HP sets labor guidelines in for Chinese suppliers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's largest personal computer maker, is vowing to crack down on its Chinese suppliers in an effort to reduce the use of low-paid student interns and other temporary workers.

The guidelines unveiled Friday are the latest attempt by a major U.S. technology company to weed out labor abuses at Chinese factories that manufacture the gadgets for an Internet-connected world.

HP, which is based in Palo Alto, California, said its new standards are meant to ensure that its Chinese suppliers don't lean too heavily on student interns and temporary workers as a way to save money. The company says it wants to protect workers' rights when they are hired.

The new standards come a few months after Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., a major China manufacturer better known as Foxconn, acknowledged it has hired interns as young as 14.

Both HP and Apple Inc., the maker of iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, rely on Foxconn to make some of their products.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, also has been trying to reform the labor practices at Foxconn and other Chinese suppliers in recent years in response to scathing criticism about the inhumane treatment of the workers making devices that have become status symbols as well as multi-purpose tools for communicating, reading, watching video and taking pictures.

Among other things, HP said it hopes its rules will prod its Chinese suppliers to employ mostly full-time workers instead of exploiting interns and temporary employees. When interns and temps are used, HP said it will insist they aren't forced to remain on the job against their will and have the right to file grievances. The company also pledged to ensure intern hours are kept well below the legal limit.

To show it is serious, HP intends to review the labor practices at its Chinese suppliers more frequently.

HP is a Silicon Valley pioneer whose late founders, William Hewlett and David Packard, become renowned for their egalitarian policies and generous benefits. The worker-friendly culture that they fostered become known as "The HP Way" ? a template that has steered the views of many other Silicon Valley companies, including Apple, whose late founder, Steve Jobs, once briefly worked at HP.

In recent years, though, HP has alienated some of its 332,000 employees with mass layoffs and other cost-cutting measures aimed at boosting its profits. The company eliminated nearly 18,000 jobs during its past fiscal year.

HP's stock gained 41 cents, or 2. 5 percent, to $16.85 in afternoon trading Friday. They have traded in a 52-week range of $11.35 to $30.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-08-HP-China%20Suppliers/id-3e3d232ff52f44d5b210f0c471f5150d

kevin costner budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson whitney houston funeral video tyler perry whitney houston

Paralyzed man uses thoughts alone to control robot arm, touch friend's hand, after seven years

Feb. 8, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC describe in PLoS ONE how an electrode array sitting on top of the brain enabled a 30-year-old paralyzed man to control the movement of a character on a computer screen in three dimensions with just his thoughts. It also enabled him to move a robot arm to touch a friend's hand for the first time in the seven years since he was injured in a motorcycle accident.

With brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, the thoughts of Tim Hemmes, who sustained a spinal cord injury that left him unable to move his body below the shoulders, were interpreted by computer algorithms and translated into intended movement of a computer cursor and, later, a robot arm, explained lead investigator Wei Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pitt School of Medicine.

"When Tim reached out to high-five me with the robotic arm, we knew this technology had the potential to help people who cannot move their own arms achieve greater independence," said Dr. Wang, reflecting on a memorable scene from September 2011 that was re-told in stories around the world. "It's very important that we continue this effort to fulfill the promise we saw that day."

Six weeks before the implantation surgery, the team conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of Mr. Hemmes' brain while he watched videos of arm movement. They used that information to place a postage stamp-size electrocortigraphy (ECoG) grid of 28 recording electrodes on the surface of the brain region that fMRI showed controlled right arm and hand movement. Wires from the device were tunneled under the skin of his neck to emerge from his chest where they could be connected to computer cables as necessary.

For 12 days at his home and nine days in the research lab, Mr. Hemmes began the testing protocol by watching a virtual arm move, which triggered neural signals that were sensed by the electrodes. Distinct signal patterns for particular observed movements were used to guide the up and down motion of a ball on a computer screen. Soon after mastering movement of the ball in two dimensions, namely up/down and right/left, he was able to also move it in/out with accuracy on a 3-dimensional display.

"During the learning process, the computer helped Tim hit his target smoothly by restricting how far off course the ball could wander," Dr. Wang said. "We gradually took off the 'training wheels,' as we called it, and he was soon doing the tasks by himself with 100 percent brain control."

The robot arm was developed by Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. Currently, Jan Scheuermann, of Whitehall, Pa., is testing another BCI technology at Pitt/UPMC.?

Co-authors of the paper include Jennifer L. Collinger, Ph.D., Alan D. Degenhart, Andrew B. Schwartz, Ph.D., Douglas J. Weber, Ph.D., Brian Wodlinger, Ph.D., Ramana K. Vinjamuri, Ph.D., and Robin C. Ashmore, Ph.D., all of the University of Pittsburgh; Elizabeth C. Tyler-Kabara, M.D., Ph.D., and Michael L. Boninger, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC; Daniel W. Moran, Ph.D., of Washington University in St. Louis; and John W. Kelly, of Carnegie Mellon University.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, the University of Pittsburgh's Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and UPMC.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Wei Wang, Jennifer L. Collinger, Alan D. Degenhart, Elizabeth C. Tyler-Kabara, Andrew B. Schwartz, Daniel W. Moran, Douglas J. Weber, Brian Wodlinger, Ramana K. Vinjamuri, Robin C. Ashmore, John W. Kelly, Michael L. Boninger. An Electrocorticographic Brain Interface in an Individual with Tetraplegia. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e55344 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055344

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/cw_FwvNa5_M/130208124818.htm

luck sag awards 2012 nominees pro bowl 2012 roster yamaguchi road house occupy oakland occupy oakland

American flags made in ... Belgium?

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term on January 21, it's a decent bet that one of the flags fluttering behind him on the U.S. Capitol was made in Belgium.

The Waelkens flag company, based in the small town of Oostrozebeke in Flanders, supplies around 2,000 flags a year to the United States, with clients including the Pentagon and other U.S. government departments as well as the United Nations.

But it's not just the far side of the Atlantic where the company is gaining ground - it also makes flags for NATO, national militaries, the European Union and just about every country in the world, from China to Nigeria.

"We have a lot of know-how about how we have to make flags and a big tradition of embroidery," said Benedikt Waelkens, who runs the company with his brother, David. "There aren't a lot of people in the world who can and are making handmade flags."

Benedikt said clients keep coming back because of the company's unique flag-making knowledge and its faithfulness to tradition. National and institutional flags have extremely precise guidelines about how they must be made - down to the number of stitches per centimeter and specific fabric shades.

What began in 1928 as a family business making embroidered garments for priests is now, four generations later, an international enterprise with a growing reputation.

Nearly half of Waelkens' flags are embroidered - some even by hand - setting the company apart from competitors who produce printed flags. David believes embroidery carries more symbolism and likens it to art, since a handmade flag can take four or five days to complete.

Benedikt said a large, handmade U.S. flag costs about 400 euros ($540). Waelkens has four-year contracts with the EU, NATO and the United Nations - each of which have scores of buildings and hundreds of ceremonial rooms that fly flags.

Benedikt explains the business in terms of hierarchy: the highest-profile EU or UN officials have the nicest flags in their offices - made of silk, embroidered and with fringe. But below the top, there are hundreds if not thousands of other civil servants who also have banners, albeit of lesser quality.

During the financial crisis in 2007, Waelkens moved its screen printing business to Romania, but the brothers say they want to keep most of the company in Belgium for tradition's sake.

Benedikt wouldn't give details on the privately held company's income but said 2012 was its best year. He attributes the success in part to consolidation in the industry as well as to the company's vertically integrated model - it makes, sells and markets its flags and even produces the flagpoles.

But perhaps the key to the business is its personal, family touch - some of the brothers' current employees also worked for their father and with their grandfather.

"Human capital of the company is the most important thing," said Benedickt. "Happiness of your people, you cannot buy that."

(This version of the story corrects the headline to add the question mark and clarifies the U.S. government departments in paragraph two.)

(Reporting By Teddy Nykiel; editing by Luke Baker and Matthew Tostevin)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-inauguration-stars-stripes-made-belgium-181946720.html

dierks bentley kenny chesney academy of country music awards brad paisley zac brown band aubrey born to run

Changes to DNA on-off switches affect cells' ability to repair breaks, respond to chemotherapy

Changes to DNA on-off switches affect cells' ability to repair breaks, respond to chemotherapy

Monday, February 4, 2013

Double-strand breaks in DNA happen every time a cell divides and replicates. Depending on the type of cell, that can be pretty often. Many proteins are involved in everyday DNA repair, but if they are mutated, the repair system breaks down and cancer can occur. Cells have two complicated ways to repair these breaks, which can affect the stability of the entire genome.

Roger A. Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., associate investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute and associate professor of Cancer Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, together with postdoctoral researcher Jiangbo Tang Ph.D. and colleagues, found a key determinant in the balance between two proteins, BRCA1 and 53BP1, in the DNA repair machinery. Breast and ovarian cancer are associated with a breakdown in the repair systems involving these proteins. Their findings appear in the latest online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

The two proteins, BRCA1 and 53BP1, control which of two cell-repair mechanisms will be used: homologous recombination or non-homologous end-joining, technically speaking. This competition has proven to be a key factor in determining whether a cell becomes cancer prone as well as how a cancer cell will respond to chemotherapy.

The key step of the balance is acetylation, the chemical process of adding a compound called an acetyl group to other cellular molecules.

The researchers asked what cell signals determine whether BRCA or 53BP1 predominates at a DNA break site.

DNA in the nucleus is tightly packed around proteins called histones. Acetylation at a specific spot on histone H4 determines the answer. If H4 is acetylated at a specific location, then 53BP1 binding near the broken DNA region is strongly reduced. This leaves BRCA1 free to do the work, kicking in the homologous recombination tool to repair the break.

On the other hand, if acetylation is reduced, 53BP1 outcompetes BRCA1 at a break and the non-homologous end-joining tool repairs the break.

This mechanism can help explain resistance to a promising chemotherapy called PARP inhibition seen in patients and mouse models with BRCA1 mutations. Work from several other research teams surprisingly has shown that if neither BRCA nor 53BP1 are available, then the homologous recombination system goes into action even in the absence of BRCA1 and BRCA1 mutant cancer cells become resistant to PARP inhibitors.

Because of this, Greenberg says, there are some possible applications for making PARP chemotherapy more sensitive: "If you could inhibit specific acetylation events, then a patient's response to PARP inhibitors might be enhanced by hyperactivating 53BP1 binding to breaks in the context of BRCA1 deficient cancers. What's more, measuring the levels of acetylation at H4 might predict how responsive an individual is to PARP inhibitors."

"The story didn't fall into place the way we thought it would," says Greenberg. "We didn't realize that it was a combination of two epigenetic marks that drives the repair system. However, we were able to show that 53BP1 doesn't bind well to regions of histone H4 that are acetylated at a specific location on H4. Collaboration with Georges Mer, a structural biologist at the Mayo Clinic, helped provide the molecular basis for these findings. We think there will be further complexity to this regulation, creating the possibility for the discovery of additional mechanisms that regulate DNA repair pathways and response to therapy and potential new targets for diagnosis and therapy."

###

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/

Thanks to University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 49 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126601/Changes_to_DNA_on_off_switches_affect_cells__ability_to_repair_breaks__respond_to_chemotherapy

the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome where the wild things are josh smith birdsong

Beating, torture fuel sense Egypt police unchanged

Egyptian relatives of Mohammed el-Gindy, a 28-year-old activist, who died early Monday of wounds sustained during clashes last Friday near the presidential palace, display his picture as they shout anti-president Morsi slogans during his funeral procession in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. More than 60 people have died in recent protests across Egypt that began on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Arabic reads "my name is Mohammed and I did not deserve to die this way." (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian relatives of Mohammed el-Gindy, a 28-year-old activist, who died early Monday of wounds sustained during clashes last Friday near the presidential palace, display his picture as they shout anti-president Morsi slogans during his funeral procession in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. More than 60 people have died in recent protests across Egypt that began on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Arabic reads "my name is Mohammed and I did not deserve to die this way." (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian riot police beat a man, after stripping him, and before dragging him into a police van, during clashes next to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Protesters denouncing Egypt's Islamist president hurled stones and firebombs through the gates of his palace gates on Friday, clashing with security forces who fired tear gas and water cannons, as more than a week of political violence came to Mohammed Morsi's symbolic doorstep for the first time. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Egyptian relatives of Mohammed el-Gindy, a 28-year-old activist, who died early Monday of wounds sustained during clashes last Friday near the presidential palace, carry his coffin during a funeral procession in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. More than 60 people have died in recent protests across Egypt that began on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Arabic reads "No God but God, Mohammed is the messenger of God." (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian relatives of Mohammed Saad, a 20-year-old protester, known to his friends as "Christi," who died of wounds sustained during clashes last Friday near the presidential palace, grieve during a funeral procession in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. More than 60 people have died in recent protests across Egypt that began on Jan. 24, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptians carry the national flag-draped coffin of Mohammed Saad, a 20-year-old protester, who was known to his friends as "Christi, " and who died of wounds sustained during clashes last Friday near the presidential palace, during a funeral procession in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. More than 60 people have died in recent protests across Egypt that began on Jan. 24, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

CAIRO (AP) ? The video outraged Egyptians, showing riot police strip and beat a middle-aged man and drag him across the pavement as they cracked down on protesters. The follow-up was even more startling: In his first comments afterward, the man insisted the police were just trying to help him.

Hamada Saber's account, which he has since acknowledged was false, has raised accusations that police intimidated or bribed him in a clumsy attempt to cover up the incident, which was captured by Associated Press footage widely shown on Egyptian TV.

"He was terrified. He was scared to speak," Saber's son Ahmed told The AP on Monday. Saber recanted his story on Sunday after his family pushed him to tell the truth and acknowledge that the police beat him.

The incident has fueled an outcry that security forces, notorious for corruption, torture and abuse under former President Hosni Mubarak, have not changed in the nearly two years since his ouster. Activists now accuse Mubarak's Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, of cultivating the same culture of abuse as police crack down on his opponents.

The outcry was further heightened Monday by the apparent torture-death of an activist, who colleagues say was taken by police from a Tahrir Square protest on Jan. 27 and held at a Cairo security base known as Red Mountain. Mohammed el-Gindy's body showed marks of electrical shocks on his tongue, wire marks around his neck, smashed ribs, a broken skull and a brain hemorrhage, according to a medical report.

Blatant abuses by security forces under Mubarak were one factor that fueled the 2011 revolt against his rule. The highly public nature of the new cases put new pressure on Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, which was long repressed by security forces, to hold security officials responsible for any abuses.

Egypt's presidency said it was following up on el-Gindy's death, adding that there will be "no return to violations of citizens' rights."

The Interior Ministry denied that el-Gindy was ever held by police. Morsi met with top police officials Monday, but the state newspaper Al-Ahram said the talks did not touch on the beating of Saber or el-Gindy's death. The paper said Morsi told officers he understood they operate under "extreme pressure" in the face of protests and that he would work for a political resolution to ease unrest.

Morsi's administration has said it is determined to stop what it calls violent protests that cause instability.

Morsi's prime minister, Hesham Kandil, admonished the opposition and media not to raise a public outcry against security officials. "This should not be used as a match to set fire to the nation ... to demolish the police," he said.

Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim warned that if the police "collapse," Egypt will become "a militia state like some neighboring nations."

Many activists believe Morsi sought a tougher police line when he removed the previous interior minister, Ahmed Gamal Eddin, and replaced him with Ibrahim.

According to officials close to Gamal Eddin, he was fired because security forces did not intervene against anti-Morsi protests outside the presidential palace in Cairo in December. Islamists attacked those protesters, prompting clashes that left around 10 people dead. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject.

In contrast, police struck back heavily when several firebombs were thrown into the palace grounds during protests Friday, part of a wave of nationwide anti-Morsi unrest that left more than 70 dead. Hours of clashes ensued, leaving at least one protester dead and dozens injured.

During Friday's clashes, Saber, a 48-year-old who works as a wall plasterer, was beaten.

Footage shows him writhing naked in the street after black-clad riot police yanked his pants around his ankles, kicked him and beat him with batons. They then dragged him by the legs across the pavement and bundled him into a police van.

But in interviews with Egyptian television from a police hospital the next day, a smiling Saber said it was protesters who shot him in the leg with birdshot, then stripped and beat him. He said the riot police were only trying to help him afterward.

He even blamed himself for any rough police treatment, saying that in his confusion he was resisting them.

"I was afraid. ... They were telling me: 'We swear to God we will not harm you, don't be afraid,'" Saber said, adding, "I was being very tiresome to the police."

His wife also praised the police, telling state TV, "they are giving him good treatment" at the police hospital.

But his children said their father spoke under duress.

"There are pressures on my mother to say that he is fine," daughter Randa told independent Dream TV. "The government is the one pressing him."

In a statement, the Interior Ministry voiced its "regret" about the assault and vowed to investigate.

Interior Minister Ibrahim echoed Saber's account, saying an initial investigation showed it was protesters who stripped and beat him. Ibrahim said riot police found Saber and were only trying to get him into the van, "though the way they did it was excessive."

On Sunday, Saber acknowledged that it was indeed police who beat and stripped him. Speaking to Al-Hayat TV, he said he gave his initial account because was afraid, then broke down in tears as he recounted begging the policemen for mercy.

"But no one gave me mercy," he wept. "My whole body was smashed." He has now been moved to a civilian hospital.

Rights activists say police intimidation of victims and their families to prevent complaints was rife under Mubarak and continues unabated. In a report last month, the Egyptian Initiative For Personal Rights documented 16 cases of police violence in which 11 people were killed and 10 tortured in police stations. Three died under torture during the first four months after Morsi took office on June 30, it said.

The rights group said officers increasingly act "like a gang taking revenge."

In one case it documented, police in the Nile Delta town of Meet Ghamr stormed a cafe and beat up patrons in September. When a woman who was beaten went to the police station to complain, the man accompanying her was arrested and tortured to death, the report said.

The sister of the slain man told AP that her brother's widow was paid the equivalent of around $25,000 to say that he was killed by a rock to his head during a protest.

"The main issue is that nothing has changed about the police. No change about accountability. There is just as much impunity as there was under Mubarak," said Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch. Over the past two years "we've seen an increase in the likelihood police will use lethal force ... in the context of regular policing activities."

In the case of el-Gindy, the activist who died Monday, fellow activists say he disappeared during a Jan. 27 Tahrir protest and they later learned from people who left the Red Mountain security camp that he was being held there. Soon after, el-Gindy was brought to a hospital in a coma and died Monday.

After his burial in his hometown of Tanta in the Nile Delta on Monday, angry mourners marched on police headquarters and clashes erupted, with protesters throwing firebombs and stones and police firing back tear gas.

At a funeral ceremony held earlier at a mosque in Cairo's Tahrir Square, there was widespread skepticism that anyone would be held accountable for el-Gindy's death.

"So this blood will be wasted so easily?" one woman in black screamed.

"It will be lost," an elderly man responded. "Like others were before."

___

AP reporter Amir Maqar contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-04-Egypt-Police%20Abuse/id-6fae2219ae9c41fe9f79b15a1479a877

tri international criminal court ios 5.1 apple tv update new ipad release pregnant jessica simpson international womens day

long distance relationship to engagement: how do you transition?

General Relationship Discussion Although anyone can post anywhere on Talk About Marriage, this section is for people interested in general relationship and marriage advice.

Today, 02:31 AM	? #1 (permalink)
Registered User ? Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 3	Hello everyone! I'm new to the forum so I will try and be as brief and clear as possible. I'm looking for any outside input on the situation I am facing with my current boyfriend: My bf(mid 30s) and I (late 20's) were dating for a year and living in the same city until I left for graduate school in another state. Both of us agreed we would make it work long distance (and we have succeeded very well so far) and we have already passed our 2 year mark. Before and after my move we discussed marriage, children, spirituality and I think it is safe to say we want to get married to each other someday. Our love has grown stronger and stronger each day and we get excited planning our future life together. So here is where my dilemma begins: I will be done with school in summer and then get a job wherever I can find it, he is willing to follow me, but that is mainly because he doesn't have a "real" job he would have to stay with -he works for after-school programs and is a part-time clerk. We have lived together for a few months during the summer (I was at his place with his roommates) and needless to say it was not ideal. My fears are starting to creep up as I think about what will happen in 6 months to a year. My worry is this- I want to marry him but he has no career (or idea of what his career will be) while in the meantime I'll be starting mine. So what is suppose to happen once I'm done with school and find a job?! I'm not in a rush to get married but due to past experiences I also don't want to live together if we have no concrete plans of getting married. The main issue living together is that he is still a virgin (due to religious beliefs, which I respect) but I am not a virgin and living together over the summer became more like living with a roommate I kiss a lot. We have passionate times together but they can only go so far...before I get sexually frustrated. I honestly think the main reason we haven't gotten married yet is because a wedding is so darn expensive and we don't have the money for it, but the love and commitment is there! I would just appreciate some input from an outsider's POV. How do you transition from being bf/gf who don't live together to being engaged? Is my concern about him not having a career fair since I don't even have a job yet either? Ultimately, I would be the breadwinner making around 40k a year and I don't know if I feel comfortable with that kind of financial pressure in a relationship... or should I just be happy and hope our love "pays the bills" ? He's a great supporter, best friend, lover and spiritual companion... so why am I so nervous on where to go from here with us? (Also, it's important to note just because he doesn't have a "career" doesn't mean he has no work ethic, he's the hardest-working person I know and never even complains after a 60 hour work week.)
?

Today, 02:42 AM	? #2 (permalink)
Forum Supporter ? Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 8,582	How much college does he have? Is he not interested in any sort of career? Working 60 hours weeks and not complaining does show a strong work ethic. But it's hard to have a good relationship when one or both of you spend so much time working. It cuts down on your time together. A couple has to spend at least 15 hours a week together as a couple doing things you both enjoy to keep the passion and love in your relationship. Not having money for a big wedding is not a good reason to not get married. A couple can get married for for very little. If the idea is that you think the two of you should not get married until you both are financially stable, you both have a way to go. With the economy the way it is, he could have trouble finding a new job in some city you find your job in. The more education a person has, the easier it is to find a job these days. So he might be stuck where he is. This is a reality you both will need to look at. HOw do you transition into being engaged and living together when you have been separated for so long? You just do it. Are you getting cold feet?
?

Today, 03:24 AM	? #4 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 3,376	Honestly, it seems that there's a lot of red flags flying that would make me nervous. 1). Why is he "mid-thirties", still single and still a virgin? Has he had any serious relationships? Or are there things that you just haven't found out about him yet? 2). Financial/career. Just because he's a hard worker doesn't mean much. I can work my tail off trying to empty a mud-puddle with a pitchfork, and at the end of the day be all sweaty and comment on how hard I worked. But sometimes, practical considerations need to take place. What's going to happen when you two have kids? When you want to buy a house? My stbxw and I never lived together before we got married, but we spent enough time with each other that it wasn't really an issue. Of course, one of the problems you'll face is that for your bf to be able to move to wherever you get a job, he likely will need roommates because he won't make enough money to live on his own, and he may not know anyone. So your options may be for him to live with you, or continue the long distance relationship. Neither of which is ideal. C
?

Today, 11:00 AM	? #9 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Kansas City Metro area Posts: 1,856	I missed your ages the first time I read, but I've caught it now and have read your follow up posts. I think you have some significant red flags you should address before you marry. Most people do have a career track by the time they're in their 30s. Although he may be willing to do long, hard work, it doesn't mean he has a good worth ethic. A good work ethic means also doing what you don't like because it's necessary. It means having a plan. And it doesn't mean getting let go from your job again. Something's interfering here. The virgin thing is bothering me, too. Even though you feel admiration for his religious stance, I've known examples of where this was used to mask something that a person might not want you to discover, especially when you later added that it "just never happened for him." Sexual compatibility is very important in a marriage, and to go into a marriage with no idea of whether you're sexually compatible is irresponsible in my opinion, no matter what religion says. What will you do if you marry and then discover he has no libido to speak of and only wants sex once a year? Or that he's a closet cross-dresser who was afraid you'd reject him so he never told you? Stepping back and asking myself what kind of guy you're talking about leads me to believe that he's a somewhat passive man who doesn't take responsibility for his life. He'll follow you to wherever. He won't manage his career. I envision you one day feeling like you married a child instead of a husband, but you'll have to decide if you're an alpha female who can be ok with taking most of the responsibility (and blame) for whatever happens in your relationship as the years unfold.
?

Today, 11:39 AM	? #10 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Land of Bluebonnets and Armadillos Posts: 155	Ms. Spin and I did long distance while I was in graduate school but for us we did so because she had a nice paying career track job. We cohabitated during breaks and I interned, back home, for 3 summers. We did have sex and I can?t imagine not ? I was in my 30?s at the time myself and she, ironically, late 20?s. You guys need to really discuss details of what your goals ambitions and plans are. He may be an ideal candidate for a Stay at Home Dad. Do you think he would be a good primary care giver, do you want a family? I?m also concerned about debt. You say he picked up a lot for his bachelors and you will have graduate debt. Your target salary is $40K. Do you have potential to go up on that in half a dozen years ? say the $80K ball park? If you?re much over $40K in debt (and I believe education is good debt, as opposed to consumer debt) it?s going to be tight. You both will really need to be eye-to-eye on the money. Both Ms. Spin and I had graduate debt (combined 6 figures worth) and the best thing we did was delay kids (she was 35 and 37 when we finally did), pay down as much as we could and get into a 3-bedroom starter home. We were literally living like gypsies for 5-years. Those were tough and frustrating times in which we argued a lot because (for me) it was really tough to feel so poor while working so hard and making pretty darn good money. But I tell you, 10-years of hindsight, it was the smartest thing we ever did. It allowed us to be positioned where we could swing her staying at home with the kids and granted probably the fanciest fishing boat I?ll ever get is the 20-year old canoe I got off of Craig?s List, but we?re comfortably positioned (financially) now and the sacrifices allowed us the ability to raise our family the way we wanted to ? not knocking duel incomes but that is just not what Ms. Spin wanted. Good luck.
?

Today, 01:22 PM	? #11 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Run over @ corner of Happy & Healthy Posts: 2,327	You two have: ONE YEAR of actual dating 1-2 years of long-distance dating No sexual history together And yet, Quote: I am his longest and most serious relationship BIG RED FLAG! BF cum fiance: He is a mid-30s virgin for religious reasons His religion does not preclude him from living with you (?!?) He has a Bachelor's Degree that is UNUSED (and he doesn't seem to want to TRY using it) He has college debt STILL UNPAID after 10+ years (although he's had no wife, no kids, and plenty of roommates to share living expenses with) He has NO CAREER path in mind, nor is he looking for one; he is content to 'drift' aimlessly through life He 'gets by' through cobbling together part-time jobs He has LOST at least ONE of his part-time jobs Quote: I realize most couples start off "poor" but the whole me "finding a job while he doesn't have one" has crossed my mind many times but he is not as worried about it whenever we discuss the future Expect a LIFETIME of *this*. Quote: We have passionate times together but they can only go so far...before I get sexually frustrated. It is VERY TELLING that you don't mention HIM getting sexually frustrated. You: Average sexual history Graduate-level degree Career path developing Quote: Ultimately, I would be the breadwinner making around 40k a year and I don't know if I feel comfortable with that kind of financial pressure in a relationship And, yet, that is HIS expectation. KathyBatesel makes an EXCELLENT point about his lack of sexual history as PBear does about his work ethic. My take on all this, for what it's worth (56yo), your BF is AFRAID to grow up. He's AFRAID to be an adult. It makes him uncomfortable. No adult sexuality No adult earning/working No adult living (on his own) No adult planning He may have MANY admirable traits and be a wonderful guy, it DOESN'T MEAN he's the right guy FOR YOU! Your life goals are diametrically opposed....he's drifting through life while you're plowing a path toward a goal. He seems incredibly passive, and you WILL eventually resent feeling like the only ADULT. YOU'LL make the money, YOU'LL make the important decisions (he'll agree to them all...he's passive), YOU'LL feel the pressures, YOU'LL feel like you're pulling the ENTIRE LOAD yourself: financially, emotionally, logistically. I totally agree with: Quote: KathyBatesel: I envision you one day feeling like you married a child instead of a husband... The KINDEST thing you can do for YOURSELF, is END this relationship. It will drag you down emotionally over time. You are unequally yoked! (if your religion is Christian, you'll get the reference) PLEASE think SERIOUSLY about letting go of this relationship now! Better sooner than later. Better now than with children involved. . __________________ Your problem is your bf's NEED to be in female friend's 'circle of light' instead of in yours. He's a moth drawn to HER flame, but she's not taking care of his moth balls, thus, he's with you.
?

Find a Therapist:

Source: http://talkaboutmarriage.com/general-relationship-discussion/66913-long-distance-relationship-engagement-how-do-you-transition.html

ufc145 chimpanzee chimpanzee the lucky one pittsburgh pirates mariners mets

Westminster Dog Show w/ David Frei; Film Starring Cats; Pet Dental ...

An All Star Line Up on this WGN Radio PETCAST - Listen HERE.

For 24 years now David Frei has been announcing the?Westminster?Kennel Club Dog Show. He is America's dog show announcer. We reminisce a bit on past?Westminster's, when in 2008 Uno celebrated his victory with his Beagle howl from which many in the packed crowd at Madison Square Garden could actually hear, to the 'stack seen around the world,' referring to German Short-Haired Pointer Carlee's perfect stance which wowed the packed crowd. Frei talks about pure bred dogs and mixed breed dogs, and his love of all dogs comes through. Westminster is February 11 and 12.

Chicagoan Alana Grelyak, who says, "I really love cats" ?made a short movie starring her three rescued or adopted cats, called?Catalogue. ?Her film was selected from among the best independent cat films and premiered January 19th at Catdance in Park City, UT. The star of the movie is Rocky, a grumpy little fellow, along with Niles, a loving snuggler. The third cat is Crepes, a special needs kitty adopted from?Tree House Humane Society.?Check?Catalogue?out here.

February is Pet Dental Health Month, and your pet?s mouth is more than a barometer of dental health, it may impact your animal?s overall health, as explained by Dr. Rod Van Horn. If you are proactive about caring for your pets' teeth, and there are results which you can see in your dog's smile - you can win stuff (for you and your pup). Enter the Superstar Smiles Photo Contest. Learn more HERE., or on this Facebook page..

Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Brenda Aloff is the author of ??Puppy Problems? No Problem! A Survival Guide for Finding & Training Your New Dog.? The idea is that most problems can be avoided, Brenda specifically explains how.

Dog bites can also be avoided, Dr. Sophia Yin?describes how to and also how not to approach dogs.

Filed under: animals, cats, dogs, Tree House Humane Society, veterinary health

Tags: Alan Graylick, Brenda Aloff, Carlee, cat adoption, Catalog, David Frei, dental health pets, dog bite prevention, dog shows, Dr. Rod Van Horn, Dr. Sophia Yin, Pet Dental Health Month, Pet Health Central, Puppy Probles No Problem, Sentry Petrodex Superstar Smiles, Steve Dale archives, Tree House Humane Society, Uno, Westminster Dog Show

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/steve-dales-pet-world/2013/02/westminster-dog-show-w-david-frei-film-starring-cats-pet-dental-health-wgn-petcast/

south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails red tails heidi klum heidi klum