Category: News

Economists should get rid of the terms 'strong' and 'weak' when discussing the dollar's value, and use words like 'heavy' and 'light' instead. It would do wonders to change  the American public's perception that somehow a strong dollar must always be good.

Well, PIMCO's global portfolio manager Scott Mather makes a pretty complete and concise argument why investors, and Americans, should not to fear a weak dollar. This is because a steadily declining dollar actually helps solve global imbalances which could cause the next U.S. crisis.

PIMCO: Attempts to prevent a continued orderly dollar decline may further perpetuate global imbalances, slow U.S. economic recovery and prevent a stabilization in the U.S. debt dynamic that is badly needed.

His key ponts:

The dollar isn't even that weak. You can't just look at the dollar vs. a single currency. Using a broad measure of dollar value, the dollar is still stronger than it was back in 1979:

A better measure is the Real Broad Traded Weighted Exchange Rate. This type of currency measure is constructed to look at the value of a basket of currencies weighted by their respective importance in trade and adjusted for inflation differentials (see Chart 1).

The dollar isn't about to have a crisis. It's declining value relative to other currencies will actually help prevent one.

a weaker dollar is one of the least painful ways to both stimulate the U.S. economy and rebalance the global economy. It is only the fear of turning what has so far been an orderly decline in the U.S. dollar into a more tumultuous decline that is preventing a more honest and open policy dialogue. But surely the benefits of a weaker U.S. dollar are not lost on the U.S. Treasury or the Federal Reserve.

Blindly supporting a strong dollar hurts the U.S.. Thus arguing for a strong dollar is to prolong America's economic problems:

Arguments for a renewed commitment to a strong U.S. dollar are equivalent to suggesting that the imbalances that helped bring about the economic crisis should be further encouraged and that U.S. indebtedness should continue to expand. This would further promote an economy based on consumption and unsustainable indebtedness rather than one balanced with an appropriate amount of production and saving.

Look around the world. Shouldn't it strike strong dollar advocates as funny that most major economies are trying to weaken their currencies vs. the dollar?

Why it is that virtually no other country in the world is promoting strength in their own domestic currencies, if it’s such a good thing for economic growth? In fact, many countries are openly intervening in the currency markets to try to prevent or slow the appreciation of their currencies vs. the U.S. dollar. If a strong currency is so good for the U.S., why isn’t a strong domestic currency a desirable policy objective for every other country in the world?

There's much more at PIMCO, read the full piece here.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Dollar Worriers: Are They Legitimate, Or Just Cranks Who Hate Obama?
• "Use Google To Make 1000s Of Dollars!" People Sued By Google
• The Vaunted Weak Dollar Correlation Is Dead

So here is the latest scenario. I am setting up a new Exchange 2007 server in an effort to migrate Exchange 2003 users over to it. During the setup of Exchange 2007 we ran into some schema permissions issues, and in an attempt to correct them we tried uninstalling Exchange 2007 and deleted the SMTP connectors that Exchange 2003 needs in order to deliver mail to Exchange 2007.

While working with Microsoft to correct our AD Schema permission errors, the Microsoft Technician gave me a commandlet to run to rebuild the connectors. The problem was the commandlet did not build them correctly. When I migrated my test user over to 2007, it could send outbound mail fine, and could send email to users on 2003, however since all inbound mail flowed through the 2003 server, no mail could go to the new user.

On the Exchange 2007 server I used the mail flow troubleshooter tool, and received the following error:

Mail submission failed: Error message: The SMTP host was not specified

I was able to correct the issue though by doing the following:

• Migrated my test user back to Exchange 2003
• On Exchange 2003, I opened Exchange System Manager
• I navigated to Administrative Groups> Exchange 2003 Server>Routing Groups>Connectors
• I deleted the connector for the Exchange 2003-2007 Server
• I navigated to Administrative Groups> Exchange 2007 Server>Routing Groups>Connectors
• I deleted the connector for the Exchange 2007-2003 Server
• On The Exchange 2007 server, I went to Start > Control Panel> Programs and Features
• I selected Exchange 2007 and clicked Uninstall
• I uninstalled the Hub Transport Role
• I rebooted Exchange 2007
• When it booted back up, I went to Start > Control Panel> Programs and Features
• I selected Exchange 2007 and clicked Change
• I re-installed the Hub Transport Role
• When I did, it provided me with an option to create an SMTP connector with Exchange 2003
• Moved my test user back to Exchange 2007
• Done

After that, mail flow was working perfectly! Ever have this problem? How did you fix it? Hit me up in the comments!

Vitamin B12 is one of the most important daily nutrients a person can get. Yet most people are not getting effective and adequate amounts of it. When people purchase the regular “off the shelf” B12 sublingual tablets, absorption rates are not equally effective. Pure Vegan’s B12 Spray is a cut above other B12 products since it’s in the methylcobalamin form. Methylcobalamin is the most absorbable form of B12. This is extremely important when taking supplemental B12, especially for Vegetarians. Since B12 is found mainly in meat sources, Vegetarians are often deficient in this important daily vitamin.

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Serrapeptase is an enzyme that has advantageous effects on minor discomfort, soreness, redness & irritation from overexertion or everyday activities by breaking down extraneous fibrin, mucus and other compounds that congregate when the body’s natural repair functions are working. Serrapeptase exhibits beneficial effects on cardiovascular and arterial health, and it may support the body’s natural processes for both drainage and repair.

Empty capsules allow you to fill your own powders at desired potencies, and avoid tablet binders and fillers. Buying powdered vitamins and filling your own capsules can save up to 50% off most retail prices. Our Gelatin Caps “00”, depending on the powder, can hold between 546 – 1092 mg.

Lanolin is a natural oil derived entirely from the fiber of sheep’s wool. It is secreted from the skin of sheep and becomes trapped in the sheep’s wool, giving protection from rain and moisture. This natural secretion is very close to the natural oils we secrete from our own skin. Lanolin is considered a “heavy duty” moisturizer and emollient that can be used on rough, chapped skin, similar to petroleum jelly. Promotes the smoothness and translucency associated with healthy, youthful skin.

Features: Anti-stress formula.L-Theanine is a free form amino acid found naturally in green tea.It is intended to provide nutritive support for a feeling of relaxation.Different from other relaxation type products, L-Theanine does not cause drowsiness.

When we have a break from the holiday rush in December, many of us reflect on the year that just passed. Some stories may have gotten lots of attention while others were overshadowed. I chose 12 of the most important (or intriguing) women’s health topics of 2009. Click on the links for the full stories.

With the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, it was a scary time for all pregnant women who naturally have weakened immune responses. They were urged to get vaccines for H1N1.

Mammograms got quite a bit of attention late this year when the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended against the screening for women under 50. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said women should keep doing what they’ve been doing for years and talk to their doctors about whether or not to have a mammogram.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new cervical cancer screening guidelines, saying that some women may not need a Pap test each year.

A study funded by the National Cancer Institute revealed more about the lifestyle risk factors for breast cancer. Alcohol consumption and obesity were found to greatly elevate risk.

Both women and men were urged to cut added sugar intake. The American Heart Association issued new sugar intake recommendations to help reduce obesity and diabetes.

A large study showed that H2 blockers for acid reflux taken during pregnancy pose no significant threat to the fetus.

Medical professionals issued warning on use of fetal heart rate monitors, which could give some women a false sense of security and cause a delay in needed treatment.

Researchers found that in women with a family history of breast cancer, breastfeeding reduces breast cancer risk by more than 50%.

America once again got a “D” on preterm birth rates.

Good news for almost everyone: Dark chocolate was proven to reduce stress.

Depression became a suggested risk factor for bone loss.

A large-scale sleep study revealed that lack of sleep is more dangerous (heart-wise) for women than men.

(Image via stock.xchng)

Post from: Blisstree

Best of 2009 Health Stories for Women

Eco Factor: Sustainably lit sports complex proposed for 2014 Winter Olympics.

Asadov Architectural Studio, Project-KS and Grado Project Company have proposed an alternative design concept to the State Corporation, Olympstroy for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games sports complex to be constructed in Sochi, Russia.

(more…)

Back in May, when a court shot down yet another of porn publisher Perfect 10’s lawsuits against web search engines, we wondered if the publisher would finally realize that Google is not liable for what its image search engine finds. Yet, the company doesn’t seem interested in giving up. It’s claiming that Google abused the discovery process and failed to hand over important materials, including its “DMCA log.” At issue is the fact that some people out there had used unauthorized images from Perfect 10 on their own websites, and Google’s image search found them. Perfect 10 first tried to claim Google itself was guilty of copyright infringement for displaying those images, but eventually the courts realized that displaying a thumbnail of an image from another website in a search result is not, nor should it be, considered copyright infringement.

Of course, this particular statement is pretty amusing:

“Google appears to have the view that it is above the law,” says Perfect 10 President, Dr. Norm Zada.

That’s a funny comment for someone who’s been losing pretty much every lawsuit. It seems that the courts have thought all along that Google was very much within the letter and spirit of the law.

In this case, Perfect 10 is now trying to stretch what the DMCA requires of a recipient of a DMCA notice, saying:

“Under the DMCA, a search engine such as Google may receive limited immunity from monetary damages for copyright infringement if it complies with the requirements of the DMCA,” Zada says. “The search engine must act expeditiously to remove or disable access to infringing material upon receiving notice of infringement from the copyright owner, and it must adopt a procedure so that copyright holders will not have to provide the search engine with notices about the same infringing material or the same infringers over and over.”

The first part is true. The latter part is not true. However, it’s the latter part that Perfect 10 seems to be relying on, demanding its “DMCA log” which is apparently “a spreadsheet-type document summarizing DMCA notices received, the identity of the notifying party and the accused infringer, and the actions (if any) taken in response.” Considering Google has a pretty long history of quickly responding to DMCA complaints, it’s difficult to believe that it would somehow not adhere to the DMCA in this case. Once again, it seems likely that Perfect 10 is going to end up on the losing side of a court battle. If only it actually put this much effort into actually building a business.

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Everyone has a muse.  “What is a muse?” you ask.
A muse is someone or something that influences you to be creative.  Your muse inspires you to produce a creative work of art.  Whether you’re a writer, poet, musician, painter, or other artist, you have a muse.
What I want to know is :  What does your muse look like?  Do you have a special person that just sparks your creativity?  Or is it an object that you carry with you or interact with for your spark?  Or, do you have a fictional or fantasy muse?
I’m sure you’re wondering what my muse is.  If you’re not, then that’s okay.  But, if you are, then I’ll tell you.
I met my muse today.  She is fantasy based.  It’s actually a little green orb inside my head.  When I get an idea, my muse glows giving my eyes an even greener hue than they already have.  My muse then travels from inside my head, out my ear, and into my hands.  The more my muse grows and glows, the brighter and bigger my idea becomes. 
Okay, I know, you’re thinking that I’m a bit on the strange side.  Well, you’re not thinking anything that I don’t already know.  This is just my fun, creative way to begin a new project.  I sit and think about my little green muse lighting up and floating out of my ear, landing in my hands, and then….
Voila, a new idea is born.  This is the muse that visited me today and gave me a new idea for my novel.  I hope that she stays with me for a very long time!  Won’t you please share your muse with me?

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• Design
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… by Walter Brasch

I don’t have a column this week.

You see, I analyze and interpret the news, trying to find something that others haven’t touched. When there’s lots of news, I have a playground of riches. But during the past week, there were only two stories, and every reporter, columnist, commentator, pundit, bloviator, and blogger weighed in on it. There was nothing more I could add—from any perspective.

There was the Tiger Woods story. It led off the TV newscasts and took page 1 newsprint for a couple of days, and then became a featured story the rest of the week. One day, the breaking news about Tiger was that he wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

But, there was also the story of the gate crashers at the White House state dinner. Everyone covered that story. When the pundits finished blaming the Secret Service, they started on the White House staff, somehow making it seem that President Obama himself was guilty of allowing homeland security to deteriorate. Congress, always eager to take the spotlight away from Hollywood celebrities, launched an investigation. Overlooked was that although the gate crashers did get into the State Dinner, they had gone through several security checks, and the only hazard to the President was that he would have to be in the same publicity shot as a bleached blonde.

Now, some may say that the addition of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan is news. They may even claim that a recent report that concluded the Bush-Cheney administration failed to provide requested ground troops to capture a boxed-up bin Laden at the end of 2001 is news. They may claim that neglecting Afghanistan while throwing 170,000 troops into Iraq forced President Obama to beef up the forces in Afghanistan to finish the mission that was supposed to have been finished years ago. But, that’s not news. It’s not even worth commenting upon, especially when all the media resources were devoted to the Tiger Slam and the Tareq and Michaele Salahi invasion.

And that leaves me nothing to say this week. Maybe next week there may be news that 10,000 reporters, columnists, commentators, pundits, bloviators, and bloggers won’t give saturation coverage to. I sure hope so. I need the work.

[Walter M. Brasch, an award-winning former newspaper reporter and editor, is a syndicated social issues columnist, author, writer-producer, and professor of journalism at Bloomsburg University. His latest books are Sex and the Single Beer Can, a probing and humorous look at the nation’s media; and Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush, with a focus upon the shredding of Constitutional protections. Both books are available at amazon.com, and other bookstores. You may contact Dr. Brasch through his website, www.walterbrasch.com.]