<![CDATA[Niteshare Forums - All Forums]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:06:17 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Was it illegal?]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6069 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:32:22 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6069 Joe Sestak has claimed that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race.


The top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the Obama administration may have broken the law by offering Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) a job in order to persuade him not to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter.


Sestak has said that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has been asked repeatedly about the accusation in recent weeks but so far has neither confirmed nor denied that a job was offered.


But in a letter to White House general counsel Robert Bauer Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said that, if Sestak’s allegation is true, administration officials may have violated a federal statute which makes it a crime for a government employee to use his authority “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for certain offices, including Senate seats.


"While the White House may think this is politics as usual, what is spectacularly unusual is when a candidate — a U.S. congressman no less — freely acknowledges such a proposal,” Issa wrote. “Almost always candidates keep quiet about such deals, and for good reason — they are against the law."


Issa listed a series of questions he wants answered by March 18:


1. At any time, did White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the communications.


2. At any time, did White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the communications.


3. At any time, did any official within the White House Office of Political Affairs have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the political officials and the communications.


4. Identify any other individuals at the White House that had communications with Rep. Sestak about his bid for the United States Senate. For each individual, identify the communications.


5. What position(s) was (were) Rep. Sestak offered in exchange for his commitment to leave the Senate race?


6. Following Rep. Sestak’s disclosure that he was offered a position in the president’s administration in exchange for bowing out of the 2010 race for the United States Senate, what, if any, investigation did your office undertake to determine whether the criminal activity described by Rep. Sestak occurred?


7. Do you expect to make a referral to the United States Department of Justice in this matter? When should we expect this referral?


Sestak first made the accusation during a television interview in early February, and he repeated it when asked about it during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this week.


Asked about the allegation Tuesday, Gibbs said: “ I don't have the update with me, but let me check and see if I do have anything.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/031...z0hpbD6dgD


Damned good questions. Can't wait to hear the answers coming from the White House.What will happen if it was illegal? ]]> Joe Sestak has claimed that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race.


The top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the Obama administration may have broken the law by offering Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) a job in order to persuade him not to mount a primary challenge against Sen. Arlen Specter.


Sestak has said that the administration offered him a high-ranking government job if he’d stay out of the race. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has been asked repeatedly about the accusation in recent weeks but so far has neither confirmed nor denied that a job was offered.


But in a letter to White House general counsel Robert Bauer Wednesday, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said that, if Sestak’s allegation is true, administration officials may have violated a federal statute which makes it a crime for a government employee to use his authority “for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate” for certain offices, including Senate seats.


"While the White House may think this is politics as usual, what is spectacularly unusual is when a candidate — a U.S. congressman no less — freely acknowledges such a proposal,” Issa wrote. “Almost always candidates keep quiet about such deals, and for good reason — they are against the law."


Issa listed a series of questions he wants answered by March 18:


1. At any time, did White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the communications.


2. At any time, did White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the communications.


3. At any time, did any official within the White House Office of Political Affairs have communications with Rep. Sestak about the 2010 race for the United States Senate? Identify the political officials and the communications.


4. Identify any other individuals at the White House that had communications with Rep. Sestak about his bid for the United States Senate. For each individual, identify the communications.


5. What position(s) was (were) Rep. Sestak offered in exchange for his commitment to leave the Senate race?


6. Following Rep. Sestak’s disclosure that he was offered a position in the president’s administration in exchange for bowing out of the 2010 race for the United States Senate, what, if any, investigation did your office undertake to determine whether the criminal activity described by Rep. Sestak occurred?


7. Do you expect to make a referral to the United States Department of Justice in this matter? When should we expect this referral?


Sestak first made the accusation during a television interview in early February, and he repeated it when asked about it during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this week.


Asked about the allegation Tuesday, Gibbs said: “ I don't have the update with me, but let me check and see if I do have anything.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/031...z0hpbD6dgD


Damned good questions. Can't wait to hear the answers coming from the White House.What will happen if it was illegal? ]]> <![CDATA[MIME]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6068 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:20:10 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6068 Happy posting.. if you do. Big Grin]]> Happy posting.. if you do. Big Grin]]> <![CDATA[Thought For The Day]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6067 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:54:14 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6067
Women are Angels.

And when someone breaks their wings....

They simply continue to fly ......... on a broomstick.. .

Hey, they are flexible]]>
Women are Angels.

And when someone breaks their wings....

They simply continue to fly ......... on a broomstick.. .

Hey, they are flexible]]> <![CDATA[LifeLock?]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6066 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:22:32 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6066
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=3241

States, FTC Reach Agreement with ID Theft Protection Provider Over Misleading Advertising and Sales Practices
LifeLock Inc. resolves allegations of exaggerated consumer protections

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, 34 other states and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today resolved their investigation of a leading provider of identity theft protection services.

Under the terms of today’s agreement, Arizona-based LifeLock Inc. agreed to more accurately describe its ID theft protection services and provide $11 million in restitution to eligible customers. The joint investigation by the states and the FTC revealed that LifeLock unlawfully exaggerated its range of services and ability to prevent ID theft.


Media links
Final Texas court judgment against LifeLock Inc.

LifeLock claimed its services were guaranteed to protect customers’ personal information and prevent criminals from using that sensitive information to open accounts. Thus, customers were given the impression that identity thieves would be absolutely prevented from stealing LifeLock customers’ identifying information.

State and federal authorities were also concerned about LifeLock marketing materials that improperly claimed that customers faced a heightened risk of ID theft – despite the fact that LifeLock had no basis for its claims. Under today’s agreement, LifeLock is prohibited from making false claims about potential customers’ identity theft risk profile. In addition, LifeLock must not misrepresent that it:

• Protects against all forms of ID theft;
• Eliminates the risk of ID theft;
• Constantly monitors activity on each of its customers’ consumer reports;
• Always prompts a call from a potential creditor before a new credit account is opened in the customer’s name.

Texans have a variety of tools at their disposal to protect themselves against ID theft under state and federal laws. Individuals who suspect they could be possible ID theft victims may place free fraud alerts on their credit reports by contacting one of three major credit reporting agencies. In addition, Texans may obtain free copies of their credit reports to review their own credit histories and identify errors. Under the restitution program, the states and the FTC will send letters to eligible LifeLock customers notifying them of the agreement with instructions on how they can opt-in to participate in the settlement.]]>
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=3241

States, FTC Reach Agreement with ID Theft Protection Provider Over Misleading Advertising and Sales Practices
LifeLock Inc. resolves allegations of exaggerated consumer protections

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, 34 other states and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today resolved their investigation of a leading provider of identity theft protection services.

Under the terms of today’s agreement, Arizona-based LifeLock Inc. agreed to more accurately describe its ID theft protection services and provide $11 million in restitution to eligible customers. The joint investigation by the states and the FTC revealed that LifeLock unlawfully exaggerated its range of services and ability to prevent ID theft.


Media links
Final Texas court judgment against LifeLock Inc.

LifeLock claimed its services were guaranteed to protect customers’ personal information and prevent criminals from using that sensitive information to open accounts. Thus, customers were given the impression that identity thieves would be absolutely prevented from stealing LifeLock customers’ identifying information.

State and federal authorities were also concerned about LifeLock marketing materials that improperly claimed that customers faced a heightened risk of ID theft – despite the fact that LifeLock had no basis for its claims. Under today’s agreement, LifeLock is prohibited from making false claims about potential customers’ identity theft risk profile. In addition, LifeLock must not misrepresent that it:

• Protects against all forms of ID theft;
• Eliminates the risk of ID theft;
• Constantly monitors activity on each of its customers’ consumer reports;
• Always prompts a call from a potential creditor before a new credit account is opened in the customer’s name.

Texans have a variety of tools at their disposal to protect themselves against ID theft under state and federal laws. Individuals who suspect they could be possible ID theft victims may place free fraud alerts on their credit reports by contacting one of three major credit reporting agencies. In addition, Texans may obtain free copies of their credit reports to review their own credit histories and identify errors. Under the restitution program, the states and the FTC will send letters to eligible LifeLock customers notifying them of the agreement with instructions on how they can opt-in to participate in the settlement.]]> <![CDATA[Saving $$ on Health Care Costs]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6065 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:19:55 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6065 http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals...sts-13065/

Just posting the link because it has a calculator and other clickables on it.]]> http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/deals...sts-13065/

Just posting the link because it has a calculator and other clickables on it.]]> <![CDATA[Alice in Wonderland Syndrome]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6064 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:54:16 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6064 http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/201...?GT1=43001

I never heard of it but it's got to be a horrible thing to have. So many syndromes exist and are undiagnosed you can have one and not even know it.

The comments are worth reading, too.]]> http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/201...?GT1=43001

I never heard of it but it's got to be a horrible thing to have. So many syndromes exist and are undiagnosed you can have one and not even know it.

The comments are worth reading, too.]]> <![CDATA[Kids talk about am Octopus]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6063 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:31:18 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6063
2) - Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) - If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (age 7)

4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) - A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8)

6) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs.
(Millie, age 6)

7) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)

8) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

9) - I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

10) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

11) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

12) - Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go own on each other. (Becky, age 8)

13) - On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)

14) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know. (Bobby, age 6)

15) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)


Lol Gotta love 10 and 12 .]]>
2) - Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)

3) - If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (age 7)

4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more. (Kylie, age 6)

5) - A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8)

6) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs.
(Millie, age 6)

7) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)

8) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)

9) - I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)

10) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)

11) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)

12) - Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go own on each other. (Becky, age 8)

13) - On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)

14) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know. (Bobby, age 6)

15) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)


Lol Gotta love 10 and 12 .]]> <![CDATA[We're in trouble!]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6062 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:24:09 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6062
We are in trouble...

The
population of this country is 300 million.


160
million are retired.


That leaves 140 million to do the
work.


There are 85 million in school.


Which leaves 55 million to do the work.


Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal
government.


Leaving 20 million to do the work.


2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied
with killing Osama
Bin-Laden.

Which leaves 17.2
million to do the work.


Take from that total the 15.8
million people who work for state and city
Governments. And that
leaves 1.4 million to do the work.


At any given
time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.


Leaving
1,212,000 to do the work.


Now, there are 1,211,998 people
in prisons.


That leaves just two people to do the
work.


You and me.


And there
you are,

Sitting on your ass,


At your computer, reading jokes..


Nice. Real nice.
]]>
We are in trouble...

The
population of this country is 300 million.


160
million are retired.


That leaves 140 million to do the
work.


There are 85 million in school.


Which leaves 55 million to do the work.


Of this there are 35 million employed by the federal
government.


Leaving 20 million to do the work.


2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied
with killing Osama
Bin-Laden.

Which leaves 17.2
million to do the work.


Take from that total the 15.8
million people who work for state and city
Governments. And that
leaves 1.4 million to do the work.


At any given
time there are 188,000 people in hospitals.


Leaving
1,212,000 to do the work.


Now, there are 1,211,998 people
in prisons.


That leaves just two people to do the
work.


You and me.


And there
you are,

Sitting on your ass,


At your computer, reading jokes..


Nice. Real nice.
]]> <![CDATA[Shut UP or ELSE!]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6061 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:16:30 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6061 The stabbing occurred last Saturday at the Cinemark 22
By SCOTT WEBER
Updated 6:38 AM PST, Wed, Mar 10, 2010


Getty Images
A woman talking on a cell phone during a movie didn't take to kindly to being 'shushed' by another moviegoer. Or at least her boyfriend didn't.

In a drama that turned more lively than the one on screen, the boyfriend allegedly attacked and stabbed the 'shusher' in the neck. With a meat thermometer.

According to KTLA:


The stabbing occurred last Saturday at the Cinemark 22 theater at 2600 West Avenue I in Lancaster, according to Detective Richard Cartmill of the Lancaster sheriff's station.

Deputies say that while the movie was playing, a woman was talking on her phone and the victim asked her to turn it off.

The victim was attacked by the woman's boyfriend and another man. Deputies say he was stabbed in the neck with a meat thermometer.

The stabbing victim is expected to survive and is recovering at a local hospital. Two others who tried to help the victim were also injured, according to KTLA.

According to Sheriff's officials, the suspects were described as black males. One man was wearing an orange hat with an orange jersey and the other man was dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt.

There was no word on why the man had a meat thermometer in a movie theater.]]> The stabbing occurred last Saturday at the Cinemark 22
By SCOTT WEBER
Updated 6:38 AM PST, Wed, Mar 10, 2010


Getty Images
A woman talking on a cell phone during a movie didn't take to kindly to being 'shushed' by another moviegoer. Or at least her boyfriend didn't.

In a drama that turned more lively than the one on screen, the boyfriend allegedly attacked and stabbed the 'shusher' in the neck. With a meat thermometer.

According to KTLA:


The stabbing occurred last Saturday at the Cinemark 22 theater at 2600 West Avenue I in Lancaster, according to Detective Richard Cartmill of the Lancaster sheriff's station.

Deputies say that while the movie was playing, a woman was talking on her phone and the victim asked her to turn it off.

The victim was attacked by the woman's boyfriend and another man. Deputies say he was stabbed in the neck with a meat thermometer.

The stabbing victim is expected to survive and is recovering at a local hospital. Two others who tried to help the victim were also injured, according to KTLA.

According to Sheriff's officials, the suspects were described as black males. One man was wearing an orange hat with an orange jersey and the other man was dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt.

There was no word on why the man had a meat thermometer in a movie theater.]]> <![CDATA[Spa day]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6060 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:16:07 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6060
Did you have a manicure? Did you have a pedicure? Did you have a massage? What other treatments have you had done at the spa?]]>
Did you have a manicure? Did you have a pedicure? Did you have a massage? What other treatments have you had done at the spa?]]> <![CDATA[Strawberry cake]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6059 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:11:51 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6059
When cooled, add:
cut up strawberries mixed with Strawberry sauce on top. Then, put some coolwhip on top if you desire.

Keeps cake moist, is really yummy, and looks like a yummy storebought cake. (Most times. but, it is good.)]]>
When cooled, add:
cut up strawberries mixed with Strawberry sauce on top. Then, put some coolwhip on top if you desire.

Keeps cake moist, is really yummy, and looks like a yummy storebought cake. (Most times. but, it is good.)]]> <![CDATA[Bucket List]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6058 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:02:14 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6058
Shot a gun
Gone on a blind date
Skipped school
Watched someone die...
Been to Canada
Been to Alaska
Been to Cuba
Been to Europe
Been to Las Vegas
Been to Mexico

Been to Florida
Been on a plane
Been on a cruise ship
Served on a jury
Been lost
Been on the opposite side of the country
Been to the middle of the country
Gone to Washington , DC
Swam in the ocean
Cried yourself to sleep
Played cops and robbers

Played cowboys/girls and Indians
Recently colored with crayons
Sang Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only?
Made prank phone calls..
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain.
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Watched the sunrise with someone.
Blown bubbles
Gone ice-skating
Gone skiing
Camped out under the stars.
Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away?
Are or have been Married?
Children?
Have a Pet?
Been skinny dipping outdoors

Been fishing
Been boating
Been water skiing
Been hiking
Flown in a small 4 seater airplane

Flown in a glider (Paraplane)
Been flying in a hot air balloon
Been bunge-jumping
Jumped out of a plane
Gone to a drive-in movie
Done something that should have killed you..
Done something that you will probably regret for the rest of your life]]>
Shot a gun
Gone on a blind date
Skipped school
Watched someone die...
Been to Canada
Been to Alaska
Been to Cuba
Been to Europe
Been to Las Vegas
Been to Mexico

Been to Florida
Been on a plane
Been on a cruise ship
Served on a jury
Been lost
Been on the opposite side of the country
Been to the middle of the country
Gone to Washington , DC
Swam in the ocean
Cried yourself to sleep
Played cops and robbers

Played cowboys/girls and Indians
Recently colored with crayons
Sang Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only?
Made prank phone calls..
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain.
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Watched the sunrise with someone.
Blown bubbles
Gone ice-skating
Gone skiing
Camped out under the stars.
Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away?
Are or have been Married?
Children?
Have a Pet?
Been skinny dipping outdoors

Been fishing
Been boating
Been water skiing
Been hiking
Flown in a small 4 seater airplane

Flown in a glider (Paraplane)
Been flying in a hot air balloon
Been bunge-jumping
Jumped out of a plane
Gone to a drive-in movie
Done something that should have killed you..
Done something that you will probably regret for the rest of your life]]> <![CDATA[Fun Or Serious Games, Different Types For Different People.]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6057 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:41:43 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6057
I come from a very large family and we love to play games. I have some brother-in-laws that didn't grow up playing games and so it is like pulling teeth to get them to play games with us. There are certain games that we are pretty sure we can get them to play with us and then there are those that we know for sure they won't even consider playing with us.

When we sit down and play a big group game where everyone is laughing and it's a relaxed setting they will join us. They like the laughing and the poking fun of each other. It can get really fun when you have twenty adults playing together. As long as we are playing these types of games they will join us.

Then there are a couple of games that a few of us love to play and they are much more of a serious game. With these few serious games it is quiet and thought out and no one is helping each other. It is more technical and down to a few players. We love the serious games, but we definitely find that it is easier to play the serious games when the children are quieter and there are no distractions.

One of my brother-in-laws says that he doesn't like sitting and playing in the group setting, but has found that he loves playing more focused on his computer.]]>
I come from a very large family and we love to play games. I have some brother-in-laws that didn't grow up playing games and so it is like pulling teeth to get them to play games with us. There are certain games that we are pretty sure we can get them to play with us and then there are those that we know for sure they won't even consider playing with us.

When we sit down and play a big group game where everyone is laughing and it's a relaxed setting they will join us. They like the laughing and the poking fun of each other. It can get really fun when you have twenty adults playing together. As long as we are playing these types of games they will join us.

Then there are a couple of games that a few of us love to play and they are much more of a serious game. With these few serious games it is quiet and thought out and no one is helping each other. It is more technical and down to a few players. We love the serious games, but we definitely find that it is easier to play the serious games when the children are quieter and there are no distractions.

One of my brother-in-laws says that he doesn't like sitting and playing in the group setting, but has found that he loves playing more focused on his computer.]]> <![CDATA[Monopoly Board Game.]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6056 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:40:56 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6056
Originally made with the idea of teaching people an economic system, monopoly, literally meaning to dominate or simply have one person own everything, relates here to the buying and selling of property and the management of those properties, monopoly has been seen to help with educating people in the realms of business dealings and financial management.

Originating from a game going by the name, the landlords game, the monopoly board game has evolved to the ones we play today with many different versions and themes available, structured around the ability for one player to create the most wealth to win the game, to monopolize or to own the most, thus creating the most wealth and forcing his opponents into bankruptcy.

The official instructions to the monopoly board game encourage players to adapt the rules or even add additional house rules or perhaps remove a rule to make their playing that bit more unique, however the basis of the original monopoly board game is much the same over.

To briefly outline just a few of the basics, firstly before the game commences the players decide on who is to be the banker and each player chooses a playing piece, then in an agreed order the players roll the dice to progress clockwise around the playing board. On route the players meet various scenario's including the picking of community chest or chance cards which give instructions for that player to follow, the prospect of ending up in jail or landing on a tax square where a payment has to be made to the bank but the most important strategy is for players to buy up properties, once bought, any other player landing on an owned property will have rent to pay to the owner of that property. If a player can acquire a full set of properties which are related they can then start to enhance that set of properties by purchasing houses and hotels to increase the rent payments due from other players when landing on one of the properties within that set.

The winner of the game is the player left after the other players have nothing left in money or property terms, but please be aware that this situation sometimes takes a very long time to achieve so perhaps one of your house rules could be a time limit, where the winner of the monopoly game is the player with the most cash and assets after a given time of playing.]]>
Originally made with the idea of teaching people an economic system, monopoly, literally meaning to dominate or simply have one person own everything, relates here to the buying and selling of property and the management of those properties, monopoly has been seen to help with educating people in the realms of business dealings and financial management.

Originating from a game going by the name, the landlords game, the monopoly board game has evolved to the ones we play today with many different versions and themes available, structured around the ability for one player to create the most wealth to win the game, to monopolize or to own the most, thus creating the most wealth and forcing his opponents into bankruptcy.

The official instructions to the monopoly board game encourage players to adapt the rules or even add additional house rules or perhaps remove a rule to make their playing that bit more unique, however the basis of the original monopoly board game is much the same over.

To briefly outline just a few of the basics, firstly before the game commences the players decide on who is to be the banker and each player chooses a playing piece, then in an agreed order the players roll the dice to progress clockwise around the playing board. On route the players meet various scenario's including the picking of community chest or chance cards which give instructions for that player to follow, the prospect of ending up in jail or landing on a tax square where a payment has to be made to the bank but the most important strategy is for players to buy up properties, once bought, any other player landing on an owned property will have rent to pay to the owner of that property. If a player can acquire a full set of properties which are related they can then start to enhance that set of properties by purchasing houses and hotels to increase the rent payments due from other players when landing on one of the properties within that set.

The winner of the game is the player left after the other players have nothing left in money or property terms, but please be aware that this situation sometimes takes a very long time to achieve so perhaps one of your house rules could be a time limit, where the winner of the monopoly game is the player with the most cash and assets after a given time of playing.]]> <![CDATA[How Can a Slimming Belt Help You Lose Weight?]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6055 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:39:19 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6055
I can remember back before the slimming belts were around, I had a coach that had the biggest calves I had ever seen. I wondered how in the world he was able to accomplish such a thing since he was a little bit older and never worked out with us or ran. However, as he walked around there was one subtle thing that I had noticed about him. His heels never touched the ground. He literally walked on his tippy toes. The benefit was simply keeping his muscles tightened a lot of the time helped him develop muscle tone and lose fat! This is how the slimming belt works!

If you want to lose weight around your belly, put on the slimming belt. It will send safe electronic pulses to your belly, which will force you to keep your muscles tightened, often flexing them as if you are doing crunches. The end result is that without much effort, you are literally losing fat off of your belly! Through technology you are getting a workout, maybe even at your office desk or while sitting on the couch.

By using a slimming belt you can ease your journey to great abs.

One of the best slimming belts on the market today is also FDA approved. The Flex Belt is an ab slimming belt that can help you reach your goals.]]>
I can remember back before the slimming belts were around, I had a coach that had the biggest calves I had ever seen. I wondered how in the world he was able to accomplish such a thing since he was a little bit older and never worked out with us or ran. However, as he walked around there was one subtle thing that I had noticed about him. His heels never touched the ground. He literally walked on his tippy toes. The benefit was simply keeping his muscles tightened a lot of the time helped him develop muscle tone and lose fat! This is how the slimming belt works!

If you want to lose weight around your belly, put on the slimming belt. It will send safe electronic pulses to your belly, which will force you to keep your muscles tightened, often flexing them as if you are doing crunches. The end result is that without much effort, you are literally losing fat off of your belly! Through technology you are getting a workout, maybe even at your office desk or while sitting on the couch.

By using a slimming belt you can ease your journey to great abs.

One of the best slimming belts on the market today is also FDA approved. The Flex Belt is an ab slimming belt that can help you reach your goals.]]> <![CDATA[Portable Device May Prevent Migraines.]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6054 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:38:06 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6054
“I think this device is a really good option for people who want to avoid taking medication, or who have contraindications, side effects, or lack of response to available medications,” says lead study author Richard B. Lipton, MD, a professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, N.Y. Neuralieve, a start-up company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., manufactured the devices used in the study. The company also funded the study, and Dr. Lipton and several of his co-authors have stock options in Neuralieve, or other financial connections to it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved the device, but if it does earn approval, migraine patients could use it as an alternative to drugs, or in conjunction with medications, Dr. Lipton says. The FDA has already approved a TMS device to treat depression. Unlike that device, which is heavy and found only in doctor’s offices, the migraine device could be used at home.

Dr. Lipton says he’s not sure how much the device would cost, but that people probably would be able to lease or rent it inexpensively, before buying, to see if it worked for them. “Purchasing a device if you don’t know if you’re a responder doesn’t make any sense to me,” he says.

In the study, published in the Lancet, 82 people who suffer from migraines with aura received a TMS device, and the same number received a fake (or “sham”) version of the device, which looked—and vibrated—just like the real thing, but did not deliver the magnetic pulses.]]>
“I think this device is a really good option for people who want to avoid taking medication, or who have contraindications, side effects, or lack of response to available medications,” says lead study author Richard B. Lipton, MD, a professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, N.Y. Neuralieve, a start-up company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., manufactured the devices used in the study. The company also funded the study, and Dr. Lipton and several of his co-authors have stock options in Neuralieve, or other financial connections to it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved the device, but if it does earn approval, migraine patients could use it as an alternative to drugs, or in conjunction with medications, Dr. Lipton says. The FDA has already approved a TMS device to treat depression. Unlike that device, which is heavy and found only in doctor’s offices, the migraine device could be used at home.

Dr. Lipton says he’s not sure how much the device would cost, but that people probably would be able to lease or rent it inexpensively, before buying, to see if it worked for them. “Purchasing a device if you don’t know if you’re a responder doesn’t make any sense to me,” he says.

In the study, published in the Lancet, 82 people who suffer from migraines with aura received a TMS device, and the same number received a fake (or “sham”) version of the device, which looked—and vibrated—just like the real thing, but did not deliver the magnetic pulses.]]> <![CDATA[SEO Impact on Google Buzz.]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6053 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:37:18 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6053
For Search Engine Optimizers, the two interesting aspects of Google Buzz are:

1. The 'implicit' priority that Google Buzz will get on the Google Search Engine
2. The 'auto-following' - you can leverage Gmail to grow your social network more rapidly (compared with Twitter) since Buzz has a built-in viral feature by auto-following contacts

For the past few years, Google has moving towards a trend know as 'real-time' or 'blended' search. On your search result page you won't only see organic (free results) and sponsored ads but also images, video, Twitter, MySpace and news posts (all as it happens). The opportunities for SEO here are:

1. Google may interpret links from these posts to your website as having some marginal impact on your PageRank.
2. People may read your tweets, news posts and thereby directly o to your website
3. The posts themselves may show up on Google searches and give you some temporary visibility for free and for your target keywords.

I may be speculating here but I believe that Google Buzz might get a slight advantage when it comes to 'real-time' search, after all its Google's baby.

Or look at it this way - Google is in all ways the dominating Search Engine - a huge monopoly, huge profits to link products to attractive packages and important products to give away for free. Buzz is already linked to Gmail and Google says that public Buzz will be indexed on Google search engines (have a look at the launch video). Google is also indexing Twitter posts; all of this encourages an SEO to see Buzz as a powerful tool.

Also take a look at YouTube, video posts on Google are heavily biased towards it with respect to other alternative video services. Not really sure if Buzz will outrank Twitter but there is a vast opportunity to be exploited from an SEO perspective.

Another important point is that you can get a real link from Google.com Many SEO people still like to get links, especially from an authority domain. All your buzzes are extra pages with their own clean URL. The links don't use the infamous no-follow attribute that makes them useless for search engines.

I believe Google Buzz has a vast opportunity that can be exploited by search engine optimizers. So buzz your way around!]]>
For Search Engine Optimizers, the two interesting aspects of Google Buzz are:

1. The 'implicit' priority that Google Buzz will get on the Google Search Engine
2. The 'auto-following' - you can leverage Gmail to grow your social network more rapidly (compared with Twitter) since Buzz has a built-in viral feature by auto-following contacts

For the past few years, Google has moving towards a trend know as 'real-time' or 'blended' search. On your search result page you won't only see organic (free results) and sponsored ads but also images, video, Twitter, MySpace and news posts (all as it happens). The opportunities for SEO here are:

1. Google may interpret links from these posts to your website as having some marginal impact on your PageRank.
2. People may read your tweets, news posts and thereby directly o to your website
3. The posts themselves may show up on Google searches and give you some temporary visibility for free and for your target keywords.

I may be speculating here but I believe that Google Buzz might get a slight advantage when it comes to 'real-time' search, after all its Google's baby.

Or look at it this way - Google is in all ways the dominating Search Engine - a huge monopoly, huge profits to link products to attractive packages and important products to give away for free. Buzz is already linked to Gmail and Google says that public Buzz will be indexed on Google search engines (have a look at the launch video). Google is also indexing Twitter posts; all of this encourages an SEO to see Buzz as a powerful tool.

Also take a look at YouTube, video posts on Google are heavily biased towards it with respect to other alternative video services. Not really sure if Buzz will outrank Twitter but there is a vast opportunity to be exploited from an SEO perspective.

Another important point is that you can get a real link from Google.com Many SEO people still like to get links, especially from an authority domain. All your buzzes are extra pages with their own clean URL. The links don't use the infamous no-follow attribute that makes them useless for search engines.

I believe Google Buzz has a vast opportunity that can be exploited by search engine optimizers. So buzz your way around!]]> <![CDATA[Car Owners]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6052 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:19:08 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6052
There are so many now I thought I'd post it here so you can easily check it out.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/recall/]]>
There are so many now I thought I'd post it here so you can easily check it out.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/recall/]]> <![CDATA[Potential Contamination]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6051 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:13:51 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6051 HVP Salmonella recall is expanding rapidly -- thousands of products could be affected

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/04...s-chips-a/

In part:

HVP Salmonella recall is expanding rapidly -- thousands of products could be affected
Mitch Lipka
Mar 4th 2010 at 12:20PM MoreText SizeAAAFiled under: Food, Recalls, Health, Consumer Ally

A recent string of food recalls over the potential for Salmonella poisoning that started with little detail or connection has grown into a massive series of recalls affecting potentially thousands of products using an obscure ingredient that is tainted: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP).

HVP, a flavor enhancer that typically contains MSG and is found in a wide variety of foods including chips and dips, salad dressings, soups and even burritos. Because the ingredient can be used in almost anything, the scope is potentially staggering.

Over the past week, at least a half-dozen companies have announced related recalls and given the enormity of the list of the lot numbers being recalled by the manufacturer -- Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas -- it's apparent it's going to keep growing.

Among the product recalls announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so far:

Reser's potato salads and dips
Marzetti refrigerated dips
Castella chicken soup base
Hawaiian brand potato chips and onion rings
A wide range of Follow Your Heart brand prepared food products
The recalls include products made over several months and, due to the shelf life of many of the products, many are likely to still be in people's homes. HVP tested positive for Salmonella at the Basic Food plant, according to some of the companies announcing recalls.

A database of products known to have used this ingredient is now available on the FDA site.

You'll have to educate yourself and depend on the companies and watch what you buy. The FDA cannot issue recalls.]]> HVP Salmonella recall is expanding rapidly -- thousands of products could be affected

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/04...s-chips-a/

In part:

HVP Salmonella recall is expanding rapidly -- thousands of products could be affected
Mitch Lipka
Mar 4th 2010 at 12:20PM MoreText SizeAAAFiled under: Food, Recalls, Health, Consumer Ally

A recent string of food recalls over the potential for Salmonella poisoning that started with little detail or connection has grown into a massive series of recalls affecting potentially thousands of products using an obscure ingredient that is tainted: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP).

HVP, a flavor enhancer that typically contains MSG and is found in a wide variety of foods including chips and dips, salad dressings, soups and even burritos. Because the ingredient can be used in almost anything, the scope is potentially staggering.

Over the past week, at least a half-dozen companies have announced related recalls and given the enormity of the list of the lot numbers being recalled by the manufacturer -- Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas -- it's apparent it's going to keep growing.

Among the product recalls announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration so far:

Reser's potato salads and dips
Marzetti refrigerated dips
Castella chicken soup base
Hawaiian brand potato chips and onion rings
A wide range of Follow Your Heart brand prepared food products
The recalls include products made over several months and, due to the shelf life of many of the products, many are likely to still be in people's homes. HVP tested positive for Salmonella at the Basic Food plant, according to some of the companies announcing recalls.

A database of products known to have used this ingredient is now available on the FDA site.

You'll have to educate yourself and depend on the companies and watch what you buy. The FDA cannot issue recalls.]]> <![CDATA[Unemployment Benefits]]> http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6050 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:53:42 -0500 http://www.niteshareforums.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=6050
By Michael A. Fletcher and Dana Hedgpeth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 9, 2010; A01



Millions of Americans have been forced to rely on unemployment payments for extended periods as the nation struggles through its longest period of high joblessness in a generation, and critics are taking aim, saying that the Depression-era program created as a temporary bridge for laid-off workers is turning into an expensive entitlement.

About 11.4 million out-of-work people now collect unemployment compensation, at a cost of $10 billion a month. Half of them have been receiving payments for more than six months, the usual insurance limit. But under multiple extensions enacted by the federal government in response to the downturn, workers can collect the payments for as long as 99 weeks in states with the highest unemployment rates -- the longest period since the program's inception.

The unemployed say extensions help to tide them over in unusually difficult times when jobs are hard to come by. Although unemployment held steady at 9.7 percent in February, millions of jobs have been lost in the downturn, particularly in the hardest-hit sectors including real estate, construction, manufacturing and financial services. Those jobs are unlikely to return even when the economy recovers, many experts say.

But complaints that extending unemployment payments discourages job-seeking have begun to bubble into the political debate. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) recently single-handedly held up the latest extension, a bill to keep unemployment benefits in place for 30 more days, saying Congress should find other cuts to cover its $10 billion price tag.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) did not join Bunning's effort, but he defended his colleague's point of view. Kyl told the Senate he questioned why anyone would see unemployment benefits as helpful to the economy, or to the job market.

"If anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said. "I am sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue it is a job enhancer."

Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Center, says there's a good reason people are out of work for so long. There are six unemployed Americans for every available job, he said.

"The primary reason people are out of work so long is a lack of jobs," Stettner said.

The 14.9 million jobless Americans have been out of work an average of 29.7 weeks, just below January's 30.2-week average. Those levels are the highest since the government began keeping those records in the 1950s, according to Stettner.

The ranks of the unemployed include Jerome Boyd, 48, a father of four who lives in Arlington. He was laid off in August from his job as a sous chef at Gaylord National Hotel at National Harbor.

He receives $1,200 a month in unemployment benefits, less than half the $3,000 a month he brought home from his job. Now he is often behind paying about $1,500 in rent, a car payment and other expenses. "I'm stealing from Peter to pay Paul," he said, adding: "There's the cable, the phone bill. I owe the bank overdraft fees and the insurance is lapsing a little bit. I can't take my kids shopping for school clothes because I don't have enough to do that."

The checks may be meager, but Boyd does not know what he would do without them. "I depend on this money," he said. "I'm wondering every other week if it is going to keep coming in or not. It's stressful, and especially when you're trying to look for a job, too."

States determine the amount of the benefits, but they average 36 percent of the average weekly wage, according to the National Employment Law Center. Recipients must look for work. Boyd said he has applied for 20 jobs in the past four months but has gotten only a few calls back. He has, however, looked only for jobs that pay above the minimum wage.

"I can't take something that's minimum wage because I just won't be able to pay my bills," he said. "I'd have to work three jobs to pay the bills, and that doesn't make sense."

Unemployment benefits were created as part of the Social Security Act of 1935, intended to provide the unemployed some portion of their income while helping the economy weather down times. Nearly two-thirds of the jobless collect unemployment benefits, which go only to those who have earned a certain amount of money in the previous year, and who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Unemployment compensation is funded largely through employer taxes (a few states require worker contributions). They have been extended in previous periods of unusually high unemployment, then rolled back when the rate declined.

Although the availability of long-term unemployment benefits "could dampen people's efforts to look for work," the Congressional Budget Office said in a February report, that concern "is less of a factor when employment opportunities are expected to be limited for some time."

The report went on to say that people receiving unemployment benefits tend to plow the money right back into the economy, making them "both timely and cost-effective in spurring economic activity and employment."

Today, the unemployed confront a changing workplace. The Obama administration has tried to address that by investing heavily in education, clean energy and scientific research, which officials say will create the jobs of the future. But that takes time, and jobs are being lost faster than new kinds can be created. That places unprecedented pressure on a program created to provide short-term relief while people waited for jobs to return.

"It is appropriate and natural for Congress to extend the time limit of unemployment insurance with the job market as bad as it is," said James Sherk, a labor economist at the Heritage Foundation. "But by quadrupling it, it is no longer an unemployment insurance program but a welfare program."

Phillip L. Swagel, a former Treasury Department official who is now a business professor at Georgetown University, said that some people might take longer to find a new job as a result of unemployment insurance extensions, but that right now it's a needed benefit.

"The reality is that it's hard to find a job even for people who really want one," he said.

But as the job market improves, Swagel said, unemployment insurance extensions must be pared back quickly, as they have been in previous downturns. "It's important to let the extensions lapse as the job market recovers -- to avoid having disincentives to work once the job market is better," Swagel said.

Jeffrey Carlson of Grand Rapids, Mich., a former insurance salesman and father of six, says he is motivated to find work, despite the $1,650 a month he collects in unemployment benefits. That money does not go far given his rent, child support, utilities and credit card bills. Carlson, 44, said he has applied for numerous jobs with no luck and has spent $40,000 in savings.

Carlson, who made $50,000 a year before he was laid off, said watching Bunning and other senators debate whether to extend unemployment benefits was painful and infuriating.

"I paid into the system for 25 years and now I need it," he said. "People are being put through the emotional heartache and anxiety of not knowing if it's going to keep coming. There are too many people who need it and are depending on it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...27_pf.html

[i]So... how long do they last where you live? Do you think this program will run out of money? Will working, tax paying people have to pay even more?]]>
By Michael A. Fletcher and Dana Hedgpeth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 9, 2010; A01



Millions of Americans have been forced to rely on unemployment payments for extended periods as the nation struggles through its longest period of high joblessness in a generation, and critics are taking aim, saying that the Depression-era program created as a temporary bridge for laid-off workers is turning into an expensive entitlement.

About 11.4 million out-of-work people now collect unemployment compensation, at a cost of $10 billion a month. Half of them have been receiving payments for more than six months, the usual insurance limit. But under multiple extensions enacted by the federal government in response to the downturn, workers can collect the payments for as long as 99 weeks in states with the highest unemployment rates -- the longest period since the program's inception.

The unemployed say extensions help to tide them over in unusually difficult times when jobs are hard to come by. Although unemployment held steady at 9.7 percent in February, millions of jobs have been lost in the downturn, particularly in the hardest-hit sectors including real estate, construction, manufacturing and financial services. Those jobs are unlikely to return even when the economy recovers, many experts say.

But complaints that extending unemployment payments discourages job-seeking have begun to bubble into the political debate. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) recently single-handedly held up the latest extension, a bill to keep unemployment benefits in place for 30 more days, saying Congress should find other cuts to cover its $10 billion price tag.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) did not join Bunning's effort, but he defended his colleague's point of view. Kyl told the Senate he questioned why anyone would see unemployment benefits as helpful to the economy, or to the job market.

"If anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said. "I am sure most of them would like work and probably have tried to seek it, but you can't argue it is a job enhancer."

Andrew Stettner, deputy director of the National Employment Law Center, says there's a good reason people are out of work for so long. There are six unemployed Americans for every available job, he said.

"The primary reason people are out of work so long is a lack of jobs," Stettner said.

The 14.9 million jobless Americans have been out of work an average of 29.7 weeks, just below January's 30.2-week average. Those levels are the highest since the government began keeping those records in the 1950s, according to Stettner.

The ranks of the unemployed include Jerome Boyd, 48, a father of four who lives in Arlington. He was laid off in August from his job as a sous chef at Gaylord National Hotel at National Harbor.

He receives $1,200 a month in unemployment benefits, less than half the $3,000 a month he brought home from his job. Now he is often behind paying about $1,500 in rent, a car payment and other expenses. "I'm stealing from Peter to pay Paul," he said, adding: "There's the cable, the phone bill. I owe the bank overdraft fees and the insurance is lapsing a little bit. I can't take my kids shopping for school clothes because I don't have enough to do that."

The checks may be meager, but Boyd does not know what he would do without them. "I depend on this money," he said. "I'm wondering every other week if it is going to keep coming in or not. It's stressful, and especially when you're trying to look for a job, too."

States determine the amount of the benefits, but they average 36 percent of the average weekly wage, according to the National Employment Law Center. Recipients must look for work. Boyd said he has applied for 20 jobs in the past four months but has gotten only a few calls back. He has, however, looked only for jobs that pay above the minimum wage.

"I can't take something that's minimum wage because I just won't be able to pay my bills," he said. "I'd have to work three jobs to pay the bills, and that doesn't make sense."

Unemployment benefits were created as part of the Social Security Act of 1935, intended to provide the unemployed some portion of their income while helping the economy weather down times. Nearly two-thirds of the jobless collect unemployment benefits, which go only to those who have earned a certain amount of money in the previous year, and who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Unemployment compensation is funded largely through employer taxes (a few states require worker contributions). They have been extended in previous periods of unusually high unemployment, then rolled back when the rate declined.

Although the availability of long-term unemployment benefits "could dampen people's efforts to look for work," the Congressional Budget Office said in a February report, that concern "is less of a factor when employment opportunities are expected to be limited for some time."

The report went on to say that people receiving unemployment benefits tend to plow the money right back into the economy, making them "both timely and cost-effective in spurring economic activity and employment."

Today, the unemployed confront a changing workplace. The Obama administration has tried to address that by investing heavily in education, clean energy and scientific research, which officials say will create the jobs of the future. But that takes time, and jobs are being lost faster than new kinds can be created. That places unprecedented pressure on a program created to provide short-term relief while people waited for jobs to return.

"It is appropriate and natural for Congress to extend the time limit of unemployment insurance with the job market as bad as it is," said James Sherk, a labor economist at the Heritage Foundation. "But by quadrupling it, it is no longer an unemployment insurance program but a welfare program."

Phillip L. Swagel, a former Treasury Department official who is now a business professor at Georgetown University, said that some people might take longer to find a new job as a result of unemployment insurance extensions, but that right now it's a needed benefit.

"The reality is that it's hard to find a job even for people who really want one," he said.

But as the job market improves, Swagel said, unemployment insurance extensions must be pared back quickly, as they have been in previous downturns. "It's important to let the extensions lapse as the job market recovers -- to avoid having disincentives to work once the job market is better," Swagel said.

Jeffrey Carlson of Grand Rapids, Mich., a former insurance salesman and father of six, says he is motivated to find work, despite the $1,650 a month he collects in unemployment benefits. That money does not go far given his rent, child support, utilities and credit card bills. Carlson, 44, said he has applied for numerous jobs with no luck and has spent $40,000 in savings.

Carlson, who made $50,000 a year before he was laid off, said watching Bunning and other senators debate whether to extend unemployment benefits was painful and infuriating.

"I paid into the system for 25 years and now I need it," he said. "People are being put through the emotional heartache and anxiety of not knowing if it's going to keep coming. There are too many people who need it and are depending on it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...27_pf.html

[i]So... how long do they last where you live? Do you think this program will run out of money? Will working, tax paying people have to pay even more?]]>