As Pentagon Opens Up Combat Positions to Women Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services Discuss Unique Needs of Female Combat Veterans

Female military service members and veterans face varied challenges when they return from active duty, like their male counterparts, but especially when it comes to issues of unemployment, homelessness and sexual traumas. As the Pentagon announced yesterday its decision to formally open up combat positions to women, representatives from Dixon Center and it?s partner Easter Seals commend the policy move and express urgency about the unique needs women veterans face upon returning home from military service.

Chicago (PRWEB) January 24, 2013

Female military service members and veterans face varied challenges when they return from active duty, like their male counterparts, but especially when it comes to issues of unemployment, homelessness and sexual traumas. As the Pentagon announced yesterday its decision to formally open up combat positions to women, representatives from Dixon Center and it?s partner Easter Seals commend the policy move and express urgency about the unique needs women veterans face upon returning home from military service.

?For our nation, formally recognizing the fact women have been and are serving valiantly in combat roles for the past 11 years is appropriate,? says Kimberly Mitchell, Deputy Director, Dixon Center. ?I do look forward to the bold policy steps that will be taken recognizing the unique needs of all our service members regarding post traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, military sexual trauma and the military's proactive steps which previously have been reactive.?

Women are far more likely than men to have experienced a military sexual trauma. Women also make up the fastest growing population of homeless individuals today ? and they?re not alone; increasingly they bring their children with them.

Mitchell?s 17 years of service in the U.S. Navy included a commission as a Surface Warfare Officer, service aboard several surface Navy combat warships, and multiple shore tours in Washington, D.C. This evening, Mitchell will be participating in a panel discussion, ?Change and Challenges ? Women in Today?s Military,? at the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago, offering her insight and perspective.

?As a Navy veteran, I know women have been serving side by side their male counterparts for years. This is a watershed moment for our country and recognizes all of our service members? capabilities, valor and achievements,? adds Mitchell. ?Opening combat roles to females should not be lauded as a bold step but rather a normal progression towards equality. The military's mix of gender, races, creed, lifestyles, and backgrounds makes it a bellwether of society. This decision should not be used as an opportunity for demagoguery, but rather a chance to acknowledge our military's ability to fight and win our nations? wars.?

With this decision, Mitchell along with Dixon Center and Easter Seals urge policymakers to collaborate with the myriad of resources in the civic and private sector, as well as support and dedicate resources to all military service members, veterans, their families and the families of our fallen when they return home from their deployments and where they live. Today?s service members ? women and men alike ? are making significant contributions to their communities but some face challenges during transition and reintegration. These challenges include physical wounds as well as isolation, exasperating emotional and psychological wounds. They face unemployment, families that are not always intact, and communities unable to meet their immediate and long-term needs.

?We need to consolidate local efforts in communities and find synergies for the delivery of services or to services. We as a society need to focus on enabling their potential, and not create more cookie cutter solutions. This is our mission at Dixon Center,? concludes Mitchell.

About Dixon Center

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services is a national clearinghouse launched in 2012. The Center is a catalyst for the consolidation of the disparate efforts underway since 9/11 that provide services to veterans, military service members, and their families. We use a holistic approach that focuses on three areas: education, employment and access to healthcare. We endorse and disseminate practical, community-based solutions that maximize private and public dollars. Services include disseminating relevant information; convening meetings of corporate, philanthropic, nonprofit and military and veteran leaders; and advising funders on investments that facilitate real and lasting success in civilian, family and community life.

Dixon Center provides leadership to a nationwide network of support ? consisting of tens of thousands of organizations - for the delivery of services, or to services. Its team is led by Executive Director David W. Sutherland, Colonel US-Army, Retired. Easter Seals is Dixon Center's 501(c) 3 sponsor and is also one of its myriad partners that provide support and direct services to veterans and military families. Easter Seals is supporting Dixon Center to emerge and deliver on its bold mission. Dixon Center?s work will not be done until veterans and our military families can thrive; where they live. Learn more at http://www.theDixonCenter.org.

About Easter Seals

Easter Seals has provided direct services to the military community since World War II. In 2005, recognizing the new and unmet needs of so many returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the organization renewed its commitment to military families and veterans by establishing a Military and Veterans Initiative to address serious gaps in service and mobilize its national community-based provider network. Today, Easter Seals serves thousands of military families across its 73 affiliates, 550 nationwide service sites, 24,000 professional staff and 40,000 local volunteers.

Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For more than 90 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Visit http://www.easterseals.com.

###

Kristen Barnfield
Easter Seals, Inc
312.551.7147
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pentagon-opens-combat-positions-women-dixon-center-military-230632164.html

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Maine commission approves $120 million floating windmill project

LITTLETON, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Maine's utility commission has approved a $120 million pilot project to erect four floating windmills in its coastal ocean waters, where wind speeds are stronger and more consistent than on land.

The project by Norway's Statoil, the company that seeks to expand testing of a new technology to allow wind power to be generated in deep oceanic waters, would provide enough power for about 7,000 Maine homes.

The move by the state utilities commission is a first but important step in a lengthy approval process not expected to conclude until 2014. If all goes smoothly, electricity from the windmills could be generated as soon as 2016, the company said.

"Whatever the outcome of the Statoil project and whatever the future for high-wind technology in broader applications, I have no doubt the pilot itself will bring substantial knowledge and experience in offshore development to Maine," said Thomas Welch, chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Located 12 miles offshore, each of the 236-foot (72 meter) high towers would hold three 166-foot (51 meter) long blades, and would float in water about 500 feet deep.

Maine's Republican Governor, Paul LePage, blasted the move, saying it would raise the cost of electricity in the state. "This vote will exacerbate our economic challenges, and it compounds Maine's competitive disadvantages," LePage said in a statement.

An undersea cable would transmit electricity from the turbines to the coast of Maine. The company has tested a single prototype of the floating windmill, known as Hywind, for three years in Norway and considers it an engineering success.

Statoil has applied to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for a lease over 22-square miles (57-square kilometers) of federal waters in the Gulf of Maine near the town of Boothbay.

The area is suitable for the pilot program because of favorable wind conditions and water depths as well as proximity to electricity markets in the Northeast, which could be tapped in the future if the project is a success.

Each of the three-megawatt windmills would sit atop a vertical floating tube that would extend 260 feet below the surface of the sea. The bottom of each tube would be filled with ballast and anchored to the seafloor by three cables.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maine-commission-approves-120-million-floating-windmill-project-221044132--finance.html

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'Hansel And Gretel' Star Jeremy Renner's Tips For Badasses

'It can't hurt to have some leather and a weapon,' star tells MTV News.
By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Jeremy Renner in "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700763/hansel-and-gretel-jeremy-renner-badass.jhtml

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Online Auto Auctions Quick Tips | SEO | Internet | Blogging

Online Auto Auctions Quick Tips

Searching for tips about on the internet car online auctions? This short article is supposed to create a person home elevators auction web sites vehicle online auctions also known as auction web sites Engines in addition to Google online auctions. Here are some fast ideas that will help you discover the vehicle you would like from on the internet car online auctions.

1. Examine the actual VIN

For every vehicle you?re fascinated in order to bet with regard to, discover the actual VIN in the vendor upon auction web sites as well as Google public sale. Operate the actual AutoCheck Automobile Background Statement as well as review the vehicle background before you decide to choose regardless of whether you need to bet.

two. In no way Bet Unless of course Purchasing

In no way location the bet unless of course you?re certain you?re purchasing the vehicle. The reason being when you earn the actual bet from auction web sites, you?re required to cover the vehicle. Therefore make sure that you?re assured before you decide to pay your hard earned money. There?s a method to protect your own buy by utilizing eBay?s escrow support to ensure the vendor provides the vehicle before you decide to help to make the actual repayment.

3. Concur on a good examination time period

Are you aware that purchaser as well as vendor may concur on a good examination time period where one can request an avowed auto technician to handle a comprehensive examination about the vehicle in order to evaluate in the event that you will find damage which were undisclosed through the vendor with regard to challenge quality?

four. Examine the actual Azure Guide Worth

Whilst they are on the internet car online auctions, it doesn?t imply that you ought to deal with the actual putting in a bid any kind of not the same as purchasing a car or truck in the vehicle seller. Usually learn about the actual azure guide worth of every vehicle you are looking at prior to putting in a bid. Bet less than the actual azure guide worth. Make sure that a person discover what costs the neighborhood used sellers are providing for that vehicle versions as well as can make. This particular guarantees that you?re obtaining a discount instead of struggling the reduction. That?s the entire concept of putting in a bid from this kind of online auctions.

5. Examine the actual trustworthiness of the vendor

Because you will find rankings provided for that retailers in the on the internet car online auctions, be sure you read the encounters associated with additional vehicle purchasers. 1 technique would be to observe once the rankings receive. In the event that this particular vendor is doing the company on the internet for a long period as well as likes good rankings, it?s much more guaranteeing that you should bet.

They are a few useful ideas associated with putting in a bid for any vehicle from on the internet car online auctions. Discover an additional excellent option with regard to discovering vehicles from as much as 90% away list ideals inside my vehicle weblog.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Auctions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.miharemec.com/online-auto-auctions-quick-tips-2.html

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Health and Fitness

The world is a vast place. Yet at the same time a tiny one. Compared to other massive planets or stars, ours is puny. However, that doesn't mean that we're puny.

If meditation has taught me one thing it would be this - We are all connected, yet at the same time have our own desires. Despite the fact that we have our own desires, our own needs are the same. We all need food to survive, we all need good health, we all need shelter, and we all need income. That is if we want to survive in the modern world. When you're connected to yourself, you realize just how vast you are. The body is small compared to the spirit. The Mind much more vast. The spirit is endless.

Think of the Spirit as a void where endless possibilities begin to grow and emerge. If you wanted to get a grasp of how the Universe was started, one might look within first, before looking out. You're stuck inside before going out right? The spirit is no different. If you want to do great things in this world, start looking within.

Maybe you've tried to meditate before and followed the ever popular breathing tactic. The trick isn't to focus on your breathing, although breathing is important to all life. The trick is to hit the pause button on your thoughts. As if there was a remote. Grab that spot in between and hold on. Then when you feel a little brave, dive inward. You'll soon find out about the vastness that I was talking about.

So go ahead and be brave. If you'd like, you can connect with me on my website at.....

http://www.myhealthandfitness.tk

Go there if you would like to follow my journey into the health and fitness world and who knows, maybe even learn a thing or two, or be inspired.

Source: http://www.squidoo.com/myhealthandfitnessjourney

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Obama picks former federal prosecutor as SEC boss

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday nominated former federal prosecutor Mary Jo White to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, selecting a hard-nosed enforcer who also has experience defending Wall Street figures.

A petite 65-year-old with an outsized reputation for prosecuting terrorists and mob bosses as the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, White would become the third consecutive woman to hold the post.

President Barack Obama said White is not someone to be messed with.

"One former SEC chairman said, 'Mary Jo does not intimidate easily,' and that's important, because she has a big job ahead of her," Obama said during a press conference at the White House.

Obama warned that the administration will keep Wall Street and banks on a tight leash, continuing the message of a strong liberal agenda he laid out during his inaugural address on Monday.

White does bring balance to the position, having spent her recent years in private practice representing some major players in the financial crisis, including former Bank of America Corp Chief Executive Ken Lewis.

The pick drew praise from both Wall Street and reform advocates, who say White would ably steer the powerful agency that plays a key role in overseeing U.S. financial markets.

Obama also renominated Richard Cordray to continue as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the U.S. watchdog for consumer products such as mortgages and student loans.

New York's Charles Schumer, a Democrat who is part of the Senate leadership and sits on the powerful Senate Banking Committee, praised White's reputation as a tough-as-nails prosecutor and predicted she will "easily be confirmed."

Several Senate Republicans on Thursday also reacted positively to White's appointment, saying they hope she will work hard to protect investors from fraudsters.

"Having an SEC chairman with extensive prosecutorial experience can be a good thing," said Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley.

A swift confirmation for White could help the SEC speed up its implementation of the dozens of unfinished rules required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.

White would succeed current SEC Chairman Elisse Walter, a Democratic commissioner who took over in December after predecessor Mary Schapiro stepped down.

Schapiro's departure left the SEC divided between two Democrats and two Republicans. Observers said the split could make it nearly impossible to complete controversial rules, such as the Volcker Rule, which bans banks from proprietary trading.

HIGH-PROFILE CASES

White, now a respected white-collar defense attorney with the law firm Debevoise and Plimpton, was the only woman in the 200-year history of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to serve in the top spot there.

She was in office from 1993 through 2002, during a tumultuous time that included the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the infamous September 11 attacks of 2001.

Under her watch, the U.S. Attorney's office won about 35 convictions of militant Muslims charged with plotting against Americans. She also helped successfully prosecute mob boss John Gotti, Sr.

"As a young girl, Mary Jo was a big fan of the Hardy Boys ... As an adult, she has built a career the Hardy Boys could only dream of," Obama said on Thursday.

As a defense attorney, White has been involved in high-profile SEC and Justice Department cases.

She conducted an internal investigation into corruption at Siemens AG that resulted in a record settlement for the German engineering conglomerate. She also represented healthcare provider HCA Holdings Inc in an insider-trading investigation, according to her online biography.

In the banking world, White represented JPMorgan Chase & Co in major matters related to the financial crisis, as well as former Bank of America CEO Lewis over a civil lawsuit in connection with Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch.

It is unclear whether her defense of Wall Street clients could prove troublesome during the U.S. Senate confirmation process, but it will likely limit some of her work at the SEC, at least initially.

There are government ethics standards that bar employees for at least one year from participating in certain matters if a former employer represents a party or is a party.

RAVE REVIEWS

Wall Street champions and critics both had positive takes on White.

"I have met Mary Jo White, and anyone who knows her at all - extremely capable, competent, bright, tough and a perfect choice," JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in an interview on Thursday with Fox Business Network from Davos.

Neil Barofsky, who was hired as an assistant U.S. attorney by White in 2000, and went on to become the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, called Obama's pick an "inspired choice."

"I expect that she will be unfazed by the intimidation tactics of the usual suspects in Washington - be they antagonistic members of Congress, captured officials from other parts of government or those who so relentlessly push the agendas of the largest banks," Barofsky said.

Like Schapiro, White has previously been identified as a political independent. Unlike Schapiro, White has not worked as a Wall Street regulator.

However, White's husband, John White, served as the director of the SEC's Corporation Finance division, which oversees public company disclosures, from 2006 to 2008.

On Thursday, White thanked her husband during the press conference and pledged to complete rigorous Wall Street reforms.

"I look forward to committing all of my energies to working with my fellow commissioners and the extremely dedicated and talented men and women of the staff of the SEC to fulfill the agency's mission to protect investors," she said.

Known for a legendary work ethic and a fondness for beer and baseball, White also developed a reputation as a ferocious basketball player when in the U.S. Attorney's office, even though she stands around 5 feet tall.

She is also an avid runner, having competed in numerous New York Road Runners races ranging from 5Ks to half-marathons.

Former SEC enforcement director William McLucas said it was an "excellent sign" that the White House could get someone of her caliber to take the position.

"There is no one I know that works harder," McLucas said.

CORDRAY CONTROVERSY

As for Cordray, he has already faced some uphill battles with Republicans in Congress.

Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general, was appointed in January 2012 while Congress was in recess after Republicans who were wary of the CFPB's independence blocked his nomination.

The controversial appointment limited the amount of time Cordray could serve without going through a full confirmation process. The CFPB has drawn criticism from Republicans and business groups, who say it is virtually unchecked, and will hurt lending and put small banks out of business.

"Financial institutions have plenty of lobbyists looking out for their interests," Obama said. "The American people need Richard to keep standing up for them. There is absolutely no excuse for the Senate to wait any longer to confirm him."

Some political observers said that any fights to come will not be about Cordray personally, but about the agency.

Senator Mike Crapo, who is expected to be tapped as the ranking Republican of the Senate Banking Committee, said Thursday he will continue to oppose any nominee to head the CFPB "until key structural changes are made."

(Reporting by Aruna Viswanatha, Emily Stephenson, Sarah N. Lynch and Matt Spetalnick, with additional reporting by Douwe Miedema, Jonathan Stempel, Anna Sussman, Karen Freifeld and David Henry; Editing by Karey Wutkowski, Vicki Allen, John Wallace, Tim Dobbyn, Matthew Lewis and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tap-attorney-white-sec-cordray-stay-cfpb-135108530--sector.html

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Cats eradicated as pets in New Zealand?

(STUFF) ? Some scientists are backing Gareth Morgan?s campaign to control cats in order to protect native species, but say more also needs to be done to counter other predators.

Morgan, a philanthropist and economist, launched the Cats to Go website yesterday, which calls for the eradication of the ?friendly neighbourhood serial killer?.

Killing cats was an option, but cat owners should also control their pets in order to protect native species, the website said.

University of Otago senior lecturer in zoology, Dr Yolanda van Heezik, supported Morgan?s campaign, saying his proposals were reasonable and would prove effective.

?Consider using a collar with a bell: our research has shown they reduced catch by 50 per cent,? van Heezik said.

Source: http://mobile.wnd.com/2013/01/cats-eradicated-as-pets-in-new-zealand/

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