?Loser? castoff says show saved his life

By Ree Hines

For Ramon Medeiros, joining ?The Biggest Loser? meant more than just getting back into shape. During his time on the show, the 27-year-old found love and a new lease on life.

In fact, during a Tuesday morning interview on TODAY, Medeiros even credited ?Loser? with saving his life.

?You know, I didn?t go to the doctor in a long time ? probably since I was in college ? 7, 8 years,? the tattoo artist recalled. ?

But that changed as soon as his ?Loser? stint started.

?I found out I had diabetes on the ranch, amongst sleep apnea and other things. I found out right then,? he explained. ?But I don?t have any of it anymore.?

In addition to losing the illnesses, Medeiros has lost 130 pounds so far. But there is one thing he?s gained ? a romance with former teammate Jessica Limpert.

?I?m a winner already,? he said with a smile. ?Yeah, me and Jess are together. We?re having a great life. We?re healthy every day. It?s awesome.?

See how the players Medeiros left behind are faring in the competition when ?The Biggest Loser? airs Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

What do you think of Ramon?s success so far? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.?

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Source: http://theclicker.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/29/9092173-biggest-loser-castoff-says-show-saved-his-life

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GOP: Offsetting cuts must cover payroll tax relief (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republican congressional leaders stressed a willingness Wednesday to extend a Social Security payroll tax cut due to expire Dec. 31, setting up a year-end clash with Democrats over how to pay for a provision at the heart of President Barack Obama's jobs program.

"We just think we shouldn't be punishing job creators to pay for it," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, scorning a Democratic proposal to raise taxes on million-dollar income earners.

Instead, Senate Republicans called for a gradual reduction in the size of the federal bureaucracy, as well as steps to make sure that million-dollar earners don't benefit from unemployment benefits or food stamps. They also recommended raising Medicare premiums for individuals with incomes over $750,000 a year.

House Speaker John Boehner said flatly that any tax cut extension will be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget to avoid raising federal deficits. Numerous Republican officials noted that Obama had said the same thing was true of the plan he unveiled in a nationally televised speech to Congress in September.

The events in Congress, coupled with Obama's fresh appeal for renewal of the payroll tax cut while speaking Wednesday in Scranton, Pa., indicated that leaders in both parties want to seek a compromise less than a week after Congress' high-profile supercommittee failed to find common ground on a related economic issue, a plan to reduce deficits.

Yet nearly a full year before the 2012 elections, it also appeared that lawmakers in both parties are eager to compete for the political high ground before any compromise can be struck on the payroll tax or an extension of unemployment benefits that Republicans also said they might approve.

In a visit to blue-collar northeastern Pennsylvania, Obama warned of a "massive blow to the economy" if Republicans oppose his call for a renewal of the payroll tax cut approved a year ago as a way to stimulate economic growth.

"Are you going to cut taxes for the middle class and those who are trying to get into the middle class, or are you going to protect massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires?" he said, referring to Republicans.

"Are you going to ask a few hundred thousand people who have done very, very well to do their fair share or are you going to raise taxes for hundreds of millions of people across the country?"

Senate Democrats have set a vote for later in the week to pay for the tax cut renewal by imposing a permanent 3.25 percent surtax on individuals or couples earning more than $1 million a year, a political maneuver designed to cast Republicans as the protectors of the wealthy at a time when unemployment is at 9 percent nationally.

The proposal has no chance of gaining the 60-vote Senate majority needed for approval.

The Senate Republican alternative, unveiled in late afternoon, envisions extending an existing pay freeze for government workers through 2015 ? a provision that would apply to lawmakers. It also proposed gradually cutting the government workforce by 10 percent, or 200,000 positions.

Additionally, Republicans recommended taxing away the value of unemployment benefits and denying food stamps to any household with an income of $1 million or more, as well as raising the Medicare premium paid by individuals who earn more than $750,000 a year.

Republicans said their proposal would raise about $221 billion over a decade, covering the cost of a one-year extension of the existing payroll tax cut and leaving $111.5 billion left over for deficit reduction.

"The Democrats can say they just want some people to pay a little bit more to cover this or that dubious proposal," said McConnell, who also noted that there were misgivings inside his party over Obama's proposed tax cut extension.

"Think about that. The Democrats' response to the jobs crisis we're in right now is to raise taxes on those who create jobs. This isn't just counterproductive. It's absurd."

Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said the GOP plan as written won't pass. "Now that Republicans have reversed their position on this middle-class tax cut, we look forward to working with them to negotiate a consensus solution," he added.

The extension of unemployment benefits is also included in the jobs program Obama announced in the fall, at a cost of $48.5 billion over a decade.

The overall cost of Obama's plan was $447 billion over 10 years, and his recommendations concerning the payroll tax account for well half the amount.

Under bipartisan legislation Obama signed late last year, the 6.2 percent payroll tax paid by workers on incomes up to $106,800 was cut to 4.2 percent through the end of 2011. The president has proposed reducing that further, to 3.1 percent, for 2012.

In addition, he is asking lawmakers to grant a similar tax break to businesses by halving the 6.2 percent they pay on workers' wages, up to $5 million in payroll.

Those two changes carry a cost of $247.5 billion, according to the White House.

The millionaires' surtax was a late change in the president's proposal, insisted upon by Senate Democrats who balked at some of Obama's initial proposals.

Initially, Obama proposed higher taxes on family incomes over $250,000 and on the oil and gas industry.

The first request troubled Democratic senators from states like New York, New Jersey and California, where large numbers of families would be hit by the increase. The second drew opposition most prominently from Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, whose state is home to numerous oil and gas operations.

The president also proposed higher taxes on hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners.

Those increases also disappeared, although supercommittee Republicans said they would be willing to accept the corporate jet increase as part of a deal that made big cuts in federal spending.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111201/ap_on_go_co/us_congress_payroll_tax

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How to Get Apple's Black Friday Prices All Year Long [Apple]

It ain't easy getting Apple gear at a discount. That's why Apple's Black Friday deals cause a fuss, even if they're unspectacular compared to what other manufacturers offer up. But here's the secret cheat code: You can get those same deals, more or less, all year long. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ywqkt6owzf8/how-to-get-apples-black-friday-prices-all-year-long

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Egyptian protesters clash with police, 1 dead (AP)

CAIRO ? Egyptian security forces clashed with protesters camped outside the Cabinet building Saturday, leaving one man dead, as tensions rose two days ahead of parliamentary elections being held despite mass demonstrations against military rule.

The violence occurred as a wave of protests against military rule was given extra impetus by the Egyptian military's decision on Friday to appoint a prime minister who served under deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

The Obama administration has increased pressure on Egypt's military rulers, who took over from Mubarak, to transfer power to civilian leaders throwing its support behind tens of thousands of protesters massed on Cairo's central Tahrir for more than a week.

Hundreds also had gathered outside the Cabinet building, a few blocks away, to prevent newly appointed Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri from entering to take up his new post. They clashed with security forces who allegedly tried to disperse them.

An Associated Press cameraman saw three police troop carriers and an armored vehicle firing tear gas as they were being chased from the site by rock-throwing protesters.

The man who was killed was run over by one of the vehicles, but there were conflicting accounts about the circumstances surrounding the death.

The Interior Ministry expressed regret for the death of the protester, identified as Ahmed Serour, and said it was an accident.

Police didn't intend to storm the sit-in but were merely heading to the Interior Ministry headquarters, located behind the Cabinet building, when they came under attack by angry protesters throwing firebombs, it said in a statement. The ministry claimed security forces were injured and the driver of one of the vehicles panicked and ran over the protester.

One of the protesters, Mohammed Zaghloul, 21, said he saw six security vehicles heading to their site.

"It became very tense, rock throwing started and the police cars were driving like crazy," he said. "Police threw one tear gas canister and all of a sudden we saw our people carrying the body of a man who was bleeding really badly."

Video clips posted on social networking sites also showed protesters rushing to rescue a heavily bleeding man they said was killed when a police vehicle ran over him.

Officials say more than 40 people have been killed across the country since Nov. 19, when the unrest began after a small sit-in by protesters injured during the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak was violently broken up by security forces. That led to days of clashes, which ended with a truce on Thursday. It wasn't clear if the melee on Saturday was an isolated incident or part of new violence by security forces trying to clear the way for the new prime minister, and protesters frustrated by what they believe are the military's efforts to perpetuate the old regime.

The military's appointment of el-Ganzouri, its apology for the death of protesters and a series of partial concessions in the past two days suggest that the generals are struggling to overcome the most serious challenge to their nine-month rule, with fewer options now available to them.

The latest crisis has overshadowed Monday's start of Egypt's first parliamentary elections since Mubarak was replaced by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. The vote, which the generals say will be held on schedule despite the unrest, is now seen by many activists and protesters to be serving the military's efforts to project an image of itself as the nation's saviors and true democrats.

The next parliament is expected to be dominated by the country's most organized Muslim Brotherhood group, who decided to boycott the ongoing protests to keep from doing anything that could derail the election. However, the outcome of the vote is likely to be seen as flawed given the growing unrest and the suspension by many candidates of their campaigns in solidarity with the protesters.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111126/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt

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NCAA Football Rankings Week 13: TCU Rises To No. 17, Baylor To No. 18

The Baylor Bears avoided the trap game versus Texas Tech and are now ranked No. 18 in this week's coaches poll.

Nov 27, 2011 - The TCU Horned Frogs have proven that they can overcome losing a four-year starter at quarterback, losing key pieces of a talented secondary and still Gary Patterson's bunch is able to overcome and win.

TCU's reward is a No. 17 ranking in this week's coaches poll.

Baylor keeps on winning too, and after shocking the world with a huge win over Oklahoma they avoided the trap versus Texas Tech and disposed of them in a 66-42 offensive slugfest.

Their reward? A No. 18 ranking in arguably one of the greatest seasons in Baylor Bears history.

Here is the full coaches poll for week 13:

1. LSU 2. Alabama 3. Virginia Tech 4. Stanford 5. Oklahoma State 6. Houston 7. Oregon 8. Boise State 9. Michigan State 10. Arkansas 11. Oklahoma 12. Wisconsin 13. South Carolina 14. Georgia 15. Kansas State 16. Michigan 17. TCU 18. Baylor 19. Nebraska 20. West Virginia 21. Clemson 22. Penn State 23. So. Mississippi 24. Florida State 25. Cincinnati

Do you like this story?

Source: http://dallas.sbnation.com/baylor-bears/2011/11/27/2590236/ncaa-football-rankings-week-13-tcu-rises-to-no-17-baylor-to-no-18

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Feds bag idea of limiting target practice on public lands

By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com

The Obama administration on Wednesday backed off a draft policy to restrict target shooting on federal land near residential areas.

In a memo, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would direct his agency to "take no further action to develop or implement" the draft. U.S. News & World Report posted a copy of the memo on its website.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., last Friday sent Salazar a letter asking that the draft policy be canned, saying he worried it would be taken advantage of by anti-gun rights groups. "Any draft proposal regarding recreation on public lands must continue to guarantee hunting opportunities," he wrote.

In a statement issued along with a copy of the letter, Rehberg said the Obama administration "is uncomfortable with gun rights, and eager to restrict the Second Amendment at every opportunity."

"In a state like Montana, where the federal government is by far the largest land holder, preserving Second Amendment rights on public land isn?t just a question of good policy," he said. "It?s a question of protecting our way of life from big-city meddlers."

The rationale cited in the draft included public safety on areas maintained by the Bureau of Land Management.

"As the West has become more populated, recreational shooters now often find themselves in conflict with other public lands users, and the BLM is frequently called on to mediate these conflicts," the draft?stated.

"Closing areas where risks are high may reduce shooting related conflicts, and may also reduce legal claims against the BLM for shooting-related injuries or damages," the draft concluded.

Rehberg and others opposed to the draft were particularly concerned with criteria they felt would allow land managers to unfairly limit target practices. The draft would have stated that "the specific shooting activity must not:"

  • "Cause a public disturbance or create risk to other persons on public lands.
  • "Deface, remove or destroy natural features, native plants, cultural resources, historic structures or government and/or private property.
  • "Facilitate and create a condition of littering, refuse accumulation and abandoned personal property.
  • "Violate existing use restriction, a closure and restriction order, or supplementary rules notice."

A?committee that advises the federal government on hunting issues had earlier also voiced concern about the draft.

"The Council concludes that its implementation will have the practical effect of moving recreational shooting off public lands, thereby diminishing public access to public lands," the group stated earlier this month?in comments to the BLM.

The group, known as the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council, drafted?recommendations such as building berms to enhance safety. Its members include hunting associations as well as The Nature Conservancy and the National Wildlife Federation.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/23/8981021-feds-bag-idea-of-curbing-target-practice-on-public-lands

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The Sims 3: Pets < PopMatters

I am a fan of The Sims.? I have enjoyed it through a number of iterations and on a number of platforms, both PC and console.? That being said, I?ve never really been much of a sandbox gamer.

I like goals.? I want a game to drive me in a direction, tell me a story, give me that sense of satisfaction in beating it.? As a result, I am one of those weird players who has generally enjoyed The Sims on consoles, more so than on its ?home platform,? the PC.? Despite lower res graphics, longer load times, rather silly plot lines, and usually problematic control schemes, The Sims on a console keeps me playing, whereas while I enjoy building a sim household in the PC sandbox versions of the game, at some point I typically find my interests in free form sim play fizzle into boredom.? I just need to feel like I?ve gotten somewhere by playing for a game to fully matter for me.

In this regard, I rather liked the focus of The Sims 3 on lifetime goals, mini-goals, and the like.? It made my PC experience a bit more fulfilling than it usually is.

I know that for most folks the likely appeal of The Sims 3: Pets is that subtitle that follows the colon in its title.? And, yes, there are doggies and kitties in this version of The Sims (and I will discuss them in a bit).? However, what I was most impressed by is that this console version of the game is so very much more polished than previous versions of The Sims on consoles, while still retaining a more goal-driven version of The Sims than its PC counterpart (at least the ?plain Jane? version of The Sims 3).

While Sims ports to the console have always struggled with making the transition from the elegance of the mouse-driven simulation to the clunkier controller (making issuing your sims orders and navigating the overhead world of The Sims awkward at best) this version of the game is tremendously successful at creating a sensible control scheme via the controller.? I was initially put off by this scheme, which essentially maps something like visual menus to buttons on the controller.? It isn?t intuitive.? However, after a half hour or so (when the alien nature of this configuration finally sunks in), it became for me the most efficient system that I have seen in interfacing with a Sims title on a console.

Additionally, instead of giving you rather simplistic narrative goals, like attempting to move out of your mom?s house and then for some reason shuttling you between different and progressively weirder types of homes (from the trailer park to a spooky gothic manor for contrived reasons) as you do in The Sims: Bustin? Out, for example), the game merely adds a treasure hunting subplot that is related to learning the history of the coastal town that your sims occupy.

Between this little series of adventures and the aforementioned titular pets, I found that my console experience with The Sims 3: Pets was considerably more engrossing than my PC experience with The Sims 3 last year.

The pets, of course, add a layer of complexity to sim life with both dogs and cats (of a rather large variety of breeds that can also be cross bred) requiring normal mood maintenance.? Each type of animal can be controlled like a normal sim and has normal needs, like satisfying hunger, the desire for fun, and replenishing energy through sleep.? Hygiene is replaced as a need (though bathing pets is still necessary to keep your house clean), though, by a dog?s need for destruction and a cat?s need to scratch, leading to the need to train animals to channel these energies in the appropriate directions.

Better still, though (again, for me), is how the pets are integrated into the ?storyline? of the game.? Dogs can dig and cats can stalk and hunt, skills that aid in treasure hunting quests.? One of my problems with my experience of The Sims 3 is that?despite the addition of easier ways to transition the world and more city life to experience through maps that don?t require constant reloading during travel?as an achiever-type of gamer, I still tended to hunker down in my house in the game and grind out skills to achieve my goals.? As a result, I really experienced very little of what the game offered in terms of exploration.? The treasure hunting quests (and the fact that I can bring my doggy and kitty pals along to help out on them) drove me to ?get out more? in the game, which made me realize just how cool a trip to the beach with the Sims or a night out in town square could be.

Strangely, The Sims 3: Pets put me, as a gamer, on more of a leash, and I frankly like it all the more for doing so.

Source: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/151130-the-sims-3-pets/

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