.

You are also entitled to a free report because of where you live. Consumers in some states are eligible for a free credit report under state law. The following states have laws that make free credit reports available to consumers: Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont.

Now, about fixing inaccuracies you may find in your reports. First, don't fall for claims from companies that they can fix your credit. Many of these promises are scams. If the information in your credit files is correct, it cannot be fixed or removed.

You can, however, legally dispute any inaccurate information. There's no cost to do it, and you can do it yourself. The Federal Trade Commission Web site has a lot of information about your rights and disputing errors, including a sample letter you can use.
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HBO's "Game of Thrones" Hits the Spot

April 14, 2011, 4:57 pm
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As a devoted watcher of hour-long cable dramas, a genre that by most accounts seems to be in its golden age right now, I was thrilled when my advanced screening copies of Game of Thrones landed on my desk this week.

While I wasn't familiar with A Song of Ice and Fire, the best-selling series of novels upon which the new HBO series is based (and am no huge fan of the fantasy genre in particular), I have spent so many happy hours watching the network's previous shows that I was ready to jump into this one headfirst, expecting all of the great writing, acting and production values that have distinguished series like The Wire and Rome.

As it turns out, Game of Thrones is just as good as I'd hoped, and allows plenty of room for the uninitiated to make inroads into its world. In a nutshell, the series is about a power struggle between rulers of the fictional continent of Westeros and is as full of suspenseful politics, intrigue, sex and violence as we've come to expect from the boundary-pushers at HBO.

Salon.com's Andrew Leonard puts it nicely: "A Song of Ice and Fire is to normal fantasy what The Wire was to typical cops-and-robbers drama, packed with grit, complexity and flawed human beings making their way through a corrupt and intimidating world."

With True Blood past its prime, and a new season of Mad Men still far in the distance, Game of Thrones fills the void in the current cable drama lineup regimen nicely. Check out the premiere on Sunday, April 17th and let me know if you agree.
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Will Ferrell en Espanol

April 16, 2011, 7:52 am
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Let me just point out that this looks awesome. And hilarious. And yes, it is totally in Spanish.



Casa de mi Padre, previously known on IMDB as Untitled Spanish Comedy, stars Ferrell as a rancher trying to do good for his family, while becoming embroiled in a love triangle, a feud with a drug lord and all kinds of other funny shenanigans.

It reunites Y Tu Mama Tambien stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna (which can't possibly be a bad thing), was written by Andrew Steele (who also wrote The Ladies' Man -- take that as you will) and directed by Matt Piedmont, both SNL alums. It's Piedmont's first at-bat as a feature director, but it's my feeling that if you put Will Ferrell in front of a camera, add a bunch of fancy special effects and some top-notch dramatic actors, you can't do too badly.

The fact that the whole thing is in Spanish is just the gravy on top. Hilarious, hilarious gravy.
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This Week in Nic Cage Lore

April 16, 2011, 8:25 am
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GQ editor Jim Nelson is reporting in the glossy men's tome's May issue that he witnessed Nicolas Cage being thrown out of a New Orleans restaurant for being drunk and aggressive and generally making an ass of himself.

Neither this blog nor GQ are strangers to commenting on Cage's antics, including the actor's dubious spending habits and the bevvy of poor film choices that may or may not have resulted from them. On that score, I'd highly recommend Tom Carson's surprisingly affectionate tribute piece from GQ's February issue, which is as accurate an assessment of the Cage phenomenon as has ever been put to paper.

As for Nelson's editorial, it does seem a bit strange for the editor of a national magazine to devote his column to relating what amounts to a tawdry and inconsequential bit of celebrity gossip, and it does come off as a tad sleazy. What would Lewis Lapham say?? That said, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and here I am telling you about it. Which is more than I can say for Lewis Lapham's editorials.

But that probably says more about me than about Lewis Lapham, anyway.
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Teens Should Take Adults to Task

April 17, 2011, 1:29 pm
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Around this time last year, a USA Todaysurvey was released indicating how teenagers view religion. While most teens identified themselves as Christians, more respondents admitted they were more spiritual than religious. I can't say that I'm really surprised here.

Over the years, report after report has been issued in which more and more religious figures have been made suspect in everything from sex scandals and Koran burnings to getting away from actually preaching the Gospel. So, it stands to reason that teens probably aren't too thrilled with the concept of attending church every Sunday; especially if they feel the folks talking to them aren't practicing what they preach. 

If young people aren't impressed by what they see in their churches or places of faith, my advice would be to address it head on. Begin to really examine and evaluate what it takes to be a religious man or woman and become the example you never saw. Challenge the adults in your faith community on whether they're living up to the standards that they profess and teach. Most importantly -- and this one is powerful -- don't mistake the flaws of the messenger with the overall message of peace, love and salvation that religion teaches. If you do, you'll miss the whole concept of what faith, religion and forgiveness is all about.
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Rebuilding Credit after Bankruptcy

April 18, 2011, 7:43 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: What is the best course of action, after successfully completing a bankruptcy, to begin rebuilding/re-establishing credit?

Longview, TX

A: Pay your bills on time.

Seriously, it's really that simple. The best way to improve your credit is to pay your bills on time all the time. Time will be your greatest friend.

As you may already know, a bankruptcy can stay in your credit files for 10 years. But, every year you move away from the bankruptcy, it has less impact on your credit scores.

Recent delinquency information has a greater impact on your scores. So, a 30-day late payment can ding your credit more than a bankruptcy that may be five or six years old.

Additionally, now that you have wiped away some debts, be sure you don't pile up the debt again. The second category that impacts your scores is the amount of debt you have. And, despite your bankruptcy, you still will be able to eventually get credit because creditors know you can't file for bankruptcy for another 8 years under Chapter 7.

So, in time, your credit scores will increase if you pay your bills on time and keep your debt level down.


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Religious Casualties

April 18, 2011, 4:12 pm
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On the surface, it appears that doing religious work on the job is what caused Douglas Kmiec to be ousted from his position in Malta.

But, was it really Kmiec's faith that got him into trouble? No. It was politics. Critics will argue it was his willingness to dedicate time to his religious work to the detriment of official government activities. Some will even point to an audit of government resources that stated his "outside activities" were beyond the scope of his governmental role as ambassador; but I don't believe that either.

I suspect that the individuals who wanted to see him removed were the same ones who didn't like seeing Kmiec, a longtime supporter of Republican leaders, adamantly supporting Obama while he ran for office. As a result of Kmiec's decision, political hardball was played, and he became a casualty of political warfare at the expense of his religious convictions.

It's unfortunate to see this happen; but in a greater theme of things, it is probably better off this way. Why? Because, for some people, religion is truly their life's greatest work. If religion fulfills Kmiec or anyone else to the point that it is all you want to do and live for, then other jobs will certainly pale in comparison -- especially when people are trying to use religion to score political points.

If Mr. Kmiec is indeed as devout to his religion as reported, then perhaps his spiritual workis more important than his diplomat work. And, while I believe we need more individuals of faith working in public service, this is yet another example of why more people don't.

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Stuck With a Huge Hospital Bill

April 21, 2011, 9:35 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: Three years ago, I was involved in a traffic accident and was taken to the emergency room. A few months later, the hospital billed me for $35,000. I gave them my insurance information, but they never billed them. The insurance company now says it's too late for them to pay. I plan to buy a home with my boyfriend. Could the hospital put a lien against my new home? The hospital has not filed any lawsuit to collect. I am not aware of any judgment against me for the money.

California

A: You should check all three of your credit reports to make sure there hasn't been some adverse action taken against you. Just because you have not gotten any notices doesn't mean the hospital hasn't taken action.

You should also file a complaint with your state insurance commission. If you presented valid insurance information when you received treatment, then the bill should have been paid if you were covered. You may be able to resolve this through the commission. [In your case, that would be the California Department of Insurance.]

Next, check to see what your state's statute of limitations is for debt collection. [In California, the statute of limitations for debt related to a written contract is four years.] However, that doesn't mean the creditor can't still file a lawsuit. If the statute of limitations is up, you have to let the court know.

If it's not up, the hospital could still come after you--and any assets--to settle the debt. You should consult an attorney if you find action has been taken or will be taken.

You are right to be proactive about this issue. Don't just assume it's been settled.
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Larry Flynt: "Nobody would want to read a history book written by a pornographer."

April 22, 2011, 10:17 am
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How do you write about the sex lives of past presidents without being salacious? If you're controversial publisher Larry Flynt, you co-write a book with history professor David Eisenbach and call it One Nation Under Sex.

"I knew nobody would want to read a history book written by a pornographer, so I was just covering myself there," says Flynt in the Web-exclusive video below.

Flynt's book has been well received, with Publishers Weekly writing, "Flynt and Eisenbach favor analysis over sensationalism, providing a new perspective of the men and women who have shaped our nation."

In this Web-exclusive video, Flynt explains what he feels we can learn from the sexual transgressions of past presidents and answers the tough question of why Americans seem to be so obsessed with sex.

"People, I think now, want more information, and no book has ever been written like this. Publishers of history books are conservative; they tend to only want politics and policy. They don't want to know about sex," Flynt says, adding, "Well, I know that there's a market out there that does want to know about the sex lives of politicians."

Be sure to watch the Web-exclusive video below, tune in to the full conversation tonight and share your thoughts. Do the private lives of presidents and elected officials matter? Should we care? Why do we?


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Everynone

April 23, 2011, 10:14 am
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I've just come across the work of a filmmaking team called Everynone, and I thought I'd share it. Films on simple ideas...symmetry, words or even just moments in time where not much happens. They're all beautifully shot and perfectly simple. Economy of style at its best.

I like this one quite a lot, but they're all good.


WORDS from Everynone on Vimeo.

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The Life and Death of a War Photographer

April 24, 2011, 4:29 pm
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Last week, two photojournalists, Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, were killed while covering the popular uprising in Libya. For most of us, who see the images captured by journalists like these in the news every day, it's easy to forget the real danger that goes into reporting from conflict zones.

Hetherington was known recently for his work on the Academy Award-nominated documentary Restrepo, which he co-directed with author Sebastian Junger. He was also winner of the World Press Photo of the Year award for his shot of an exhausted soldier in Afghanistan. Hondros, too, was an accomplished photographer, who had also worked in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo and had been awarded the Robert Capa Gold Medal, an esteemed war photography commendation.

Here's an interview with Hetherington on PBS' NewsHour, in which he discusses his work, as well as his new book of photos from Afghanistan, Infidel. And here's a gallery of some of Hondros' work put together by the Guardian.

Of course, for Hetherington and Hondros, they would likely have been the first to tell you that it's not their own stories that matter, but rather the ones they are trying to capture and send out to the world.
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Terry Jones' Approach is Ugly and Shameful

April 25, 2011, 9:26 am
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There's nothing in Christianity that would defend Terry Jones' recent actions in Michigan. In fact, the Bible teaches that in order to win a person to the faith, one should employ methods of turning the other cheek, demonstrating compassion and being what the Bible calls the "salt of the earth." Unfortunately for Mr. Jones, it appears there's no salt at all -- only venom in his hate speech against Islam, which is pretty bad when you consider he's supposed to be a minister.

And, seeing as how Jones is a minister, he should be familiar with Matthew 5:9, which says, "blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Apparently, Jones must have missed that scripture. Yet, more important than making peace, something tells me that Mr. Jones was looking to make something entirely different: A name for himself.
 
After a firestorm of controversy last year, when he declared he would burn Qurans outside his Florida church, you would think he learned a valuable lesson on how to approach matters of faith and the spirit in which those talks should occur. Instead, I think he learned how to make a name for himself and used religion as his meal ticket to draw the attention he currently receives.

If Jones wanted to be really effective in doing something positive to bridge the gap between Muslim and Christian Americans, he could have placed his energies in creating a dialogue built on the efforts of peace, respect and understanding. Instead, he chose this bullish, chaotic, half-cocked idea of standing before a house of faith and condemning it, as a way to bring attention to himself and play on the fears of those who are uninformed about true Muslim faith.

This has to stop. Members of the media, people of faith and religious leaders alike have to continuously be the first ones to take a stand and denounce this type of behavior whenever they see it. Jones' actions are shameful, ugly and, if left unchecked, extremely pervasive. It's time people call Mr. Jones for what he is: An opportunist, a fear monger and not a man that's doing something in the name of God.
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How Do I Raise My Credit Score?

April 25, 2011, 10:15 am
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Do you have a financial question?Ask Michelle Singletary
Q: I've paid off all my old debt, and my debt-to-income ratio is under 10%. Most of my old debt was bad debt that was in collection or almost written off. It's been a year, and my credit score still hasn't budged at all. What can I do to bring up my score, now that my bad debt is all gone?

A: First, you should understand that your bad debt might still be impacting your scores, depending on how long ago you fell into default. Negative information stays on your credit report for seven years. The further you get away from when the negative information was first reported, the less impact it has on your credit scores. But, it's still there and can still keep your scores down.

Give it some more time. Be patient. A year is not that long, especially if you have many negative items on your reports.

Most importantly, pay your bills on time. Any late payments will add to an already negative credit history and, thus, keep your scores from rising.
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