Chile Earthquake May Have Shortened Days on Earth

The massive 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile may have changed the entire Earth's rotation and shortened the length of days on our planet, a NASA scientist said Monday.
The quake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
"Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis," NASA officials said in a Monday update.
The computer model used by Gross and his colleagues to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved Earth's figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).
The Earth's figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis, which it spins around once every day at a speed of about 1,000 mph (1,604 kph).
The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth's mass is balanced. It is offset from the Earth's north-south axis by about 33 feet (10 meters).
Strong earthquakes have altered Earth's days and its axis in the past. The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami, should have shortened Earth's days by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 2.76 inches (7 cm, or 2.32 milliarcseconds).
one Earth day is about 24 hours long. Over the course of a year, the length of a day normally changes gradually by one millisecond. It increases in the winter, when the Earth rotates more slowly, and decreases in the summer, Gross has said in the past.
The Chile earthquake was much smaller than the Sumatran temblor, but its effects on the Earth are larger because of its location. Its epicenter was located in the Earth's mid-latitudes rather than near the equator like the Sumatran event.
The fault responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also slices through Earth at a steeper angle than the Sumatran quake's fault, NASA scientists said.
"This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis," NASA officials said.
Gross said his findings are based on early data available on the Chile earthquake. As more information about its characteristics are revealed, his prediction of its effects will likely change.
The Chile earthquake has killed more than 700 people and caused widespread devastation in the South American country.
Several major telescopes in Chile's Atacama Desert have escaped damage, according to the European Southern Observatory managing them.
A salt-measuring NASA satellite instrument destined to be installed on an Argentinean satellite was also undamaged in the earthquake, JPL officials said.
The Aquarius instrument was in the city of Bariloche, Argentina, where it is being installed in the Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas (SAC-D) satellite. The satellite integration facility is about 365 miles (588 km) from the Chile quake's epicenter.
The Aquarius instrument is designed to provide monthly global maps of the ocean's salt concentration in order to track current circulation and its role in climate change.

Dating Tips: How to Affair-Proof Your Relationship

An affair is one of the most difficult challenges a couple can face, and nothing destroys a romantic relationship faster than infidelity. Is it really possible to affair-proof your relationship? The answer is, "Yes, it's possible." But in order to make that happen, it's important to know what causes an affair in the first place.
An affair is an extreme symptom of a relationship that has been in trouble for some time. Affairs do not happen out of the blue and rarely happen because someone is a bad person. Cheating is caused by one single factor: "Lack." In a relationship, it's a lack of love, attention, intimacy, recognition, respect, and connection that builds up over time. Eventually, this "lack" can become so painful that the person in the most pain will often act out by cheating. Because communication has broken down, the cheating person doesn't feel like they can talk to their partner, so that makes them vulnerable to cheating.
So, how do you avoid getting to this point in a relationship? Below are seven ways to avoid the "lack" and prevent a potential affair.
1. Avoid complacency. Don't ever take your relationship for granted. Partnerships need to be nourished daily by a kind word, appreciation, a loving kiss, a smile. Complacency is a warning signal that you and your partner are out of touch with each other.
2. Keep the lines of communication open. Don't sweep issues under the rug. They won't go away! Learn ways to resolve differences so that recurring arguments don't continue.
3. Pay attention to your gut. If you're feeling something isn't quite right in your relationship, 99 percent of the time you're correct. Find a way to approach your partner to talk about things. Keep your relationship current by checking in on a weekly basis to make sure problems aren't building up.
4. Find time for each other. Don't get so busy that you forget to have a date with your partner. Make time away from chores and work to renew your loving feelings. Remember how important your mate is to you. Tell them, by making time for them.
5. Know when it's a time of stress and pay attention to your partner even more. Some common trigger times for extra stress in a relationship are job changes, health problems, changes in finances, and the death of a family member or friend. During these stressful periods, pay extra attention to your relationship. Let your partner know you're there, and make even more time to connect with each other.
6. Understand the real issues in your relationship. Learn tools for resolving arguments. Avoid blaming, shaming, and the need to always be right in an argument. Learn what you're really fighting about so that you can resolve your issues. If you're fighting about the wrong thing, you'll never resolve arguments.
7. Always remember what it was that made you fall in love with your partner. Too often we allow our disagreements to cloud our love for our significant other, and we forgot why we even fell in love! Keep your sense of humor. Give your partner the benefit of the doubt and don't make them your enemy.
Avoid the "lack" and affair-proof your relationship by staying conscious of yourself and your partner. Nurture each other and keep the lines of communication open.

Petra sets record, sells diamond for $35 million

LONDON (Reuters) – Petra Diamonds sold a 507-carat diamond for $35.3 million on Friday, breaking a record as the highest price ever paid for a rough diamond.
Analysts had estimated the value of the stone, one of the 20 biggest high-quality rough diamonds, at around $25 million.
"It is fitting that the Cullinan Heritage should achieve a sale price of $35.3 million, the highest sale price on record ever achieved for a rough diamond, as it has the potential to produce one of the world's most important polished gems," Chief Executive Johan Dippenaar said.
London-listed Petra said in a statement the gem was purchased in a tender by Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Co Ltd in Hong Kong.
Proceeds will help boost Petra's profit for its fiscal year to end-June after the firm swung to a first-half profit on higher production and sales.
AIM-listed Petra found the gem last September at its 74 percent owned Cullinan mine in South Africa, which it bought from sector giant De Beers in 2007.
The Cullinan mine has been the source of many large diamonds, including the world's largest rough diamond -- the Cullinan -- at 3,106 carats. That gem was cut into the Star of Africa stones that are now set in Britain's Crown Jewels.
Petra was a member of a consortium that paid $148 million when buying the Cullinan mine from De Beers, which is 45 percent owned by mining group Anglo American.

Shakira And Tennis Star Rafael Nadal Heat Things Up In New Video

Shakira was not content with selecting just any male model to portray her love interest in the video for her latest single, "Gypsy," which premiered Friday on Yahoo! Music. So the Latin pop superstar picked tennis champ Rafael Nadal. Shakira thought Nadal would be able to relate to the song's story about a person constantly on the moveNadal, 23, is ranked No. 3 in the world and has won six Grand Slam singles titles. In 2008, he won the Olympic gold medal in singles, and he also has to his credit 15 ATP Master Series tournaments. As a part of the Spain Davis Cup team, he helped win titles in 2004 and 2009.

"I thought that for this video, I needed someone who could identify with, someone who had a similar vision," Shakira said in an interview, AFP reports. "Raphael Nadal, who had been very much involved with his career at a young age, fit right in."

Shakira added, "I felt this parallel between the two of us would be portrayed in this video, and I think it came out great.The chemistry between Shakira and Nadal is undeniable, and might cause some to speculate whether they are an actual couple. But both are in relationships. Nadal is dating his high school sweetheart, and Shakira is engaged to her longtime fiancée Antonio De La Rua.

Like Nadal, Shakira has a personal connection with the song's storyline. "[It] is a song that reflects the way that I live, the way I see life," she said about the song that she also recorded in Spanish as "Gitana." "I have been on the road since I was a kid, and I think that's where the metaphor comes from."

The video was shot in Barcelona, Spain and directed by director Jaume De Laiguana. The song appears on Shakira's "She Wolf" album which was released in November.

Gadgets That Will Save You Money

Concoct your own cola
Spend a fortune on fizzy drinks? You're not alone. The average family of four consumes 2,400 sodas annually-totaling nearly $1,080. With a home fountain machine, you can save money and have fun making everything from soda water to diet root beer. After purchasing a startup kit, you buy refill canisters of CO2 and syrup. A liter of sparkling water is 21 cents, compared with $1.50 or more for the store-bought variety, and flavored soda costs roughly 25 cents per 12 ounces.

Save about $720 per year for a family of four (you'll also produce less household waste). SodaStream Fountain Jet starter kit, $100.

Get free HDTV

Since TV went digital, you no longer need cable to receive local broadcast network HDTV channels. For static-free reception, all that's required is a digital antenna (and a converter box if your TV is analog instead of digital). To find out which antenna will work for your location and which channels you'll receive, simply enter your address at antennaweb.org. Although you won't get paid cable channels anymore, you may be amazed at how many HDTV channels are free (the number varies based on your location).

Save the $700 or more a year you spend on cable.Antennaweb.org lists antennas ranging from $40 to $150. Or spend less by making your own for about $15 with the instructions at current.org
Ditch your landline
With XLink, you can gab all you want-at home-without having to pay a monthly landline bill. Just route your cell phone calls to a regular phone through the Xlink console (via a Bluetooth signal). Your cell phone's caller ID and voice mail will transfer over, too, and you don't even need a landline for the console to work.

Save about $33 per month (depending on your phone usage). XLink, $80.
Lower grocery expenses
When ALL YOU asked readers for their favorite money-saving purchases, FoodSaver vacuums were a hit. Just put your food into one of the reusable bags, seal it with the vacuum, then store it in your pantry, refrigerator or freezer to extend freshness many times over.

Save the approximately $600 per year the average family loses each year on wasted food. FoodSaver vacuums starting at $100.

Get free home phone service
When you plug the MagicJack into a telephone and your computer's USB port, your calls (in the U.S. and Canada) are absolutely free, using your high-speed Internet connection. The service also comes with call waiting, voice mail and caller ID, at no extra charge.

Save from $30 to $100 per month, or however much you normally spend on your phone bill. MagicJack, $40.

5 Reasons You Should Consider a Roth IRA

When it comes to opening an individual retirement account, should you go with a traditional IRA or a Roth? Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs have their own unique benefits, but new rules in 2010 allow some investors who had been locked out of Roth IRAs the option to take advantage of Roth's tax-free withdrawals. Whether you're just starting to save for retirement or considering rolling over a traditional IRA, here are a few things to know about Roth IRAs:

Tax-free withdrawals. Roth IRAs, like traditional IRAs, provide tax-free growth over the life of your investment. But when you invest in a Roth IRA, the only time you pay taxes is when you make your initial investment (with traditional IRAs, you pay taxes when you withdraw the funds). "It's like a municipal bond on steroids because you can invest it in high-yielding, high return-potential assets like stocks, and turn them into tax-free assets," says Mark Joseph, a financial adviser at Sentinel Wealth Management in Reston, Va. For younger investors, that means a small initial investment can snowball over the years into a hefty sum by retirement age.
Tax rate hikes. Many experts in Washington are worried that rising deficits are going to force Congress to raise taxes. If you invest in a Roth IRA before any potential rate hikes, you can take advantage of current tax rates. "Right now, we have this huge debt and we have this huge amount of money that's going to pay for social security benefits," says Ray LeVitre, a financial adviser with Net Worth Advisory Group in Midvale, Utah. "It makes sense to say, 'they're going to have to raise taxes.'" If taxes go up in the future, your investment won't be affected because only your initial investment in a Roth is taxed.

Tax diversification. You already know that it's important to have a diversified portfolio of investments. The same applies to taxes. "You're not going to be 100 percent right or 100 percent wrong about where tax rates go so you should put some in both," LeVitre says. He suggests splitting your retirement money between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA. When you invest in a Roth IRA, you're betting that by the time you take your money out, you will be in a higher tax bracket. The logic is reversed with traditional IRAs. "For someone in a low tax bracket, it's a no-brainer," LeVitre says. He considers a "low" tax bracket one that falls within the first three levels of brackets (those taxed at a rate of 10 percent, 15 percent, or 25 percent
New conversion rules. In the past, anyone making more than $100,000 a year couldn't convert their traditional IRA into a Roth. Starting in 2010, individuals making more than $100,000 can transfer their money into a Roth IRA. Check with a financial adviser to see if rolling over your traditional IRA into a Roth IRA makes sense for you. For one year only, investors can convert to a Roth and pay one-half of the taxable amount in 2010 and the other half of the taxable amount in 2011 instead of being taxed for the full conversion in one year alone.

Passing wealth on. Another benefit of Roth IRAs is the option to hold on to the Roth indefinitely. Traditional IRAs require investors to begin withdrawing a minimum amount after age 70 1/2. There are no minimum withdrawals required for a Roth IRA, so you can take advantage of tax-free growth for as long as you like. You can preserve your estate and pass your investments in your Roth IRA to your beneficiaries tax-free.

Alpine skiing-Injured Vonn tries cheesey treatment

VANCOUVER, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Injured your leg just before the Olympics? Try wrapping it in cheese. At least that is what American skier Lindsey Vonn has tried.
Vonn, the overwhelming favourite for gold in the women’s downhill in Vancouver, has turned to a home remedy, Austrian topfen cheese, to treat the shin injury that has made her a doubtful starter for the Winter Games.
No joint march for Koreas Vonn, father have strained relationship Lynx launches itself onto downhill course “I’m pretty much doing everything and anything I can to feel better,” Vonn told reporters on Wednesday. “I wrap my leg in cheese.”

Topfen, a curd cheese, is thought by some to reduce swelling and stimulate healing, although Vonn said she was still in “excruciating” pain from the injury she suffered while training in Austria last week.

Vonn said she was also trying more conventional treatments, but had not taken painkillers.

East Coast Blizzard Tied to Climate Change

As the blizzard-bound residents of the mid-Atlantic region get ready to dig themselves out of the third major storm of the season, they may stop to wonder two things: Why haven't we bothered to invest in a snow blower, and what happened to climate change? After all, it stands to reason that if the world is getting warmer - and the past decade was the hottest on record - major snowstorms should become a thing of the past, like PalmPilots and majority rule in the Senate. Certainly that's what the Virginia state Republican Party thinks: the GOP aired an ad last weekend that attacked two Democratic members of Congress for supporting the 2009 carbon-cap-and-trade bill, using the recent storms to cast doubt on global warming. (See pictures of the massive blizzard in Washington, D.C.)


Brace yourselves now - this may be a case of politicians twisting the facts. There is some evidence that climate change could in fact make such massive snowstorms more common, even as the world continues to warm. As the meteorologist Jeff Masters points out in his excellent blog at Weather Underground, the two major storms that hit Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., this winter - in December and during the first weekend of February - are already among the 10 heaviest snowfalls those cities have ever recorded. The chance of that happening in the same winter is incredibly unlikely.


But there have been hints that it was coming. The 2009 U.S. Climate Impacts Report found that large-scale cold-weather storm systems have gradually tracked to the north in the U.S. over the past 50 years. While the frequency of storms in the middle latitudes has decreased as the climate has warmed, the intensity of those storms has increased. That's in part because of global warming - hotter air can hold more moisture, so when a storm gathers it can unleash massive amounts of snow. Colder air, by contrast, is drier; if we were in a truly vicious cold snap, like the one that occurred over much of the East Coast during parts of January, we would be unlikely to see heavy snowfall. (See pictures of the effects of global warming.)


Climate models also suggest that while global warming may not make hurricanes more common, it could well intensify the storms that do occur and make them more destructive. (Comment on this story.)


But as far as winter storms go, shouldn't climate change make it too warm for snow to fall? Eventually that is likely to happen - but probably not for a while. In the meantime, warmer air could be supercharged with moisture and, as long as the temperature remains below 32°F, it will result in blizzards rather than drenching winter rainstorms. And while the mid-Atlantic has borne the brunt of the snowfall so far this winter, areas near lakes may get hit even worse. As global temperatures have risen, the winter ice cover over the Great Lakes has shrunk, which has led to even more moisture in the atmosphere and more snow in the already hard-hit Great Lakes region, according to a 2003 study in the Journal of Climate. (Read "Climate Accord Suggests a Global Will, if Not a Way.")
Ultimately, however, it's a mistake to use any one storm - or even a season's worth of storms - to disprove climate change (or to prove it; some environmentalists have wrongly tied the lack of snow in Vancouver, the site of the Winter Olympic Games, which begin this week, to global warming). Weather is what will happen next weekend; climate is what will happen over the next decades and centuries. And while our ability to predict the former has become reasonably reliable, scientists are still a long way from being able to make accurate projections about the future of the global climate. Of course, that doesn't help you much when you're trying to locate your car under a foot of powder.

Avatar's Color Controversy

The movie studio that produced the mega-blockbuster, "Avatar," had no problem with the film's alien race being blue -- but it turns out they were initially concerned about the Na'vi being too green.

According to director James Cameron, 20th Century Fox had some initial apprehension that his $2 billion-dollar-baby delivered the wrong kind of message -- the message of environmental conservation.

Cameron recollects the studio's warning as being: "We really like the story. It's great. But, well, is there a way to not have so much of this tree-hugging, 'Ferngully' stuff in it?"

The famously exacting director wasn't going give up on the central point of the "Avatar" story. "I said, 'Not with me making it,'" Cameron said. "Because that was my purpose in making the film. I wanted to make an environmentally conscious mainstream movie."

"FernGully: The Last Rainforest" was a 1992 animated film -- also released by 20th Century Fox -- featuring the voice of Tim Curry as the villain who gains his power from pollution.

Instead of backing down, Cameron, instead, reveled in the environmental themes leading up to the climatic conclusion of "Avatar". "I think there's something amazingly satisfying when the hammerheads come out of the forest and start mowing down all the bad security enforcers. Nature gets to fight back," he said. "It's 'Death Wish' for environmentalists. When did nature ever get to fight back in a movie?"

Cameron concedes that 20th Century Fox wouldn't have been the only studio with concerns. "To be fair…any of the other studios would have said the same thing. Fox ended up being enormously supportive and wrote this huge check. But they would have been much more comfortable if I had eliminated what they called the 'tree-hugging' elements."

James Cameron's environmental concerns can be attributed to being a parent of three young children and the fact he would like them to have a world to grow up in. "I think there's a way to live and raise your kids with a set of values that teaches them the importance of hard work, the importance of respecting other people and the importance of respecting nature. And that it's not this consumer society where you buy something and then throw it away when you get the next new thing, filling up huge landfills with plastic and electronics."

Cameron's environmentally friendly message has not, as the studio was initially concerned, negatively affected box-office receipts. "Avatar" has so far grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide – which is well over a billion ahead of the ticket sales for the closest best picture Oscar rival, "The Hurt Locker." That film (which also has an arguably controversial message in its coverage of soldiers in Iraq) was directed by his former wife, Kathryn Bigelow, and has only taken in $12.6 million in domestic box-office sales.

Dating Tips: 9 Simple Things Women Want

Besides the meaning of life and the ingredients of hot dogs, many a man has questioned, "What exactly do women want?" We're not playing coy here, we know we're complex creatures. And, true, we operate on a different wavelength than men.
But women aren't exactly the great mystery that men often make us out to be. The proof? We polled the YourTango staff and compiled a list of 9 simple things women want. Note: you won't find diamond rings or other fancy things anywhere on this list. While many women really do want luxury goods from men, when you break it down they are just physical representations of some of the points on this list. We promise.
More on Dating From YourTango:
•10 Dating Mindsets Sabotaging Your Love Life
•10 Basic Rules for a New Relationship
1. Respect. Show us through your actions that you respect our opinions, careers, interests, friends, bodies, and minds. You don't have to agree with all that we say or do, but try to honor our opinions as valuable contributions. Follow the golden rule and treat us as you would like to be treated: Be honest, fair, kind, and considerate.
2. Romance. It's another night on the couch with takeout and TiVo? Just because we're staying in doesn't mean the evening can't be romantic. Light a few candles and see where the night leads. Treat us like your girlfriend, even after we become your wife. Date nights, physical affection in the car, kissing like when we first started dating -- all of the things that made us fall in love with you don't have to stop just because now there are bills to pay, a house to be cleaned, and kids to be bathed. Bring home flowers for no reason. We're not talking $100 bouquets of roses here. Even the $10 bouquets from the supermarket are enough to make us smile.
3. Time. We understand relationships can't be all wine and roses; simply making the time to be with us and treating us like your top priority says "love" more than all the fancy gifts and lovely letters ever could. This includes helping around the house. The realities of a 21st-century relationship are that both partners probably work. If you happen to get home before we do, why not vacuum the living room or throw in a load of laundry? If you take the garbage out without being asked, chances are you'll be getting a big ole smooch when you come back.
4. Dinner. Of the homemade variety. You may not be good at cooking and you may not know how to boil water. But greeting us at the door after a long day with fish sticks (or whatever you can wrastle up) makes us swoon, because it shows that you've been thinking about us and our hectic day.
5. Communication. Women are vocal creatures. We know you love us, but it's nice to hear you say it, too. We can also be insecure. We wish we weren't, but the reality is that we often notice our wobbly thighs and forget about our gorgeous eyes. So let us know when you think we're hot. Tell us we're beautiful. It helps us feel good. Words of appreciation aren't half-bad either. Tell us you love the lasagna we made. Notice that we cleaned the bathtub. It doesn't have to be over the top, just let us know that you see the effort we put in, and you're grateful.
6. Consistency. This doesn't mean be boring and predictable. It means that we know you will (usually -- no one is perfect!) give us the love and support we need. Knowing that you're coming at this with the same desires and energy as we are goes a long way to making us feel secure.
7. Engagement. Of the mental kind, not the "I'm getting married in the morning" kind. You don't have to like everything we like (we might be a little concerned if you do), but showing interest in our passions, be it career-related, a sport, or a hobby, goes a long way. Listen when we talk to you. We're not speaking just so we can hear our own voice; we want to connect with you and this is one valuable way we do this. This also means paying attention to the little things. Whether it's the name of your best friend's husband or the fact that you hate Nicolas Cage movies, it's the little things you remember about us that's so endearing.
8. Humor and Humility. These two tend to go hand in hand. This doesn't mean that you have to crack jokes or entertain us, but just being able to laugh at yourself is enough. Guys who take themselves too seriously bring everyone down.
9. Challenge. Not the kind that makes a relationship constant work, but the good kind that surprises and motivates us to do, be, or achieve what we desire. Studies show that partners who prod each other to meet goals -- in other words, don't support lazy or bad habits -- are ultimately happier than those who don't hold each other accountable

Dating 101: Seven Warning Signs of a Troubled Relationship

When couples wait too long to ask for help, the relationship may be beyond repair. The sooner help is sought, the better chance there is of recovering, saving and actually strengthening the relationship. This includes issues dealing with affairs or other types of betrayal.
The longer we wait, the more entrenched we get in destructive patterns and resentment and all hope for change is lost.
The longer we wait, the more entrenched we get in destructive patterns and resentment and all hope for change is lost. At a certain point we don't even want change... we just want to be done.
The seven warning signs that a relationship is in trouble are:
1. Fighting has become the rule rather than the exception to the rule.
2. You find yourself looking outside the relationship for comfort, care, and understanding.
3. You can't remember what attracted you to your partner in the first place.
4. There is little or no intimacy in your relationship -- sleeping in different rooms or different beds, lack of interest, anger, and hostility so that intimacy is out of the question.
5. Spending very little time together, friends seem to be more important than your partner.
6. Reactions to situations are disproportionate to the content of the disagreement (i.e., feeling your partner doesn't love you because she/he didn't like the meal you cooked).
7. Feeling helpless and hopeless to change anything. Feeling done with the relationship, but unclear as to where to go and what to do. Feelings of anger, resentment, pain, and desperation are predominant.
If any or all of these describe you in your relationship, your relationship is in trouble and it won't be long before something more drastic happens, such as an affair, arguments get worse and inflate with intensity, increased jealousy, silence for longer periods of time, and sometimes even physical and/or verbal abuse.
Before your relationship reaches that critical crisis point, look at the warning signs and do something before it's too late:
1.Seek psychotherapy
2.Read books
3.Talk to a spiritual/religious advisor
Without help, the relationship will never get better with time; once a certain level of resentment, anger, and hostility hits, it will simply get worse and worse. Avoiding a total crisis and saving the relationship is done by knowing when you're in trouble and taking immediate action.

Dating Tips: 5 Signs You're Headed Toward a Breakup

Have you ever found yourself in a relationship where the frustration level and the number of times you butt heads with each other seems to increase by the second? You say blue, she says red, and the fights just seem to be going in circles.
If the answer is yes, then you may be at what I call "the breakup point." Here are five signs that your relationship may be past the point of fixing. Whether you are living together, married, or just dating, these breakup signs are usually loud and clear.
1. You stop relationship-building behaviors. In the honeymoon stage of a relationship, which we all know is the first 90 days of pure bliss, you are learning about each other and making efforts to create romantic moods and nice evenings. When you're in that stage, you are really working at building your relationship. Then, at some point, you start to butt heads with each other. Critical relationship elements deteriorate. Maybe you stop kissing each other goodbye or stop texting each other during the day. Instead of adding things to the relationship, you start to resent each other like two five-year-olds who stop sharing their crayons. This is a breakup point.
2. You don't understand each other anymore. The fighting escalates to a place where you no longer feel like you're understood by your partner. Physical intimacy stops, communication stops, and you are living like roommates. You're at the point in the relationship where you are trying to understand each other, but you get so frustrated because you feel like you just don't understand each other anymore. This is a breakup point.
3. You start punishing each other. When you get to the point of no longer understanding each other, what happens is that you end up just kind of coexisting in the new dynamic. Resentment builds and you get in your head too much. You are no longer about feelings, and you start punishing each other. "Well, he hasn't done this for me, so I'm not going to do this for him" are the kind of thoughts that take root. The longer you stay in that dynamic and the further away you get from the dynamic you had during the early part of the relationship, the less likely it is that you'll ever get it back (and, after a point, you won't). You have hit the breakup point.
4. You fight less. When you get to the breakup point, you actually fight less with your partner. You fight less because in your mind and heart you start detaching yourself from the other person, and you don't care as much anymore. You have already made a determination that they don't understand you, that they will never understand you, and that the relationship just won't work out. The minute you get into a fight, you just walk away from it. That is a sure sign that you are at the breakup point.
5. You've taken the time to think it through. When you think you might have hit that breakup point, you must tell the person that you're disconnecting from them. You need to be honest and raw. If you don't think the relationship is going to work, or you know you've already disconnected based on how things have been going, then you might want to consider walking away for a week. When you're in the thick of things, they never seem to be able to work out.
So take a break. Spend a week without your partner. Take the week to ask yourself some questions. Go visit some friends or family. Really think about what life would be like without that person. How would you feel? Then, go back and either take a stand for the relationship or break up.
Whichever decision you make, you need to be honest with yourself. Life is too short! There are a lot of wonderful, amazing people out there ready to meet you.

Hubble sees Pluto changing color, ice sheet cover

WASHINGTON – Spurned Pluto is changing its looks, donning more rouge in its complexion and altering its iceball surface here and there.

Color astronomers surprised.

Newly released Hubble Space Telescope photos show the distant one-time planet — demoted to "dwarf planet" status in 2006 — is changing color and its ice sheets are shifting.

The photos, released by NASA Thursday, paint a Pluto that is significantly redder than it had been for the past several decades. To the layman, it has a yellow-orange hue, but astronomers say it has about 20 percent more red than it used to have.

The pictures show icy frozen nitrogen on Pluto's surface growing and shrinking, brightening in the north and darkening in the south. Astronomers say Pluto's surface is changing more than the surfaces of other bodies in the solar system. That's unexpected because a season lasts 120 years in some regions of Pluto.

"It's a little bit of a surprise to see these changes happening so big and so fast," said astronomer Marc Buie of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. "This is unprecedented."

From 1954 to 2000, Pluto didn't change in color when it was photographed from Earth. But after that, it did. The red levels increased by 20 percent, maybe up to 30 percent, and stabilized from about 2000 to 2002, Buie said. It's not as red as Mars, however, Buie said.

Buie said he can explain the redness, but not why it changed so dramatically and so recently. The planet has a lot of methane, which contains carbon and hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen gets stripped off by solar winds and other factors, leaving carbon-rich areas on the surface, which tend to be red and dark.

The Hubble photos were taken in 2002 and the analysis took a few years. But why Pluto changed so quickly was such a mystery that Buie held off for years on announcing what he had found, worried that he might be wrong. However, since Pluto's moon Charon hadn't changed color in the same telescope images, he decided the Pluto findings weren't an instrument mistake.

His analysis also found that nitrogen ice was shifting in size and density in surprising ways. It's horribly cold on Pluto with, paradoxically, the bright spots being the coldest at about -382 degrees Fahrenheit. Astronomers are still arguing about the temperatures of the warm dark spots, which Buie believes may be 30 degrees warmer than the darker areas.

Part of the difficulty in figuring out what is going on with Pluto is that it takes the dwarf planet 248 years to circle the sun, so astronomers don't know what conditions are like when it's is farthest from the sun. The last time Pluto was at its farthest point was in 1870, which was decades before Pluto was discovered. Unlike Earth, Pluto's four seasons aren't equal lengths of time.

Buie's explanation makes sense, said retired NASA astronomer Stephen Maran, co-author of a book on Pluto. "Pluto is interesting and poorly understood, whether it qualifies as a planet or not," he said

The Deficit: How to Protect Yourself

What do these budget deficits mean for you and your finances?

The federal government is expected to borrow $1.6 trillion this year, or about $15,000 for every household in the country.

Over the next 10 years it's expected to borrow a total of $8.5 trillion. And the government was already deeply in debt to begin with.

Deficits are certainly not always bad for the economy. And it makes sense for Uncle Sam to borrow heavily in a crisis, like now. But these figures are enormous. And they are expected stay big well down the road. The Obama administration forecasts deficits of $1 trillion in 2020.
Here's a look at the risks the deficits pose for personal wealth–and what can be done to guard against them:

Be very wary of long-term bonds. Whether we pay for these deficits by issuing bonds or by printing money, we run the risk of inflation in due course. Longer term bonds are most at risk. Yet the prices right now are not compensating you for the risks. Ten year Treasurys yield 3.65 percent; 30-year Treasurys, 4.57 percent.

Remarkably, the Treasury market has not yet panicked about the deficits: Yields have barely risen this week. Embedded in the market is a long-term inflation forecast of about 2.5 percent. I call that a dangerous complacency. (I usually recommend inflation-protected government bonds, but right now they are looking a little pricey).

The danger may be nearer than many realize. Our deficits are financed by savers in emerging markets, especially in China. But many emerging markets are now seeing rising inflation. If that continues they will have to raise interest rates at home. We will have to do the same here if we want to keep attracting their money.

Make sure you are globally diversified and not entirely dependent on the U.S. economy and the dollar. There is a danger of a dollar slump. Those most convinced it will happen should look at having some gold exposure, but it's volatile and that's not the only way to reduce your dependence on the greenback. It makes sense to keep plenty of money in overseas stocks and bonds. Many U.S. blue-chip stocks–from Kraft to Apple to Exxon–are really global as well.

Make the most of your tax shelters. Give as much as you can to your 401(k) or equivalent, your IRAs, 529 college savings plans for the children and maybe even low-cost variable annuities, if appropriate for you. Sooner or later taxes have to go up to narrow the budget gap–especially as the interest on the debt skyrockets.

Those who think we can escape this just by cutting spending should consider that two-thirds of the federal budget goes towards Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, defense and debt interest. They won't be cut.

Secure a cheap fixed-rate 30 year mortgage on your home while you can. These rates are closely linked to the interest rate on 10 year Treasury bonds. You would expect them to rise a long way if bond yields do.

Take a hard look at the risks in your portfolio. The issue with share prices right now isn't that they are egregiously expensive. They're not. It's that they aren't cheap–and we live in risky times. Too few investors are getting compensated for the risks they are taking.

Depending on your circumstances, this may be a time to think about cashing in some of your riskier chips–especially if you are sitting on big gains from the last year.

Am I being too gloomy? Maybe. But in light of the gridlock in Washington and the deep divisions in the country at large, I'm skeptical about our ability to solve this problem.

It makes sense to be prepared.

10 Worst Sandwiches in America

When it comes to sandwiches, remember this: With the power to create comes the power to inflate. Want proof? Check out this jaw-dropping list of the 10 Worst Sandwiches in America for a lineup of disastrous handheld mega-meals that'll bloat your belly and call for a loosening of belt buckles. It's not all disastrous, though—if you have a game plan. To arm you with one, we pulled a few of the best options from the pages of the best-selling weight-loss series Eat This, Not That!. Fact is, lunch can be delicious and filling without destroying your diet.

#10: Cosi Steak TBM (Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella)

829 calories
55 g fat (19 g saturated)
453 mg sodium

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the combination of steak, basil and cheese might pack quite the caloric punch. The saving grace of this bloated hand-held is the fact that it's astonishingly low in sodium. Otherwise, there's very little redemption about this twist on the signature Cosi TBM. Choose another Cosi favorite, instead, and save nearly 400 calories and three-quarters of your daily saturated fat allotment. (The Eat This, Not That! effect: A simple swap like this a few times a week when you're on the go can help you lose 15 pounds in a year.)

Eat This Instead!
Cosi Club
497 calories
10 g fat (4 g saturated)
827 mg sodium


#9: Arby's Ultimate BLT Market Fresh Sandwich

880 calories
46 g fat (10 g saturated)
1,740 mg sodium


The lesson from this massive sammie: Trust the ingredients, not the name. “Market Fresh” is little more than a marketing ploy to persuade consumers to indulge without guilt. Opt for the Super Roast Beef instead. Arby’s roast beef sandwiches are all relatively safe, and unless you order double meat, not one of the Roastburgers exceeds 500 calories.


Bonus tip: Download our free Eat This, Not That! guide to shopping once and eating for a week—and see how easy it is to save calories, time and money!


Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
430 calories
18 g fat (6 g saturated)
1,070 mg sodium



#8: Jimmy John's Italian Night Club

951 calories
51 g fat (12 g saturated)
2,165 mg sodium


Italian sandwiches are notoriously heavy—and the heavily processed Italian meats (think pastrami, salami, capicola...) all come with a massive over-sized serving of sodium. Case in point: This particular club packs in nearly an entire day's allotment of salt. The good news here is that Jimmy John's allows you to customize your order—so if you're hankering for an Italian sandwich, ask for a customized Slim 5 with Genoa Salami, Capicola, and Avocado Spread on 7-Grain, instead.


Bonus tip: For full nutrition information for all of your favorite restaurants, get the Eat This, Not That iPhone app—it's like having your own personal nutritionist at your fingertips!


Eat This Instead!
Customized Slim 5 with Genoa Salami, Capicola and Avocado Spread on 7-Grain Bread
514 calories
17.5 g fat (4 g saturated)
1,239 mg sodium

#7: Panera Full Chipotle Chicken on Artisan French Bread

990 calories
56 g fat (15 g saturated, 1 g trans)
2,370 mg sodium


Panera's Signature Sandwich menu houses some of the biggest gutbombs in the entire restaurant, so minimize the damage by sticking to the Cafe sandwiches. With the bulk of Panera's sandwiches floating in the 700- to 900- calorie range, the Chicken Bacon Dijon on French Bread emerges as the clear winner. Just be sure to watch your sodium intake for the rest of the day.


Eat This Instead!
Chicken Bacon Dijon on French Bread
650 calories
24 g fat (11 g saturated)
1,140 mg sodium
#6. Red Robin Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich

1,112 calories
62 g fat
2,531 mg sodium

Chicken sandwiches have an undeserved healthy reputation—that's because, while they're built with the leanest meat, they're often stuffed and flavored with enough high-calorie sauces and fillings to sink a ship. The culprit in this sandwich is two simple ingredients: The Spanish Tortilla, and the creamy Ranch dressing. Cutting those two from the meal eliminates over half the calories. We're betting that there's enough BBQ sauce on this dish that you won't even miss them.

Bonus tip: See how your favorite beer ranks on your must-have list of the 40 Best and Worst Beers. (Because knowing the smartest choices will make weight loss a breeze.)

Eat This Instead!
Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich, without Spinach Tortilla and Ranch Dressing
522 calories
25 g fat
1,336 mg sodium


#5. Subway Meatball Marinara Footlong

1,160 calories
46 g fat (18 g saturated, 2 g trans)
3,060 mg sodium


Subway does a funny thing with their nutrition menu: They only list nutrition information for 6-inch sandwiches, and low-fat footlongs. Luckily, the math here isn't exactly difficult. Skip footlongs altogether.
Bonus tip: A major source of hidden calories throughout the day comes in liquid form. Avoid all drinks on our eye-popping list of the 20 Worst Beverages in America!

Eat This Instead!
Roast Beef 6-inch
310 calories
4.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0 g trans)
840 mg sodium


#4. Blimpie Special Vegetarian 12"

1,186 calories
60 g fat (19 saturated fat)
2,198 mg sodium


Just because it's vegetarian doesn't make it good for you. Yes, this sandwich might be full of vegetables, but it also boasts two foot-long pieces of bread, and a host of high-fat, high-calorie oils and dressings that weigh down this sub with more than half a day's worth of calories and nearly a full day's worth of sodium and saturated fat.


Eat This Instead!
VegiMax on Wheat 6"
499 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated)
909 mg sodium
#3. Applebee's Grilled Cheese BLT

1,310 calories
(no other nutritional information available)


With this dish, Applebee's has taken a classic childhood comfort food and turned it into a dietary disaster. Cheese and bacon are certainly not the most healthful of sandwich stuffers, but we're looking at a case of serious portion distortion and fat overload when something as simple as a sammie contains as many calories as you'll find in four and a half servings of Kraft Mac 'n Cheese. Applebee's offers just one semi-reasonable sandwich on the entire menu. Stick with that, or choose something from the "Unbelievably Great-Tasting and Under 550 Calories" section. Otherwise, you're in a nutritional wasteland.


Eat This Instead!
Grilled Sirloin Sandwich
680 calories
(no other nutritional information available)


#2. Quizno's Large Tuna Melt

1,760 calories
25 g saturated fat
2,120 mg sodium


This tuna melt used to reign supreme with the disgraceful distinction of being the worst sandwich in America. But then Quizno's took note and reduced the calories by about 300. Unfortunately, that reduction in calories only dropped this dangerous melt to second place. Why is this melt so atrocious? While tuna is usually a healthy choice on its own, its being held together with gobs of fatty mayo. Slim down drastically with a Bistro Steak sammie.


Eat This Instead!
Bistro Steak Melt Sammie
390 calories
11.5 g saturated fat
1,050 mg sodium
#1: The Worst Sandwich in America

Cheesecake Factory Grilled Shrimp & Bacon Club
1930 calories
24 g saturated fat
2,965 mg sodium


It's no surprise really that an item from the Cheesecake Factory would make it to the "Worst" spot on any list. Since the Factory was forced to give up their nutrition information in California, we've learned that this irresponsible chain has a menu full of items that pack in well over 1,000 calories—and in some cases, well over 2,000. Their argument is usually that the dishes are meant to be split, or saved for later. But who splits a sandwich? Do the math for them, and order a half-sandwich when eating at Cheesecake.


Bonus tip: See what other monstrous meals made our list of the 20 Worst Restaurant Foods in America. You'll be shocked—and your waistline will thank you.


Eat This Instead!
One-half Turkey Sandwich
448 calories
6 g saturated fat
817 mg sodium

8 Sneaky Ways to Raise Taxes

If you're hoping that tax hikes on the rich will solve America's debt crisis, you're overestimating the power of the wealthy.

President Obama's budget proposal would raise taxes on upper-income earners by $969 billion over the next 10 years, yet the federal debt would continue to explode. To boost government revenues further, he'd raise an additional $122 billion from multinational firms, $90 billion from banks, $37 billion from oil companies, and $24 billion from hedge funds and private-equity firms. All told, that's nearly $1.2 trillion. And it would barely make a dent. We'd still have huge deficits, and the national debt would keep growing.

[See 21 things we're learning to live without.]

Taxing the rich will be one of the hot political stories this year. It will also divert attention from a much bigger story: Sooner or later, almost everybody in America is going to pay more in taxes. One reason is that spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--which equals 56 percent of all federal outflows--continues to skyrocket, and cutting those programs, just as baby boomers begin to retire, would be politically perilous. Few politicians in Washington want to cut defense, which leaves little else on the chopping block.

At least 35 states face their own budget shortfalls this year, with revenue in many states coming in below projections that were weak to start with, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. When federal stimulus spending winds down in 2011, many states anticipate a "cliff effect," in which their revenues plunge. That means new revenue will have to come from somewhere--and there aren't enough rich people to provide all the funds. "It's inevitable that the government will have to find a way to have a truly middle-income tax increase," says Clint Stretch of consulting firm Deloitte Tax. "The trick is: how?"

Politicians, of course, don't want to admit that most of their constituents face a stinging tax hike. And until there's no other choice, they'll try to raise funds without having to mouth the "T" word. As federal, state, and local governments get desperate, here are some of the mechanisms elected officials will try to use to raise funds without getting run out of office:

Expansion of existing taxes. Raising income tax rates is so unpopular that most politicians consider it a last resort. Raising state and local sales taxes is a bit more tolerable, and it's even better if you're simply expanding a tax that already exists. "In many states, the first thing they'll do is squeeze more out of the taxes they've got," says Alex Meleney of Deloitte Tax. Some states, for example, could expand sales taxes to things not already covered, such as restaurant meals, salons, business services, Internet connections, and phone or cable TV service. It also makes sense to crack down on those evading existing taxes, by increasing the fines for late payments and underpayments and conducting more inspections to catch merchants and others who may be skirting their obligations.

[See why class warfare will dominate Obama's presidency.]

"Avoidable" taxes. A new levy is more palatable when politicians can make the case that you don't have to pay it if you choose not to. Consumers might be able to offset new gasoline taxes, for instance, by driving less or buying a more efficient car. Some states are mulling new energy or carbon taxes, with part of the pitch being that you can make up the difference by using less energy. Then there are the classic "sin taxes" on cigarettes and booze, which are only for people with unhealthy habits--and have already gone up in more than a dozen states, according to the NCSL. One new "sin" that could end up taxed: junk food.

Online taxes. This is controversial, because it could force online merchants to figure out tax rates for thousands of localities. But New York and a few other states are trying to impose regular sales taxes on Internet purchases, to replace revenue lost when those transactions don't take place in a physical store. A legal challenge to the so-called Amazon tax is pending in a New York court, and if the government wins, more states are sure to follow up with their own Internet taxes.

[If you like the bank tax, here are 13 others.]

Healthcare taxes. You'd think healthcare was already expensive enough, but at least nine states have upped taxes on hospitals and other providers over the past year, according to NCSL. Of course, many of those added costs will be passed on to insurers, businesses, and ultimately, consumers.

Less federal aid to states. The federal government gives states nearly $500 billion a year in the form of Medicaid payments, highway funds, housing aid, education grants, and other stipends. One way for Washington to rein in spending is to reduce aid to states, which could force states to cut their own spending even more--or, more likely, come up with new taxes to pay for it.

Temporary surtaxes. Several states have been covering budget shortfalls with "temporary" increases in income or property taxes or with other surtaxes that will supposedly expire at some point in the future. If the economy comes roaring back, sure, legislators may rescind those tax hikes. But more often than not, they stick.

[See 4 things that could derail a recovery.]

Business tax hikes. Unemployment-insurance funds, which are financed primarily through a tax on businesses, are running low in many states, for obvious reasons. The federal government has been kicking in money for extensions, but that can't continue much longer. If the unemployment rate remains high--as even the White House now predicts--states will have to increase taxes on businesses to replenish their UI accounts. And the extra burden will flow through to workers in the form of lower wages. Businesses are also ripe targets for other taxes that governments don't want to impose directly on consumers.

A value-added tax. Some tax experts view this as the holy grail of revenue raisers and think it's inevitable that federal or state-level VATs--or both--will become common. A VAT is a tax imposed at various steps in the production of a good--i.e., every time "value" is added. Since there's no extra fee at the point of sale, consumers don't notice the way they would if the sales tax increased. But prices would go up, reflecting the added costs. VATs have been used to plug big budget shortfalls in Europe, Canada, and Japan, where they were intensely unpopular at first. But VATs also have some appealing benefits. Since they tax consumption, not income, they create incentives to earn and save more, which benefits the economy in the long term. They can be applied to select goods, with essentials like food exempt. And VATs can raise a lot of money in one fell swoop, which federal and state governments will need to do before long. Until then, be glad you're not rich.

Couples Who Say 'We' Fare Better in Fights

ouples who consistently refer to themselves as "we" may get on the nerves of singletons everywhere, but spouses who use this "couple-focused" language may fare better during conflicts than those who don't, according to a study announced this week.
The study found that using personal pronouns, such as "we," "our" and "us," when talking about a conflict was associated with more positive behaviors between the pair, such as affection, less negative behavior (like anger), and lower physiological stress levels during the disagreement.
On the other hand, using words that expressed "separateness," such as "I," "you," and "me," during the discussion was associated with marital dissatisfaction.
Discussions regarding marital disagreements can sometimes turn into hostile interactions, said study researcher Benjamin Seider, a graduate student in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. "And our thinking is that, using the 'we' words in that context can maybe help realign the couple, and help them to see themselves as being on the same team as opposed to adversaries," he told LiveScience.
However, since the results are based on conversations that took place in a laboratory setting, more research is needed to firm up the findings.
Conflict conversations

The study involved 154 middle-aged and older couples who were in their first marriages.
The spouses were video-taped during a 15-minute conversation regarding a conflict in their marriage. At the same time, scientists monitored the participants' heart rate, body temperature and how much they sweated, among other factors to assess their physiological state. All the data was collected back in 1989-1990 as part of a long-term marital study.
Seider and his colleagues went back and examined the tapes, looking at signs of emotional behavior, such as facial expressions and tone of voice.
In addition to finding that "we" language is linked to emotional behavior, the researchers also found that older couples used more "we" words, a result suggesting couples who have been together longer have developed a stronger shared identity with their partners than younger couples.
The overall marriage
The jury is still out, however, as to whether or not using such "we" words specifically boosts marital satisfaction. While previous studies have found such an association, the current study did not. "We were certainly surprised by that," Seider said.
The study's failure to find a link may come down to the fact that it was based on specific conversations rather than assessments of the overall marriages, according to Seider.
"The language that they're using is probably more reflective of them trying to regulate their emotions than it is about whether or not they're happy or sad in the relationship as a whole," he said.
The results were published in the September 2009 issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.
Smiles Predict Marriage Success
Marriage Works: An Exaggerated Message
Prenuptial Cohabitating Can Spoil a Marriage
Original Story: Couples Who Say 'We' Fare Better in Fights

Toyota pays dealers up to $75,000 for longer hours

DETROIT – Toyota Motor Corp. is giving U.S. dealers payments of up to $75,000 to help win back customers' trust in the wake of a massive safety recall.
"Within the next several days, you will receive a check from us (no strings attached) with a simple request - 'do the right thing on behalf of Toyota customers'," Toyota group vice president Bob Carter said in the letter to dealers that was sent late Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press.
Carter thanks dealers for extending service hours and providing car washes and other services. He also suggested other measures, like additional hires to help with recall repairs, mobile repair services, dedicated recall service lanes and complimentary oil changes.
"Toyota dealers already know the first and most critical step of rebuilding the confidence and trust of Toyota owners is the interaction and service they receive in your dealership," Carter said.
Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. last month because their accelerator pedals may stick and cause crashes. The automaker is sending parts to repair the pedals this week. Separately, Toyota recalled 5 million vehicles to fix floor mats that could inadvertently trap the accelerator pedals.
Toyota is sending checks this week based on the number of cars each dealer sold last year. Dealers who sold fewer than 500 cars will get $7,500. Dealers who sold more than 4,000 will get $75,000. Toyota has around 1,200 U.S. dealers.
Carter said Toyota is considering other marketing efforts to win back customers' confidence, but he didn't elaborate.
Toyota has halted sales of the eight models involved in the pedal recall. When sales resume, Toyota may have to offer incentives like low-interest financing and rebates to lure customers, said Paul Ballew, a senior vice president at Nationwide Insurance Co. and a former General Motors Corp. sales analyst. Ballew said that would be good news for consumers, since other automakers will have to match those deals.
But Ballew said it's too early to tell what the lasting impact will be on the company and the auto sales market.
"We don't see the deals going away anytime soon," he said

The Most Common Tax Mistakes

You have your no. 2 pencil, a calculator and this year's W-2. Now what?

That's the thought that crosses many self-preparers' minds as they get ready to tackle their taxes. Veteran CPA Steve Duben says it's a tale as old as time. "The truth of the matter is that the law is complex and not easy to understand," Duben said. "The IRS claims that the average tax return self-prepared will take an individual 21 ½ hours to complete. This includes information gathering and understanding and preparing the return."
If you're willing and able to put in the time and effort to prep your own taxes this year, Duben gave MainStreet a list of the most common tax mistakes he's encountered and how to avoid them.

Forgetting to Report All Income

Did you do some freelance work while you were looking for the dream job you finally landed in September? You still need to reprot that income in your 2009 return.

"Some taxpayers feel that if they did not get a 1099 form then they do not have to report income received," Duben said. "The IRS has a long arm and seems to know what was and was not reported. To avoid this take your time and review all sources of income."What's the penalty if you don't report all income? Duben says "The cost, besides the tax will be interest at 6% per year and penalties of up to 20%."

Accounting for Business Expenses

Did you buy a deluxe espresso machine and want to call it a "business expense" on your taxes since you run a business from home? Think twice.

"Business expenses need to be ordinary and necessary for the business. Taxpayers should also be able to substantiate the expenses and their business purpose if asked by the IRS or other taxing agency. If the expenses cannot be substantiated then they will be disallowed upon audit and ... the cost will include the tax, interest and possible penalties," Duben says.

Sorry, that americano probably isn't "necessary for the business."

It Has to be From 2009

Want to deduct moving expenses from when you switched jobs and moved to New York? Great, but didn't that happen right before New Year's Eve in 2008? Sorry, that's not deductible.

Duben says "Any deduction to be deducted on an individual's tax return needs to be paid (or charged on a credit card) during the tax year."

Next time, wait until Jan. 1 to book that flight.

Paying for Other People's Expenses

Even if you're a nice person, the IRS doesn't really care.

"Some taxpayers consider payments of expenses for another as their expense. The law only allows one to deduct his/her expense," Duben says.

Nice guys really do finish last.

Report Medical Expenses Net of Reimbursement

Health care expenses are a little too complex for us, so let's leave it to the experts.

In IRS Publication 502, it states "You cannot include medical expenses that were paid by insurance companies or other sources. This is true whether the payments were made directly to you, to the patient, or to the provider of the medical services."

Deducting Interest on Million-Dollar Mortgages

Some self-preparers might get excited to hear you can deduct the interest on your home loan. But, wait a minute, there's a catch.

Duben explains, "Interest on one's home is limited to loans of $1.1 million – any interest on a loan over this amount is not deductible."

Well, at least Uncle Sam is looking out for the little guy. Owning a home is tough nowadays.

Forgetting to Keep Track of Charitable Giving

Reciepts, receipts, receipts. We can't say it enough here at MainStreet. When it comes to tax time, good record-keepers will win.

As Duben explains, "Contributions over $200 require a letter from the charity to substantiate the deduction. Contributions in which something is received such as a dinner or merchandise can only be deducted to the extent the contribution exceeds the fair market value of goods or services received."

So, if you won a pair of tickets to the Super Bowl at a blind auction for charity, but only paid $20 for them, you're out of luck (and a deduction). Then again, you do have Super Bowl tickets.

Trying to Deduct Your "Time Donation"

Doing PR for a charity if your a PR professional is a really good deed, but it's still not tax deductible.

Duben says that donating your own time doesn't create a deduction for the value of the time donated. So, if you normally charge $60 an hour for your PR services and worked for 15 hours for the charity, sorry, but you can't take $900 off of your taxable income.

Not Taking a Reimbursement, Then Wanting to Deduct It

Say your employer offers to reimburse you for the conference you attended in the spring of 2009, but you turn it down because you'd rather have the deduction. Opps, not a good move.

"Employee-related expenses can be deducted if they are related to employment, required by the employer and not reimbursed or reimbursable. Not claiming a reimbursement from the employer if it is available does not create a tax deductable expense," Duben said.

Deducting Mileage Without Records

If you use your vehicle for business, you can deduct your mileage on your tax return, but make sure you've kept adequate records. If your log isn't exact, the IRS is not going to be happy.

Duben says it very simply: "Auto mileage needs to have a log to substantiate the amount claimed."

Claiming a "Dependent"

With so many "boomerang" kids coming home to live with mom and dad, it's no surprise that the definition of a "dependent" is very important this year.

If you want to claim a dependent on your taxes this year, but you aren't sure if the person fits the definition, make sure you visit the IRS Web site or ask a professional tax preparer. The IRS site has a really good tutorial on the ins and outs of who counts as a dependent.

Using the Wrong Social Security Number

When you file, don't forget to double-check the form before you submit it by mail or online. If you've accidentally switched two digits in your Social Security number, you could be facing trouble down the road.

Even the IRS says this is one of the most common errors they encounter. Just make sure you read over your forms before you file, and you should be all set.

Claiming New-Home Credits Too Early

If you want to make sure you get credit for that new home you just purchased, you better have closed escrow before Jan. 1, 2010. If you didn't, you're out of luck and you'll have to wait until next year to get the credit.

The IRS has a great little packet of tax information specific to homeowners of all types, whether this is the first time you've bought a home or you own a house for each season.

Using the Wrong Filing Status

Did you forget you were married? That's going to mess up your tax return.

This mistake is in line with using the wrong Social Security number. Just remember to look over your forms before you send them in.

Not Turning in Your W-2

This is a definite "d'oh" moment. Although the most obvious of all of the mistakes we've listed, this error could be costly.

Duben says this simple error could waste a lot of time. "Any of the above mistakes will cost additional taxes plus interest and possibly penalties. If a taxpayer is waiting for a refund the above errors can delay the refund for as long as it takes to correct the error. I have seen cases where it takes over a year to get things corrected."

Your W-2 is so incredibly important. Don't spend the time and effort to do your taxes only to find that you forgot to send in the paperwork

Obama: Cutting deficit as important as job growth

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Saturday that trimming budget deficits is as important as creating jobs, his top domestic priority this year, to continue the economic recovery that appears under way.
The government reported Friday the economy grew at an annual rate of 5.7 percent in the final three months of 2009. It was the second consecutive quarter of growth and the fastest rate in more than six years.
"A sign of progress," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "But as we work to create jobs, it is critical that we rein in the budget deficits we've been accumulating for far too long."
Hammered by Republicans for billions of dollars in spending that added to the deficit, Obama outlined steps he said would rein in spending. They include rules requiring that spending or tax cuts be offset by cuts to other programs or tax increases, a freeze on most discretionary spending and a presidentially appointed commission to recommend ways to reduce the deficit.
Obama said "pay-as-you-go" rules that were in place in the 1990s led to surpluses at the end of the decade. But after Congress eliminated the rules, Obama said the result was the $1.3 trillion deficit he faced upon taking office in January 2009.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has predicted a deficit of about the same size for the 2010 budget year.
"Reinstating this law will help get us back on track, ensuring that every time we spend, we find somewhere else to cut," Obama said.
The Senate voted Thursday to reinstate the rules. The House must still act on the measure.
Obama also has proposed a three-year freeze on most domestic spending, beginning in the budget year that starts Oct. 1. Spending related to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and national security would be exempt.
The president also promised to create a "fiscal commission" to develop ideas for reducing the deficit.
But his plan would be weaker than a now-defeated Senate proposal that would have created such a commission and required Congress to vote on its recommendations. There is no way to force Congress to vote on recommendations from a presidential panel.
The Senate defeated the measure when anti-tax Republicans and Democrats leery of being railroaded into cutting Social Security and Medicare voted against it.

Toyota Shows How Giants Stumble

.Toyota Shows How Giants Stumble
Buzz up! 68 Print..By Rick Newman , On Friday January 29, 2010, 2:18 pm EST
At General Motors, they used to call their surging competitor "Mr. T," as if intimidated by a muscular rival who seemed able to seize market share at will. But Toyota suddenly looks pretty meek, thanks to a mystifying safety problem that has led to a huge recall, an unprecedented production shutdown, and an ugly dent in a once sterling reputation.
This corporate nightmare has mushroomed since last fall, when Toyota recalled about 4 million vehicles because of floor mats with a propensity to slip down into the driver's side foot well, potentially interfering with the pedals and causing sudden acceleration. Now Toyota has recalled an additional 2.3 million vehicles for a problem that sounds similar, but the company says it's different: faulty gas pedals that can stick if they become worn, causing--once again--sudden acceleration.
Recalls aren't unusual. Here's what normally happens: The owner gets notified of the recall and brings the car to a dealer, where the problem is fixed in a day or two with no charge to the customer. But this recall is more confusing and far more draconian than usual. For one thing, Toyota announced the recall before there was a fix in place, so dealers didn't even know what to do if you brought them the car. Toyota implies that most of the recalled vehicles can still be driven safely, but it also offers these instructions for people who feel their car might have a sticky gas pedal: "The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off, and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance." Beyond that, Toyota has also issued some Dukes of Hazzard style maneuvers drivers should use if they're cruising along and the pedal does, in fact, stick, such as shifting into neutral or turning off the ignition (but don't take the key out!). Do they teach that in driver's ed?

If you're a concerned parent with a suspect Toyota, you could easily imagine that the gas pedal seems a little stickier than usual. And do what? Risk your kids' lives by driving them around in a death trap? Pull off on the side of the highway and call a taxi? Garage the car and rent something safe--at $300 per week--until Toyota figures out what's going on? Stressing out your customers like that isn't exactly the way to win repeat business.

The sales and production stoppage suggests an even bigger problem, with lots of legal liability. Toyota has stopped selling or building eight models, including the Camry, Corolla, and RAV 4, which represent more than 50 percent of its sales. That will cost Toyota millions, maybe billions, of dollars. It already ranks near the top in the annals of corporate meltdowns, and it's not necessarily over. GM, meanwhile, is poaching Toyota customers with special financing and other incentives, along with cars that go the speed you want them to.

[See 10 products that boomed during the recession.]

How did this happen? Toyota itself may not even know yet, and it could take months or years for the full story to develop. But Toyota's dramatic comedown isn't as sudden as it might seem. Some industry-watchers feel the saga has been building for years and may even have been inevitable.

In his 2009 book, How the Mighty Fall, business guru Jim Collins outlined five stages of decline that many big companies go through. Mostly he wrote about companies that lose their edge gradually, even imperceptibly, until thousands of tiny termite holes bring down the house. Toyota might qualify as an accelerated version of such a collapse.

Toyota has grown steadily into the world's biggest automaker, earning customer loyalty for the reliability and longevity of its vehicles. But problems have been slowly building. The T100 pickup sold in the 1990s failed to hit Toyota's usual mark for quality, with some critics complaining that it was an underpowered make-do truck that paled next to American counterparts. Beginning around 1999, thousands of Toyota owners complained about mysterious "sludge" buildup that wrecked their engines, prompting criticism that Toyota was growing too fast and skimping on quality; Toyota resisted the claims but settled a class action lawsuit brought by owners in 2007. Toyota owners have also complained about faulty head lamps on the Prius hybrid, and more than 100,000 Tundra pickups were recalled in 2009 for problems with rusting frames. On the business side, Toyota badly miscalculated when it built a new pickup plant in Texas, with sales far below projections.

[See 21 things we're learning to live without.]

Consumers have noticed. Surveys by CNW Marketing Research in Brandon, Ore., show that from 1997 to 2007, Toyota consistently ranked at the top for nonluxury car makers, neck and neck with Honda. For 10 straight years, consumers rated Toyota 9.1 or higher, on average, out of 10. In 2008, that rating slipped below 9 for the first time, and in the latest survey--which took place before the gas-pedal recall--respondents gave Toyota an 8.5 rating. That's lower than the ratings for Honda, Buick, Mazda, Volkswagen, Ford, and even Saturn.

Toyota's recent history lines up fairly well with Collins's taxonomy of decline. His first stage is "hubris born of success," which certainly could apply to Toyota. For years, Toyota was a model of efficient manufacturing, mimicked even by firms in different industries. That may have convinced the firm's leaders they could grow rapidly and maintain quality at any size. Next in the evolution of decline comes "undisciplined pursuit of more." Toyota definitely had grand ambitions--to become the world's biggest automaker--but it's not clear yet if the firm was undisciplined or simply took risks that went against it. Collins's third stage is "denial of risk and peril," which many critics certainly saw in Toyota's rigid refutation of consumer complaints. Stage four is "grasping for salvation," which is what Toyota seems to be doing now.

[See 4 things that could derail a recovery.]

It's a safe bet, however, that Toyota will escape Collins's fifth stage: "capitulation to irrelevance or death." Despite its woes, Toyota remains a strong brand and a powerful company, and falling on its sword today may be the best path toward a corporate rebound. Surveys by BrandIndex, a market research firm, show that Toyota's "buzz" score--reflecting consumers' immediate perception of the brand--have dipped to historic lows. But positive impressions of Toyota still outweigh negative ones, which means customers are likely to return if the company solves its problems once and for all--and makes amends. "Consumers are pretty forgiving of blue-chip brands," says Ted Marzilli of BrandIndex. "Prospects are still quite good for Toyota, provided the issue is resolved quickly, there is clear communication to consumers, and there are no more issues in the near future." And humility replaces hubris.

Apple's iPad event: What we didn't get

Apple's just-announced iPad looks like an iPhone on steroids, and it boasts a price tag that's a lot lower than people feared. But many of the enticing rumors about Apple's new tablet—such as chatter about a built-in camera, monthly TV subscriptions, and support for Verizon's 3G network—turned out to be dead wrong. Also: no iPhone for Verizon, at least not yet.
You can check out the details on the new iPad right here, and don't get me wrong: judged on its own, away from all the gargantuan hype, and considering its $499 price tag (for the 16GB model), Apple's new tablet is certainly one sexy piece of gadgetry.
But ... is it a category-changer, like the iPod and the iPhone before it? That'll be hard to judge right away, and I still need to see the thing in person before I start making any sweeping generalizations.
That said, some of the coolest would-be features that had been rumored for the iPad failed to materialize Wednesday, starting with ...
No 3G support for Verizon
One of the earliest rumors about the iPad (which I'd still rather call the iTablet) was that it would come with embedded 3G support in addition to Wi-Fi. Well, the 3G part was true (monthly pre-paid plans will start at $14 for 250MB of data, or $29/month unlimited), but alas, no Verizon; instead, we're stuck with good 'ole AT&T which is either a good or a bad thing, depending on how you feel about AT&T).

No jaw-droppingly new user interface
One of the most amazing things about the original iPhone was its ground-breaking touch interface; just pinch to zoom into a Web page! Tap to turn on the speakerphone! Swipe to flip through your photos! So maybe it was only natural that many of us gadget hounds (myself included) thought that Apple would come up with some new, "Minority Report"-style interface for the iPad ... perhaps some cool haptic feedback for the virtual QWERTY keypad, or maybe (as outlined in some recent patent filings) the ability to sense a finger that's hovering near the screen but not touching it. What we got, instead, was ... pretty much the same touch UI as on the iPhone, except with a lot more room. Not bad, but not all that revolutionary, either.
No built-in camera
The iPhone has a camera, the MacBook has a camera ... heck, even the new iPod Nano has a camera (well, a video-only camera, anyway). So, what about the iPad? Ahhh ... nope, and that's especially disappointing given the chatter from the Wall Street Journal that Apple has been toying with facial-recognition software that could potentially be used to, say, identify the various members of your family and deliver their own, customized iPad interface.
No Flash support
When, oh when, Apple, will you let us view Flash videos and Web modules on the mobile version of Safari? Who knows, but it's definitely not starting with the iPad, which is just as bereft of Flash support as the iPhone and iPod Touch are.
No user-replaceable battery
Steve Jobs claims that the iPad will come with an impressive 10 hours of battery life and a full month of stand-by time. Pretty cool, but as with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest MacBooks, the iPad battery comes sealed in the case, and there's no way to swap in a new one yourself.
No TV subscriptions
One of the more intriguing recent rumors was that Apple was going around to all the TV and cable networks, trying to sell them on the idea of monthly TV subscriptions that viewers would be able to watch on iTunes, the iPhone, Apple TV, or ... the iPad. Word even had it that Disney's Bob Iger was in San Francisco today, all set to announce a new content deal with Apple, but ... nope, didn't happen. (The writing for this non-event was on the wall, thanks to a recent New York Times story that reported that TV execs looked over Apple's subscription proposals and said "thanks, but no thanks.")
No iPhone software 4.0 announcement
Yet another interesting rumor had it that the reason that there hadn't been a big iPhone software update lately was that the new code was too intertwined with the iPad OS, and therefore we'd get a big announcement today for iPhone software 4.0—complete with full-on app multitasking, UI enhancements, and other goodies. The rumor sure sounded plausible (and hey, the part about the new iPhone software being closely interwoven with the iPad may well be true), but the Apple event came and went Wednesday, with nary a sign of iPhone software 4.0
Last but not least ... no iPhone for Verizon
Besides the iPad itself, the Apple rumor that seemed to generate the most excitement was the possibility that Steve Jobs would announce the end of Apple's exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T ... and announce an iPhone for Verizon at the same time. After all, most believe that the Apple-AT&T deal is set to expire this summer anyway, so why not get a jump on the news? But as with the talk about the iPad coming with support for Verizon's 3G network ... well, maybe we'll get a Verizon iPhone in June or July, but we didn't see one today.
So, what were you hoping for Wednesday that didn't quite happen?