Stocks close lower after Fed minutes

15 hrs.

JeeYeon Park , CNBC

Stocks finished in negative territory Thursday after the latest Fed meeting minutes revealed disagreement on how long the central bank should buy bonds and as investors took a pause following the previous session's sharp 'cliff' deal rally.

The?Dow Jones Industrial Average?erased 21.19 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 13,391.36, dragged by?UnitedHealth, after surging?more than 300 points?in the previous session.

The?S&P 500?dipped 3.05 points, or 0.21 percent, to end at 1,459.37. The?Nasdaq?declined 11.69 points, or 0.38 percent, to finish at 3,100.57.The?CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, closed below 15.

Most key S&P sectors finished in negative territory, led by?techs?and?materials.

Fed members expressed broad support in December for the bond purchase program to bolster the economy, but policymakers?differed over how long to keep buying bonds?to drive down long-term interest rates, according to the December policy-setting meeting minutes.

"Will this be an end to QE? Absolutely not, but it's interesting when you start to see some splits and dissensions?[The Fed is]playing with fire?this has never been done before," said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading. "The market loves QE but the market participants don't."

In December, the Fed met market expectations with another round of easing, this time with a pledge to hold interest rates low?until unemployment falls below 6.5 percent?and inflation tops 2.5 percent.

Stocks kicked off the first trading day of 2013?with a sharp bang?Wednesday after a deal to stave off the U.S.' "fiscal cliff," with the Dow closing up 2.4 percent, Nasdaq up 3 percent and the S&P 500 up 2.5 percent.?

On Thursday, however, the optimism made way for uncertainty as the mood in Washington remained pessimistic.

The Senate-backed bill voted on by the House of Representatives has only?prevented automatic spending cuts by two months?and there are fears that the politicians will fail to reach a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling of $16.4 trillion in late February.

The fiscal deal did not include an agreement over increasing the debt ceiling and investors expect renewed brinksmanship with Republicans, who are likely to demand cuts to social welfare programs in return for?raising the limit on government borrowing.

"I think this deal's a disaster," said Peter Huntsman, chief executive of chemical producer Huntsman. "We're just living in a fantasy land. We're borrowing more and more money. This did absolutely nothing to address the fundamental issue of the debt cliff."?

Earlier this afternoon, traders reported a technical glitch affecting Nasdaq-listed securities that resulted in unusual price moves. The Nasdaq notified traders at 1:42 pm ET that it was looking into "an issue with stale data" on certain information feeds. The exchange followed up with another notice at 1:53 pm ET that the issue had been fixed.

"We don't know exactly what it was?there were problems with the main securities information processor (SIP), which is the aggregator of all the various exchanges," said Saluzzi. "When you live in an electronic world, there's no room for errors."

Google?edged higher after the Federal Trade Commission closed its investigation against the search-engine giant for antitrust violations.

Transocean?jumped after the offshore drilling contractor agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. government charges stemming from?BP's?oil spill in 2010.

Ford?and?General Motors?rallied to fresh 52-week highs after both U.S. automakers posted December sales that topped expectations. But?Toyota?slid after the Japanese car maker missed estimates.

Retailers posted?mixed monthly same-store sales?results as the economy caused consumers to remain cautious during the crucial holiday shopping period.?TJX?and?Ross Stores?climbed after both off-price retailers beat expectations and raised their quarterly guidance. Meanwhile,?Limited?slumped after the parent company of Victoria's Secret reported a rare miss.

Hormel Foods?rallied after the maker of Spam canned meat agreed to acquire the Skippy peanut butter brand from?Unilever?in a deal worth nearly $700 million.

Biogen Idec?slumped after its experimental ALS drug failed to meet its primary endpoint in a trial, and the company plans to discontinue development.

Among earnings,?Family Dollar Stores?tumbled to lead the S&P 500 laggards after the retailer reported lower-than-expected earnings and cut its forecast for the year.?

Mellanox Technologies?plunged after the communications equipment manufacturer slashed its fourth-quarter revenue outlook, citing challenging macroeconomic conditions.?

On the economic front, jobless claims rose by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000, according to the Labor Department. However, a Labor Department official said data for nine states, including California and Virginia, had been estimated last week because of the Christmas and New Year holidays, suggesting the numbers are subject to revisions next week. The four-week moving average for new claims, edged up 250 to 360,000.?

Meanwhile, private sector?created 215,000 new jobs in December, according to the ADP, blowing past expectations for. And planned layoffs at U.S. firms?declined for the first time in four months?in December, according to a report from consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The trio of data come a day ahead of the widely-watched government nonfarm payroll report, which is forecast to show 150,000 new U.S. jobs were added in December, according to a Reuters poll, up slightly from 146,000 new jobs in November.

"I think it will be a solid reading?I expect that we'll see a rebound in construction activity and a post-Sandy boost as well," said Ward McCarthy, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies. "But there's still a lot of [unfinished fiscal cliff] business?what will really give us a solid boost will be when we get through the rest of this muddle."

Weekly mortgage applications?fell last week?for the third-straight time as refinancings dropped to the lowest level since April, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-close-lower-after-fed-minutes-1B7819074

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Hitched: Don't Expect Marriage To Change Everything

Because the world is a mysterious place, they have given that dude who wrote Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus an advice column. Who are ?they?? I don?t know. People who are reassured by ?logic? that basically boils down to ?Men be watchin? football, bitches be shoppin?,? I guess.

And because I only deserve nice things part of the time, I read this advice column. The fact that anyone would ask this stooge for tips on how to unclog a garbage disposal, let alone how to fix one?s relationship, shocks me into a long, slow rubberneck practically every time. But one letter in particular has stuck with me since I read it. In this letter, ?Kissless? in Colorado wonders why getting married didn?t magically make her husband want to kiss her all the time?

She writes:

?I felt his kisses were a bit reserved while we were dating, but I thought over time they would become more passionate as we got closer and closer in our relationship. When that didn?t happen, I started telling him what I wanted and asking him why he wouldn?t kiss me passionately.?

A year into their marriage, she?s fantasizing about other dudes and doesn?t ?want to do something stupid that will jeopardize our marriage.? As we say in Texas: bless this lady?s heart. She?s already done ?something stupid.? She got married. To a dude she knew wasn?t interested in giving her the kind of physical intimacy she wanted.

Marriage doesn?t automatically ?fix? what?s wrong with your partner. Marriage isn?t going to make a cheater commit. Marriage isn?t going to make a deadbeat get a job. Marriage won?t make anyone smarter, funnier, more charming, more thoughtful, more anything you want them to be besides ? more married.

Marriage turns single people who do shit that annoys their partners into married people who do shit that annoys their partners.

Now, couples who have good, open, trusting lines of communication with their partners will address this annoying shit. They?ll say: ?I love when you do this, but I hate when you do that other thing, can we find a way to talk about it and maybe make some changes?? And they will actually talk about it and work through it, and they know whether the problem is being addressed or whether they?re hoping putting a ring on it will put a sock in it. I?m not worried about the good communicators. They?re fine. I?m worried about the people who think, She?ll stop being so work-focused after the honeymoon?or He?ll change his mind about kids in a few years.

I wonder at people who get engaged because they want things to change, and not because they want things to stay the same. When I think back to the night Patrick and I decided to get married, I remember most of all thinking, while sitting out on the porch of the lake house, sipping on Jim Beam and holding his hand in a lawn chair: Please let my life never be different than this, with this man.

If I had any apprehension going into our wedding day, it was ?What if marriage changes everything?? and not, ?Please, let marriage change something.? I?m plenty open to change, and I expect that our life together will bring us a few surprises. But fundamentally I want to meet the future with the man I married, not the man I hope he turns into someday.

What about the flip side to the ?Kissless? letter? Here?s the imagined husband?s version: ?I felt her kisses were a little aggressive while we were dating, but I thought over time they would become more reserved as we got closer and closer in our relationship.? You can?t think or hope or expect or marry anyone into changing; you can talk and work with people into seeing if that?s something they?re willing to do. If, in the end, they?re not changing, for whatever reason? Either accept them as they are and drop the issue forever, or don?t marry ?em in the first place.

But I don?t feel like I can especially fault people who see a wedding as a cure to what ails their relationship, amazed as I might be by anyone who thinks an incompatible kisser is going to be helped by a legal arrangement dressed up with flower arrangements. Because the life that the Wedding Industrial Complex sells us is a life of magical perfection. How else do you get people to buy $10,000 dresses and splurge on the monogrammed napkins, if not to convince them that they?re all just parts of the greatest investment ever?

Marriage and its attendant traditions and expectations have changed significantly just in the last one hundred years or so. Today, we fully expect the vast majority of marriages to be based on mutual love, rather than financial, political or social convenience or obligation. And we expect love to conquer all.

I?ve no doubt that folks who, in years past, entered into marriage out of convenience or obligation hoped their partners would change. But did they expect it? Did they have a plethora of wedding magazines and dress-shilling reality specials painting pretty pictures of their shiny new futures? I can?t help but think that the WIC grows ever stronger with each publication of Modern Bride and season of bridal expos, convincing a new crop of people that a party?s going to convince someone to have five kids or pay down their debt in a timely fashion.

Whatever happened in the past ? hell, maybe affianced folks have always believed that marriage would change their intendeds ? I think today?s relentless hard-sell of the wedding fantasy (and the fantasy wedding) must play an important part in convincing people that a wedding, and marriage, will turn their lives from mundane to magical.

And it comes at us from all angles, from the relentless Facebook ads (I?m still getting them, nine months after my wedding) to the thin, white, beautiful model-brides staring out from the magazine rack, to the precious earnestness of the ?alternative? wedding community (of which you will find me a member). The shill is the same: A wedding! The answer to problems you both did and didn?t know you had!

Because we so rarely talk about not getting married as a reasonable life decision. After all, there?s nothing special to sell to people who just get on with their lives, dating or not dating, cohabitating or not cohabitating, breaking up or giving it another shot. There?s no once-in-a-lifetime dress you buy because you rented a condo. There?s no white dove release for a graduate degree. Nobody wears a tuxedo because the company softball team took first place.

I saw a preview earlier this week for ?The Bachelor,? wherein the announcer teased us with some truly risible bullshit about the upcoming season of ultimate romance, red roses, making out on a beach, crying hysterically in limousines, all that stuff people associate with true love. I wonder if part of the success of the show is that, at the end, they don?t send the couple off to, you know, go on some proper dates and see how they feel about things. They?re sent off to get married, because that?s what happens in the sequel.

But there doesn?t have to be a sequel, y?all. Our lives aren?t rom-coms or pages from pretty wedding magazines; they?re messy and awkward and lovely and fun. The WIC gets us to buy all kinds of stuff we can?t even resell for a tenth of the price on eBay. Anybody want 12 whiskey-stained navy blue polyester tablecloths? I?ll throw in 80 gold polyester napkins as a bonus. But it also sells us the idea that marriage is a cure-all for what ails our relationships, or for what we think ails our partners.

Me? I?m fine with hanging on to the tablecloths and napkins, same as I?ll hang on to Patrick?s snoring, and his tireless dedication to taking the long way home.

Contact the author of this post at Andrea.Grimes@Gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter.

Source: http://www.thefrisky.com/2013-01-02/hitched-dont-expect-marriage-to-change-everything/

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U.S. fiscal cliff deal prompts broad rally

LONDON (Reuters) - European shares, oil and gold rose strongly on Wednesday after U.S. politicians struck a long-awaited deal to avoid a fiscal crisis, while safe-haven dollar and German government bonds fell.

Lawmakers approved a plan to prevent huge tax increases and delay spending cuts that together would have pushed the world's largest economy off the "fiscal cliff" and into a likely recession.

European markets followed their Asian counterparts and rallied on the news, while futures markets pointed to Wall Street doing the same.

London's FTSE <.ftse>, Frankfurt's DAX <.gdaxi> and CAC 40 <.fchi> in Paris opened between 1.4-1.9 percent higher, pushing the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 <.fteu3> up 1.3 percent and the MSCI world index <.miwd00000pus> 0.8 percent.

"This is great news for global growth and explains why shares and other growth-related assets are up strongly today," said Shane Oliver, strategist at AMP Capital.

Although the U.S. deal is not as far-reaching as markets had wanted, Tuesday's approval by the House of Representatives of a plan already backed by the Senate allayed fears that Republican objections to the heavy emphasis on taxes rather than spending cuts could have scuppered an agreement.

Assets which are traditionally see as more risky rose across the board with crude oil futures up 1.1 percent, gold gaining $7 an ounce and copper futures in London up 1.7 percent.

In currency markets the euro rose to $1.3281 as the dollar fell 0.5 percent against a basket of major currencies <.dxy>.

The Japanese yen also continued its slide, hitting its lowest level since July 2010, as investors bet that the Bank of Japan would have to take ever-more aggressive easing steps to support the economy and satisfy the new government.

The pattern was the same for bonds, where prices of higher-yielding Spanish and Italian government bonds rose and the German equivalent, usually favored by risk-averse investors, fell. The Bund future was last 89 ticks down at 144.75.

"The compromise is supportive for risk sentiment as we've seen in a few markets already and it should weigh on Bunds which should correct in line with (U.S.) Treasuries. Treasuries could even underperform," said Rainer Guntermann, a strategist at Commerzbank.

(Reporting by Marc Jones; editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-fiscal-cliff-deal-prompts-084321482.html

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6 winter health problems to watch out for - Mother Nature Network

Plenty of pesky germs plague people during the winter months. Blame cold- and flu-causing viruses that thrive when people spend more time indoors together. But colds and flu aren't the only cold-weather health problems that bug people when the temperature drops. Here are six to watch out for:

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Heart problems

During the winter, the number of heart attacks climbs, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

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One culprit: Physical exertion ? think shoveling snow ? in chilly temperatures could put a strain on the heart, especially in people who aren?t usually physically active or who have an existing heart condition. Indeed, people with heart disease tend to experience chest pain and discomfort, also called angina, when the mercury drops, reports the AHA.

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"People who aren?t active don?t realize how much physical exertion it takes to clear up a sidewalk," said Dr. Derek R. Cooney, who specializes in emergency medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

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For safer shoveling, the AHA recommends taking frequent rest breaks while shoveling to avoid overworking the heart. Don?t eat a heavy meal before shoveling either as that can put an extra load on the heart. Also, use a small shovel to avoid lifting heavy mounds of snow.

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Seasonal affective disorder

As the days get shorter, some people develop the winter blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that can occur throughout the year, but the most common type appears in late fall or early winter and lasts until summer. Between 4 and 6 percent of Americans suffer from SAD, which is more common in women, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

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Not everyone who develops SAD experiences the same symptoms, but hallmark signs include feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt or worthlessness; thoughts of suicide; fatigue; and irritability. The cause of SAD is unknown. Some experts believe the condition could be linked to an imbalance of chemicals in the brain that regulate sleep, energy and mood. This imbalance occurs when levels of melatonin, one of these brain chemicals, rise while levels of serotonin, the other chemical, drops.

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According to the American Psychiatric Association, getting more sunlight can improve symptoms of SAD. Experts also recommend talk therapy and antidepressants. For people with severe SAD, light box therapy may be advised. Treatment involves sitting in front of a special lamp that mimics outdoor light, without looking directly into the light, for about 30 minutes a day. Experts recommend starting light therapy in the early fall and continuing until the spring. The light is used to adjust daily sleep cycles (circadian rhythm), which may play a role in mood.? Although light therapy has been shown to ease depression, it won?t cure SAD.?

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Carbon monoxide poisoning

Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another 20,000 Americans visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized annually.

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Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that is produced by burning fuel. Any fuel-burning appliances in the home could be a source of CO, including stoves, gas ranges and heating systems. Running a car or generator in an attached garage of a home can also cause CO poisoning.?

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Common symptoms of CO exposure are headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness and confusion. But CO poisoning can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms mimic those of other illnesses. If more than one person develops the aforementioned symptoms over a short period of time, experts say that could be a sign that something is wrong.

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Installing a CO detector in the house that will sound an alarm if high levels of CO are present is essential. To prevent CO from becoming a problem, the CDC advises against using a range or oven to heat a home. Never leave the car motor running in the garage and never run a generator or any gas-powered engine in the basement or any other enclosed space in the home.

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Frostbite

Frostbite occurs when the skin and the tissue underneath it freeze. It often affects areas of the body that are more exposed to the cold such as the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes and have less circulation. Frostbite can permanently damage skin and underlying tissue, and severe cases may require amputation.

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"Symptoms often begin with pain and a blotchy white appearance," said Dr. Jeffrey Sankoff, an emergency medicine physician at the Denver Health Medical Center. "Once sensation is lost and the area it stops being painful, frostbite is severe."

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Get out of the cold if frostbite is suspected, Sankoff advised. "Once inside, don?t rub the frostbite since that can cause even more damage," he said. Don't apply direct heat, such as hot water, to the area either, he added, as that can burn already-damaged skin and tissue.

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Instead, immerse the affected area in room-temperature water. "It can be quite painful, but do it till the area warms up," Sankoff said. Seek medical attention if the frostbitten area starts to blister or turns black.

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"The best way to prevent frostbite is to plan and prepare," Sankoff said. "Dress properly and remember that layers are important. They can be removed and replaced as needed."

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Hypothermia

Hypothermia, which can affect the ability to think or move, occurs when a person?s body temperature drops below 95 degrees. This happens when someone is exposed to cold temperatures for a long period of time. But hypothermia can happen at higher temperatures, too.

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"We occasionally see cases during the summer," Sankoff said. "Any temperature lower than body temperature can cool the body. While there is no absolute threshold, it is far more common once the temperature drops below 45 degrees or so."

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Babies and the elderly are especially at risk as are people who drink alcohol. Even one drink is enough to disrupt the body?s ability to regulate its temperature, according to Sankoff. "Once a person becomes intoxicated, that risk becomes truly heightened, but the risk varies by individual," he said.

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"People who drink alcohol may feel warm even though they?re cold,? Cooney said. "But after a time the warm feeling goes away, which is dangerous if someone is outside for long periods of time."

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During the early stages of hypothermia, a person may feel tired, confused and disoriented and experience uncontrollable shivering. Eventually, a person stops shivering, doesn't feel cold at all, develops blue skin and dilated pupils and loses consciousness.

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Experts recommend getting medical attention during the early stages of hypothermia, before later symptoms make it difficult to seek help.? "The best way to treat people with hypothermia is to re-warm them," Sankoff said. "If it?s mild, we just let people re-warm themselves by putting blankets on them until they warm up again." If it's more severe, he said a person is treated with warming lights, blankets and warm fluids given through an IV.

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Shoveling injuries

Some people dread shoveling snow, and for good reason.? It can be hazardous to health. According to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine,?an average of more than 11,000 adults and children are hospitalized for shoveling injuries every year. The most common injuries include heart problems, head injuries, muscle sprains, cuts and fractures and, especially, the lower back.

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To avoid falling on snow or ice, experts recommend wearing shoes or boots with traction. To prevent back injuries, push the snow with the shovel, rather than lifting it. If lifting is unavoidable, scoop up a small amount of snow, then squat, keeping legs apart, knees bent, and back straight. Then, slowly rise but avoid bending at the waist. Experts also caution against throwing snow over the shoulders or to the side, since the twisting motion involved performing these movements stresses the back.?

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Related on MyHealthNewsDaily and MNN:

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This story was originally written for MyHealthNewsDaily and was republished with permission here. Copyright 2012 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company.

Source: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/6-winter-health-problems-to-watch-out-for

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Christ Before the Cause: The New Evangelical Politics

Peter Wehner?s recent guest post here at Philosophical Fragments ? ?The Callous Theology of James Dobson?? was shared on Facebook and Twitter over 40,000 times. It helped to provoke an important conversation about the Christian response to the Sandy Hook school massacre and the responsibilities of those who represent evangelical opinion in the public marketplace of ideas. Mr Wehner is a friend and an influential political thought-leader who is both a committed evangelical and a principled conservative who has served in three Republican administrations. A central part of the vision of Patheos? Evangelical Channel has always been the cultivation and promotion of new generations of evangelical leaders ? so I?m honored now?to publish this follow-up reflection.

*

By Peter Wehner

In a piece?I wrote for Patheos a few weeks ago, I referred to the ?callous theology? of James Dobson, whom I correctly identified as the founder of Focus on the Family. What I didn?t say then, but I believe is worth saying now, is that several years ago Dr. Dobson severed his ties with Focus on the Family. The organization is therefore quite different now ? and I would argue a good deal more winsome and effective ? than it was.

The reason has to do with institutional leadership. Jim Daly is now president and CEO of Focus on the Family. It still devotes a huge amount of its work to strengthening marriages and offering parental counseling ? something at which Dobson was quite accomplished and for which he deserves credit. But there has been a fairly dramatic shift in style, away from the ?culture war? mentality to a more irenic approach. Mr. Daly has shown a much greater willingness than Dobson to engage in dialogue with those who disagree with him. And it?s fair to say, I think, that Daly ? while theologically orthodox and socially conservative ? is a person who is cut from a different temperamental cloth from Dobson. Mr. Daly is less abrasive and combative than his predecessor.

Beneath their stylistic differences, however, lies something important. One of the things I?ve noticed over the years is that some of the most prominent Christian figures in politics radiate a sense that their work is essential if the Lord is to accomplish His goals on earth. Because they believe so much depends on them, they develop an aggressive, anxious, even desperate spirit. They seem to believe that only they and a few others are strong enough to resist compromising with evil. And over the years they have demonstrated a barely contained disdain toward those who do not share their zeal for their cause. This can create its own set of problems.

I?m reminded here of the cautionary tale of Sheldon Vanauken, who in A Severe Mercy wrote about his days in the anti-Vietnam war movement. ?I was one of those caught up in the mood and action oft the 1960s,? Vanauken wrote:

Christ, I thought, would surely have me oppose what appeared an unjust war. But the Movement, whatever its ideals, did a good deal of hating. And Christ, gradually, was pushed to the rear: Movement goals, not God, became first, in fact ? not only for me but for other Christians involved, including priests. I now think that making God secondary (which in the end is to make Him nothing) is, quite simply, the mortal danger in social action, especially in view of the marked intimations of virtue ? even arrogant virtue ? that often perilously accompany it. Some may avoid this danger, perhaps. But I was not obeying the first and greatest commandment ? to love God first ? nor it is clear that I was obeying the second ? to love my neighbour. Hating the oppressors of my neighbor isn?t perhaps quite what Christ had in mind.

Over the years, some politically active Christian leaders seem to believe that at stake in their work is nothing less than the influence of Christianity in America, as if Christ depends on them instead of the other way around. There are multiple effects to such a mindset, including apocalyptic rhetoric and absolutism. At some point, though, characterizing every election and every important piece of social legislation as a moral tipping point for America begins to wear thin.

My own sense of things is that an increasing ?number of evangelicals, particularly younger evangelicals, want their brand of politics to be less partisan and bitter than in the past, as well as more high-minded and more firmly rooted in principles. They want their leaders to display a lighter touch, a less distraught and angry spirit, a more gracious tone. In short, they seem to be looking for a politics that is both moral and civil. And they are thirsting for more serious Christian reflection on human society and the human person ? on first principles.

Which brings me back to Jim Daly and his impressive efforts to Re-Focus on the Family in a manner that strikes me, at least, as principled and effective. He carries himself and his institution in a way that seeks the welfare of the city to which we have been exiled ? and understands that while the City of Man is our residence for now, the City of God is our ultimate home.

Peter Wehner co-authored?City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era?with Michael Gerson, and?Wealth and Justice: The Morality of Democratic Capitalism?with Arthur C. Brooks. After serving in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, he served as head of the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives under George W. Bush. Presently he is a Senior Fellow at the?Ethics and Public Policy Center?and writes frequently for?Commentary.

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philosophicalfragments/2013/01/02/christ-before-the-cause/

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RANDOM DRAWING:?Potential winner(s) (?Potential Winner(s)?) will be selected by Intuit?in a random drawing held weekly on or about January 11^th, January 18^th, January 25^th, and February 1^st, 2013 from all eligible entries received. You have until 11:59 PM PST of the day before each weekly drawing is held to enter to win.?Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

WINNER NOTIFICATION/REQUIREMENTS: Potential winners will be notified by email and may be required to complete an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and Publicity Release (unless prohibited by law) and any other documents required by Intuit, which must be returned within 14?days of date appearing on prize notification. Return of prize or prize notification as undeliverable, failure to sign and return requested documentation within the specified time period, the inability of Intuit to contact a potential winner within a reasonable time period or noncompliance with these Official Rules by any potential winner will result in disqualification and, at Intuit?s sole discretion, the prize may be awarded to a runner-up.

PRIZE(S) AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE(S):?Nine (9) total winners will be selected for the Sweepstakes Promotion with two (2) winners selected each week on or about?January 11^th, January 18^th, January 25^th, and February 1^st. ?Approximate Retail Value (?ARV?) for selected gift card is $500 (gift card is subject to certain terms and conditions specified by issuers).?Total ARV of all prizes: $4500. Winner may not substitute, assign or transfer prize or redeem prize for cash, but Intuit reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. Winner is responsible for all applicable federal, state and local income taxes. Winner is responsible for any expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not expressly specified herein as being provided. All prize details are at Intuit?s sole discretion. Prize is awarded ?as is? with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied.?

GENERAL CONDITIONS:?By participating, you agree: (a) to abide by these Official Rules and decisions of Intuit, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Promotion; (b) to release, discharge and hold harmless Intuit, and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, ?Released Parties?) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from your participation in the Promotion or any Promotion-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any awarded prize; and (c) to the use of your name, voice, performance, photograph/video, image and/or likeness for programming, advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Intuit and its designees, without compensation or additional consents from? you or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so.?By participating, you also agree not to release any publicity or other materials on your own or through someone else regarding their participation in the?Promotion without the prior consent of the Intuit, which it may withhold in its sole discretion.?If there is a dispute as to the identity of an online entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address and s/he must comply with these Official Rules. The ?authorized account holder? is defined as the natural person to whom the email address is assigned by an Internet service provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.? ?

OWNERSHIP/USE OF ENTRIES:?By submitting an Entry, you agree Intuit shall own all rights to the Entry and that it and its designees may edit, modify, and distribute the Entry and all elements of such Entry, including, without limitation, the names and likenesses of any persons or locations in it, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity without compensation, permission or notification to you or any third party.? ??

MISCELLANEOUS: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, or undelivered Entries; or for unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider, website, or other connections, availability or failed transmissions, or any other errors or difficulties of any kind or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Promotion, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Promotion, the processing or judging of Entries, the announcement of the prize(s), the incorrect uploading of the Entry or in any Promotion-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Promotion or website, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Intuit, will be disqualified and all associated Entries will be void. Should any portion of the Promotion be, in Intuit?s sole opinion, compromised by any means, which, in the sole opinion of the Intuit, impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of Entries, Intuit reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Promotion and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winner(s) from all eligible, non-suspect Entries received prior to action taken using the judging procedure outlined above.

Governing Law/Jurisdiction: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights and obligations of participants or Intuit in connection with the Promotion shall be governed by the laws of the state of California, without giving any effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Any dispute shall be resolved in a court of law in Santa Clara County, California.

Severability:? If any provision(s) of these Official Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

ENTRANT INFORMATION:?Your information will be collected in accordance with Intuit?s privacy policy available at https://www.mint.com/how-it-works/security/policy/

Intuit Inc., 2700 Coast Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043?

Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/updates/the-mint-com-money-boo-boos-sweepstakes-win-a-500-weekly-prize-0113/

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NC High Country Real Estate: Listings from Marc White

NEW Foreclosure/Short Sale Listings & Price Changes: Today's Foreclosure and Potential Short Sale Property listings in the High Country of North Carolina ? From Marc White?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call or email me anytime. *Not all properties in this search are Foreclosures, but the system marked them as being distressed for one reason or another.

Click on the link below to open your web browser and see the properties from Marc White. If the link below is not live, you may need to copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser to see the properties.

This link will expire in 30 days.
View Listing(s):
http://www.navicamls.net/displays/?i=2128612&k=VinEOn4&n=390&p=1

To unsubscribe to solicited e-mail communications regarding properties, please contact Marc White at marc@carolinaspremierrealty.com.

Have a great day, and please call or email me with any questions you might have about property in the High Country. Remember to Search for 1,000s of Homes or for the most Current Local Real Estate Information go to www.MarcWhiteHomes.com!!!

Marc White
Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), ePro, GREEN, GRI, zPro
Broker in Charge/REALTOR, Cash Realty & Construction
Top Listing Agent
Call/Text 828-406-2134
Marc@CarolinasPremierRealty.com
Search 1,000s of Homes Instantly at www.MarcWhiteHomes.com

Source: http://nchighcountryrealestate.blogspot.com/2013/01/listings-from-marc-white.html

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